week ending Apr 15

Fed's meeting minutes to detail how officials weighed bank risks -- The Federal Reserve will offer new insight Wednesday into how policymakers reached one of their most difficult decisions in years, shrugging off bank failures that roiled markets last month to deliver a quarter-percentage-point rate hike amid signs of stubborn price pressures. The Fed's rate increase last month, which brought their benchmark rate to a range of 4.75%-5%, had a "very strong consensus" among committee members, Chair Jerome Powell told reporters in a press conference following the March 21-22 Federal Open Market Committee meeting. All eyes will be on the minutes from that gathering, set to be released Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Washington, for details about the debate. "The overall message should still be that there's a lot of uncertainty, but we know that we have an inflation problem still — that will be number one," said Citigroup economist Veronica Clark. The March rate hike came at a tumultuous time: Silicon Valley Bank had collapsed less than two weeks earlier, and Fed officials were unsure how widespread the banking turmoil would be. With inflation still running much higher than the Fed's 2% target, officials increased rates, but not by as much as some Fed watchers had thought they might before the bank troubles unfolded. Data released earlier on Wednesday showed a key measure of US inflation hinting at a moderation last month. The March core consumer price index — which excludes food and energy and is closely watched by the Fed — rose 0.4% from the prior month following a 0.5% gain, in line with economists' estimates. Analysts will be looking to the minutes for insight into how policymakers weighed the need to further tighten to bring down inflation against the possibility of exacerbating angst in financial markets. A key question, raised by Powell after the meeting and many of his colleagues in the weeks since, is the extent to which tighter lending conditions will filter through to the economy as the Fed tries to cool inflation and the labor market.

FOMC Minutes Show Staff Expect 'Mild Recession', All Members Backed Continued QT, 25bps Hike - March Meeting:

• Several participants noted they considered whether it would be appropriate to leave rates unchanged at this meeting. However these participants noted actions taken helped calm conditions and lower near-term risks, allowing them to judge an increase as appropriate.
• Prior to banking stresses many had seen the appropriate policy path as being somewhat higher than in December.
• Pre-meeting data indicated slower than expected progress on inflation.
• Participants agreed there was little evidence pointing to disinflation for core services excluding housing.
• Participants assessed labor demand as substantially exceeding supply.
• Fed staff projected a mild recession starting later in 2023.
• If banking and financial conditions and their effects on macroeconomic conditions were to deteriorate more than assumed in the baseline, then the risks around the baseline would be skewed to the downside for both economic activity and inflation, particularly because historical recessions related to financial market problems tend to be more severe and persistent than average recessions.
• Banking sector developments likely to result in tighter credit conditions and weigh on activity, hiring and inflation.
• Several participants noted regional and community banks as providing critical financial services to many communities and industries.
• Participants agreed that the U.S. banking system remained sound and resilient.
• Actions taken so far by Fed. US authorities and Foreign authorities, had helped calm conditions in the banking sector.
• Participants noted that recent developments in the banking sector and the associated rise in uncertainty would likely weigh on consumer sentiment and that increased caution on the part of consumers could restrain spending
• Several participants emphasized the need to retain flexibility and optionality in determining the appropriate stance of monetary policy given the highly uncertain economic outlook.
• Some participants observed that downside risks to growth and upside risks to unemployment had increased because of the risk that banking-sector developments could lead to further tightening of credit conditions and weigh on economic activity.
• Some participants also noted that, with inflation still well above the Committee's longer-run goal and the recent economic data remaining strong, upside risks to the inflation outlook remained a key factor shaping the policy outlook, and that maintaining a restrictive policy stance until inflation is clearly on a downward path toward 2 percent would be appropriate from a risk-management perspective.
• Several participants noted the importance of longer-term inflation expectations remaining anchored and remarked that the longer inflation remained elevated, the greater the risk of inflation expectations becoming unanchored.
• Participants generally agreed on the importance of closely monitoring incoming information and its implications for the economic outlook, and that they were prepared to adjust their views on the appropriate stance of monetary policy in response to the incoming data and emerging risks to the economic outlook.

Has anyone told Lizzy Warren yet that the Fed admits it is now actively trying to trigger a recession? * * * Since the last FOMC statement on March 22nd, crypto is outperforming followed by stocks and gold while the dollar is lower and bonds around unch...

FOMC Minutes: "some additional policy firming may be appropriate"; Staff Predicts Recession -- This meeting the FOMC "members anticipated that some additional policy firming may be appropriate", whereas at the previous meeting "all participants continued to anticipate that ongoing increases in the target range for the federal funds rate would be appropriate". Update: For some time, the forecast for the U.S. economy prepared by the staff had featured subdued real GDP growth for this year and some softening in the labor market. Given their assessment of the potential economic effects of the recent banking-sector developments, the staff's projection at the time of the March meeting included a mild recession starting later this year, with a recovery over the subsequent two years.From the Fed: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee March 21–22, 2023. Excerpt: In their discussion of monetary policy for this meeting, members agreed that recent indicators pointed to modest growth in spending and production. They also concurred that job gains had picked up in recent months and were running at a robust pace, that the unemployment rate had remained low, and that inflation remains elevated. Members concurred that the U.S. banking system is sound and resilient. They also agreed that recent developments were likely to result in tighter credit conditions for households and businesses and to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation, but that the extent of these effects was uncertain. Members also concurred that they remained highly attentive to inflation risks.Members agreed that the Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. In support of these goals, members agreed to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 4-3/4 to 5 percent. Members agreed that they would closely monitor incoming information and assess the implications for monetary policy. Given recent developments, members anticipated that some additional policy firming may be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time. Members concurred that, in determining the extent of future increases in the target range, they would take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments. In addition, members agreed that they would continue reducing the Federal Reserve's holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency MBS, as described in its previously announced plans. All members affirmed that they remained strongly committed to returning inflation to its 2 percent objective.

Fed Survey Shows Inflation Expectations Re-Accelerated In March, Credit Access Worst Ever - As the labor market starts to finally crack (the most lagged economic signal), and consumer credit growth slows (at their limits), The Fed has a problem as, according to the New York Fed's March Survey of Consumer Expectations, inflation expectations are on the rise once again, especially the short-term. Median inflation expectations increased by 0.5 percentage point at the one-year-ahead timeframe to 4.7%, the first increase in the series since October 2022. Median inflation expectations for the three-year-ahead horizon edged up 0.1 pp to 2.8%. The oldest cohorts among the respondents were the ones expecting the highest inflation ahead... Perhaps even more notably, the share of households reporting that it's harder to get credit than a year ago rose, reaching a series high. Additionally, The NY Fed said they were also more pessimistic about future credit availability, which makes sense given that real estate loan growth is collapsing. Finally, expect delinquencies to rise as a larger percentage of consumers, 10.87% vs 10.63% in prior month, expect to not be able to make minimum debt payment over the next three months.

One Year Ahead Inflation Expectations Continue to Decline by Menzie Chinn - As of today: Figure 1: CPI inflation year-on-year (black), median expected from Survey of Professional Forecasters (blue +), median expected from Michigan Survey of Consumers FINAL (red), median from NY Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations (light green), forecast from Cleveland Fed (pink), mean from Coibion-Gorodnichenko firm expectations survey [light blue squares], all in %. NBER defined peak-to-trough recession dates shaded gray. Source: BLS, University of Michigan via FRED and Investing.com, Philadelphia Fed Survey of Professional Forecasters, NY Fed, Cleveland Fed and Coibion and Gorodnichenko, and NBER.

"Probably Means The Fed Is Done Hiking": Wall Street Reacts To "Cooler" CPI Report - It usually doesn't take long for Wall Street's "hot takes" to come flooding in after the CPI report, and today was no exception. Below we have collected some of the fastest reactions to the headline CPI miss, although as always, these mini narratives are entirely contingent on what prices end up doing, so if markets reverse their early gains, don't be surprised if the authors pull a 180 degree flipflop.

• Knowledge Vital, Adam Crisafuli:The huge 100bp dip in the Y/Y pace of inflation is a big, positive development, and probably means the Fed is done hiking. However, the Y/Y pace of core inflation rose M/M for the first time since Sept 2022, and this is what the Fed cares most about (which means Powell and his colleagues will be stubborn in pushing back against any talk of rate cuts). While this CPI is bullish for stocks, we think the Q1 earnings season will matter much more for the S&P."
• BMO Capital Markets, Ian Lyngen: “Moderating inflation data in March brings into question whether Powell will ultimately need to keep rates at terminal throughout 2023 — however, it is far too soon in the data cycle to have any true insight on this topic based on CPI alone.”
• Wells Fargo, Jay Bryson: “Potentially, if we’re in a recession at the end of the year, I could see that, but if we have a soft landing in the economy, I can see the inflation rate getting stuck at 3% to 3 1/2%. What is does the fed do at that point? Does it throw in the towel? Do they say we can live with 3-3.5%? Or do they really mean it, we need to get back down to 2%? And if they need to get down to 2%, you’re not going to see rate cuts at the end of this year. I think you’re going to see rates remain, at a minimum, elevated at that point.”
• Charles Schwab UK, Richard Flynn: "The fall in the rate of inflation is being welcomed by investors, who may speculate that the Fed could soon pause its cycle of monetary tightening. That being said, whilst the rate of inflation has fallen, it remains far above the Fed’s 2% target. Officials have been laser-focused on fighting inflation and may decide that additional tightening is required to achieve its target when the FOMC meets later this month.”
• CIBC Capital Markets, Karyne Charbonneau: "The pace of core inflation maintains the case for a follow-up rate hike by the Fed in May, provided banking system issues look sufficiently stable."
• Renaissance Macro, Neil Dutta:“If I think about the economic outlook as four potential scenarios: (1) soft-landing, (2) recession, (3) continued overheating, (4) stagflation – the odds of stagflation went down while the odds of soft-landing went up. Good news for stocks.”
• ING, James Knightley: “The combination of higher borrowing costs and the tightening of lending conditions that will inevitably result from the fallout of the recent banking stresses heightens the risk of a hard economic landing. This will make it even more likely that inflation returns to the 2% target by early next year.”
• Miller Tabak, Matt Maley: “It will be interesting to see how bullish this is seen for the stock market, especially if the earnings season ends up being a very rough one. Of course, a lot of people are worried about earnings and (more importantly) earnings guidance, so maybe it won’t be as bad as we’re thinking right now. If that is the case, maybe the stock market will just keep on rallying as we move through Q2. However, history tells us that when we’re heading into a recession, bond yields and stock prices fall in tandem, so investors might want to be a little bit careful about what they wish for.”
• Allianz Investment Management, Charlie Ripley: “Most of the softness in the report was driven by declining used car prices and a slower acceleration in shelter. Working against the numbers was the increase in airfares of 4%, which is not that surprising given all the spring traveling. On balance, the latest CPI data does not provide much runway for the Fed to continue lifting policy rates after the May meeting, and it is becoming more likely that we are nearing the peak in Fed policy rates.”
• Lazard, Ronald Temple: “Moderating price pressures combined with signs of cooling in the labor market will offer a temporary reprieve to markets. While this is good news, it does not mean tightening is over. Core inflation remains far above the Fed’s target, and the path to 2% will be bumpy. With core CPI likely to end the year above 3%, the Fed has more work to do before it can declare victory over inflation.”
• Bloomberg Intel, Ira Jersey: "The knee-jerk rally in the front end of the yield curve may have gone a bit further than justified, but is directionally correct given the CPI data likely keep the market outlook for the Fed “one and done” as the most likely outcome.... These data solidify our core view of bull steepening of the Treasury curve. Lower-volatility core CPI sectors continue to see price increases, suggesting the current level of inflation may be maintained. However, this trend supports our view the Fed may hike 25 bps more, then remain on hold for the rest of the year.”
• Bloomberg Economics, Jonathan Church: “Headline CPI inflation that came in slightly below expectations in March will provide a bit of relief for the Fed. But still-elevated core prices show inflation remains sticky, and recent OPEC+ production cuts suggest the good news on headline inflation is likely to be short-lived. A strong disinflationary push is expected from shelter over the summer, but given ongoing strength in the labor market and OPEC+’s cuts — as well as pressure from labor-intensive services industries — we still expect the Fed to hike rates by 25 basis points when it meets next month.”
• Bloomberg Markets Live, Cameron Crise: "US headline inflation came in moderately under expectations, though the more important core figure looked largely in line with economists’ forecasts. The monthly 0.1% rise in headline and 0.4% were both “low” — eg, they rounded up to those thresholds — so it probably makes sense that markets are deriving a bit of comfort from the figures. Services inflation excluding rent of shelter was unchanged on the month, and the core version of that index was up 0.25%, which offers up some comfort that the trend in underlying inflation is tilting in a more comfortable direction. As such, it might be reasonable to conclude that the Fed will adopt a wait and see approach in its next meeting, which would effectively end the tightening cycle. That conclusion is still pending today’s minutes, however, so it may well be the case that the initial thrust lower in yields loses momentum soon."

Who Knew What & When? Treasury Futures Soared Ahead Of CPI, BLS Denies Leaks -In the minute before the BLS' release of the CPI data, US Treasury Futures soared on relatively heavy volume.The June 2023 10-year Treasury futures contract saw around 5,000 contracts traded over a 60 second period in the lead up to the data release at 8:30 a.m. in New York, with prices jumping to 115-29+ from 115-09+.Treasuries extended gains after on heavy volume (only to erase all the gains as the day wore on)...But it does make one wonder who knew what when?As Bloomberg's Ed Bolingbroke notes, CPI data has been the subject of questions on this front before, with the report released in December being one notable recent occasion. Then, heavy trading in the minute before that release spurred concern in some quarters that the numbers might have been leaked.The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said at the time that there was no evidence its systems had been compromised or that there was any suspicious activity around the data release.And again, the BLS has come out with a statement that there was no indication of any early release of the March CPI data adding that there is "no evidence" that agency systems were "in any way compromised."“Trading activity immediately before the release of BLS data is not unusual, but we do actively monitor such activity as part of our efforts to protect the integrity of our release procedures,” the bureau said Wednesday, noting that it “continuously monitors for suspicious activity and has detected none.”

Q1 GDP Tracking: Around 2% -- From BofA: On net, since the last weekly publication, our 1Q US GDP growth tracking estimate rose from 0.8% q/q saar to 1.6% q/q saar [Apr 7th estimate] From Goldman: [W]e lowered our Q1 GDP tracking estimate by 0.3pp to +2.3% (qoq ar)). [Apr 5th estimate]And from the Altanta Fed: GDPNow: The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the first quarter of 2023 is 1.5 percent on April 5, down from 1.7 percent on April 3. [Apr 5th estimate]

Recession Warning- Consumer Debt Climbs But Pace Slowing - American consumers continued to pile on debt in February, but the pace of borrowing slowed significantly, another sign the economy could be heading toward a recession. Overall, consumer debt grew by $15.3 billion in February, a 3.8% annual increase, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve. That compares with an upwardly revised 19.5 billion increase in January. Americans now owe a record $4.82 trillion in consumer debt. The Federal Reserve consumer debt figures include credit card debt, student loans, and auto loans, but do not factor in mortgage debt. When you include mortgages, US households are buried under more than $16.9 trillion in debt. Household debt charted the biggest increase in two decades in the fourth quarter of 2022. Credit card debt grew at a much slower pace in February, in line with the drop in retail sales. Lower fuel and energy prices gave consumers some relief, even as price inflation remains elevated. As Forbes reported in February, retail sales that month told a “story of consumers leaning into value and curtailed spending.” The borrowing data confirms this. Revolving debt, primarily reflecting credit card borrowing increased by $5 billion in February, a 3.8% increase. In absolute terms, it was the smallest increase in revolving credit since April 2021. But credit card borrowing still remains slightly higher than the prepandemic average even with higher interest rates as Americans continue to cope with rapidly increasing prices. To put the numbers into perspective, the annual increase in 2019, prior to the pandemic, was 3.6%. It’s pretty clear that Americans are still heavily relying on credit cards to make ends meet. Bloomberg reported, “Still, many Americans are leaning on credit cards to keep up with rising prices. A Census Bureau survey in early March showed about a third of Americans said they used credit cards or loans to meet their spending needs.” Americans now owe a record $1.22 trillion in revolving debt.

10 House Republicans back fight to block omnibus spending bill - Ten House Republicans on Tuesday backed a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the latest omnibus spending bill by challenging the lower chamber’s use of proxy voting as unconstitutional. In an amicus brief, the lawmakers wrote in support of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) effort in court to block implementation of the mammoth $1.7 trillion spending package that was passed in December. “The House of Representatives’ adoption of proxy voting rules was unconstitutional on the day that it was announced; this Court therefore has the power—indeed the duty—to review and adjudicate the constitutionality of legislation enacted due only to proxy voting,” the lawmakers wrote. “In doing so, it should hold that the Plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits, because the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 cannot be sustained as a proper exercise of Congress’s power to enact legislation,” the brief continued. The signatories are: Republican Reps. Chip Roy (Texas), Morgan Griffith (Va.), Andy Ogles (Tenn.), Harriet Hageman (Wyo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Clay Higgins (La.), Warren Davidson (Ohio), Gary Palmer (Ala.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.) and John Rose (Tenn). Paxton’s lawsuit, which was filed in February, argues that because it used proxy voting, the House did not have a quorum when it voted on Dec. 23, 2022, to approve the omnibus, capping off weeks of drama to secure government funding for the next fiscal year. House rules for the previous Congress allowed proxy votes to count toward a quorum, but Freedom Caucus members — who comprise the bulk of the signatories — have eyed a constitutional challenge based on physical presence for months. “Proxy voting is unconstitutional,” the lawmakers wrote in the brief, which the Mountain States Legal Foundation filed on their behalf.

GOP offer would push debt limit fight to 2024 — House Republicans are considering a proposal that would kick the market-rattling debate over the U.S. debt limit to 2024 — placing it right in the middle of a presidential election year. GOP lawmakers are readying legislation they could unveil next week that would suspend the debt ceiling until May 2024, a person familiar with the matter said. Extraordinary accounting measures deployed by the Treasury Department could push the final deadline until after the November 2024 election, Bipartisan Policy Center expert Bill Hoagland said. But the GOP plan would make the debt ceiling debate part of the campaign. Treasury has used these extraordinary measures to stave off a default since the debt limit was technically reached in January. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is set to address the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. A person familiar says his speech will hit on the debt limit fight. The bill the GOP is preparing would be a party wish-list of spending cuts and regulations changes with little chance of being enacted, but could form the basis of separate, future budget talks and end the debt limit standoff that threatens a US payments default this summer. President Joe Biden has called for an unconditional increase of the $31.4 trillion US debt limit, but has said he would discuss a separate budget agreement with Speaker Kevin McCarthy. "If today's reports are true, Speaker McCarthy is adopting the extreme MAGA House Republican position: threatening our economic recovery, hardworking Americans' retirement, and catastrophic default in order to force devastating cuts to veterans health care, education, and other programs that lower costs for working families," Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary, said in a statement. Before the current two-week House recess, McCarthy told reporters that his party was "close" to finalizing a debt ceiling bill that could pass if Biden continues to refuse to negotiate on the issue. He said that the bill would be based on four topics he had outlined to Biden in a letter: discretionary spending cuts to fiscal 2022 levels, tougher work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, clawing back unspent Covid-19 funds and easing energy permits. The proposal is separate from a more far-reaching GOP non-binding budget proposal that the party intends to use to demonstrate that the U.S. federal budget could be balanced in 10 years. The timing of the bill being shared with rank-and-file lawmakers next week was first reported by Punchbowl News. Among the proposals being considered is cutting domestic annual appropriations by $130 billion and then capping the growth of appropriations at 1% per year for a decade, GOP lawmakers have said. The GOP is also eyeing savings achieved by blocking Biden's proposed student loan forgiveness program, lawmakers have said. A proposal to impose new work requirements on those between 50 and 65 years old, as well as those with school-aged children, appears to be losing favor for the bill, according to a senior House GOP aide.

Biden’s economic chief draws doubts over her Fed past - President Joe Biden’s point person on the crisis in the banking industry is in an awkward position. Lael Brainard arrived at the White House less than two months ago — after nearly a decade on the board of the Federal Reserve that included a stint as chair of the central bank’s financial stability committee. But while those may be excellent credentials for leading a response to the biggest financial upheaval since the 2008 crash, Brainard’s past at the Fed is constraining her from taking a more public role, according to four people close to the White House and financial reform advocates. As a Fed governor, Brainard voted along with the rest of the board for the series of interest rate hikes that helped push two weak banks to failure in March. And though she has long been a vocal champion of strong bank oversight, financial reform advocates — and even some White House allies — are asking whether she will be tagged with any responsibility herself for the Fed’s failure to spot problems at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank before they imploded in March. “All of the failure of supervision stuff for the last six to nine months implicates the Fed,” said a person close to the White House, who requested anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive personnel topic. “And all the investigations will focus on the Fed. There is just no way that can’t be awkward both for Lael and for the White House, even if there is nothing specific she did wrong.” Behind the scenes, Brainard has been taking a lead role in the administration’s efforts to deal with the failed banks and reassure depositors that their money is safe, according to half a dozen senior administration officials and several others close to Brainard outside the White House. And in an extraordinary move driven by Brainard, the White House recently called on the Fed to undo many of the deregulatory steps that it took during the Trump administration — actions that Brainard had opposed while she was there. Her role in mapping out a policy to deal with the turmoil underscores how quickly the administration realized it was facing a potential crisis for the economy and Biden’s re-election chances. But some of the people inside and outside the administration say her association with the Fed — the main regulator of the nation’s banks — leading up to the meltdown of the two lenders is also limiting her ability to publicly challenge the central bank’s actions, given the tradition in which former Fed officials refrain from criticizing onetime colleagues. “There is a social, institutional, and reputational cost to being viewed as violating Federal Reserve norms of clubbiness,” said Jeff Hauser, director of the Revolving Door Project. “Being perceived as `politicizing the Fed’ would likely cause members of the Fed club to view her as disloyal. It’s also likely that even as Brainard was perhaps the best dissenter ever at the Fed, that nonetheless she felt pressure to pull some punches.” The White House declined to make Brainard available for an interview. White House officials rejected the idea that she is shying away from criticizing the Fed. Instead, they argue that her dissents at the central bank speak for themselves and that when the crisis hit, Brainard simply dug deep into the work of helping organize the response while keeping Biden and new White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients briefed on developments.

US Will Threaten Europe To Implement Sanctions On Russia -The White House plans to send a clear message to its European partners in the economic war against Russia, "you are either with us or against us." Two US Treasury officials will visit European and Central Asian partners next month to demand all sanctions on Russia be implemented.Treasury officials Liz Rosenberg and Brian Nelson will meet with leaders of financial institutions in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. The AP reports the officials will have a simple message, "1. Continue to provide Moscow with material support or 2. Keep doing business with countries that represent 50 percent of the global economy."Rosenberg and Nelson will provide their European counterparts with intelligence on alleged sanctions evaders. If those countries fail to crack down on those still doing business with Russia, then Washington is threatening to issue "penalties." It is unclear how far the Joe Biden administration is willing to punish NATO allies for violating sanctions.The policy echoes President George W. Bush’s doctrine that countries must either actively align with Washington in its Middle East wars, or else be judged as working "with the terrorists."It is unclear how Europe will respond to the Joe Biden administration’s threats. Some EU members were in favor of a plan that would lift sanctions on the Belarusian fertilizer industry. Additionally, stricter sanctions implementation could threaten the Black Sea grain export agreement. The deal, brokered by Turkey and the UN, allows Ukraine’s heavily mined Black Sea ports to export agricultural products. Moscow has been willing to extend the agreement several times but is threatening to terminate it over Western sanctions preventing Russia from reaping the agreement’s benefits.After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the White House unleashed a series of sanctions that it considered an economic nuclear weapon. However, the attempt to isolate Moscow’s economy has largely floundered. While the Russian rouble has dipped in recent days, throughout most of the war Moscow has weathered the sanctions by increasing trade with Asia.Washington has only rallied its NATO allies and other close partners to adopt the sanctions. Meanwhile, China has added more countries to its Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Saudi Arabia and Turkey are two of the latest prospective members.Upon becoming a member of the SCO, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi observed that the more countries the US sanctions, the more these targeted nations may cooperate as trading partners."The relationship between countries that are sanctioned by the US, such as Iran, Russia or other countries, can overcome many problems and issues and make them stronger," he said. "The Americans think whichever country they impose sanctions on, it will be stopped, their perception is a wrong one."

US Is Spying On Zelensky- Here's What's Known So Far From The Leaked Intelligence Files - The highly classified Pentagon documents which were leaked online in recent weeks, but which began being confirmed and reported as authentic by The New York Times and others only in the past few days, contain some embarrassing revelations. This has sent DOJ and US intelligence officials scrambling to discover the source of the leaks. CNN is confirming Monday based on one of the documents which appeared online that the US has been spying on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky - a disclosure which has caused officials in Kiev to be "deeply frustrated". "One document reveals that the US has been spying on Zelensky," CNN reports. "That is unsurprising, said the source close to Zelensky, but Ukrainian officials are deeply frustrated about the leak." The US intelligence document suggests that American officials have been worried about possible Zelensky decision-making to strike deep into Russian territory, which would escalate the war and potentially bring Russian and NATO into direct clashes: The US intelligence report, which is sourced to signals intelligence, says that Zelensky in late February "suggested striking Russian deployment locations in Russia’s Rostov Oblast" using unmanned aerial vehicles, since Ukraine does not have long-range weapons capable of reaching that far. An additional possibility is that the US intelligence community might be monitoring the Ukrainian presidency's office as part of efforts to oversee and account for how the tens of billions in aid sent to Kiev is being utilized. The Washington Post details that "many of the documents seem to have been prepared over the winter for Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military officials, but they were available to other U.S. personnel and contract employees with the requisite security clearances."Here are 14 more major revelations contained within the leaked intel document trove based on various media sources:

• Locations of CIA recruitment efforts focused on human agents which have access to closed-door conversations of world leaders
• Russia's Wagner Group tried to obtain weapons from a NATO member: Turkey. Also, some of the internal future plans of Wagner are apparently known to US intelligence
• Details of sensitive satellite technology used to track Russian forces, namely the "LAPIS time-series video" - described as an advanced satellite system, which up until now has been a closely guarded secret
• Ukraine battlefield assessments prepared by the Pentagon
• The Guardian: "One slide suggested that a small contingent of less than a hundred special operations personnel from NATO members France, America, Britain, and Latvia were already active in Ukraine."
• Descriptions of intelligence collection activities by the CIA, NSA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, law enforcement agencies and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
• One Feb. 23 review of the battlefield situation in Ukraine’s Donbas forecasts a "grinding campaign of attrition" by Russia that "is likely heading toward a stalemate, thwarting Moscow’s goal to capture the entire region in 2023."
• WaPo: "The U.S. intelligence community has penetrated the Russian military and its commanders so deeply that it can warn Ukraine in advance of attacks and reliably assess the strengths and weaknesses of Russian forces."
• WaPo: "A single page in the leaked trove reveals that the U.S. intelligence community knew the Russian Ministry of Defense had transmitted plans to strike Ukrainian troop positions in two locations on a certain date in February and that Russian military planners were preparing strikes on a dozen energy facilities and an equal number of bridges in Ukraine."
• WaPo: A summary of analysis from the CIA’s World Intelligence Review, a daily publication for senior policymakers, says that Beijing is likely to view attacks by Ukraine deep inside Russian territory as "an opportunity to cast NATO as the aggressor," and that China could increase its support to Russia if it felt the attacks were "significant."
• Ukraine's robust Soviet-era air defenses -- which have thus far minimized the participation of Russian aircraft - could run out of ammunition in next several weeks.
• A purported CIA intelligence update -- claims Israel's Mossad supported protests against Prime Minister Netanyahu's Supreme Court reform scheme.
• One report says internal discussions show that South Korean officials are wary of requests to hand over artillery shells to the United States to replenish American stockpiles, out of concern they'd end up in Ukraine.
• Another report says that Ukrainian Air Defense is in peril if it's not reinforced by Western allies

Meanwhile, the expanding breadth of subject matter has many suggesting a US source is responsible. It's being called "a nightmare for the Five Eyes" - and could damage intelligence-sharing relationships between the US and its partner countries.

DOJ Races To Find Source of Leaked Pentagon Documents - The US government is scrambling to identify who's been publicly posting a growing trove of classified military and intelligence documents. Sources in and out of government tell Reuters that initial hunches center on the possibility it was leaked by an American. "We have referred this matter to the Department of Justice, which has opened a criminal investigation," Department of Defense press secretary Sabrina Singh said Sunday. NBC News reports that most of the documents it studied "appear to be briefing slides prepared by the U.S. military’s Joint Staff and refer to information gleaned from an array of U.S. intelligence agencies.The first batches of maps and documents pertained to the war in Ukraine. On Friday, a new collection hit public view, this time relating not only to Ukraine, but also China, Africa and the Middle East. Among other things, Friday's documents suggested Ukraine's robust Soviet-era air defenses -- which have thus far minimized the participation of Russian aircraft -- could run out of ammunition in next several weeks. Another document -- a purported CIA intelligence update -- claims Israel's Mossad supported protests against Prime Minister Netanyahu's Supreme Court reform scheme. Netanyahu said the claim is "mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever." In an embarrassment to Washington, the documents reflect United States spying not only on Israel but ally South Korea, too. One report says internal discussions show that South Korean officials are wary of requests to hand over artillery shells to the United States to replenish American stockpiles, out of concern they'd end up in Ukraine.The expanding breadth of subject matter has many suggesting a US source is responsible. "The focus now is on this being a US leak, as many of the documents were only in US hands," former Pentagon official Michael Mulroy told Reuters. As opposed to electronic downloads, it appears most or all of these leaks are in the form of photographs of paper documents.

US will 'turn over every rock' to find source of leak, says Pentagon chief (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said the United States will investigate the recent purported leak of classified documentsuntil the source is found. Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents, labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret," that first appeared on social media sites in March and supposedly reveal details of military capabilities of some U.S. allies and adversaries. Reuters has not independently verified the documents' authenticity. "We will continue to investigate and turn over every rock until we find the source of this and the extent of it," Austin said during a press conference at the State Department. Austin, the first senior U.S. official to comment on the leak, said the Pentagon was aware that documents had been posted dated Feb. 28 and March 1, but was not sure if there were other documents that had been online before. "These are things that we will find out as we continue to investigate," Austin added. U U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, speaking later at Rice University in Texas, called the leaks "deeply unfortunate," but did not give details on what he said were "quite intense" investigations by the Pentagon and the Justice Department. "We need to learn lessons from that, as well, about how we can tighten procedures," Burns said. Investigators are working to determine what person or group might have had the ability and motivation to release the intelligence reports. The leaks could be the most damaging release of U.S. government information since the 2013 publication of thousands of documents on WikiLeaks.

Congress demands answers on classified document leak - Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are demanding answers following the leak of highly-sensitive documents from the Pentagon that included information on Ukraine’s war against Russia. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that he has requested classified briefings for members on the leak after Congress returns to Washington next week. Leaders of the House and Senate intelligence panels also said they’d been briefed on the leak, which represents the most significant breach of U.S. intelligence in a decade. “We don’t know what else might be coming or what else they have access to,” House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) told CBS on Monday. “That’s why it’s so important to find the source and to close down this source.” Turner, who recently returned from a visit to Kyiv, has said the leak could amount to espionage. The leak, which surfaced on social media over the past week, has stunned the Defense Department and prompted an investigation by the Justice Department. The released information spanned a host of topics but included highly-sensitive documents related to the war in Ukraine. The White House on Monday said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the leak but demurred on whether it remained an active threat. “We don’t know. We truly don’t,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the leak “not remotely acceptable.” In a phone interview, he said he wants to learn as quickly as possible how the leak happened and whether it exposed any sources of U.S. intelligence collection.“This leak is particularly concerning because it could have very real-time consequences,” he told POLITICO, referring to Ukrainians in their ongoing war with Russia. Himes said the leak, which comes after the discovery of classified information at properties associated with Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Mike Pence, is indicative of broader problems with classified information handling. He predicted that there would be bipartisan interest revamping classified materials-handling practices.

Suspected US intelligence leaker arrested in Massachusetts - Jack Teixeira, an airman in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested Thursday in Massachusetts in connection with the leak of classified documents shared in a group he managed on a website popular with gamers. Teixeira oversaw Thug Shaker Central, a group on Discord where more than 100 classified documents on topics ranging from Ukraine to intelligence gleaned from spying on allies first appeared. Teixeira’s arrest comes after The New York Times reported last week that documents dealing with intelligence on Ukraine’s battle with Russia from as far back as February had been percolating on the site before spreading to other social media platforms. Teixeira, 21, enlisted in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and in July was promoted to Airman First Class. Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed the arrest in a brief public statement, indicating Teixeira could face charges under the Espionage Act. “Today the Justice Department arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information,” Garland said. “FBI agents took Teixeira into custody earlier this afternoon without incident. He will have an initial appearance at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts.” The arrest follows a week of speculation on the identity and motivation of the leaker, prompting the Pentagon to cull distribution lists for its intelligence reports as the FBI sought to identify the leaker through a digital trail along with clues included in the photographs of intelligence documents shared online.

What we know about suspected Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira -- Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira was arrested Thursday over his alleged role in leaking secret files from the Pentagon that have embarrassed U.S. allies and cast doubt on Ukraine’s ability to succeed in its war with Russia. The New York Times reported earlier Thursday that Teixeira, 21, was the leader of the Discord server where the files were shared and is an Airman First Class with the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. A hundred or more of the documents are thought to exist, detailing everything from Russian and Ukrainian battlefield assessments to affairs across U.S.-allied nations. It’s unclear how Teixeira had access to highly classified information. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira was suspected of “unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information.” Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the leak was a “deliberate, criminal act” and those with security clearances should know better. In 2020, a group of online friends connected by a shared enthusiasm for guns and military gear started a server on Discord, a chat forum site primarily used for gaming, The Washington Post reported. The leader of the Discord group, known as “OG,” worked at an unidentified military base and began sharing transcribed notes of classified intelligence with the server, called “Thug Shaker Central,” which hosted up to 30 members, per the Post’s report. The Post report did not name Teixeira, but a later New York Times report identified him as the leader of the group. In a July 2022 Facebook post, the 101st National Guard congratulated Teixeira for his promotion to Airman 1st Class at Joint Base Cape Cod. OG claimed to spend part of his time in a secure government facility that prohibited cell phones and cameras. He was generally revered by the online server group and touted his access to classified secrets, according to The Post. But interest in the secrets waned over time in the server. Toward the end of last year, OG, who railed against U.S. corruption and shared right-wing ideology, shifted to taking pictures of the classified documents to maintain the group’s attention on government secrets, per The Post. Pictures of the classified documents first appeared outside of Thug Shaker Central in early March, investigative group Bellingcat reported. A batch of 10 documents surfaced on a Discord server called “Minecraft Earth Map” after a user posted them. Bellingcat traced an earlier leak to a Discord server called “WowMao,” which appears to have been sourced from the Thug Shaker Central channel. The documents were never supposed to leak out of the original server, according to The Times and The Post, which spoke to members of the original Discord server. Last week, The New York Times first reported that classified Pentagon documents were circulating online, quickly garnering the world’s attention. The documents were now being shared on Telegram and Twitter, breaking out of obscure chat forum sites and into the more public online world, where Russian sources also got their hands on them. The first batch documents revealed the Pentagon’s insider information on battlefield assessments in the war in Ukraine. One of the documents, which later proved to have been altered, picked up widespread attention after it showed lower Russian casualty rates and high Ukrainian deaths in the war.

Biden Looking at Expanding Internet Surveillance After Discord Leaks --The Biden administration appears poised to increase internet surveillance in response to the leaked Pentagon documents that appear to have been posted on the messaging platform Discord.NBC News reported on Wednesday that the administration was looking at expanding how it monitors social media sites and chat rooms.The report cited an unnamed senior administration official and a congressional official who said the administration wants to “expand the universe” of social media sites that US law enforcement and intelligence agencies monitor.According to the congressional source, the report said the “intelligence community is now grappling with how it can scrub platforms like Discord in search of relevant material to avoid a similar leak in the future.”According to The Washington Post, the top secret documents were posted on a private Discord server that a member later posted on public servers in March. The documents have been circulating on the internet since then and were discovered by The New York Times last week.Expanding internet surveillance is just one way the Biden administration is considering responding to the Discord leak. Internally, the Pentagon has reportedly tightened control of classified material and is looking at other steps to take.On Thursday, the FBI arrested a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman in Massachusetts who is suspected of being the leaker.

Larry Johnson and Other Former Insiders Debunk Air Guardsman-as-Pentagon-Leaker Story as Press Cheers Arrest - by Yves Smith - Lambert and I have discussed that this is an oddly quiet news period, as shown by the number of stories appearing in the RSS feeds of major US and foreign press outlets, despite being in the midst of a restructuring of the global order and other rows.¹ However, the remarkable specter of the Washington Post getting ahead of investigators in hot pursuit of the biggest leaker since Edwards Snowden tripped our bullshit detectors.As writers, we were both triggered by the writing and exposition style of the Washington Post story providing an extraordinary amount of detail about the presumed leaker and gamer called OG in his Discord circle, which Lambert took to stand for the gamer designation “Old Guy.” According to the Post, OG was the head of a small tribe of gamer teens. OG has supposedly been providing detailed written summaries of material he was reading due to his access to classified documents. When he didn’t get the engagement he wanted, he resorted to posting the documents themselves.As we learned today after he was arrested, OG is 21 year old Air National Guardsman Jake Teixeira who worked at an installation at the Joint Base at Cape Cod.The Post story was more Michael Lewis than journalism: too much like a screenplay treatment, few of the customary qualifiers about certainty of information, and far too many signs of official help, like the Post claiming it had seen 300 documents, yet not even providing any description their scope or even dates, or how it got to not just one but two members of OG’s group who recognized OG was in trouble yet were so willing to go into tell-all mode.Of course, a story explaining how something highly embarrassing to the government being very slickly and quickly produced does not mean it’s not true. But it does suggest its tires should be kicked awfully hard.Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson has found a smoking gun: it’s simply not possible for anyone with access to secure military systems to have gotten one of the documents, a CIA product that would reside only on entirely different systems. The entire interview is worth a listen and here are the key quotes:

The US Could Use Some Separation Of Media And State – Caitlin Johnstone -- The US State Department’s spokesperson Ned Price is being replaced by a man named Matthew Miller. Like Price, Miller has had extensive prior involvement in both the US government and the mass media; Price is a former CIA officer and Obama administration National Security Council staffer who for years worked as an NBC News analyst, while Miller has previously had roles in both the Obama and Biden administrations and spent years as an analyst for MSNBC.Like every high-level government spokesperson, Miller’s job will be to spin the nefarious things the US empire does in a positive light and deflect inconvenient questions with weasel-worded non-answers. Which also happens to be essentially the same job as the propagandists in the mainstream media.In journalism school you are taught that there’s supposed to be a sharp line between government and the press; journalists are meant to hold the government to account, and there’s an obvious conflict of interest there if they’re also friends with government officials or are looking to the government as a potential future employer. But at the highest levels of the world’s most powerful government and the world’s most influential media platforms the line between media and state is effectively nonexistent; people flow seamlessly between roles in the media and roles in the government depending on who’s in office.We see this indistinctness between government and media with White House press secretaries even more clearly. The current press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is a former analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and the last press secretary Jen Psaki now has her own show on MSNBC. Prior to her stint as White House press secretary Psaki worked as a CNN analyst, and before that she was a spokesperson for the State Department like Price and Miller. At a recent event for the news startup Semafor, Psaki was asked if she considers herself a journalist and she said she does, adding that “to me, journalism is providing information to the public, helping make things clearer, explaining things.” Which is a bit funny considering that Psaki’s political faction has spent the last seven years furiously insisting that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is not a journalist. In liberal brainworms land the world’s greatest journalist is not a journalist at all, but Joe Biden’s spin doctor is because she’s got a knack for “explaining things”. Lest you get the mistaken impression that this phenomenon is unique to Democrats and their aligned media outlets, it should here be noted that Trump’s press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders got a job as a Fox News contributor immediately after resigning from that position, and now she’s the governor of Arkansas. Another Trump administration press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, is now an on-air contributor to Fox News, and previously worked for CNN. Trump’s first press secretary Sean Spicer reportedly tried to get jobs with CBS News, CNN, Fox News, ABC News and NBC News after his stint in the White House, but was turned down by all of them because nobody likes him.

Why the Media Don't Want to Know the Truth About the Nord Stream Blasts - No one but the terminally naïve should be surprised that security services lie – and that they are all but certain to cover their tracks when they carry out operations that either violate domestic or international law or that would be near-universally rejected by their own populations. Which is reason enough why anyone following the fallout from explosions last September that ripped holes in three of the four Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea supplying Russian gas to Europe should be wary of accepting anything Western agencies have to say on the matter. In fact, the only thing that Western publics should trust is the consensus among “investigators” that the three simultaneous blasts deep underwater on the pipelines – a fourth charge apparently failed to detonate – were sabotage, not some freak coincidental accident. Someone blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, creating an untold environmental catastrophe as the pipes leaked huge quantities of methane, a supremely active global-warming gas. It was an act of unrivaled industrial and environmental terrorism. If Washington had been able to pin the explosions on Russia, as it initially hoped, it would have done so with full vigor. There is nothing Western states would like more than to intensify world fury against Moscow, especially in the context of NATO’s express efforts to “weaken” Russia through a proxy war waged in Ukraine. But, after the claim made the rounds of front pages for a week or two, the story of Russia destroying its own pipelines was quietly shelved. That was partly because it seemed too difficult to maintain a narrative in which Moscow chose to destroy a critical part of its own energy infrastructure. Not only did the explosions cause Russia great financial harm – the country’s gas and oil revenues regularly financed nearly half of its annual budget – but the blasts removed Moscow’s chief influence over Germany, which had been until then heavily dependent on Russian gas. The initial media story required the Western public to believe that President Vladimir Putin willingly shot himself in the foot, losing his only leverage over European resolve to impose economic sanctions on his country. But even more than the complete lack of a Russian motive, Western states knew they would be unable to build a plausible forensic case against Moscow for the Nord Stream blasts. Instead, with no chance to milk the explosions for propaganda value, official Western interest in explaining what had happened to the Nord Stream pipelines wilted, despite the enormity of the event. That was reflected for months in an almost complete absence of media coverage. When the matter was raised, it was to argue that separate investigations by Sweden, Germany and Denmark were all drawing a blank. Sweden even refused to share any of its findings with Germany and Denmark, arguing that to do so would harm its “national security.” No one, again including the Western media, raised an eyebrow or showed a flicker of interest in what might be really going on behind the scenes. Western states and their compliant corporate media seemed quite ready to settle for the conclusion that this was a mystery cocooned in an enigma. Key Washington figures, from President Biden to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his senior neoconservative official Victoria Nuland – a stalwart of the murky US, anti-Russia meddling in Ukraine over the past decade – had either called for the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines or celebrated the blasts shortly after they took place. If anyone had a motive for blowing up the Russian pipelines – and a self-declared one at that – it was the Biden administration. They opposed the Nord Stream 1 and 2 projects from the outset – and for exactly the same reason that Moscow so richly prized them.

US intelligence leak deals severe blow to Ukraine war effort –--- Dozens of classified U.S. and NATO documents, some labeled “Top Secret,” began leaking in more obscure parts of the internet in January before spilling over to Twitter and Telegram and picking up attention last week.While they only provide a status of the conflict up to March, the material does reveal insight into Ukraine’s military capabilities, including battalion sizes, training on advanced weaponry and deployment of heavy combat vehicles, such as Leopard II tanks.They also give a view into Kyiv’s shortcomings, with at least one document describing how the country could soon run out of munitions for Soviet-era anti-air missile systems, exposing a potential vulnerability in Ukraine’s air defense systems.Kurt Volker, a distinguished fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis, said the leak is worrying because it gives the world a “snapshot” of U.S. assessments and judgements on the war in Ukraine. “It is signaling to Ukrainians, to Russians, to others, ‘Here’s what we’re thinking,’” Volker said, and it “may give some clues as to the quality of our information, where we’re getting it from … which will cause the people we’re collecting on to shut that down.”Perhaps the most alarming leak contains information on the Ukrainian air defenses.One document, dated in February, says missiles for the S300 will run out by May, while the SA-11 Gadfly missile system will be depleted by the end of March. Both systems make up 89 percent of Ukraine’s air defenses, according to NATO, and are crucial in fending off frequent Russian missile strikes.Russian military bloggers have already widely spread the leaked documents, including those estimating how many air defense systems and aircraft such as fighter jets are deployed by Ukraine.

Kirby Addresses Pentagon Leak Showing US Special Forces On Ground In Ukraine - In our previous reporting on the leaked Pentagon documents which US authorities are scrambling to undercover the source of, we noted that one Department of Defense slide confirms that the United States and its allies have roughly 100 special forces troops on the ground in Ukraine. Many observers believe it could be much more. But the leaked intel showed that as many as 50 British have been operating inside Ukraine at the time the March 23 briefing was put together. Among the US, France and Latvia are also a dozen special forces personnel each, according to the document. Leaked document has a legend of US/NATO special forces in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Po0pRJ6gMx However, the documents don't identify the location of the Western special forces operatives inside Ukraine or what their mission or purpose inside the war-ravaged country is. Typically, US Green Berets train and advise local forces on the ground, as well as assist or directly conduct unconventional warfare operations. On Wednesday White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby belatedly admitted to the accuracy of basic content the slide (namely that there are indeed US Special Forces on the ground), but he downplayed it as a "small US military presence" which is stationed at the American Embassy in Kyiv.When pressed about the leaked documents, he said to Fox News: "I won't talk to the specifics of numbers and that kind of thing. But to get to your exact question, there is a small U.S. military presence at the embassy in conjunction with the Defense Attachés office to help us work on accountability of the material that is going in and out of Ukraine," Kirby said, referencing the weapons and other support the U.S. has been sending to Kyiv. "So they're attached to that embassy and to that the defense attache." Kirby, who was speaking on the sidelines of President Biden’s trip to Northern Ireland, added that those troops "are not fighting on the battlefield." In addition, Fox News is told that the U.S. forces in Kyiv also provide security services.So he framed the SF troops as part of "oversight" for American defense aid shipped into the country. "There has been no change to the president's mandate that there will not be American troops in Ukraine fighting in this war," Kirby said, fully aware that this seems a contradiction of prior Biden administration pledges to keep troops out of Ukraine. Certainly, everywhere there's a US embassy, there are Marine guards, but special forces are a significant step beyond this standard contingent. Do the fresh Pentagon leaks show that the US is hiding something when it comes to 'boots on the ground'? It appears so.

Seymour Hersh: the CIA Knows Ukrainian Officials Are Skimming US Aid - On Wednesday, Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published a report on Substack that alleged the CIA was aware of widespread corruption in Ukraine and the embezzlement of US aid.The report said the Ukrainian government has been using US taxpayer money to purchase diesel from Russia to fuel its military. Hersh said Zelensky “has been buying the fuel from Russia, the country with which it, and Washington, are at war, and the Ukrainian president and many in his entourage have been skimming untold millions from the American dollars earmarked for diesel fuel payments.”Hersh said according to one estimate by CIA analysts, at least $400 million in funds were embezzled last year. Sources told Hersh that Ukrainian officials are also “competing” to set up front companies for export contracts to private arms dealers around the world.The issue of corruption was raised during a meeting between CIA Director William Burns and Zelensky in January. An intelligence official with direct knowledge of the meeting told Hersh that Burns delivered a stunning message to Zelensky.Hersh wrote: “The senior generals and government officials in Kiev were angry at what they saw as Zelensky’s greed, so Burns told the Ukrainian president, because ‘he was taking a larger share of the skim money than was going to the generals.'” During the meeting, Burns presented Zelensky with a list of 35 generals and senior government officials whose corruption was known to the CIA. Zelensky responded by dismissing 10 officials who were engaged in flagrant corruption. “The ten he got rid of were brazenly bragging about the money they had—driving around Kiev in their new Mercedes,” the intelligence official said.Hersh said Zelensky’s “half-hearted response” and the “lack of concern” in the White House angered some US intelligence officials. The intelligence official speaking to Hersh criticized President Biden’s two main foreign policy advisors, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.“They have no experience, judgment, and moral integrity. They just tell lies, make up stories. Diplomatic deniability is something else,” the official said. The official said there was a “total breakdown between the White House leadership and the intelligence community.”The report said the rift started in the fall when the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines were blown up. According to Hersh’s earlier reporting, President Biden ordered the operation that took out the pipelines. “Destroying the Nord Stream pipelines was never discussed, or even known in advance, by the community,” the official said.The official said there is “no strategy for ending the war” within the Biden administration and offered more scathing criticism of Blinken and Sullivan.“Burns is not the problem,” the official said. “The problem is Biden and his principal lieutenants—Blinken and Sullivan and their court of worshippers—who see those who criticize Zelensky as being pro-Putin. ‘We are against evil. Ukraine will fight ’til the last military shell is gone, and still fight.’ And here’s Biden who is telling America that we’re going to fight as long as it takes.”

Saudi- U.S. Relations Sour Further On Huge OPEC+ Surprise Cut --The surprise huge new cut in oil production from ‘OPEC+’ – the Saudi Arabia-led OPEC group of countries ‘plus’ Russia – highlights that any optimism over a possible rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and its previous key superpower ally, the U.S., is ill-founded. Instead, newly emboldened by the Beijing-brokered Saudi Arabia-Iran deal to resume relations, followed by the approval of a plan to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a ‘dialogue partner’, Saudi Arabia has now decisively shifted into the China-Russia sphere of influence. Prior to the surprise additional oil production cut by OPEC+ announced on 2 April, early February had seen Saudi Arabia lead its OPEC fellow members and OPEC+ into sticking with its previously agreed oil production cuts quota of 2 million barrels per day (bpd). This cut represented only around 2 percent of the recent historical mean average of supply in the global oil market. Additionally, it left oil prices at levels that barely helped Saudi Arabia in budgetary terms at all, with a fiscal breakeven oil price forecast of US$78 pb of Brent in 2023, compared to over US$80 pb of Brent in the previous year. Significantly as well, oil prices at that point in February were way below the level that Russia wants, with a fiscal breakeven oil price of US$114 pb of Brent this year, up from around US$64 pb before its invasion of Ukraine. It was thought then by several oil market observers that the oil production in February by OPEC+ might have been a sign that Saudi Arabia was open to thawing out frozen relations with the U.S.What changed between February and April was the Saudi Arabia-Iran resumption of relationship deal, brokered by China. Although at the time of the announcement of the deal, White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, tersely observed that the deal done on 10 March between Iran and Saudi Arabia to re-establish relations “is not about China”, it absolutely was about China. What it absolutely was not about was the U.S. The biggest diplomatic coup in the Middle East since at least the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the P5+1 powers and Iran in 2015 had been brokered by China, without any involvement at all from the U.S., and every country in the world and in the Middle East knew it. The landmark deal between the two longstanding arch-regional enemies – Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia – was just the sort of far-reaching geopolitical coup that the U.S. had wanted to achieve in its ‘relationship normalisation deals’ program that had followed its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018, as analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets. In short, at that point more than any other of the major advances that the China-Russia axis has made in the Middle East, it was clear that this axis was winning the superpower battle for the Middle East and not the U.S. and its allies. Saudi Arabia and Russia know perfectly well that the U.S. and its major allies do not want oil prices over US$80 pb of Brent. For the U.S. and its allies, sustained oil prices above that level, and corollary rising gas prices, mean that inflation will remain higher for longer, which will keep interest rates higher for longer, which increases the threat of severe economic damage to net importers of either. For the U.S. these fears have very specific ramifications: one economic and one political, as also analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets. The economic one is that historically every US$10 pb change in the price of crude oil results in a 25-30 cent change in the price of a gallon of gasoline, and for every 1 cent that the average price per gallon of gasoline rises, more than US$1 billion per year in consumer spending is lost and the U.S. economy suffers. The political one is that, according to statistics from the U.S.’s National Bureau of Economic Research, since the end of World War I in 2018, the sitting U.S. president has won re-election 11 times out of 11 if the U.S. economy was not in recession within two years of an upcoming election. However, sitting U.S. presidents who went into a re-election campaign with the economy in recession won only one time out of seven. This is not a position sitting President Joe Biden, or the Democratic Party, wants to be in one year out from the next U.S. election.

Natural gas exporters skirt Washington’s scrutiny of China - The United States’ booming natural gas export industry is trying to stay out of the fray of rising tensions between the U.S. and China. And it’s getting cover from an unusual quarter: some of Beijing’s critics in the GOP. U.S. lawmakers of both parties are pursuing tough-on-China bills after a spate of conflicts involving spy balloons, TikTok and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Russia. But executives at companies that sell liquefied natural gas are going to Congress with a contrary message: If the United States wants more of its gas to flow overseas, Chinese yuan will have to be part of the equation. One reason is that contracts with Chinese buyers are critical to the gas industry’s hopes of securing billions of dollars in bank financing for planned export facilities, industry analysts said. Lack of financing led to delays in construction of new gas projects that could export as much as 21 billion cubic feet a day, a volume that if completely built would triple current U.S. capacity, according to figures from the Energy Information Administration. “Is China still critically important in signing long-term agreements to help secure funding for those projects?” said Charlie Riedl, executive director for the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas trade association. “The answer is absolutely yes.” Representatives from the group have met with senators to make the case that China is a crucial market for U.S. energy shipments, Riedl said. Some of the GOP’s biggest China hawks, like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), are holding their fire when it comes to the LNG trade. Cruz told POLITICO that “China poses the greatest geopolitical threat” to the U.S. and touted the dozens of bills he’s filed to address the risks. On LNG trade, though, the Texas Republican sees less of an issue. “Individuals and companies can do business with China. We are not boycotting the nation as a whole,” Cruz said.

US Arms Industry Planning First Taiwan Trip in Four Years - Around 25 US defense contractors plan to send representatives to Taiwan next month, marking the first time the arms industry will send a delegation to the island since 2019, Nikkei Asia reported on Tuesday.Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US Taiwan Business Council, said the delegation will look to boost cooperation with Taiwan’s industry and wants to explore jointly producing weapons. The arms that Taipei is interested in producing include drones and ammunition.The planned arms industry trip to Taiwan comes as the US is looking to ramp up arms sales and general military cooperation with Taiwan, which will further exacerbate tensions with Beijing.The delegation plans to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who recently provoked major Chinese military drills by meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.When asked about the prospect of US companies jointly producing arms with Taiwan, a Biden administration official expressed support for the idea. “From a very high-level perspective, we think that co-production arrangements make sense, but we need to take a look at them on a case-by-case basis, and it has to be at the request of US industry,” the official told Nikkei.Since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, the US has always sold weapons to Taiwan. But the US is now looking to expand support by providing billions in military aid included in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Some of the Taiwan aid has hit a snag with the appropriations committees, but the Pentagon has said it plans to use the $1 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority to start arming Taiwan. The authority is what President Biden has been using to arm Ukraine by sending weapons directly from US military stockpiles.

U.S. imposes sanctions on Chinese companies in action over fentanyl (Reuters) - Washington on Friday imposed sanctions on two entities based in China, accusing them supplying precursor chemicals to drug cartels in Mexico for the production of illicit fentanyl intended for the United States, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement. The Treasury said it also designated five people based in China and Guatemala in the action targeting fentanyl production. "Illicit fentanyl is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans each year," the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement. "Treasury, as part of the whole-of-government effort to respond to this crisis, will continue to vigorously apply our tools to prevent the transfer of precursor chemicals and machinery necessary to produce this drug," Nelson said. The Treasury in the statement said it slapped sanctions on China-based chemical companies Wuhan Shuokang Biological Technology Co Ltd and Suzhou Xiaoli Pharmatech Co Ltd, as well as four Chinese nationals. Three of those targeted were indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court in New York for conspiracy charges, including fentanyl importation and money laundering, the Treasury said.

Biden administration says fentanyl-xylazine cocktail is a deadly national threat : NPR - The U.S. government issued a grave new warning Wednesday about a cocktail of illegal street drugs made of fentanyl and xylazine that's fueling another wave of American overdose deaths. "I'm deeply concerned about what this threat means for the nation," said Dr. Rahul Gupta, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Xylazine, known on the street as tranq, was first linked to drug deaths in the Northeast but has since spread rapidly in Southern and Western states. Speaking with reporters ahead of today's public announcement, Gupta said the Biden administration will formally notify Congress about the public health threat and will then roll out a plan to combat the crisis over the next 90 days. "This is the first time in our nation's history that a substance is being designated as an emerging threat by any administration," Gupta said. Gupta has been on the front lines of the opioid-fentanyl epidemic for decades as drug overdoses surged above 100,000 deaths a year. He said the threat that this latest mix of drugs could make things even worse is alarming.

Dueling abortion pill rulings put Biden administration in legal pickle - The Biden administration is asking a judge to clarify how the federal government is supposed to comply with Friday’s dueling court orders on the abortion pill mifepristone, even as Justice Department lawyers move to have one of those decisions put on ice.One ruling, from a conservative judge in Amarillo, Texas, essentially invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug. The other ruling, issued about 20 minutes later by a liberal judge in Spokane, Wash., directed the FDA to maintain access to it in much of the country. Mifepristone is used in more than half of all abortions nationwide and is also used to manage miscarriages.The two rulings appear to be “in significant tension,” the Justice Departmenttold the Washington-based judge, Thomas Rice, on Monday. DOJ asked Rice to “clarify” the government’s “obligations” in light of the conflict.Also on Monday, DOJ and a drug company that makes mifepristone asked a federal appeals court to freeze the ruling of the Texas-based judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk. He has put his ruling on hold until this Friday, but the government and the drug company want the appeals court to keep it on hold while they pursue their appeals.The legal turmoil caused by the rival decisions may ultimately need to be resolved by the Supreme Court, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion 10 months ago.Kacsmaryk, an appointee of President Donald Trump, acted in a lawsuit filed by anti-abortion medical groups that claimed the FDA broke the law when it approved mifepristone for abortion in 2000 and recently expanded access to the drug.Kacsmaryk’s ruling appears to be the first time that a court has invalidated an FDA drug approval. If the ruling takes effect, selling the drug would become a criminal offense nationwide.The Justice Department immediately appealed Kacsmaryk’s ruling on Friday night, even as some prominent Democrats — and at least one Republican — called on the administration to ignore the ruling. The administration suggested that step is premature and signaled that it would work through the appeals process for now.It did just that on Monday, following up its notice of appeal with a 49-page emergency motion asking the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep the ruling on hold.“If allowed to take effect,” DOJ said in its motion, Kacsmaryk’s ruling “will irreparably harm patients, healthcare systems, and businesses.”In a similar filing, drug maker Danco, which produces the brand-name version of mifepristone, called Kacsmaryk’s ruling “an extreme outlier” and contended he bent “every rule” to reach it. The company also said that Rice’s ruling indicates that Kacsmaryk’s decision went too far and should be blocked.

