FOMC Minutes: Uncertainty about inflation; Need greater confidence --From the Fed: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, March 19–20, 2024. Excerpt: In their discussion of inflation, participants observed that significant progress had been made over the past year toward the Committee's 2 percent inflation objective even though the two most recent monthly readings on core and headline inflation had been firmer than expected. Some participants noted that the recent increases in inflation had been relatively broad based and therefore should not be discounted as merely statistical aberrations. However, a few participants noted that residual seasonality could have affected the inflation readings at the start of the year. Participants generally commented that they remained highly attentive to inflation risks but that they had also anticipated that there would be some unevenness in monthly inflation readings as inflation returned to target. In their outlook for inflation, participants noted that they continued to expect that inflation would return to 2 percent over the medium term. They remained concerned that elevated inflation continued to harm households, especially those least able to meet the higher costs of essentials like food, housing, and transportation. A few participants remarked that they expected core nonhousing services inflation to decline as the labor market continued to move into better balance and wage growth moderated further. Participants discussed the still-elevated rate of housing services inflation and commented on the uncertainty regarding when and by how much lower readings for rent growth on new leases would pass through to this category of inflation. Several participants noted that the disinflationary pressure for core goods that had resulted from the receding of supply chain bottlenecks was likely to moderate. Other factors related to aggregate supply, such as increases in the labor force or better productivity growth, were viewed by several participants as likely to support continued disinflation. Some participants reported that business contacts had indicated that they were less able to pass on price increases or that consumers were becoming more sensitive to price changes. Some participants observed that longer-term inflation expectations appeared to remain well anchored, as reflected in a broad range of surveys of households, businesses, and forecasters, as well as measures from financial markets. ... Participants noted indicators pointing to strong economic momentum and disappointing readings on inflation in recent months and commented that they did not expect it would be appropriate to reduce the target range for the federal funds rate until they had gained greater confidence that inflation was moving sustainably toward 2 percent.
For the First Time in History, the Fed Is Reporting Billions in Losses Weekly; It’s Still Paying High Interest Income to the Mega Banks on Wall Street - By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: As of April 3 of this year, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has racked up $161 billion in accumulated losses. We’re not talking about unrealized losses on the underwater debt securities the Fed holds on its balance sheet, which it does not mark to market. We’re talking about real cash losses it is experiencing from earning approximately 2 percent interest on the $6.97 trillion of debt securities it holds on its balance sheet from its Quantitative Easing (QE) operations while it continues to pay out 5.4 percent interest to the mega banks on Wall Street (and other Fed member banks) for the reserves they hold with the Fed; 5.3 percent interest it pays on reverse repo operations with the Fed; and a whopping 6 percent dividend to member shareholder banks with assets of $10 billion or less and the lesser of 6 percent or the yield on the 10-year Treasury note at the most recent auction prior to the dividend payment to banks with assets larger than $10 billion. (This morning the 10-year Treasury is yielding 4.41 percent.)Operating losses of this magnitude are unprecedented at the of Fed, which was created in 1913. In a press release dated March 26, the Fed stated this: “The Reserve Banks’ 2023 sum total of expenses exceeded earnings by $114.3 billion.” As of March 13 of this year, the Fed’s accumulated losses stood at $156.24 billion and yet on March 20 the Federal Reserve voted to sustain those high 5+ percent interest rates to its member banks – making it look like the captured regulator it is considered to be by millions of Americans. As the chart above indicates, the Fed’s ongoing weekly losses have ranged from a high of $3.3 billion for the week ending Wednesday, January 31, 2024, to $1.86 billion for the most recent week ending Wednesday, April 3, 2024. American taxpayers have good reason to sit up and pay attention to the Fed’s giant and ongoing losses. That’s because when the Fed is operating in the green, as it was on an annual basis for 106 years from 1916 through 2022, the Fed, by law, turns over excess earnings to the U.S. Treasury – thus reducing the amount the U.S. government has to borrow by issuing Treasury debt securities. According to Fed data, between 2011 and 2021, the Fed’s excess earnings paid to the U.S. Treasury totaled more than $920 billion. The loss of remittances from the Fed means the U.S. government will go deeper into debt, putting a heavier tax burden on the U.S. taxpayer and raising the risk of another credit rating agency downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt.The way the Fed is accounting for