Can the FDA just ignore the Texas abortion pill ruling? Some lawmakers think so - Democrats and even some Republicans have proposed a novel approach to a Texas judge’s ruling against the abortion pill: Just ignore it. Behind the idea is a concept known as “enforcement discretion,” which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regularly uses in order to make products more accessible. Lawmakers including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) have called for the FDA to ignore the opinion from U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk suspending the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. Federal officials have so far been cool to the suggestion; an official at Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Monday it would set a “dangerous precedent.” However, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has said all options remain on the table as the Biden administration seeks to protect access to standard abortion care. Here’s what you need to know about the debate into whether a federal agency can ignore a judicial order.

Supreme Court faces urgent test in abortion pill battle - The Supreme Court will face its first test in the battle over abortion pills after the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday asked it to pause a ruling set to take effect this weekend that would significantly hamper the availability of mifepristone. A late Wednesday night federal appeals court ruling on the widely used abortion pill will keep it on the market for now, but it could make it significantly more difficult to access, even in blue states that have fought to expand availability. Abortion-rights advocates, along with medical and legal experts, said Wednesday night’s ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threatens to throw the availability of mifepristone into chaos if it is allowed to take effect. The late-night decision temporarily blocked the most contentious part of a decision handed down last week by a judge in Texas that invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone. So the drug will remain available, but severely restricted — unless the Supreme Court stops the circuit court ruling from coming into force. Two of the three judges on the panel kept in place parts of the decision that essentially turned the clock back to 2016, when the FDA started issuing new guidelines to ease access to the pill. Those changes included increasing the gestational age when mifepristone can be used up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, allowing the medication to be mailed to patients, allowing providers other than physicians to prescribe the drug, and approving a generic version of mifepristone.Attorney General Merrick Garland will likely ask the Supreme Court to pause each of those remaining portions, which go into effect early Saturday morning, barring an intervention from the justices.

Biden administration, drugmaker ask Supreme Court to pause abortion pill restrictions - The Biden administration and the company that manufactures a brand name version of a commonly used abortion pill on Friday formally asked the Supreme Court to intervene and pause a ruling that would roll back changes that make it easier to access the medication. In separate filings, Danco Laboratories and U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar urged the court to pause the entire decision from District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk that completely invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone. Both filings noted the “chaos” if the order were to take effect. “The abrupt shift in the regulatory landscape that would be required by the lower courts’ orders raises a host of unprecedented issues and has put FDA and regulated entities in an impossible position,” Prelogar wrote. “FDA has spent the last week first grappling with the implications of the district court’s order, then racing to untangle the different and enormously more complicated issues raised by the Fifth Circuit’s decision,” she wrote on behalf of the agency. Danco said it would be “irreparably harmed” if the decision goes into effect. “Unless the Court stays the Fifth Circuit’s decision, tomorrow will mark the beginning of an unheralded period of national uncertainty over the legal conditions governing medi­cation abortion,” the company wrote. “The injunction leaves manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and prescribers without statutory or regulatory guidance.” The company argued the ruling is tantamount to a ban on mifepristone because the company would need to spend months working with FDA in order to comply with the ruling. Until then, Danco said it “cannot legally market and distribute mifepristone.” The appellate court ruled that mifepristone may remain on the market as the appeal proceeds, but it meanwhile allowed portions of a lower court’s ruling to stand that would roll back a series of actions the FDA has taken since 2016 that eased access. But at the same time, a judge in Washington state in a separate mifepristone lawsuit ordered the FDA to leave in place the current mifepristone prescribing and dispensing rules — but just for the 17 blue states and D.C. that sued. Danco said the result of the dueling rulings is “an untenable limbo, for Danco, for providers, for women, and for health care systems all trying to navigate these uncharted waters — and all after Plaintiffs waited years and years before claiming irreparable injury and a need for an emergency in­junction voiding the decades-long status quo.” The company asked for both an administrative stay, which would keep the status quo for just a few days until the full court rules, as well as a stay of the ruling pending appeal. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the majority said abortion rights were returning to the states. “If the Court denies a stay, it abandons that assurance. Allowing the Fifth Circuit’s opinion to stand eviscerates the sover­eign authority of States that wish to expand and protect access to medication abortion in their jurisdiction,” Danco wrote.

DeSantis signs 6-week abortion ban into law: ‘We are proud to support life’ - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced late Thursday night that he signed a bill into law that would ban abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. “We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis wrote in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.” The law, which will prohibit abortions after six weeks, has exceptions for mothers whose lives are at risk and for abortions up to 15 weeks for pregnancies caused by rape, incest or human trafficking. It will also make it a third-degree felony should physicians or anyone “actively” participating in an abortion violate the ban, and will prohibit state funds from being used to help a woman get an abortion in another state. Using “telehealth” or mail to receive abortion medication would also be prohibited, according to the legislation. But even though DeSantis signed the bill into law, the new ban is contingent on how the state Supreme Court rules in a challenge to the current 15-week ban that the governor signed into law last year.

The end of the pandemic public health emergency largely doesn’t change how state and local governments can use ARPA fiscal relief funds - EPI Blog -Last week, Congress passed H.J.Res.7, a resolution that formally ends the public health emergency declared at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This termination is effective as of today—April 10, 2023—and signals the end of certain programs put in place in the past three years, including important measures related to Medicaid and health insurance.However, the resolution will largely not affect the ability of state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to spend the close to $200 billion in unspent State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocated by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). State and local governments will still be able to use remaining SLFRF dollars to make transformative investments to enhance equity and support working families and communities.It’s not unreasonable to wonder if the official end of the public health emergency will limit the uses of SLFRF. References to the pandemic state of emergency appear throughout SLFRF’s enabling legislation and its final rule, which makes clear that the funds must be used “to respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts.”Thankfully, clear new guidance issued today by the U.S. Treasury Department clarifies that governments can and should continue to use SLFRF dollars for originally intended purposes. As the guidance says, ”recipients generally will be able to continue to make investments using their SLFRF funds without changes.”The end of the public health emergency does not mean the impacts of the public health emergency have gone away, and SLFRF was intended to address those impacts. State and local governments will still have until December 31, 2024, to make spending decisions on SLFRF, and until December 31, 2026, to make expenditures.There is one exception to how state and local governments can use SLFRF dollars. One of the allowed uses of SLFRF is to provide premium pay to low-wage workers who performed essential work during the pandemic. Premium pay (often called hazard pay or hero pay) is an effective tool to support low-wage workers and their families who kept our economy and health care systems afloat during the pandemic. Premium pay is still an eligible use of the funds; however, because premium pay can only be allocated for work performed “during the COVID-19 public health emergency,” premium pay can only apply to work done between January 27, 2020, and April 10, 2023.The Treasury Department’s rules still allow for many options to use SLFRF to support low-wage workers, including allocating funds toward retention and recruitment bonuses for public-sector employees, paid leave to workers, and direct economic assistance to workers impacted by the pandemic. As such, the limitation on premium pay should not pose too great an inconvenience to state and local governments. The Treasury guidance should allay any concerns that policymakers or advocates may have about allowed uses for the funds. SLFRF dollars should continue to be used to support transformative investments thatsupport working families.

White House launching $5 billion program to speed coronavirus vaccines The Biden administration is launching a $5 billion-plus program to accelerate development of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments, seeking to better protect against a still-mutating virus, as well as other coronaviruses that might threaten us in the future.“Project Next Gen” — the long-anticipated follow-up to “Operation Warp Speed,” the Trump-era program that sped coronavirus vaccines to patients in 2020 — would take a similar approach to partnering with private-sector companies to expedite development of vaccines and therapies. Scientists, public heath experts and politicians have called for the initiative, warning that existing therapies have steadily lost their effectiveness and that new ones are needed.“It’s been very clear to us that the market on this is moving very slowly,” Ashish Jha, the White House coronavirus coordinator, said Monday. “There’s a lot that government can do, the administration can do, to speed up those tools … for the American people.” Jha and others said the new effort will focus on three goals: creating long-lasting monoclonal antibodies, after an evolving virus rendered many current treatments ineffective; accelerating development ofvaccines that produce mucosal immunity, which is thought to reduce transmission and infection risks; and speeding efforts to develop pan-coronavirus vaccines to guard against new SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as other coronaviruses. Officials note that several coronavirus-driven outbreaks in the past two decades, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012, have spurred worries about the potential for future health crises related to the viruses. That said, a universal coronavirus vaccine could take years to develop; researchers have sought unsuccessfully for decades to create such a vaccine against influenza.

White House asks agencies to step up workers' return to offices (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday asked federal agencies to revise workforce plans as it aims to "substantially increase" in-person work by government employees at headquarters offices and improve services, according to a memo seen by Reuters. The memo to executive branch agencies from White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Shalanda Young directs agencies to refresh work environment plans and policies. "Consistent with trends over the last two years, plans should reflect the expectation that agency headquarters and equivalents generally continue to substantially increase meaningful in-person work in Federal offices," the memo first reported by Reuters said. President Joe Biden on Monday signed legislation ending the three-year COVID-19 emergency. Many of the 2 million civilian federal employees began working remotely in March 2020 but about half were required to remain in-person throughout the pandemic. OMB Deputy Director Jason Miller said in a blog post, "The guidance we are releasing today directs agencies to refresh their Work Environment plans and policies - with the general expectation that agency headquarters will continue to substantially increase in-person presence in the office - while also conducting regular assessments to determine what is working well, what is not, and what can be improved."

EPA's waste office dilemma: Deep pockets, no nominee - More than two years into his administration, President Joe Biden does not have a Senate-confirmed leader, nor nominee, to head an EPA office that suddenly has billions of dollars to clean up toxic waste sites across the country. The Office of Land and Emergency Management is responsible for programs popular among lawmakers to clean up and redevelop contaminated land as well as providing the agency’s boots on the ground when environmental catastrophes strike. The infrastructure law appropriated $5 billion to scrub Superfund and brownfields sites and, along with the climate law, reinstated “polluter pays” taxes to keep revitalization humming for years to come. Yet EPA’s solid waste office does not have its top political leader in place. “You need that political leadership for that office to implement the priorities of this administration,” said Elliott Laws, who led the EPA waste office during the Clinton administration. “I can imagine it can be frustrating and pretty demoralizing for staff in that office at this point.” Laws, now a partner in law firm Crowell & Moring’s Washington office, noted that the program does have “incredible, competent career staff” at the agency’s headquarters and regional offices. Earlier this year, Biden passed on renominating his original choice, Carlton Waterhouse, who left the agency to return to Howard University. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, “is concerned that a new nominee has not been named,” said Peter Hoffman, a spokesperson for the panel’s Republicans. “The solid waste office plays a critical role, especially in relation to the Superfund program that impacts efforts to revitalize lands across the U.S., including in West Virginia,” Hoffman said. Biden first nominated Waterhouse, a legal scholar and environmental justice expert, for the job in June 2021. He ran into resistance from GOP lawmakers, including Capito, over past social media posts. The committee deadlocked on his nomination twice, and he was never confirmed. An EPA spokesperson referred questions to the White House. White House press officials did not acknowledge questions for this story.

Crooked Media co-founder says Feinstein should resign -- Crooked Media co-founder Jon Lovett said Tuesday that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) should resign, noting that her current absence from the upper chamber is preventing the Senate from confirming justices. “There’s been a lot of reporting about Dianne Feinstein no longer being fit to serve in the Senate representing the biggest state in this country. She is currently out for shingles. That is sad. That is obviously not her fault,” he said on his “Pod Save America” podcast. Lovett, a former speechwriter for former President Obama, noted that Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has referenced the challenge her absence poses. “But because she is not in the Judiciary Committee, Durbin has said that it has made it basically impossible to move a lot of these lower court nominees to the Senate for a vote, which means that Dianne Feinstein, who should not be in the Senate, is now preventing us from being able to confirm judges,” Lovett said. “I think what the people around Dianne Feinstein are doing, allowing, being part of this farce of having a lack of a senator in such an important job is really wrong,” Lovett continued. “And Dianne Feinstein should no longer be in the Senate. She has to resign and more people should be calling on her to resign.”

Feinstein asks for Judiciary replacement after calls for resignation - Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced on Wednesday that her return to work in Washington has been delayed due to ongoing health complications and called on the Senate to appoint a temporary replacement for her on the Judiciary Committee. Her announcement came hours after Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) called for her to resign from the chamber. Feinstein has been sidelined since late February after being diagnosed with shingles. Her absence, coupled with that of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), has left Democrats working at an even 49-49 at best during that time. However, Feinstein’s post on the Senate Judiciary Committee has meant that the panel has been unable to advance partisan nominees through to floor votes over that period. “When I was first diagnosed with shingles, I expected to return by the end of the March work period. Unfortunately, my return to Washington has been delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis,” Feinstein said in a Wednesday night statement. “I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel. In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco,” Feinstein continued. “I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee, so I’ve asked [Majority Leader Chuck Schumer] to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I’m able to resume my committee work,” she added. At the moment, there are 14 pending judicial nominees who have had hearings before the panel, but have not received a vote by the committee. Since Feinstein has been absent, the panel has had to cancel three committee markups for nominees. A spokesperson for Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would abide by Feinstein’s request. “Per Sen. Feinstein’s wishes, Majority Leader Schumer will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic Senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee,” they said.

Dianne Feinstein faces down Democratic firestorm -- Pressure is mounting on Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to step down as her prolonged absence from the Senate stymies Democratic business in the chamber with no clear end date. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — closely followed by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) — sent shockwaves from California to Washington on Wednesday when he said Feinstein should resign because the five-term senator is unable to carry out her responsibilities in her current condition. Feinstein, 89, has been absent from the Senate since early March when she was diagnosed with shingles. In doing so, they became the first lawmakers to give voice to several years of whispered questions around the Capitol about Feinstein’s fitness to serve. Feinstein responded with an acknowledgement that she would not be in the Capitol Monday when the Senate reconvenes after a two-week recess, and she requested to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee. But that may not be enough for lawmakers who want to see her call it quits before her planned retirement at the end of 2024. “It’s a step, but as has been reported, it’s not that simple,” Khanna said on CNN Thursday. Khanna is the co-chair of Rep. Barbara Lee’s (D-Calif.) campaign to replace Feinstein in the Senate. Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) are also vying for the seat. Khanna, who passed on his own bid for Feinstein’s seat, told CNN he “felt an obligation to say what so many colleagues are saying in private,” and Phillips, who has argued for a new generation of Democratic leadership in Washington, declared that it is “a dereliction of duty” for the Californian to remain in the Senate.

Where Democrats go from here on Feinstein's perilous absence - Amid growing doubts that she will ever return to Washington, Dianne Feinstein gave Senate Democrats a break by asking them to temporarily replace her on the powerful Judiciary Committee. But what happens next isn’t simple for the veteran senator’s party. Replacing the 89-year-old Feinstein on the Judiciary panel, as she requested late Wednesday night while she remains sidelined from the Capitol recovering from shingles, would require passing a resolution on the Senate floor. And Republicans have the power to block such a measure from passing unanimously, forcing a vote that would require 60 senators to get it across the finish line. No Republicans have spoken out so far about Feinstein’s request for a temporary replacement on the Judiciary Committee, where her absence has hobbled Democrats’ ability to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial picks. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office also offered no word on the matter Wednesday night. But the GOP has plenty of members eager to continue blocking those Biden nominees, so it’s unclear how willing they’ll be to help Democrats solve their Feinstein problem. The senior California senator also sits on the Senate Intelligence, Appropriations and Rules Committees, though she limited her request for a short-term replacement to her seat on Judiciary. In his statement acknowledging Feinstein’s now-murky path to returning to the Senate, Judiciary panel chief Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-Ill.) spokesperson didn’t acknowledge her request to be replaced. “Sen. Durbin wishes Sen. Feinstein well as she continues to recover. And he looks forward to continuing the important work of moving judicial nominees through the Committee when the Senate reconvenes,” said Emily Hampsten. Meanwhile, some House Democrats are starting to say the quiet part out loud — calling on Feinstein to resign after POLITICO reported on Wednesday that people who have visited with Feinstein in recent weeks or been briefed on her status say her shingles diagnosis appears to have taken a heavy toll. Ro Khanna calls on Dianne Feinstein to resign Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who serves as co-chair of Rep. Barbara Lee’s (D-Calif.) 2024 Senate campaign to replace Feinstein, said the current California senator should resign because “it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties.” And quote-tweeting Khanna,Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) agreed, calling it a “dereliction of duty” for Feinstein “to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet.”

IRS warns of deadline to claim $1.5B in 2019 tax refunds: These states are owed the most– The Internal Revenue Service estimates that there is almost $1.5 billion in unclaimed refunds from tax year 2019, but the deadline to secure that money is nearing.Taxpayers have until July 17 to submit a tax return and get the money they are owed. The IRS said in a news release that the average median refund for that year is $893.“The 2019 tax returns came due during the pandemic, and many people may have overlooked or forgotten about these refunds,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “We want taxpayers to claim these refunds, but time is running out. People face a July 17 deadline to file their returns. We recommend taxpayers start soon to make sure they don’t miss out.” The three years allotted for filing a tax return and collecting a refund were extended past the April tax deadline because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any funds that aren’t claimed by the deadline will belong to the U.S. Treasury.

Supreme Court refuses to stop $6 billion student loan debt settlement - The Supreme Court will not stop a legal settlement that would cancel more than $6 billion in student loan debt from students who say they were misled by their schools, mostly for-profit institutions. The settlement is the result of a class-action suit from nearly 200,000 borrowers against the Department of Education in 2019, which accused schools of boosting enrollment through misleading advertisements and exaggerating the quality of their education and future job prospects. After years of litigation, the settlement was reached last year, but three institutions appealed the agreement to the Supreme Court, saying their inclusion was a “scarlet letter” and severely damaged their reputations. A total of 151 institutions have students impacted by the settlement, and the three who challenged the suit — Lincoln Educational Services, American National University and Everglades College — have about 3,500 students eligible for loan relief. The decision is not related to a challenge to President Biden’s attempts to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for 40 million Americans. That case is expected to be decided by the court this summer. The lawsuit was filed by attorneys general in 20 conservative states. About 78,000 people have had their loans discharged so far, the Biden administration said in a court filing.

Clarence Thomas' benefactor, the billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow, has a collection of Hitler artifacts and Nazi memorabilia: report - Harlan Crow, the GOP megadonor and billionaire benefactor to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has a collection of Adolf Hitler artifacts and Nazi memorabilia that he keeps at his Texas home, according to the Washingtonian.The magazine reported that Crow's collection includes two of Hitler's paintings, a signed copy of Mein Kampf, the fascist dictator's 1925 manifesto, other Nazi trinkets, and a garden filled with statues of some of the most reviled leaders from the 20th Century.Crow has reportedly said he maintains the controversial collection because he despises communism and fascism."I still can't get over the collection of Nazi memorabilia," an individual who has remained anonymous and who attended an event at Crow's home told the magazine. "It would have been helpful to have someone explain the significance of all the items. Without that context, you sort of just gasp when you walk into the room."The individual said that among the paintings, there was "something done by George W. Bush next to a Norman Rockwell next to one by Hitler," while adding that it was "startling" and "strange" to view such sculptures at the posh residence.In 2014, a Dallas Morning News reporter visited the home as part of a public tour of historic homes, where Crow sought to avoid questions about the statues and steer the tour toward his ornate library — along with paintings by Renoir and Monet and sculptures of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.When the Morning News reporter finally saw the garden of dictator statues, Crow described it as an acknowledgment of the inhumanity that some men have shown to others.The news of Crow's collection comes after a bombshell ProPublica report, which detailed how Thomas has taken luxury vacations funded by the megadonor for more than 20 years without disclosing the excursions. Two ethics law experts told the publication that Thomas appears to have violated a law passed after the 1970s-era Watergate scandal that requires members of the judiciary and members of Congress to report most gifts.

Thomas failed to disclose real estate deal with GOP donor who also paid for lavish trips: report - Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose a 2014 real estate deal he made with a wealthy Republican donor who also paid for lavish trips for him over the years, ProPublica reported on Thursday.The outlet reported that a company belonging to Texas billionaire Harlan Crow bought a series of properties in a row on a residential street in Savannah, Ga., including a single-story home and two vacant lots. The company bought the properties from Thomas, his mother and his late brother’s family for $133,363, according to a state tax document and a deed dated Oct. 15, 2014, that the outlet obtained. Thomas’s mother was living at the house, and contractors implemented renovations of a new carport, a fixed roof, a new fence and new gates soon after the sale was completed. The renovations cost tens of thousands of dollars. Federal law requires certain officials, including Supreme Court justices, to disclose information about most real estate transactions worth more than $1,000, but Thomas never listed the deal on his annual disclosure documents. Four legal experts told ProPublica that Thomas appears to have violated the law by not disclosing the deal. The report comes after another that ProPublica released last week detailing multiple luxury trips that Thomas received over a period of years from Crow, who has donated millions of dollars to conservative causes. Thomas also did not disclose these trips on his annual financial disclosure forms.

Democrats ask chief justice to investigate Clarence Thomas trips: ‘It is your duty’ - A group of 16 congressional Democrats asked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to investigate the luxury trips that Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted from a major Republican donor for more than two decades. Eight senators and eight representatives sent Roberts a letter on Friday to urge him to initiate an investigation into any unethical and “potentially unlawful” conduct that Thomas might have committed. The letter states that the court has “barely acknowledged” the allegations so far. “We believe that it is your duty as Chief Justice ‘to safeguard public faith in the judiciary,’ and that fulfilling that duty requires swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into these allegations,” the letter reads. ProPublica first reported on Thursday on the trips that Thomas has received over the years from billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow, going on cruises on Crow’s yacht, flying on his private jet and engaging with Crow’s “powerful” friends at his private resort. Crow is a Dallas-based real estate developer. The outlet reported that some of these gifts are worth more than $500,000, but Thomas has not disclosed any of them during the years he received them.

Senators call for probe of Tennessee lawmakers’ expulsion -- Five Senate Democrats are asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a Justice Department investigation into the expulsion of two representatives from the Tennessee House.Sens. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Alex Padilla (Calif.) and Brian Schatz (Hawaii) said in a letter that the recent shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville “shattered hearts across our country and galvanized Americans—particularly young Americans in Tennessee—to peacefully demand their legislators act.”State Reps. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), Justin Jones (D-Nashville) andGloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) participated in a gun violence protest on the Tennessee House floor on March 30. Last week, the conference voted to expel Pearson and Jones, but not Johnson, for disorderly behavior.Pearson and Jones are Black, while Johnson is white. Senate Democrats argued race was part of the decision to expel the two Black lawmakers, while state House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) said their levels of involvement in the demonstration were different. The senators’ letter to Garland ripped the move, stating, “We cannot allow states to cite minor procedural violations as pretextual excuses to remove democratically-elected representatives, especially when these expulsions may have been at least partially on the basis of race. Allowing such behavior sets a dangerous—and undemocratic—precedent.”

Trump answered questions for more than 7 hours in New York fraud lawsuit - Former President Trump on Thursday was back in a New York City courtroom, facing questions under oath for “nearly seven hours” in a business fraud case brought by the state of New York, according to his lawyer. Trump was arrested and charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this month in New York on an unrelated investigation, one of multiple legal entanglements the former president faces.This civil case, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that Trump and his children systematically committed fraud by overvaluing Trump’s assets by billions of dollars. The case seeks a $250 million penalty, the amount James believes Trump profited off the alleged fraud, and to effectively prevent the Trump family from continuing to do business in the state.The Trump Organization is also a defendant in the suit, alongside Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump.The lengthy deposition is part of the discovery phase of the case before trial. The contents of the deposition are private, but Trump lawyer Alina Habba said that the former president did not refuse to answer any questions.During his first deposition in this case last year, Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination hundreds of times to avoid questions. “President Trump is not only willing but also eager to testify before the Attorney General today,” Habba said in a statement before questioning began Thursday. “He remains resolute in his stance that he has nothing to conceal, and he looks forward to educating the Attorney General about the immense success of his multibillion dollar company.”

Bragg sues House Republicans over ‘campaign of harassment’ amid Trump probe - Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sued House Republicans on Tuesday to prevent them from subpoenaing a former assistant DA who has criticized aspects of Bragg’s investigation into former President Donald Trump.In a 50-page lawsuit, Bragg slammed House GOP efforts to compel the testimony of his former lieutenant, Mark Pomerantz, as a “brazen and unconstitutional attack” and a “campaign of harassment in retaliation for the District Attorney’s investigation and prosecution of Mr. Trump.” Bragg is seeking a court order to bar Pomerantz from complying with the subpoena — and he also urged the court to issue a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to prevent Congress from enforcing the subpoena.The subpoena is an extraordinary escalation of the clash between the House Judiciary Committee and Bragg’s office, which is prosecuting the former president for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a hush money scheme.The new litigation was filed in federal district court in Manhattan and assigned to Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee. It stems from the first subpoena issued in a sweeping House GOP investigation into Bragg’s office. Republicans launched their probe, led by Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan(R-Ohio), Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Administration ChairBryan Steil (R-Wis.), while rallying to Trump’s side ahead of his indictment.Vyskocil replied to Bragg’s lawsuit Tuesday afternoon, indicating that she would not grant his motion for a temporary restraining order. Instead, she ordered Bragg to serve the lawsuit on Jordan by 9 p.m. Tuesday and for Jordan and the committee to respond to the filing by April 17. Vyskocil said she would hold a hearing on April 19.Meanwhile, Jordan and members of his committee will take their defense of Trump to a new height by heading to New York on Monday, ramping up their public pressure campaign against Bragg. And the Ohioan quickly took to Twitter to push back on Bragg’s suit.“First, they indict a president for no crime,” Jordan wrote. “Then, they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to do it.”

GOP lawmakers seek to cut off funding to Bragg, other prosecutors - A group of GOP lawmakers has introduced legislation that would bar any state or local prosecutor from using federal funds to investigate a president and singles out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) office with a bill that would force it to return federal funding. The legislation — the Accountability for Lawless Violence In our Neighborhoods Act or ALVIN Act — would require Bragg’s office to return all federal funding received since he took office. According to Bragg’s office, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office receives about $630,000 annually and also has access to another $200,000 to use by 2024, through various grants designed to help local law enforcement combat crime. But Bragg says under his tenure none has been spent on the prosecution or investigation of former President Trump. In a letter to lawmakers in March, he detailed that about $5,000 was spent by his predecessor relating to investigations of the Trump organization. However Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who spearheaded the legislation, cites federal funding as the impetus for the bill. “This weaponized prosecutor’s office has spent thousands of federal taxpayer dollars to subsidize this political indictment and is demanding millions more in federal grants,” he said in a press release announcing the filing of the legislation. “It’s disturbing to see District Attorney Bragg waste federal resources for political purposes rather than addressing the serious crime in his city.” Bragg’s office broke down the funding earlier this year, saying the $5,000 came from “federal forfeiture money that the Office helped collect” before he took over the post in January of 2022.

Hunter Biden Business Partners, Associates Visited Obama White House Over 80 Times - On the 2020 campaign trail, then candidate Joe Biden claimed that he had 'no knowledge' of his son Hunter's overseas business dealings while he was Vice President - an absolute lie that's been demolished multiple times, including an audiotape of the elder Biden leaving a message for Hunter where he specifically wanted to discuss... his business dealings.Now we learn that four of Hunter Biden's business partners, a vice president and two assistants at Hunter's now-defunct firm visited the White House over 80 times while his father was Vice President.According to Fox News;Joan Mayer, who says she was the vice president of Hunter’s now-defunct investment firm Rosemont Seneca Advisors from 2008 to 2017 on Linkedin, made at least 17 visits to the White House during that time, according to visitor logs reviewed by Fox News Digital.In October 2009, Mayer attended a vice presidential briefing and met with then-Biden aide Danielle Borrin. Less than a month later, she met with then-Biden executive assistant Nancy Orloff in the West Wing. In July 2013, she met in the West Wing with Kellen Suber, another executive assistant to Vice President Biden at the time, according to the logs.In December 2013 and 2014, Mayer attended holiday receptions at the vice president's White House residence at Number One Observatory Circle, according to visitor logs. In September 2015, she attended a Jewish community reception at the vice president’s residence. She also met with Kaitlyn Demers, who was serving as an associate counsel in Biden's office, in June 2016 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), which houses the vice president’s ceremonial office.Another former Hunter Biden assistant, Anne Marie Person, visited the Obama White House at least five times before she left the firm in 2014 to join then-Vice President Biden's staff, according to the visitor logs. One of those visits included an April 2014 meeting with Kathy Chung, the former Biden aide who currently serves as the Pentagon's deputy director of protocol, and was likely interview-related ahead of starting her job there.In fact, Kathy Chung - the former Biden aide, 'regularly communicated with Hunter, passing messages directly between father and son and assistants in his office.

Joe Biden ‘Knew’ Hunter Was On Burisma Board While Pushing For Natural Gas In Ukraine, Former Obama Stenographer Says | The Daily Caller -- A former stenographer who worked for the Obama administration said Wednesday that then-Vice President Joe Biden “knew” his son Hunter was on the board of directors for Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company, while embarking on a trip to the country in an effort to bolster its natural gas industry.“What happened on that trip was, Joe Biden was in the front of the plane. My job as the White House stenographer was to be in the back of the plane in the press cabin and if Joe or a senior administration official came back and did a briefing, then I would record it and make a transcript. Well, that’s exactly what happened,” Mike McCormick told Fox News host Jesse Watters. “That senior administration official was Jake Sullivan who is now our national security adviser. So, I didn’t see anything wrong with it at the time.” Hunter Biden was appointed to the board of Burisma in 2014, stepping down in 2019 when his father launched his 2020 presidential campaign. Biden boasted of getting a prosecutor investigating allegations of the corruption within the company fired during a 2018 appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations. McCormick said that he witnessed now-National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, explaining to members of the press on the trip how the United States would assist Ukraine in developing its natural gas industry, according to the New York Post.

Swalwell on Greene over leak remark: ‘This wouldn’t be the first time she sided with traitors’ -- Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) slammed Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) over her comments defending Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who was arrested Thursday for his alleged role in leaking Pentagon files. “McCarthy’s top lieutenant is siding with one of the biggest traitors America has seen,” Swalwell wrote in a tweet on Thursday. “I’m sorry, Marge, being white, male, and Christian is not license to betray your country and put the lives of thousands at risk,” he added. “But this wouldn’t be the first time she sided with traitors.” Swalwell’s remarks come in response to Greene’s own comments on the arrest of Teixeira. “Jake Teixeira is white, male, christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime,” Greene wrote in a Twitter post. “Ask yourself who is the real enemy? A young low level national guardsmen? Or the administration that is waging war in Ukraine, a non-NATO nation, against nuclear Russia without war powers?”

NPR Throws Giant Tantrum, Quits Twitter --National Public Radio (NPR) announced on Wednesday that it will stop using Twitter, and will "no longer post fresh content to its 52 official Twitter feeds," as the first major news organization to go quiet on the social media platform.The move comes after Twitter CEO Elon Musk labeled NPR "state-affiliated media," and then changed it to "government funded" over the weekend after widespread pushback."We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence," NPR told The Hill. "We are turning away from Twitter but not from our audiences and communities," the outlet added.

Is National Public Radio Actually National Private Radio? -Public broadcasting is extremely common in the world. Wikipedia’s incomplete list of public broadcasters by country lists over 300 public broadcasting outlets across nearly every country in the world, including “major broadcasters” in the United Kingdom (BBC), Australia (ABC), Canada (CBC/SRC), and the United States (PBS/NPR).Despite the prevalence of public broadcasting in the world, various discourses that mostly seem to be rooted in anti-communism frequently use the phrase “state media” as an epithet. This “state media” label is selectively applied to public broadcasters that someone disapproves of, generally public broadcasters in foreign countries that are not aligned with the West.I’ve always found this to be a very annoying practice. If you want to say a certain media outlet is bad, then say that it is bad. Calling it state media is not the way to do that as most state media is pretty good and some non-state media is quite bad.Over the last few years, YouTube and Twitter have begun labeling certain accounts as “state media” in one form or another as part of some kind of effort to combat misinformation. This is a convenient label for them because, on its face at least, it provides a neutral way to flag outlets as unreliable without actually having to dig into the substance of their content. They could create a “misleading media” label and apply it equally to private and public broadcasters with a sufficient track record of bad and motivated reporting, but this would require a heavier editorial burden than they want to take on.Using “state media” as a shortcut in this way runs into an obvious problem, which is that most state media is good. So if you label all state media as “state media,” then the label doesn’t really serve its purpose of signaling that the media account in question is disapproved of by Twitter and YouTube. To solve this problem, Twitter and YouTube only label a small fraction of state media as “state media” and these decisions basically just track the sentiments of the Western foreign policy establishment at any given time.In this context, it was hilarious to me when Elon Musk began having Twitter label all public broadcasters as state media a short time ago, including public broadcasters in Western countries like the BBC in the UK and NPR in the US. If you are going to have a state media label, then it really should be applied to all state media. If you want instead to have a label indicating that an outlet is misleading, then have a label for that and apply that label to all kinds of misleading media. But using “state media” to mean “misleading media” and applying it in the way Twitter and YouTube have is really stupid.Over the last week, it’s been revealed that the leadership of National Public Radio is furiously pissed at being labeled as state media. This of course makes the whole thing even funnier, but it also raises an interesting question that is rarely discussed in the political discourse, which is: what makes something public rather than private? What exactly is a state-owned enterprise and how do we distinguish it from a non-state-owned enterprise? And how do we understand enterprises with hybridized corporate structures that seem to have both public and private characteristics?

Parler app once hailed as conservative Twitter alternative yanked by new owners -Parler, a social media app that with low content moderation measures that catered to conservatives, will be taken down by its new owners, according to a Friday announcement. The app was acquired by the digital media company Starboard, formerly known as Olympic Media. Parler had been floundering after it was briefly pulled from mainstream app stores and Amazon’s web hosting service Starboard’s announcement said that the app as it is “currently constituted will be pulled down from operation to undergo a strategic assessment.” “No reasonable person believes that a Twitter clone just for conservatives is a viable business any more,” Starboard said in the announcement.

Don’t use public phone charging stations: FBI -- The FBI is warning people to not use public phone charging stations, which have become increasingly popular in places like airports and shopping malls. The problem is that hackers have found a way to introduce malware and other software onto devices through the public stations, the FBI said. “Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers,” the FBI’s Denver Twitter account said. “Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead.” The warning on social media mirrors guidance the bureau offers on its website. The FBI’s Denver office told The Hill nothing prompted the warning on its social media and that it was simply a public service announcement. The FBI is not alone in its warning to avoid the USB charging stations. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also warns against their use on its website, saying hackers are able to load malware onto the USB ports, giving them the ability to “maliciously” access devices. The agency calls it “juice jacking.” “If your battery is running low, be aware that juicing up your electronic device at free USB port charging stations, such as those found near airport gates, in hotels and other travel-friendly locations, could have unfortunate consequences,” the FCC said. “You could become a victim of ‘juice jacking,’ a new cyber-theft tactic.”

New Bombshells Filed in Court in the Jeffrey Epstein/JPMorgan Child Sex Trafficking Case - By Pam and Russ Martens - Jamie Dimon, the Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, is desperately attempting to redirect the media’s focus to anything other than two federal lawsuits that name his bank as a knowing facilitator and cash conduit for Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring. One lawsuit has been filed by the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands where Epstein owned an island-compound and air-lifted young girls in and out. The other lawsuit has been filed by an alleged underage victim of Epstein’s, Jane Doe 1.Dimon’s high-powered p.r. machine has been churning out headlines on his role as “rescuer” of the teetering bank, First Republic, (never mind that there are few signs that the bank has actually been rescued). And one would think that Dimon has written a new Magna Carta for all the press attention going to his unremarkable annual letter to shareholders. The latest shiny object misdirection rolled out by Dimon’s p.r. flacks was a wide- ranging interview last Thursday between Dimon and CNN’s Poppy Harlow, where the breadth of her questions hinted that Dimon was on a par with a head of state, rather than the head of a bank with an unprecedented five criminal felony counts. After allowing Dimon to opine on everything from Russia’s war on Ukraine to the Fed’s interest rate policy to affordable housing and inner-city schools, Harlow finally got around to the topic of Epstein. The exchange went as follows:

• HARLOW: OK. We have to go pretty soon but I — I do want to ask you a few more things. I want to ask you about something that is in the news — that JPMorgan is in the news about a former client of yours and that is Jeffery Epstein. JPMorgan is being sued now by the U.S. Virgin Islands. They’re alleging that your bank helped facilitate payments to Epstein’s victims and benefited from human trafficking while ignoring warnings. Do those allegations have merit?
• DIMON: Well, I cannot talk about current litigation except to say that whenever these things come up, we have some of the best lawyers in the world — compliance, out of the DOJ, out of SEC, important divisions who review all of these things and make decisions at the time based on what they know, as best as they know.
• HARLOW: You’re going to be deposed we’ve learned now in this case in the spring. In retrospect, Jamie, do you think JPMorgan should have acted more quickly after Epstein pleaded guilty to one of these charges in 2008 — because he was your client for five more years?
• DIMON: Hindsight is a fabulous gift.

It now appears that this exclusive interview airing on an international news outlet might have been motivated by the fact that the U.S. Virgin Islands was planning to drop major new bombshells in court in the Epstein/JPMorgan case – which it did yesterday.The overall thrust of the U.S. Virgin Islands case against the bank is presented in the second amended complaint as follows:“…based on documents reviewed and interviews conducted by the Government, JP Morgan knowingly facilitated, sustained, and concealed the human trafficking network operated by Jeffrey Epstein from his home and base in the Virgin Islands, and financially benefitted from this participation, directly or indirectly, by failing to comply with federal banking regulations, [redacted]. JP Morgan facilitated and concealed wire and cash transactions that raised suspicion of—and were in fact part of—a criminal enterprise whose currency was the sexual servitude of dozens of women and girls in and beyond the Virgin Islands. Human trafficking was the principal business of the accounts Epstein maintained at JP Morgan.“Upon information and belief, JP Morgan turned a blind eye to evidence of human trafficking over more than a decade because of Epstein’s own financial footprint, and because of the deals and clients that Epstein brought and promised to bring to the bank. These decisions were advocated and approved at the senior levels of JP Morgan, including by the former chief executive of its asset management division and investment bank, whose inappropriate relationship with Epstein should have been evident to the bank.”The second amended complaint by the U.S. Virgin Islands also adds a Fifth Count, charging JPMorgan Chase with obstruction. It reads in part:“By providing financing for Epstein’s sex trafficking organization from at least 2000 through about August 2013, and concealing its actions thereafter, JP Morgan obstructed, interfered with, and prevented the federal government’s enforcement of the TVPA [Trafficking Victims Protection Act] against Epstein. To the extent that the federal government was able to ultimately charge Epstein with TVPA violations, the filing of these charges was delayed by JP Morgan’s actions. Because of that delay, women and girls in the Virgin Islands were coercively caused to engage in commercial sex acts.”

"Such Is Life": FTX Bankruptcy Filing Details SBF's Cavalier Attitude Toward Misplaced $50 Million - What's $50 million amongst friends? That appears to be the cavalier attitude that FTX head Sam Bankman-Fried took while managing his now defunct FTX, according to a new report from Yahoo, which detailed "a complete failure" of corporate controls at the company. The company's latest bankruptcy report filed Sunday, coming in at 43 pages, detailed a “lack of appropriate record keeping and controls” in its finances, accounting, governance, and even cybersecurity, Yahoo reported. The company admitted it didn't even have a complete and current list of employees when it started going through the bankruptcy process. It's still poring through QuickBooks, Google docs, spreadsheets, and Slack records, to - as Yahoo put it - "get any insight into where the hell customers’ money went". Among other things, the company has found nearly 80,000 transactions labeled "Ask My Accountant" in QuickBooks. It also found communication from SBF stating internally that “we are only able to ballpark what [Alameda’s] balances are… we sometimes find $50 million of assets lying around that we lost track of; such is life.” The filing said that FTX executives “stifled dissent, commingled and misused corporate and customer funds, lied to third parties about their business, joked internally about their tendency to lose track of millions of dollars in assets, and thereby caused the FTX Group to collapse as swiftly as it had grown.” Those running the company “showed little interest in instituting oversight or implementing an appropriate control framework", according to FTX CEO managing the company’s bankruptcy John Ray III.

FTX Has Recovered $7.3 Billion In Assets, Will Consider Rebooting Exchange -Cryptocurrency exchange FTX may be considering restarting in the future, according to the legal team behind the debtors. In an April 12 hearing in United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, lawyers with Sullivan & Cromwell representing FTX said the crypto firm had recovered roughly $7.3 billion in liquid assets. A March filing from the debtors reported the four FTX company silos had roughly $4.8 billion in scheduled assets as of November 2022, with an investigation into the assets ongoing.According to the legal team, FTX will also consider restarting its crypto exchange operations sometime in the second quarter of 2024 — suggesting a reboot as early as April. FTX CEO John Ray was reportedly mulling reviving the bankrupt exchange in a January interview.The price of the FTX Token surged from $1.32 to $2.80 at roughly the same time lawyers announced the potential reboot of the exchange — an increase of more than 112%. The token price had largely stayed between $1 and $2 since the firm’s bankruptcy filing. At the same hearing, the bankruptcy judge denied a motion which would have allowed the court to prioritize reimbursing former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal fees. He left the door open for SBF to present evidence to the court in the future regarding the motion.“Frankly, I have zero evidence to establish cause here,” said Judge John Dorsey. “Mr. Bankman-Fried did not put out any evidence whatsoever as to the balancing of the equities here, what harm is going to occur to him. I don’t know what other insurance policies he has access to, I don’t know what other assets he has access to privately that would allow him to cover these costs and then recover them later under this policy.”

Feds Bust $3.4 Billion Crypto Theft, Demonstrating Ability to Penetrate Supposed Secrecy by Yves Smith - The Wall Street Journal does a solid job of reporting today in one of its lead stories, The U.S. Cracked a $3.4 Billion Crypto Heist—and Bitcoin’s Anonymity. However, as we’ll discuss, the large steps made in piercing the crypto veil, at least as I read it, do not vitiate the secrecy potential of crypto per se, but of the infrastructure and services around it, on which many users, including those knowing engaged in criminal conduct, use. And this story demonstrates that all it took was one goof by a crypto thief for the Feds to track him down.I found it odd that the comments I read so far at the Journal and Twitter miss the way the article overstates what are still very large gains by the authorities in tracking crypto transactions and then figuring out who is behind them. And the article (as many Journal readers did point out) confirmed my prejudices about crypto: that it has no uses beyond crime, tax evasion, money laundering, and speculation, none of which are positives to society.The piece revolves around the bust of one James Zhong, a US computer science student who found a bug on Silk Road, which he’d been using to buy cocaine. He could withdraw twice as much Bitcoin as he had on deposit. He set up additional accounts and made off with about $600,000 of Bitcoin in 2012.Zhong had the bad fortune to have Silk Road go bust, which gave the authorities their first opportunity to mine transaction records across a network. But the level of forensic skills took a great leap forward with the failure of Mt. Gox in 2014. Crypto maven Jonathan Levin and his business partner Michael Gronager were hired guns on the Mt. Gox collapse, developing software and analytics that became the foundation of Chainalysis. As the story explains:Government investigators exploit a feature of bitcoin and many other digital currencies: Every transaction is stored forever in blockchain’s online ledger and open for anyone to see. Since Mr. Zhong’s heist, authorities and private firms have compiled the equivalent of a blockchain address book to aid the IRS, Federal Bureau of Investigation and state and local authorities investigating cybercrimes. The blockchain-analytics company Chainalysis Inc., based in New York, said it has mapped more than a billion wallet addresses, separating out legitimate and questionable holdings and identifying the exchanges where the cryptocurrency is converted to cash….These advances make it difficult for criminals to convert their spoils to cash. After government officials publish wallet addresses connected to crooks, no legitimate cryptocurrency exchange wants to do business with them, fearing legal consequences…Blockchain analytics provide law-enforcement investigators with an important piece of the blockchain puzzle—mapping the flow of cryptocurrency belonging to specific people and groups. Greater regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrency exchanges has also helped. Exchanges have stepped up systems to identify the parties they do business with—under so-called know-your-customer requirements—and are more responsive to law-enforcement inquiries.Let us understand the rub: you as a nefariously-behaving crypto user would be well-protected from the authorities if you did not use a wallet. Of course, you would face the risk of death, loss, or accidental destruction of the device(s) that held your coin. You would also be at risk of loss of your password to your device (this risk also exists with wallets; I have no idea what if any account recovery methods they have).But what good is having crypto if you can’t eventually trade it or convert into fiat or real economy assets? With exchanges and wallets more widely used and more and more crypto service operators deciding that being on the up and up is a better business proposition, the illicit exchanges and other means for trading out of crypto are declining in importance, and may be shrinking in absolute terms. The Journal piece quotes an expert who claims North Korea has stolen more crypto than it can convert into dollars.

BankThink: It would be a mistake to regulate banks out of the crypto space | American Banker -It is no secret that, for the moment, Washington is consumed with reining in crypto activity. Congressional bills and hearings abound. The Lummis-Gillibrand crypto bill has been revived, and the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing in February on the crypto crash. At the same time, the Federal Reserve has issued a new rule specifically with crypto assets in mind, and banking agencies, through both action and inaction, are pummeling crypto with vigor. The Fed, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. have issued two joint policy statements since the beginning of the year on the risks to banks from crypto activities. The Securities and Exchange Commission is entertaining a proposal to expand investment adviser safeguards to include crypto assets. And the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have both undertaken high-profile enforcement actions against executives at the fallen crypto exchange FTX. Regulators have also slow-walked or turned down applications for banks to engage in crypto activity and for crypto companies to gain banking licenses. Some of this is clearly needed. The FTX collapse, the liquidation of Three Arrows Capital and the bankruptcy of the crypto lender Voyager Digital painted in Technicolor what can happen in unregulated financial markets. And for many, whether fully understood or not, crypto has always seemed shady. Signature Bank's willingness merely to accept ordinary deposits from companies working in crypto played a role in the scrutiny and rumor-mongering that led to the bank's failure. In that regard, financial innovators are better advised to use terms like "open banking" or "fair financing" as opposed to a word that has potentially ominous overtones. "Crypto" sounds like one of Darth Vader's secret weapons. However, banks should worry that, in the current frenzy to right crypto's wrongs, Washington will go too far and inadvertently undercut the banking system. There is also reason to fear that Washington will fail to get at the heart of the FTX problem. These themes are interrelated. With respect to the negative impact on the banking system, there are at least three things to worry about. First, the term "crypto" is a misnomer being used to cover a diversity of practices and technologies. Importantly, the term has had the effect of conflating "cryptocurrency" secure web transactions (Web 3); sophisticated approaches to payment, document and information exchanges (blockchain); and safe ways to do business with legitimate nonbanking customers in volatile industries (e.g. "crypto companies' dollar deposits with banks").

Elizabeth Warren, AOC ask SVB depositors to detail ties to bank (Bloomberg) --Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York sent letters Sunday to 14 of the largest depositors with Silicon Valley Bank that raised concerns over the failed bank's relationship with some of the venture capitalists and tech founders who made up much of its customer base. In letters reviewed by Bloomberg that were sent to companies including Circle Internet Financial, BILL Holdings, BlockFi and Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Warren and Ocasio-Cortez asked questions about the nature of their connections with SVB. Those included the length of their relationship and the amount of money they had deposited with the bank, which collapsed in March after investors and depositors tried to pull out $42 billion in a single day. The two Democrats, who have been vocal critics of SVB and its executives, also want to know whether board members, executives or investors had received special benefits, such as lines of credits, from SVB. In particular, the lawmakers are interested in reports that said SVB coddled some of its largest venture capitalists and showered them with special perks, and in return the VC firms gave the bank access to huge unsecured sources of short-term funding, the letters said. The lawmakers asked for the answers to these questions to be provided by April 24. "Silicon Valley Bank's unusually cozy relationship with its clients increased the threat of contagion when the bank went under," Warren said in a statement to Bloomberg. "The American people deserve to know how these mutual backscratching arrangements developed, who benefitted from them, and what role they played in Silicon Valley Bank's failure." The 14 firms that received letters are Circle, BILL, BlockFi, Eiger, Ginkgo Bioworks, iRhythm Technologies, LendingClub, Oncorus, Payoneer Global, Protagonist Therapeutics, Roblox, Rocket Lab USA, Roku and Sangamo Therapeutics. A Roblox spokesperson said in an email the company received the letter and "consistent with our process, will be replying in a timely manner." The other 13 companies didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

When Silicon Valley Bank failed, fraudsters pounced - As Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed last month, fraudsters saw opportunity. Frantic customers tried to withdraw their money from the beleaguered banks and applied for new accounts at other institutions, sometimes multiple times on the same day. Fraudsters took advantage of the situation by doing the same, posing as customers looking to flee their current bank, creating risk for banks looking to bring on new clients amid the turbulence. Data released by the identity-verification company Socure shows that, in the days following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, small-business and investment banks saw a spike in both synthetic identity fraud and, to a greater extent, third-party fraud. Socure's analysis is based on the riskiest 1% of applications it analyzes, which come from its more than 1,500 customers. In cases of third-party fraud, a fraudster assumes the identity of a legitimate consumer while maintaining control of the account in question. Socure data shows the rate of this form of fraud more than tripled on the day after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over Silicon Valley Bank. Synthetic identity fraud involves using stolen elements of real identities to create a new identity. This is often done by using a Social Security number that credit bureaus or other identity verification services wouldn't recognize — perhaps the SSN of a minor — and coupling it with a fictitious name, date of birth, address and so on. This kind of fraud doubled in the days following SVB's collapse, according to Socure's data. Socure scores each application it processes on behalf of its clients for fraud risk and puts the riskiest 1% of applications through a secondary, step-up verification process. This typically involves asking applicants for a live photo of themselves as well as a photo of their passport, driver's license or some other identifying document, so the company can compare the two photos. From there, Socure determines whether the application is legitimate, a third-party fraud risk, or a synthetic identity fraud risk. While Socure processed more applications than typical in the days following Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, the share of applications it determined to be fraudulent also increased. In other words, many institutions faced greater fraud risk because fraudsters responded to the crisis more strongly than legitimate customers. The timing of the spike in fraudulent applications is not the only evidence that the bank run led to an increase in fraud. Socure attributed the spike to the banking crisis because the increased fraud risk was specific to new savings, checking and investment accounts. The spike did not affect new online gaming accounts, job applications, applications processed for public sector purposes or other types of applications the company processes. "We believe that was happening to fuel fraudulent money movement through P2P scams through wire transfers," said Mike Cook, Socure's vice president of fraud. Cook said fraudsters simply recognized an opportunity as news about bank failures started to percolate. "Fraudsters know if there's this flood in applications all of a sudden, they can more easily hide in that flood," Cook said. "That's what happened here."

Fed approves UBS acquisition of Credit Suisse's U.S. subsidiary - The Federal Reserve Board of Governors approved UBS's acquisition of Credit Suisse's U.S. business on Friday afternoon. The acquisition of Credit Suisse's New York-based holding company is part of UBS's $3.25 billion acquisition of its distressed domestic rival. The combination of the two banks was brokered by the Swiss government and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority last month to preempt Credit Suisse's collapse. UBS's acquisition of Credit Suisse came at a tumultuous time in the global banking industry following the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Credit Suisse had a long, well-documented history of regulatory problems and appeared to be in danger of collapse before the deal was struck. The Swiss National Bank supported the acquisition by providing liquidity to UBS on March 19. To help facilitate the transaction and provide support to other central banks around the world, the Fed enhanced its dollar liquidity swap facility that same day. UBS's acquisition of Credit Suisse will result in "more stringent enhanced prudential standards, including liquidity standards," the Fed said in a press release issued Friday. UBS's U.S. subsidiary, UBS Americas Holding, has nearly $202 billion of assets under management, according to the U.S. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, making it the 22nd largest bank holding company in the country. As part of its approval, the Fed will allow UBS to keep the assets from Credit Suisse Holdings USA in a separate holding company for one year, after which they will have to be consolidated. Those Credit Suisse assets total more than $57 billion, according to the FFIEC. Credit Suisse's Americas business includes investment banking, private banking, corporate debt underwriting and asset management.

Wyoming joins Custodia Bank in legal battle against Fed - The state of Wyoming has asked to join Custodia Bank's lawsuit against the Federal Reserve over access to the central bank's payments system. On Monday, the state's attorney general, Bridget Hill, filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Wyoming to intervene in the lawsuit. She claims that in rejecting Custodia's application for a so-called master account, the Fed disparaged Wyoming's special-purpose depository institution, or SPDI, charter for crypto banks.In the filing, Hill makes the case that the Fed's skepticism of the SPDI regime undermines the dual banking system, in which equal treatment is supposed to be given to state-chartered and federally chartered banks. She cites the Fed's allowance of the Bank of New York Mellon to open a crypto-custody business last year as evidence of a double standard."[The Fed has] also expressed skepticism over the aptitude of 'new' state-chartered banks while allowing 'old' state-chartered banks like BNY Mellon to engage in substantially the same digital-asset custody activity Wyoming SPDIs intend to engage in," the motion notes. "A disregard of Wyoming's right to charter depository institutions in the two-tier banking system appears, at least in part, to be the motivation for this disparate treatment and disregard of Wyoming-chartered banks."Custodia first filed suit against the Fed last June. The Cheyenne, Wyoming, digital-asset bank originally claimed the Fed Board of Governors in Washington and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City were subjecting its application for a master account to an undue delay. Master accounts, which are managed by regional reserve banks, provide access to the Fed's various financial services, including payment settlement systems such as Fedwire and the automated clearing house, or ACH.In January, the Fed rejected Custodia's bids to become a state member bank and obtain a master account. In a full summary of its rejection decision released last month, the Fed cited concerns about the bank's management, the assumptions of its business model and its lack of deposit insurance as disqualifying issues. Since its rejection, Custodia has amended its complaint, arguing that the Fed does not have the authority to block a state-chartered bank from accessing its payments system.

Fed Report: Largest 25 U.S. Banks Have Shed $700 Billion in Deposits Over Past Year - By Pam and Russ Martens: April 11, 2023To read the headlines in the major business press, one would think that since the upheaval began in the U.S. banking system, the largest U.S. commercial banks have been the beneficiaries in terms of deposit inflows. For example, on March 13 the Financial Times ran this headline: “Large US banks inundated with new depositors as smaller lenders face turmoil.” The subhead was even more questionable, reading: “Failure of Silicon Valley Bank prompts flight to likes of JPMorgan and Citi.” (JPMorgan Chase has been charged with five felony counts by the U.S. Department of Justice over the past nine years while Citigroup’s stock has been a basket case since the financial collapse in 2008. Citi did a 1-for-10 reverse stock split in 2011 to window dress its stock price.) See Citigroup stock price chart below.On March 25, CNBC ran a similar article about deposit inflows to the big banks. Its first paragraph read as follows:“The surge of deposits moving from smaller banks to big institutions including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo amid fears over the stability of regional lenders has slowed to a trickle in recent days, CNBC has learned.” The reality is that the 25 largest domestically-chartered commercial banks in the U.S. have been bleeding deposits for most of the past 12 months, shedding more than $700 billion in deposits between April 13, 2022 and March 29, 2023. To put that in even sharper focus, all U.S. domestically-chartered commercial banks have lost a total of $970 billion during the same time period. That means that the largest 25 banks account for a whopping 72 percent of the plunge in deposits over the past year. (See chart below.) Each Friday, at approximately 4:15 p.m., the Federal Reserve (the Fed) releases its H.8 report showing the assets and liabilities of commercial banks in the United States. That data includes deposits. The Fed’s H.8 data for all of these weekly releases going back to 1996 is available here. Equally helpful, the folks at the St. Louis Fed make it possible to chart much of that data via its FRED charting tools. (See, for example, the charts above.) We mention this because every American may need to become an expert on the U.S. banking system in order to separate fact from fiction and have confidence in where they are placing their bank deposits.You may be thinking, should we really have confidence in numbers coming out of the Fed, which has so frequently been compromised by the mega banks on Wall Street. To be certain of the accuracy of our information, we cross-checked the deposit information with data at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).Indeed, there was a blip in inflows of deposits to the largest U.S. commercial banks between March 8, 2023 and March 15, 2023. During that week, deposits to the 25 largest U.S. commercial banks increased from $10.67 trillion to $10.74 trillion or approximately $70 billion. But that small blip in inflows was quickly reversed. (See chart at the top of the page.)

Liquidity crisis could spark a long, slow trickle of bank failures - The liquidity crisis facing some small, midsize and regional banks could take years to resolve, leading to further upheaval and consolidation in the banking sector. Bank liquidity appears to have stabilized in the past few weeks after federal regulators managed to contain the fallout from the failures last month of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Silvergate Bank. Yet hundreds of banks with unrealized bond losses could be in for trouble ahead should flighty deposits force them to sell underwater assets. Financial institutions face a tough environment in which to raise capital, sell off business lines or potentially merge to avoid failure, experts say. The potential for a long, slow trickle of bank failures and consolidation is made more likely if inflation persists and interest rates keep rising. Adding to the uncertainty is an expected downturn in commercial real estate valuations — especially for office buildings — that could lead to writedowns and other problems. The economic climate is drawing comparisons to the savings and loan crisis when thrifts began failing in 1989. "We may not be out of the woods yet, if history is to be any guide," said Mark Chorazak, a partner in Shearman & Sterling's financial institutions practice. "There are some historical parallels to the S&L crisis, when high inflation gradually exposed dire mismatches between long-dated fixed-rate assets and deposits that were becoming more costly to pay interest on over time." As earnings season gets underway this week, analysts are focused on regional banks that are expected to disclose deposit levels and current risk factors in their quarterly securities filings. The disclosures will give a better picture of deposit outflows and banks' narratives around current interest rate and duration risks.

These Are The US Banks With The Most Uninsured Deposits -- Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon and State Street Bank are the active banks with the highest levels of uninsured deposits. They are the two largest custodian banks in the U.S., followed by JP Morgan. Custodian banks provide critical infrastructure in the financial system, holding assets for safe-keeping for investment managers and transferring assets, among other duties. Both BNY Mellon and State Street are considered “systemically important” banks. Where these banks differ from SVB is that their loans and held-to-maturity securities as a percentage of total deposits are much lower. While these loans made up over 94% of SVB’s deposits, they made up 31% of BNY Mellon’s and 40% of State Street Bank’s deposits, respectively. Held-to-maturity securities pose a greater risk to banks. Many of these holdings have lost value since interest rates have risen at a sharp clip. This presents interest-rate risks to banks. Consider how the value of long-term U.S. Treasurys declined about 30% in 2022. In this way, if a bank sells these assets before they mature, they take on a steep loss. Overall, 11 banks on this list have loans and held-to-maturity assets that are over 90% of their total value of deposits. To prevent wider ramifications, regulators implemented emergency actions. This was done by protecting all deposits of SVB and Signature Bank days after they announced failure. The Fed also set up an emergency lending facility for banks. This Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) was created to provide additional funding for banks if depositors pulled their money. It was also set up to prevent banks from interest-rate risk. So far, more than $50 billion in loans have been withdrawn from the BTFP, up from $11.9 billion in its first week. (The Federal Reserve updates these numbers on a weekly basis.) This has led the Fed’s balance sheet to once again tick higher after slowly declining with the introduction of quantitative tightening in 2022. Between a Rock and a Hard Place What does this mean for the U.S. banking system, and what are the implications for depositors and the broader financial system? On the one hand, the Fed may have had no other option than to save the banks. “The way the world is, the government had no alternative but to back all deposits. Or we would have had the biggest goddamn bunch of bank runs you ever saw.” -Charles Munger The bigger problem is that it introduces new risk into the system. If market participants expect the Fed to always come to the rescue, they will likely make less prudent decisions. Beyond this, the ultra-low interest rate environment not only made banks more sensitive to interest-rate risk as rates went up, but it also lowered the cost of risk-taking.

Chopra calls for "automatic triggers" to curb excessive bank risk - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra called for regulators to create new tools for monitoring and mitigating risks in the banking system. In a wide-ranging conversation about the ongoing bank crisis on Tuesday afternoon, Chopra said regulators should consider creating "automatic triggers to slow down some risky activity" to better keep up with the ever-faster pace of the financial sector. He singled out the "enormous" amount of uninsured depositors at Silicon Valley Bank as a practice that could have been detected and addressed in ways beyond what the bank's supervisors — including the Federal Reserve — were able to do under current monitoring practices. "We need to think about, should there be some guardrails or even caps on uninsured deposits that are bright lines?" Chopra said. "Should there be some automatic triggers on growth restrictions when companies cross certain lines?" Chopra's remarks came in a webcast conversation with Washington Post business editor Lori Montgomery. During the event, Chopra said financial regulators can do more than they have done recently to punish bad actors but have allowed certain congressionally-endowed authorities to remain "dormant." Specifically, he said, regulators should do more to "kick the tires" on actions related to executive compensation.

Fed's Waller: Failed banks weren't systemic, but warranted action - Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were not systemically important — but their failures still warranted government intervention. In a speech delivered Friday morning, Waller explained his rationale for supporting the systemic risk exception enacted by the Fed, Treasury Department and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the actions that followed, including protecting all depositors at the banks and setting up an enhanced emergency lending facility at the central bank. "I voted for these actions, not because SVB and Signature are systemically important on their own, but to stem the emerging crisis of confidence which could have led to additional bank runs with significant adverse effects on financial markets and the broader economy," Waller said. Waller is one of two remaining Trump-appointed members left of the Fed Board of Governors, along with Gov. Michelle Bowman. His full-throated endorsement of regulators' using the systemic risk exemption speaks to the necessity of the measure, despite the banks themselves not being too big to fail. The six-member board voted unanimously to support the systemic risk exception last month. During his remarks, Waller nodded to what other Fed officials have described as a "contagion" effect within the banking system, though he did not use the word himself. "As fear of taking those losses spread to uninsured depositors at healthy institutions, it became imperative for the Federal Reserve, along with other regulators, to act," he said.

FDIC Vice Chair Hill says tailoring rules didn't spur bank failures — Travis Hill, vice chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said on Monday that deregulation did not cause Silicon Valley Bank's failure. Instead, he blamed the bank's underwater investments in long-dated fixed-rate securities and flighty deposit base for its collapse. At a roundtable discussion hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center — in the Republican's first address since joining the FDIC Board of Directors in January — Hill characterized March's banking crisis as the result of rapid rate hikes at a time where a confluence of factors made certain banks like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature vulnerable. He said that the Fed's aggressive efforts to stem damage of pandemic stimulus-triggered inflation turned the screws on over-leveraged banks, and that the speed and nature of SVB's deposit flows made it vulnerable to a deposit run. "Many banks had kept an eye on their interest rate risk and asset liability management, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) did not," he noted, "When SVB belatedly tried to address its problems in early March, by selling securities at a loss and raising capital to fill the hole, its depositors lost confidence and stampeded for the exits." One way he suggested regulators might move to address interest rate risk was by requiring banks to hold capital against unrealized losses on bond investments. "One much-discussed way to try to address this problem would be to require banks to hold capital against some — or all — unrealized losses on their bond investments," he said. Although this approach has its downsides — like the tendency, he said, for market prices to exaggerate fluctuations in value during times of stress — it may prevent future instability, he noted. "It is possible that moving aggressively in this direction would have reduced the likelihood of SVB's failure, as it may have forced the bank to address its core problem sooner: either by raising more capital or by reducing the maturity of its assets," Hill said. Hill also thinks any reforms to deposit insurance must balance depositor confidence with market discipline, saying policymakers should consider both existing and new authorities. "The deposit insurance cap is set not at $250,000 per depositor, but at $250,000 per depositor per institution per right and capacity," Hill said. "Which means that the cap is $250,000 for some depositors and much, much higher than $250,000 for others… which might lead one to wonder whether those who would be most likely to impose market discipline are instead those most likely to ensure that all their funds are insured."

BankThink: Recent failures show it's time to 'unbundle' deposits and lending | American Banker - In the wake of recent bank failures, regulators have taken measures to protect all deposits at these banks, not just those insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. To do this, the Federal Reserve is accepting securities at par, essentially taking on the maturity mismatch of these banks and stepping in as lender and liquidity provider. In effect, these deposits have been mutualized and, by extension, so have all deposits in the country. It does not matter whether money is at a community bank, a regional bank or a brokerage bank, that money is safe, and any losses are contained by passing around the hat to other banks. There are legitimate questions about the roles management, regulatory oversight, changes in monetary policy and other issues played in the demise of these banks. Regulation and other fixes will be discussed. But this is about more than regulation — it's about how the system was designed. The fact is people and businesses have very little choice but to put their money in institutions that are licensed to take risks that can cause those deposits to evaporate. These banks failed doing what the system allowed them to do. It is time to offer Americans a safer and better choice. Banking is a relatively simple concept. Banks take short-term deposits and turn them into long-term loans. Deposits are not just linked to, but a requirement for, lending. Banks require operating accounts on which they pile other services — some for the benefit of the client, many for the benefit of the bank. Banks don't turn away deposits — or clients — they just look for risk assets to make profits off excess deposits. This risk mismatch is the heart of the 'bundled' banking system, and when things go bad, the depositor is the one who panics. While this might have been the only option in a different century, we now have the technology to separate the operating account from the attendant loan risk of the institution that holds it. What we need is a new framework that allows people — and more importantly businesses — to keep deposits in an operating account without bundling them with the kind of risk that institutions are willing to take to satisfy shareholders. Unbundling is already happening. Payments have been unbundled from banks for years. Capital markets are creating new sources for funding, and there are lenders that are financed elsewhere. Unbundling deposits is the next step and would offer businesses and consumers true safekeeping of their operating accounts. There are several ways to do this. For one, depositors could 'face' the central bank rather than an individual bank. This may sound like a radical idea, but it is technologically feasible to allow depositors to safekeep money at central banks through central bank digital currencies. Electronic wallets for CBDCs could be the modern equivalent of operating accounts with attendant payments and interest-earning capabilities, and with the total of reserves from these wallets acting as deposits in an omnibus account at the central bank. In so doing, these deposits would be safe.

U.S. needs 'a viable pipeline for the creation of new banks,' says Fed's Bowman - The onerous process of getting a new charter is hurting competition in banking and pushing activity outside the regulatory perimeter, Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman said in a speech Friday afternoon. In her remarks, delivered at the Wharton Financial Regulation Conference, Bowman called for bank regulators to take a new approach to so-called de novo banks to make the chartering process more streamlined and transparent. "We need a viable pipeline for the creation of new banks in the United States," Bowman said, "There are troubling indications that we are falling short on this front, with a continued decline in the number of banks in the United States, the continued interest in charter strip applications, and the ongoing shift of traditional bank activities into shadow banks." To reverse this trend, Bowman said the Fed and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. should lower upfront capitalization requirements — which currently call for de novo banks to raise capital to meet forward-looking projections — rethink initial limitations imposed on new charters and strike a tone that tells prospective charter seekers that new applicants are welcomed. She also called for changes to the application processes to make sure there is less overlap between agencies and put more emphasis on efficiency and consistency. She said the framework implemented by the United Kingdom's Prudential Regulatory Authority and Financial Conduct Authority is a model worth emulating. Their joint effort, the New Bank Start-up Unit, provides "transparent, single-stop resources about the life cycle of de novo bank formation," Bowman said. In particular, she praised the British model's focus on recovery, resolution and wind-down planning instead of steep capital requirements and strict supervisory oversight.

Bank Mass-Shooting Leaves 5 Dead, 6 Injured In Downtown Louisville - Five people were killed and six hospitalized in a shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday morning, according to the police. The incident occurred at the Old National Bank in the Louisville downtown region. ABC is reporting the shooting happened at a conference table in the bank. Video from a witness shows a chaotic scene at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville. “Active shooter at the bank” an officer screams as multiple gunshots are fired on the background. The details emerging from this are very grim. pic.twitter.com/Ax3Gc5imNg— Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey told reporters the shooter has been "neutralized."

Are payment apps systemically important? CFPB's Chopra thinks so - Rohit Chopra, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has concerns about peer-to-peer payment platforms such as PayPal, Venmo and Cash App. During a webcast appearance on Tuesday, Chopra suggested that financial regulators should consider whether such money transmitter services should be designated as systemically important to ensure their customers' funds are adequately protected. Last year, the agency requested information from Cash App, Venmo and its parent company PayPal, as well as Big Tech-backed payment platforms such Apple Pay and Google Pay about their management of data and platform access. But, Chopra said, his worries run even deeper. "We're also really interested in fraud and the safety and security of [customer] funds," he said during the event hosted by the Washington Post. "I have argued that we may need to think, when it comes to digital payments and currency, of looking at an old provision of law that was passed in 2010 that would allow the regulators to designate certain payment systems as potentially systemic, which would allow us to make sure they are safe and sound and protecting consumers." The "old provision" Chopra referenced was the Dodd-Frank Act, which created Financial Stability Oversight Council, or FSOC, and gave it the authority to deem certain nonbank financial institutions systemically important. Such a designation subjects firms to enhanced regulatory oversight by the Federal Reserve. In a statement provided to American Banker on Thursday, a CFPB spokesperson said Chopra's comments were related to Title VIII of Dodd-Frank, which covers designations for financial market utilities as well as broad categories of activities related to payments, clearing and settlements. "Director Chopra was referring to the designation authority provided under Title VIII of the Dodd-Frank Act, which allows the FSOC to designate payment, clearing, and settlement activities that it determines are, or are likely to become, systemically important," the spokesperson said in a written statement. "Such a designation would enable regulators to apply enhanced safeguards to any firms engaging in the designated activity. " While Chopra, as director of the CFPB, sits on the FSOC, the council's decisions are managed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and passed by majority vote. Even so, Chopra's position could signal a new initiative by the interagency council.

PPP fraud investigations heat up. Who will be hit next? -- Two significant questions loom over the Paycheck Protection Program: How much of the program's funds was lost to fraud? And are banks going to get into trouble for approving these bad loans? PPP was hastily designed at a time when it felt like the world was falling apart. A pandemic had gripped not only the U.S. but the world as well. Amid the volatility, Americans had bills to pay — restaurants had to make rent, store owners had to pay for inventory that was previously ordered but would sit unsold on shelves, and workers needed to buy groceries and other essentials. To prevent an economic collapse, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, in late March 2020. That $2.2 trillion stimulus package included an initial $349 billion earmarked for the Small Business Administration to provide loans to employers so they could cover expenses, including payroll, until the pandemic subsided enough for the economy to return to some level of normalcy. The hope was that these funds would help prevent mass layoffs. And the loans would be forgivable if the borrowers met certain criteria. Approved PPP lenders – banks, credit unions and nonbank fintechs — took the applications and got the funds into the hands of small businesses. And the program proved wildly successful in that regard. However, PPP was implemented with very little oversight. That meant grift was voluminous and began almost immediately as those who were not eligible for a variety of reasons were still able to apply for and receive funds. A recent report from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis found that lenders, and especially fintechs, "faced challenges" in administering the PPP, "missed clear signs of fraud" and attempted to "evade responsibility" after disbursing the program's funds. "Fintechs and lenders sought to avoid taking responsibility for taxpayer money that was lost to fraud," the oversight report stated. Both sloppy and sophisticated criminals joined in the money grab. Perpetrators included applicants with pending criminal charges and thus ineligible. In California, an Instagram star used fake names to binge on flashy splurges, while a French art gallery manager in New York teamed up with a convicted felon to steal identities and submit dozens of applications at local banks. Current estimates put the fraud anywhere between $34.4 billion and $189 billion. Prosecutors are now working to recover as much of this money as possible. Time will tell how much blowback the banks and credit unions that facilitated – even if inadvertently – this fraud will get.

'Looking into an abyss': For many lenders, PPP still a source of pride - Not long after, the Small Business Administration's E-Tran loan processing program crashed. SBA approved about 52,000 loans in fiscal year 2019 under its flagship 7(a) loan guarantee program, 60,000 the year before. As big as those numbers seem, they would be quickly dwarfed by PPP. Jovita Carranza, who served as SBA's administrator from January 2020 to January 2021, called 2020 the most extraordinary year in the agency's history. In that single year, SBA "approved more loans…than it has in all of the years combined since the agency was founded in 1953," Carranza wrote in SBA's 2020 Agency Financial Report. Even so, pushing loans through a sluggish, crash-prone E-Tran would be a perennial problem for the program's lenders. For Solomon Lax, CEO of Jersey City-based Revenued, they were the source of one of his most enduring PPP memories. "The most vivid moment was when 5,000 applications hit the system in 10 minutes and the application portal went down," Lax said. "It was an all-hands-on- deck moment for the company." Of course, Revenued, which worked as a partner with Cross River Bank in Fort Lee, New Jersey, managed to get its loans through, as did hundreds of other banks and credit unions that participated in the $800 billion program. For them, despite controversies that have severely tarnished the program's reputation in recent months, the PPP experience remains a high point, a time when the industry rallied to support the businesses and communities it serves. "It is still a source of pride as we positively impacted thousands upon thousands of business owners and the communities they operate in," Jim Fliss, national SBA manager at Cleveland-based KeyCorp, said. "While PPP is not common office conversation these days, I trust that all who were involved doing the work derive strength from meeting a large challenge head-on." A very big deal It seems safe to include the Paycheck Protection Program within the ranks of the financial services industry's biggest endeavors in recent years, perhaps among the biggest ever. PPP was intended to support employers and allow them to continue paying employees, especially where coronavirus had forced shutdowns. It came at a time of unprecedented dislocation. The U.S. gross domestic product plummeted 31% during the second quarter of 2020, giving an indication of the veritable body blow the pandemic delivered to the economy. PPP offered businesses with 500 or few employees fully forgivable loans, provided at least 60% of the proceeds were spent on employee compensation, occupancy, safety equipment, business software and other eligible expenses. By the time PPP started lending on April 3, the Trump administration had declared a state of emergency and implemented an international travel ban covering more than two dozen countries. Cruise lines halted travel and states and local governments had begun issuing a series of shutdown orders covering schools, theaters, dine-in restaurants, gyms, barber shops and salons, and a host of other businesses. Unemployment, which measured 3.5% at the start of 2020, began rising in March and peaked at 14.7% — a level not seen since before World War II — in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Our economy basically shut down," said Lloyd Doaman, executive director of Carver Community Development Corp., a subset of New York-based Carver Bancorp. Congress tapped the Treasury Department and SBA to co-administer PPP. Lawmakers implemented PPP as part of 7(a), which had been guaranteeing loans to small businesses since SBA's creation in 1953. While SBA had acted as a direct lender in its early years, 7(a) had long since evolved into a public-private partnership. Lenders, primarily banks and credit unions, made the loans.As PPP got up and running, it was clear almost instantly that it wouldn't take long to dole out the mountain of cash. Most institutions were overwhelmed with applications as soon as they opened their online portals. At JPMorgan Chase, more than 75,000 prospective borrowers filled out an online form seeking basic application data the first hour it was online. PPP lenders, nevertheless, distributed the program's massive initial outlay in just 16 days. Congress provided a fresh $310 billion appropriation to restart the program in May, as well as another $284 billion in January 2021. Things were never quite as frenzied as during the program's opening phase in April 2020. The waves of borrowers, combined with E-Tran's operational woes, forced participating lenders to radically expand working hours. In essence, an industry once joked about for keeping for lax "bankers hours" lurched suddenly to around-the-clock operations.

Trouble in Multifamily CRE: Two Big Messes, and Investors Are on the Hook, not Banks by Wolf Richter - Four Class B and Class C apartment complexes, built before 1981, with 3,200 apartments in the Houston area – the Reserve at Westwood, Heights at Post Oak, Redford Apartments, and Timber Ridge Apartments – were sold at a foreclosure auction on April 4 in Harris County by the lender, Arbor Realty Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that specializes in commercial real estate lending. Arbor Realty’s shares [ABR] have fallen by about half since November 2021.Investors took the loss, not banks, and are still on the hook. As often in CRE, it wasn’t a bank that took the losses on the debt, but investors. We just discussed banks’ exposure to CRE debt, that 55% of CRE debt was held by investors of all kinds, such as Arbor Realty Trust, and/or guaranteed by the government; and we discussed just prior the huge losses some office towers dished out, mostly to investors and not banks.The debt on the properties amounted to $229 million. According to Bisnow Houston, which confirmed the deal with Arbor Realty, the four properties were sold for $196.5 million in total, that’s $32.5 million below loan value, to Fundamental Partners, a New York-based private-equity firm.Arbor Realty took the $32.5 million loss on the loan so far, plus foreclosure expenses. According to Bisnow, it continues to be the lender for Fundamental Partners. So it’s still on the hook for what’s left of the loan.Variable rate mortgages taken out just ahead of Fed’s rate hikes. The former owner that lost control of the properties, Applesway Investment Group calls itself “a privately held investment firm focused on acquiring stable, income producing multi-family properties in emerging U.S. markets,” and pitches “passive income from high-yielding multifamily investment opportunities” to retail investors.It had gone on a multifamily buying spree focused on lower-income properties during the free-money era, and funded projects with variable-rate mortgages. According to the Wall Street Journal, Applesway took out most of the loans in the second half of 2021.This was perfect timing for variable rate mortgages: on the eve of the steepest rate hikes by the Fed in decades. According to data by Trepp, cited by the WSJ, the interest on one of the mortgages had jumped from 3.4% at origination to 8%. The purchase of at least two of the properties was financed with about 80% debt. Applesway’s losses amount to the equity portion of these properties.In addition, Applesway was facing a $1.6-million lawsuit for unpaid work at those properties, according to Bisnow. CMBS investors, not banks, were hit by Veritas’ default on a $448 million loan on 62 older apartment buildings in San Francisco. On the maturity date in November 2022, the joint venture between San Francisco-based Veritas Investments and affiliates of Boston-based Baupost Group refused to make the $448 million balloon payment. And they didn’t exercise their one-year extension option. They just defaulted on the loan. The loan has since then been in special servicing.The floating-rate loan with a two-year term and a one-year extension was originated in late 2020, during the free-money era. The idea of much higher rates didn’t occur to investors, and they eagerly piled into it when the loan was securitized into two CMBS by Goldman Sachs: $344 million in GSMS 2021-RENT and $104 million in GSMS 2021-RNT2.The loan is non-recourse; if investors eventually foreclose on the 62 apartment buildings, that’s all they would get, and the losses could be substantial.

Mortgage lenders are losing money on loans for the first time in years -- Mortgage lenders lost hundreds of dollars on average for each loan they originated last year while soaring interest rates dampened demand, according to a new report. The report from the Mortgage Bankers Association revealed that banks and mortgage companies lost an average of $301 for each loan originated in 2022, down from an average profit of $2,339 per loan the year before. “The rapid rise in mortgage rates over a relatively short period of time, combined with extremely low housing inventory and affordability challenges, meant that both purchase and refinance volume plummeted,” Marina Walsh, MBA’s vice president of industry analysis, said in a press release. “The stellar profits of the previous two years dissipated because of the confluence of declining volume, lower revenues, and higher costs per loan,” Walsh added. The report showed that the cost per loan swelled to a study high of $10,624. “Companies could not adjust their capacity fast enough. The number of production employees declined, but not at the same pace as origination volume,” Walsh said. MBA’s report also found an all-time high cost for first mortgages. The average loan balances for first-time mortgage holders shot up to $323,780 in 2022, up from $298,324 in 2021. This marks the largest single-year increase in the history of the report, which began in 2008.

"Mortgage Rates Have Quickly Erased Last Week's Drop" --From Matthew Graham at Mortgage News Daily: Mortgage Rates Have Quickly Erased Last Week's Drop: There was no new data behind today's move. Truly, it was as simple as the mortgage market getting caught up with the bond market (bonds ultimately dictate rate momentum). The next big flashpoint will be Wednesday morning's Consumer Price Index (CPI)--the most important monthly inflation report, and oftentimes more important than the jobs report ... While there's no way to know if the report will be good or bad for rates, nothing else on this week's calendar has the potential to cause as much of a reaction. [30 year fixed 6.50%]

Newsom seeks to punish California city for refusing to adhere to housing laws -California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and state officials announced on Monday that they are seeking a court order to reprimand the city of Huntington Beach for violating housing laws. The governor, together with state Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), filed a motion to amend a March lawsuit against Huntington Beach, with the goal of holding the city accountable for violating the state Housing Element Law. The law requires local governments to adopt housing plans that include sufficient opportunities for development, as part of a broader municipal agenda. The original lawsuit concerned the Orange County suburb’s ban on applications to build housing under the state’s SB 9 and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) laws, which allow homeowners to build up to four units and backyard cottages on single-family parcels. Since the filing of that suit, the Huntington Beach City Council voted on March 21 to resume processing SB 9 and ADU project applications, the governor and attorney general acknowledged. Nonetheless, at an April 4 meeting, the City Council again violated state housing laws by failing to adopt a housing element, which was already 16 months overdue, according to the state officials. That decision “jeopardizes critical affordable housing opportunities for Huntington Beach residents,” an announcement from the officials said. “Huntington Beach continues to fail its residents,” Newsom said in a statement. “Every city and county needs to do their part to bring down the high housing and rent costs that are impacting families across this state.” “California will continue taking every step necessary to ensure everyone is building their fair share of housing and not flouting state housing laws at the expense of the community,” the governor added. The amended motion seeks to suspend Huntington Beach’s permitting authority, while mandating the approval of certain residential projects until the city complies with the law. While the state is no longer seeking a preliminary injunction against Huntington Beach, due to the city’s reversal on SB 9 and ADU applications, the new motion does seek a declaration from court that the previous bans were unlawful and cannot be reinstated. “California is in the midst of a housing crisis, and time and time again, Huntington Beach has demonstrated they are part of the problem by defiantly refusing every opportunity to provide essential housing for its own

Leading Index for Commercial Real Estate Decreased in March - From Dodge Data Analytics: Dodge Momentum Index Drops in March The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, slipped 8.6% in March to 183.7 (2000=100) from the revised February reading of 201.0. In March, the commercial component of the DMI fell 6.6%, and the institutional component decreased 12.9%.“We are predicting the Dodge Momentum Index to work its way back to historical norms throughout 2023, concurrent with weaker economic conditions,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting for Dodge Construction Network. “Lending standards for small banks in particular have substantially tightened as banking insecurity intensifies. As a result, owners and developers are more likely to pullback in the short-term, which would further contract the DMI as we continue into the year.” Commercial planning in March was driven down by less projects in the office and warehouse sectors, decreasing 29% and 11%, respectively. Institutional planning weakened more substantially, as healthcare fell 17%, education dipped 6%, and amusement planning activity dropped 14%. On the upside, however, a steady flow of research and development laboratories entered the queue, supporting the otherwise weakening sector. Year over year, the DMI remains 24% higher than in March 2022. The commercial component was up 37%, and the institutional component was 2% higher....The DMI is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.This graph shows the Dodge Momentum Index since 2002. The index was at 183.7 in March, down from 201.0 the previous month. According to Dodge, this index leads "construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year". This index suggests a solid pickup in commercial real estate construction in 2023. but a slowdown towards the end of 2023 or in 2024. As Ms. Martin previously noted, commercial construction is a lagging economic indicator.

Hotels: Occupancy Rate Down 7.4% Year-over-year --From CoStar: STR: Easter, Passover Calendar Shift Lead To Lower US Hotel Performance - Affected by both the Easter and Passover calendar shift, U.S. hotel performance reflected lower year-over-year comparisons from the previous week, according to STR‘s latest data through April 8. April 2-8, 2023 (percentage change from comparable week in 2022):
• Occupancy: 61.3% (-7.4%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): $153.30 (+0.8%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): $94.00 (-6.7%)
The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average. The red line is for 2023, black is 2020, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2022. Dashed purple is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is close to the median rate for the previous 20 years (Blue).

Retail Sales Decreased 1.0% in March -On a monthly basis, retail sales were down 1.0% from February to March (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 2.9 percent from March 2022. From the Census Bureau report: Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March 2023, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $691.7 billion,down 1.0 percent from the previous month, but up 2.9 percent above March 2022. ... The January 2023 to February 2023 percent change was revised from down 0.4 percent to down 0.2 percent.This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline). Retail sales ex-gasoline were unchanged in March.The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993.Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 5.6% on a YoY basis.Sales in March were below expectations, and sales in January were revised down, however, sales in February were revised up.

Walmart closes half of its Chicago stores, signaling urban struggles - Walmart is shuttering four stores in Chicago, halving its locations in one of the nation’s largest cities and adding to a growing list of closures in urban areas. So far this year, the nation’s largest retailer has closed locations in D.C., Portland and Atlanta, signaling a retreat from its strategy to attract new customers outside the suburbs and small towns. Walmart attributed the closures in Chicago to a lack of profitability — the stores there have collectively lost money every year since the first one opened 17 years ago. The stores being closed “lose tens of millions of dollars a year, and their annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years,” the company said in a news release. “The remaining four Chicago stores continue to face the same business difficulties, but we think this decision gives us the best chance to help keep them open and serving the community.” Advertisement Walmart warned of some possible belt-tightening this year in its February earnings call. Despite a strong holiday season, executives offered a muted outlook for the next quarter, and they’re not alone: Home Depot offered a similar narrative. The retailers noted that shoppers are feeling the strain of inflation and continuing to cut discretionary spending from their budgets. Overall retail sales dipped 0.4 percent last month and though government data shows inflation has moderated in recent months — prices rose 5 percent in March — costs remain at historic highs. Both companies are seen as bellwethers for consumer behavior, making it unsurprising that several major retailers are cautious about 2023. Whole Foods closed its flagship store in downtown San Francisco. Retailers are assessing performance on a store-by-store basis to see which ones are profitable and gauge their growth prospects, said Neil Saunders, the managing director of the analytics company GlobalData. He expects this to continue through the rest of the year.

Headline CPI Tumbles More Than Expected But Real Wages Decline For 24th Straight MonthDespite NYFRB's recent survey showing inflation expectations resurging, expectations were for a notable drop in headline CPI (but a rise in core CPI) and that is what we got, with headline CPI +0.1% MoM (+5.0% YoY vs 5.1% exp, and down from 6.0% YoY prior)... Energy's decline was the biggest YoY deflationary driver for the headline CPI print while Services continued to rise... Goods inflation turned back up in March, from +1.0% YoY to +1.5% YoY while Services inflation actually slowed very modestly from +7.3% YoY to +7.1% YoY... Core CPI, however, rose 0.4% MoM (as expected), pushing the index up 5.6% YoY, up from 5.5% prior... CPI rose 0.1% in March after increasing 0.4 percent in February. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 5.0%. The index for shelter was by far the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase. This more than offset a decline in the energy index, which decreased 3.5 percent over the month as all major energy component indexes declined. The food index was unchanged in March with the food at home index falling 0.3 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 5.6 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 8.2 percent over the last year, accounting for over 60 percent of the total increase in all items less food and energy. Other indexes with notable increases over the last year include motor vehicle insurance (+15.0 percent), household furnishings and operations (+5.6 percent), recreation (+4.8 percent), and new vehicles (+6.1 percent). The silver-lining perhaps is that shelter may have started to top out: MoM Shelter rose just 0.66% in March, down from 0.79% in Feb and the lowest since November 22 MoM Rent rose just 0.45% in March, down from 0.71% in Feb and the lowest since March 22 The Fed's new favorite inflation indicator - so-called 'Super-Core': Core Services Ex-Shelter - slowed to 5.73% YoY, lowest since July 2022... 10 Graphhs Source: Bloomberg But Transportation rose, more than offsetting Medical Care's decline... Additionally, we note that real wages continue their declining streak - now at 24 months...

YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter -- Here a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell has been mentioning. Services ex-ShelterClick on graph for larger image. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through March 2023. Services were up 7.2% YoY as of March 2023, down from 7.6% YoY in February. Services less rent of shelter was up 6.1% YoY in March, down from 6.9% YoY in February. Will services ex-shelter inflation be persistent, or will it follow a similar pattern as goods? This is a topic I discussed last month in Pandemic Economics, Housing and Monetary Policy: Part 2. Goods CPIThe second graph shows that goods prices started to increase year-over-year (YoY) in 2020 and accelerated in 2021 due to both strong demand and supply chain disruptions. Durables were at -1.0% YoY as of March 2023, up from -1.8% YoY in February. Commodities less food and energy commodities were up 1.6% YoY in March, up from 1.0% YoY in February. Goods inflation was transitory. ShelterHere is a graph of the year-over-year change in shelter from the CPI report (through March) and housing from the PCE report (through February 2023) Shelter was up 8.2% year-over-year in March, up from 8.1% in February. Housing (PCE) was up 8.2% YoY in February. The BLS noted this morning: "The index for shelter was by far the largest contributor to the monthly all items increase."

 Services Inflation Rages, Durable Goods Prices Rise Again after 6 Months of Declines. Food Inflation Backs Off, Energy Plunges by Wolf Richter -The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March, released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was marked by plunging energy prices and surging services prices. Food inflation slowed, and month to month actually dipped for the first time in nearly three years. But durable goods inflation month-to-month suddenly rose again, after having been negative for six months, reminding us that inflation is a game of Whac A Mole:

• Services without energy services: annual inflation jumped by 7.1% from a year ago, after the four-decade high of 7.3% in February, driven by housing, food services (food away from home), auto insurance, repair services, airline fares, pet services, and hotels.
• Food at home: inflation dipped in March from February (-0.3%), the first dip since November 2020. Year-over-year, prices increased at the slowest rate since January 2022 (+8.4%).
• Energy inflation plunged month to month (-3.5%), and year-over-year (-6.4%), driven by a plunge in prices of gasoline and natural gas.
• Durable goods prices rose month-to-month (+0.4%), the first rise since last August. Year-over-year, the index dipped at the slowest pace this year (-1.0%), on a smaller price decline in used vehicles and price increases in new vehicles and household furnishings and appliances.
• Core CPI: rose 0.4% month-to-month, in the same range for the fourth month in a row. Year-over-year, core CPI accelerated again (+5.6%), after decelerating since September.
• Overall CPI (CPI-U): +0.1% month-to-month, +5.0% year-over-year.

Core CPI – without the volatile food and energy products that consumer buy – jumped by 5.6% year-over-year, hotter than the 5.5% increase in the prior month, and the first year-over-year increase since September: Month-over-month, core CPI jumped by 0.4%, driven by raging inflation in services, and now suddenly by a jump in durable goods inflation. To see the trends amid these big monthly ups and downs, here is the three-month moving average of core CPI. The CPI for services inflation without energy services jumped by 7.1% from a year ago, after the 7.3% jump in February. This was the fourth month in a row at 7%-plus, the highest range since 1982. Nearly two-thirds of consumer spending goes into services. Month-to-month, services inflation without energy services jumped by 0.4% in March, down from the 0.6% jump in February. Month-to-month moves are volatile. The trends show up better in the three-month moving average of the month-to-month changes, and you can see that it has slowed in recent months just a tiny bit from last summer and remains at about double the rate before the pandemic:

Industrial Production Increased 0.4% in March - From the Fed: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization Industrial production rose 0.4 percent in March and was little changed in the first quarter, increasing at an annual rate of 0.2 percent. In March, manufacturing and mining output each fell 0.5 percent. The index for utilities jumped 8.4 percent, as the return to more seasonal weather after a mild February boosted the demand for heating. At 103.0 percent of its 2017 average, total industrial production in March was 0.5 percent above its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization moved up to 79.8 percent in March, a rate that is 0.1 percentage point above its long-run (1972–2022) average. This graph shows Capacity Utilization. This series is up from the record low set in April 2020, and above the level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic). Capacity utilization at 79.8% is 0.1% above the average from 1972 to 2022. This was above consensus expectations. The second graph shows industrial production since 1967. Industrial production was increased in March to 103.0. This is above the pre-pandemic level. Industrial production was above consensus expectations and previous months were revised up.

Colorado bill would help farmers seek affordable, independent equipment repairs - A first-of-its-kind bill that would grant farmers access to affordable equipment repairs passed in Colorado’s State Legislature on Tuesday and will now head to the governor’s desk. If signed by Gov. Jared Polis (D) into law, the Consumer Right to Repair Agricultural Equipment Act, HB23-1011, would require manufacturers to provide parts, embedded software, firmware, tools and other documentation to independent repair providers and farm equipment owners. These capabilities, according to the bill’s text, would allow repair facilities and owners to conduct diagnostic, maintenance and restoration services. “For farmers, simply getting access to all the tools needed to fix their tractors has been a tough row to hoe,” Kevin O’Reilly, director of the Right to Repair Campaign at the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, said in a statement. “That makes this historic victory sweeter than summer corn,” added O’Reilly, whose campaign was involved with drafting the bill’s text. The bipartisan legislation would take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2024, and would fold agricultural equipment into existing consumer right-to-repair statutes, per the bill. While a manufacturer’s failure to comply with the requirements would be considered “deceptive trade practice,” the bill stresses that they “need not divulge any trade secrets to independent repair providers and owners.”

Ports Of Los Angeles And Long Beach Close Due To Widespread Worker Shortages During Contract Talks - The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have closed due to widespread worker shortages apparently linked to ongoing contract talks, ABC7 news reported.. Unions representing workers at the two ports are in talks for a new contract. The ILWU Local 13 withheld workers from their shifts starting Thursday evening, according to the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping employers on the West Coast. "The action by the Union has effectively shut down the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach - the largest gateway for maritime trade in the United States," the PMA said. The union, however, released a statement making no mention of any formal work action. The organization said Thursday several thousand members were in attendance at the organization's regular monthly meeting, at which a new president was sworn in. It said on Friday many members were observing religious holidays with their families. "On Friday, April 7, 2023, union members who observe religious holidays took the opportunity to celebrate with their families," read a statement from ILWU. "Cargo operations are ongoing as longshore workers at the Ports remain on the job." Port officials and shippers, however, believe the absences are a deliberate, if unspoken, message from the union to put pressure on the talks. The union has been working without a new contract since July. The closures come as cargo volumes have already dropped from peak levels a year ago.

Southern California dockworkers, working without a contract, shut down ports for 24 hours - The West Coast ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reopened Friday evening after a 24-hour work stoppage shut down nearly all operations. Four of the six terminals at the Port of Long Beach were closed as a result of the stoppage, as were all seven containers at the Port of Los Angeles. Transnational shipping line A.P. Moeller-Maersk reported that on Thursday night every terminal in the harbor canceled vessel, yard, rail and gate operations. More than 20,000 dockworkers on the West Coast have been working without a contract since last summer. They have been kept on the job by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which signed a “no stoppages” pledge with the port operators and has subjected workers to radio silence on the progress of talks. A statement released Friday by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) industry group declared: “The largest ILWU local on the West Coast has taken action to withhold labor at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, resulting in widespread worker shortages.” While laying the blame for the stoppages on the ILWU union, the statement also notes, “The workers who did show up (for their assigned shifts during the stoppage) were released because there was not a full complement of ILWU members to operate the terminals.” Limited operations are common during the Easter Holiday weekend, but not to the level of last week’s stoppage. Responding to the PMA’s claims, ILWU local 13 released a statement which read: “Longshore workers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (Ports) are still hard at work and remain committed to moving the nation’s cargo.” The union claimed that the work stoppage was simply the result of workers attending a monthly membership meeting Thursday night with other workers taking the opportunity to observe the Good Friday holiday on Friday. Local 13’s Thursday night meeting saw outgoing local president Ramon Ponce de Leon swear in incoming President Gary Herrera. Although the union claimed that several thousand workers were in attendance, if such a meeting is held that would disrupt operations, sufficient advanced notice is normally provided to terminals. Ian Weiland, chief operating officer at Junction Collaborative Transports, wrote in a Linkedin post that terminals normally give truckers far more notice of closures in advance. On this occasion, truck drivers were only given a few hours’ notice.Weiland noted that although the ports officially reopened on Friday evening, the disruption may in fact last longer. “If your container was scheduled to be pulled last night, today, or over the weekend,” he said, “expect delays in pulling the container. If your empty has not yet returned, expect delayed returns and unfortunately additional charges.” One other terminal, the Long Beach Container Terminal, reported that it would be closed on Easter Sunday as well.

Bar Owners Say Customers Have Stopped Ordering Bud Light After Transgender Ad Campaign - The backlash against Bud Light has intensified following a controversial ad campaign featuring transgender 'influencer' Dylan Mulvaney drinking transgender-themed beer in a bathtub.According to John Ruch, country music singer and owner of the Redneck Riviera bar in Nashville, TN, Bud Light used to be their most popular beer."The customers decide. Customers are king," he told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday. "I own a bar in downtown Nashville called Redneck Riviera. Our number-one selling beer up until a few days ago was what? Bud Light. We got cases and cases and cases of it sitting back there. But in the past several days, you’re hard-pressed to find anyone ordering one. So as a business owner, I go, hey if you aren’t ordering it, we got to put something else in here. At the end of the day, that’s capitalism. That’s how it works."According to Rich, fans are finding it "hard to stay loyal" to now-woke brands, and are instead voting with their wallets."And there are tons of up-and-coming American brands that people are flooding to right now," he said.In one video, a beer merchandiser said of the situation; "I've never seen such little sales as in the past few days... I can't feed my family."At Braintree Brewhouse in Massachusetts, Bud Light normally outsells rivals Miller Lite and Coors Light by 25:1, according to owner Alex Kesaris, who said that this week, 80% of Bud Light drinkers ordered something else, while the 20% who did order it "weren’t on social media and hadn’t heard yet," regarding the transgender ad campaign.

Washington, DC law enforcement releases videos showing police killing of 17-year old in a moving vehicle - On the morning of March 18, USPP and MPD officers responded to a report about an alleged stolen vehicle. An MPD officer found a white vehicle parked with Martin inside, “asleep,” according to a statement from the Park Police and called for backup. The vehicle’s “ignition was punched,” the statement continued. Upon arriving in the River Terrace neighborhood, near the Anacostia River, officers from MPD and USPP can be seen in the body camera footage discussing how to approach the situation so as to avoid a police chase. MPD policy forbids officers from blocking a car’s path during a pursuit, to help minimize collateral damage to nearby property. In addition to being trained not to block in vehicles during a pursuit, D.C. police are also trained not to enter vehicles. But that is not what happened. Instead, officers from both agencies approached the vehicle. Martin was sleeping in the driver’s seat. One of the MPD officers opened a door on the passenger side of the vehicle. Two Park Police officers hopped in the back seat on both sides shouting, “Police, don’t move! Don’t move! Don’t move!” At the same time, they started choking Martin from behind. Martin awoke to the officers strangling him while trying to pull him out of the vehicle. Panicked, he drove off. One of the Park Police officers, on Martin’s side of the car, fell out onto the roadway. The other officer, in the rear passenger-side seat, screamed, “Stop! Stop, or I’ll shoot!” Then, the officer fired multiple rounds of his gun at Martin at what amounted to point blank range. The vehicle stopped after crashing into a building. A medical examiner found six of the officers’ shots hit Martin. The teen died instantly at the scene. Police used the discovery of a gun inside the vehicle to malign Martin’s character and intent in the wake of the incident. Investigation officials, however, revealed they do not know the circumstances surrounding the weapon, such as whether it belonged to Martin or had been in the car without his knowledge. On Wednesday, Martin’s family held a press conference in which his mother, Terra Martin, repeated her calls for the names of the officers involved to be made public, and for them to be charged with first-degree murder.

Farmington, New Mexico man fatally shot by police who went to wrong address - Police officers in Farmington, a city of 46,000 in New Mexico’s northwestern Four Corners region, shot and killed a resident on the night of April 5 while on a domestic violence call. The officers had gone to the wrong address and shot an innocent man. At about 11:30 p.m., the Farmington Police Department (FPD) officers had been dispatched to 5308 Valley View Avenue but instead went across the street to 5305. After reportedly knocking on the front door and announcing themselves, they requested dispatch to call the reporting party and have them come to the front door. The homeowner, 52-year-old Robert Dotson, came to the front door holding a handgun. In what FPD Chief Steve Hebbe called “a chaotic scene,” at least three cops opened fire and struck Dotson, who died at the scene. Dotson’s wife, who also had a handgun, fired at the police but neither she nor any of the officers were hit. FPD officers responded with more shots, but according to a New Mexico State Police statement, “Once she realized that the individuals outside the residence were officers, she put the gun down and complied with the officer’s commands.” The statement did not identify the officers, and in fact, it is unclear how many officers were at the scene of the killing. Hebbe did say that two of the officers have been with the FPD for five years and the third for nine months. Of the three, one has been in a previous officer-involved shooting. The officers have been put on administrative leave pending a New Mexico State Police investigation. Release of body camera footage will have to wait until after all the officers have been interviewed, a process that will not begin until April 10. An FPD spokesperson did not say how the address mix-up occurred.

Man with schizophrenia was left naked in jail cell for weeks before death, video shows - New surveillance video from inside an Indiana jail shows how a 29-year-old man who died in the summer of 2021 from dehydration and malnutrition was left naked in solitary confinement for three weeks with no medical attention. The footage was released on Wednesday by the family of Joshua McLemore as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit against Jackson county, Indiana. The suit accuses the local sheriff, jail commander and medical staff of causing McLemore’s death through deliberate indifference, neglect and unconstitutional jail conditions while he was in a state of psychosis. Disturbing videos, some of which were reviewed by the Guardian, show McLemore as he was left in a small, windowless cell for 20 days straight in Jackson county jail in July and August of 2021. The cell had no bed or bathroom and had fluorescent lights on at all hours. In the footage, McLemore, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, appears detached from reality, speaking gibberish, rolling in filth and his own waste and becoming clearly emaciated. He received daily meals through a small slot in his jail door, but appears to have rarely eaten them. He had extended human interactions on only four occasions – when guards used intense force and restraint devices to drag him out to clean the cell or give him a shower. McLemore ultimately lost 45lbs during his stay, but never saw a doctor or mental health professional, the suit says. The videos renew scrutiny of the Jackson county sheriff’s department, which faced outrage over the 2021 jail death of Ta’Neasha Chappell. Footage showed guards ignoring Chappell’s cries for medical attention for hours on end, including reports she was vomiting blood. Chappell died shortly after she was taken to the hospital. Prosecutors declined to file charges in her death. McLemore, who grew up in Mississippi, long struggled with mental illness and drug use and had repeatedly received in-patient psychiatric treatment, the suit filed by his family says. He was living in Seymour, Indiana, on 20 July 2021 when his mother, concerned he wasn’t responding to her calls, had his apartment manager check on him. McLemore was found naked on his floor and incoherent, leading building staff to call an ambulance. At the hospital, McLemore was disoriented and in a state of psychosis, and acknowledged he’d used meth, according to the complaint. When a nurse found him on the floor and tapped him, he pulled her hair, leading a guard to order him to his bed. He complied without incident. The guard called Seymour police, which sent four officers to arrest McLemore, placing him in shackles and carrying him out of the hospital in his underwear. At the jail, staff skipped the booking process, conducted no medical evaluation and placed him directly in “Padded Cell 7,” which was empty with nothing to sit on and no way to know whether it was day or night, the McLemore family’s lawyers say. Officers struggled to put him in a smock and gave up trying to clothe him. Eventually they removed his underwear, leaving him with only a thin blanket and the smock on the floor nearby, according to the complaint. McLemore appeared severely disoriented, asking himself, “Where am I?,” video shows. McLemore’s cell was connected to a bathroom, but jailers kept it locked and it was unclear if McLemore was aware it was there as he relieved himself in the cell. McLemore’s death shines a harsh light on the crisis of medical neglect and mental illness behind bars in America, where more than 400,000 people sit in jails pre-trial without being convicted.

Florida Republican apologizes after calling transgender people ‘mutants' - — A Florida Republican apologized Monday after he called transgender people “demons” and “mutants” during a hearing on a bill that would make it a misdemeanor offense for someone to use a bathroom that doesn’t align with the sex they were assigned at birth.The comments by state Rep. Webster Barnaby (R-Deltona) were prompted by testimony from LGBTQ advocates and transgender people opposing the measure, one of several “bathroom bills” that are gaining traction in conservative-leaning states. Critics say the bill will be a “tool of harassment” while Republican lawmakers contend their intent is to protect children.“We have people that live among us today on planet earth that are happy to display themselves as if they were mutants from another planet,” Barnaby said during Monday’s hearing in the House Commerce Committee. “This is the planet earth, where God created men male and women female.”Named the “Safety in Private Spaces Act,” Republican leaders in Florida are moving on the legislation that would require people to use restrooms and changing facilities according to their sex assigned at birth at places like schools and restaurants.After several speakers, some identifying as transgender, spoke out against the bill during public comment, Barnaby sounded off about the “evil, dysphoria, disfunction” he said is gripping society. His remarks embody the tense debate that has followed the culture war bills being pushed by Florida Republicans this year focused on how gender identity and sexual identity intersect with parental rights and education.“The lord rebuke you, Satan, and all of your demons and all of your imps who come parade before us,” Barnaby said. “That’s right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world.”Barnaby, 63, who identifies as Christian, was originally born in Birmingham, England and moved to Florida in 1991. He was elected to the House in 2020.

Convicted murderer Abbott wants to pardon shared racist content before shooting BLM protester - Newly revealed documents now show that Daniel Perry, who was convicted this month of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester, regularly shared racist content in private and public messages. Perry, 37, shot and killed Garrett Foster, 28, an Air Force veteran, at point-blank range after a brief confrontation at a downtown Austin protest in July 2020. Perry claimed that he feared for his life as Foster was legally carrying an AK-47, though eyewitnesses disputed Perry’s claims that Foster pointed his weapon at him.Perry has not yet been sentenced and may face life in prison.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has said that he wants to pardon Perry, who he believes was acting in accordance with “Stand Your Ground” laws. The recently revealed messages show that Perry had talked about killing protesters before. In a 2020 Facebook post, he likened Black Lives Matter protesters to monkeys.

Florida to allow death penalty with 8-4 jury vote instead of unanimously -- (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign a bill on Friday allowing juries to recommend the death penalty in capital cases on an 8-4 vote, a move spurred by the less-than-unanimous vote that led to the Parkland school shooter being sentenced to life in prison. The state's Republican-led House of Representatives approved the measure with an 80-30 vote on Thursday, following the Republican-controlled state Senate's approval in March. If the Republican governor signs the bill into law, Florida prosecutors trying capital felony cases would need to convince only two-thirds of the 12-member jury that someone who is convicted deserves the death penalty, rather than a unanimous decision by a jury. The change only affects the penalty phase of capital trials. It would have no effect on the requirement for a jury's unanimous vote to convict a defendant. DeSantis has pushed for the legislation since October when he said he was "very disappointed" after a jury could not come to a unanimous decision on giving a death sentence to Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018.

Kids' screen use rose amid COVID school closures, then fell but stayed elevated - Canadian researchers find that children's average weekday screen time rose an average of 1.35 hours during the first COVID-19 wave but then dropped during the second and third waves—although it remained higher than prepandemic levels. For the study, researchers in Quebec, Alberta, and Ontario modeled mother-reported All Our Families survey results on children's screen time from 2018 and reports from mothers and children from the first three pandemic waves in spring 2020, winter 2021, and fall 2021.Screen time was defined as the recreational use of a smart phone, tablet, or gaming or computer device outside of schoolwork on weekdays and weekends. Canadian schools were closed only during wave 1.Participants included 2,123 mothers and 1,288 children with an average age of 7.9, 9.7, 10.4, and 11.1 years prepandemic and during waves 1, 2, and 3, respectively. According to mothers, children used screens for 1.35 more hours on weekdays during the pandemic wave 1 than before. During wave 2, mothers and children reported fewer average hours of screen time than during wave 1, with mothers reporting a larger drop than children (-1.06 vs -0.55 hours). Screen use didn't differ significantly between waves 2 and 3 but remained higher than prepandemic.Weekend daily screen time didn't change significantly among waves, but the rise reported by both mothers and children, when averaged, was significant (0.14 and 0.18, respectively). Relative to weekdays, weekend screen time didn't differ significantly from prepandemic to the first wave, and reports didn't differ significantly between mothers and children.The researchers noted that screen-time reports differed significantly between mothers and children once schools reopened. "If children are the best informants of their screen time, as they often are for their mental health, mothers may have underestimated daily weekday screen time or schools may have allowed more screen time when in-person learning resumed," they wrote.

Texas Senate Passes Bills Banning Child Gender Modification And Drag Shows For Kids - The Republican-controlled Texas Senate passed key bills to ban medical gender modification for children and outlaw drag queen performances in front of minors, including Drag Queen Story Hour. SB 12 and SB 14 were part of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priorities for the 88th Legislative session. Patrick holds one of the most powerful positions in Texas as head of the Senate.The bills passed on April 4 will now head to the House, where they will go to a committee.The legislation is part of a nationwide push by conservatives to give power back to parents and protect children from sexualization.Those on the left say allowing children to switch genders helps them mentally and drag performances are art that is protected by the First Amendment.SB 14, sponsored by Sen. Donna Campbell (R), who is a medical doctor, would end gender modification in Texas. It passed the Senate after a contentious amendment was stripped.The amendment would have grandfathered non-surgical gender modification for children who started treatment 90 days before the bill would become law.SB 14 prohibits health care providers from performing sex change surgeries or prescribing puberty blockers to minors unless medically necessary.Doctors would lose their medical licenses should they break the law under the bill.Additionally, SB 14 prohibits public money from being used or distributed to providers, medical schools, hospitals, or physicians who provide these surgeries or drugs.SB 12, which would ban drag shows in front of children, was sponsored by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R) and his companion bill SB 1601 would halt Drag Queen Story Hours by defunding municipal libraries that host them.SB 12 would ban male performers exhibiting as a female, or female performers exhibiting as a male who use “clothing, makeup, or other similar physical markers and who sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise, performs before an audience,” appealing to prurient sexual interests.

US students walk out of classrooms nationwide protesting gun violence - Last Wednesday thousands of students across the US walked out of classrooms to demand an end to school shootings and gun violence. The walkouts took place just over one week after the March 27 massacre of three nine-year-old school children and three education workers at The Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee. The recent Covenant school shooting last month is just one of at least 146 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). The data show at least 464 children ages 0-17 have been shot to death in all gun violence incidents so far this year—nearly five a day—with over 1,100 injured. The GVA also recorded a staggering 6,154 children shot and killed in 2022. On Monday, six people were killed and nine injured in a shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. The string of mass shootings this year includes an ongoing wave of school shootings in the US. According to data compiled by EdWeek, there have been 14 school shootings that have resulted in injury or death in 2023 thus far. Ten people have been killed and 24 injured. EdWeek also notes a staggering 51 school shootings which took place last year that killed 40 people—32 students and 8 staff—injuring 100 others. From the east to west coast, over 300 schools in 42 states and Washington D.C. participated in last Wednesday's school walkouts, according to a statement by Students Demand Action, the organization that coordinated the walkouts. Significant participation in Wednesday’s school walkouts included university level, high school, as well as elementary school students as young as five years old. Among the hundreds of students across Texas who walked out were high school students in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD), where nearly one year ago 19 children and two teachers were shot to death at Robb Elementary School. A group of about 50 students from Uvalde High School participated in the walkout, some of whom had relatives killed in the Uvalde massacre. In a local media video posted on Twitter, one student said, “We should not be worried about being in our schools where we would be shot... I should not have to be an unidentifiable body in a casket only recognized by something on my shoes!”

Mother of 6-year-old who shot teacher indicted by grand jury (AP) — A grand jury in Virginia has indicted the mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher on charges of child neglect and failing to secure her handgun in the family’s home, a prosecutor said Monday.A grand jury sitting in Newport News charged the boy’s 25-year-old mother with felony child neglect and a misdemeanor charge of endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm, Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said in a news release.The Associated Press isn’t naming the mother to shield the identity of her son.The boy shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner on Jan. 6 inside her classroom at Richneck Elementary School. Police said the boy’s mother legally purchased the gun. Her attorney, James Ellenson, has said the gun was secured on a top shelf in her closet and had a trigger lock. Ellenson said Monday that his client plans to turn herself in later this week. He did not comment on the indictments, which were first reported by the Daily Press.The decision to charge the boy’s mother is the latest development to cascade from the shooting in this shipbuilding city of about 185,000 people near the Chesapeake Bay.“Every criminal case is unique in its facts, and these facts support these charges, but our investigation into the shooting continues,” Gwynn said.

Attorney: Mom of Virginia boy who shot teacher was depressed (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old Virginia boy who shot and wounded his teacher had a series of miscarriages and post-partum depression in the year before the shooting, her attorney said Friday, after she was arraigned on charges of child neglect and failing to secure the handgun her son used in the shooting. Police say the boy fired a single shot at his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, on Jan. 6, striking her in the left hand and chest. She spent two weeks in the hospital and has had four surgeries since the shooting. The Associated Press is not identifying the mother to shield the identity of her son. A grand jury indicted the mother this week, and she was released on a $5,000 bond after turning herself in Thursday. The 25-year-old woman appeared somber and stood with her hands clasped behind her back as the two charges against her were read in Newport News Circuit Court. She did not speak except to say “no, sir” in response to a question from the judge. After the hearing, she quickly walked away from a scrum of reporters and TV cameras without commenting.

Where's The Manifesto? -My home city of Nashville has been in a virtual non-stop uproar since the tragic murders of six people, three of them 9-year-old children, at The Covenant School on March 27. This has been ineffably sad for the family and friends of the victims, who are victims themselves, their grief often overwhelmed in a city, indeed a country, now so politicized that our common humanity seems some distant memory from a long ago Jimmy Stewart movie one sees only at Christmas.Lost too in all this is any sense of what really happened that Monday or why it happened.Distraction reigns.The last few days have been arguably the mother of all distractions when, as reported here at The Epoch Times and virtually everywhere, riots or protests (depending on how you see them) broke out in front and within the Tennessee State Assembly.The rioters/protestors were largely high school students, bent on gun control, instigated, at least in part, by three members of the assembly, two of whom have now been expelled for their behavior.Unfortunately for the local GOP and Republicans everywhere, the two expelled, deservedly or not, happened to be black, naturally providing a propaganda opportunity for our resident White House “civil rights activist” and ally of former Sen. Robert Byrd (D-N.C.) who once informed us “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”Meanwhile, the tragic murders are being used inevitably as a battering ram for gun control that has never been shown to work and for red flag laws that can work, but not in the way intended.Which brings me to the missing “manifesto.”In the immediate aftermath of the murders the police informed us the obviously emotionally disturbed shooter was transgendered, something that was ratified by the video of the killings at the Christian school showing the female-by-birth Audrey Hale dressed entirely like a macho terrorist.Further, they told us she had left behind documents and a manifesto, explaining her actions.Then, as if by magic, we heard no more of the word transgendered in any of its forms, from the media or anywhere, nor, almost simultaneously, anything of the manifesto, except that it had been handed to the FBI for review.Regarding the media, it isn’t just CBS, widely known to have decreed the word “transgender” should be omitted in coverage of the crime but almost all of the MSM. NPR, recently labeled “state-affiliated” on Twitter, does not mention the word in its recent update on the crime, nor does it apply a pronoun of any sort—male, female, or “they”—when referring to the shooter. This must be a new form of asexual reporting. As for the FBI, no word so far on when they will release the manifesto, in original or redacted form. Sound familiar?

North Dakota governor signs bans on trans athletes - — North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum on Tuesday evening signed two transgender athlete bans into law, effectively prohibiting transgender girls and women from joining female sports teams in K-12 and college. Lawmakers in the House and Senate passed the bills with veto-proof majorities this year. If the governor had vetoed the bills or refused to sign them, the bills likely would’ve still become law. At least 19 other states have imposed restrictions on transgender athletes. Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have drafted hundreds of laws this year to push back on LGBTQ+ freedoms, especially targeting transgender people’s everyday lives — including sports, health care, bathrooms, workplaces and schools. The Biden administration this month proposed a rule, which still faces a lengthy approval process, to forbid outright bans on transgender athletes. In 2021, Burgum vetoed a nearly identical bill that would have banned transgender girls from playing on girls’ teams in public schools. Lawmakers didn’t have enough votes that year to override the veto. This year, lawmakers wrote new legislation to replicate and expand that bill — including at the college level. Those bills are now law.

Court conclusively denies injunction against University of Michigan graduate student strike - At a second court hearing Monday, Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Carol Kuhnke conclusively denied an injunction request that had been filed by the University of Michigan (U-M) in an attempt to stop the strike by 1,300 graduate students. The open-ended strike—which began on March 29 and centers on critical demands for a living wage, better health care and safer working conditions—will now continue. Significantly, the injunction ruling came on the same the day that over 9,000 faculty and graduate student workers initiated a powerful joint strike at Rutgers University, in response to the same social crisis and austerity that U-M grad students are struggling against. In addition, on Tuesday faculty and staff at Governor’s State University will begin strike action, the third strike among academic workers now taking place in Illinois. While rank-and-file U-M graduate students have shown important courage in defying aggressive threats and strike-breaking maneuvers by the university, as well as daily attacks in the bourgeois press, they face urgent political challenges—above all, from their own union leadership. Despite the ruling, there are several indications that the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) union leaders, under the guidance of their parent union, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), are preparing to walk back their core demands and shut the strike down as swiftly as possible. Immediately after the ruling, the GEO leadership was extremely conciliatory despite the courtroom victory. GEO President Jared Eno told the press, “We’ve really lacked a problem-solving relationship with the university at the bargaining table,” adding, “I hope that changes because we have a shared interest with the university and making this campus a better place.” Prior to the ruling, at an all-membership meeting last Wednesday, the GEO leadership indicated it would offer a second “supposal” contract at bargaining sessions which would be much more open-ended and unclear on the issue of the wage increase demand. Instead of a 60 percent increase to wages during the eight-month academic year—bringing grad students’ poverty-level salary of $24,000 up to $38,000—they would now try for a 7 percent increase with a “summer bonus.”