these losses is straight out of Alice in Wonderland. A January 31 paper by Paul H. Kupiec and Alex J. Pollock published by the American Enterprise Institute explains why the Fed has negative capital under GAAP accounting. The researchers write:“In 2011, the Fed unilaterally decided to adopt non-standard accounting practices that book operating losses as a ‘negative liability’ in its H.4.1 releases and as a ‘deferred asset’ in its audited financial statements. [The Fed wrote at the time:]‘[I]n the unlikely scenario in which realized losses were sufficiently large enough to result in an overall net income loss for the Reserve Banks, the Federal Reserve would still meet its financial obligations to cover operating expenses. In that case, remittances to the Treasury would be suspended and a deferred asset would be recorded on the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet.’“Unfortunately for the Fed, the ‘unlikely scenario’ has become reality. Regardless of the name used, the ‘deferred asset’ account acts to hide the basic immutable fact that operating losses have consumed the Fed’s capital.“Under the Fed’s unique accounting policy, operating losses do not reduce the Federal Reserve’s reported total capital. The accumulated losses in the ‘deferred asset’ account allow the Fed to report the same capital account balance, no matter how large its accumulated losses. Even if it lost 100 times its capital, or $4.3 trillion, the Fed would still report that it has positive $43 billion in capital. Similar creative ‘regulatory accounting’ has not been utilized by financial institutions since the 1980s when it was used to prop up failing savings and loans.”The researchers posted a line-item chart on page 8 of their report showing how the Fed’s accounting compares with GAAP accounting. As of December 27, 2023, the Fed’s accounting produces $42.85 billion in capital. Under GAAP accounting, the Fed’s capital stands at a negative $88.7 billion.
'Supercore' inflation measure shows Fed may have a real problem - A hotter-than-expected consumer price index report rattled Wall Street Wednesday, but markets are buzzing about an even more specific prices gauge contained within the data — the so-called supercore inflation reading. Along with the overall inflation measure, economists also look at the core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, to find the true trend. The supercore gauge, which also excludes shelter and rent costs from its services reading, takes it even a step further. Fed officials say it is useful in the current climate as they see elevated housing inflation as a temporary problem and not as good a measure of underlying prices. Supercore accelerated to a 4.8% pace year over year in March, the highest in 11 months. Tom Fitzpatrick, managing director of global market insights at R.J. O’Brien & Associates, said if you take the readings of the last three months and annualize them, you’re looking at a supercore inflation rate of more than 8%, far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. “As we sit here today, I think they’re probably pulling their hair out,” Fitzpatrick said. CPI increased 3.5% year over year last month, above the Dow Jones estimate that called for 3.4%. The data pressured equities and sent Treasury yields higher on Wednesday, and pushed futures market traders to extend out expectations for the central bank’s first rate cut to September from June, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool. “At the end of the day, they don’t really care as long as they get to 2%, but the reality is you’re not going to get to a sustained 2% if you don’t get a key cooling in services prices, [and] at this point we’re not seeing it,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Santander U.S. Wall Street has been keenly aware of the trend coming from supercore inflation from the beginning of the year. A move higher in the metric from January’s CPI print was enough to hinder the market’s “perception the Fed was winning the battle with inflation [and] this will remain an open question for months to come,” according to BMO Capital Markets head of U.S. rates strategy Ian Lyngen. Another problem for the Fed, Fitzpatrick says, lies in the differing macroeconomic backdrop of demand-driven inflation and robust stimulus payments that equipped consumers to beef up discretionary spending in 2021 and 2022 while also stoking record inflation levels. Today, he added, the picture is more complicated because some of the most stubborn components of services inflation are household necessities like car and housing insurance as well as property taxes. “They are so scared by what happened in 2021 and 2022 that we’re not starting from the same point as we have on other occasions,” Fitzpatrick added. “The problem is, if you look at all of this [together] these are not discretionary spending items, [and] it puts them between a rock and a hard place.” Further complicating the backdrop is a dwindling consumer savings rate and higher borrowing costs which make the central bank more likely to keep monetary policy restrictive “until something breaks,” Fitzpatrick said. The Fed will have a hard time bringing down inflation with more rate hikes because the current drivers are stickier and not as sensitive to tighter monetary policy, he cautioned. Fitzpatrick said the recent upward moves in inflation are more closely analogous to tax increases. While Stanley opines that the Fed is still far removed from hiking interest rates further, doing so will remain a possibility so long as inflation remains elevated above the 2% target.