Governor’s State University faculty and staff the latest US college workers to launch strike action -- Faculty and staff at Governor’s State University in suburban Chicago will begin a strike today which will last at least until the next bargaining session between the union and university administration on April 12. Staff and faculty, members of the University Professionals of Illinois union (UPI), are striking to protest abysmally low pay and increasing workloads. GSU staff and faculty join UPI members on strike at Chicago State University and Eastern Illinois University. School workers have launched strike action at other major campuses throughout the country, including at the University of Michigan and Rutgers.The WSWS spoke with Amy, an instructor at Governor’s State University where staff and faculty go on strike today. Although Amy’s position is not part of the UPI, she expressed solidarity with the striking faculty and staff and shares many of the same conditions.“I’ve worked in higher education for 20 years. In Illinois, the working conditions have gotten worse over the past 12 years. There are fewer support staff at universities and those responsibilities are shifted to faculty. For example, the faculty and instructors where I currently teach at Governor’s State University have to fill out travel forms on their own if they need to travel for any part of their work. The forms get more difficult, and it cuts into instruction time. I’ve had to order books myself as an instructor.“I know these things happen everywhere. It’s the same for Chicago State and Eastern Illinois. Faculty are taking on advising. Most students at colleges like Governor’s State University, Eastern Illinois University and Chicago State University have credits from elsewhere and the faculty must do all the research to know if the credits can be transferred, and it takes away all their teaching time. We’re also sometimes being asked to be accountable for if the students will be able to pay back their loans or not, when that should be none of our business.“At these schools, there are a few faculty that are making close to $100,000 and when they’re included in the average, it skews the salary. I know there are some salaries that are five times higher than everyone else. They should correctly measure the outliers for salaries and determine what most are making.

9,000 academic workers begin powerful joint strike at Rutgers University - More than 9,000 academic workers at Rutgers University went on strike Monday morning, marking the latest in a wave of academic workers’ struggles across the country. Workers at Rutgers, as elsewhere around the nation, are battling against low pay and lack of job security. The strike at Rutgers is the first on the campus since its founding in 1766, before the American Revolution. Three of 12 unions representing different sections of workers at Rutgers are directly involved in the work stoppage, covering full-time faculty, part-time adjuncts, and graduate student workers in the American Association of University Professors-American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT), with the latter comprising the largest share of the 9,000 workers on strike. The walkout at Rutgers coincides with the strike of 1,300 graduate students at the University of Michigan, who are continuing their walkout Tuesday following a court ruling denying the university’s request for an injunction to shut down the strike. In addition, academic workers at three Chicago-area colleges are now also on strike. The current walkouts build on a surge of academic workers’ struggles in recent years, including the 50,000-strong strike in the University of California system last semester and walkouts at Columbia, New York University, the New School, Temple, and Eastern Michigan University, to name a few. The logic of these struggles is towards unified action across campus and state lines, but this requires the building of rank-and-file committees to assert the independent interests of the workers themselves. The role of the union bureaucracies is to subordinate workers to the Democratic Party and American imperialism, a process already on display in the strike at Rutgers, which was only called due to enormous pressure from the rank and file. Striking academic workers and supporters at Rutgers University, Tuesday, April 10. [Photo: WSWS] In response to the powerful demonstration of strength by workers at Rutgers, which shut down classes and research across the three campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy immediately pressed for an end to the strike. On Monday, Murphy issued a statement calling for “the University and union bargaining committees to meet in my office tomorrow to have a productive dialogue.” The threat of injunction hangs over the strike, with the university pledging to hold off on pursuing a court-ordered return to work until negotiations overseen by the governor conclude.

Rutgers University Faculty Members Strike, Halting Classes and Research -- Three unions representing an estimated 9,000 full- and part-time faculty members at Rutgers University went on strike on Monday for the first time in the school’s 257-year history, bringing classes and research at New Jersey’s flagship public university to a halt. The strike, which will affect roughly 67,000 students across the state, comes after nearly a year of unsuccessful bargaining between union representatives and university officials. The unions said on Sunday that the two sides remained far apart on several issues, including a pay increase and the rights of untenured adjunct faculty members and graduate workers. “We intend for this new contract to be transformative, especially for our lowest-paid and most vulnerable members,” Rebecca Givan, the president of one of the unions, Rutgers A.A.U.P.-A.F.T., which represents full-time faculty members, graduate workers, postdoctoral associates and counselors, said in a statement. Ms. Givan said union proposals that included a significant raise and the promise of job security for adjunct professors were “exactly the ones that the administration has resisted most.” As workers formed picket lines at Rutgers’s three main campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, representatives from the university and the unions met in Trenton, the state capital, where Gov. Phil Murphy had invited them to negotiate. “We feel hopeful about bargaining productively, and we appreciate the governor’s support,” Ms. Givan said in an interview. “We are committed to getting it done, and if necessary we are definitely prepared to stay here until we get it done.” Dory Devlin, a spokeswoman for the university, expressed similar optimism. She said Rutgers appreciated the governor’s leadership and that they were “hopeful that we can quickly come to a resolution of the remaining outstanding issues.” The university said on Sunday that it did not expect the strike to interfere with academics. The spring semester ends early next month.“Notwithstanding the action by the union leadership, the university is committed to ensuring that our more than 67,000 students are unaffected by the strike and may continue their academic progress,” the school said in a statement.“Our students’ ability to complete their coursework and earn their degrees is the university’s highest priority,” it added. “Every effort will be made to ensure that the strike does not affect our students’ progress toward graduation.”

Supreme Court refuses to stop $6 billion student loan debt settlement - The Supreme Court will not stop a legal settlement that would cancel more than $6 billion in student loan debt from students who say they were misled by their schools, mostly for-profit institutions. The settlement is the result of a class-action suit from nearly 200,000 borrowers against the Department of Education in 2019, which accused schools of boosting enrollment through misleading advertisements and exaggerating the quality of their education and future job prospects. After years of litigation, the settlement was reached last year, but three institutions appealed the agreement to the Supreme Court, saying their inclusion was a “scarlet letter” and severely damaged their reputations. A total of 151 institutions have students impacted by the settlement, and the three who challenged the suit — Lincoln Educational Services, American National University and Everglades College — have about 3,500 students eligible for loan relief. The decision is not related to a challenge to President Biden’s attempts to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for 40 million Americans. That case is expected to be decided by the court this summer. The lawsuit was filed by attorneys general in 20 conservative states. About 78,000 people have had their loans discharged so far, the Biden administration said in a court filing.

What are the chances Biden extends the student loan pause again? - President Biden faces a ticking timer on the resumption of student loan payments by the end of the summer — but will he allow it to go off? The payments, paused amid the coronavirus pandemic, are set to begin either 60 days after the Supreme Court makes a ruling on Biden’s student debt forgiveness program or 60 days after June 30, the White House has said. Biden had also previously said the payments would resume at the beginning of 2023, and that there would not be another extension of the pause, which began under then-President Trump in 2020. Although the White House won’t discuss the possibility of a Plan B if the high court strikes down Biden’s relief proposal, experts believe yet another extension of the loan payment pause is a possibility. “I definitely think this is on the table,” said Rebecca Natow, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Hofstra University and a higher education policy expert. Policy-wise, the move would put the Democratic president in line with student debt advocates and others in his party who are demanding an extension of the payment pause. “From a political standpoint, this is popular among a cross section of voting demographics, and that should always be a a consideration going into a presidential election year,” said Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist.

Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing persists at US children's hospitals --An analysis of quarterly surveys of 28 US children's hospitals found that inappropriate antibiotic prescribing remains common and varies by specialty, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.The point-prevalence surveys from the Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship (SHARPS) Collaborative, conducted from January 2019 to September 2020, collected data on all eligible antibiotic orders and asked antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) physicians and pharmacists to evaluate the appropriateness of those orders. The surveys also collected additional detail on orders deemed inappropriate, the patient's clinical service, and whether the patient's chart had a consultation note from an infectious disease (ID) physician. The primary outcome of the analysis was the percentage of inappropriate antibiotics.A total of 13,344 antibiotic orders were assessed for inappropriateness. Of these, 1,847 (13.8%) were considered inappropriate, and 17.5% of patients receiving antibiotics were prescribed one or more inappropriate antibiotic. Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and hospitalists contributed the most inappropriate orders (384 and 314, respectively), while surgical subspecialists had the highest percentage of inappropriate orders (22.5%).For PICUs and hospitalists, the most common reasons antibiotic orders were deemed inappropriate were that treatment for a bacterial infection was not indicated or the antibiotic spectrum was too broad. For surgical subspecialists, most inappropriate orders were tied to prolonged or unnecessary surgical prophylaxis. ID consultation in the previous 7 days was associated with fewer inappropriate orders (15% vs 10%; P < .001); this association was most pronounced for hospitalist, PICU, and surgical and medical subspecialty services.Although inappropriate use was not defined in the 2016-2017 SHARPS survey, the study authors estimate that 15.4% to 18.3% of orders in that survey would have been considered inappropriate under the current definition."This study specifically highlighted opportunities for improvement among surgical specialties with prolonged or unnecessary surgical prophylaxis and for the PICU and hospitalists with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and overtreatment of infections," they wrote. "ASPs should consider stratifying antibiotic use data by clinical services to further refine and target ASP guidelines and interventions."

Babies exposed to mild COVID-19 in womb show normal brain development | CIDRAP -The infants of mothers who had asymptomatic or mild COVID-19infections during pregnancy showed no neurodevelopment delays compared to peers with no exposures, according to new work from Columbia University researchers. The research is published in JAMA Network Open.The study builds on a previous assessment of babies born in New York City to mothers who were infected, conducted by the same research group. That small study also showed no significant brain delays in infants born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy.The current study was expanded to include 407 infants aged from 5 to 11 months old living in New York City, Salt Lake City, and Birmingham, Alabama. The telehealth assessments took place from March 2021 to June 2022.Almost one third (112) of the infants were exposed to COVID-19 in utero, but investigators were blinded to infection status at the time of the assessment. Of the 112 babies, 25% were exposed to an asymptomatic mother, and 74.5% were exposed to a symptomatic maternal infection.All maternal infections included in the study were mild, as none required hospitalization or oxygen supplementation.The average age of mothers during pregnancy was 32 years, and the vast majority of infants (90.2%) were born full term. Infants exposed to COVID-19 during pregnancy were more likely to be non-White, uninsured, and born to younger mothers.According to the authors, exposed infants had a lower proportion of White mothers (odds ratio [OR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.26-0.65) and a higher proportion of mothers who were of other or multiple races (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.16-4.25) or Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.84-4.68) compared with the unexposed group.All families in the study were given baby toys and foods and a set of instructions for the assessment, which looked at fine and gross motor skills, as well as cognitive and language skills via a telehealth visit. Each assessment took approximately 45 minutes over a computer screen.This was the first telehealth study to assess infant development and COVID-19. Though initially used as a way to limit exposures during the pandemic, the authors of the study said telehealth assessments allowed them to evaluate babies in their home environment, where they were likely to be more relaxed.The researchers found no significant differences in infants exposed to COVID-19 in utero and those with no exposure. Timing of exposure in any of the pregnancy trimesters also had no link to delays. Moreover, there were no differences among infants whose mothers had been infected with COVID shortly before pregnancy or those who had never been infected.

Life expectancy fell 4.6 years in New York City in 2020 - New York City life expectancy fell by a shocking and unprecedented 4.6 years, from 82.6 to 78, between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This data is part of the Annual Summary of Vital Statistics, released last Friday by the city’s Health Department. This figure is even higher than the fall in life expectancy in the hard-hit countries of Bolivia (3.4 years) and Peru (2.5 years) that saw devastating loss of life in the first year of the pandemic. New York City, the financial capital of the world, was an early epicenter of the COVID pandemic. In April and May of 2020, the city’s working class was especially hard hit by the virus. Poor and immigrant communities such as Elmhurst, Queens were devastated, with hospitals overflowing with patients and nurses reduced to wearing trash bags because of a shortage of personal protective equipment. The most advanced capitalist state in the world was revealed to be totally unprepared for the disaster, even though there had been ample warning months earlier. Then-president Donald Trump spewed his usual stupidities, but his Democratic rivals, like then-mayor Bill de Blasio, had little else to offer, and also downplayed the already known dangers posed by the virus. The Health Department releases a chart, titled “The Conquest of Pestilence in New York City,” which compares the death rate per 1,000 population over time since 1800. The chart illustrates the spikes in deaths due to communicable diseases such as smallpox, cholera and measles, which regularly took place in the 19th century, and then dropped rapidly with the development of vaccines and other advances in public health. The influenza epidemic of 1918 was accompanied by the last such sharp increase in death rate. Graph showing the death rate n New York City, beginning in 1800 through 2019. A large spike followed in 2020. [Photo: New York Health Department] That was 105 years ago. For the last century, the death rate has fallen and flattened out. It recently plateaued at the historically low level of about six per 1,000 population, compared to rates of 25 in the 19th century. But in 2020, sparked by the COVID pandemic, the rate jumped by 50 percent, to nine per 1,000. The health department calculated that COVID had killed 241.3 per 100,000 New Yorkers, higher than the 228.9 figure for the 1918 influenza pandemic, often referred to as the Spanish Flu. This number reflects the devastating impact of the latest pandemic, as well as the appalling state of public health in the richest city of the richest country in the world, with its notorious “Billionaire’s Row” of luxury high rises on West 57th Street in midtown Manhattan. The NYC health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, told the New York Times in an interview that he feared there would be no quick rise in life expectancy to levels from before the pandemic. He pointed to increases in deaths from other conditions, very likely due to neglect of medical care for diabetes and mental illness, among other conditions. Deaths from heart disease jumped almost 20 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. Deaths from drug overdoses jumped more than 42 percent. There does not appear to have been a significant improvement in the two succeeding years of the pandemic. However, in that year, COVID quickly became the number one killer of the city’s population. The health department data raise fundamental social and political questions. To call the decline in life expectancy unprecedented hardly begins to convey what it demonstrates about the current international economic and social crisis. The same mainstream news outlets that were screaming about the alleged torture and suffering of the Chinese people, because of temporary and targeted lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19 outbreaks, are now obliged to report the ruinous consequences of unchecked COVID-19 in the US.

Why Did Covid Daily Case Counts and Covid Wastewater Readings Diverge in March 2022? by Lambert Strether - I whine about the day’s ghastly connectivity problems in Water Cooler; the upshot is that since I must press Submit in the window of opportunity when my hotel’s ping rate drops to triple digits, this post is going to be short and sweet, with even more handwaving and wild speculation than usual. Perhaps that’s a good thing!This post is basically a cross between the Biobot biweekly chart that I publish in water cooler, which combines clinical case counts and wastewater data, and the helpful timeline (parts one,two, and three) put together by the Death Panel crew. (The whole series is worth a read, especially if you don’t put your fist through the screen, and the Death Panel podcast is great, and not really bleak at all.) Here is the central question posted by the Biobot chart, which I don’t recall raised by anyone else: Before March 2022, clinical case counts (aggregated by USA data from CDC state- and local-level public health agencies) and virus concentration in wastewater track each other pretty closely, as one would expect[1]. On or about March 16, they diverge. Curious! This post is an attempt to give a plausible account of why they did. First, I will lay the Death Panel timeline against the Biobot chart for the critical period. After that, since I have the Biobot chart top of mind, I’ll do a crude visualization of “the area under the curve,” which will show that Biden’s current “high plateau” is just as deadly as Biden’s Omicron peak. Legend: Black is dated Death Panel events; grey is from a useful DOD timeline. If we ask ourselves “what changed” before March 16, CDC’s change from transmission (“Red Map”) to so-called “community levels” (“Green Map”) leaps to the eye: Death Panel elaborates: Until the CDC changed their masking guidance, their transmission map, which is the visualization of how prevalent covid spread is and where masks should be recommended, was bright red, with nearly every US county filled in at “High” transmission. This is still the case, in fact: you can still see the old map if you try—it’s just no longer used to set federal public health guidance. Under the new guidelines, the map immediately turned a discomfiting [not at all] shade of pastel green. All of a sudden, masking wasn’t recommended by the CDC in 70% of the country. Recall that almost no states even had a mask mandate by this point. Before the CDC made this change, those states had been universally going against CDC guidance. The CDC basically changed its guidelines to say, “Yeah, sure, ok.” The CDC used to declare a county “High” covid risk—meaning masks should be worn there, appearing bright red on the map—if transmission was happening at a level of 100 cases per 100,000 people. Under the new metric, covid cases themselves do not even count toward the guideline determination until there are twice that amount of cases—200 cases per 100,000 people. In other words, under the new system you can have twice the rate of covid transmission that would previously have qualified as “High” risk level in the area where you live, and your area will still be counted as “Low.”…. We’ve all done a lot of whinging about CDC’s failures at scientific communication. But replacing the “Red Map” with the “Green Map” was a brilliant example of twisted genius.Red = stop. Green = go. Everybody consults CDC’s Green Map. Reporters, school administrators, college Deans, public health officials, town councils, everyone. It’s ubiquitous, and comes from a trusted source. But not only does the soothing pastel of the Green Map communicate that masking is not necessary, it communicates that Covid is no longer serious. I believe that the Green Map is responsible for a behavioral change after March 16, a change that drove the divergence. In order for clinical cases to be counted, a patient has to show up to be counted. But once the Green Map kicked in, people no longer showed up. They went to work, coughing. Or sent their kids to school, coughing. Or never tested after the superspreading wedding, or whatever. They powered through. They led their lives. So the clinical case count no longer reflected actual cases, at all. However, wastewater — for reasons I assume are obvious — did.So Walensky, the CDC, the public health establishment, and every single shill or flack that bought into or propagated their bullshit has a lot to answer for.

In-person school reopenings tied to modest rise in community COVID spread -- A study of US counties suggests that communities with schools that switched from remote to in-person instruction in fall 2020 had slightly higher COVID-19 case rates 4 to 8 weeks later than those that remained virtual. The research was published today in JAMA Network Open. A team led by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia researchers included 51 county matched pairs drawn from 229 counties with a single public school district and more than 100,000 residents. Counties with either full in-school or hybrid instruction had a median of 141,840 residents each, and remote-instruction counties had a median of 131,412 residents. The vast majority of schools were located in the southeastern United States. County schools resuming in-person instruction for grades six and higher were matched in a 1:1 ratio with those offering only remote learning from August 1 to October 31, 2020. The matches were based on geographic proximity, demographic factors, the resumption of district-level sports activity, and baseline county COVID-19 rates. The median weekly COVID-19 incidence in the week before school reopening was 122.3 cases per 100,000 county residents in in-person learning counties and 110.7 per 100,000 in virtual-instruction counties. On day 14 after reopening, the difference in COVID-19 rates between the two types of counties wasn't statistically significant (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 1.06), but the gap widened after 4 weeks. Forty-two days after reopening, the daily incidence per 100,000 residents in the in-person counties continued to rise relative to virtual counties (aIRR, 1.24), climbing to an aIRR of 1.31 at 56 days. The daily case rate per 100,000 residents in the in-person county schools was higher than that of virtual schools at 6 weeks (aIRR, 1.24) and 8 weeks (aIRR, 1.31). The elevated case rate was concentrated in county schools that provided fully in-person rather than hybrid instruction. The model-estimated daily COVID-19 rate assuming all counties had remote instruction was lower than under the scenario of all counties restarting in-school instruction, particularly later in the study period. Twenty-eight days after reopening, the median estimated daily COVID-19 rate was 13.3 per 100,000 residents if all counties had used remote instruction and 15.4 per 100,000 if all counties had been in person. Fifty-six days after reopening, the median estimated daily case count was 13.2 per 100,000 residents if all counties had been remote and 17.4 per 100,000 if all counties had been in person. A stratified analysis showed that differences were larger among matched pairs with counties that used full in-school instruction. Fifty-six days after in-school reopening, compared with fully remote schools, the daily COVID-19 rate was higher in the fully in-person counties (aIRR, 1.52) and in those using a hybrid model (aIRR, 1.23).

Study notes high rate of COVID-infected healthcare workers still caring for patients - Half of all healthcare workers (HCWs) with symptomatic COVID-19 continued to go to work, even if they were involved with direct patient care, according to the results of a study yesterday on presenteeism among HCWs inInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.Working while ill contributes to nosocomial transmission of respiratory viruses. Previous studies on HCWs with symptomatic influenza showed that a significant proportion—14% to 68%—still worked while sick.The new observational cohort study included all HCWs at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection from December 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021.All HCWs were required to perform a daily self-review of COVID-19 symptoms and to stay home or leave work if symptomatic, the authors said. During the study period, 327 HCWs tested positive for COVID-19, and 127 (49.8%) of 255 HCWs who had symptomatic infections reported presenteeism at the time of diagnosis.."Of the 127 HCWs with presenteeism, 66 (26% of 255 symptomatic HCW) worked at least part of a day and then returned to work for second and/or additional days with COVID-19 symptoms. HCWs with presenteeism did not differ significantly from those without presenteeism with respect to age, sex, race, vaccination status, or direct patient care," the authors wrote. HCWs cited a high workload burden for coworkers and personal responsibility as the main reasons for continuing to work while sick, compared to limits on paid leave or perceived expectations to work while sick.

COVID-19 hospitalizations up in 16 states 1 month out from end of PHE - Nearly one month out from the end of the public health emergency in the U.S., hospitalizations are on the rise in 16 different states, and a new omicron subvariant has been spotted in 18 states. Wyoming, Hawaii, Iowa, Vermont, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, West Virginia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Washington, New Hampshire, Alaska, Indiana, New Mexico and California have all seen increases in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 over the last 14 days, according to CDC data tracked by The New York Times. The Times' data shows, "the number of daily hospital admissions" or "how many patients tested positive for COVID in hospitals." The new subvariant, XBB. 1.16 — which health experts have said is more infectious than some previous versions — has been spotted in seven of the states that are seeing hospitalization spikes. The recent rise in hospitalizations "is a reminder of the ongoing circulation of COVID-19 in our community," Sarah Kemble, MD, epidemiologist at the Hawaii Department of Health, said in an April 5 press release noting the recent increases. However, at this time nationwide both overall cases and deaths appear to be down. The new omicron subvariant's spread is continuing to be monitored by the World Health Organization. It is not yet part of the CDC's variant proportion tracker, but cases are regularly being tracked in a public database created by Raj Rajnarayanan, PhD, an assistant dean of research and associate professor at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

XBB.1.16 picks up speed in US as WHO experts weigh COVID vaccine composition - The Omicron XBB.1.16 SARS-CoV-2 subvariant fueling India's surge is gaining traction in the United States, but so far the nation isn't seeing increases in cases, deaths, or hospitalizations, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its latest updates.At the global level, overall cases and deaths continued to drop over the past 4 weeks, but some regions and individual countries are seeing notable case rises, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly update.Also, the WHO vaccine advisory group that looked at the latest scientific evidence on vaccines and boosters said the bivalent (two-strain) versions appear to show broader immune response. The group said it will meet twice more this year to look at vaccine composition issues.XBB.1.16 now makes up 7.2% of US samples, up from 3.9% the previous week, the CDC said in its latestvariant projections. However, XBB.1.16 already makes up 21.3% of viruses in the south-central region of the country, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.Three other subvariants that still make up a relatively small proportion also gained ground: XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.9.2, and XBB.1.5.1. Nationally, the proportion of XBB.1.9.1 is at 6.5%, up from 5.1% the previous week.The CDC said the newer lineages could displace XBB.1.5. "At this time, the best ways to protect yourself and other from COVID-19 remain the same, regardless of which lineage causes infection."In its weekly data summary, the CDC said the United States is averaging 14,491 new cases a day, down 17.3% from its previous 7-day average for new daily cases. About 190 Americans die from COVID-19 each day, down 25.5% from the last 7-day average for new daily deaths. New daily hospitalizations for COVID declined 14.6% from the previous week. In other US developments:

• The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet on Apr 19, outside of its regularly scheduled meetings, to consider a potential recommendation for a second bivalent COVID booster, the agency confirmed to CBS News reporter Alexander Tin. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the next few weeks was expected to authorize second boosters for those at highest risk, including those 65 or older and people who have weakened immune systems.
• The White House has asked federal agencies to revise their workplace policies to substantially increase on-site work at headquarters offices, according to Reuters, which saw the memo from the Office of Management and Budget.

Health officials still urging people to get vaccines as National Emergency ends – WFMJ -- President Joe Biden signed a bill officially ending the national emergency for COVID-19. This comes as cases drop low and stay low across the nation including in Trumbull County. “We right now get between 5 and 10 cases reported a day. That's very low considering how high they had been in the past,” Sandy Swann, Director of Nursing for the Trumbull County Combined Health District said. "Our death data, we have really declined." In March of 2023 Trumbull County only reported one death due to Covid-19. Even though case numbers are low, and that national emergency has ended, health officials are still urging people to get their initial vaccine and a booster if they haven’t already. Trumbull County has seen 62% of all eligible people get at least one shot. Those eligible for the vaccine are anyone 6 Months and older. To reach herd immunity the county needs to reach 80% or higher. The Trumbull County Health District offers covid vaccines at its office on Tuesdays and Thursdays but haven't been seeing many people come in recently. The health officials are still encouraging people to follow mitigation strategies because, just like the flu, covid always has a chance to spread. “The virus tends to circulate at certain times of the year and people who are in crowded situations have a higher risk of being exposed to someone who may be infected with the disease,” Swann said about the flu. “This certainly could happen with covid.” For people who have already gotten their initial vaccine and a booster, the CDC is still deciding if more vaccines will be needed on an annual basis. Currently the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health "recommend that everyone ages 6 months and older receive one bivalent (or updated) COVID-19 booster. There is no recommendation for additional bivalent boosters at this time" a statement from ODH said.

Study reveals linguistic disparities in COVID vaccine uptake, outcomes -A study of more than 850,000 people in Minnesota and Wisconsin finds a link between a preference to speak a non-English language and limited English proficiency and delayed time to first COVID-19 vaccination and increased rates of SARS-CoV-2–related hospitalization and death among some language-preference groups. For the study, published yesterday in JAMA Network Open, a University of Minnesota–led research team studied COVID-19 vaccine uptake and disease outcomes among 851,410 adult patients of a large health system in Minnesota and western Wisconsin from December 2020 to March 2022. The COVID-19 primary-series rollout took place from January to May 2021 amid Alpha and Delta variant predominance, and October 2021 to March 2022 coincided with the booster vaccine rollout and Omicron.The median patient age was 29 years, 58.0% were women, 7.5% were born outside of the United States, 4.0% had a preference for a language other than English (LPOE), and 3.0% showed limited English proficiency (LEP) demonstrated by their need for an interpreter. The most common preferred non-English languages were Spanish (27.0%), Somali (19.3%), and Vietnamese (10.3%). The researchers noted that, according to the 2019 American Community Survey, of 65 million US residents who speak a non-English language at home, 39% report LEP.Delayed first-dose COVID-19 vaccine receipt was tied to LPOE (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83) and interpreter need (HR, 0.81)—or a 17% to 19% lower rate—relative to those who preferred and were proficient in English. By the end of the study, 19.3% of participants hadn't received their first vaccine dose. Of mRNA vaccine recipients, 94% completed the primary series by 42 days.LPOE patients were roughly twice as likely to be hospitalized (rate ratio [RR], 1.85) or die (RR, 2.13) from COVID-19. Patients with LEP had even higher rates of COVID-related hospitalization (RR, 1.98) and death (RR, 2.32).A comparative analysis that used White patients as the reference group showed delayed vaccine receipt among Black (HR 0.71), Hispanic (HR, 0.88), Native American (HR, 0.92), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (HR, 0.94), other race (HR, 0.90), and multiracial (HR, 0.97) participants.Asian cohort participants, however, were quicker to get vaccinated (HR, 1.22). Vaccination was lowest for Black patients (RR, 0.82) and highest for Asian patients (RR, 1.16). Hospitalization rates were higher in most racial groups than among White participants: 2.6 times higher for Black (RR, 2.65), 2.1 times higher for Hispanic (RR, 2.08), 2.2 times higher among Native American (RR, 2.19), and 2 times higher for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (RR, 1.99) participants.Similarly, COVID-related death rates were twice as high among Asian patients (RR, 1.98), Black (RR, 1.8), and Hispanic (RR, 1.82) patients, nearly three times higher for multiracial patients (RR, 2.76), and four times higher for Native Americans (RR, 4.01).Variation in delayed vaccination by language was observed for groups that would typically have been aggregated under racial and ethnic categories.For instance, Hmong (Asian category) had delayed vaccine receipt (HR, 0.89) but had caught up by the end of the study period (RR, 1.00). The delay, however, was tied to a higher rate of hospitalization (RR, 3.05) and death (RR, 5.48). On the other hand, more rapid vaccine uptake in some language groups wasn't associated with lower hospitalization and death rates.Pronounced delays in vaccine receipt, lower vaccination rate, and increased COVID-hospitalization and rates were also noted among Eastern European language speakers, Somali patients, and Spanish speakers.The authors said that unmet language needs are an important barrier to high-quality healthcare and health equity across racial groups. These groups, they added, are less likely to have a clinical home or to have received preventive care in the previous year.

Two thirds of nursing home residents, staff in England had COVID in first 2 years of pandemic - Two thirds of nursing home residents and staff in England were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the first 2 years of the pandemic, suggests an observational study to be presented at the April 15 to 18 European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark.University College London researchers used antibody blood testing to estimate the percentage of nursing home residents and employees who had COVID-19 from March 2020 to March 2022. Their data came from the ongoing VIVALDI study, which has been tracking infections and immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in English nursing homes since the pandemic began.Participants included 1,794 nursing home residents with an average age of 87 years and 3,385 workers with an average age of 47 years tested for antibodies at least once in 220 facilities.Despite making up less than 1% of the population in England, nursing home residents accounted for roughly a third of all COVID-related deaths over the study period, but the researchers noted that the true percentage of infections is unknown because polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing—the gold standard—was limited, meaning that most infections in the early months of the pandemic were not documented.During the study period, 998 residents and 1,782 staff tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at least once, suggesting previous infection. The rate of infection was significantly higher among residents, at 0.13 cases per 100 person-days, than among staff, at 0.11 per 100 person-days. The average time at risk in the whole group was 547 days (439 days for residents and 610 days for workers). The cumulative risk of infection in the entire group was 65%.U.S. natgas futures jump 8% on short covering (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures rose 8% on Monday as traders covered short positions following a slide to a one-week low in the last session, while analysts expect high price volatility in the near term. Front-month gas futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) rose 16.1 cents, or 8%, to settle at $2.172 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Gary Cunningham, director of market research at Tradition Energy, attributed the rebound in prices to traders covering their short positions, adding that elevated cooling demand into summer should be supportive for the market. "We don't expect to have the same summer heat that we had last year, but we certainly think there will be enough heat to support cooling demand and power sector demand for gas, which is well above normal." However, analysts said the market could see high volatility in the near term, given the lack of clear catalysts. "The market may get edgy as we transition into the summertime. Uncertainty is always a recipe for a price increase," said Zhen​ Zhu, managing consultant at C.H. Guernsey and Co in Oklahoma City. Prices declined more than 9% last week, which was the largest decline since early March, on milder weather and increased output. Refinitiv said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has risen to 100 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in April, up from 98.7 bcfd in March and compared with a monthly record of 100.4 bcfd in January. "In the U.S. gas markets, mild weather, lackluster industrial activity and concerns about a potential glut in LNG markets due to seasonally elevated storage in Europe have coincided amid relatively resilient supply and led to a sharp sell-off since the beginning of the year," Barclays said in a note. U.S. energy firms last week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for a second week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Thursday.

Widow of BBC presenter who died after Covid vaccine says ‘no alternative’ but to sue AstraZeneca - The widower of a BBC presenter who died after having the Covid vaccine has said he has been left with “no alternative” but to sue AstraZeneca.BBC Radio Newcastle’s Lisa Shaw had her first jab in May 2021 and died just a week later.In August of that year, Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks ruled the 44-year-old had died from a rare condition associated with the jab that induces swelling and bleeding on the brain, “vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia”.Her widower Gareth Eve said no one had “reached out” after he had attempted to “engage with the government, MPs and three prime ministers”.He told the BBC: “It’s not in my make-up to turn around and say I want to sue somebody but for almost two years we’ve tried to engage with the government and tried to engage with MPs since Lisa died and not one of them has reached out or engaged with us at all.“Any engagement is fleeting at best so that’s the reason that we’re left with no alternative – if the government or AstraZeneca don’t want to engage with us then what else are we supposed to do?” Mr Eve said he merely wanted “some sort of acknowledgement or recognition that these deaths have occurred”, adding: “We’re not crackpots or conspiracy theorists, we’re husbands and wives and family members who have lost somebody – that’s all it is. “Whatever the money, it’s not going to bring my son’s mam back.”The government ordered 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab and the vaccines were rolled out across the country. On behalf of almost 75 claimants, his lawyers sent AstraZeneca pre-action protocol letters in November under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. They are demanding payment under a government Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme. A few of these claimants have had loved ones who had injuries linked to the vaccine, which led to death in some cases.

Switzerland Stops Recommending COVID-19 Vaccination - Swiss authorities have stopped recommending COVID-19 vaccination, including for people who are designated at high risk from COVID-19. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health now says that “no COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for spring/summer 2023.” People designated high risk are also not recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccine, authorities said. They attributed the change to the number of citizens who have received a vaccine, recovered from COVID-19, or both received a vaccine and enjoy natural immunity from post-recovery protection. “Nearly everyone in Switzerland has been vaccinated and/or contracted and recovered from COVID-19. Their immune system has therefore been exposed to the coronavirus. In spring/summer 2023, the virus will likely circulate less. The current virus variants also cause rather mild illness,” Swiss health officials said. Seroprevalence data from mid-2022 showed that more than 98 percent of the Swiss population had antibodies against the COVID-19 virus, indicating that people had immunity from prior infection, vaccination, or both. The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which started circulating around the world in late 2021, causes less severe cases than its predecessor, Delta. Additionally, the available COVID-19 vaccines have performed increasingly worse against Omicron and its subvariants, providing little or even negative protection against infection and quickly waning shielding against severe disease. Swiss authorities nodded to the short-lived protection as they noted that people designated at high risk from COVID-19 can still receive a vaccine, despite the lack of recommendation, after consultation with their doctor. “Vaccination may be wise in individual cases, as it improves protection against developing severe COVID-19 for several months,” they said. People at high risk include those aged 65 or older and pregnant women.

New COVID vaccine plan shortens interval between 1st dose of booster to 3 months - To effectively deal with the recent COVID-19 situation, China's National Health Commission announced on Monday that for people above 18 years old who have completed basic immunization, the interval between the first dose of booster immunizations will be shortened from previous six months to three months. And the domestic mRNA vaccine will be put into emergency use to enhance the immunization of adult people. The Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council issued the notice on Monday, stressing that the current focus of vaccination is to bridge the gap in immunization levels among different target groups to further reduce the risk of severe illnesses and deaths. Those who have been infected and have not completed basic immunization can receive one dose three months after the infection. At present, the overall epidemic situation in the country is sporadic, but the novel coronavirus has not disappeared and continues to spread, experts warned. The prevailing prediction is that there could be a new risk within six months, but the odds are that it will not turn into a big national wave as it did in December 2022. The adjustment of the vaccine interval is more conducive to providing better protection for people with severe diseases and a high risk of death in subsequent outbreaks, Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou-based medical expert, told the Global Times. The former policy was issued in 2020, and it is reasonable to make changes as the virus has changed over the years.

Higher-dose corticosteroids tied to 60% more deaths in low-oxygen COVID patients Higher-dose corticosteroids are linked to a 60% increased risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low oxygen levels, finds a randomized, controlled trial published yesterday in The Lancet.The study will also be presented at the April 15 to 18 European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark.For the open-label platform trial, RECOVERY Collaborative Group researchers evaluated the outcomes of 1,272 adult COVID-19 patients receiving no oxygen and 1,264 receiving noninvasive oxygen in Asia, Africa, and the United Kingdom from May 25, 2021, to May 13, 2022. Recruitment of these patients stopped on May 11 for safety reasons.The patients were randomly assigned to receive high-dose corticosteroids (659 patients) or standard care (613; 87% received low-dose corticosteroids). The high-dose regimen consisted of 20 milligrams (mg) dexamethasone once daily for 5 days followed by 10 mg for 5 days, while the low-dose regimen included 6 mg once daily for 10 days. Of all patients, 19% had diabetes, and 60% were men.The authors had already shown that low-dose corticosteroids reduce deaths among COVID-19 patients needing supplemental oxygen.Among the 659 high-dose recipients, 123 (19%) died, compared with 75 of 613 (12%) usual-care patients, a 59% difference. The high-dose group also had more non-COVID pneumonia than usual-care patients (10% vs 6%; absolute difference, 3.7%) and hyperglycemia requiring more insulin (22% vs 14%; absolute difference, 7.4%).The researchers continue to study whether a higher corticosteroid dose benefits patients requiring ventilation.

New COVID variant XBB.1.16 under WHO observation as cases spike - The Jerusalem Post - A new COVID-19 variant called XBB.1.16 (or, unofficially, Arcturus) seems to be spreading faster than other recent variants but doesn't seem to cause more severe illness, according to initial studies.The variant has garnered attention from both the media and the World Health Organization (WHO) after seemingly sparking a spike in cases in India in recent weeks. As of Wednesday, there were 40,215 active coronavirus cases in India, with 7,830 new cases recorded between Tuesday and Wednesday.A pre-print study published by Japanese and Czech researchers found that XBB.1.16 is "robustly resistant to a variety of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies" and appears to have a greater growth advantage compared to other Omicron variants like XBB.1 and XBB.1.5.The researchers wrote that the variant's increased infectivity suggests that it will spread worldwide in the near future.The Times of India reported earlier this week that different symptoms have been reported among pediatric cases of the coronavirus recently in India, including itchy conjunctivitis and sticky eyes, which were not present in preceding waves of the virus.During a press conference in March, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, stated that the WHO is monitoring XBB.1.16, adding that it has one additional mutation in the spike protein compared to XBB.1.5 which in lab studies has been shown to increase infectivity.Van Kerkhove also noted that XBB.1.16 has replaced the other variants that are in circulation in India. "This is one to watch. It has been in circulation for a few months."

11 notes on the new omicron subvariant - A new SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariant, XBB.1.16, is spreading throughout several countries, including parts of the U.S. Health officials at the World Health Organization havesaid it is something they are closely monitoring. While XBB. 1.16 has similarities to the current dominant strain in the U.S., XBB.1.5, Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, noted in a March 29 media briefing that in lab studies the new subvariant has demonstrated qualities that show "increased infectivity" and "potentially increased pathogenicity." However, at this time, Dr. Van Kerkhove also says they "haven't seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations." Here are 11 things we know about XBB.1.16 to date:

1. The omicron subvariant has been in circulation for a few months.
2. The main difference between XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.5 is a change in the spike protein.
3. Cases caused by the new subvariant have been identified in 18 states and counting.
4. Southeast Asia and the Middle East are currently the regions that have seen the most cases of the new subvariant.
5. XBB.1.16 has replaced other variants and is now the dominant strain in India.
6. In total, the WHO said in its press conference there are currently 800 sequences of XBB.1.16 from 22 countries.
7. The WHO officially added XBB.1.16 to its list of variants to monitor as of March 22.
8. XBB.1.16 is not yet part of the CDC's variant proportion tracker.
9. At this time, cases of XBB.1.16 are being tracked in a public database created by Raj Rajnarayanan, PhD, an assistant dean of research and associate professor at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
10. A descendant of the new subvariant — XBB.1.16.1 — has been spotted in at least 18 states, according to the tracker.
11. The subvariant is also being referred to by the name "Arcturus," but it's not an official name from the WHO.

Arcturus: New Covid variant sparks fear as India sees huge surge of infections - A new variant of Covid-19 named “Arcturus” is behind a fresh surge of infections in India. The Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16 strain is on the verge of devastating the country where cases have soared 13-fold in the last month. India's health ministry launched mock drills this week in an attempt to see if hospitals are prepared to deal with a possible influx of patients following the rise in cases. Wearing face coverings in public has been made compulsory again in some states, being the first time in more than a year. The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently monitoring Arcturus, also known as XBB.1.16, which was first detected in late January, with officials saying it had some mutations of concern. Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's Covid technical lead, said: “It's been in circulation for a few months. “We haven't seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations, but that's why we have these systems in place. “It has one additional mutation in the spike protein which in lab studies shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity.” Dr Van Kerkhove added that while XBB.1.16 had been detected in other countries most sequences were from India where it had replaced other variants. In the southern state of Kerela health minister Veena George reintroduced masks for the elderly, pregnant women, and those with underlying conditions. This week, case numbers throughout India rose by 3,122 in a single day. It comes as the country's ministry of health recorded 40,215 active Covid infections on 12 April. Officials are now urging states to increase testing for the virus. Virologist Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick told The Independent that the rise of the new variant in India is a sign that “we’re not yet out of the woods.” “We have to keep an eye on it,” Professor Young said. “When a new variant arises you have to find out if it’s more infectious, more disease-causing, is it more pathogenic? And what’s going to happen in terms of immune protection.

‘Arcturus,’ a highly transmissible COVID variant eyed by the WHO, appears to have a new symptom. Here’s what you need to know A new COVID variant the World Health Organization has its eye on seems to be causing a new symptom in children rarely caused by other Omicron spawn. XBB.1.16, dubbed “Arcturus” by variant trackers, is fueling a new surge of cases in India, at a time when reported cases are down in much of the rest of the world. The country’s health ministry is holding mock drills to ensure that hospitals are prepared for rising COVID cases, the BBC reported Monday, noting that some states have again made mask-wearing in public mandatory.Levels of the variant are also rising in the U.S., Singapore, and Australia, among others. But XBB.1.16 may not be just another run-of-the-mill Omicron. Dr. Vipin Vashishtha—a pediatrician in India and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunization—tweeted Thursday that pediatric cases of COVID are on the increase for the first time in six months, and that “an infantile phenotype seems emerging.” The symptoms he’s now seeing among children: High fever. Cough. “Itchy” conjunctivitis—or pink eye—without pus, but with “sticky eyes”. The latter symptom hasn’t been seen in earlier COVID waves, he noted. COVID cases in kids under 12 in India are increasing, The Times of India reported Monday. While they’re generally mild, doctors are warning “parents of children with obesity, asthma, and [those] suffering from other immunocompromised conditions not to ignore the symptoms,” and to seek care if necessary, the publication noted. Experts told The Times they were also seeing a rise in hospitalizations of children due to adenovirus, which has symptoms similar to COVID and can also result in conjunctivitis. Adenovirus and COVID are impossible to distinguish from each other without testing. There are “lots of anecdotals of pediatric conjunctivitis in India” right now, Raj Rajnarayanan, assistant dean of research and associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Ark., and a top COVID variant tracker, tells Fortune. Richard Reithinger, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International, tells Fortune that he’s also heard such reports, but that it’s “probably too early to tell” if the virus’s symptom set has truly shifted. Conjunctivitis has previously been reported as a COVID symptom, he notes, though not often. Researchers at Nebraska Medicine’s Truhlsen Eye Institute previously identified the virus in the eye’s tear film, a thin layer of fluid that covers the eye’s outer surface. The presence of the virus there could lead to conjunctivitis, the institute noted in a November blog post.According to the Truhlsen Eye Institute, symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

• Tearing, or watery eyes
• Redness
• Swelling
• Pain or irritation
• Itching
• Discharge

Rajnarayanan expects to see XBB.1.16 and another new Omicron spawn, XBB.1.9, gain steam over the next few weeks, “if nothing else emerges.” XBB.1.16 and its descendents have “the oomph to outcompete” other circulating COVID variants—“as of now,” he says, noting that new variants evolve quickly. The XBB.1.16 family of variants “are the next big group” after Kraken variants, he notes. When it comes to the pandemic, the world is currently in the “age of recombinants”—or existing variants that have combined with each other to potentially wreak more havoc. XBB.1.16 is a recombinant of two descendants of so-called “stealth Omicron” BA.2. A preprint study updated Sunday from scientists at the University of Tokyo suggests that it spreads about 1.17 to 1.27 times more efficiently than relatives XBB.1 and XBB.1.5, also known as "Kraken," which currently dominates U.S. cases. XBB.1.16’s increased ability to outpace other variants suggest that it “will spread worldwide in the near future,” researchers wrote, adding that the variant is “robustly resistant” to antibodies from a variety of COVID variants, including “stealth Omicron” BA.2 and BA.5, which surged globally last summer.

India Records 5,880 Covid Cases In 24 Hours: Do Not Ignore These Symptoms Of The XBB.1.16 Variant -- The XBB.1.16 variant leads to fever, cough, abdominal issues and other symptoms India has logged 5,880 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 years. There are currently 35,199 active covid-19 cases in the country, as per the health ministry data. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has urged the state health ministers to be prepared with appropriate health facilities and to stay alert. The Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.16 is contributing to the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in India. This variant has been detected in more than 20 countries so far. The World Health Organization has kept this variant under monitoring and said that it is "one to watch." XBB.1.16 is highly infectious but does not lead to any severe complications. According to a WHO report, there are currently no laboratory studies on the severity of the variant. However, a rise in hospitalization has not been recorded, so far. What are the symptoms of the XBB.1.16 variant? The symptoms of this sub-variant are similar to the previous strains. Some of the symptoms include: Sore throat. Fever. Runny nose. Fatigue. Cough. Abdominal issues. This variant can infect vaccinated individuals as well. As covid-19 cases are on a rise again, it is crucial to follow all precautions. By now, you might be familiar with all the steps you should follow to fight against Covid-19. So, wear a mask, follow social distancing, wash hands regularly, get vaccinated and avoid public gatherings. PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com Also, do not ignore the above-mentioned symptoms. If you are experiencing these symptoms, get yourself tested immediately.

India sees over 7,800 COVID cases in a day reported on April 12, 2023 - Omicron XBB and its variants are responsible for the current surge in COVID-19cases, but this is not a cause for worry as the severity of this variant is currently below average, with less hospitalisation, a senior Health Ministry official said on April 12.India has been registering a steady surge in COVID-19 cases for over two weeks now. The official added that there will be a further rise in cases for the next 8-10 days, after which a decline is expected. “Caution and not panic is the way out,” he said.The Health Ministry source said that the current surge is not a “wave” but rather an “endemic cycle” of COVID-19. While Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant variant, most of the assigned variants have little or no significant disease severity.India on April 12 morning reported 7,830 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the highest in over seven months, according to Health Ministry figures. “The XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron, which is driving the latest surge, is not a cause of worry and vaccines are effective against it,” said the source. He added that subvariant’s prevalence increased from 21.6% in February to 35.8% in March.Meanwhile the Health Ministry has said that there is no shortage of the COVID-19 vaccine for those who want to avail of it. “There is enough, and the Central Government is not keen to over-procure and then waste these vaccines. These vaccines are now available at very competitive prices in the market and in the government sector. States are also advised to buy as per need,’’ a Health Ministry official said.Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla tweeted on April 12: “As COVID cases have been rising again with Omicron XBB & its variants, it can be severe for the elderly. I’d suggest for the elderly, mask up & take the Covovax booster which is now available on the COWIN app. It is excellent against all variants & is approved in the US & Europe.”

Coronavirus update Australia: Another COVID-19 winter is coming. Is this the calm before another peak? - Australia is currently experiencing the longest break between infection peaks sinceOmicron arrived in late 2021 and community-wide transmission took off. With winter looming, it's worth taking stock of where we are with COVID-19 and what we might expect over the colder months – especially in the southern states and territories. The climate and the way our behaviour changes at this time of year increase the transmission potential for all infectious respiratory diseases. This will be our second winter with Omicron subvariants, but there are signs it might not be as challenging as the last. The last time we had national hospital counts above 2400 was on January 20, some 12 weeks ago. Our dips in the Omicron era have previously been short-lived. Variant BA.2 replaced BA.1 quickly this time last year and hospital counts rose above 2400 within five weeks of the first wave. In November 2022, the hospital counts again climbed above 2400 with a change in subvariants after only ten weeks of respite. Will the current break last? Most states are seeing a rise in hospital numbers, but those that started climbing earliest (New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania) might already be seeing hospital numbers levelling out. So there is hope the current surge will not lead to as high rates of severe illness. And we know, COVID-19 counts recorded for hospitals aren't all admissions for the disease. Most are incidental infections. Tasmanian data show on average less than one-third of COVID-positive patients were admitted for COVID-19 illness.With each wave, a smaller proportion of COVID-positive patients are being reported in ICU. The proportion of people on ventilators because of COVID has also reducedto less than 10 per cent, down from 30 per cent in the initial January 2022 Omicron peak. The deaths associated with each peak have also fallen with each main wave, with the summer wave just passed having about half the daily deaths reported at its peak compared with our previous summer.

California county starts monitoring wastewater for illicit drugs | Reuters (Reuters) - As the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, a California county is using the same wastewater monitoring program it used to track the coronavirus to go after another deadly public health crisis: opioids. Marin County, north of San Francisco, began a pilot program in February to collect wastewater samples from its sanitation agency and test them for the presence of substances like fentanyl, methamphetamines, cocaine, and nicotine. Local authorities hope the data could be beneficial in assisting prevention and intervention efforts. For example, if there is an abundance of opioids present in the samples, they could boost the distribution of Narcan, which rapidly reverses the effects of the illegal drug, especially when given within minutes of the first signs of an overdose. "The problem of overdose is a public health crisis. We're losing one resident every five days in Marin County," said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County's public health officer. "And so we really think it's important for us to develop the same kind of surveillance methods, the same kind of intelligence we had applied to the COVID-19 pandemic, to this new crisis of overdoses." Marin County, like many other places in the U.S., is grappling with a drug epidemic. Overdose deaths rose from 30 in 2018 to 65 in 2021, according to the county's department of health and human services.The county used the same method and partners to monitor for evidence of the spread of the coronavirus, so the infrastructure for the pilot program is largely in place. Twice a week, workers with the Central Marin Sanitation Agency collect a 50-milliliter sample of wastewater from the roughly 8 million gallons that flow into its San Rafael facility daily. That wastewater comes from residential, commercial, and industrial sources like kitchen and bathroom sinks, toilets, and showers. The sample is then shipped to Biobot Analytics, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Biobot researchers then analyze the sample for the presence of drugs. Biobot declined to say how many U.S. counties are specifically testing for substances but said they test samples from more than 700 locations across more than 50 states, territories, and provinces. The locations include sites that are testing for either infectious diseases, high-risk substances, or both.

CDC: Mpox cases and deaths most prevalent in Black men -Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its state partners published two studies in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showing Black and Hispanic men made up a disproportionate number of cases during last year's mpox outbreak.The first study looked at the racial and ethnic breakdown in US mpox incidence and vaccination, based on data collected by the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. By Dec 31 of 2022, the United States reported 29,939 mpox cases, 93.3% of which were identified in males over the age of 18. During 2022, 723,112 persons in the United States received the first dose in a 2-dose mpox (Jynneos) vaccination series.Overall, between May and December of 2022, mpox incidence in Black and Hispanic males was higher than their White counterparts.Of reported mpox cases, 30.7% occurred in Black males, 29.5% in Hispanic males, and 27.9% in White males. In August of 2022 — the height of the outbreak in the United States — disease incidences among non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black) and Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) males were higher than incidence among White males (rate ratio [RR] of 6.9 and 4.1, respectively).Overall, the authors found 43 White, 9 Black, and 17 Hispanic males were vaccinated for each reported mpox case within these groups. Among 648,336 first-dose vaccinations administered to adult males, 11.6%, 20.6% and 51.1% were administered to Black, Hispanic, and White males, respectively."These findings suggest that the higher vaccination rates among Black and Hispanic males compared with White males (RR = 1.2 and 1.4, respectively) were not commensurate with their higher mpox incidence (RRs = 5.8 and 3.6, respectively)," the authors wrote. "These groups still had higher unmet vaccination needs relative to their mpox incidence."A second study analyzed deaths associated with mpox infections in the United States. Though most mpox cases are self-limited, a total of 38 mpox-associated deaths occurred in the United States between May 10, 2022, and Mar 7, 2023, resulting in 1.3 mpox-associated deaths per 1,000 cases.Almost all fatal case-patients were cisgender males who reported recent sexual activity.Of the decedents, 87% were non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black) persons, and 33 of the 38 were HIV positive. Almost half of all deaths occurred in Southern states.The median interval from symptom onset to death was 68 days, and 87% of decedents were treated in intensive care units. Most had received treatments with antivirals, but nearly 25% of decedents experienced delays in diagnosis of between 3 and 7 weeks.

Tacoma woman with tuberculosis found in contempt of court after refusing treatment— A Washington state woman who has refused to isolate or get treatment for tuberculosis for more than a year was found in contempt of court Friday. “Law enforcement has the civil arrest warrant that authorizes them to detain the patient who is still refusing treatment,” the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said Friday.Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Sorenson signed an order of contempt and an order for involuntary detention, testing and treatment.Tuberculosis is spread through the air from one person to another, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.If not treated properly, TB can be fatal, the CDC says.The woman will be held in Pierce County Jail for up to 45 days for testing and treatment until she is no longer a threat to public health, court documents sayShe was not in court Friday, according to the minutes of the proceeding.The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said this case is a “rare instance” of a patient refusing care, and that it has worked with the family and community for more than a year to persuade the woman to take her medication.This is the third time in 20 years that the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has sought a court order to detain a potentially contagious patient refusing treatment for TB, according to the department.

New guidance deems antibiotic stewardship essential for preventing C diff infections -New guidance from five US medical organizations says implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in acute care hospitals is essential for preventing Clostridioides difficileinfection (CDI).The document, published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, says ASPs are needed not only to ensure that patients with CDI are receiving appropriate antibiotic therapy for their infections, but that patients with other infections are receiving appropriate antibiotics as well. Previous antibiotic exposure is among the leading risk factors for C difficile, which causes more than 450,000 infections in the United States each year, is associated with as many as 30,000 deaths, and costs the healthcare system $5 billion annually."C. difficile is an urgent health threat, and hospitals need system-wide commitment to stop it," lead author Larry K. Kociolek, MD, vice president of system preparedness, prevention, and response at Lurie's Children's Hospital of Chicago and a member of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), said in apress release. "Because the use of antibiotics is strongly associated with C. difficile infections, antimicrobial stewardship—an approach to making sure these drugs are prescribed and used appropriately—is a strong first-line defense."The new guidance is a collaborative effort that includes a panel of experts affiliated with SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Hospital Association, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control, and The Joint Commission, with contributions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It updates a previous set of strategies for preventing CDI in acute care hospitals, published in 2014, that encouraged the formation of ASPs but did not recommend it as an essential practice. CDI occurs when C difficile bacteria multiply in the gut and release toxins that inflame the colon and cause severe diarrhea. It commonly occurs after patients take antibiotics, which can wipe out both good and bad bacteria in the gut and create room for C difficile to flourish. The guidance notes that while third/fourth-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, carbapenems, and clindamycin confer the highest risk of CDI, virtually every antibiotic has been associated with the infection. Other significant CDI risk factors include advanced age, length of hospitalization, use of gastric acid-suppressing medication, gastrointestinal surgery, and inflammatory bowel disease. "Antibiotic exposure is the most modifiable risk factor for CDI," the experts wrote.

Survey reveals high antibiotic use in Nigerian poultry production --A survey of poultry farmers in two Nigerian states found that 98% gave prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics to day-old chicks, with 47 different products used across seven drug classes. The Nigeria-based researchers reported their findings this week in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control.Using a questionnaire adapted from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) office in Ghana, they collected information on attitudes and p ractices regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU). Participants were from 50 farms in Plateau and Oyo states, chosen to represent northern and southern Nigeria. Researchers held a focus group in Plateau state with farmers and veterinary officials to fine-tune the questions.Most farmers were aware of biosecurity practices but didn't understand the rationale behind them, which the researchers said contributed to the use of antibiotic prophylaxis. All farmers reported issues with poultry diseases, with Newcastle disease reported most frequently.Most had heard about AMR and thought it would have a great impact on them, but most didn't know about antibiotic residues. Most thought that antibiotics were no longer effective because of the companies that made them, reduced strength of the drugs, and that diseases were becoming untreatable. "This highlights the low perception of AMR among farmers and the need for awareness creation and sensitization," the researchers wrote.Antibiotics were easily accessible, and 74% of farmers bought them from poultry drug stores, commonly without a prescription and not based on lab tests.Over the 3-month study period, 351 kilograms of active ingredients from seven classes were recorded: tetracyclines, penicillins, aminoglycosides, polypeptide, fluoroquinolones, amphenicol, and macrolides. Some products included a cocktail of antibiotics, with some including as many as six antibiotic classes at high concentrations and others not on the list of registered antimicrobials reported to the World Organization for Animal Health. The team said the survey method could be used to help flesh out antimicrobial use and surveillance data elsewhere. "There is also the need to increase awareness among poultry farmers on the importance of biosecurity, disease preventive measures such as vaccination, and promote the use of probiotics to enhance production," they wrote.

Florida reports second local dengue case in Miami-Dade County --Florida, which reports sporadic local dengue infections, has confirmed two cases so far for 2023, both in Miami-Dade County, according to the latest surveillance update from the Florida Department of Health (Florida Health).In 2022, Florida reported 68 local dengue cases, mostly from Miami Dade County. The state had eliminated local dengue transmission in the 1930s, but experienced outbreaks in Key West in 2009 and 2010.The state said several transient introductions, due to travel connection to areas where the disease is endemic, have been reported since then.

Rabies patient becomes first fatal case in US after post-exposure treatment, report says A Minnesota man is the first reported fatality due to rabies in the United States despite receiving appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis, according to a recent article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. He was an 84-year-old man who died in 2021 about six months after waking up in the morning while a rabid bat was biting his right hand."This report summarizes the first reported infection of rabies virus in a person who received timely and appropriate treatment to prevent rabies infection following exposure since the development of modern rabies vaccines," lead author Stacy Holzbauer told Fox News Digital.She is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemiology field officer with the Minnesota Department of Health and a deputy state veterinarian in St. Paul, Minnesota."This is the first reported case of failure of appropriate rabies prophylaxis therapy since the onset of such therapy," added Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York."This unfortunate individual had an unrecognized immune deficiency that probably contributed to the failure."Although rabies is almost uniformly fatal once symptoms develop, people can prevent the disease by vaccinating their pets, staying away from wildlife and getting medical care after potential exposures before developing symptoms, according to the CDC.

CWD detected at deer facilities in 2 more Texas counties | CIDRAP -Animal health officials in Texas yesterday announced that chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in deer at farms in two more counties, Hamilton in the central part of the state and Frio in the south.Both detections involved deer-breeding facilities, according to a statement from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission. The groups said the Hamilton County detection involved a single case from a live animal that was tested to see if it could be transferred to a registered release site. The Frio County detection came from routine postmortem surveillance sampling after the death of a deer.The samples were sent to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, with results confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. Texas officials said antemortem testing provides a baseline that can clarify where outbreaks originate and that early, proactive testing can greatly cut the risk of further spread.CWD was first detected in Texas in 2012 and has since been found in captive and free-ranging cervids. The new detections follow a March announcement of similar detections in three separate deer-breeding facilities in Zavala, Washington, and Gonzales counties.Highly contagious and always fatal, CWD affects cervids such as deer, elk, moose, and caribou. The disease has a long incubation period, so the first sign of infection may be through testing rather than clinical signs. CWD is a prion disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). So far, CWD hasn't been detected in humans, but health officials recommend against eating meat from infected animals.

H5N1 avian flu strikes condors in Arizona; more detections reported in pet cats --The National Park Service (NPS) reported that tests have confirmed H5N1 avian flu in endangered condors in the Arizona-Utah flock, with deaths reported and sick birds collected for care and monitoring. In an April 7 statement, the NPS said the virus has been linked to three deaths so far. On March 9, the Peregrine Fund, which manages the Arizona-Utah condor flock, observed a bird showing signs of illness, which was first thought to be lead poisoning. Crews saw other birds showing similar behavior, and on March 20 collected a dead female below her nest. Tests on necropsy samples were confirmed as positive for H5N1. So far, the virus has been confirmed in three condors found dead. Five more showing signs of illness were sent to Liberty Wildlife in Phoenix, and one died shortly after arrival. The others have been quarantined during their care. Efforts are underway with multiple veterinary and wildlife partners to coordinate ways to protect the condor population. The NPS warned that the flock's risk of exposure to H5N1 is expected to rise as the spring migration continues and birds fly north to their breeding grounds. The NPS said avian flu is highly contagious in wildlife and can spread through multiple routes, including bird-to-bird contact, environmental contamination with fecal matter, and exposure to contaminated shoes, clothes, and vehicles. It also urged people to report birds showing signs of illness to the Peregrine Fund. The symptoms include lethargy, incoordination, presenting as dull or unresponsive, holding head in an unusual position, and walking in circles.

Wyoming reports high-path avian flu in cat -The Wyoming State Veterinary Lab (WSVL) said it has diagnosed highly pathogenic avian influenza in a barn cat, the state's first detection of the virus in a domestic cat.In a brief statement on its website, the WSVL said the cat is located near Thermopolis, in the central part of the state. It said that the cat probably contracted the virus from eating meat from wild waterfowl. In recent months, the lab has also detected the virus in other carnivores, including mountain lions and a red fox.The WSVL said clinical symptoms of avian flu infection in mammals can include neurologic signs that resemble rabies, and it urged people to use gloves and masks when handling sick and dead mammals.The detection of avian flu in a domestic cat follows a similar report earlier this week of a domestic dog that tested positive for H5N1 in Canada. In earlier H5N1 outbreaks in Asia and other parts of the world, similar infections were reported in a small number of dogs and cats exposed to infected poultry or other birds. Health officials in Chile's Magallanes region, located in the southern tip of South America, said on Twitterthis week that avian flu has been confirmed in Puerto Natales commune. The outbreak occurred in backyard birds, according to a report yesterday in La Prensa. The outbreak area is roughly 600 miles from Antarctica.

Bird flu risk for pets low after dog death in Ont.: experts As the avian influenza continues to spread in Canada, even infecting mammals, an expert says the risk of transmission to humans and pets is low but health officials must remain on high alert.Health officials announced earlier this week a pet dog in Oshawa, Ont., had died after testing positive for H5N1, the virus that causes the bird flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada said the dog developed symptoms after chewing on a wild goose.But Dr. Shayan Sharif, professor and acting dean of the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College, says at the moment, the risk for pets remains "very low.""What could be the risk in the future? I think if the virus begins mutations and adapting itself further to mammals, then things could be different," he said in an interview on Wednesday with CTVNews.ca. "At the moment, I would say it's very low transmission risk."It was the first and only case so far of a pet dog contracting bird flu in Canada, which is also a rare occurrence worldwide. A case of a dog contracting bird flu was reported in Thailand all the way back in 2004 and described in a 2006 case report. A 2008 study in Germany and Austria also found that the H5N1 virus was present in 1.8 per cent of a population of 171 cats."It has happened that the virus has transmitted from birds to dogs and cats and there's good evidence that dogs and cats could become infected, but not frequently. It's only rarely they're becoming infected," Sharif said.The avian flu has also infected other mammals. Last month, several skunks in the Vancouver area were found dead after testing positive for the virus. Bird flu has also been discovered in foxes, seals, dolphins, black bears, mink, raccoon and porpoises across Canada.Sharif notes that the H5N1 is well adapted to avian species, but not so well adapted to mammals, which makes it difficult for transmission between mammals to occur."When (bird flu) jumps from avian to mammals, those mammals usually become the so-called 'terminal hosts,' meaning that they can't try transmit the virus to other mammals. And there's no evidence at the moment that, for example, dogs can transmit the virus to other dogs or transmit the virus to their owners, to humans," he explained.However, if the virus mutates to be better adapted to mammals, Sharif says that’s "one step closer to gaining the capacity for mammal-to-mammal transmission."

Research with exotic viruses risks a deadly outbreak, scientists warn - A growing number of scientists are reconsidering the dangers of prospecting for unknown viruses and conducting other high-stakes work with pathogens — When the U.S. government was looking for help to scour Southeast Asia’s rainforests for exotic viruses, scientists from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University accepted the assignment and the funding that came with it, giving little thought to the risks. Beginning in 2011, Thai researchers made repeated treks every year to remote caves and forests inhabited by millions of bats, including species known to carry diseases deadly to humans. The scientists collected saliva, blood and excrement from the wriggling, razor-fanged animals, and the specimens were placed in foam coolers and driven to one of the university’s labs in Bangkok, a metropolis of more than 8 million people.The goal was to identify unknown viruses that might someday threaten humans. But doubts bout the safety of the research began to simmer after the virus hunters were repeatedly bitten by bats and, in 2016, when another worker stuck herself with a needle while trying to extract blood from an animal.Some of the workers received booster shots to prevent infection by common rabies, and none of them reported illness, according to their supervisor. But the incidents raised disturbing questions about the research: What if they encountered an unknown virus that killed humans? What if it spread to their colleagues? What if it infected their families and neighbors?As if to underscore the risks, in 2018 another lab on the same Bangkok campus — a workspace built specifically to handle dangerous pathogens — was shut down for months because of mechanical failures, including a breakdown in a ventilation system that guards against leaks of airborne microbes. Then, in a catastrophe that began in Wuhan, a Chinese city 1,500 miles away, the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, becoming a terrifying case study in how a single virus of uncertain origin can spread exponentially.In spring 2021, the Thai team’s leader pulled the plug, deciding that the millions of dollars of U.S. research money for virus hunting did not justify the risk.Three years after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a similar reckoning is underway among a growing number of scientists, biosecurity experts and policymakers. The global struggle with covid-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, has challenged conventional thinking about biosafety and risks, casting a critical light on widely accepted practices such as prospecting for unknown viruses.A Post examination found that a two-decade, global expansion of risky research has outpaced measures to ensure the safety of the work and that the exact number of biocontainment labs handling dangerous pathogens worldwide, while unknown, is believed by experts to be in the thousands.

NJ charges itself with damaging land it was bound to protect | AP New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection has charged itself with damaging habitat for threatened and endangered birds that it was supposed to protect. The work was designed to create habitat for one species of bird, but actually wound up destroying habitat for two others. The department acknowledged it sent a violation notice and threatened penalties against its own Division of Fish and Wildlife regarding unauthorized work in February and March at the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area in Clayton, Gloucester County. It was unclear how any penalties might work when the DEP is both the accuser and the accused. It also was not immediately clear whether any money might actually change hands. The department did not respond to questions about potential fines. The work involved the clearing of vegetation and disturbance of soils on nearly 3 acres of what the state calls “exceptional resource value freshwater wetlands.” Before the work was done, this land was considered suitable habitat for the barred owl, which is listed as a threatened species, and the red-shouldered hawk, an endangered species. The project also cleared and disturbed an additional 12 acres of land near wetlands known as transition areas, which also are protected.

EPA's waste office dilemma: Deep pockets, no nominee - More than two years into his administration, President Joe Biden does not have a Senate-confirmed leader, nor nominee, to head an EPA office that suddenly has billions of dollars to clean up toxic waste sites across the country. The Office of Land and Emergency Management is responsible for programs popular among lawmakers to clean up and redevelop contaminated land as well as providing the agency’s boots on the ground when environmental catastrophes strike. The infrastructure law appropriated $5 billion to scrub Superfund and brownfields sites and, along with the climate law, reinstated “polluter pays” taxes to keep revitalization humming for years to come. Yet EPA’s solid waste office does not have its top political leader in place. “You need that political leadership for that office to implement the priorities of this administration,” said Elliott Laws, who led the EPA waste office during the Clinton administration. “I can imagine it can be frustrating and pretty demoralizing for staff in that office at this point.” Laws, now a partner in law firm Crowell & Moring’s Washington office, noted that the program does have “incredible, competent career staff” at the agency’s headquarters and regional offices. Earlier this year, Biden passed on renominating his original choice, Carlton Waterhouse, who left the agency to return to Howard University. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, “is concerned that a new nominee has not been named,” said Peter Hoffman, a spokesperson for the panel’s Republicans. “The solid waste office plays a critical role, especially in relation to the Superfund program that impacts efforts to revitalize lands across the U.S., including in West Virginia,” Hoffman said. Biden first nominated Waterhouse, a legal scholar and environmental justice expert, for the job in June 2021. He ran into resistance from GOP lawmakers, including Capito, over past social media posts. The committee deadlocked on his nomination twice, and he was never confirmed. An EPA spokesperson referred questions to the White House. White House press officials did not acknowledge questions for this story.

Richmond fire releases toxic smoke at site with past safety violations - A massive blaze in eastern Indiana that created plumes of toxic smoke Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents, took place at a warehouse that had previously been cited as being unsafe, according to court documents.A 2020 review from the Richmond, Indiana, Unsafe Building Commission found that the site, which houses recycling plastic, was missing adequate fire suppression systems and that fire lanes around the building were blocked. Richmond Fire Chief Tim Brown said during a Wednesday briefing that fire crews and the city had been trying to get My Way Trading Warehouse to clean up its buildings “for some time.” And Mayor Dave Snow said that city officials “were aware that what was operating here was a fire hazard.” He added that it was a matter of “when, not if” there was an issue. It is unclear exactly what caused the fire, according to the state Department of Homeland Security. Agency spokesman David Hosick said officials were hoping to be able to access the building Wednesday evening or Thursday to begin their investigation. When firefighters responded to the facility Tuesday, they found a semi trailer — loaded with an unknown type of plastic — behind one of the buildings engulfed in flames, Brown said. The fire then spread to other piles of plastic around the truck and eventually to the buildings. The two warehouses at the site contained a “large amount of chipped, shredded and bulk recycled plastic,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Brown added that the 175,000-square foot facility was “completely full.” Stockpiling has become a common problem at plastics recycling facilities as the infrastructure and markets for these types of materials is lacking. Still, the Richmond Unsafe Building Commission told the facility owners it needed to remove materials from the site to the amount allowed by code, according to the court order. It also said the facility needed to remove materials to open fire lanes.Brown said Wednesday that firefighters had trouble getting access to the facility because piles of plastic were blocking access roads. The State Fire Marshal said in a news briefing that the smoke is “definitely toxic.” When plastics burn, they often can form dioxin — which the EPA describes as a highly toxic pollutant that take a long time to break down and can cause cancer. Both the EPA and Indiana Department of Environmental Management are onsite and monitoring air quality at 15 different locations around the site. As of mid-morning Wednesday, the agency said it had not identified toxic compounds such as styrene or benzene. The agency said it will continue 24-hour monitoring as part of its response, and it also is watching for things such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and chlorine. “Most of the impacts (of the fire) are likely to be immediate,” said Gabe Filippelli, director of the Indiana Environmental Resilience Institute. “The smoke is not only dangerous to pulmonary health, for people and their pets, but also might contain additional hazards of airborne chemicals that may be toxic.”

‘Toxic’ plastic fire forces 1,000 people to evacuate in Indiana - An evacuation order affecting more than 1,000 people was expected to remain in place through Wednesday around a large industrial fire in an Indiana city near the Ohio border, where crews worked through the night to douse piles of burning plastics, authorities said.Multiple fires, which began burning on Tuesday afternoon, were still ablaze on Wednesday in a 14-acre (5.5-hectare) property containing various types of plastics.The materials were stored both inside and outside buildings at a former factory site in Richmond, 70 miles east of Indianapolis, Richmond fire chief Tim Brown said.“There’s plastics inside buildings, there’s plastics outside buildings, there’s plastics in semitrailers that are throughout the grounds here at the complex, so we’re dealing with many type of plastics. It’s very much a mess,” Brown said.Brown said a plume of smoke continued rising on Wednesday from the site and about 15 firefighters had remained in place overnight working to fight the flames, which he said are contained within the old factory site. He said those fires are “not under control by any means” but he is optimistic crews will make progress throughout Wednesday.Between 1,500 and 2,000 people who live within a half-mile of the plant were told to leave after the fire began, said David Hosick, spokesperson for the Indiana department of homeland security. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.Aaron Stevens, a Richmond police officer who lives six blocks from the plant, said he first heard the sirens on Tuesday before he saw the pillar of smoke from his backyard that blocked the afternoon sun. The smoke had an acrid odor and he said ash fell on his deck and backyard. “It was blocking out the sun completely,” he said. “The birds were going crazy.”State and federal regulators were at the scene to assess air quality and other environmental impacts at the site, which local officials said has been used to store plastics and other materials for recycling or resale.Jason Sewell, the on-scene coordinator for the US Environmental Protection Agency, said the agency had been conducting roving air sampling outside the evacuation area and in parts of nearby Ohio, but no toxic compounds had been detected. Indiana’s state fire marshal, Steve Jones, said on Tuesday: “The smoke is definitely toxic.”

Schools canceled; about 2K evacuate - A large industrial fire at a facility in Richmond, Indiana, storing plastics and other recyclables has caused officials to order an evacuation of nearby areas.The fire, at 358 NW F Street northwest of Richmond's downtown area, sent thick, choking clouds of black smoke high enough into the atmosphere they were visible on satellite radar."Evacuation orders for residents and persons within 0.5 miles of the incident has been issued. Those outside of the 0.5 mile and east/northeast (downwind) of the incident are encouraged to shelter in place. To shelter in place, turn off HVAC units, keep windows and doors closed, and bring pets inside until advised further," an alert from the Wayne County Emergency Management issued minutes before 4 p.m. stated."We have a serious, large-scale fire with a very thick plume of black smoke in the air," Richmond Mayor Dave Snow said. "Buses are being utilized to evacuate residents who need it."Snow said the inferno at the facility was caused after a tractor-trailer truck caught fire and the blaze spread to the nearby building, which was storing plastic and other recycled materials.Officials have said the smoke is toxic to breathe.According to Snow, the Environmental Protection Agency and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) are on site and evaluating any potential hazards resulting from the fire."We know there are toxic entities when you burn plastics and other types of materials like this," Snow said. "To what degree, that is what the EPA and IDEM are trying to evaluate now." The area within a half-mile radius of the fire was evacuated, affecting as many as 2,011 residents, according to officials with Wayne County Emergency Management.As crews continue to battle the fire, Bethesda Ministries, 2200 Peacock Road, have opened their doors as a temporary shelter for those displaced in the evacuation zone, according to Wayne County Emergency Management.Chief Mike Britt of the Richmond Police Department called the situation "a huge public hazard."“We’ve had quite the problem with bystanders moving in close to the fire," Britt said during an interview with the Richmond Palladium-Item. "This has been an explosion hazard since the first flames. We’ve had numerous explosions.”No residents have been injured as a result of the fire as of early Tuesday evening. One firefighter hurt their ankle while battling the blaze, Wayne County officials stated.How long the fire could burn is still unknown."The fire chief tells me the fire is somewhat contained on three sides," Snow said at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, adding that fire departments from around the area are offering assistance."The fire is at least contained on-site as of right now, but it's going to burn for a while," Snow said.

Residents near Indiana plastics fire report snowlike debris falling and a taste of chemicals in the air — Some debris from a giant fire at a plastics recycling plant in Indiana contains asbestos, officials warned Thursday, as firefighters inched closer to fully dousing the blaze.The fire, which has been burning since Tuesday afternoon, sent black smoke over Richmond and surrounding towns in eastern Indiana and western Ohio. Officials quickly warned that the smoke could contain cancer-causing toxins.Shortly before 9 p.m. Mayor Dave Snow said the fire was finally out."The fire has been fully extinguished ahead of schedule," Snow tweeted. "We’re now able to turn our attention to collecting air and water samples to determine when the evacuation order can be lifted."Crews with bulldozers and backhoes were used to get deeper into the plastics facility, which contained large amounts of shredded and bulk recycled plastic, according to city officials.Residents in the area were instructed to steer clear of anything that's landing in residential yards, given that debris recovered 1.5 miles from the fire was found to contain asbestos, according to Jason Sewell, an on-scene coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency. "Probably the worst thing you can do if you have debris in your yard ... would be to mow and break up that material," Sewell said, because that would raise the risk of inhaling it."Don't disturb the debris for now. Avoid mowing until we come out with more instructions on outdoor cleanup," he added.Debris from toxic Indiana plant fire may contain asbestos Asbestos is a carcinogen. Exposure can cause various forms of mesothelioma — a cancer of the membranes lining the chest and abdomen — as well as lung and ovarian cancer.The EPA said test results from air samples would most likely be known by Friday morning.The fire has been sending snowlike debris into nearby towns, residents said."Just started falling like snow — it was just floating through the air, and we had a bunch of it land in the yard," said Elizabeth Castellanos, who lives in New Paris, Ohio. "We didn’t actually know what it was until it hit the ground. And one of our neighbors was like, 'That’s debris from that fire,' and then we noticed more and more started floating through the air."Castellanos said she had planned to have a belated Easter celebration in her yard this weekend, but that's now in doubt. "Not with all the debris laying around," she said. "I mean, it’s gonna just continue if it’s still laying and nobody can pick it up or touch it ... or mow the lawn. It’s just going to keep spreading."

Indiana plastics fire raises worries about health dangers | AP News -- A fire at a scrap plastics business in Indiana raises numerous health concerns for people in the area — particularly with the discovery of asbestos in debris, experts said Friday. An evacuation order for about 1,500 residents of the town of Richmond near the Ohio line remained in effect as firefighters doused hot spots while federal, state and local agencies monitored air and water for contamination. It might take weeks for the fire to be fully extinguished, officials said. Plans are being developed to deal with asbestos fragments in nearby neighborhoods, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said. Inhaling asbestos can cause lung diseases, including cancer. “Probably the worst thing you can do if you have debris in your yard would be to mow and break up that material” and possibly inhale it, EPA on-scene coordinator Jason Sewell said. Crews were taking air measurements at 34 sites, he said, with some samples being sent for laboratory analysis. Monitors in the evacuation zone detected hydrogen cyanide, benzene, chlorine, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. Also spotted was particulate matter, or soot, which is common with fires. Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring mineral fibers in many soils and rocks. Because of its strength and resistance to heat, chemicals and corrosion, it was used widely in building construction. Floor and ceiling tiles, insulation, pipes, adhesives and boilers were among products made with asbestos. Although not inherently toxic, asbestos fibers that people breathe in can stick to lungs and irritate the tissues. Prolonged inhalation causes scarring that can lead to breathing problems. In some cases, asbestos can cause a variety of cancers including mesothelioma, a rare form that affects membranes lining internal organs. It can take decades after exposure to appear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Indiana Plastic Fire Update: Initial Tests Reveal Volatile Organic Compounds In Air - Videos from The Weather Channel

Indiana plastics fire spewed toxic chemicals, EPA finds, including benzene -A plastics fire in Indiana spewed various toxic chemicals into the air, including hydrogen cyanide and benzene, according to test results from the Environmental Protection Agency.Officials said Friday that air monitors detected hydrogen cyanide, benzene, chlorine, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds in the ground-level smoke.“We detected some new contaminants right at the incident command post, which is, again, at the center of the evacuation zone," Jason Sewell, the EPA's on-scene coordinator, said at a news conference in Richmond, Indiana."The two new contaminants we detected were hydrogen cyanide andbenzene. We had not detected those before last night. The fire department jumped on extinguishing the hot spot and that abated," he said.The EPA said it notified the Richmond Fire Department that it had detected the two dangerous compounds out of concern for firefighters’ safety.The blaze was first reported on Tuesday afternoon, and soon after, the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency told residents within half a mile to evacuate. That order is still in place.The warehouse where the fire started contained large amounts of shredded and bulk recycled plastic, and it sent ominous black smoke over Richmond and surrounding towns in eastern Indiana and western Ohio. Local and federal officials warned area residents on Wednesday that smoke from burning plastic could contain cancer-causing toxins.Hydrogen cyanide, a highly toxic gas, can be fatal depending on the dose and length of exposure.Benzene is known to cause cancers such as leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in some people with long-term exposure. The World Health Organization has said there’s no safe level of benzene exposure when it comes to cancer risk.“What we don’t know is the levels and where did they measure them?” said Dr. Arthur Frank, an environmental and occupational health professor at Drexel University.Christine Stinson, executive director of Wayne County Health Department, said her analysts need time to go over the test results from both air and water samples to understand the long-term health threats people living near the fire site could face."We certainly are going to get that information out to the public — what are the risks you have been exposed to if you didn’t honor that evacuation zone," she said, adding, "I don't want to frighten anybody, but this was a plastics fire. There was particulate matter up in the air."The EPA said Thursday that it also found asbestos in samples of debristhat fell in surrounding neighborhoods up to 1.5 miles from the fire. Asbestos can cause several types of cancer, including mesothelioma and lung, laryngeal and ovarian cancer. No amount of exposure is considered safe, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Chief: Flames out, but Indiana plastic fire still smoldering (AP) — Firefighters have doused the flames at a major industrial fire in Indiana fueled by tons of scrap plastics, but crews continue trying to extinguish hot spots, and an evacuation order for people nearby remains in place, the fire chief said Friday. Richmond Mayor Dave Snow tweeted Thursday night that Fire Chief Tim Brown had informed him that “the fire has been fully extinguished ahead of schedule,” but Brown said Friday morning that was not the case. “When I told him it was under control, he thought that meant it was out. He and I spoke this morning, and it was just a difference of definition between him and I,” Brown told The Associated Press. The chief said the fire was “under control” as of Thursday night at the 14-acre former factory site in Richmond, a city of 35,000 about 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Indianapolis, near the Ohio border. But he said it may be weeks before the fire is considered fully extinguished because plastics continue to smolder in four hot spots within the vast amount of materials stored at the site. Crews are using excavators to reach those areas, he said. “Under control means there’s no visible flames. However, there are still hot spots,”

Ohio train derailment highlights waste disposal predicament - When word surfaced that soils and liquids laced with chemicals from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment were being sent to southeastern Michigan for storage, local residents and politicians were livid. “People were seeing pictures of what happened in Ohio — the smoke plumes, wildlife dying,” said Jordyn Sellek, director of a local government coalition. “They were hearing about people having health issues, and that’s scary. And now it’s coming into your community.” So loud was the outcry that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency halted shipments from the crash site in the town of 5,000 to a hazardous waste landfill and underground deep-injection wells in suburban Detroit. Resistance was fierce elsewhere, too, from a raucous town hall meeting in Roachdale, Indiana, to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt barring the waste from a landfill there. EPA finally issued a pointed reminder that states cannot interfere with federally authorized waste transport. “We ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up the mess it made, and no one should be impeding, preventing or getting in the way,” Administrator Michael Regan said March 17, adding it would take about three months to finish the job. Yet roadblocks keep popping up. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott scuttled a company’s plan to treat East Palestine liquids and dispose of them in the city wastewater system. The controversy illuminates an uncomfortable truth: Hazardous wastes are seemingly everywhere, from sprawling factories to household garages. They’re byproducts of industrial processes and goods consumers value. And when people want to get rid of waste, it has to go somewhere.The U.S. has 667 facilities that treat, store and dispose of hazardous wastes and are regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, according to EPA. Of those, 252 are commercial facilities that receive waste from offsite customers. The others, including factories, handle only waste generated on the premises. Seventeen of the commercial facilities have landfills, three have deep injection wells and 12 have incinerators. Others store waste in containers while awaiting treatment or disposal.Thirty-eight Norfolk Southern train cars derailed in the fiery Feb. 3 wreck. No one was injured but about half of East Palestine’s population was evacuated for days when authorities ignited vinyl chloride in five cars to prevent explosion. Ohio officials are pressing the rail company and EPA to get rid of tainted dirt and water. Gov. Mike DeWine said March 10 that 24,400 tons of excavated soil were piled at the scene. Portions had been hauled to three facilities in Ohio and others in Michigan, Indiana and Texas before protests stalled removal. A week later, EPA notified state environmental agencies that preventing the waste shipments could violate federal law and the U.S. Constitution’s interstate commerce provision.Since then, neither EPA nor the company have disclosed where the East Palestine waste is going, although daily reports provide updates on volumes removed. As of Monday, 19,900 tons of soil and 11.4 million gallons (43.1 million liters) of liquid wastewater had been shipped, according to DeWine’s office. That’s enough liquid to fill more than 17 Olympic swimming pools.

Burned Alive- Explosion Kills 18,000 Cows In Texas --A dairy farm in Texas was rocked by a massive explosion that resulted in the deaths of thousands of cattle, reported local media outlet KFDA. Fire crews in Dimmitt, Texas, responded to an explosion and fire that engulfed multiple building structures at South Fork Dairy on Monday evening. Reports suggest over 18,000 cattle were killed in the blaze.Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera said the fire resulted from an explosion that spread to the building where the cows are housed before bringing them into the milking area and holding pen. KFDA quoted the Animal Welfare Institute, saying this is the deadliest barn fire in Texas since 2013. "We hope the industry will remain focused on this issue and strongly encourage farms to adopt commonsense fire safety measures."It is hard to imagine anything worse than being burned alive," Margie Fishman, Public Relations Manager with AWF. Add this explosion to the long list of unexplainable fires at food processing plants in the past 12 months. Following the dozens of fires, some Americans are raising concerns about the durability of food supply chains. Some have gone as far as ask: Is America's food industry being sabotaged?

‘Catastrophic’: Thousands of cattle killed in Texas dairy farm fire - A county judge described the scene after a fiery explosion at a Texas dairy farm Monday night as “terrible” and “devastating.” “The number of animals that were lost and the barn that was lost,” Castro County Judge Mandy Gfeller said. “I believe that financially, it’s just devastating and catastrophic.” According to Castro County, the number of cattle that died in the fire at the South Fork Dairy had been estimated at 18,000. Officials were still working to confirm that number Thursday morning. Nexstar was also working to independently verify the figure with the business but had not been able to reach them at publication time. The Castro County Sheriff’s Office said one employee was inside the dairy building when the explosion happened, but firefighters were able to get her out. She was to be flown to University Medical Center to be treated for critical injuries. Gfeller said South Fork Dairy is one of the county’s largest businesses, so the damage goes beyond just the facility. “It employed citizens of our county, and that could impact those citizens, as far as jobs go, it could impact our tax base for our county and other municipalities and taxing entities,” Gfeller said. “They’re going to have to rebuild in order to be able to sustain that portion.”

Fast-Moving Wildfire In New Jersey Forces Evacuations - A fast-moving forest fire in central New Jersey's Manchester Township prompted evacuations on Tuesday night. New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) tweeted early Wednesday morning that the fire reached 2,500 acres in size and is 10% contained. NJFFS said 75 building structures are "threatened." The fire agency said:"Residents evacuated have been relocated to the Manchester Township High School and are being supported by the American Red Cross, Manchester Township EMS, Manchester Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department."⚠️ 75 structures are threatened. Residents evacuated have been relocated to the Manchester Township High School and are being supported by the American Red Cross, Manchester Township EMS, Manchester Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department. — New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) April 12, 2023 The footage of the fire is shocking. WATCH: Winds kick up flames high into the air above tall trees level, spreading flames in New Jersey forest fire overnight. 170 homes evacuated so far. 2500 acres&counting burned. Air filled with embers&thick smoke in Ocean County south of Great Adventure. ⁦@FOX29philly⁩ pic.twitter.com/8LSer92O8G Currently a massive forest fire is currently raging in Manchester Township, New Jersey, as it’s threatening 25 structures and prompting… pic.twitter.com/EypR29X8Fh

U.S. lays out options on Colorado River crisis - Los Angeles Times - The federal government on Tuesday laid out two options for preventing the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs from falling to critically low levels, saying water cuts could be imposed across the Southwest by following the water-rights priority system or by using an across-the-board percentage.The stakes in the decision are high for California, which receives the largest share of water from the Colorado River, as well as for Arizona and Nevada. Imposing an equal across-the-board cut would hit California harder, particularly in agricultural regions, while strict adherence to the water-rights priority system would bring larger reductions for cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation presented its alternatives as an initial step in a review aimed at revising the rules for dealing with shortages through 2026. Federal officials said that the proposals still could change and that a solution somewhere between the two options could emerge as representatives of states, water agencies and tribes continue negotiations on how to address the chronic water shortages.“The prolonged drought afflicting the American West is one of the most significant challenges facing our country today,” Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said. “We’re in the third decade of a historic drought that has caused conditions that the people who built this system would not have imagined.” Beaudreau spoke beside other officials in a room overlooking Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, where the reservoir now stands at 28% of full capacity, its surface lapping about 180 feet below the high-water mark along its rocky shores. The river’s reservoirs have declined dramatically during 23 years of drought intensified by climate change. Even after storms that have blanketed the Rocky Mountains with the largest snowpack since 1997, federal officials say the likelihood of a return to dry conditions means the region still needs a plan for apportioning additional water cuts if necessary over the next three years. Representatives of seven states, water agencies and tribes have been discussing options for reducing water use to prevent the reservoirs from dropping toward dangerously low levels. The Bureau of Reclamation said it released its initial review of alternatives, called a draft supplemental environmental impact statement, to “address the continued potential for low run-off conditions and unprecedented water shortages” in the Colorado River Basin. Officials said they need plans in place to protect critical levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell and prevent them from dropping so low that the dams would stop generating power and water deliveries would be at risk.

What might cuts to dwindling Colorado River mean for states? - (AP) — The Biden administration floated two ideas this week to reduce water usage from the dwindling Colorado River, which supplies 40 million people. The 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river is a lifeline for seven U.S. states, dozens of Native American tribes, and two states in Mexico. It irrigates nearly 5.5 million acres (about 2.2 million hectares) of farmland in the U.S. and Mexico and generates hydroelectric power used across the West. In recent decades, drought, climate change and an imbalance between the river’s flows and how much water users are promised has forced federal officials to consider new steps. Tuesday’s analysis from the Interior Department considers two ways to force cuts in the water supply for Arizona, Nevada and California: use the existing water priority system or the same percentage across the board. California and some tribes with senior rights to water benefit more under the first option. Arizona and Nevada, largely with junior rights, don’t feel as much pain under the second. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, under the Interior Department, made a bombshell announcement last June as levels in the Colorado River’s key reservoirs dropped to historic lows. Federal officials said water use in the basin would have to be cut by 15% to 30%. States scrambled to meet consensus, tensions rose and, ultimately, no deal was reached. But the challenges on the river persisted, and federal officials said they’d need to consider changing the operations at Hoover Dam that holds back Lake Mead and Glen Canyon Dam, which controls Lake Powell. The reservoirs on the Colorado River are the largest built in the U.S. States regrouped and came up with competing ideas in January for reducing use. California proposed a plan separate from the other six states — Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. The proposals released Tuesday built on some of those ideas and rejected others. Shares of water for California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico come from Lake Mead. Under current rules, California doesn’t lose any water until Lake Mead falls below 1,045 feet (318 meters) — about a foot lower than it is now. Even under the worst-case scenario, California would fare better than its neighbors in the Lower Basin. The priority-based proposal would benefit cities and farm districts in California like the Imperial Valley. It’s a vast farming region in the southeast part of the state that grows a significant amount of the nation’s winter vegetables. The valley would lose no additional water under this proposal based on its senior rights. California is far worse off if cuts are spread more evenly. As Lake Mead dips lower, it would have to cut more water, eventually up to about one-fifth of its allocation.

Foot of rain causes severe flooding in South Florida in ‘1-in-1,000 year event’ Storms in South Florida brought almost a foot (30cm) of rain in a matter of hours on Wednesday, causing widespread flooding, closing the Fort Lauderdale airport and turning thoroughfares into rivers. That amount of rain in a 24-hour period was a “1-in-1,000 year event”, Ana Torres-Vazquez of the National Weather Service’s Miami office told CNN. Forecasts predicted more rain on Thursday as Fort Lauderdale issued a state of emergency with flooding persisting in parts of the city. Emergency crews had worked through the night to attend rescue calls, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. Stranded cars littered streets around eastern Broward county, where rains started Monday, with the heaviest downpours coming Wednesday afternoon and evening. Crews worked to clear drains and fire up pumps to clear standing water. People were told to stay off roads until it drained. The Red Cross arrived at 5am on Thursday and set up a staging area to help residents whose homes were flooded, providing them with blankets and coffee, officials said. The staging area also acted as a reunification point for families. Fort Lauderdale city hall remained closed on Thursday with ground-floor flooding and no power. More showers, thunderstorms and local flooding were in the forecast from the National Weather Service on Thursday morning. An additional 2 to 4in of rain was possible on top of the 14in that fell in recent days. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood international airport remained closed through at least noon on Thursday, with many flights canceled and some passengers stranded. Roads around the airport flooded and became congested with stalled traffic. By early Thursday, enough water had drained to allow people to drive on the upper level – or departures – road to pick up waiting passengers. But the entrance to the lower-level, or arrivals, road remained closed, officials tweeted. Video taken by witnesses showed water coming in the door at an airport terminal and a virtual river rushing down the tarmac between planes. In downtown Fort Lauderdale, video showed a man swimming to the curb along Broward Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon as as cars rolled by. Drivers also recorded themselves rolling through streets where brown, swirling water rose nearly to car hoods.

Catastrophic flood event in Fort Lauderdale after extreme 500 mm (20 inches) of rain in 12 hours, Florida - A catastrophic flood event hit Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 12, 2013, after extreme 508 mm (20 inches) of rain fell over the region in just 12 hours. Historic rainfall forced National Weather Service to issue a rare Flash Flood Emergency for Hollywood, Dania Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, warning residents a life-threatening situation was unfolding. The event occurred during Florida’s dry season due to a broad area of low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico and a stalled frontal system. More than 500 mm (20 inches) of rainfall was measured over the Ford Lauderdale region in just 12 hours on April 12. To put this in perspective, the city’s average monthly rainfall for the month of April is 89 mm (3.52 inches), so 500 mm (20 inches) in just 12 hours is more than five times the average April rainfall — making this extreme, historic, and record-breaking rainfall event. The floods prompted authorities to respond to numerous high-water rescue calls all over the city after many people ended up trapped in their vehicles, homes, and parking garages. Numerous abandoned cars were seen floating on Broward Blvd and Andrews Ave: The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport suffered severe flooding, forcing airport authorities to cancel all flights and stop roadway traffic at 16:15 EDT (20:15 UTC). At 19:25 EDT (23:25 UTC), the entrance and exit roads to the airport were still flooded and congested with vehicular traffic. Passengers were urged not to enter or leave the airport until the weather improves. At around 02:00 EDT on April 13 (06:00 UTC), the upper-level roadway at the airport reopened to accommodate travelers waiting for their family or friends to pick them up. However, the entrance to the lower-level arrivals road remained closed. Flights are not expected to continue until at least 12:00 EDT on April 13 (16:00 UTC). Broward County Public Schools, among the nation’s largest school districts and encompassing almost the entire Fort Lauderdale region, announced on Wednesday evening that all schools would be shut on Thursday. More than 12 000 customers — or about 31 200 people — were without power across the state. The number decreased to about 6 600 customers by 03:00 EDT (07:00 UTC). The record-breaking and historic rainfall mostly subsided by midnight (LT), but the rare Flash Flood Emergency stayed in place into April 13 for areas near Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, and Lauderhill. Residents were urged to get off the roads and seek higher ground.

Flooding closes Fort Lauderdale airport, schools amid record rainfall - — The city’s main hospital was knocked offline for all but emergency procedures. Floodwaters shorted out the electrical equipment and generators at City Hall. And for the second straight day, one of the nation’s busiest airports was closed, stranding tens of thousands of travelers. Want to know how your actions can help make a difference for our planet? Sign up for the Climate Coach newsletter, in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday. But according to Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis (D), it could have been worse. “The storm hit us at low tide,” Trantalis said, as his city remained crippled on Thursday by overwhelming rainfall. “That was a great help.” Throughout the region, residents grappled with the impacts of the record-breaking storm, which sat over Fort Lauderdale and its 300 miles of coastal canals Wednesday. The rain sent water surging through city streets, flooding hundreds of homes and vehicles, damaging critical infrastructure and leaving brackish water to stagnate under Florida’s April sun. A More than a third of the normal annual rainfall in Fort Lauderdale poured down in torrents over 12 hours Wednesday, triggering what meteorologists called a 1-in-1,000-year flood. Several areas received 20 to 25 inches of rain, including 25.91 inches at the airport, according to the National Weather Service’s Miami office. Even Florida’s frequent brushes with tropical storms and hurricanes have never produced as much rain. Fort Lauderdale’s previous record rainfall for a single day was 14.59 inches, set April 25, 1979; the city averages 3.02 inches of rain during the entire month of April. “This is worse than any hurricane we have had,” said Fort Lauderdale city commissioner Warren Sturman, who represents the southern part of the city and ticked off names of past storms he’s experienced since moving to the city in 1971. “This flooding here is worse than any thing else we have seen in this area.” Advertisement Sturman said the flooding appeared to peak in the neighborhoods that abut Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the nation’s 15th busiest, where water still covered parts of the runway on Thursday. Officials said the airport would remain closed at least until Friday morning. Fire and rescue crews from Broward County descended on neighborhoods near the airport Thursday, using boats and high-water rescue vehicles to free residents from their homes. Sturman estimates “at least hundreds and perhaps thousands” of people will need to find temporary shelter due to the flooding in Edgewood, River Oaks and other city neighborhoods closer to downtown skyscrapers, some of which also suffered flood damage.

Fort Lauderdale airport to remain closed until Friday morning after the rainiest day in the city’s history causes severe flooding — Fort Lauderdale experienced the rainiest day in its history Wednesday – a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event – sparking a flash flood emergency in Broward County that has prompted emergency rescues, forced drivers to abandon cars, shuttered schools and shut down the airport through 9 a.m. Friday. And more rain is coming down. The region recorded widespread rainfall totals of more than a foot, while Fort Lauderdale tallied 25.91 inches in a 24-hour period, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service office in Miami. Two weak tornadoes also hit Broward County Wednesday, one just west of Hollywood and another south of the Fort Lauderdale airport, according to the Miami National Weather Service. Both were short-lived and rated EF-0, the weakest category. More rain on Thursday caused more flooding, the city of Fort Lauderdale said Thursday evening. A flash flood warning for southern Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, has been extended until 9:30 p.m., the National Weather Service said. Between 2 and 3 inches of rain fell across the warning area Thursday afternoon, according to the service. An additional 1 to 3 inches is still possible, especially south of Fort Lauderdale near Hollywood. Between 14 and 20 inches of rain had drenched the greater Fort Lauderdale metro area since Wednesday afternoon, according to a Thursday morning update from the National Weather Service office in Miami. The deluge is the “most severe flooding that I’ve ever seen,” one mayor said. “This amount of rain in a 24-hour period is incredibly rare for South Florida,” said meteorologist Ana Torres-Vazquez from the weather service’s Miami forecast office. Rainfall of 20 to 25 inches is similar to what the area can receive with a high-end hurricane over more than a day, Torres-Vazquez explained. She described the rainfall as a “1-in-1,000 year event, or greater,” meaning it’s an event so intense, the chance of it happening in any given year is just 0.1%. During the peak of Wednesday’s deluge, a month’s worth of rain fell in just one hour. Fort Lauderdale’s average rainfall for April is 3 inches and it’s been nearly 25 years since the city totaled 20 inches of rain in an entire month.

Fort Lauderdale still underwater after record-breaking rainfall | Miami Herald - Dozens of stranded motorists were rescued from vehicles on streets underwater and residents were taken to safety by boat from flooded homes after Fort Lauderdale saw record rainfall that was more in a single day than in some recent hurricanes. A state of emergency was declared by the city and Broward County, the Red Cross deployed to a local park and Fort Lauderdale opened reunification centers for displaced residents. Major roads across the county were impassible and littered with abandoned cars swamped by the rapidly rising water. Roads into and out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were still closed Thursday, leading to a total airport shutdown that is expected to end Friday. The Henry E. Kinney Tunnel in Downtown Fort Lauderdale was closed due to flooding. “The amount of rainfall is unprecedented,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said Thursday morning. “No city could have planned for this, no weather service could have warned about this.” Broward County Public Schools announced Thursday evening the district’s more than 300 schools would remain closed Friday for a second day due to flooding and an estimated $2 million in school damage. “Regretfully, we could not fully assess all campuses nor complete all the necessary repairs at those we were able to assess. Additionally, many of our staff were unable to access school campuses due to heavy flooding,” Broward School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff said Thursday night when announcing Broward district schools will remain closed Friday and likely reopen Monday. READ MORE: Broward Schools to remain closed Friday, flooding leaves behind about $2 million in damage No deaths have been reported, but Trantalis said that his city alone received more than 900 calls for help as the floodwaters rose. Fort Lauderdale called the state for help, and Florida sent airboats and high-water rescue vehicles to retrieve stranded residents. While Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher is optimistic the airport will reopen Friday, he said the Federal Aviation Administration is doing an assessment Thursday to make sure it is safe. “Traffic is still coming and going hoping that they might be able to get on their plane, but that’s not going to happen,” Fisher said. “Please don’t come until we’re back open again.” While Trantalis said he expects the water to drain away slowly over the next few days, many roads remain blocked and city workers were vacuuming up excess water and unclogging drains across the city to speed things up. Even Fort Lauderdale’s city hall was flooded. Trantalis said the building’s air conditioning and generator were swamped. “It’ll be some time before we’re functioning again,” he said.

Fort Lauderdale: Hundreds of South Florida residents are in emergency shelters after 2 feet of rain trigger devastating flooding | CNN— Hundreds of Floridians were housed in emergency shelters in Fort Lauderdale late Thursday after monumental flooding wreaked havoc on the region, forcing hundreds of rescues and closing schools and government buildings as crews race to clear clogged drains and impassable roads. Many streets turned into lakes across Fort Lauderdale Wednesday and Thursday when a historic volume of rain exceeding 2 feet inundated the South Florida coastal city. Surrounding areas were also lashed with well above a foot of rain, leading to rapid flooding that trapped residents, made driving miserable for motorists and frustrated air travelers who could not leave the airport. Jeremy Ennis, who said he has been working in Fort Lauderdale for about 23 years, was stuck on a city road in his car Thursday as water levels remained high. “Never have I seen anything like this, ever,” Ennis told CNN. “I’ve never seen this volume of water, and I’ve seen (Hurricane) Katrina. I’ve seen many more hurricanes.” The aftermath of the rare heavy rain event is expected to persist Friday while an areal flood warning in Broward County – where Fort Lauderdale is located – remains in effect through 8 a.m. ET, according to the National Weather Service office in Miami. That type of warning is usually issued for flooding that could develop more gradually, typically after prolonged and persistent moderate to heavy rainfall, the weather service explained. Fort Lauderdale was hit with another round of rain Thursday evening that exacerbated flooding conditions, city officials said. “Roads that were passable earlier today are flooded again. We strongly urge everyone to stay off the roads, if possible,” Fort Lauderdale city officials said. The warning came as about 600 residents were in emergency shelter locations Thursday night, where they have access to lodging, food and other essentials. The flooding impacts have also prompted Broward County Public Schools Friday to cancel classes for the second consecutive day. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has been shut down and will reopen Friday at 9 a.m., according to an update from the airport. In addition to responding to hundreds of rescue calls Thursday, crews throughout the Fort Lauderdale metro area have been working to clear drains and deploy pumps where possible to help alleviate the devastating flooding impacts. Hollywood, Florida, Mayor Josh Levy said his city saw more than a foot of rain accumulate in areas that have been experiencing consecutive days of “seemingly nonstop rain.” “The ground was already saturated so there is extensive flooding all over our city and throughout South Florida. Many roadways are impassable. Lots of vehicles got stuck and left abandoned in the middle of our roadways. “I’ve lived here my whole life. This is the most severe flooding that I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Here's why the downpour in Fort Lauderdale just wouldn't stop- Usually, thunderstorms fizzle out after they run out of rain or get cold air sucked in. They run out of gas. But not Wednesday, when the storm that hit Fort Lauderdale had a gas station nearby -- the warm and moisture-rich Gulf Stream. The end result was more than 25 inches of rain drenching and flooding Fort Lauderdale in six to eight hours. That ranked among the top three in major U.S. cities over a 24-hour period, behind Hilo, Hawaii’s, 27 inches in 2000 and Port Arthur, Texas’s 26.5 inches in 2017, according to weather historian Chris Burt. While it could happen in other places in coastal America, Florida has the right topography, plenty of warm water nearby and other favorable conditions, said Greg Carbin, forecast branch chief at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center. Just two days before the downpour, Weather Prediction Center forecaster David Roth told colleagues that conditions were lining up similar to April 25, 1979, when 16 inches of rain fell on Fort Lauderdale, Carbin said. What parked over Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday was a supercell — the type of strong thunderstorm that can spawn killer tornadoes and hail and plows across the Great Plains and Mid-South in a fierce, fast-moving but short path of destruction, several meteorologists said. Normally a cell like that would “snuff itself out” in maybe 20 minutes or at least keep moving, Carbin said. But in Fort Lauderdale the supercell was in a lull between opposing weather systems, Carbin said. It lasted six to eight hours. “You had this extreme warmth and moisture that was just feeding into the cell and because it had a bit of a spin to it, it was essentially acting like a vacuum and sucking all that moisture back up into the main core of the system,” said Steve Bowen, a meteorologist and chief science officer for GallagherRe, a global reinsurance broker. “It just kept reigniting itself, essentially.” What was key, said former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, was “the availability of warm ocean air from the Gulf Stream was essentially infinite.” Other factors included a strong low pressure system, with counterclockwise winds, churning away in the toasty Gulf of Mexico, Maue and Carbin said. There was a temperature difference between the slightly cooler land in Florida and the 80-degree-plus Gulf Stream waters. Add to that wind shear, which is when winds are flowing in opposite directions at high and low altitude, helping to add some spin. Many of those conditions by themselves are not unusual, including the location of the Gulf Stream. But when they combined in a precise way, it acted like a continuous feeding loop that poured rain in amounts that the National Weather Service in Miami called a 1-in-1,000 chance.

Tropical Cyclone “Ilsa” - Landfall expected as Category 4 cyclone, widespread impacts forecast across large parts of Western Australia - - Tropical Storm “Ilsa” formed on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, near the coast of Western Australia as the 7th named storm of the 2022/23 Australian region cyclone season. Landfall is expected east of Port Hedland late Thursday or early Friday (LT), as a Category 4 cyclone on the Australian cyclone scale. The VERY DESTRUCTIVE CORE of Ilsa, with extreme gusts up to 270 km/h (168 mph) is expected to cross the coast between De Grey and west of Bidyadanga late Thursday night, April 13 or early Friday morning (LT), and move further inland Friday morning. Widespread impacts are likely across large parts of Western Australia and eventually Central Australia over the coming days. At 06:00 UTC on April 12, Ilsa was a Category 3 cyclone with sustained winds near the center of 120 km/h (75 mph) with gusts to 165 km/h (102 mph). Its center was located about 370 km (230 miles) NW of Broome and 500 km (310 miles) N of Port Hedland, Western Australia. The system was moving WSW at 7 km/h (4 mph). Ilsa is expected to move southwest towards the Pilbara coast and reach Category 4 on Thursday morning. “A severe impact is likely along the coast and adjacent inland parts between east of Port Hedland and west of Bidyadanga, in the vicinity of Wallal Downs, during late Thursday or early Friday,” BOM meteorologists said in and update posted at 06:00 UTC today. “During Friday, Ilsa is forecast to maintain tropical cyclone intensity as it tracks past Telfer and further inland across the Northern Interior district.” The VERY DESTRUCTIVE CORE of Ilsa, with extreme gusts up to 270 km/h (168 mph) is expected to cross the coast between De Grey and west of Bidyadanga late Thursday night, April 13 or early Friday morning (LT), and move further inland Friday morning. DESTRUCTIVE WINDS with gusts to 155 km/h (96 mph) may develop near the coast between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland during Thursday afternoon or evening, extending inland as far as Marble Bar later on Thursday and to Telfer Friday morning. DAMAGING WINDS with gusts to 90 km/h (56 mph) may develop between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland during early Thursday afternoon. DAMAGING winds may extend further west to Port Hedland later Thursday if Ilsa moves further to the west. DAMAGING WINDS may extend further to Beagle Bay later Thursday, including Broome, if Ilsa tracks further east. DAMAGING WINDS are expected to extend inland to Marble Bar during Thursday afternoon, to Telfer early Friday and to Kiwirrkurra by Friday evening. HEAVY RAINFALL and squally thunderstorms are expected over the western Kimberley, and may extend to the eastern Pilbara from Thursday and Northern Interior from Friday. 200 to 400 mm (8 – 16 inches) of rainfall is possible during Thursday and Friday near where Ilsa crosses the coast.5:19 AM

Cyclone Ilsa update: Cyclone Ilsa upgraded to category 5 as 'destructive core' forms The most destructive storm in more than a decade will hit Western Australia in the coming hours. Cyclone Ilsa has been upgraded to a category 5 storm and is expected to cross the coast between Port Hedland and Wallal Downs around midnight or in the early hours of Friday morning. It's too late for residents between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland and to Marble Bar to flee, with a red alert issued for people to take shelter as the "very destructive core" of the cyclone formed. The red alert does not include Bidyadanga or Marble Bar. At 5pm (7pm AEST) the powerful weather system was 285 kilometres north of Port Hedland and had sustained winds near the centre of 205km/h and gusts up to 285km/h.Extreme wind gusts of up to 315km/h are expected to impact the areas near Pardoo Roadhouse and De Grey tonight.Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Commissioner Darren Klemm told the community this afternoon people under red alert need to shelter in place and cannot go outside."It is incredibly dangerous to be out in those environments and it risks the lives of first responders to go out there and protect those people," Klemm said."We do not want to see anyone outside of rated structures once the red alert is put on."A yellow alert has been issued for people between Port Hedland to Whim Creek (not including Port Hedland), including Marble Bar, Telfer and Nullagine, with residents told to take action and get ready to shelter from the cyclone.Abnormally high tides are also possible between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland as the system crosses the coast tonight or during early Friday morning.Meteorologists have predicted in some locations the tide may be close to or exceed the highest astronomical tide of the year.

Category 5 Tropical Cyclone “Ilsa” makes landfall in Western Australia, setting the country’s new landfall wind speed record - Tropical Cyclone “Ilsa” made landfall as a Category 5 system in a sparsely populated area of Western Australia around 16:00 UTC on April 13, 2023 (00:00 LT on April 14), as the strongest cyclone to hit the region in 14 years. With a 10-minute sustained wind speed of 218 km/h (135 mph) registered at Bedout Island, Ilsa has set Australia’s new wind speed record at landfall. The previous record was 194 km/h (120 mph), set in 2007 by Tropical Cyclone “George”, also at Bedout Island. Ilsa had one-minute sustained winds of 240 km/h (149 mph), and three-second sustained winds of 295 km/h (183 mph), both new records. The cyclone made landfall about 100 km (62 miles) north of Port Hedland, a city with the world’s largest export site for iron ore, but only minor destruction was reported as most vessels were moved farther west ahead of landfall. There have been no reports of injury to people and critical infrastructure was not damaged.

Ocean Surface Temperatures Reach Record High - The global ocean surface temperature reached 21.1°C (approximately 70°F) in early April, the highest recorded ocean surface temperature since records began. The recorded high beat the previous highest ocean surface temperature of 21.0°C, recorded in 2016.The daily Sea Surface Temperature hit 21.1°C on April 1 and remained there through April 6, as recorded by theClimate Reanalyzer, a tool from the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute.“The current trajectory looks like it’s headed off the charts, smashing previous records,” Matthew England, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales, told The Guardian. While the previous few years, under La Niña conditions, saw slightly cooler sea surface temperatures, experts are now seeing heat rising up to the ocean surface. Global warming can further contribute to rising ocean temperatures, and globally, we are seeing an average of 0.32° F (0.18° C) warming per decade.The record ocean surface temperatures could foreshadow El Niño conditions later in 2023. With these patterns, we could see more flooding around the Gulf Coast in the U.S. and in the southeastern part of the country. Warming ocean surface temperatures can also alter food webs and marine ecosystems.In 2016, when the previous highest sea surface temperature was recorded, El Niño was occurring. This phenomenon typically happens when global temperatures are higher, and as The Washington Post reported, last month had a global average temperature about 0.92°F higher than the normal temperature recorded for 1991 to 2020.With La Niña, the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming are often subdued, making surface temperatures cooler.“The recent ‘triple dip’ La Niña has come to an end. This prolonged period of cold was tamping down global mean surface temperatures despite the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” said Mike McPhaden, a senior research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as reported by The Guardian. “Now that it’s over, we are likely seeing the climate change signal coming through loud and clear.”Warmer ocean surface temperatures may also mean more marine heatwaves, and the conditions leading to ocean warming may also lead to increasing temperatures on land. Researchers are already recording an unusually high amount of extreme marine heatwaves occurring at once. Rising temperatures and increasing heatwaves can lead to several negative consequences, from melting ice and increasing sea level rise to more severe storms and risks to marine life, including coral bleaching events.

Ocean's rise takes a surprising turn - Sea levels across the Southeastern United States are rising three times faster than the global average.That’s according to a new study from the journal Nature Communications,writes POLITICO’s E&E News reporter Chelsea Harvey. Another study publishedearlier this month in the Journal of Climate found a similar pattern.The findings suggest that communities along the U.S. Gulf and Southeastern coastlines, from Houston to New Orleans and Miami to Cape Hatteras, N.C., could be at even greater risk from rising tides than scientists had predicted.In recent years, the already vulnerable landscape has seen increased flooding, more severe hurricanes and eroding shorelines that once provided protection from storm surges. Millions of Americans are watching their shorelines not-so-gradually slip into the ocean as flood damages rise and insurance costs spike. Human-caused global warming — primarily from burning fossil fuels — is driving sea-level rise worldwide. But the disproportionate rate in the southeastern U.S. is somewhat of a mystery. Scientists agree that physical ocean dynamics are likely to blame, but the nature of those dynamics is less clear.Researchers thought perhaps the tidal rises were exacerbated by sinking land, a notable problem in parts of Texas and Louisiana. But they found no real connection between sea-level rise and sinking land in the regionMeltwater from the world’s shrinking glaciers and ice sheets has contributed to a global acceleration in sea-level rise — but it doesn’t fully explain the pattern happening on U.S. coastlines.Some researchers suggest that warming waters and changing wind patterns have altered the ocean’s circulation in parts of the North Atlantic and the Caribbean, changing the way masses of water flow up to U.S. coastlines. Others say perhaps the increase is being driven by changes in a warm-water current passing through the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers say the accelerated sea-level rise could slow back down eventually, but no one knows if that’s probable or how long it might take — adding another uncertainty to the consequences of a warming planet.

Sea level rise along southern U.S. happening faster than previously thought - Scientists have documented an abnormal and dramatic surge in sea levels along the U.S. gulf and southeastern coastlines since about 2010, raising new questions about whether New Orleans, Miami, Houston and other coastal communities might be even more at risk from rising seasthan once predicted. The acceleration, while relatively short-lived so far, could have far-reaching consequences in an area of the United States that has seen massive development as the wetlands, mangroves and shorelines that once protected it are shrinking. An already vulnerable landscape that is home to millions of people is growing more vulnerable, more quickly, potentially putting a large swath of America at greater risk from severe storms and flooding.The increase has already had major effects, researchers found. Onestudy suggests that recent devastating hurricanes, including Michael in 2018 and Ian last year, were made considerably worse by a faster-rising ocean. Federal tide gauge data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest that the sea level, as measured by tide gauge at Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, is eight inches higher than it was in 2006, just after Hurricane Katrina. “The entire Southeast coast and the Gulf Coast is feeling the impact of the sea level rise acceleration,” said Jianjun Yin, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona and the author of one of two academic studies published in recent weeks that describe the changes.Yin’s study, published in the Journal of Climate, calculates the rate of sea-level rise since 2010 at more than 10 millimeters — or one centimeter — per year in the region, or nearly 5 inches in total through 2022. That is more than double the global average rate of about 4.5 millimeters per year since 2010, based on satellite observations of sea level from experts at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While the annual totals might sound minor, even small changes in sea levels over time can have destructive consequences. Yin’s study suggested that Hurricanes Michael and Ian, two of the strongest stormsever to hit the United States, were made considerably worse in part from additional sea level rise.“It turns out that the water level associated with Hurricane Ian was the highest on record due to the combined effect of sea-level rise and storm surge,” Yin said.A second study by a long list of sea-level experts, led by Sönke Dangendorf of Tulane University and published in Nature Communications, finds the same trend since 2010 across the U.S. Gulf Coast and southeastern coastlines, calling the rise “unprecedented in at least 120 years.”

Shallow M6.0 earthquake hits near Vancouver Island, Canada - A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit near Vancouver Island, Canada at 15:54 UTC on April 13, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 7.3 km (4.5 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was located 237.7 km (147.7 miles) SW of Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada. 14 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking. The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building type is low-rise reinforced/confined masonry construction.