Yields Soar After Catastrophic 10Y Auction Shocks With 3rd Biggest Tail On Record -Earlier today we said that while the CPI report would be the day's main highlight, the real shocker should inflation come in hot, would be today's 10Y treasury auction. And when the Treasury sold $39 billion in a 9-Year 11-Month reopening moments ago, all hell broke loose.Stopping at a high yield of 4.560%, this was not only almost 40bps higher than last month's 4.166% and the highest since October, it also tailed the 4.529% When Issued by a whopping 3.1bps, a surge compared to last month's tail of just 0.9bps, but also the highest tail since the 3.7bps in Dec 2022 and also the third largest tail on record!But wait, there's more: the Bid to Cover in today's auction tumbled to just 2.336, down from 2.512 in March and the lowest since Dec 2022; it was also well below the recent average of 2.49.The internals were even uglier, with foreign buyers tumbling from an already low 64.3% to 61.8% the lowest since Oct 23 and far below the six-auction average of 65.9; and with Directs also sliding to just 14.2%, the lowest since Nov 21, Dealers ended up stepping up bigly and taking down a whopping 24.0%, the highest since November 22. The market reaction was instantaneous and brutal with 10Y yields, already trading at session and 2024 highs, spiking by 6 bps to another day high of 4.56%, and fast approaching a level where not only stocks will tumble but the entire economy collapses as it grinds to a halt, similar to where Biden's approval rating will be in the very near future.
Treasury Yields Spike, 3-Year by 25 Basis Points. Mortgage Rates Hit 7.34%. Services Inflation Smacks Down Rate-Cut Mania By Wolf Richter - It was probably not the best timing ever for the 10-year Treasury auction to fall on the day that the CPI inflation data had given people the willies hours earlier, with its ugly core-services and supercore services CPI pushing up core CPI and overall CPI.The $39 billion 10-year Treasury notes were sold at a yield of 4.56%. This yield was up by 21 basis points from where they traded minutes before the CPI report was released, and it was up by 50 basis points from the 10-year Treasury auction a month ago.In the secondary market, the 10-year Treasury yield spiked by 19 basis points from the prior day, to 4.55%, the highest since mid-November. The blue line represents the Effective Federal Funds Rate (EFFR), currently at 5.33%, that the Fed brackets with its target range of 5.25% to 5.50%.The difference between the 10-year yield (red) and the EFFR (blue) gives us an indication to what extent the bond market is still in denial, after it got whipped into hilarious frenzy during Rate Cut Mania late last year and into early this year.But the 10-year yield has risen by 80 basis points since then, as folks were trying, apparently, to come to grips with reality. And it has a long way to go.Who the heck would want a 10-year Treasury note yielding 4.56% if CPI inflation gets sticky around 5% for years to come? Apparently, lots of people — or else the yield would be a lot higher.But they’re not seeing inflation sticky at 5% for years to come. They’re still seeing inflation in the below-3% range. So we disagree on where inflation is going. But today’s spike of the 10-year yield shows that longer-term inflation scenarios are getting tinkered with after today’s inflation data.Today’s 19-basis-point jump for the 10-year yield was the biggest since September 22, 2022 (also 19 basis points), and both had been the biggest since June 2022:A bloodbath was had by all, but it was worse in the midrange, with the two-year yield jumping 23 basis points to nearly 5% and with the 3-year yield jumping 25 basis points to 4.77%.
- 6-month yield: +6 basis points to 5.40%
- 1-year yield: +16 basis points to 5.19%
- 2-year yield: +23 basis points to 4.97%
- 3-year yield: +25 basis points to 4.77%
- 5-year yield: +24 basis points to 4.61%
- 7-year yield: +21 basis points to 4.59%
At the auction yesterday, $57 billion of 3-year Treasury notes were sold at a yield of 4.55%. In the secondary market today, the 3-year yield’s jump of 25 basis points was the biggest since June 2022. Today’s yield of 4.77% is just 26 basis points below the high in this cycle on October 18, 2023, of 5.03%, though inflation-denial is still driving this market, as we can see in this chart:
How immigration is helping the economy defy expectations - Policymakers are increasingly pointing to an immigration influx and a bolstered U.S. labor force as a main reason the economy did so well in 2023.The U.S. economy defied expectations last year by avoiding a widely predicted recession, with real gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 2.5 percent, unemployment staying below 4 percent, stock markets and corporate profits surging to record highs, and inflation falling off a cliff.While a boost in the money supply and trillions in fiscal stimulus can take much of the credit for avoiding a downturn, a growing number of experts say immigration also helped stave off recession by boosting the size of the labor force in ways that weren’t originally understood.Speaking at an event last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noted that immigration may be filling an explanatory gap about why the economy outperformed expectations. “That actually explains what we’ve been asking ourselves, which is how can the economy have grown over 3 percent in a year when almost every outside economist was forecasting a recession?” Powell said. Conflicting immigration data from different government agencies may be a reason the labor market has repeatedly surprised to the upside and exhibited such strength, with job creation in