Very deep M7.0 earthquake hits near the coast of Java, Indonesia - A very strong and deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.0 hit near the northern coast of Java, Indonesia at 09:55 UTC on April 14, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 594 km (369 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.7 at a depth of 603 km (374 miles). BMKG is reporting it as M6.6 at a depth of 632 km (393 miles). The epicenter was located 97.1 km (60.4 miles) N of Tuban (population 76 242) and 157.6 km (97.9 miles) NNW of Surabaya (population 2 374 658). 44 681 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking. There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, BMKG said. The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick with concrete floor and precast concrete frame with wall construction.

Massive eruption at Sheveluch volcano produces strongest ashfall in 60 years, Russia - The Watchers - (videos) A powerful explosive eruption took place at Russia’s Sheveluch volcano at 13:10 UTC on April 10, 2023. As a result, KVERT raised the Aviation Color Code from Orange to Red. Very heavy ashfall — the strongest in 60 years — was reported in Klyuchi and other nearby cities and villages. According to the Tokyo VAAC, volcanic ash reached 15.8 km (52 000 feet) above sea level by 13:40 UTC. By 19:20 UTC, the distance of the ash plume/cloud was 300 km (186 miles) WNW of the volcano. At 05:48 UTC on April 11, the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) said strong explosive eruption of the volcano continues. “Explosions sent ash up to 8 km (26 200 feet) a.s.l., ash clouds are drifting about 430 km (270 miles) to the west-south-west and to the south of the volcano.1 Ash explosions up to 15 km (49 200 feet) a.s.l. could occur at any time, KVERT said, adding that ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.

Bright daylight fireball explodes over Maine - first radar-observed meteorite fall in the state, U.S. - A bright daylight fireball exploded over Maine, U.S. at 15:52 UTC (11:52 EDT) on April 8, 2023, causing loud sonic booms and lighting up the daytime sky. Four radar sweeps recorded signatures consistent with falling meteorites, making this the first radar-observed meteorite fall seen in Maine. While the American Meteor Society (AMS) received only 6 reports, eyewitnesses said the fireball was bright even in midday, followed by loud sonic booms near Calais, Maine. Signatures from falling meteorites were seen in data from a single NOAA NEXRAD radar (KCBW, Houlton, ME), NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) reported.1 Four radar sweeps recorded signatures consistent with falling meteorites, seen at the time and location reported by eyewitnesses. The first appearance of falling meteorites occurred at 15:57:43.5 UTC at an altitude of 7.44 km (4.6 miles) above sea level. The last signature appeared at 16:02:23.7 UTC at 2.376 km (1.47 miles) a.s.l., for a total elapsed observation time of 4 minutes and 40 seconds. This observation time is relatively short, but this is maybe because only one NEXRAD radar was within range of the fall. Meteorite masses calculated from the radar signatures range from 1.59 to 322 g (0.056 – 11.4 ounces) although larger masses may have fallen. Meteorites in this event fell directly into winds of up to about 160 km/h (100 mph), carrying smaller meteorites across the border into Canada. This is the first radar-observed meteorite fall seen in Maine.

Students set to land first US rover on the moon — before NASA - After 65 years of lunar exploration, the United States is finally going to put its first autonomous rover on the moon. But this mission won’t be helmed by NASA engineers — instead, it is the brainchild of a dedicated group of college students. The Iris rover was developed by students, faculty and alumni at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania over the span of three years. It is being carried to the moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, the agency’s foray into partnering with the commercial space industry. Initially, it was scheduled to launch in late 2021 or early 2022, but setbacks in NASA’s moon agenda delayed the launch to this spring. The mission represents America’s first moon rover (NASA's Viper rover is scheduled to launch next year), as well as the first rover to be developed by university students. The 4.4 pound (2 kilograms) rover has a chassis as big as a shoebox, and its carbon-fiber wheels are the size of bottle caps. Its 60-hour-long mission will be a primarily visual one: snapping images of the moon’s surface for geographic study. It will also test new localization techniques as it transmits data about its position back to Earth. In addition to Iris, the Carnegie Mellon team plans to send along an art installation called the MoonArk, a tiny time capsule filled with poems, music, pictures and small objects. The project is meant to convey a narrative "that is moving to people now, but also 1,000 years down the road," Dylan Vitone(opens in new tab), an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon and MoonArk director said in astatement(opens in new tab). A second, identical ark is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

China eyes building base on the moon using lunar soil -China is looking to start work on building a base on the moon using lunar soil within the next five years, according to state media.Beijing “aims to establish a basic model for a lunar research station base by 2028 and expand it into an international one,” state outlet CGTN reports.The state-run China Daily said Beijing also plans to launch a probe to retrieve the world’s first soil sample from the far side of the moon around 2025.The U.S., China and Russia have long been jostling for power in space, and some officials havestressed the security importance of the U.S. keeping up with space and cyber advances. NASAaims to once again put astronauts back on the lunar surface by around 2025.China’s ambitious plan to set up a lunar station comes after a meeting of over a hundred Chinese scientists and researchers to discuss potential lunar infrastructure, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Reuters reports that a robot capable of making bricks out of lunar soil will be part of China’s China’s Chang’e-8 mission around 2028.

Louisiana lawmakers seek carbon capture crackdown --Last year, Congress pledged $3.5 billion to carbon capture and sequestration projects around the United States, which has been called the largest federal investment ever by advocates for the technology. But environmental justice advocates and residents of legacy pollution communities are wary of the technology, with many calling it a "false solution." In meeting after meeting, state lawmakers and parish leaders in the area around Lake Maurepas have been raked over the coals by local residents who are anxious and angry over plans for major carbon capture projects. State and industry leaders have lauded the plans to pump vast amounts of carbon produced in industrial processes deep underground as a way to reduce pollution and boost the economy. But over the past year, numerous residents have voiced alarm over what they see as a safety risk and a threat to the area's environment. Under pressure from constituents, local parish councils passed temporary bans to halt carbon capture projects. But a federal judge recently overturned one of those bans, casting doubt on local leaders' authority to intervene. Now state legislators who represent the area want to take matters into their own hands. Some are proposing statewide rules to restrict carbon capture, like requiring local elections to approve carbon capture projects, making companies liable for any damage caused by the projects or barring the use of eminent domain to seize private property for pipelines and other carbon capture infrastructure. Other lawmakers are proposing bills that would specifically block the projects in the area around Lake Maurepas.

BP proposes carbon capture and storage in northern Indiana - In a series of open houses throughout the area, BP is bringing information and proposals to county governments and landowners for carbon capture and storage (CCS) through a process that takes carbon emissions, processes them into liquid form and pipes it thousands of feet underground to be stored “forever.” BP, which has an oil refinery in Whiting, is seeking permission from county board of commissioners to do seismic testing for the CCS. The London-based company proposes using the geology in White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Pulaski and Lake counties to store the carbon dioxide from its facilities in Whiting, as well as processing emissions from other manufacturers at depths of at least 3,000 ft in what is called Mt. Simon sandstone, which exists underneath Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The company says this depth is well below water tables and would not affect wells. By using the sandstone, which is porous, the CO2 (carbon dioxide) would mix with extremely salty water found at those depths and dissolve. They want to research the geology in these counties by using seismic vibrations to determine whether there are faults or fractures in the northwest Indiana area. After the seismic studies, they would construct an “appraisal well” to take bore samples examine the samples of rock. They propose building pipelines to areas determined to be appropriate for sending the carbon underground. Much of the land they would use to bore into the earth would be farm ground and the company will talk to landowners about building deep wells to permanently store the toxic gas. According to the information from BP, an ethanol plant in Decatur, Illinois, has been storing CO2 underground since 2016 with over 3.5 million tons stored far below the surface. The flyer states, “The proposed BP project would use the same rock formations that have been proven to work there.” Underground injection and permanent storage began in the 1990s with over 30 projects operating across the globe, according to BP. The plan is not without controversy. The Citizens Action Coalition, based in Indianapolis, is not a proponent of storing the CO2 underground. They are concerned about possible contamination of water, seismic activity, public health and property values and rights.

Midwest CO2 pipelines push ahead as bills fizzle - Companies planning carbon capture projects in the Midwest are defeating legislative proposals to add regulations or block them, increasing the likelihood that a sprawling network of planned pipelines to transport the greenhouse gas will move ahead. The pipeline proposals, which envision moving carbon dioxide from ethanol and fertilizer plants to sequestration sites in Illinois and North Dakota, are viewed by supporters as pivotal for addressing climate change even as they are opposed by some landowners. The legislative debates in the Corn Belt are raising concerns about eminent domain and underground CO2 injection in the region. Of more than two dozen bills filed in six states this year affecting carbon capture and sequestration projects, none has passed so far. Those measures that did advance later fizzled. The Iowa House passed a bill related to eminent domain for CO2 pipelines, but the measure stalled last week when it didn’t clear a Senate committee in advance of a legislative deadline. And in the Dakotas, bills related to eminent domain and landowner protections passed one legislative chamber but died in the other. Avoiding delays or additional regulations of projects to transport and sequester carbon dioxide is a win for the CO2 pipeline developers, Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator CO2 Ventures and Wolf Carbon Solutions U.S. Inc., whose projects are spurred by low-carbon fuel standards on the West Coast and federal tax credits. In all, three proposed pipelines would reach more than 3,000 miles across the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. But an unusual mix of opponents, including environmental groups and some conservative politicians and rural landowners, vow to keep pushing to adopt new, tougher regulations for CO2 pipelines and delay or block projects entirely even as state and federal regulators weigh permit applications. Among them is Bud Jermeland, a farm equipment dealership manager in Iowa who chairs the Hancock County Republican Party. He’s furious with the state’s GOP leadership for blocking bills that would restrict eminent domain and puts the blame squarely on Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, adding that a lot of fellow Republicans in this solid red state feel the same way. He said he believes the governor pushed lawmakers to kill the bill. “There’s a lot of ticked-off people — solid Republican people,” Jermeland said in an interview. “You can’t believe how many people in my party are worked up about this.”

EPA reportedly planning to announce significant limits on tailpipe emissions to boost electric vehicle adoption - The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to announce significant limits on tailpipe emissions this week that would require as much as 67% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2032 to be all-electric cars, according to areport by The New York Times Saturday.EPA Administrator Michael Regan is expected to make the announcement in Detroit on Wednesday. The proposed limits would be the U.S.' most aggressive climate regulations to date, and they would create a host of challenges for automakers.Under the proposed limits, electric cars will represent between 54% and 60% of new cars sold in the U.S. by 2030, and between 64% to 67% of new cars by 2032, the Times report said. These figures are ambitious, as just 5.8% of cars sold in 2022 were electric, up from 3.2% in 2021, according to a report by Cox Automotive.These limits would also surpass President Joe Biden's previous goal to have all-electric cars make up around 50% of cars sold by 2030."As directed by the President in an executive order, the EPA is developing new standards that will seize on this historic progress to accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions transportation future, protecting people and the planet," an EPA spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. "Once the interagency review process is completed, the proposals will be signed, published in the Federal Register, and made available for public review and comment."The spokesperson declined to provide specific details about the regulations.Many automakers have already begun to make significant investments in electric vehicles, but forcing such rapid adoption of the technology will present challenges. Large numbers of all-electric cars will require expansive charging infrastructure, for instance.In February, the Biden administration said it wants to see at least 500,000 electric vehicle chargers on U.S. roads by 2030, and announced a slate of initiatives to help make that a reality, including commitments from companies that build and operate charging networks like Tesla, General Motors, Ford, ChargePoint and others. Even if the infrastructure is in place, consumers ultimately have to be willing to adopt electric vehicles, which means companies will also have to be able to maintain reasonable vehicle costs.

Proposed EPA tailpipe carbon emissions standards are 'strongest ever' - The proposed rules by the Environmental Protection Agency, which govern greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from light-duty vehicles such as cars, trucks and SUVs, call for a 56% reduction for the applicable model years 2027 to 2032. The EPA projects that by 2055, the rules would remove nearly 10 billion tons of carbon emissions — equal to twice the total U.S. carbon emissions in 2022 — reducing fine particulate matter in the air that can have negative health effects and potentially saving up to $1.6 trillion.EPA Administrator Michael Regan, in a virtual briefing ahead of a news conference on Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C., called the targets, which will undergo a public comment period before being finalized, "ambitious." In August 2021, President Joe Biden had set a goal for half of new U.S. vehicle sales to be all-electric by 2030. Now, the new standard suggests EV penetration would be at 60% by 2030 to meet the proposed standards.EVs represented 5.8% of U.S. sales in 2022, according to AutoForecast Solutions LLC, which expects that to jump to 8.8% this year. But even by 2032, the market forecast firm is unsure adoption will reach 45%. Other analysts' predictions also fall below the EPA's proposed 67%.

EPA releases 'strongest-ever' carbon rules for cars - EPA releases 'strongest-ever' carbon rules for cars - EPA will propose tailpipe emissions rules Wednesday that could exponentially increase the number of electric vehicles on the nation’s roads within a decade. The regulations to reduce smog, soot and climate pollution from cars and trucks aim to make up to 67 percent of new cars sold in the U.S. carbon-free by 2032, agency officials said Tuesday, outlining a plan that could plunge the country into a transformative era in which gasoline-powered vehicles are largely replaced by cars that are refueled with an electric cord. The rules, to be released Wednesday morning, promise to ignite political battles ahead of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and court challenges over the federal government’s power to lower carbon emissions from fossil fuels. The plan would also electrify roughly 46 percent of new medium-duty vehicles, such as landscaping and delivery trucks, by 2032. A separate proposal for heavy-duty trucks would transform between 25 and 50 percent of large rigs into EVs, depending on the subcategory. It will also be released Wednesday. EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters on a Tuesday call that the rules for model years 2027 to 2032 would be “the strongest-ever federal pollution standards for cars and trucks.” “Together, these actions will accelerate the ongoing transition to a clean vehicles future, tackle the climate crisis and improve our air quality for communities across the country,” he said.

EPA rule nods to public demand for EVs - Shortly after he took office, President Joe Biden said he wanted half of new cars in the country to be powered by batteries or other pollution-free powertrains by the end of the decade. Two years later, EPA is poised to release regulations that exceed his goal and could put electric vehicles in the fast lane, reflecting how consumer sentiment and the car industry have changed in the interim. The agency’s upcoming greenhouse gas standards could result in two-thirds of new cars being powered by electricity or other zero-emissions sources by 2032. The rules could be released as soon as Wednesday. Electric vehicles made up about 5.6 percent of cars and trucks sold in 2022 — not nearly enough to achieve the large emissions reductions that scientists say are needed to avoid debilitating impacts of climate change. Yet analysts say there’s a growing appetite among consumers for vehicles that can be refueled with an electric cord rather than filling up at a gas station. “Honestly, the vehicles being delivered by automakers are a lot better — people are willing to sit on waiting lists for two or three years,” said Chris Harto, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “There’s a huge amount of pent-up demand for EVs right now, and automakers aren’t delivering.” The EPA rules will reinforce automakers’ move toward EVs, said Mike Ramsey, an automotive analyst at the consultancy Gartner. “These rules would really just take away any sort of safety net or ability to turn back,” he said, adding that automakers will likely also press EPA for loopholes “to give wriggle room to the market.” The upcoming regulations come as the federal government is pouring billions of dollars into the construction of charging stations along highways and incentives for people who buy EVs. But they also come as the Biden administration is potentially raising the cost of electric cars by requiring manufacturers to use minerals in their batteries from selected trading partners and some American parts and workers. So far, the popularity of EVs is on the rise, and that could increase if the EPA rules lead to more models, some advocates said. On the other hand, it’s unknown if automakers will be able to produce EVs for the mass market while also overcoming the tremendous expense of bringing a new kind of vehicle to scale. For that reason, today’s EVs carry a higher price tag than traditional models.

Climate law could insulate Biden’s EV push in court - Each time EPA has tried to regulate vehicle emissions, its efforts have been met with challenges in federal court. The agency’s expected proposal this week to boost electric vehicle deployment is unlikely to be any different. But this time around, EPA has a new tool in its legal arsenal to defend its attempt to tackle one of the nation’s leading sources of planet-warming emissions — the freshly minted Inflation Reduction Act. The landmark climate law passed in 2022 is expected to buffer EPA’s anticipated regulation against scrutiny from a federal judiciary where conservative jurists — particularly at the Supreme Court — are increasingly skeptical of agencies seizing power that hasn’t been specifically delegated to them by Congress. “It’s Congress directly weighing in to provide direct support for zero-emitting vehicles,” said Peter Zalzal, senior counsel at the Environmental Defense Fund, of the Inflation Reduction Act. President Joe Biden as soon as Wednesday could announce performance-based auto emissions standards, which could be strong enough to result in electric-powered cars making up as much as 67 percent of the new vehicle fleet by 2032, The New York Times reported Saturday, expanding on an earlier report from Bloomberg.. Details of the proposal aren’t yet public, but if the past is prologue, the initiative is likely to end up in court: Republican-led states are already suing EPA over its emissions standards for cars in model years 2024 through 2026, and a separate lawsuit is pending over California’s authority to write tougher tailpipe regulations than the agency’s national standards. And later this week, a federal appeals court will hear arguments over the EPA science that underpins the agency’s climate rules. Conservative think tanks and climate skeptics have sought for years to force the agency to rescind its 2009 endangerment finding that supports EPA regulations to reduce emissions from sources like cars, trucks and power plants. “Given the likelihood of litigation, EPA must ensure it has adequately addressed key Clean Air Act requirements, such as allowing sufficient lead time and feasibility for automakers to meet new mandates,” said Matthew Leopold, who served as the agency’s general counsel under former President Donald Trump, of the expected new vehicle emissions standards.

Biden wants to coax Americans into electric cars. These 3 groups have other ideas. - President Joe Biden’s attempt to force automobile companies to supercharge the supply of electric vehicles could spur a huge fight with the oil and gas industry — and provoke a partisan feeding frenzy from Republicans looking for their next gas-stoves-style culture war.The automakers themselves — the industry most directly affected — expressed wary resignation about Wednesday’s proposed pollution standards, despite cautioning that the swift transition Biden is envisioning may not be practical.But elements of the oil industry, which has a lot to lose if gasoline-fueled cars fade from the nation’s highways, are already suing to block a previous Biden-era auto pollution rule. The ethanol industry, whose product is blended into gasoline, joined that lawsuit. So did several Republican-led states, who argued that the Environmental Protection Agency lacks the authority to order such a sweeping change in how Americans get around.People in the oil industry were surprised at how ambitious EPA’s newest rule is, multiple oil industry lobbyists said, complaining that Biden’s regulators had skipped the Obama administration’s practice of meeting with outside groups while prepping a rule.“The administration on these things, they tend to go big,” said Bruce Thompson, CEO of oil and grid consulting and lobbying firm CapeDC Advisors, adding that he saw the proposal mostly as a messaging exercise meant to energize Biden’s green supporters. “It’s almost as if they’re trying to convince people they’re actually doing something. It’s way over the top… I suspect a lot of this is theater.”Biden’s supporters said they’re sure the new rules will hold up in court, noting that Congress enacted a climate law last year that’s pouring billions of dollars into the effort to get more electric cars on the road. And administration officials expressed confidence that the auto industry can meet the EPA’s audacious goal of having electric vehicles account for two-thirds of new sales by 2032 — despite the carmakers’ public misgivings.But whether the rule can succeed depends on multiple complicated issues, including the average electric vehicle’s hefty price tag, the patchy state of the nation’s charging infrastructure, and the Treasury Department’s recent tightening of a $7,500 tax incentive that was supposed to make EVs more affordable. Other challenges include China’s dominance of the supply chain for batteries and the need to upgrade the U.S. power grid.

America's charging network is the biggest hurdle electric vehicles face - A mishmash of broken chargers are endangering the electric vehicle transition — just as it’s getting started. The Biden administration just unveiled a proposal for some of the mostaggressive auto climate rules in the world — the latest step for a White House that has gone all-in on electric vehicles. But America’s EV transition faces a threat few are talking about — not because of high car costs or a lack of automaker support, but the country’s broken and dysfunctional public charging system.Most EV drivers charge their vehicles at home. But as Americans buy EVs — to the tune of 7 percent of all new vehicle registrations in January — more and more people are finding that the public charging system is unreliable, inconvenient and simply confusing.“I’ve seen people wait because there are only four chargers and two of them are out of service,” said Bill Ferro, the founder of EVSession, a software firm that tracks charger reliability. “Everything that I’ve seen shows that it’s driving away current and potential EV owners.”Drivers might show up at a DC-fast charging station — which can fill a vehicle’s battery by 80 percent in about 20 minutes — to find that most of the chargers are broken. Or one might work, but only if the driver installs a particular app on their phone, creates an account and loads money onto it.Last year, in a study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and the climate advocacy group Cool the Earth, researchers tested every single fast charging station in the San Francisco Bay Area.They found that more than a quarter of the 657 charging points didn’t function during a two-minute charging test. Sometimes the charging cable couldn’t reach the vehicle’s charging port; other times the payment system wouldn’t work; sometimes the charger’s screen was broken or the network was down.

Why America's EV chargers keep breaking - Imagine living in a world where the gas station has trouble providing gasoline. Every few times a driver fills up, something goes haywire — the gas doesn’t flow, or it flows fast for a while and then slows to a trickle. Other times, the credit card payment is mysteriously rejected or the screen is blank. If the consumer wants a helping hand, too bad. In this world, the gas station has no human, and the only option is a 1-800 number. The gas pumps are alone in the middle of a big parking lot. Swap the word “gasoline” for “electricity,” and this is a realistic description of what happens every day at electric-vehicle charging stations across the United States. The high-tech, high-speed highway fueling system that America is building to power its EVs and replace the gas station is riddled with glitches that are proving difficult to stamp out. Individually, they are hiccups, but collectively, their consequences could be profound. “It adds to the non-EV driver’s view of the world that EV charging is painful,” said Bill Ferro, a software expert and founder of EVSession, an EV charger analytics firm. “People feeling that it’s a risk to buy an EV because the fast-charging infrastructure stinks is going to slow down EV adoption.” The problems are experienced by those who use fast chargers on the go and who aren’t driving Teslas. Studies and innumerable anecdotes describe the strange stumbles they encounter: a blank screen, a broken plug, a credit card payment that fails, sessions that abort without warning, electric current that flows fast this moment and slowly the next. Behind the snafus are a daunting set of structural problems. They are tied to the peculiar way that EV chargers have evolved, and the fact that wires and batteries are way more complicated than what happens at the gas station.

Biden administration approves construction of 700-mile transmission line across US West -The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Tuesday that it has approved the construction of a 732-mile high-voltage transmission line across the Western U.S. that will help transport renewable energy. The transmission line, called the TransWest Express Project, will run from south-central Wyoming through northwestern Colorado and central Utah before reaching its endpoint in southern Nevada, according to the BLM.The project is part of broader Biden administration goals to modernize power infrastructure in the U.S. West and achieve a carbon-free electricity grid by 2035, the agency stated.“This large-scale transmission line will put people to work across our public lands and will help deliver clean, renewable energy,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in a statement.“Our responsible use of public lands today can help ensure a clean energy future for us all,” Stone-Manning added.TransWest Express, which is expected to create 1,000 new jobs, will transport electricity generated by North America’s largest onshore wind venture, the 3-gigawatt Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, located in Wyoming.Building out new transmission lines from this 600-turbine project will help deliver clean and reliable electricity to customers throughout the region, according to the BLM.TransWest Express will be the second high-voltage, multi-state transmission line approved by the BLM Wyoming State Office within the last year, after the office greenlit the construction of Energy Gateway South in May 2022, the agency stated. That 416-mile transmission line will run from a substation in southeastern Wyoming through Colorado, ending at another substation in central Utah, per the BLM.

U.S. power demand seen sliding 1% in 2023 on milder weather - (Reuters) - U.S. power consumption is expected to slip about 1% in 2023 from the previous year as milder weather slows usage from the record high hit in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday. EIA projected that electricity demand is on track to slide to 4,000 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2023 from a historic high of 4,048 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2022, before rising to 4,062 billion kWh in 2024 as economic growth ramps up. Less demand coupled with more electricity generation from cheap renewable power sources and lower natural gas prices is forecast to slash wholesale power prices this year, the EIA said. The on-peak wholesale price at the North hub in Texas’ ERCOT power market is expected to average about $35 per megawatt-hour (MWh) in 2023 compared with an average of nearly $80/MWh in 2022. As capacity for renewables like solar and wind ramp up and as natural gas prices ease, the EIA said it expects coal-fired power generation to be 17% less in the spring of 2023 than in the spring of 2022. Coal will provide an average of 17% of total U.S. generation this year, down from 20% last year, the EIA said. The share of total generation supplied by natural gas is seen remaining at about the same this year at 39%. The nuclear share of generation is seen rising slightly to 20% this year from 19% in 2022. Generation from renewable energy sources grows the most in the forecast, increasing to 24% this year from a share of 22% last year.

EPA used the climate law on cars. Power plants are next. - The tailpipe emissions rules EPA proposed Wednesday are the sticks to Congress’ carrots, providing the clearest view yet of how the agency plans to leverage the hundreds of billions of dollars lawmakers have pumped into clean energy and infrastructure. EPA built its two market-transforming rules on top of generous incentives in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. That resulted in the agency proposing the most aggressive restrictions in U.S. history on the carbon, smog and soot emitted from compact cars all the way up to long-haul trucks. It’s a pattern EPA will likely repeat when it releases its power plant carbon rules later this month. On Wednesday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said that the agency was “partnering very strategically” with the climate and infrastructure laws in its rules for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. The proposal for light-duty vehicles — which aims to electrify two-thirds of new cars by model year 2032 — is feasible because EPA is “marrying regulation with historic incentives,” he said. The rules are built upon newly enacted measures like the IRA’s $7,500 tax credit for EVs, the infrastructure law’s investments in charging stations and billions of dollars in last year’s CHIPS and Science Act for domestic semiconductor manufacturing. “We’re rowing in the same direction,” Regan told an audience seated in the hot April sun in front of EPA headquarters. The climate, infrastructure and science laws have reshaped the auto industry’s future, in turn changing the baseline EPA uses to determine the costs and benefits of its vehicle emissions rules. The laws have similarly changed how economic models predict the power sector’s future (Climatewire, April 4). That’s important because the Clean Air Act demands that EPA consider cost and other factors when issuing a rule. Now, thanks to the new laws, the U.S. Treasury will shoulder a share of the cost for “manufacture, sale, and use of zero-emission vehicles by addressing elements critical to the advancement of clean transportation and clean electricity generation,” EPA states in the preamble to the light-duty vehicle proposal. In short, federal incentives will prompt more automakers and consumers to turn to EVs. In the rule for cars and SUVs, EPA cites an analysis from the International Council on Clean Transportation that found electric vehicles will make up between 56 and 67 percent of new car sales by model year 2032 — before any new rules on tailpipe emissions.

New economic study shows impact of lignite industry on ND — North Dakota’s lignite industry continues to provide and build upon its positive economic benefits to the state through high-paying jobs, business activity and tax revenue, according to a recently released study of the economic impact of the industry, conducted by the North Dakota State University Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. Dean Bangsund, a research scientist at NDSU, said it indicates that North Dakota continues to realize significant economic benefits in many areas of the economy. “The combination of in-state purchases of goods and services and employee payroll from firms involved in lignite-related activities generated a total business volume activity of $5.8 billion in 2022,” said Bangsund. The combination of coal mining, coal conversion, lignite coal-fired electricity generation, and electricity transmission and distribution generated nearly $2.2 billion toward the state’s gross domestic product in 2022. The industry represented 2.6% of the state’s gross state product and 4% of the state’s gross business volume. Workforce is also an important area of impact for the industry. The lignite industry collectively supports more than 12,000 direct and secondary jobs in the state. More than $1 billion in labor income is represented in wages, salaries, benefits and sole proprietors’ income. Of the more than 12,000 jobs, 3,250 jobs were supported by mining, 7,725 jobs were supported by coal conversion and electricity generation, and 1,060 jobs were supported by transmission and distribution.

Proposed rule would regulate coal plant wastewater -The EPA has for the first time proposed rules that would impose standards on wastewater released from coal plants, including contaminated water that has seeped through coal ash and water drained from coal ash impoundments in preparation for closing. Thus far, coal plants have had much leeway to essentially dump contaminated wastewater into lakes and rivers, including wastewater from scrubbers that remove sulfur dioxide from emissions, and water used to clean bottom ash out of boilers. Coal plant wastewater has until now been subject only to 1982 standards that allow it to be deposited in coal ash ponds, where it may overflow into water bodies and contribute to the contamination of groundwater that happens at the vast majority of coal ash sites. “Pretty much all of these plants, whether sitting on shores of the Great Lakes or rivers or streams, they’ve historically drawn water from that source and discharged pollution back into it,” said Earthjustice senior attorney Thom Cmar. “Some plants literally have for decades been able to get away with never having to do anything other than just use an ash pond, historically considered part of their wastewater treatment system. They’re letting the pollution flow right into a waterway like it’s an open sewer. This has been a long fight where that practice is finally going to end.” The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the proposed wastewater rule, released March 7, would prevent over 584 million pounds of pollutants, including arsenic and mercury, from being discharged into U.S. waterways annually. The EPA will hold online public hearings on April 20 and 25, and public comments can be submitted through May 30. Following those steps, the EPA will finalize and implement the rule. The rule proposes a standard of zero pollutants discharged from water used in scrubbers and boilers, and requires the best available technology to achieve this goal. Filtration with fine membranes, chemical treatment, and recycling water back into the plant can avoid pollution from these wastewater streams, the EPA proposes. The rule also for the first time requires that leachate — water that becomes contaminated passing through coal ash ponds — be treated with chemicals to remove or neutralize pollution. The new mandates may hasten the closure of coal plants nationwide, experts say, if coal plant operators elect to close sooner rather than invest in the required technology. Laws like the Clean Water Act that rely on the best available technology are meant to be periodically updated as technology improves. In 2010, Earthjustice filed a lawsuit demanding coal plant wastewater standards, and in 2015 the EPA proposed standards. But that proposal was never finalized and the Trump administration instead rolled back protections.

Coal Phaseout Must Move 4.5x Faster to Avoid ‘Climate Chaos,' Report Warns - Coal Phaseout Must Move 4.5x Faster to Avoid ‘Climate Chaos,’ Report Warns -As operating coal power plants were retired last year and scheduled projects canceled, the number of plants decreased in developing and developed countries, except China, according to the ninth annual global survey of the coal plant pipeline by Global Energy Monitor, a press release from Global Energy Monitor said.However, in order for the world to be on track to phase out coal by 2040 — as required by Paris agreement goals — the pace of retiring coal-fired plants must be four and a half times faster.“At this rate, the transition away from existing and new coal isn’t happening fast enough to avoid climate chaos,” said lead author of the report Flora Champenois, who is the project manager for Global Energy Monitor’s Global Coal Plant Tracker, in the press release.According to the findings of the survey, the phaseout of coal plant capacity outside China was slower than in previous years, and China’s plans for new plants is enough to more than offset the capacity of plants retired last year in the European Union (EU) and U.S. combined.“The more new coal projects come online, the steeper the cuts and commitments need to be in the future,” Champenois said.The report found that the capacity of retired coal power was 26 gigawatts (GW) last year, with an additional 25 GW having been announced to cease by 2030. In developing countries other than China, the amount of scheduled coal-fired capacity fell by 23 GW, but China’s planned increase of 126 GW of capacity far outweighed those reductions.All currently operating coal plants in the wealthiest countries in the world need to be retired by 2030, and by 2040 everywhere else in order to stay on track with the world’s climate goals.In order to phase out operating coal power plants by 2040, an average of 117 GW of capacity must be retired each year, which is four and a half times the amount that was retired in 2022.

Banks Say They’re Acting on Climate, But Continue to Finance Fossil Fuel Expansion - If money makes the world go round, it should be no surprise that fossil fuel still powers the global economy. Ever since world leaders reached the Paris climate agreement in 2015 to limit warming and slash the pollution driving it, environmental groups have chronicled the continued flow of finance from the wealthiest banks to the oil and gas industry.Climate advocates have been increasing the pressure on banks to change course, and many lenders have responded by adopting policies to reduce the climate pollution generated by their vast portfolios. Some have also pledged to stop financing certain types of fossil fuel extraction altogether, such as coal mining and Arctic drilling. But have those policies made any difference?A pair of new reports provides a muddled picture. Banks lent significantly less money to fossil fuel companies last year, according to a report by a collection of environmental groups led by Rainforest Action Network. However, the decline was likely driven not by choices the banks made, the report said, but because oil companies were sitting on so much cash they didn’t need to borrow any. Many oil firms, including ExxonMobil and Chevron, earned record profits last year.All told, the world’s top 60 banks plowed $673 billion in financing into fossil fuel companies last year, according to the report, which is the lowest amount since the groups began tracking in 2016. Despite the decline, the report’s authors said the banks’ fossil lending policies remain weak and inadequate, and that such financing is not declining nearly fast enough to curb climate pollution in line with the Paris Agreement’s more ambitious target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. “We still see just this tremendous flow of finance into fossil fuel companies, including into companies that are expanding fossil fuels,” said April Merleaux, research manager at Rainforest Action Network and the report’s lead author. The report singled out the largest companies involved in fossil fuel expansion—those exploring new oil fields, for example, or building new pipelines—and found that banks had lent them $150 billion last year. “Every dollar that’s going into expansion is a dollar that is pushing us past that 1.5 degree target.”In 2021, the International Energy Agency said that no new oil and gas fields should be developed if the world is to meet that goal of the Paris Agreement.A second report analyzed the fossil fuel lending policies of the top six American banks and similarly found them to fall short of meeting the Paris Agreement goals. That report was published by the sustainable investment nonprofit Ceres and the Transition Pathways Initiative Center, a low-carbon research institute based at the London School of Economics and Political Science.The reports come amid increased scrutiny of the role of financial markets in cutting emissions across the economy. Climate advocates have taken to the streets to urge banks to phase out fossil fuel lending, and the Biden administration has adopted new rules to increase climate disclosures in financial reporting. Meanwhile, Republicans have been pushing back, with some states enacting laws meant to punish banks that restrict lending.

Lawsuit seeks to uphold closing California’s last nuke plant (AP) — An environmental group on Tuesday sued to block Pacific Gas & Electric from seeking to extend the federal operating licenses for California’s last nuclear power plant.A complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court by Friends of the Earth asks the court to prohibit the utility from sidestepping its 2016 agreement with environmentalists and plant workers to close the twin-domed Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant by 2025.The possibility of a longer operating run emerged last year after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature opened the way for PG&E to seek an extended lifespan for the twin reactors. The company intends to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of the year to extend operations by as much as two decades.The operating license for the Unit 1 reactor expires next year and the Unit 2 license expires in 2025.Hallie Templeton, legal director for Friends of the Earth, said in a statement that “PG&E has been acting as if our contract has disappeared.”California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement that for decades has had a fraught relationship with nuclear power, which doesn’t produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels but leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries. The Newsom administration is pushing to expand solar power and other clean energy, as the state aims to cut emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

A Meeting of the Minds Over Fracking in Ohio - – It's a first-of-its-kind meeting of the minds when it comes to fracking in the Buckeye State. Today and Saturday, scientists, doctors, attorneys, researchers and other experts are gathering in eastern Ohio to present and discuss the impacts of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process involves injecting water and chemicals into deep underground wells to break up rock and release natural gas, which some experts say poses risks to the environment and public health. Alison Auciello, an organizer in Ohio for the advocacy group Food and Water Watch, claims Ohio has forged ahead with fracking without fully investigating the impacts. "We're rolling out the red carpet for the oil and gas industry, galvanized by promises of riches,” she says. “But we're not really thinking about what the long-term legacy of this industry is going to be, and addressing those issues before we just go head-on into it." Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry says the process is safe, will reduce dependence on foreign oil and will be a boost for the economy. According to the website fracktracker.org, as of the end of March 2012, there were 160 permitted Utica wells and 13 Marcellus wells in Ohio. Since then, there have been an additional 453 Utica and an additional seven Marcellus wells permitted. At the start of this month, nearly 50 were reported as producing. Vanessa Pesec, president of Network for Oil Accountability and Protection, says the detrimental effects of fracking on the land, water and human health are often downplayed or disregarded. She says the industry needs to be held more accountable. "The people of Ohio have been only told half-truths by the industry,” she adds. “And I think it's critical that people understand the full impacts upfront, at the back-end, long-term, before they even lease their land." The conference in downtown Warren features guest speakers from across the country, discussing matters including the history and known effects of unconventional shale drilling, as well as the local impacts, policy implications, required protections and projected future costs to Ohioans.

Green groups sue to stop Ohio from leasing state parks for oil and gas drilling -Environmental groups have launched a last-minute effort to halt an extraordinary new law in Ohio that requires government agencies to lease state parks and other public state lands to the oil and gas industry.A temporary injunction filed on Thursday seeks to put the brakes on legislation that requires state parks to be leased for fracking and which redefines the potent greenhouse gas methane as “green energy”. The law was due to go into effect on 7 April, but the court has not yet responded to the injunction.The law, which began life as an agricultural bill about the number of poultry chicks that can be sold at one time, quickly grew in scope and size to grant wins for agriculture corporate giants, and the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries.In addition to giving carte blanche to the fossil fuel industry to frack Ohio’s 75, very popular, state parks, the sweeping bill also includes new provisions for agriculture and electric utilities, as well as a ban on the sale of dyed chicks, rabbits and ducklings.The lawsuit, filed on behalf of campaign groups Buckeye Environmental Network, Ohio Valley Allies, the Sierra Club and the Ohio Environmental Council, alleges that the law is unconstitutional. The groups say it violates the state constitution’s one-subject rule, which requires laws to contain one subject that is clearly expressed in the title, and the three-consideration rule, which requires the legislature to consider every bill on three separate days.“This law is nothing more than an illegitimate giveaway to the oil and gas industry,” said Megan Hunter, an attorney for Earthjustice, the legal non-profit representing some of the appellants. “We will defend Ohio’s public lands from this unconstitutional attack.”

Environmental Groups Sue to Block 'Unconstitutional' New Law Allowing Fracking in Ohio State Parks - Environmental and community groups in Ohio have filed a preliminary injunction to stop the leasing of public lands— including state parks — to the oil and gas industry. Ohio HB 507, which redefines methane gas as “green energy” and requires state parks to lease their lands forfracking, went into effect on April 7. Originally an agricultural bill with its focus on poultry, the law was quickly expanded to include granting petrochemical, agricultural and fracking rights to industry. The groups oppose the law on a constitutional basis, in addition to their objection to the obligatory leasing of public lands for fracking, a press release from Earthjustice and the Sierra Club said.Earthjustice is representing Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Allies and Buckeye Environmental Network in the lawsuit. Attorneys from Earthjustice and Case Western Reserve University Environmental Law Clinic are representing the Ohio Environmental Council, along with the organization’s own attorneys. “It is because of the grassroots efforts of Ohioans who were shocked at the underhanded way the legislators passed an illegal amendment during the last weeks of the General Assembly in 2022, that we are filing this lawsuit today,” said Cheryl Johncox, board chairperson of the Buckeye Environmental Network, according to the press release. “Ohioans love their parks and forest lands and will not tolerate lawmakers turning blind eyes to what will happen to the beauty and integrity of the lands that belong to the people. Oil and gas extraction will irrevocably and permanently harm our most treasured places in Ohio. We, the people, will not stand by and allow this to happen.” The unrelated, eleventh-hour additions to what was originally a poultry bill made their way through the chambers of the Ohio State Senate without discussion during a lame duck session. Over demands to veto the controversial bill, it was signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on January 6, 2023. “This law is nothing more than an illegitimate giveaway to the oil and gas industry,” said Earthjustice attorney Megan Hunter in the press release. “We will defend Ohio’s public lands from this unconstitutional attack. We will see the state in court.”State parks in Ohio are already being staked out by oil and gas companies, who have requested leases, which the bill takes away the state’s right to deny. The law doesn’t even have any requirements for an auction to take place or for the leases to be given to the highest bidder. It just requires that the state grant the leases to any interested party that has financial assurances, insurance and has registered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Under the bill, residents of Ohio will not receive public notice on the specific lands that will be leased and will be denied opportunity for public comment.

Radicals Sue to Block Ohio Law re Drilling Under State Land - In January, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine (see OH Gov. Signs Bill Expanding Drilling in State Parks, NatGas “Green”). The new law allows shale drilling under (but not on top of) Ohio state-owned land. In fact, it encourages (pushes for) more drilling under state-owned land. Predictably, the left has attacked the bill (seeCleveland Plain Dealer Attacks OH Law re Drilling Under State Land). Four leftwing “environmental” groups–Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Valley Allies, Buckeye Environmental Network, and Sierra Club–filed a lawsuit last week hoping to overturn the law.

Judge denies request to pause law expanding fracking in state parks - cleveland.com – A Franklin County judge on Monday denied a request to temporarily block a new law that enables and, at least temporarily, compels state agencies to accept applications to drill for oil and gas under state parks.Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft denied a request for a temporary restraining order sought by environmental advocates, who say lawmakers skipped over constitutional requirements in their rush to amend the bill into unrelated legislation in the dying moments of the previous, two-year legislative session.In her ruling, Cocroft cited several factors she said indicate there’s no risk of imminent and irreparable harm if she allows the law to stand as the case proceeds. She noted public comments from Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials that no leases would be signed in the immediate future, and that the plaintiffs only just filed suit even though DeWine signed the law in January.“Finally, because no leases, ‘in good faith,’ have been signed under the new legislation and because it has been represented that only a few more have been signed in more than a decade that this provision [allowing gas leasing on state lands] has existed, the Court finds that any reference regarding injury to the recreational, culture, and aesthetic interests in the lands to the plaintiffs’ members is speculative, at best, and does not constitute an immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage,” she said.Cocroft’s ruling does not terminate the case but marks an early win for the state. Chris Tavenor, associate general counsel for the Ohio Environmental Council, one of the plaintiffs, called the decision “unfavorable” but said he’ll keep fighting to ensure Ohioans have a voice as to what happens with their public lands. “Not only do Ohioans deserve healthy state parks free from pollution, they also deserve fair representation and due process in decision-making. But in the late hours of Dec. 15, 2022, the Ohio General Assembly robbed Ohioans of their Constitutional right to the legislative process and their ability to advocate for safe enjoyment of the public lands we all call home,” he said. “We’re hopeful the Court will see this opaque move for what it is: a sneaky cash-grab by the fossil fuel industry at Ohioans’ expense.” In December, lawmakers amended a bill originally focused on poultry sales to address the parks issue and quickly passed it without any public hearings. Instead of giving agencies the discretion to accept oil and gas leases, the new law says they “shall” accept lease proposals to explore for oil and gas on state lands that meet certain standards. This remains true until the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission, newly formed and now under pressure by the new law, enacts new rules controlling the leasing system. The new law took effect Friday, one day after the plaintiffs filed their lawsuit. Several gas companies and affiliates lobbied on the 2022 bill. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer previously reported that Encino Energy, a Texas driller that owns leasing rights to more than 1 million acres of Ohio, offered the state a “potential” of up to $2 billion in royalties and signing bonuses for the rights to drill for gas under Salt Fork State Park, which spans about 21,000 acres of Southeast Ohio. Cocroft’s order makes reference to comments in the media from DeWine and other state officals that “no leases would be signed in the immediate future.” She didn’t cite any specific examples. Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesman Andy Chow said last week when the law took effect that the office doesn’t expect any “drilling” in the immediate future, but didn’t reference leasing. He also said besides Encino, no companies have proposed leases since December seeking to frack state lands.Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman, said in an interview that took place before Monday’s ruling that he expects gas companies will collaborate with the state and allow the commission to finish its work rather than the more combative approach of trying to strongarm leasing rights.“It is possible somebody could act adversarially, but the nature of people applying for mineral rights in this timeline, there’s a higher likelihood they’ll act collaboratively and not adversarially,” he said.Given that “only a few leases have been granted in the more than twelve years since the provision was passed prior to the recent legislative change,” Cocroft said there’s no likelihood of irreversible damage to necessitate an immediate pause on the law.Her ruling calls for parties to file arguments within a week on a preliminary injunction, another kind of ruling that could temporarily freeze the law in question until a final ruling.

Texas driller offers Ohio 'potential' of nearly $2 billion to frack Salt Fork State Park – Encino Energy offered the state a signing bonus and royalties that it claims could tally nearly $2 billion over a period of more than 15 years as it sought to be the first to frack Ohio’s largest state park, records show.The Texas-based driller’s offer included a $115 million signing bonus for leasing rights to drill for oil and gas under Salt Fork State Park in Southeast Ohio. The proposal, which was ultimately rejected, also called for a 20% royalty payment for oil and gas sales of minerals found under the park.Supporting documents the company provided to the state claim the combination would amount to “potential” payments of up to $1.8 billion through 2041.“I’m pleased to deliver this indication of interest of [Encino] to lease from the Department of Natural Resources the oil and gas rights located under Salt Fork State Park,” the letter, signed by Encino CEO Hardy Murchison, states.Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer obtained those documents via a public records request as the state prepares to open its state parks to drilling for oil and natural gas for the first time.While Encino’s offer was rejected, it’s likely a foreshadowing of more to come after a new state law effectively forced opened the door for companies seeking to drill under Ohio’s state parks, some of which sit on Marcellus and Utica shale formations. It’s also a sign of the money and power behind a policy that leaves some of Ohio’s most pristine swaths of undeveloped land in the crosshairs of the extraction industry.Encino made its offer Dec. 14, 2022, one day after GOP lawmakers passed legislation that forces state agencies to accept lease proposals to explore for oil and gas made by qualifying energy companies. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill into law in January, and it took effect last week. (Most laws take 90 days from a governor’s signing to kick in.)would add 21,000 acres and, extrapolating from the company’s royalty projections, billions in value to its inventory. The company claims it would produce 69 million barrels of oil and 375 billion cubic feet of natural gas over 18 years from the park.“The drilling program is estimated to last six years,” an economic analysis Encino provided to the state claims.“Following that period, Encino would continue spending money in the Ohio economy to support production and ongoing maintenance of the relevant equipment.”Lawmakers tucked the proposal to expand drilling rights in state parks into unrelated legislation late last year and quickly passed it without ever holding public hearings on the idea. That process prompted a lawsuit last week from environmental advocates seeking to block the bill from taking effect, claiming lawmakers skipped over constitutional requirements while passing the bill.The materials Encino submitted to the state suggest a plan already was in motion well before the legislation was unveiled. For instance, one document is dated October 2022, months before the state parks idea was shared publicly. The offer letter says the company has “already begun securing surface locations outside of the Park.”Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer previously reported on Encino’s interest in capturing oil and gas under Salt Fork, although DeWine, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Encino declined to directly confirm as much. ODNR released the offer letter and supporting documents Friday.While the new state law effectively forces state agencies to accept lease proposals from qualifying drillers, this is only true until the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission establishes permanent rules governing how to execute a 2011 state law passed with the aim of allowing for drilling in state parks. That law was never implemented, and the commission only just began to form and draft rules in earnest. As of Friday, Encino had made the only offer to date to drill under a state park since the law passed, ODNR spokesman Andy Chow said. Mike Chadsey, a spokesman for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, said companies the association represents are waiting for the commission to draft rules before submitting offers.

Questions remain as Ohio’s fracking law goes into effect - — It is now officially legal for oil and gas companies to frack from state parks, as a new state law goes into effect.However, the state’s Oil and Gas Management Commission still needs to finalize a lease agreement for those companies, and the president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Rob Brundrett, said he is not happy with the current draft.“Several items in the draft lease remain as obstacles to the responsible development of the state’s oil and natural gas resources,” he said.The current draft is 17 pages long, provides a primary lease of the state land for three years, and allows it to continue if oil and gas are being produced in paying quantities or if operations are conducted in the search for oil and gas.Brundrett said one concern of the three-year lease is that it allows for the state to terminate the lease at any time if the premises are needed for public use. “This termination can occur regardless of how much investment a producer made into developing the related unit without any concern for producers related contractual obligations,” Brundrett said. “That amount could easily be in the tens of millions of dollars and this provision will discourage most, if not all, investment in state lands.”On Monday, the commission also heard from several Ohioans who said they’re not happy with the way this bill was passed, and they don’t want to see it go any further.“This law will not stand,” Jenny Morgan said. “Do you hear me, big gas and oil? This law will not stand.”“I will leave this state if fracking begins on our public lands,” Dr. Joseph Blanda said.Some, like Bladna, said they are worried about the health effects fracking could have on Ohioans who live near state parks or visit them.“Are you willing to support the fossil fuel industry and ignore the public health concerns of the citizens of Ohio?” he said. “Exposing their families and kids to harmful toxins that have been proven to be associated with multiple medical conditions such as asthma or as deadly as cancer?”“Our children and families need our parks, and they need our parks to be safe and clean,” Morgan said. The commission said it will spend the next week considering all the public testimony heard Monday and will meet in one week to vote on the lease agreement.

U.S. district court denies lessor motion for class certification in subsurface trespass case In J&R Passmore, LLC v. Rice Drilling D, LLC, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio denied the lessors’ motion for class certification in the context of subsurface mineral trespass claims. Lessors assert that the lessees committed the subsurface trespass by drilling outside the terms of their leases when they developed the Point Pleasant interval even though, according to the lessors, the lessees only had the right to develop the formation commonly known as the Utica Shale. The district court denied lessors’ motion for class certification, finding, in part, that the individualized elements of the lessors’ tort claims (trespass, conversion, and unjust enrichment) predominate over the issues otherwise common to the putative class. “Defendants cannot be held liable for trespass, conversion, nor unjust enrichment unless they acted in a way that impacted each class members’ specific tracts of land. … This individualized inquiry is particularly important given the pooling unit structure in which the leases at issue are held.” You can review the case here.

Utica Shale Academy receives grant for expansion - – Utica Shale Academy Superintendent Bill Watson said his school services 9th through 12th grade students up to the age of 21 who are credit deficient but interested in learning a skilled trade. “So many options for kids in the trades or you know people re-careering themselves and refining themselves,” said Watson. Watson said for a long time there was a negative connotation when it comes to welding and trade careers, but attitudes are changing. “The truth of the matter is, is that these men and women could make great family-sustaining wages, and to me,” said Watson. “The thing that really appealed to me about it was working with my hands. I knew that I was gonna be able to do that,” said senior Levi Bryarley. At the Utica Shale Academy, he’s learned pneumatics, hydraulics, programming and welding and currently works as an assistantship at WD Foundry in Wellsville. Bryarley said he’ll continue to send out job applications. “I’d say probably being an electrician or full-time welding,” said Bryarley about potential future careers. Watson, who spent more than a decade in power generation, said he’s excited about the school’s future, a $2.35 million grant received through the Ohio DOD Governor’s Office of Appalachia — part of the Appalachia Community grant program. That funds a portion of a $4.8 million building on East Main Street, with more than five-thousand square feet of classrooms for heavy equipment operation expected to be complete next summer.

Strs Ohio Increases Stock Position in The Williams Companies, Inc. --Strs Ohio (State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) lifted its holdings in The Williams Companies, Inc. by 10.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 56,508 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after buying an additional 5,182 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $1,859,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company…

Strs Ohio Boosts Holdings in DT Midstream: A Strategic Move in the Natural Gas Sector. --In the ever-changing world of finance, where investors and companies are constantly vying for a competitive edge, Strs Ohio has made a strategic move that is both bold and calculated. According to its most recent filing with the SEC, the firm has boosted its holdings in shares of DT Midstream, Inc by 17.0% in the fourth quarter alone, adding 6,269 shares to its portfolio. This move begs several questions that delve into the underlying motivations behind Strs Ohio’s decision. Was this an impulse buy or a well-calculated strategic shift? What factors led to their investment in DT Midstream? And most importantly, what does this signify for both businesses moving forward?For starters, it should be noted that DT Midstream last announced its quarterly earnings data on February 16th. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.93 for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimate by ($0.02). While the company still had a net margin of 40.22% and a return on equity of 8.27%, there was clearly an opportunity for growth.DT Midstream provides integrated natural gas services in the United States through two segments; Pipeline and Gathering. Its portfolio includes interstate pipelines, intrastate pipelines, storage systems, lateral pipelines, gathering systems, related treatment plants, compression and surface facilities – all critical components of America’s natural gas infrastructure.So why exactly did Strs Ohio invest so heavily in DT Midstream? The answer lies in the potential synergy between these two firms; as the largest public pension fund system in Ohio with over 497 thousand active members and retirees combined worth billions of dollars invested across various asset classes including public equities and private equity funds – dovetailing nicely with DT Midstream’s core operations.Furthermore, it stands to reason that Strs Ohio recognizes the need for continued growth within America’s natural gas sector – which has seen remarkable growth and expansion in recent years due to technological advances in hydraulic fracking, allowing access to previously untapped shale reserves.In conclusion, Strs Ohio’s decision to increase its holdings in DT Midstream is both a strategic and calculated move. As America’s natural gas infrastructure continues to grow, there is ample potential for increased profits and shareholder value. With analysts predicting that DT Midstream will post 4.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year, it seems that both firms stand to benefit greatly from this newfound partnership. Time will tell if this investment bears fruit – but for now, Strs Ohio’s actions speak louder than words.

Infocast's Utica & Marcellus Infrastructure Development Summit Comes to Pittsburgh this May - Infocast, the leading producer of oil and gas events, is proud to present the "3rd Utica & Marcellus Infrastructure Development Summit," on May 8-10, 2013 in Pittsburgh. This Summit was created to meet Ohio's needs in midstream and infrastructure developments in the Utica and Marcellus plays.Because of the Utica, Ohio is now going through what Pennsylvania went through just a few short years ago in terms of rapidly developing shale resources. Midstream companies are staking out their positions now, competing to build the many new infrastructure projects needed across the entire region to get the gas processed, fractionated, and out to the best available markets.This timely event brings together midstream companies, rail & trucking firms, E&P and field service companies, the financial community, consultants and other leading gas players and experts, including representatives from Access Midstream, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Caiman Energy LLC, Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation and many more. Attend to get up-to-the-minute information and establish key relationships.Don’t miss this valuable opportunity to obtain briefings on current and planned infrastructure projects and learn how to maximize your existing opportunities to grow in these rapidly-expanding, adjacent plays.For more information, to register for the summit, or to join us as a sponsor, visit the event website at infocastinc.com/events/utica13 or contact Infocast at 818-888-4444.

Another lawsuit in pipeline to stop Mountain Valley Pipeline - One month after a federal agency said in a biological opinion that construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline would not jeopardize protected species of bats, fish and a plant, environmental groups are seeking a second opinion. A petition filed Monday asks a federal appeals court to review the finding by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Construction of this fossil fuel nightmare has already harmed imperiled wildlife, but the Fish and Wildlife Service continues to ignore its duty to ensure that waterways and the species that rely on them are protected,” said Jared Margolis, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of 11 environmental and community groups that filed the petition. “It’s reckless and unlawful to allow this project to decimate more essential habitats and harm our climate,” Margolis said. The filing with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals follows a familiar pattern in the nearly decade-long controversy over the natural gas pipeline: Government permits for the project are granted, challenged in court, struck down, re-granted, and then challenged again. Two earlier opinions by the Fish and Wildlife Service — set aside in 2019 and 2022 by a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit — reached the same conclusion as the most recent one. “We are carefully reviewing the request and will respond accordingly,” David Eisenhauer a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, wrote in an email late Monday. The brief did not state the grounds for challenging the latest finding. A 297-page opinion from the service came after nearly a year of research and consideration that followed a 2022 decision by the Fourth Circuit, which cited “serious errors” with an earlier conclusion that threatened and endangered species would not be jeopardized. A more detailed argument is expected in future filings. The latest document from the Fish and Wildlife Service provides additional data and analysis to support the federal government’s finding of no significant harm to five species: the endangered Indiana bat, the threatened northern long-eared bat, the endangered Roanoke logperch, the endangered candy darter and the threatened Virginia spiraea, a flowering shrub native to southern Appalachia. The finding was derided by opponents, who say building a 303-mile buried pipeline through pristine woodlands and across clear-running streams has already had dire environmental consequences that will only continue if work resumes. Although Mountain Valley is largely completed, there has been no active construction since the fall of 2021. Construction of the $6.6 billion project has been stalled by legal action on multiple fronts: over the Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species finding, the U.S. Forest Service’s permit for the pipeline to pass through the Jefferson National Forest, and authorizations from several agencies for the 42-inch diameter pipe to cross through streams and wetlands.

Sisters of Loretto permanently preserve 650 acres of 'Holy Land' in Kentucky - The region in central Kentucky where the Sisters of Loretto have resided for 200 years is often described as “holy land.” Now, more than 650 acres of that land surrounding their motherhouse will be protected and preserved permanently under the terms of a new conservation easement. The arrangement, signed Jan. 18 with the Bluegrass Land Conservancy, will place more than 80% of the congregation’s nearly 800 acres of land in Nerinx, Kentucky, under an easement, a legally binding and voluntary agreement that restricts development for conservation purposes and mandates current and future owners to abide by the outlined terms. Approximately 654 acres in all, the newly preserved area of farm fields, forest, native grasses, lakes, and creeks is more than six times larger than the Vatican City State.“The Loretto Community has long been committed to caring for Earth,” Sr. Barbara Nicholas, Loretto president, said in a statement. The decision, decades in the making, is part of the Loretto Sisters’ participation in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a Vatican initiative that lays out steps for individual Catholics and institutions to implement the sustainable lifestyles and integral ecology articulated in Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.” At a signing ceremony on Jan. 18, Nicholas noted that Laudato Si’ reminds us that humans are a part of nature, not separate from it. “Our commitment to peace and justice, to learning and teaching, extends not only to Earth but is rooted in our understanding that we are of Earth.” Attention to the future of the sisters’ land ramped up in2013 after fossil fuel companies sought to build the Bluegrass Pipeline across their property, including the possible use of eminent domain. The Loretto Sisters, alongside the Dominican Sisters of Peace in St. Catherine and Sisters of Charity at Nazareth, joined others in their community to resist the project, at times with musical protests, and in 2014 successfully blocked the pipeline, which sought to transport liquefied gasses extracted through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia through Kentucky and eventually to the Gulf Coast. “It was at that point that people really started thinking again about what can we do to protect our lands,”

55-mile natural gas pipeline will pass through nature areas in Washtenaw County - mlive.com- A $550-million Consumers Energy project to replace 1940s-era natural gas pipeline is getting underway in April, with its path passing through several large Washtenaw County natural areas.Construction on the mid-Michigan pipeline replacement project that will last much of the year is set to get underway April 17, according to Consumers Energy spokesperson Tracy Wimmer.

U.S. natgas futures jump 8% on short covering (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures rose 8% on Monday as traders covered short positions following a slide to a one-week low in the last session, while analysts expect high price volatility in the near term. Front-month gas futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) rose 16.1 cents, or 8%, to settle at $2.172 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Gary Cunningham, director of market research at Tradition Energy, attributed the rebound in prices to traders covering their short positions, adding that elevated cooling demand into summer should be supportive for the market. "We don't expect to have the same summer heat that we had last year, but we certainly think there will be enough heat to support cooling demand and power sector demand for gas, which is well above normal." However, analysts said the market could see high volatility in the near term, given the lack of clear catalysts. "The market may get edgy as we transition into the summertime. Uncertainty is always a recipe for a price increase," said Zhen​ Zhu, managing consultant at C.H. Guernsey and Co in Oklahoma City. Prices declined more than 9% last week, which was the largest decline since early March, on milder weather and increased output. Refinitiv said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has risen to 100 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in April, up from 98.7 bcfd in March and compared with a monthly record of 100.4 bcfd in January. "In the U.S. gas markets, mild weather, lackluster industrial activity and concerns about a potential glut in LNG markets due to seasonally elevated storage in Europe have coincided amid relatively resilient supply and led to a sharp sell-off since the beginning of the year," Barclays said in a note. U.S. energy firms last week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for a second week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Thursday.

Natural Gas Futures Up Slightly, but Balances Seen Still Too Loose; Cash Mostly Steady - Natural gas futures prices bounced around Tuesday, with the prompt-month Nymex contract trading in a relatively tight range before ultimately settling modestly higher day/day. With LNG demand continuing to rise and weather forecasts rather uninspiring, the May Nymex contract edged up 1.4 cents to $2.186/MMBtu. Cash prices shifted a dime or less at the vast majority of North American locations. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. slipped 7.5 cents to $2.400. Feed gas deliveries to U.S. liquefied natural gas facilities are ramping up toward all-time highs, setting the stage for incremental gains later this year as Freeport LNG returns to full capacity and Calcasieu Pass comes fully online. NGI data showed feed gas volumes climbing to 14.61 Dth on Tuesday, up from 13.78 Dth a day earlier. Though the increasing LNG demand is occurring in the early days of the spring shoulder season – rather than the peak of winter – the uptrend is lending much-needed support to the market. After slipping below $2.00 in recent weeks, futures on Tuesday swung either side of $2.150. EBW Analytics Group noted that with strong LNG feed gas demand and decelerating production growth, fundamentals may soon strengthen. Coal-to-gas switching and the steady rise in cooling demand in the coming months may result in an early inflection point for natural gas prices as soon as next month. In the immediate term, though, the May Nymex contract faces an enhanced risk of a relapse lower thanks in large part to mild weather. EBW said the near-term outlook this month’s “very meager” heating demand could lead to the third largest monthly injection of natural gas into storage over the past decade. What’s more, the robust injections would come amid historically low pricing. Already, stocks are sitting more than 50% above both last year and five-year average levels, according to the latest government inventory report. What’s more, the April increase in gas storage is projected to be 95 Bcf above the five-year average, according to EBW. While weather plays a predominant role, a post-winter bounce in natural gas production as Permian pipeline maintenance concludes also could weigh on storage balances.

U.S. natgas falls 4% on expectations for lower heating demand (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures fell more than 4% on Wednesday on expectations that milder weather would reduce heating demand and with near-record production for the month pressuring prices. Front-month gas futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) slipped 9.3 cents, or 4.3%, to settle at $2.093 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Prices continue to hold above $2 but aren't gaining, as there is low demand, said Thomas Saal, senior vice president for energy at StoneX Financial Inc. With warmer spring-like weather expected to reduce the amount of gas burned to heat homes and businesses, Refinitiv forecast U.S. gas demand, including exports, would drop from 97.4 bcfd this week to 95.3 bcfd next week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that U.S. power consumption is expected to slip about 1% in 2023 from the previous year as milder weather slows usage from the record high hit in 2022 "We will likely see higher demand in July and August as homes and businesses will use air conditioners to escape heat," Saal added. Analysts have highlighted that there is strong support around the $2 level. Prices gained 8% on Monday after they slipped to $1.99 late last week. Refinitiv said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has risen to 100.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in April, up from 98.7 bcfd in March and compared with a monthly record of 100.4 bcfd in January. Meanwhile, Russian gas giant Gazprom said that Europe's ability to maintain ample gas stocks in the 2023/2024 winter hinges on Asia's demand given "critically low" supplies from Russia.

U.S. natural gas tests $2 support after first spring season storage build -- Natural gas futures closed down a second straight day on Thursday after briefly breaking below the key $2 support as the U.S. government reported the first spring season injection of gas into storage tanks already bloated from underutilization of the fuel for heating during the winter. Natural gas for May delivery settled down 8.6 cents, or 4%, at $2.007 per mmBtu, or metric million British thermal units, adding to the prior 4% slide from Wednesday. Thursday’s session low was $1.996. The latest drop in gas prices came after the U.S. Energy Information Administration, or EIA, reported that gas-in-storage in the United States rose by 25 billion cubic feet, or bcf, last week in the first series of injections for the spring season. While that build was smaller than the 28-bcf injection forecast for industry analysts, what weighed on market sentiment was the size of gas inventories as a whole. Last week’s injection took the balance in gas storage to 1.855 trillion cubic feet, or tcf, the EIA said. That was 33% above the year-ago storage level and nearly 19% higher than the five-year average for gas inventories. The 2023 pre-summer injection season is starting with one of the most bloated gas storages, courtesy of a winter that ran mostly warm, with one of the fewest snow storms ever. Typically, this is a time when storage is at seasonal lows after large and consistent withdrawals during winter, when gas is burned for heating. “Future builds are also expected to be slightly larger than normal due to warmer average temperatures across the US and could put surpluses back above 350 bcf,”

Natural Gas Futures Bounce on Balance Tightening, but Modest Near-Term Demand Sinks Cash - Natural gas futures ended the week on higher ground as traders digested the latest storage data, which reflected some potentially bullish signals for the market. With some short-covering likely in play ahead of the weekend, the May Nymex gas futures contract settled Friday at $2.114/MMBtu, up 10.7 cents on the day. June futures closed out the week at $2.305, up 10.8 cents. Spot gas prices, however, nosedived for the three-day gas delivery period. Losses were most pronounced on the West Coast, though California prices remained at a stout premium to the rest of the country. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. dropped 12.0 cents to $1.860. With weather-driven demand rather uninspiring in April, the market has been attuned to other changes in the supply/demand balance. Production has offered little support to prices in recent weeks. Although output has fluctuated and fallen back to the high 90s Bcf/d over the past month, that reduction was tied to pipeline work. As those maintenance events have ended, output has soared. On Friday, U.S. production was back at 101 Bcf/d, not far off late-winter highs. However, another look at the supply side of the equation offers some hope that prices may soon swing to the upside. Thursday’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) weekly inventory report showed a net 25 Bcf increase in overall stocks, resulting in an expansion of the year/year surplus to 460 Bcf. The overhang to the five-year average, meanwhile, held relatively steady at 295 Bcf. However, taking a more granular approach to the storage data, Mobius Risk Group noted that the 25 Bcf injection – while meeting market expectations – also implied flat year/year supply/demand. This is a material divergence from what came to be the norm late last summer and through most of the 2022-2023 withdrawal season, according to the firm.

Great Lakes tribes send report to United Nations to fight Line 5 — Native American tribes from Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario have come together to call for an end to the Line 5 pipeline. The Enbridge Line 5 crude oil pipeline, first constructed in 1953, stretches from Wisconsin through 645 miles of Michigan and ends in Sarnia, Ontario. Part of the pipeline travels underwater through the Straits of Mackinac. In recent years, the pipeline's continued operation has become a source of controversy. Many tribal nations and communities claim that the pipeline goes through their traditional territories. The Straits area in particular is considered a place of significant cultural and historical importance to many native groups, including the Anishinaabe. According to tribal leaders, the pipeline poses a major and direct threat to the ecosystems along its path. “The Straits of Mackinac are central to the Anishinaabe creation story, which makes this location sacred from both a cultural and historical perspective in the formation of the Anishinaabe people,” said Austin Lowes, chairperson of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, in a statement. “Protecting the Straits is also a matter of the utmost environmental and economic importance — both to our people and the state of Michigan.” Tribal leaders and other environmental groups have publicly opposed the pipeline for many years and have called for the pipeline to be shut down. Supporters of the pipeline point out that it transports 540,000 barrels of light crude oil and natural gas liquids through Line 5 on a daily basis. Shutting it down could impact jobs, fuel transport and property taxes paid by Enbridge. In an effort to address safety concerns, Enbridge has proposed an underwater tunnel to house the portion of Line 5 that runs under the Straits of Mackinac. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently pushed the permitting timeline for the tunnel project back to spring 2025. Critics of the tunnel project say no oil should be transported through the Straits at all, as a spill could have a devastating impact on more than 700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. “The rights of Indigenous people, of my people, are rights that should be respected by all sovereigns, both domestic and abroad,” said President Whitney Gravelle of the Bay Mills Indian Community in a statement. “Canada’s support of Line 5 is a disaster in the making for the entire Great Lakes region because an oil spill will poison our fish, harm our sacred sites, contaminate our drinking water — and ultimately destroy our Indigenous way of life.” Previous attempts to shut down the pipeline have been stopped through various means, mostly the 1977 Transit Pipeline Treaty between Canada and the United States. The latest attempt saw 51 tribal organizations from Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario submit a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. This report, dated April 4, claims that the Government of Canada is violating the human rights of Indigenous peoples through its continuous support for Line 5. The report was submitted to be considered during Canada's upcoming Universal Periodic Review, conducted by the United Nations. As a United Nations member state, Canada is required to be evaluated for its human rights record on a regular basis. (report embedded below)

There could be millions of abandoned wells in the US. Plugging them is a monumental task - Congress set aside an unprecedented $4.7 billion to plug hundreds of thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells in late 2021, and by last fall the Interior Department began sending an initial $25 million to two dozen states to stamp out wells from Alabama to Alaska that were contaminating groundwater and leaking planet-warming gases. Louisiana, home to more than 4,500 “orphan” wells — named so because often no viable owner exists — was among those to receive the infusion of federal money. The state hired outside contractors, who sought out local crews with the equipment and experience needed to do the difficult work of dismantling a long-festering environmental scourge, one well at a time. That’s how, on a gray morning in northwest Louisiana, in an area known as the Caddo Pine Island Oil Field, Joe Tolbert and his three sons were once again among the cypress swamps and tall pines, pouring a half-mile’s worth of concrete that would officially end the life of Well #173054. Since January, his small business had found reliable work plugging dozens of rusty, leaking wells that litter this rugged landscape. The push from the federal government to wrangle a problem that historically has received little attention marks a historic shift that could have profound impacts. Dedicating billions of dollars to target the most troublesome wells around the country has the potential to result in significantly fewer toxic substances, such as arsenic and benzene, polluting groundwater. Also, while individual orphan wells don’t typically leak large amounts of methane, collectively they account for a significant source of the potent greenhouse gas. So plugging the worst offenders has a clear climate benefit, scientists say. “The more we plug and the faster we plug, the more methane we are capturing,” said Ben Diebold, executive vice president for disaster services at Lemoine, one of the two firms with which Louisiana has contracted. Still, a daunting task lies ahead. Merely locating orphan wells can be arduous, and plugging them is tedious, time-consuming and expensive. To follow a crew like Tolbert’s is to understand how the work is a mixture of sweat, science and improvisation. They must navigate swampy roads or thick forests with heavy equipment to access the wells, remove miles of steel piping, set underground plugs to prevent fluid from flowing, fill strawlike holes with cement and remove the well head, and restore the land to something resembling normal. The whole endeavor takes days, and can cost $30,000 to plug a single well — and sometimes far more. Multiply that times the staggering number of wells around the country, and it’s clear that the current funding, while monumental compared to anything in the past, will only begin to chip away at the problem. The money pouring into states to do this work is “supercharging” the modest efforts that previously existed, said Adam Peltz, a director and senior attorney at the Environmental Defense Fund who has worked on the issue for years. But, he added, “We are only scratching the surface on this.”‘We really only know where a fraction of them are’

Natural gas exporters skirt Washington’s scrutiny of China - The United States’ booming natural gas export industry is trying to stay out of the fray of rising tensions between the U.S. and China. And it’s getting cover from an unusual quarter: some of Beijing’s critics in the GOP. U.S. lawmakers of both parties are pursuing tough-on-China bills after a spate of conflicts involving spy balloons, TikTok and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Russia. But executives at companies that sell liquefied natural gas are going to Congress with a contrary message: If the United States wants more of its gas to flow overseas, Chinese yuan will have to be part of the equation. One reason is that contracts with Chinese buyers are critical to the gas industry’s hopes of securing billions of dollars in bank financing for planned export facilities, industry analysts said. Lack of financing led to delays in construction of new gas projects that could export as much as 21 billion cubic feet a day, a volume that if completely built would triple current U.S. capacity, according to figures from the Energy Information Administration. “Is China still critically important in signing long-term agreements to help secure funding for those projects?” said Charlie Riedl, executive director for the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas trade association. “The answer is absolutely yes.” Representatives from the group have met with senators to make the case that China is a crucial market for U.S. energy shipments, Riedl said. Some of the GOP’s biggest China hawks, like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), are holding their fire when it comes to the LNG trade. Cruz told POLITICO that “China poses the greatest geopolitical threat” to the U.S. and touted the dozens of bills he’s filed to address the risks. On LNG trade, though, the Texas Republican sees less of an issue. “Individuals and companies can do business with China. We are not boycotting the nation as a whole,” Cruz said.

Experts See Below-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season in 2023 -- Researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) anticipate a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2023. This is principally due to the likely development of the El Niño weather phenomenon. However, “Given the conflicting signals between a potentially robust El Niño and an anomalously warm tropical and subtropical Atlantic, the team stresses that there is more uncertainty than normal with this outlook,” according to the CSU report released on Thursday (April 13). The CSU Tropical Meteorology Project team is predicting 13 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Of those, researchers expect six to become hurricanes and two to reach major hurricane strength with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater. CSU predicts that the 2023 hurricane activity will be about 80% of the average season from 1991–2020. By comparison, 2022’s hurricane activity was about 75% of the average season. The 2022 hurricane season had two major hurricanes: Fiona and Ian. Fiona brought devastating flooding to Puerto Rico before causing significant surge, wind and rain impacts in the Atlantic provinces of Canada as a post-tropical cyclone. Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in southwest Florida, causing over 150 fatalities and $113 billion dollars in damage. Natural gas and crude pipelines, petroleum product terminals and refineries, as well as countless wells and LNG export facilities concentrated along the Gulf Coast have long made hurricane preparedness a top priority for the industry. In 2021, Hurricane Ida knocked out natural gas supply from the Gulf of Mexico for weeks, while Hurricane Laura shuttered the Cameron LNG facilityfor more than a month in 2020. Hurricanes can also impact natural gas demand and market dynamics. Last year’s Hurricane Ian for example hit demand in the Southeast, and impacted prices.

Why SPOT Will Change Everything In The U.S. Crude Oil Export Market - If you think, as we do, that (1) U.S. crude oil production is likely to increase by 1.5 to 2 MMb/d over the next five years, (2) almost all those barrels will be light-sweet crude that needs to be exported, and (3) exporters will overwhelmingly favor the marine terminals that can accommodate Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), it would be hard to ignore the game-changing impacts that Enterprise Products Partners’ planned Sea Port Oil Terminal could have. SPOT, which could be completed as soon as 2026, will have robust pipeline connections from the Permian and other shale plays and be capable of fully loading a 2-MMbbl VLCC in one day, enough to handle virtually all the incremental exports we’re likely to see over the next five years. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the fast-increasing role of VLCCs in U.S. crude oil exports and the potentially seismic impacts of the SPOT project. RBN’s middle-of-the-road “Mid” forecast sees U.S. crude oil production increasing to 14 MMb/d by 2028, about 2 MMb/d higher than the 2022 average, with three-quarters of that incremental output coming from the Permian and most of the rest from other shale plays that also produce high-API-gravity, low-sulfur oil — see The Price You Payfor more (and a downloadable MS Excel version of that forecast). Given that U.S. refineries’ ability to economically process light-sweet crude is essentially maxed out, it’s a good bet that almost all those incremental barrels will be bound for export terminals along the Gulf Coast. And, as we said in Calling the Shots, it’s just as likely that, on their way to overseas refineries, as many of those barrels as physically possible will be headed through terminals like the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center (EIEC) and South Texas Gateway (STG) — both in the Corpus Christi area — whose docks can receive and load VLCCs with minimal reverse lightering, the most cost-effective way to move massive volumes of oil to Europe and Asia.But crude oil pipelines from the Permian to Corpus are nearing capacity, more oil is being diverted toward Houston-area export terminals across Magellan’s pipelines, the Midland-to-ECHO pipeline system and other pipes — see Sooner or Later and Houston Bound for more on that — and Enterprise (in partnership with Enbridge) continues to advance its plan to build SPOT in 115-feet-deep waters about 30 miles off the coast of Freeport. InWhat It Takes, we explained that SPOT will have two single-point mooring buoys (purple-and-white-striped diamonds in Figure 1) and the ability to simultaneously moor two VLCCs and load one per day — providing an extraordinary level of cost- and time-efficiency. Crude will flow to SPOT on a pair of 36-inch-diameter pipelines from two Enterprise storage-and-distribution terminals: the existing ECHO Terminal (orange tank icon southeast of Houston; 8.3 MMbbl of tank storage) and the proposed Oyster Creek Terminal (orange tank icon north of Freeport; 4.6 MMbbl of planned capacity) in south-central Brazoria County. But crude oil pipelines from the Permian to Corpus are nearing capacity, more oil is being diverted toward Houston-area export terminals across Magellan’s pipelines, the Midland-to-ECHO pipeline system and other pipes — see Sooner or Later and Houston Bound for more on that — and Enterprise continues to advance its plan to build SPOT in 115-feet-deep waters about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Freeport. Enterprise has estimated that it will have a full license for the project in hand by September 2023, and that it will take about 30 months to build the facility. In What It Takes, we explained that SPOT will have two single-point mooring buoys (purple-and-white-striped diamonds in Figure 1) and the ability to simultaneously moor two VLCCs and load one per day — providing an extraordinary level of cost- and time-efficiency. Crude will flow to SPOT on a pair of 36-inch-diameter pipelines from two Enterprise storage-and-distribution terminals: the existing ECHO Terminal (orange tank icon southeast of Houston; 8.4 MMbbl of tank storage) and the proposed Oyster Creek Terminal (orange-and-white-striped tank icon north of Freeport; 4.8 MMbbl of planned capacity) in south-central Brazoria County.

Matador Boosts Permian Opportunities with $1.6B Advance Takeover - Matador Resources Co. has completed its largest transaction in the Permian Basin with the purchase of Advance Energy Partners Holdings LLC, which has assets in New Mexico and West Texas. Matador paid an initial $1.6 billion for the company. In addition, the independent agreed to pay $7.5 million monthly this year if the average West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price exceeds $85/bbl. At the end of March, WTI was trading at $75.68, and it has averaged around $80. “These properties are a unique, value-creating opportunity for Matador and all of its stakeholders,” said CEO Joseph Foran. “Closing this transaction sets Matador up nicely for a great 2023 and an even better 2024.” Houston-based Advance was a portfolio company of private equity giant Encap Investments LP. The deal gives Matador about 18,500 net acres in the northern portion of the Permian’s Delaware subbasin, 99% of which are held by production. Most of the leasehold is near “some of Matador’s best acreage,” where an estimated ultimate recovery of 1 million boe has been drilled, the company said. The acreage also provides a “significant increase” in Matador’s primary development zones, including the Avalon, Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations. In core target formations, Matador gained 174 net operated locations. In the Wolfcamp D, Matador added 35 net. Matador has said it expects Advance to add around 24,500-25,500 boe/d in production, 74% weighted to oil. Advance’s total proved reserves last year were estimated at around 106 million boe, 73% oil-weighted. With Advance, Pronto gained about 35 miles of infield gas and water gathering lines. In addition, Matador is acquiring three compressor stations. Pronto, whose operations are centered in Lea County, NM, would gain access with the Advance assets to about 50 MMcf/d of natural gas takeaway capacity to the Waha Hub in the Permian through the Double E Pipeline operated by Summit Midstream Partners LP. Dallas-based Matador also works in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, as well as the Haynesville Shale and Cotton Valley in northwestern Louisiana. In addition, it operates Pronto Midstream LLC.

Exxon in talks to buy Pioneer Natural Resources - Exxon Mobil has held initial talks to buy US shale oil giant Pioneer Natural Resources, reported The Wall Street Journal citing unnamed sources. The talks between the two companies for a potential deal have been informal, the sources added. Exxon, which reported record profits in 2022, is loaded with cash and, according to those familiar with the company’s plans, has been looking for a mega deal.People with knowledge of the situation told the publication that Exxon executives have explored a prospective alliance with at least one other corporation.Any transaction, if it materialises, is unlikely to happen until later this year or next year, the sources said, adding that, talks may not go to formal negotiations at all, or Exxon may pursue a different company.However, they stated that Exxon is seeking a major transaction to use its windfall earnings and viewsPioneer as a top candidate.If Exxon buys Pioneer, which has a market cap of about $49bn, it would probably be Exxon’s largest deal since its megamerger with Mobil in 1999.The deal is expected to bolster Exxon’s position in the oil-rich Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico.It would bring together the top Western oil business, which is more than 140 years old and worth more than $468bn, with a driller who owns substantial oil reserves in America’s most sought-after fracking hotspot.Texas-based Pioneer is claimed to be the leading oil producer in the Permian Basin and generated $8.4bn in cash surplus last year.Exxon has been looking for a deal in the Permian for months, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. In a separate development last week, The WSJ reported that Exxon has stopped drilling off the coast of Brazil after failing to find oil.

Toxic 'forever chemicals' found in New Mexico oil and gas wells -- Modern oil and gas drilling techniques used in New Mexico could leach toxic chemicals underground and into the environment, according to a recent study published Wednesday by Physicians for Social Responsibility. The report studied the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling technique that pumps a mixture of water, chemicals, and sand underground to break up shale rock so crude oil and natural gas can be extracted. Fracking, along with horizontal drilling, led to expanded oil and gas production in New Mexico, chiefly in the southeast Permian Basin region, as the technological advancements allowed operators to target deeper and harder-to-reach fossil fuel deposits. The fracking boom also brought a wealth of environmental impacts and could expose residents to dangerous health impacts from PFAS, the study read. They’re known as “forever chemicals” in the environmental community, generated or used by myriad industrial operations in the U.S., and known to not naturally degrade once released into the air, land or water. Manmade PFAS were originally sold as Teflon in 1949, used for non-stick pans, and subsequently were included in thousands of products. “Fracking brings wealth and jobs to New Mexico,” said Barbara Gottlieb with Physicians for Social Responsibility. “It also brings a witch’s brew of chemicals.” During a Tuesday presentation on the study, lead author Dusty Horwitt said state reporting requirements failed to convey the extent of PFAS in fracking fluids and thus its threat to groundwater in New Mexico. “They don’t breakdown in the environment, and they’ve been associated with a number of health impacts,” he said. “The health impacts disproportionately affect people who live near oil and gas operations.” Those include high cholesterol, various cancers and reproductive impacts in women, the study showed.

Organization calls for greater scrutiny of oil and gas operations amid PFAS concerns -- A new report released by Physicians for Social Responsibility claims that PFAS chemicals, or Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances, are used in oil and gas operations in New Mexico and this use has the potential to contaminate soil, air and water resources in the state.The newly released report builds upon information PSR released in 2021 regarding the use of PFAS in oil and gas production in the state.PSR relied on information from FracFocus, an independent database where companies voluntarily report the chemicals that they are using in oil and gas production.According to the report, PFAS has been used in the oil and gas industry in New Mexico since 2013, but the extent of the PFAS use is unknown because the companies do not have to disclose all of the chemicals they use in extraction of oil and gas. “These findings raise concerns that New Mexicans may unknowingly be exposed to highly hazardous substances that are toxic in minuscule amounts,” the report states. Exposure to PFAS chemicals has been linked to reproductive effects such as decreased fertility in women, developmental effects and delays in children, increased risk of certain cancers, reduced ability to fight infections, increased obesity, increased cholesterol and interference with the body’s natural hormones.PFAS chemicals include thousands of types of manufactured chemicals that are common in fire suppression foam, household goods such as cookware and space heaters, water-resistant fabrics such as rain jackets and personal care products such as shampoos.These chemicals are sometimes called forever chemicals because they take a long time to deteriorate in the environment.The use of PFAS chemicals has been so widespread that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencysays the chemicals can be found in the blood of people and animals around the world.

“How to Blow Up a Pipeline” Movie Poses Terror Threat, Kansas City Intel Agency Claims --IN 2021, a Texas intelligence command center disseminated a bulletin warning its law enforcement partners about activists interested in sabotaging fossil fuel infrastructure. The report detailed no specific threat, but instead linked to an interview with Andreas Malm, a Swedish professor of human ecology, on a New Yorker podcast in which he advocated for the destroying or “neutralizing” new fossil fuel projects like pipelines using nonviolent methods. Now, Malm’s work is once again drawing the attention of a fusion center. “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” a new movie dramatizing Malm’s 2021 nonfiction book of the same name, sympathetically depicts the infrastructure sabotage by environmentalists. The film’s fictional protagonist, Theo, contracts leukemia after growing up in a Long Beach neighborhood with heavy pollution. She joins several others to strap a homemade bomb to an oil pipeline in West Texas. In a report disseminated last week, another intelligence command center — this time in Kansas City, Missouri — quietly warned of a “developing threat” related to the movie. It was obtained by The Intercept via a source with access to law enforcement reporting, and the Kansas City Regional Fusion Center did not reply to a request for comment. Again, however, this new report conceded that the intelligence center could not identify any specific threat — a contradiction that experts say speaks to the overbroad authority of state intelligence entities and the make-work required by these centers. “The performance metric is the number of reports you write, rather than the accuracy of them,” Mike German, a retired FBI agent who is now a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, said of fusion centers. “What do you do after you write reports on realistic threats? Pretty soon you have to start writing about imaginary ones. Lots come straight from the fever swamps of social media.” The Missouri report goes a step further than Texas’s, since the film “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” is fictional. Another fusion center, the Colorado Information Analysis Center, recently issued a similar bulletin in anticipation of a student walkout to protest legislative inaction on gun violence, as The Intercept reported last week. The report did not identify any potential crime that might arise in relation to the protest. Defending its report, CIAC said that it was not monitoring the protesters and that the report was merely distributed for situational awareness. “Fusion center leaders often say this type of reporting is for ‘situational awareness’ but then why send this type of report out broadly to the law enforcement community,” German said. “I am surprised how many of the fusion center products we see focus on protest activity, where the analysts acknowledge in the report itself that they have no indication that any criminal activity might take place.” “THE KANSAS CITY Regional Fusion Center (KCRFC) has prepared the following Situational Awareness Bulletin,” the report, dated April 4, reads, “to provide information to partners concerning a developing threat targeting Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR), especially oil and natural gas pipelines.” But in a separate caption, it notes “The KCRFC has no information on specific threats directed at the energy sector in this area.” KCRFC is one of 80 fusion centers across the country, which were established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to combat terrorism by sharing intelligence with law enforcement partners. But fusion centers lack the traditional law enforcement requirement for a criminal predicate to exist in order to investigate something, German told The Intercept.

The next act in the fight against Line 3? A museum on treaty rights - Minnesota Reformer - A treaty between the United States government and the Ojibwe (or Anishinaabeg) signed in Washington, DC, nearly 170 years ago will be the main focus of a new museum set to open this summer in Park Rapids.But far from being a history museum, the organizers behind Giiwedinong: The Museum and Cultural Center of the North say it will teach Minnesotans, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, about the rights guaranteed to tribal members today, starting with those established in the 1855 Treaty which applies to land that includes Park Rapids.The museum was co-founded by Winona LaDuke, who recently stepped down as the executive director of the nonprofit Honor the Earth following a sexual harassment lawsuit against the organization.The new museum is partly an extension of the movement against the Line 3 replacement project. Indigenous pipeline opponents, who call themselves water protectors, argued the pipeline violates their rights to hunt, fish and gather on their ancestral land — rights guaranteed in most treaties in exchange for selling the land. Many Minnesotans, however, don’t know these rights exist in the first place.“Most people do not know about the reservations that were created in the (1855 Treaty), the history of the ‘55, or the history of the land and the people of that territory,” said LaDuke, who is a member of the White Earth Nation. “Part of our obligation to the community is to tell our story of the land, of our ancestors and of the present people who are there.”In addition to archival materials related to the 1855 Treaty, the museum will also feature exhibits from Standing Rock and other Indigenous-led movements to protect water as well as showcase the stories of Native Minnesotans who have been arrested or fined for exercising their treaty rights.In a jab at Enbridge, the Canadian company that built the pipeline, the museum will be housed in a former Enbridge office. Before that, it was a Carnegie library. LaDuke hopes the museum will restore the building to its former reputation as a place of enlightenment.In the 18th and 19th centuries, the U.S. government signed nearly 400 treaties with Native American tribes outlining mutual obligations between nations. These treaties established things like boundaries, rights to mineral uses, guarantees of peace, and the right to hunt, fish, and gather on ceded land. More than 10% of the treaties were with Ojibwe tribes. Tribal attorney Frank Bibeau has donated copies of maps related to the treaties — about 100 in all, he guesses — to the museum.“A lot of times telling this story is about showing maps,” said Bibeau, a member of the White Earth Nation. “It shows how the people were moved and how the land was taken.”

Oil and gas-related spills increased 16% in Colorado in 2022, report finds -- A report from a Denver-based environmental group shows that Colorado’s oil and gas industry is trending in the wrong direction on drilling-related spills.The Center for Western Priorities’ annual Western Oil and Gas Spills Tracker report counted 473 spills reported by operators to state regulators in 2022, a 16% jump from 2021. It was the second year in a row that that figure has risen, as drillers continue to rebound from the sharp decline in production that followed the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.“Oil and gas companies in both New Mexico and Colorado appear to be polluting more than ever, while posting record profits,” Kate Groetzinger, the Center for Western Priorities’ communications manager and the report’s author, said in a statement. “The number of drilling-related spills and amount of methane wasted by the oil and gas industry should be going down each year, not up.”Colorado producers pumped over 157 million barrels of crude oil in 2022, according to datareleased last month by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That’s a slight uptick from 2021, but still well below the state’s peak production of over 192 million barrels in 2019. Most of the material spilled by producers in Colorado and other Western states, the report found, is “produced water” — the muddy, brackish byproduct of oil and gas extraction, often as a result of hydraulic fracturing. Produced water may contain a wide variety of contaminants. Reported volumes of produced water spills were up 163% in Colorado in 2022, which “could indicate an increase in fracking activity,” the analysis said.Colorado regulators have enacted a sweeping set of changes to oil and gas rules in the wake of landmark environmental legislation passed by Democratic lawmakers in 2019, including increased setback distances between new wells and buildings and more authority for local governments to restrict drilling sites. Environmental advocates, however, say the state still isn’t doing enough to address the “cumulative impacts” of its nearly 49,000 active oil and gas wells. Five companies were responsible for nearly half of Colorado’s oil and gas spills in 2022, the Center for Western Priorities report found. They include operators controlled by the state’s largest producers, including Occidental Petroleum and PDC Energy, as well as troubled producers like K.P. Kauffman.A Denver-based operator of over 1,200 wells statewide, K.P. Kauffman has been the target of an escalating series of enforcement actions by state regulators over its failure to clean up its spills and comply with environmental rules. In February, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission ordered K.P. Kauffman to shut down its wells and halt sales of oil and gas for at least six months, but the company has sued the agency over that decision.

Arapahoe County considers 6-month drilling moratorium as Aurora residents worry about fracking near reservoir - The Denver Post - Although it’s been a while since local officials in Colorado placed a halt on oil and gas drilling, commissioners in Arapahoe County on Tuesday will consider passing a six-month moratorium on new well permits in one of the state’s most robust places for energy extraction. The potential drilling delay, which would give the county time to refine recent oil and gas regulations, comes as Denver-based Civitas Resources is planning 174 new wells on land owned by Colorado State Land Board just east of Aurora city line.

Oil leak near Crowheart spills crude oil into Wind River tributary -- In the early morning hours of Monday, April 10, a break occurred in a crude oil pipeline near Crowheart, spilling oil into an unnamed tributary of the Wind River. The pipe, owned by the Wind River Energy Commission, was reported to have been fixed the same day, but the company’s initial report to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) said that 1,428 gallons or roughly 34 barrels of oil was released before the leak was fixed. The DEQ is waiting to finalize the total amount of oil until it investigates further, as different numbers have been reported on social media. While the leak was on the Wind River Reservation, the DEQ reported that it has affected both tribal and non-tribal land. “Efforts to contain the spill have been successful,” stated DEQ Public Information Supervisor Kimberly Mazza; however, the DEQ’s response remains ongoing. “Resources have been mobilized to collect drinking water samples from homes in the area that may have been impacted,” Mazza said. The DEQ reported that it was on site as soon as the incident was reported, and has been working hand-in-hand with the Wind River Energy Commission as well as tribal, state, and federal agencies to address the spill.

Montana Judge Cancels Gas Power Plant Permit Over Climate Concern - Climate concerns motivated a Montana judge to cancel the air quality permit for a controversial natural gas power plant. The 175-megawatt NorthWestern Energy plant would have emitted more than 23 million tons of greenhouse gases over its 30-year or more lifespan — the equivalent of adding 167,327 new cars to the roads each year — something that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) did not fully consider when it issued the permit, Montana 13th Judicial District Court Judge Michael Moses ruled Thursday.“DEQ’s failure to analyze this issue violated the clear and unambiguous language of MEPA [the Montana Environmental Policy Act],” Moses wrote. “Failure to analyze this issue was arbitrary and capricious and a clear violation of MEPA.”The Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based NorthWestern Energy is building the $250 million plant along the banks of the Yellowstone River, AP News reported. However, it is controversial with the people who would live near the plant in Laurel, Montana, who have joined together to oppose it as the “Thiel Road Coalition,” according to aMontana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) press release. “We are very concerned that this project will harm people who live near the proposed plant,” Laurel resident and retired refinery worker Steve Krum said in the press release. “Every time we have raised concerns about the impacts this plant will have on the quality of life of the neighbors and the Yellowstone River, those concerns have been dismissed. We appreciate that our concerns finally got a fair shake in court.”MEIC filed the lawsuit to block the permit alongside the Sierra Club in 2021, AP News reported. In response, the DEQ argued that state law did not give it the authority to make decisions based on global climate impacts, but Moses said it should consider how additional emissions would impact Montana.

Pipeline connected to 2021 oil spill set to restart off Huntington Beach – Orange County Register -- The pipeline that ruptured and spewed about 25,000 gallons of oil into the ocean off Huntington Beach in October 2021 is being refilled with oil and is expected to be in use again sometime this month, pipeline operator Amplify Energy said Monday, April 10.Though resumption of production off the Orange County coast figures to end one part of a saga that has involved national media, a spree of lawsuits and countersuits, and a criminal plea by Houston-based Amplify, at least some environmentalists hope the local spill still could lead to tougher new rules for all offshore oil operators.“I would hope that, given the Biden administration’s stated intentions to do more on climate, that we will see a little more attention paid to these old platforms and other operations off the Pacific coast that are ripe for decommissioning,” said Brady Bradshaw, senior oceans campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, an Arizona-based environmental group with offices in California.Bradshaw’s organization mentioned the Huntington Beach spill in a federal lawsuit it filed late last year, seeking tougher rules on everything from offshore oil equipment to inspection schedules to the financial rules of closing operations.Like others who want to see an end to offshore drilling, Bradshaw noted that federal rules currently don’t take into account the fact that the equipment used off the Orange County coast – which leads to platforms in federal waters – is nearly a half-century old, far older than its intended lifespan. He also said regulations do little to monitor increased shipping in the area, which played a role in the local spill.

In the Shadow of Big Oil: Neighborhood Drilling in California - When the oil rigs looming over Diego Martinez’s backyard start drilling into the earth, his house shakes so violently that the noise of the keys hanging in the hallway echoes through the house.“Literally all my life, I’ve been hearing it,” says Martinez. “We always wonder why an oil company is allowed to drill right next to our house. The well is only about 20 feet from my bedroom window. Whenever people visited us they would ask, ‘What’s that noise? Why does everything shake?’”Martinez’s experience is not unique in California’s rural Central Valley, which contains 70% of the state’s oil operations. It may seem surprising for a state often heralded as a leader in environmental progress; yet for over a century, California has failed to adequately regulate its own oil and gas industry — with devastating health effects for the people forced to live near it. Californians living near oil and gas wells are exposed to a mix of air pollutants that are linked to asthma, cancers, pregnancy complications, preterm births, and increased risk of dying from COVID-19 because of long-term exposure to air pollution. Though the industry tries to obscure the chemical contents of their slurries and methods, drilling is known to spread harmful chemical byproducts such as benzene (a known carcinogen) and hydrogen sulfide. And as oil reserves diminish after decades of extraction, companies resort to even more polluting techniques, using a slew of toxic chemicals to extract the last dregs of crude oil. A growing body of research shows that babies born near oil and gas wells are more likely than average to experience health threats including premature birth, heart defects, and low birthweight. Between 2006 and 2015, more than a million babies were born in California to mothers who live within one kilometer (roughly 3,200 feet) of an oil or gas well. Nalleli Cobo moved into the Esperanza Apartments, near the AllenCo Energy drill site in Los Angeles, when she was 4 years old. Her family stayed for 10 years. “The nosebleeds started when I was 9 years old,” says Cobo, who was diagnosed with cancer. “They weren’t your typical nosebleeds. If they happened at night, I would sleep upright in a chair to stop from choking on my own blood. I couldn’t sleep lying down.” “Neighborhood oil drilling shouldn’t exist. It’s inhumane to drill next to where someone’s living. The science shows that this is affecting us.” “Neighborhood oil drilling shouldn’t exist,” she says. “It’s inhumane to drill next to where someone’s living. People of color have been ignored on this issue, but we’re not guinea pigs, and we’re more than statistics.” Cobo, now 21, has gone on to win the Goldman Environmental Prize for her advocacy and was a Time 100 Next recipient in 2022 — and, she is a cancer survivor. “In my heart, I think the cancer is connected to the oil and gas drilling I grew up with,” she says. A movement to change the state’s outdated rules spurred environmental advocates into action. Organizations likeVISIÓN, a coalition of grassroots environmental justice groups across Kern County and Los Angeles, organized under the powerful rallying cry, “No Drilling Where We’re Living.”“How has California fallen so far behind?” Cesar Aguirre wonders. Aguirre, a Kern County organizer with VISIÓN and theCentral California Environmental Justice Network, has helped community members share their stories to urge California officials to end neighborhood oil drilling.“These oil companies never should have been able to make a profit drilling next to someone’s backyard at the expense of people’s health. What’s happening in our state is not normal.”

How TigerSwan pitched its pipeline playbook after Standing Rock – A new business model for breaking down environmental movements was being hatched in real time. On Labor Day weekend of 2016, private security dogs in North Dakota attacked pipeline opponents led by members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as they approached earth-moving equipment. The tribal members considered the land sacred, and the heavy equipment was breaking ground to build the Dakota Access Pipeline. With a major public relations crisis on its hands, the pipeline’s parent company, Energy Transfer, hired the firm TigerSwan to revamp its security strategy. By October, TigerSwan, founded by James Reese, a retired commander of the elite special operations Army unit Delta Force, had established a military-style pipeline security strategy. There was one nagging problem that threatened to unravel it all: Reese hadn’t acquired a security license from the North Dakota Private Investigation and Security Board. Although Reese claimed TigerSwan wasn’t conducting security services at all, the state regulator insisted that its operations were unlawful without a license. TigerSwan turned to Jonathan Thompson, the head of the National Sheriffs’ Association, a trade group representing sheriffs, for help. The security board “has a problem understanding and staying within their charter,” Shawn Sweeney, TigerSwan’s senior vice president, wrote to Thompson. If he could “discuss possible political measures to apply pressure it will assist in the entire project success [sic],” the employee appealed. Thompson was enthused to work with TigerSwan. “We are keen to be a strong partner where we can help keep the message narrative supportive,” he wrote back. “[C]all if ever need anything.”Despite Thompson’s offer of assistance, TigerSwan continued to operate in North Dakota with no license for months. The company managed dozens of on-the-ground security guards, surveilled and infiltrated protesters, and passed along profiles of so-called “persons of interest” to one of the largest midstream energy companies in North America. The revelation of TigerSwan’s close working relationship with the National Sheriffs’ Association is drawn from more than 50,000 pages of documents obtained by The Intercept through a public records request to the North Dakota Private Investigation and Security Board. In 2017, the board sued TigerSwan for providing security services without a license. The state eventually sought a $2 million dollar fine through the administrative process, but Tigerswan negotiated a $175,000 fine instead — well below standard fines for such activities. A discovery request filed as part of the case forced thousands of new internal TigerSwan documents into the public record. Energy Transfer’s lawyers fought for nearly two years to keep the documents secret, until North Dakota’s Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the material falls under the state’s open records statute. Because an arrangement between North Dakota and Energy Transfer allows the fossil fuel company to weigh in on which documents should be redacted, the state has yet to release over 9,000 disputed pages containing material that Energy Transfer is, for now at least, fighting to keep out of the public eye. The released documents provide startling new details about how TigerSwan used social media monitoring, aerial surveillance,radio eavesdropping, undercover personnel, and subscription-based records databases to build watch lists and dossiers on Indigenous activists and environmental organizations. At times the pipeline security company shared this information with law enforcement. In other cases, WhatsApp chats and emails confirm Tigerswan used what it gathered to follow pipeline opponents in their cars and develop propaganda campaigns online. The documents contain records of TigerSwan attempting to help Energy Transfer build a legal case against pipeline opponents, known as water protectors, using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, a law that was passed to prosecute the mob.

BLM delays Trump midnight orders opening Alaska lands - The Bureau of Land Management is delaying until next year a decision on a series of Trump-era orders that would open 28 million acres of federal lands in Alaska to energy development and mining. BLM, in a notice published in Friday’s Federal Register, announced it needs until at least August 2024 to complete an environmental impact statement for the five public land orders issued in the closing weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency that would have lifted restrictions on the use of the lands. The Interior Department in April 2021 deferred opening the land covered in the public land orders signed by former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt for two years while it evaluated legal “deficiencies” in them. The two-year deferral was set to end on April 16. “Due to the scope and complexity of the issues being analyzed in the EIS, the BLM will not be ready to reach a decision” by April 16, and “as a result, will defer the opening order to Aug. 31, 2024 to allow the BLM to complete the analysis and consultation required to address the legal defects identified in the decision-making processes,” according to the Federal Register notice, which will take effect on Monday. The issue has sparked tension between BLM and Alaska’s congressional delegation, particularly Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has argued that it’s long past time to lift the land use restrictions originally implemented decades ago through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. The Bernhardt public land orders under review in the EIS collectively cover an enormous area of the state that includes portions of the “Bay, Bering Sea-Western Interior, East Alaska, Kobuk-Seward Peninsula, and Ring of Fire planning areas,” according to the Federal Register notice. Issues being studied include “insufficient analysis” of the impacts of opening the lands to potential mining and oil and gas drilling, particularly as it relates to the Endangered Species Act, as well as “failure to secure consent from the Department of Defense (DOD) with regard to lands under DOD administration,” according to the notice.Tribal governments demand Canada abandon Line 5 support Leaders from 51 tribal nations, including some in Michigan, blastedCanada’s support of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline last week.In a report sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the group demanded tribes from around the Great Lakes have a say in the matter.The report comes months before Canada will have its human rights record scrutinized by the U.N. in a routine event known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).Line 5 transports crude oil and natural gas liquids across the U.S.-Canada border and under the environmentally and culturally significant Straits of Mackinac.“The rights of Indigenous people, of my people, are rights that should be respected by all sovereigns both domestic and abroad,” said President Whitney Gravelle of the Bay Mills Indian Community, in a statement. “Canada’s support of Line 5 is a disaster in the making for the entire Great Lakes region because an oil spill will poison our fish, harm our sacred sites, contaminate our drinking water – and ultimately destroy our Indigenous way of life.”In 2021, Canada invoked the 1977 Transit Pipeline Treaty with the U.S. for the first time which sets forth agreements related to the transit of oil across the border.It's not the first time the Canadian government has attempted to stall legal proceedings. Michigan and Enbridge are waiting for a federal judge to decide if Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Line 5 shutdown order will stand in a state or federal court.Meanwhile, Tribal Nations called on Canada to withdraw its invocation of the Pipeline Treaty among other demands. They include the following text:

• Ensure that affected Indigenous Nations, who are sovereigns and human rights holders, are invited to participate in discussions regarding Line 5’s future, including any negotiations under the Pipeline Treaty, so long as they continue.
• Interpret all international treaties, including the Pipeline Treaty, consistently with Canada’s human rights obligations.
• Ensure affected Indigenous Peoples’ Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) before providing support for extractive sector projects and withdraw support from projects that do not have affected Indigenous Peoples’ FPIC.
• Ensure that corporations under Canadian jurisdiction do not cause or contribute to foreseeable threats to human rights.

Read the full report from the coalition of tribal governments here. David Arroyo, Chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians told IPR News that he continues to worry about the environmental damage the 70-year-old pipeline could cause to the Straits of Mackinac.

AOC, Bowman Call for Biden Administration to Reverse Willow Oil Project Approval – A group of 33 House Democrats is urging Biden administration officials to heed calls from numerous climate and Indigenous groups to suspend a permit that would allow fossil fuel giant ConocoPhillips to construct a massive drilling operation on pristine Alaskan land.The lawmakers, led by Representatives Jamaal Bowman (D-New York), Jared Huffman (D-California) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), said that the administration should suspend the permit while the $8 billion project is in litigation, and reject future permits that the company may file to pursue the project.“Given the permanent damage ConocoPhillips’ preliminary construction efforts will inflict on the surrounding ecosystem and community, necessary steps must be taken to mitigate harm as it undergoes comprehensive review,” the group wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Thursday. “Suspending the Right of Way Permit and rejecting future filings by ConocoPhillips … would ensure we take the right steps for our future and grant all stakeholders the chance to be heard.” Numerous groups are in the midst of suing the Biden administration for its approval of the massive oil and gas drilling undertaking known as the Willow project, alleging that administration officials are running afoul of their duties to properly assess the climate impacts of the project, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act, Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, and others. In a separate lawsuit, plaintiffs say that officials are failing their duty to protect the land and wildlife in approving the project.President Joe Biden’s approval of Willow last month enraged climate and Indigenous groups, who say that the project would release a “carbon bomb.” It would not only push the world further into the climate crisis, they say, but also result in pollution and other effects that would endanger the local community. The lawmakers expressed support of the climate groups’ arguments. “DOI has not provided sufficient time to comprehensively review the well-grounded litigation against Willow’s approval,” they wrote. “Given the extensive claims, DOI should halt any advancement of the Project until the litigation is decided in the courts.”They further said that the White House should not fear legal repercussions in suspending the project, and that federal laws allow officials to levy restrictions on the drilling in the area.Democrats, along with hundreds of climate and Indigenous groups, have been urging Biden to stop the Willow project for months, pointing out that moving forward goes against Biden’s campaign promise for “no more drilling on federal lands, period, period, period.”“Young people are our future. When @POTUS approved the Willow Project after over a million people sent letters to him asking him not to, I knew we couldn’t end our fight there,” Bowman said of the letter on Thursday.

Biden admin greenlights LNG exports from Alaska project | Reuters - The Biden administration on Thursday approved exports of liquefied natural gas from the Alaska LNG project, a document showed, as the United States competes with Russia to ship natural gas from the Arctic to Asia. The Department of Energy approved Alaska Gasline Development Corp’s (AGDC) project to export gas to countries with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement. Backers of the roughly $39 billion project expect it to be operational by 2030 if it gets all the required permits. The LNG would be exported mainly to countries in Asia. The Alaska LNG project includes a liquefaction facility on the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska and a proposed 807-mile (1,300-km) pipeline to move gas stranded in northern Alaska across the state. The project, for which exports were first approved by the administration of Donald Trump, has been opposed by environmental groups. The Biden administration undertook an environmental review of the project, concluding it has economic and international security benefits and that opponents had failed to show the exports were not in the “public interest.” The Biden administration modified the previous approval to prohibit venting of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide associated with the project into the atmosphere.29dk2902l Still, the decision was decried by an environmental group. “Joe Biden’s climate presidency is flying off the rails,” said Lukas Ross at Friends of the Earth. Ross said it was the second U.S. approval of a “fossil fuel mega-project” in as many months. The Biden administration last month approved the ConocoPhillips $7 billion Willow oil and gas drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope. Russia plans to start at end-2023 the first of three lines at its Arctic LNG-2 project, which is among the world’s largest LNG facilities. The Biden administration is trying to approve more U.S. LNG exports as it competes with Russia, traditionally one of the world’s largest energy exporters.

Biden approves Alaska gas exports as critics condemn another ‘carbon bomb’ The Biden administration on Thursday approved exports of liquefied natural gas from the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, a document showed, prompting criticism from environmental groups over the approval of another “carbon bomb”.The US energy department approved Alaska Gasline Development Corp’s (AGDC) project to export LNG to countries with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement, mainly in Asia. Backers of the roughly $39bn project expect it to be operational by 2030 if it receives the required permits.The project, for which exports were first approved by the administration of Donald Trump, has been strongly opposed by environmental groups.“Joe Biden’s climate presidency is flying off the rails,” said Lukas Ross of Friends of the Earth. Ross pointed out this was the second US approval of a “fossil-fuel mega-project” in as many months.The Biden administration last month approved the ConocoPhillips $7bn Willow oil and gas drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope, prompting criticism of Biden’s record on the climate crisis.Alaska LNG includes a liquefaction facility on the Kenai peninsula in southern Alaska and a proposed 807-mile (1,300-km) pipeline to move gas stranded in northern Alaska across the state.Frank Richards, the president of Alaska-owned AGDC, said the company will review the 51-page decision as it develops the project, which he said will “provide Alaskans and US allies with a significant source of low-emissions, responsibly produced energy consistent with international environmental priorities”.The Biden administration undertook an environmental review of Alaska LNG, concluding it has economic and international security benefits and that opponents had failed to show the exports were not in the “public interest”.The Biden administration modified the previous approval to prohibit venting of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide associated with the project into the atmosphere.Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, said the approval of the project cleared the way for dditional lawsuits seeking to stop the project.The Biden administration is trying to approve more US LNG exports as it competes with Russia, traditionally one of the world’s largest energy exporters. Critics say the Ukraine conflict is a “false justification” for a rush to natural gas.An expansion of LNG terminals on the Gulf coast would double or even triple current capacity to deliver natural gas, which a report by Climate Action Tracker researchers said would keep carbon emissions above levels needed for net zero.

DOE Orders Alaska LNG Project to Limit CO2 Emissions – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reaffirmed its decision authorizing the Alaska LNG project to export the super-chilled fuel, but will require the facility to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The DOE ordered the condition after a challenge from the Sierra Club and other environmental groups that oppose the project. As part of the export authorization issued in 2020, the agency will now require the project to certify in its monthly report that no CO2 is vented during the production of liquefied natural gas. CO2 could only be vented in the event of an emergency, maintenance or operational issues that would require it. “DOE believes that this venting prohibition will reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses from the Alaska LNG Project beyond what may have occurred under the Alaska LNG order,” the agency said in its order amending the authorization. The amendment was recommended by the Sierra Club, but the group, along with the Center for Biological Diversity and Earthjustice, decried the DOE’s decision to let the facility’s export authorization stand. In a statement, the groups said the project is unnecessary, would threaten wildlife and exacerbate climate change. The Sierra Club said it “would pursue every available avenue to ensure that this ill-advised project is never built.”State-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC) is developing the 2.6 Bcf/d export project that would be located in Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska. The estimated $39 billion project is still unsanctioned and has been under development for more than a decade. AGDC took over as sponsor in 2016 after affiliates of BP plc, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil dropped out. Alaska LNG said DOE’s latest order adds to “the record of support” for the project.“Alaska LNG will provide Alaskans and U.S. allies with a significant source of low-emissions, responsibly produced energy consistent with international environmental priorities,” the company said in a statement on social media. The project also includes a natural gas treatment plant and a proposed 800-mile pipeline to transport gas from the North Slope to the liquefaction facility in Nikiski. If built, the project would be far closer to end markets in Asia than other U.S. LNG terminals on the Gulf Coast. AGDC spokesperson Tim Fitzpatrick said the Arctic Carbon Capture Plant, already in the project design on the North Slope, was designed to segregate CO2 from the gas stream and make it available for enhanced oil recovery or sequestration. AGDC also signed an agreement last year with Mitsubishi Corp., Toyo Engineering Corp. and Hilcorp Alaska to study the feasibility of storing CO2 in the state’s Cook Inlet basin.

G-7 meeting set to shape future of natural gas - A meeting of Group of 7 Cabinet-level officials this weekend is setting up a geopolitical battle that could play a major role in driving the future of U.S. natural gas — and determining the emissions of the fuel globally. The meeting in Sapporo, Japan, is a precursor to a G-7 head-of-state summit next month that could influence the trajectory of energy markets for years and help determine the international money flow toward gas projects. On one side are developing countries that are ratcheting up calls for more global natural gas production and imports to pare down emissions from coal and bring billions of people out of poverty. On the other side are the United Nations and environmentalists, who say that new fossil fuel projects should not be built to avoid catastrophic consequences of climate change. In the middle is the United States, which has yet to detail its full position and is under dueling pressure to both promote natural gas and cut emissions. “Obviously, the Biden administration has been walking a bit of a balance beam in regards to navigating its role as a driver of energy security through its own natural gas exports but also [maintaining] the tone of climate ambition that the Biden administration came in with two years ago.” Blakemore predicted a G-7 process in coming weeks that delivers at least modest wins for LNG. Central to the debate is the Global South, a term used to describe poorer countries that are largely located south of the historically industrialized north. From Brazil to Bangladesh, political leaders and fossil fuel executives in the region are arguing it’s now their time to capitalize on the same fossil fuel resources that propelled affluent countries in past generations to their current elevated status. Those calls, which are applauded by the U.S. gas industry, took center stage in late March at an event in Accra, Ghana, featuring U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. “I’ve made it known to [Harris] that Ghana is endowed with abundant natural resources, which my government is seeking to use as the basis to transform its economy,” Akufo-Addo said. “It is this transformation that will give us the best opportunity to derive maximum benefit from our abundant natural resources,” he said, standing next to the vice president. The fight over the future of natural gas hits on fundamental questions of equity and access as poor countries try to find the fuel to provide electricity and modern amenities. Roughly 775 million people currently live without electricity, according to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report in November 2022. It also comes as the U.S. gas industry is eying a massive new market in the Global South, U.S. oil and gas majors such as Chevron Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp. are expanding in Africa, with gas projects in countries like Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Mozambique and elsewhere. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will be attending the Sapporo talks. Touted by the Japanese as an opportunity to advance the “green transformation,” the ministerial event taking place April 15-16 is a key stepping stone for the G-7 summit next month in Hiroshima, Japan, where leaders are expected to endorse the communiqué outlining G-7 strategy over the coming year.According to a Reuters report last week, a draft statement to follow the Sapporo event includes language to “recognize the need for necessary upstream investments in LNG (liquified natural gas) and natural gas in line with our climate objectives.”For months, the U.S. natural gas industry, led by the trade groups American Petroleum Institute and LNG Allies, have been pushing for similar language (Energywire, April 4). The Japanese government, meanwhile, has been publicly tight-lipped about its stance on G-7 LNG policy. But in private settings, Japanese officials say they need LNG to power factories and homes. The officials also argue they’re representing the needs of the Global South.

Turkey Says Its Black Sea Natural Gas Discoveries Are Worth Over $500 Billion - The volumes of natural gas that Turkey has found so far in the Black Sea are worth in excess of $500 billion, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez told broadcaster CNN Türk.The huge gas finds would be enough to supply all households in the country for 35 years, or to cover total Turkish natural gas consumption, including from industry, for 15 to 20 years, the minister added. Last week, Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) said on Twitter that the installation of the pipes connecting the energy base in the Black Sea to the Sakarya Gas Field Land Facility had been successfully completed. The company said the inauguration of the start of the gas transmission from the field is expected to take place on April 20 in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The Sakarya gas field is set to initially produce around 10 million cubic meters per day, before reaching a peak within three years to pump some 40 million cubic meters per day in 2025, Dönmez told CNN Türk.The field inauguration could be the beginning of the Turkish plan to become less dependent on imports of natural gas, which account for 99% of consumption at present.At the end of last year, Turkey announced a new natural gas discovery in the Black Sea and upgraded estimates for an already discovered field in the basin, in what could be a major step for the country in slashing gas imports and diversifying its energy sources. Turkey’s natural gas reserves in the Black Sea have now increased to 710 billion cubic meters (bcm), Erdogan said at the end of December.The newly developed gas fields are set to go a long way toward Turkey’s energy diversification. So far, the country has mostly relied on imports to procure energy supply. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has hit Turkey’s economy and energy prices hard and has made energy imports much more expensive for Ankara.

Oil and gas industry blamed for discharging 22k tonnes of oil into UK waters - In the past five years, the oil and gas industry has discharged more than 22,000 tonnes of oil into the waters of the UK. A new report published earlier today by international organisation Oceana and campaigning group Uplift suggests that these spills are equivalent to almost 165,000 barrels of oil. Data obtained by the groups who conducted the research reveal that more than half of this oil was sanctioned by the government. The “In Deep Water” report highlights the dangers of routine oil spills and the damage caused by toxic chemicals, microplastics and noise pollution. The report shows that a major oil spill from the proposed oil fields of Cambo and Rosebank could seriously impact at least 16 UK Marine Protected Areas. Oceana and Uplift have called for an end to new exploration licences or production approvals for offshore oil and gas developments. Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director and Vice President of Oceana in the UK, said: “From oil spills to toxic chemicals, we can now see as clear as day the devastating path of destruction caused to our marine environment.”

Russian oil gets backdoor entry to Europe via India - India has enabled indirect trade of oil from Russia to Europe, Reuters reports. India’s refiners have seen a boost in exports of diesel and jet fuel to Europe after importing record quantities of Russian oil last year.Access to cheap Russian crude oil, a result of EU sanctions on Russian oil and oil products, has boosted outputs and profits from Indian refineries. This has in turn enabled them to export refined products competitively to Europe and take a larger market share.Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe imported an average of 154,000 bpd of diesel and jet fuel from India. Since the EU’s ban on oil products came into effect last month, this has risen to 200,000 bpd.India’s diesel exports to Europe rose 12-16% in the last fiscal year, reaching 150,000-167,000 bpd. The main European buyers of Indian diesel are France, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands. Approximately 50% of India’s jet fuel exports in fiscal year 2022-2023, or 70,000-75,000 bpd, were sent to Europe. This is up from 40,000-42,000 bpd in the previous year, Reuters’ analysis of data found.India’s imports of Russian crude oil rose for the seventh straight month in March, ending this fiscal year with Russia as India’s largest supplier. Since the beginning of sanctions, Russian oil exports to India have increased by 2200%, according to deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.While Russia’s flagship grade Urals oil makes up the bulk of India’s purchases, refiners are also importing lighter grades. These have come from Russia’s Far East and Arctic, with grades such as Sokol, Arco, Novy Port and ESPO blend.India has also boosted its vacuum gas oil shipments to the US. In 2022-2023, the US took approximately 11,000-12,000 bpd of the refined fuel, totally 65-81% of India’s overall exports.However, India’s total annual refined fuel exports in 2022-2023 were lower than the previous year, due largely to refiners closing for maintenance in the latter half of last year.