March smashing expectations to hit 303,000 while employment ticked up to 96.2 percent. Census Bureau estimates for 2023, which directly inform the Fed’s monetary policy, put the increase in the resident population at 1.7 million, or 0.5 percent, with about 70 percent of that jump coming from immigration. But recent estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for that year are about double that, with 3.3 million people immigrating to the U.S. last year to hit growth levels well above 1 percent. CBO projections show that the U.S. is currently in the middle of a marked spike in net immigration. “It’s clear there’s something there — the numbers are actually higher,” Powell said last week, attributing a portion of the economy’s unexpectedly robust performance to “significantly more people working in the country.” Experts say that migration to the U.S. is happening in different forms, both with legal authorization and without. “We’ve seen a big rebound in legal immigration post-Covid back to, and in some cases above, the levels that we had before the pandemic,” Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, told The Hill. “We’ve also seen very large numbers of people coming across the border without authorization due to a rebound in mobility post-Covid, due to many push-factors in the region and around the world, and due to the strong recovery of the U.S. economy.” While both the size of the labor force and the labor force participation rate dropped significantly in the wake of the pandemic, both metrics are now close to their pre-pandemic trend lines. The “prime working age” participation rate, which looks at people between 25 and 54 years of age, is now near a 17-year high at 83.4 percent
Stubborn inflation rains on Biden's good-news parade -President Joe Biden has been presiding over a good news economy for the past year, with strong growth, low unemployment and falling inflation. But that good news is reaching its limits. The cost of living rose faster than expected in March, with prices up 3.5 percent from a year ago, according to the latest consumer price index report. And that likely means that Biden will have to live with high interest rates well into an election year, with investor hopes fading fast for a Federal Reserve rate cut in June. “This marks the third consecutive strong reading and means that the stalled disinflationary narrative can no longer be called a blip,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management. “In fact, even if inflation were to cool next month to a more comfortable reading, there is likely sufficient caution within the Fed now to mean that a July cut may also be a stretch.” With the economy still growing and adding jobs at a healthy clip, Fed Chair Jerome Powell doesn’t have to worry too much yet about causing an unnecessary recession and can hold borrowing costs high for the time being. But higher rates are an uncomfortable backdrop for Biden heading into his bid for reelection, as they squeeze credit card borrowers and would-be homebuyers, and also weigh on the stock market. Continued stubbornness in inflation has been fed in particular by housing costs and rising gas prices, although a jump in auto insurance prices also contributed to the hotter-than-expected March CPI report. Want more POLITICO? Download our mobile app to save stories, get notifications and more. In iOS or Android. Fed officials are still forecasting rate cuts later this year as they track real-time data suggesting inflation will continue to drift downward, but there’s no guarantee how quickly that disinflation will show up.
Why US Public Debt Is Unsustainable And Is Destroying The Middle Class – Zero Hedge - In a recent tweet, a talented financial analyst and investor stated: “The “debt is unsustainable” narrative has been around for 40 years plus. What’s astonishing to me is how the people who push this narrative never ask themselves, “Why has it been sustainable for so long?”. There is a widespread idea that the fiscal imbalances of a world reserve currency issuer would end in an Argentina-style bankruptcy. However, the manifestation of unsustainability did not even appear as drastic in Argentina itself. Hey, Argentina continues to exist, doesn’t it?Excessive public debt is unsustainable when it becomes a burden on productive growth and leads the economy to constantly rising taxes, weaker productivity growth, and weaker real wage growth. However, the level of unsustainable accumulation of debt may continue to rise because the state itself imposes public debt on banks’ balance sheets and the state forces the financial sector to take all its debt as the “lowest risk asset.” However, law and regulation have merely imposed and forced this construct. Rising debt bloats the government’s size in the economy and erodes its growth and productivity potential.Many diabetic and obese people continue to eat too much unhealthy food, thinking nothing has happened so far. That does not mean their eating habits are sustainable.Those who ignore the accumulation of public debt tend to do so under the idea that nothing has happened yet. This is a reckless way of looking at the economy, a sort of “we have not killed ourselves yet; let us accelerate” mentality.An ever-weaker private sector, weak real wages, declining productivity growth, and the currency’s diminishing purchasing power all indicate the unsustainability of debt levels. It becomes increasingly difficult for families and small businesses to make ends meet and pay for essential goods and services, while those who already have access to debt and the public sector smile in contentment. Why? Because the accumulation of public debt is printing money artificially.