NT government should charge fracking companies more for groundwater use, economists say - ABC News --The Northern Territory government is about to make fracking companies pay for groundwater use, but water economists say the fee is far too cheap and will leave taxpayers out of pocket. For decades, water had been free for major industries operating in the NT, unlike elsewhere in Australia where charges apply. That changed in October when the NT government announced it would start charging the oil and gas industry for its water use from this year. The NT government has amended water legislation to introduce an annual flat fee of $3,000 for groundwater extraction licences used for "petroleum activity that includes hydraulic fracturing", or fracking. The fixed cost means gas companies will all pay the same amount, regardless of whether they are taking a massive amount of water or only a few megalitres. It's the latest step by the NT government to make way for a fracking industry in the Beetaloo Basin, about 500 kilometres south-east of Darwin. But Jeff Connor, a water economics professor at the University of South Australia, said the NT government's water charge was so cheap that it was essentially "gifting" a public asset to private companies. Under the draft Georgina Wiso water allocation plan, the NT government says more than 262 gigalitres of water can be taken "sustainably" each year within the Daly, Roper and Beetaloo district "I would say that the $3,000 charge is not anywhere near the recommended pricing level," he said. "There will be costs experienced locally — there'll be degradation of waterholes, groundwater-dependent ecosystems … and that cost will be borne by people who depend on water locally."Erin O'Donnell, a senior lecturer and water policy specialist at the University of Melbourne, said the flat fee could also incentivise companies to use more water than they needed."If you're a very small body user, you're still paying $3,000, which could be substantial if you're not using very much," Dr O'Donnell said. "But if you're using a lot, then that's vanishingly cheap."

US experts join oil spill response - Eight experts from the United States government have been continuously supporting the oil spill response operations of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Pola, Oriental Mindoro at the request of the Philippine government, the US Embassy said in a statement. Five members of the US Coast Guard's (USCG) National Strike Force assessed the affected areas to determine the most effective method and equipment to contain and clean up the oil spill from the sunken tanker MT Princess Empress, the embassy added. Through funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAid), two members of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been working closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to conduct rapid environmental assessment of affected areas, identify priority areas at risk of environmental damage, and assess needs for ecosystem restoration. NOAA has already provided the PCG with satellite imagery to boost assessment efforts. It also provided the University of the Philippines-Marine Sciences Institute with support for scientific modeling to estimate the trajectory of the spill. A US Navy supervisor of salvage and diving will evaluate the technical parameters required to support the possible deployment of a remotely operated vehicle. Prior to their deployment to Pola, the American experts received a briefing on March 20 in Manila from the PCG and the Japan Disaster Relief Expert Team about oil-spill mitigation actions taken so far. "When vessels are in deep water, as in this case, cleaning up the remaining oil becomes a complicated issue. Through our incident management professionals' wealth of experience and strong expertise in oil spill response, we will assist the PCG in developing safe and efficient methods to contain and recover the oil and minimize damage to the environment," said Cmdr. Stacey Crecy, commanding officer of the USCG Pacific Strike Team.

French mission assists Mindoro oil spill response - France has financed the visit of a French expert to support the Philippines in the ongoing pollution response operations linked to the sinking of the oil tanker MT Princess Empress. Mikaël Laurent conducted a mission in the Philippines from March 16 to 29 on behalf of Cedre (Center for Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution), based in Brest, France. He was supported in his mission by Emeric Faure, Maritime Security Advisor working for the Philippine Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) since November 2022, on behalf of the French government. Laurent participated in planning meetings with the Philippine Coast Guard, the Department of Environment, local authorities, as well as private operators (including the French company Le Floch Depollution). He participated in reconnaissance operations and observed coastal clean-up worksites, polluted sites, with a view to identifying clean-up techniques adapted to the different substrates, and anticipating the parameters for the closure of worksites. He provided advice on selective collection to limit the quantity of waste generated during clean-up operations.Laurent from Cedre was involved as an observer and technical advisor during response operations at sea, particularly during the deployment of oil containment booms and the recovery of pollutants. In particular, this cooperation enabled a significant improvement in the speed of pumping pollutants onboard the tug Titan 1, accompanied by the tug Ladagat. This field cooperation was also followed by exchanges at institutional level, in particular with the Marine Environment Protection Training Institute of the Philippine Coast Guard. This mission is part of France's long-term support for the protection of the environment and biodiversity in the Philippines, particularly in the maritime field. It was made possible thanks to funding from the French Development Agency and Expertise France, in the framework of technical cooperation on disaster risk management.

Mindoro oil spill: DSWD says over 178,000 affected by disaster — More than 178,000 people so far have been affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro and nearby areas, after authorities on Wednesday announced the leakage from the sunken vessel was already "significantly controlled." Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday showed 37,871 families or 178,306 individuals were hit by the oil spill in the areas of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and a portion of Western Visayas. Alternative fishing sites too far, may be dangerous for small boats - Pola mayor To help those affected, DSWD Assistant Secretary Rommel Lopez said they already released P217 million worth of financial and other assistance. "Kabilang po dito iyong mga family food packs o iyong ating mga relief goods ganundin po iyong mga non-food items," said Lopez during a televised briefing. "At sa mga financial assistance naman po natin, iyong atin pong Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation ay gumagana na rin po maging iyong ating emergency cash transfer at cash for work," he added. Around P58.5 million, meanwhile, have also been distributed under the government's cash-for-work program, he said. Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor had said 17,071 families are employed under this scheme. Based on a Palace release in March, the DSWD allotted P116 million for 18,762 affected fisherfolk who availed of its "cash-for-work" program. It has been 7 weeks since the oil spill first spread, after MT Princess Empress went down in rough seas near Oriental Mindoro while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil on Feb. 28. The Department of Tourism, however, said 64 tourism sites and 1,400 tourism workers in Oriental Mindoro are affected by the ecological disaster. The province estimated losing around P250 million so far in their tourism sector because of this.

BFAR estimates P388M in income loss due to Oriental Mindoro oil spill | The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Wednesday said there is an estimated income loss amounting to P388 million in Oriental Mindoro due to the oil spill. "As of April 3, ‘yung sa estimated income losses is around P388.7 million for Oriental Mindoro," Marc Lawrence Romero of BFAR said during the oil spill inter-agency committee meeting at the Department of Justice. Romero, however, said they are still waiting for the completion of the analysis for contaminants in fish and other aquaculture species. He said the first batch of the analysis showed traces of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the species collected, described by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as a "class of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline." "So isa din ‘yun sa reason kung bakit may fishing ban. So we are still waiting for the rest of the analysis to get the bigger picture kasi ‘yung first batch collected was in the early part of the oil spill,” he said. "So we don't know if the results will go up or will remain,” he added. Meanwhile, Atty. Janice Regoso Pamit of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Pollution Adjudication Board said 92 out of 131 sampling stations still exceeded the water quality guidelines. She said the DENR is still awaiting results for Region 4-A, specifically for Tinloy, Lobo, and Mabini in Batangas. "Although for 4-B and Region 6, there are already identified violations and they were issued already the notice of violations and we are only awaiting for their — the submission of position papers. Tomorrow is the deadline of the filing of the position paper of the ship owner," Pamit said. "And then after that, it will be formally endorsed to the Pollution Adjudication Board for the adjudication of the administrative penalties,” she added. According to Pamit, an initial P20 million may be imposed as penalties against the owner of the sunken MT Princess Empress.

Singapore Oil Tanker Missing After Pirates Board Off Africa -A Singapore-registered oil tanker is missing after it was boarded earlier this week off the coast of Africa in what authorities are calling an act of piracy. Owners of Success 9 have been unable to contact the ship since it was boarded Monday night off Ivory Coast, according to a statement from the government of Singapore, where the vessel is registered. The incident is being treated as an act of piracy, according to General Boniface Konan, director of the maritime security center for West Africa, known as Cresmao.

OPEC+ surprise squeezed oil shorts: John Kemp - Investors bought petroleum futures and options at the fastest rate for more than three years after Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ producer group members announced voluntary cuts in oil output. Hedge funds and other money managers bought the equivalent of 128 million barrels in the six most important petroleum futures and options contracts over the seven days to April 4. The buying came as OPEC+ announced cuts totalling more than 1 million barrels per day on April 2 and after fund managers had already purchased 61 million barrels the previous week. Purchases centered on crude, in both Brent (+73 million barrels) and NYMEX and ICE WTI (+60 million barrels), with small sales of European gas oil (-2 million) and U.S. diesel (-3 million) and no change in U.S. gasoline. With its surprise announcement, OPEC+ successfully squeezed the shorts in crude petroleum, with bearish positions reduced to the lowest for 11 weeks since late January. Since March 21, funds have purchased a total of 174 million barrels of crude, the fastest rate since December 2019 and before that September 2017. Bearish short positions were cut by 113 million barrels while fund managers added 61 million barrels of new bullish long positions. The net long position was boosted to 400 million barrels (28th percentile for all weeks since 2013) from 226 million (1st percentile) on March 21. And the ratio of bullish long positions to bearish short ones surged to 5.39:1 (64th percentile) from 2.11:1 (8th percentile) two weeks earlier. As a result, production cuts have returned hedge fund positions to where they were in late January, before turmoil in the banking sector in March sparked a wave of selling. Hedge funds reduced their position in Henry Hub futures and options in the seven days ending on April 4 for the first time in six weeks. Positions were trimmed by 55 billion cubic feet after being raised by 1,151 billion cubic feet over the previous five weeks. Fund managers have generally become less bearish about gas prices as Freeport LNG’s terminal has resumed exporting. Freeport’s resumption should stabilize then gradually erase some of the surplus inventories accumulated since the third quarter of 2022. Portfolio managers still have a small overall short position of -105 billion cubic feet (28th percentile for all weeks since 2010) but it has been sharply reduced from -1,061 billion cubic feet (7th percentile) at the end of January.

Looming Supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and Other OPEC+ Producers Offset Concern about Weakening Global Growth -- On Monday, the oil market continued to trend sideways following the long Easter holiday weekend as it continued to trade within last Tuesday’s trading range from $79.61 to $81.81. The market opened 15 cents lower and quickly rallied to a high of $81.22 as looming supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ producers offset concern about weakening global growth that may dampen fuel demand. However, the market erased some of its gains and sold off to $79.71 early in the session. The market, which held support at its previous lows traded in a yo-yo fashion as it traded back towards its high before selling off to a low of $79.61 ahead of the close. The market’s gains may have been limited by the news of Saudi Arabia supplying full crude contract volumes in May to several North Asian buyers despite its pledge to cut output by 500,000 bpd. The May WTI contract settled below the $80 level, down 96 cents at $79.74 and the June Brent contract settled down 94 cents at $84.18. The product markets ended the session mixed, with the heating oil market settling up 2.09 cents at $2.6814 and the RB market settling down 54 points at $2.8079. Genscape reported that crude oil stocks held in Cushing, Oklahoma in the week ending Friday, April 7th stood at 35,955,008 barrels, down 288,531 barrels on the week and by 336,486 barrels from Tuesday, April 4th. RBC Capital Markets cut its Brent price forecast for 2023 to $88.84/barrel from a previous estimate of $95.56/barrel and its WTI forecast for 2023 to $84.45/barrel from a previous estimate of $92.06/barrel. RBC said that while China's recovery post COVID remains in focus, recessionary fears loom in the background as commodity markets await further signals surrounding global demand strength. Several sources said Saudi Aramco will supply full crude contract volumes in May to several North Asian buyers despite its pledge to cut output by 500,000 bpd. This comes after the OPEC and allies, known as OPEC+, surprised markets last week by announcing an extra output cut of 1.16 million bpd from May for the rest of the year. Saudi Aramco's monthly allocation was being keenly watched by investors as an indicator of whether planned output cuts could tighten supplies in Asia. People are wondering whether the additional voluntary cut will actually affect supply or whether it is designed just to shore up oil prices. Asia's oil demand had been expected to weaken in the second quarter as several refiners in Asia, namely Sinopec, South Korea's third largest refiner and Aramco affiliate S-Oil Corp, Japan's Fuji Oil and Idemitsu Kosan are shutting a combined 1.15 million bpd of crude distillation capacity in May. Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has informed at least three buyers in Asia that it will supply full contractual volumes of crude in June. The UAE plans to cut 144,000 bpd from May as part of the OPEC+ cuts.IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 1.1 million bpd of capacity in the week ending April 14th, increasing available refining capacity by 179,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 939,000 bpd in the week ending April 21st.

WTI Eases on Firmer USD as Markets Reprice May Rate Hike- New York Mercantile Exchange oil futures and Brent crude traded on the Intercontinental Exchange settled Monday's session mixed, with the U.S. crude benchmark slipping back below $80 per barrel (bbl) under pressure from a rallying U.S. dollar index as investors hedged their bets against another expected interest rate increase at the Federal Reserve's next meeting in May amid still strong job growth and ongoing momentum in the service sector of the economy. West Texas Intermediate futures settled below $80 per bbl on Monday for the first time since the April 2nd decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production by 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) as traders grew more uncertain ahead of a busy week for macroeconomic data. U.S. consumer price index and producer price index, to be released Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, will be important determining factors on whether the Fed will pause its rate hiking campaign next month. As of Monday, more than 70% of investors expect the central bank will raise rates again by 0.25% at the May 3 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which would lift the federal funds rate to a 5%-to-5.25% target range. The chorus of central bank officials have long promised to take the fed funds rate above 5%, and March's employment report gave little reason for them to reconsider. U.S. employers added a hefty 236,000 new jobs in March, with leisure and hospitality being the key driver behind overall employment growth. The U.S. unemployment rate ticked lower to 3.5% amid an increase in the labor participation rate that ran contrary to expectations that it would hold at 3.6%. Separately, International Monetary Fund said in its spring economic report that the next five years will see the slowest growth since 1990, and it could be a "severe blow" to the world economy. IMF expects the world economy to grow less than 3% this year, down from 3.4% last year, and well below the average of 3.8% over the past two decades. "Persistently high interest rates, a series of bank failures in the U.S. and Europe, and deepening geopolitical divisions are threatening global financial stability," said IMF head Kristina Georgieva. "Advanced economies face the challenges of high inflation and poorer nations are burdened by debt, all as the United States, the European Union and others are rethinking their trade relationships with China," Georgieva added. At settlement, the U.S. dollar rallied 0.72% against a basket of foreign currencies to finish at 102.249, pressuring WTI futures for May delivery below $80 per bbl at $79.74 per bbl, down $0.96 on the session. International benchmark Brent contract fell back $0.94 to $84.18 per bbl. NYMEX May RBOB futures eased $0.0054 to $2.8079 per gallon, while May ULSD futures gained $0.0209 to $2.6814 per gallon.

Oil Prices Return To Recent Highs --- The price of crude oil returned on Tuesday to the recent highs seen after OPEC+ announced it would cut production by another 1.6 million barrels per day.On April 2, OPEC+ announced that it would cut its crude oil production by another 1.66 million barrels per day (including the 500,000 bpd Russian production cut) on top of its 2 million bpd cut. Naturally, oil prices spiked following the news, reaching gains of 8% at the Monday open. Brent was trading at more than $86 per barrel, with WTI trading at nearly $81. Further gains were made after opening, with WTI reaching $81.69Today, the price of WTI has climbed by more than 2% on the day to $81.37, with Brent climbing 1.50% to $85.44. And prices were still rising at the time of writing.A Tuesday report by Energy Intelligence showed that OPEC+’s total March production was 680,000 fewer barrels per day than the month prior, falling to 37.64 million bpd. Most of the production drop was attributed to Nigeria and Russia, which together accounted for 440,000 bpd of the production decline.Fears of tighter supply as a result of the ever-elusive but always-present China reopening schtick clashing with OPEC+’s supply decreases are most likely behind the Tuesday price moves.U.S. gasoline prices continue to tick upward as well, along with the price of oil. Tuesday’s national average gasoline prices were $3.608 per gallon, according to AAA—an increase of more than $0.10 from a week ago, accounting for most of the $0.134 per gallon rise over the last month.While Brent and WTI prices were climbing on Tuesday, WCS prices were falling, losing 1.61% and reaching $58.49.Citigroup said on Tuesday that it is estimating that prices will fall below $80 on China’s slower-than-expected recovery.

Oil rises about 2% with U.S. and China inflation in focus - Oil prices rose about 2% on Tuesday on hopes that the Federal Reserve might ease up on its policy tightening after a key U.S. inflation report this week, though concerns remain over Chinese demand. Brent crude futures settled up $1.73 or 2.1%, to $85.57 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose $1.74 or 2.1%, to $81.48 a barrel. Investors were more optimistic that the U.S. Federal Reserve is getting closer to ending its cycle of interest rate hikes, making dollar-priced oil cheaper for buyers holding other currencies. The prospect of the Fed raising its benchmark interest rate only once more and in a 25 basis point increment is a useful starting point but the central bank's policy path will depend on incoming data, New York Fed President John Williams said on Tuesday. A U.S inflation report to be released on Wednesday is expected to help investors gauge the near-term trajectory for interest rates. "The short-term crude demand outlook will soon be clearer. This week we will find out if the U.S. economy is taking steps into the recession pool or if it is going to do a cannonball into it," Data from China, however, showed consumer inflation in March rose at its slowest pace since September 2021, suggesting demand weakness persists in an uneven economic recovery. "China's March CPI is lower than expected, which may promote the Chinese government to further stimulate the economy," Oil futures have climbed around 7% since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia surprised the market last week with further cuts to production targets from May. OPEC output will fall by 500,000 bpd in 2023, then rise by 1 million bpd in 2024, after the group's output agreement expires, the Energy Information Administration forecast on Tuesday. Total non-OPEC liquid fuels production is expected to grow by 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 and by 1 million bpd in 2024, the EIA said. In France, the restart of the last of the four domestic refineries shuttered by a month-long strike signaled a likely boost to demand for oil. On the U.S. supply front, industry data on U.S. crude stockpiles was due on Tuesday. The average estimate from five analysts polled by Reuters was that crude inventories fell by about 1.3 million barrels in the week to April 7.

Oil Steadies Ahead of US Inflation, EIA Stock Data -- Oil futures moved mixed in pre-inventory trade Wednesday as investors awaited the release of key inflation data in the U.S. that is expected to show the Consumer Price Index retreated for the sixth consecutive month in March, while an unexpected build in commercial crude oil stockpiles reported late Tuesday by the American Petroleum Institute limited buying interest for the U.S. crude benchmark. Further details of the API report revealed commercial crude oil stockpiles increased by 377,000 barrels (bbl) for the week-ended April 7, missing an expected 600,000-bbl decline. Stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, tank farm, the New York Mercantile Exchange delivery point for West Texas Intermediate futures, continued lower with a 1.36-million-bbl draw. Meanwhile, gasoline inventory added 450,000 bbl versus calls for a drop of 1.7 million bbl. Distillate inventories declined by 1.98 million bbl, according to the API figures, nearly four times an expected 500,000-bbl decrease. The U.S. Energy Information Administration is scheduled to release its weekly inventory report at 10:30 a.m. EDT. The focus of Wednesday trading will likely be March inflation data scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EDT release by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists expect the headline CPI index to ease 0.1% from February's 0.4%, driven by lower costs for energy and food. On an annualized basis, the CPI is seen posting a 5.2% gain after increasing 6% in February. The index for core services (excluding energy and food prices) is still seen advancing 0.4% month-over-month, lifting the annualized index to 5.6%. Such an increase for the core CPI would be higher than the 5.5% reading recorded in February and would match the September-February average. This will likely tip the scales toward another interest rate increase at the Fed's May 2-3 meeting, despite the recent stress in the banking sector and signs of a sharper slowdown in the broader economy. CME's FedWatch Tool shows nearly 70% of investors expect the Federal Open Market Committee to raise the federal funds rate by another 25 basis points at their next meeting in early May, up from 44% seen just a week ago. Separately, the U.S. Energy Information Administration in its Short-Term Energy Outlook released Tuesday forecast lower global oil production this year, citing output cuts from the OPEC+ coalition and sanctions-related supply losses in Russia. The Washington-based energy watchdog reduced its outlook for OPEC production by around 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) for the second half of the year, forecasting an average fall of about 400,000 bpd compared with 2022 levels. Near 7:30 a.m. EDT, West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery traded unchanged near $81.49 bbl, and the international benchmark Brent was near $85.66 bbl. NYMEX May RBOB futures declined $0.0444 to $2.8201 gallon, and the May ULSD contract slipped to $2.6656 gallon.

Biden Admin Drains SPR For 2nd Week In A Row As Granholm Confirms Refilling Plan -Oil prices jumped this morning after a quiet overnight session thanks to the dovish CPI print exuberance. “The petro-nations’ somewhat surprising supply cut last week triggered a shift in sentiment,” said Norbert Ruecker, head of economics at Julius Baer Group Ltd. in Zurich. “Beyond the geopolitical noise, the ongoing fundamental trends seem robust.” But all eyes remain on inventories for signs of trouble as recession anxiety grows. API

• Crude +377k (-1.3mm exp)
• Cushing -1.4mm
• Gasoline +500k
• Distillates -2mm

DOE

• Crude +597k (-1.3mm exp)
• Cushing -409k
• Gasoline -330k
• Distillates -606k

After API's reported small build, analysts still expected a draw in crude stocks (extending the recent trend) but they were wrong as the official data showed a small 597k build. Stocks at the Cushing hub slipped for the 6th straight week and products saw very small draws... The so-called 'adjustment factor' actually turned red this week... Crude stocks remain seasonally high... US Crude production rebounded to cycle highs despite he slowing rig count... Graphs Source: Bloomberg WTI was hovering around $82.50 ahead of the official data, and held steady after... Finally, after last week's OPEC+ 'rebellion', Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed that the US plans to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to levels seen prior to President Joe Biden’s historic release last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Energy Department “will look to take advantage of prices if it is advantageous to the taxpayer in the rest of the year, but it’s a lot to refill,” Granholm said during remarks at an energy forum held by Columbia University. But she appears to be full of shit as the Biden admin actually drained the SPR for the second week in a row (the 1.6mm barrel draw more than offset the 600k build in commercial stocks)... WTF Jenny? WTI’s prompt spread - the difference between its two nearest contracts - affirms that the oil market is tightening. It has swung to 8 cents a barrel in backwardation, the widest this year on a closing basis.

Oil Futures Jump 2% to 5-Month High After Inflation Retreat -- Oil futures settled Wednesday's session higher after U.S. consumer price index showed inflation eased more than expected last month, meaning consumers might have more money to spend for road trips and airplane tickets this summer travel season, boosting fuel demand in the service sector of the economy. U.S. inflation fell to the lowest level since May 2021, with prices paid for groceries falling for the first time since September 2020, providing welcome relief for many American families. What's more, prices paid for energy, including gasoline and fuel oil, decreased by more than 4% from the prior month, sending overall energy index tumbling 6.4% against a year earlier. March's CPI report, however, also revealed the core consumer price index -- which excludes food and energy and is closely watched by the Fed -- still rose 0.4% following a 0.5% gain, reflecting the sticky nature of services inflation. The core CPI was up 5.6% from a year ago. It's the first time in over two years that the core came in above headline measure, which was up 5%. U.S. dollar declined more than 0.7% against a basket of foreign currencies on Wednesday, spurring gains for West Texas Intermediate futures that settled the session $1.73 bbl higher at $83.26 per barrel (bbl). International crude benchmark Brent contract for June delivery added $1.72 per bbl for a $87.33-per-bbl settlement. NYMEX May RBOB futures gained $0.0075 to $2.8727 per gallon, and the May ULSD contract rallied to $2.7031 per gallon, up $0.0349 per gallon. Further spurring gains for the oil complex, U.S. Energy Information Administration midmorning reported gasoline inventories declined for the eighth straight week through April 7, down a modest 330,000 bbl to a 13-week low 222.2 million bbl. The draw was well below estimates for a 1.7-million-bbl decline but somewhat in line with a 450,000-bbl build reported by the American Petroleum Institute. Demand for gasoline declined 359,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the previous week to 8.936 million bpd after jumping to the highest weekly rate this year at 9.295 million bpd in the prior week. Over the four-week period ended April 7, implied gasoline demand averaged 9.1 million bpd, 5.5% higher than the comparable four-week consumption rate last year. The U.S. refinery run rate continued lower for a second week through the reviewed period, down 0.3% to an 89.3% utilization rate. U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 15.6 million bpd during the week ending March 31, 30,000 bpd less than the previous week's average. In distillate fuels, inventories fell 606,000 bbl from the previous week to 112.4 million bbl, and are now about 12% below the five-year average, the EIA said. EIA data shows distillate fuel oil, overwhelmingly diesel, supplied to the U.S. market decreased by 477,000 bpd to 3.763 million bpd during the week-ended April 7. Commercial crude inventory in the United States unexpectedly increased by 597,000 bpd to 470.5 million bbl. The build was contrary to analyst expectations for a 600,000 bbl drawdown.

The Producer Price Index Report Released on Thursday Morning and Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index Report Both Showed that Inflation Was Easing - The oil market on Thursday posted an inside trading day after failing to breach its previous trading range. The market traded sideways and posted a high of $83.44 in overnight trading as it attempted to test its previous high of $83.53. However, the market erased some of its gains as it traded to $82.65 early in the session, where it found some support in light of the latest economic data. The Producer Price Index report released on Thursday morning and Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index report both showed that inflation was easing, possibly reducing the likelihood of the Fed increasing rates much higher. The market was also supported by OPEC suggesting that it still expects relatively strong global demand this year in its monthly oil report, despite its members recently deciding to cut its output further. Despite the supportive data, the crude market erased its gains and sold off during the remainder of the session. The May WTI contract posted a low of $82.11 ahead of the close and settled down $1.10 at $82.16. The June Brent contract settled down $1.24 at $86.09. The product markets also ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 3.03 cents at $2.6728 and the RB market settling down 4.1 cents at $2.8317.OPEC noted downside risks to summer oil demand as part of the reason for the unexpected output target cuts announced by OPEC+ producers on April 2nd, although the producer group maintained its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2023. In its monthly report, OPEC said demand will increase by 2.32 million bpd or 2.3%. This was unchanged from last month's forecast. OPEC said China’s oil demand is expected to increase by 760,000 bpd in 2023, up from a previous estimate of an increase of 710,000 bpd. OPEC said the usual U.S. seasonal demand uptick during the summer could take a hit from any economic weakness due to interest rate hikes and the reopening of China had yet to stop a decline in global refining intake of crude. It said OECD inventories have been building in recent months, leaving oil product balances less tight than at the same time last year. The report also showed OPEC's oil production fell in March, reflecting the impact of earlier output cuts pledged by OPEC+ to support the market as well as some unplanned outages. OPEC said its March output fell by 86,000 bpd to 28.80 million bpd. Colonial Pipeline Co is allocating space for Cycle 23 shipments on Line 20, which carries distillates from Atlanta, Georgia to Nashville, Tennessee.BP PLC said it started oil production at Argos, its first platform launch in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico since 2008 and its fifth operating in the basin. The new platform integrates the Mad Dog 2 oil project and is part of BP's plan to reach 400,000 bpd of oil and gas in the United States by mid-decade. Argos is expected to reach its 140,000 bpd of oil equivalent capacity later this year. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's crude oil imports in March increased by 22.5% from a year earlier to the highest since June 2020, as refiners stepped up runs to capture fuel export demand and in anticipation of a domestic economic recovery. China’s crude imports in March totaled 52.3 million tons or 12.3 million bpd. This compares with 10.1 million bpd of crude imported in March last year.

Oil Falls After IMF Downgrades 2023 Global Growth Forecast -- Oil futures declined Thursday after the International Monetary Fund forecasted global economic growth is likely to decelerate sharply this year, with advanced economies expected to see an especially pronounced slowdown, weighing on the demand outlook for OECD fuel consumption. In its World Economic Outlook, IMF said global economic growth will fall from 3.4% in 2022 to 2.8% this year before settling at 3% for the next five years -- the lowest median growth in decades. "Risks to the outlook are heavily skewed to the downside, with the chances of a hard landing having risen sharply," said IMF. "Advanced economies in North America and European Union will likely to suffer the sharpest slowdown from 2.7% in 2022 to 1.3% this year, reflecting tight policy stances needed to bring down inflation, the fallout from the recent deterioration in financial conditions and growing geoeconomic fragmentation." Looking into details of the report, Germany and the United Kingdon are expected to post the lowest growth among advanced economies at a negative 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively. For the United States, the economy is expected to expand by 1.6% this year before slowing to 1.1% in 2024. In contrast, emerging markets and developing economies will perform comparatively better this year, growing at an annualized rate of 3.9% and 4.2% in 2024. China and India both expected to record above 5% growth this year. Despite those headwinds, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries left its global demand projections largely unchanged at 2.3 million barrels per day (bpd), with only minor downward adjustments made to the OECD region, which have been offset by stronger-than-expected demand seen in non-OECD countries in January and February. Oil demand in the OECD is forecast to increase a modest 100,000 bpd this year, while non-OECD demand is forecast to grow by 2.2 million bpd. OPEC left its global economic growth forecast unchanged at 2.6%. On the supply side, OPEC estimates that oil production from the 13-member cartel declined by about 280,000 bpd during the first quarter, led by output losses in Angola, Iraq, and Nigeria. In March, OPEC's total oil production dropped by an additional 86,000 bpd month-over-month to average 28.9 million bpd, according to secondary sources cited in the report. The decline was realized before OPEC announced a 1.2 million bpd production cut effective from May until the end of the year. It's worth noting that the U.S. Energy Information Administration pegged the actual decline in OPEC's targets this year well below the promised cut due to underproduction in the prior months. The EIA now expects OPEC oil production to fall by 400,000 bpd this year compared to their 2022 output rate. For countries outside OPEC, the cartel forecasts production would grow by 1.4 million bpd year-on-year to average 67.2 million bpd, broadly unchanged from last month. U.S. oil production is expected to recover gradually after the considerable drop in December 2022. However, the supply growth forecast for 2023 was revised down slightly to an average of 1 million bpd, citing lower-than-expected drilling and completion activities in the first quarter. At settlement, West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery declined $1.10 to $82.16 barrel (bbl). The international crude benchmark Brent for June delivery fell to $86.09 bbl, down $1.24. NYMEX May RBOB futures dropped back $0.0410 to $2.8317 gallon, and the May ULSD contract declined to $2.6728 gallon, down $0.0303.

Oil Notches Gains after IEA, OPEC See Deeper Supply Deficit -- West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude settled Friday's session with modest gains, while all petroleum contracts notched their fourth consecutive weekly advance after International Energy Agency and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said the world oil market will slide into a deeper deficit in the second half of the year as demand growth propelled by China's reopening is seen outpacing gains in global oil production. At settlement, WTI futures for May delivery added $0.36 to $82.52 bbl and international crude benchmark Brent for June delivery advanced to $86.31 bbl, gaining $0.22 on the session. NYMEX May RBOB futures edged higher by $0.0042 to $2.8359 gallon, while the May ULSD contract fell $0.0336 for a $2.6392 gallon settlement. Global oil demand will climb by about 2 million bpd this year to a record 101.9 million bpd, with 90% of that growth realized in developing and emerging economies led by China, said IEA in its Monthly Oil Market Report Friday morning. "Our oil market balances were already set to tighten in the second half of 2023, with the potential for a substantial supply deficit to emerge," said IEA. Despite a sizable fall in fuel consumption by countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the first quarter, a solid Chinese rebound already lifted worldwide consumption 810,000 bpd above year-ago levels to 100.4 million bpd, said IEA. The agency expects a further increase of 2.7 million bpd in global oil demand through year-end, propelled by a continued recovery in the Asian region. For advanced economies, IEA acknowledged that weakness in industrial activity is impacting diesel demand, whereas the services sector and personal consumption are driving gasoline and jet uptake. "Consumers confronted by inflated prices for basic necessities will now have to spread their budgets even more thinly. This augurs badly for the economic recovery and growth," said the IEA. Similar sentiment was echoed by OPEC in their Monthly Oil Market Report on Thursday, where the cartel left 2023 demand projections unchanged at 101.9 million bpd despite acknowledging risks tied to the banking stress in the United States and Eurozone. OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, earlier this month announced more than 1.2 million bpd in production cuts from May through the end of the year. IEA warned that OPEC+ cuts would press world oil production lower by 400,000 bpd towards the end of the year. From March to December, expected gains of 1 million bpd from non-OPEC+ countries will fail to offset a 1.4 million bpd decline from the producer bloc. For the year, global oil production growth slows to 1.2 million bpd versus 4.6 million bpd in 2022. Separately, International Monetary Fund earlier this week downgraded its global growth forecast to 2.8% for this year from 3.4% in 2022, while forecasting a median of 3% expansion over the next five years -- the lowest growth rate since the 1990s. Advanced economies in North America and the European Union will likely suffer the sharpest slowdown from 2.7% in 2022 to 1.3% this year, reflecting tight policy stances needed to bring down inflation, the fallout from the recent deterioration in financial conditions and growing geoeconomic fragmentation. "Risks to the outlook are heavily skewed to the downside, with the chances of a hard landing having risen sharply," said the IMF.

Oil rises, logs weekly gains after IEA predicts record demand - - Oil prices were up on Friday and secured a fourth straight week of gains after the West's energy watchdog said global demand will hit a record high this year on the back of a recovery in Chinese consumption. The International Energy Agency (IEA) also warned that deep output cuts announced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers led by Russia - a group known as OPEC+ - could exacerbate an oil supply deficit and hurt consumers. Brent crude futures settled at $86.31 a barrel, rising 22 cents, or 0.3%. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) settled at $82.52 a barrel, gaining 36 cents, or 0.4%. Both contracts posted a fourth consecutive week of gains amid easing concerns over a banking crisis that struck last month and the surprise decision last week by OPEC+ to further cut output. Brent is set to post a 1.5% weekly gain, while WTI was up 2.4% on the week. Four weeks of increases would be the longest such streak since June 2022. In its monthly report on Friday, the IEA said world oil demand is set to grow by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 to a record 101.9 million bpd, driven mostly by stronger consumption in China after the lifting of COVID restrictions there. Jet fuel demand accounts for 57% of the 2023 gains, it said. But OPEC on Thursday flagged downside risks to summer oil demand as part of the backdrop for its decision to cut output by a further 1.16 million bpd. The IEA said the OPEC+ decision could hurt consumers and global economic recovery. "Consumers confronted by inflated prices for basic necessities will now have to spread their budgets even more thinly," it said in its monthly oil report. "This augurs badly for the economic recovery and growth." The IEA said it expected global oil supply to fall by 400,000 bpd by the end of the year, citing an expected production increase of 1 million bpd from outside of OPEC+ beginning in March versus a 1.4 million bpd decline from the producer bloc. "The narrative has taken hold again of rising demand and relative supply tightness, and that's what's keeping oil buoyed," Also helping to boost prices was the U.S. oil and gas rig count, an indicator of future supply, which fell for the third week in a row, according to Baker Hughes data. U.S. oil rigs fell by two to 588 this week, their lowest since June 2022, while gas rigs fell by one to 157. The U.S. dollar index was trading at roughly a one-year low, after U.S. consumer and producer price data releases raised expectations that the Fed was approaching the end of its rate-hiking cycle. Still, the greenback edged up on Friday, making dollar-denominated oil more expensive for investors holding other currencies and limiting oil price growth.

US Deploys Guided-Missile Sub To Gulf Region Amid Iran Tensions, Heightened Russia Presence --Amid ongoing fears that Iranian forces could target foreign oil tankers and commercial ships in the Persian Gulf area, the US Navy has sent a guided-missile submarine armed with Tomahawk missiles to waters near the Middle East, a Pentagon spokesman said Saturday. The nuclear-powered submarine which is currently en route is based out of Kings Bay, Georgia. The US Navy acknowledged that it passed through the Suez Canal this week, with 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins describing that "It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability."It remains rare that the US Navy would publicly disclose the location or deployment of submarines wherever they are globally. Likely the submarine could patrol the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, frequented by international oil tankers, which also has a heavy IRGC Navy presence given some of it comprises Iranian territorial waters near the coast.The Associated Press notes that "The U.S. Navy has also reported a series of tense encounters at sea with Iranian forces that it said were being recklessly aggressive."But this new submarine deployment could also be part of US muscle-flexing as both Russia and China have been increasing their naval presence in the gulf.Just last month, Russia, China and Iran held multiple days of joint drills in the Gulf of Oman, dubbed "Security Belt 2023". Additionally, this past week saw a Russian warship dock at a Saudi Arabian port for the first time in a decade.

Israel ramps up provocations against Palestinians neighbouring states - There is no let-up in the incendiary provocations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government against the Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and Israel’s neighbours in the region. On Sunday and Monday, police in East Jerusalem allowed thousands of Jewish visitors to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, far more than last year. This deliberate provocation and breach of the international arrangements governing the Mosque, agreed with Jordan, followed the police storming of the compound on Tuesday and Wednesday last week when worshippers were beaten inside the Mosque. On Friday, police arrested 15 worshippers for waving Palestinian flags, which they described as “terrorist flags” and “incitement” amid the deployment of a massive 2,300 officers in and around Jerusalem’s Old City ahead of early afternoon prayers. With al-Aqsa at the heart of escalating tensions in the region, there are fears that allowing non-Muslims to enter the compound during the last 10 days of Ramadan will provoke further attacks on worshippers, prompting more rocket fire from Lebanon and Gaza and potentially triggering a wider conflagration within the West Bank and Israel itself. On Monday, an Israeli army battalion of 1,000 troops escorted a mass march of several thousand far-right activists on the settlement outpost of Evyatar, near the West Bank town of Huwara near Nablus, recently subjected to a pogrom-like attack by settlers. Thirteen border police companies were deployed to assist the regional police forces, with another 14 companies on standby. The march was led by seven government ministers, including Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich; National Security Minister and Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben Gvir and National Missions Minister and Religious Zionism member Orit Strock; along with around 20 legislators and religious and settlement leaders. Israeli settlers were forced to evacuate the outpost—illegal even under Israeli law—in July 2021 under a rotten deal that allowed them to retain about 50 caravan houses pending the designation of the land as “state-owned”, legalising the theft of Palestinian property. Netanyahu promised to legalise the outpost as part of his deal to secure a far-right coalition government. Ben Gvir said of the march, 'This statement, that we are here, and we are marching toward the future—and that today, ministers in the Israeli government are saying this—is a clear statement.' In February, Smotrich, who was given responsibility for Israel's civil administration in the West Bank—tantamount to annexation—announced his intention to declare the land as state-owned land and turn it into an official settlement.

Israel Strikes Syria After Rare Rocket Attack On Golan Heights -- On the heels of the most intense exchange of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since 2006, violence erupted on a different front over Saturday night, as a rare rocket attack on the Israel-occupied Golan Heights was carried out by Palestinian militants in Syria. The Al Quds Brigade claimed responsibility, according to a Beirut television station. The Palestinian militia headquartered in Damascus said the volley of rockets was an act of retaliation for a brutal Israeli police raid on the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem earlier in the week. Israeli responded with waves of artillery fire, drone strikes and apparent missile strikes in Syria. The initial counter-strikes targeted rocket launchers, while later attacks hit an area near the Syrian capital, Damascus. Syria said its air defenses intercepted some Israeli missiles, but acknowledged that others caused unspecified damage. Israel said it also targeted a compound of Syria's 4th Division, and Syrian Army radar and artillery sites. The IDF said it “views the Syrian state as responsible for everything happening in its territory and will not enable attempts to violate Israel’s sovereignty,” according to the Times of Israel. Of six rockets fired, two fell short and landed in Syrian territory, one landed in nearby Jordan three landed in Israel, according to the IDF. There were no reports of damage or casualties. While it's not clear what kind of rockets were used, the poor performance suggests they were crude Qassam rockets -- often derisively likened to bottle rockets -- that are the principal weapon used by Palestinian militias in cross-border strikes. Here's how the head of the team that developed Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket system once described them: “Qassam rockets are comprised of make-shift components, and their trajectories are very ‘wobbly’ rather than smooth. Imagine a Coke bottle flying several times faster than the speed of sound on an irregular course."

Russian spetsnaz units gutted by Ukraine war, U.S. leak shows - The war in Ukraine has gutted Russia’s clandestine spetsnaz forces and it will take Moscow years to rebuild them, according to classified U.S. assessments obtained by The Washington Post. The finding, which has not been previously reported, is among a cache of sensitive materials leaked online through the messaging platform Discord. U.S. officials attributed their assessments to Russian commanders’ overreliance on the specialized units who have been put to use as part of front-line infantry formations that, like the Ukrainians, have suffered massive numbers of dead and wounded. Typically, spetsnaz personnel are assigned the sorts of stealthy, high-risk missions — including an apparent order to capture Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky — for which they receive some of the Russian military’s most advanced training. But when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion last year, senior commanders eager to seize momentum and skeptical of their conventional fighters’ prowess deviated from the norm, ordering elite forces into direct combat, according to U.S. intelligence findings and independent analysts who have closely followed spetsnaz deployments. The rapid depletion of Russia’s commando units, observers say, shifted the war’s dynamic from the outset, severely limiting Moscow’s ability to employ clandestine tactics in support of conventional combat operations. U.S. officials believe the staggering casualties these units have sustained will render them less effective not only in Ukraine but also in other parts of the world where Russian forces operate, according to the assessments, which range in date from late 2022 to earlier this year. The hollowing of these units appears to be evident in satellite imagery featured among the leaked materials. Before-and-after photos — showing a base used by the 22nd Separate Spetsnaz Brigade in southern Russia, according to the document — reveal that “all but one of five Russian Separate Spetsnaz Brigades that returned from combat operations in Ukraine in late summer 2022 suffered significant losses.” The slide includes two overhead images, one taken in November 2021, months before the invasion began, and another captured a year later. The former shows a bustling motor pool teeming with vehicles; the latter reveals what U.S. officials concluded is a state of extreme depletion months after the brigade’s return home with fewer than half of the Tigr tactical vehicles it had before the deployment. The 22nd and two other spetsnaz brigades suffered an estimated 90 to 95 percent attrition rate, the assessments say. Compounding Russia’s problems is the loss of experience within its elite forces. Spetsnaz soldiers require at least four years of specialized training, the U.S. documents say, concluding that it could take as long as a decade for Moscow to reconstitute these units.

S Korea Will Lend 500,000 Artillery Shells To Shore Up Drained US Arsenal, Help Ukraine -In a move that could help the US government supply Ukraine with ammunition, South Korea has agreed to lend the Pentagon 500,000 155mm artillery shells, Reuters reports, citing a South Korean newspaper. As the Pentagon relentlessly pours weapons and ammunition into its Ukraine proxy war against Russia, the American arsenal has been rapidly depleted, to the point that the Biden administration is going around begging to buy or "borrow" ammo from other countries. The United States has given Ukraine more than a million 155mm shells. The Korean deal will provide some relief to US stockpiles and thus the Ukrainian supply chain, but apparently came after significant hand-wringing in Seoul. "We've opted to significantly increase the volume of shells but take the rental method, after exploring how to respond to the request of the blood ally in good faith while sticking to the government principle of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine," an anonymous source told the South Korean paper DongA Ilbo. The loaned shells will ostensibly be used to backfill the US stockpile. However, given ammunition is rather fungible, the net effect is that South Korea will aid the Ukrainian army, something prohibited by South Korean arms export policy.

Germany can’t fulfill NATO obligations, says army chief in leaked memo –— Germany’s land forces cannot fulfill their NATO commitments, according to a leaked memo from a top soldier cited in a German media report. A division that Germany promised to NATO isn’t fully ready for battle, Bild newspaper reported Tuesday, citing a routine “leadership message” from Alfons Mais, the army’s inspector general, to the armed forces’ inspector general. The memo increases pressure on Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is being confronted with the Bundeswehr’s structural problems that also faced his predecessors. Berlin had promised a fully-equipped army division to NATO in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine as early as 2025, two years earlier than planned. However, without countermeasures, “the army will not be able to hold its own in high-intensity combat and will also only be able to fulfill its obligations to NATO to a limited extent,” the army chief was quoted by the newspaper. A spokesperson for the German defense ministry told POLITICO that it generally does not comment on “internal documents” and the “state of readiness.” However, the commitment for 2025 remains unchanged, the spokesperson added. The German army, the Bundeswehr’s land forces, declined to comment “on a classified document and its content.” The operational readiness of a second division, which the Bundeswehr plans to provide from 2027, is also considered “unrealistic” according to the report, as the division will “not be sufficiently equipped with large-scale equipment in 2027.” According to the report, Mais wrote that even pulling together all of the army’s assets would not make it possible to fully equip the 2025 division. The report cited continued underfunding and military support for Ukraine as strains that are already leading to a “clearly noticeable reduction in the army’s operational readiness.”

Over 8 Million Ukrainian Refugees Have Been Re-Homed, Here Are Their Destinations - It’s been more than a year since Russia invaded Ukraine and forced refugees to seek destinations for new (or temporary) homes.As this ongoing conflict has dragged on, it has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises in Europe in recent times. Millions of people have fled their homes and sought temporary or permanent asylum in countries across Europe, and the world.As Visual Capitalist's Freny Fernandes details below, this map by Pranav Gavali uses UNHCR data as of March 11, 2023 to highlight the countries that became Ukrainian refugee destinations.Over eight million Ukraine residents have found shelter outside of the country since February 2022, primarily in Europe.

• 🇷🇺 Russia - 2,852,395
• 🇵🇱 Poland -1,564,711
• 🇩🇪 Germany - 1,055,323
• 🇨🇿 Czechia - 497,217
• 🇮🇹 Italy - 171,739
• 🇪🇸 Spain 168,654
• 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 164,500
• 🇫🇷 France 118,994
• 🇸🇰 Slovakia 111,173
• 🇷🇴 Romania 110,921
• 🇲🇩 Moldova 107,728

Chinese Aircraft Carrier 'Seals Off' Taiwan, Sends 58 Planes To Buzz Island - China has continued its major show of force aimed at Taiwan in the wake of last week's meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week. The PLA military says it is rehearsing "sealing off" Taiwan for its third day of wargames, with Monday reports citing at least 58 planes buzzing the island as well as nine warships coming toward its territorial waters. On Sunday the day saw at least 70 Chinese aircraft total breach the island's air defense identification zone and eleven military ships encircle it. This included breaches by a group of J-15 fighter jets, which is rare if not unprecedented for that particular advanced Chinese aircraft.State broadcaster CCTV on Monday announced the drills had "simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters”, adding that forces “continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island."Further, aircraft, ships and troops were sent into "the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island’s east," according to a PLA army statement. All of this includes simulating "maritime blockades" and "targeted ambush assaults on enemy mooring vessels.""Forces in the command is ready for combat at all times, and will resolutely destroy any type of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist or foreign interference attempts," the military statement cited in the CCTV report added.During all of this the American destroyer USS Milius entered waters near Mischief Reef in South China Sea. China's Southern Theater Command said it did so "without permission" and subsequently tracked and monitored the US warship.

China Simulates Strikes Against Key Targets in Taiwan -- CHINESE FIGHTER JETS and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan today as they encircled the island during a second straight day of military drills that were launched in response to its president meeting the US House speaker. The exercises sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for restraint from Washington, which said it was “monitoring Beijing’s actions closely”. Dubbed “Joint Sword”, the three-day operation – which includes rehearsing an encirclement of Taiwan – will run until Monday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said. “I am a little worried; I would be lying to you if I say that I am not,” said 73-year-old Donald Ho, who was exercising in a park on Sunday morning in Taipei, in the far north of the self-ruled island. “I am still worried because if a war broke out both sides will suffer quite a lot,” he told AFP. China’s war games saw planes, ships and personnel sent into “the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island’s east”, the army said as it launched the exercises, engineered to flex Beijing’s military muscles in front of Taiwan and the world. A report from state broadcaster CCTV today said drills had “simulated joint precision strikes against key targets on Taiwan island and surrounding waters”, adding that forces “continued to maintain the situation of closely encircling the island”. The write-up went on to say the air force had deployed dozens of aircraft to “fly into the target airspace”, and ground forces had carried out drills for “multi-target precision strikes”.

In China, Macron criticizes US policy on Taiwan, demands European “war economy” This weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron finished a four-day state visit to China for talks with President Xi Jinping. Even as working class opposition explodes in strikes and protests across France after he imposed deep pension cuts in the face of overwhelming popular opposition, Macron called for new, massive increases in military spending in order to build a European “war economy.” French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping take part in a Franco-Chinese business council meeting in Beijing, Thursday, April 6, 2023. [AP Photo/Ludovic Marin/Pool via AP] Macron’s visit to China unfolded under the shadow of the NATO war with Russia in Ukraine and escalating US military threats against China over Taiwan. In the first day of talks, he asked for Xi’s help to “bring Russia back to a reasonable policy” in Ukraine. Xi responded, the Chinese People’s Daily reported, by pledging to “work with France to call on the international community to maintain rationality and restraint to avoid actions that will make the Ukraine crisis deteriorate further.” Macron’s visit turned to discussions to deepen French economic ties with China and to strengthen French and European military forces amid growing tensions with Washington. Macron was accompanied on his visit by a massive delegation of CEOs from energy monopoly Electricité de France, aerospace firms Airbus and Safran, train-maker Alstom, luxury conglomerates LVMH and L’Oréal and tourist firms. Electronic music composer Jean-Michel Jarre and his wife, Chinese movie star Gong Li, also were part of the French delegation. Macron criticized the US policy of building closer relations with Taiwan, creating conditions for Washington to possibly end the “One China” policy and provoke a Beijing-Taiwan war. According to a Chinese communiqué, Macron called Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the United States “regrettable,” and formally stated his support for the “One China” policy. Macron returned to this in a detailed interview with the financial daily Les Echos yesterday on his flight back to Paris. Macron said, “The question posed to us Europeans is: do we have an interest in things speeding up over Taiwan? No. The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must blindly follow on this issue, adapting to US rhythm and Chinese overreactions. Why would we need to follow a rhythm others have chosen for us? At a certain point, we must pose the question of our own interests. … It would be paradoxical, as we set up elements of a true European strategic autonomy, if we suddenly began to follow US policy in a sort of panic response.” Macron worried that if Washington provokes all-out war with China too soon, before the EU military build-up is complete, EU states could be left as “vassals.” He said, “If there is an acceleration of the explosion of the [US-China] duopoly, we will not have the time or the means to finance our strategic autonomy and will become vassals, though we could be the third pole if we had a few years to build it up.” Macron also indicated his lack of confidence in the US dollar, which faces mounting question marks after the bailout of Silicon Valley Bank and the US Treasury’s use of the dollar to impose sanctions targeting Iran and European firms operating there. As Russia, Brazil and other countries move to carry out their trade with China in other currencies, Macron said, “I want to take the opportunity to insist on one point: we should not depend on the extraterritoriality of the US dollar.”

Macron Says Europe Should Reduce Dependence On US Dollar, Seek 'Strategic Autonomy' - As the United States combats a recent flood of countries 'de-dollarizing' - trading commodities in other currencies, the last thing that was needed was French President Emanuel Macron amplifying this message. After spending around six hours with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of a three-day state visit to China, Macron made extremely clear that France wants nothing to do with WWIII, emphasizing that Europe must employ "strategic autonomy," presumably led by France, to become a "third superpower," according to Politico.While speaking with reporters aboard COTAM Unité, France’s Air Force One, the French President said that the "great risk" facing Europe right now is that it "gets caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy."This isn't the first time Macron has suggested reducing dependence on the US. In November, the French President called for a "single global order" while discussing the power interests of Russia and China and the threat of war."We are in a jungle and we have two big elephants trying to become more and more nervous," he said."If they become very nervous and start a war, it will be a big problem for the rest of the jungle. You need the cooperation of a lot of other animals, tigers, monkeys and so on," added Macron.China agrees. Macron's concept of strategic autonomy was 'enthusiastically endorsed' by Xi and the CCP, who have been focusing on the notion that the West is in decline while China rises, and that weakening the transatlantic relationship will accelerate this trend."The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers," said Macron. "The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction."

`Macron Makes 'No Apology' For China Trip Comments As EU Leadership Warms To 'Anti-US' Message - French President Emmanuel Macron's message of building "strategic autonomy" away from the United States - which to Washington's dismay he voiced loudly during his visit with Xi Jinping in China (at a very awkward moment too given Taiwan happenings) - is naturally gaining positive reception in Europe, where chair of the European Council Charles Michel hailed "a leap forward on strategic autonomy compared to several years ago." But Macron has still created confusion and division among some European allies, particularly ones like Poland - who responded by saying "more America is needed in Europe" amid the Ukraine war. Despite his comments angering allies, but which were to the delight of Beijing (a "parting gift to Xi" as we noted), an Élysée official has stressed in the face of the controversy that President Macron "makes no apology for what he's said" during the China trip.As a reminder, while speaking with reporters aboard COTAM Unité, France’s Air Force One, immediately following his time spent with Xi, the French President said that the "great risk" facing Europe right now is that it "gets caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy."Macron's articulating a concept of strategic autonomy for Europe was 'enthusiastically endorsed' by Xi and the CCP, who have been focusing on the notion that the West is in decline while China rises, and that weakening the transatlantic relationship will accelerate this trend. "The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers," said Macron. "The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction."And this: "If the tensions between the two superpowers heat up … we won’t have the time nor the resources to finance our strategic autonomy and we will become vassals," Macron said.Russia, China, Iran and other countries have been hit by U.S. sanctions in recent years that are based on denying access to the dominant dollar-denominated global financial system. Some in Europe have complained about "weaponization" of the dollar by Washington, which forces European companies to give up business and cut ties with third countries or face crippling secondary sanctions.While sitting in the stateroom of his A330 aircraft in a hoodie with the words “French Tech” emblazoned on the chest, Macron claimed to have already “won the ideological battle on strategic autonomy” for Europe. –Politico

UK’s Truss warns of Western ‘weakness’ over China in wake of Macron visit – — Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss will take a not-so-subtle swipe at Emmanuel Macron over his attempt to build bridges with Beijing. In a Wednesday morning speech to the Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, D.C. Truss will argue that too many in the West have “appeased and accommodated” authoritarian regimes in China and Russia.And she will say it is a “sign of weakness” for Western leaders to visit China and ask premier Xi Jinping for his support in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — just days after Macron’s own high-profile trip there.While Truss — who left office after just six weeks as crisis-hit U.K. prime minister — will not mention Macron by name, her comments follow an interview with POLITICO in which the French president said Europe should resist pressure to become “America’s followers.”Macron said: “The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction.”Macron has already been criticized for those comments by the IPAC group of China-skeptic lawmakers, which said Monday his remarks were “ill-judged.”And Truss — who had a frosty relationship with Macron during her brief stint in office last year — will use her speech to urge a more aggressive stance toward both China and Russia.“We’ve seen Vladimir Putin launching an unprovoked attack on a free and democratic neighbor, we see the Chinese building up their armaments and their arsenal and menacing the free and democratic Taiwan,” Truss will say according to pre-released remarks. “Too many in the West have appeased and accommodated these regimes.”

The ‘rift is there’: China vs. the world on global debt - China is catching up to the Western-dominated International Monetary Fund and World Bank and is exceeding other governments as the largest official lender to wide swaths of the developing world. But the geopolitical power struggle between the U.S. and China is inflicting collateral damage on those countries, as Beijing balks at demands to write down its loans even as three in five low-income countries are straining to pay their debts or are at risk of defaulting amid global economic pressures. That’s creating new tensions with the U.S. and its Western allies that will be on display as top finance officials gather this week in Washington for the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank. The U.S. is pressing China to provide more debt relief in what will be one of the most significant areas of conflict at the event. The IMF, World Bank and other development lenders have been running programs that under certain conditions forgive up to 100 percent of debt in struggling countries — an initiative that got a boost after Bono and other celebrities led a high-profile public pressure campaign in the 2000s. Now Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other officials are growing adamant that what they view as China’s hardline approach to lending is squeezing countries and threatening to deepen poverty in Africa and elsewhere. Yet the conflict also highlights a new potential fault line in the global economic order: China is pursuing a parallel system of development finance that challenges the Western model of providing assistance and negotiating debt relief with borrowers, which has been dominant since the end of World War II. China’s approach to lending is widely considered more transactional and criticized as opaque. Beijing’s desire to access oil, minerals and other commodities made Chinese lenders less prone to applying strict conditions and less risk-averse in helping governments finance roads, bridges and railroads to unlock those resources. The ascendance of China in developing country finance threatens to add to the broader trend of “decoupling” that is unraveling trade and technology ties with the West. The debt China is owed by poor countries only consolidates its influence in Africa and other regions. “We are moving to more of a bipolar system with a very significant creditor to a great many countries bent on doing things bilaterally with its own rules,” said Carmen Reinhart, who served as the World Bank’s chief economist until last year and has directly participated in debt-relief talks. “That rift is there. … The tension could be cut with a knife.”

Greens call for abolition of indexing on HECS/HELP loans as student debt balloons, senate report to be tabled A senate inquiry report into a bill that would freeze $74 billion in student debt is set to be tabled in federal parliament next week. The Australian Greens' push to abolish indexing on HELP debt (formally known as HECS) comes as more than 3 million graduates face up to a 7 per cent hike on their debt this June due to spiking inflation.The Greens, backed by the National Union of Students, argued the scheme was "unsustainable and broken".The bill also looks to amend legislation in a bid to "improve the fairness" of various loan schemes by raising the minimum repayment threshold for the loans and tying it to the median wage.Deputy Greens leader Mehreen Faruqi warned the problem would get much worse if the government did not intervene.The bill pushes for a rise to the minimum repayment income and abolition of indexation before June 1, 2023, when the likely record inflation-driven hikes kick in.The Greens said a Parliamentary Budget Office analysis showed that of the 3.2 million graduates still trying to get on top of their growing debt, 60 per cent of those who would benefit from a freeze were women and 54 per cent were under 40 years of age.Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faurqi said national student debt would get worse if the scheme was not reconsidered. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)The Senate Standing Committee on Education and Employment, chaired by Labor Senator Tony Sheldon, received at least 60 submissions, of which nearly 40 were for students or graduates struggling to pay back spiralling loans.