US Congress returns from recess to focus on tens of billions in new military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan -- Following a two-week congressional recess, Democratic and Republican politicians alike have made clear that the top priority for Congress and the White House is passage of tens of billions of dollars in additional military funding for Ukraine in the US-NATO proxy war against Russia, for Israel in its genocidal war against Gaza and for the ongoing transformation of Taiwan into a military staging ground for a future war against China. At the same time, the Democratic leadership of the Senate has put as the first and most immediate item on the agenda the passage of a renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which otherwise expires on April 19. Section 702 sanctions warrantless electronic surveillance. It has been used by US law enforcement agencies to violate Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures since 2008. On April 8, in his first major speech on the Senate floor since March, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for “bipartisan cooperation” on the “legislative front” to renew Section 702 and for House Republicans to join the Democrats in approving the nearly $100 billion National Security Supplemental that was passed earlier this year by the Senate. Schumer declared that “preventing FISA from lapsing will take bipartisan cooperation and swift action.” He added, “The House is currently working on the best path forward on FISA, and the Senate stands ready to jump into action to prevent this important national security authority from lapsing.” Under Section 702 of FISA, the National Security Agency (NSA) and other US intelligence agencies are authorized to collect the digital communications, including text messages and emails, of those living outside the US without a warrant. Section 702 also allows the collection of data of US citizens if they interact with a foreign target of US surveillance. Turning to war funding for Ukraine, Schumer demanded that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans “snap out of their paralysis” and pass the National Security Supplemental. The National Security Supplemental bill passed two months ago by the Senate earmarks over $60 billion for the Ukrainian government to prosecute the US-NATO proxy war against Russia. Most of the funds will go to filling the coffers of US arms manufacturers. The war package also includes over $14 billion for Israel and $4.8 billion for more missiles and nuclear submarines to Taiwan. “The situation in Ukraine is desperate,” Schumer said, attacking the Republicans as agents of Vladimir Putin for refusing to date to bring the measure to the floor of the Republican-controlled House for a vote. Schumer said: Let’s be blunt. The biggest reason Ukraine is losing the war is because the hard-right in the Congress has paralyzed the United States from acting. ... Speaker Johnson has to decide for himself whether or not he will do the right thing for Ukraine, for America and for democracy, or if he will allow MAGA Republicans to hand Vladimir Putin a large victory. Schumer added that he was “confident” if Johnson placed the bill on the House floor without strings attached, it would pass. While the exact contours of a House bill providing tens of billions in additional military aid to Ukraine remains unclear at this point, there is no question that a majority of Democrats and Republicans support sending the weaponry to Kiev. A few far-right Republicans and Trump loyalists are opposing the additional military aid to Ukraine, not on an anti-war basis but because they prioritize war with China. There is also Trump’s aim of sabotaging Biden’s agenda to further the former president’s bid to recapture the White House in the November presidential election. To this end, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has promised to file a “motion to vacate” against Speaker Johnson, targeting him for removal as Speaker of the House, if he brings a Ukraine bill to the floor.
Morning Report — Congress is back and so is dysfunction --Hurry up and wait. House and Senate members returned to the Capitol this week and are once again embroiled in discord, dysfunction and delays.House Republicans postponed from today until next week a planned handoff of impeachment articles to the Senate against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Facing a Senate trial, conservatives want additional time to get GOP senators in place to pressure Democrats who would need to vote to table or dismiss charges against the secretary to avoid a lengthy impeachment trial (The Hill).Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has kept his cards close to the vest about how he plans to dispose of the impeachment articles next week. Mayorkas, accused by House Republicans of failing to follow immigration law at the U.S. southern border, is expected to remain in his Cabinet post when the months-long drama concludes.Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who is retiring at the end of his term and voted to impeach formerPresident Trump, says the secretary did not commit high crimes or misdemeanors, but instead administered the president’s “wrong policy” at the border. Senate Democrats who are vulnerable against challengers in November feel the pressure ahead of next week’s handling of impeachment.Schumer and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) encountered yet another hurdle ahead of an April 19 deadline to reauthorize and amend the expiring Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: Trump used social media to lobby House and Senate Republicans to “kill” the law, which would extend for another five years controversial warrantless surveillance powers. “IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” the former president wrote on Truth Social.Meanwhile, Johnson is tiptoeing around firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who says she might oust him because she opposed deals he reached with Democratic leaders last month to keep the government funded through September.Greene says she’s poised at any moment to call for a vote to purge Johnson as Speaker if he reaches across the aisle for votes he would need to pass Ukraine aid. And what about Israel, or Democrat-led Baltimore, which seeks federal funding to rebuild its collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge? The known unknowns have delayed the House agenda.
Marjorie Taylor Greene drama builds for embattled Johnson -- Drama is building in the House as lawmakers return to work on Tuesday waiting to see if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) will follow through on her threat to force a vote to unseat Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Greene unveiled a motion to vacate, the same procedural tool used in October to end former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) reign, just before the House went on a two-week recess. It’s unclear whether Greene, who has a flair for political theater, is ready to force a vote or wants to use the threat for leverage. She’s likely under pressure herself from some lawmakers to not force a vote given the chaos it would cause in the House months before an election. Johnson and Greene exchanged text messages over the two-week recess, and the pair was supposed to speak Friday, but that plan fell through, according to a source familiar. The new Speaker is under pressure from members of his own conference and GOP senators to move another round of Ukraine aid through his rebellious conference. He’s made clear that his first priority will be to consider more military assistance to Kyiv’s beleaguered forces, along with new funding for Israel, Taiwan and efforts to bolster security at the U.S.-Mexico border. But the Ukraine portion of that package risks a direct confrontation with Greene, who has all but dared the Speaker to put such a measure on the floor, warning it would lead to his ouster. It all sets up a crucial work period for the embattled Johnson, who has only been the Speaker for nearly six months. How he manages the debate could determine not only Ukraine’s fate, but his own.
McCarthy calls Greene ‘serious legislator’ amid Johnson ouster threat - Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) a “serious legislator” amid her threat to force a vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from his post. In an interview Saturday night on Fox News’s “One Nation,” McCarthy drew a distinction between the motion to vacate the chair that Greene filed against Johnson and the motion to vacate the chair that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) filed last fall against McCarthy, resulting in an immediate vote and McCarthy’s ultimate removal from the post. Greene’s motion was not filed as a privileged resolution, so it did not force an immediate vote. Further action to oust Johnson would require additional steps to call a vote. “What she’s doing is much different than what Matt Gaetz … did. She didn’t make it privileged, so it’s not up for a vote,” McCarthy said in the interview. “And the one thing I’ve always found about Marjorie is she’s a very serious legislator that deals with policy. And the best way to deal with anyone like that is sit down and talk to them.” McCarthy, who was an ally of Greene’s while in office, said he expects Greene would be reasonable if they sat down and discussed the policy issues. He would not say whether he thinks Greene will follow through on the motion to oust Johnson. “I don’t believe the Speaker has spoken to Marjorie. I think if you sit down and discuss, you will understand you have Congress that you don’t control all. You have to find common ground in between, and that can be done. Those are two conservatives; they can do it,” McCarthy said.Johnson has indicated that he planned on talking to Greene, but it was not immediately clear whether the two had connected.
Greene effort to oust Johnson wouldn’t go far, predicts ex-GOP lawmaker -- Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said he did not expect an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to gain much momentum. In an interview Sunday on MSNBC, Curbelo said he does not think either party wants a repeat of the Speakership battle that for weeks left House business at a standstill as the slim Republican majority struggled to find a leader to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) “Republicans don’t want to go through another leadership battle — at least not most of them, including some of the eight who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy. And truthfully, a lot of Democrats don’t want to go through another fiasco, another embarrassment where the House is leaderless for two, three weeks,” Curbelo said. “So I do think that even if Marjorie Taylor Greene does move forward with this, I don’t think it’s going to get very far. Mike Johnson has learned what every other Speaker has shown here, at least Republican Speakers: In order to make the House a stable place that can pass big pieces of legislation, bipartisan cooperation is needed,” he added. Greene, ahead of the two-week holiday recess, filed a motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair. The move threatens to set up a vote to oust Johnson as Speaker. Greene’s frustration with Johnson boiled over after he worked with Democrats to pass a spending package that averted a partial government shutdown but lacked many conservative policy demands. A majority of Republicans voted against the measure, which ultimately passed with the help of Democratic votes. With an understanding that there is not much of an appetite for another Speakership battle in her GOP conference, Greene has used the motion to vacate as a point of leverage against Johnson. She is warning that movement on Ukraine aid could be the final straw. “If he passes that $60 billion to Ukraine, and then follows up with FISA reauthorization, you’re going to see a lot more Republicans than just me coming out saying his Speakership is over with,” Greene told The Washington Post. Curbelo said he still expects Johnson to pass Ukraine aid, with the support of Democrats. “You’re going to see Mike Johnson lean on Democrats to get this national security package passed. It will likely get more Democratic votes than Republican votes again, but that is the only way for the House to move forward,” Curbelo said. “And the Speaker has realized that he can only count on bipartisan majorities for these kinds of must-pass bills.”
Kirby calls Israeli troop movement in southern Gaza ‘rest and refit,’ not withdrawal - White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Sunday that reports have indicated to him that the Israeli troop movement in southern Gaza amounts more to a “rest and refit” than a full withdrawal of troops, as some reports have indicated.“The indications that we’ve been getting from them this morning is, this is really largely rest and refit for troops that have been on the ground consecutively now for four months and, they need a chance to come – to come out now,” Kirby said in an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” when asked about reports of a troop withdrawal from the Gaza city of Khan Younis.“What they’ll do with those troops after a rest and refit, I can’t speak to,” Kirby continued.Kirby’s remarks come as Israel’s military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against Hamas and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began, The Associated Press reported.Defense officials, however, maintained that troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas’s last stronghold, Rafah. “The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping,” said Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Israel’s military chief, the AP reported.
US Thinks Iranian Retaliation Against Israel Is Imminent - The US and its allies believe Iranian retaliation for the Israeli bombing of Iran’s consulate in Syria is imminent, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.Sources told Bloomberg that, based on US and Israeli intelligence, Iran or its allies in the region could launch a major missile and drone attack on military and government targets inside Israel in the coming days.Axios reported something similar, saying Israel is expecting a direct Iranian attack on its territory launched from Iran’s soil. Israeli sources told the outlet that Israel would respond by launching direct attacks on Iran, which would likely require US support. A major Iranian response could be exactly what Israel wants, as it appears to be trying to provoke a wider regional war to get the US to intervene directly.The Axios report said that the top US military commander in the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla, is due to visit Israel on Thursday to coordinate on the potential Iranian attack. President Biden signaled he would directly intervene if Iran attacks Israel in a warning to Tehran he issued on Wednesday.“We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant – they’re threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel,” Biden said. “As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re gonna do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”Israel has a history of covert attacks inside Iran and killing Iranians in airstrikes in Syria. Iran is usually restrained in its responses to Israeli attacks, but the bombing of an Iranian diplomatic facility marked a huge escalation. The airstrikes killed a senior Quds Force commander, another Iranian general, and five other members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US Could Launch Joint Retaliatory Strikes With Israel If It Is Attacked By Iran: Official - Upping the ante, a US official has told Al Jazeera that the Pentagon could intervene militarily if there is an Iranian attack launched against Israel.According to a translation from Al Jazeera Arabic, the US source said, "We do not rule out launching joint retaliatory strikes with Israel if it is attacked by Iran or its agents."There was no further elaboration, or an indicator whether a US joint response with Israel would include offensive strikes against Iran, or if this would just be defensive, for example - anti air measures. However, Axios has the following details which appears to confirm the Al Jazeera reporting:The senior U.S. military commander in charge of the Middle East is expected to go to Israel Thursday to coordinate around a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, two Israeli officials said....The commander of the U.S. military central command (CENTCOM) Gen. Erik Kurilla is expected to meet senior Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.Yesterday, Israeli officials threatened that Iranian nuclear sites could be targeted, in one of the biggest strike threats to date. The region is on edge awaiting an 'imminent' response by Iran following the April 1st deadly attack on Iran's embassy in Damascus. US intelligence has said it believes a revenge attack from Tehran is coming soon.
Nearly one-third of Americans say Israel has gone too far in Gaza: Poll -- Nearly one-third of Americans said that Israel’s military action in its war against militant group Hamas has gone too far in Gaza, a new poll found.The new Chicago Council on Global Affairs-Ipsos survey released last week found that 32 percent of respondents said Israel has gone too far in Gaza and its military actions are not justified. This is slightly more than the 27 percent who said Israel’s actions are justified in defending its interests, according to the poll.Overall, 40 percent said they did not know enough about the issue to give an opinion.Views were largely split along party lines, with 51 of Democrats saying Israel has gone too far and just 11 percent of Republicans saying the same. Fifty-three percent of Republicans said Israel’s actions were justified, while 27 percent of Democrats said so. The poll also found that 26 percent of Americans said Israel should reduce military aid to Israel until the country ends its war with Hamas, including 38 percent of Democrats and 10 percent of Republicans. Twenty-three percent of respondents — including 49 percent of Republicans — said the U.S. should let Israel pursue whatever policy it thinks is best without U.S. pressure.
More Than 500,000 Democratic Voters Protest Biden's Support of Gaza Slaughter - More than half a million people have cast protest votes against President Biden’s support for the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza in Democratic primaries across the country.According to The Nation, 530,502 people voted “uncommitted” or “uninstructed” where it’s available on the ballot. The movement started in Michigan, a significant swing state, where over 100,000 people voted “uncommitted. ”Last week, 48,091 votes were cast for “uninstructed” in the Wisconsin primary. The turnout far exceeded organizers’ expectations, as their goal was to secure 20,682, the margin of victory for Biden in Wisconsin for the 2020 election.The opposition to Biden was strongest in the area of Wisconsin where University of Wisconsin–Madison students reside, historically a Democratic stronghold. In that area, 30% of voters cast ballots for “uncommitted,” something Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) called “a big, f**king deal.”The campaign has caused fear among Democratic strategists that Biden’s support for Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed over 33,000 Palestinians, will cost him come November. President Biden’s campaign events have also been frequently interrupted with protesters calling him “genocide Joe” for his support for the Israeli campaign.
Obama allies expose Dem rift over Biden’s Israel-Hamas war strategy - Some of former President Obama’s most prominent aides have increased their criticism of President Biden — this time over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.Jon Favreau, Ben Rhodes and David Axelrod are among the former Obama administration officials who have dinged Biden in recent weeks for not speaking up about his misgivings with Israel’s handling of the war.The frustrations from fellow Democrats underscore the growing rift in the party as the war drags into its seventh month. The disapproval from Obama World came after a report suggested Biden was privately “angry” but not willing to change U.S. policy on Israel after the killing of seven World Central Kitchen by Israeli airstrike.“The President doesn’t get credit for being ‘privately enraged’ when he still refuses to use leverage to stop the IDF from killing and starving innocent people. These stories only make him look weak,” Favreau, a former assistant to Obama and director of speechwriting, wrote on thesocial platform X. Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser and speechwriter, echoed a similar sentiment. “The U.S. government is still supplying 2 thousand pound bombs and ammunition to support Israel’s policy. Until there are substantive consequences, this outrage does nothing. Bibi obviously doesn’t care what the U.S. says, its about what the U.S. does,” Rhodes wrote on X. Rhodes’s Israel stance during the Obama administration earned him the nickname “Hamas,” coined by then-chief of staff Rahm Emanuel because of how critical he was of Israel, Rhodes revealed in his memoir “The World As It Is.” Meanwhile, top Obama adviser David Axelrod, who’s been vocally critical of Biden at times, did not name the president in his tweet regarding the deaths of the aid workers, but the direction of his frustration was clear. “The murder of seven heroic World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza should be a bright red line. Israel has the right to defend itself against barbaric acts of terrorism, not to indiscriminately kill innocents or valiant men and women who are working to save them from starvation,” Axelrod wrote on X. A source familiar with the White House noted the significance of the former Obama aides being outspoken about Biden’s Israel policy in the middle of a reelection campaign. “It’s like, jarring,” the source said. “When you’re still part of the team, so to speak — the D team or the blue team — people are often scared to be critical.” Other Democrats point to a broader discourse within the party over how to handle the key ally. “I think we’re having a big debate in the Democratic Party about what to do in the Middle East, and there isn’t unanimity on this,” Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg said. “But I think it’s a debate. I don’t think it’s become something deeply divisive and corrosive to Biden, as we’ve seen, because his poll numbers are coming up.”
Warren predicts ICJ will find Israel committed genocide in Gaza --Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) recently suggested international offices could find Israel’s bombardment of Gaza constitutes as genocide in the enclave.The Massachusetts Democrat was delivering remarks last Friday at the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland, Mass. when an audience member asked for her opinion on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) January ruling that found it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide in its war with Hamas in Gaza. “So I think… that what’s happening now is there’s going to be a long and involved debate over what constitutes genocide, when you ask a legal question. For me, it is far more important to say what Israel is doing is wrong. And it is wrong,” per her spokesperson. Further pressed on if Israel is committing genocide, she said, “If you want to do it as an application of law, I believe that they’ll find that it is genocide, and they have ample evidence to do so.”Warren’s comments were originally videotaped and posted to X by a GBH News reporter and were later confirmed by her office to The Hill. “Senator Warren believes that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his right-wing war cabinet have created a massive humanitarian disaster in Gaza and have not taken reasonable steps to protect civilians,” Warren’s spokesperson told The Hill.The ICJ, the top United Nations judicial body, ruled in January that Israel must do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip but did not issue an order demanding a cease-fire in the strip.More than 33,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since early October, when Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise assault on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and capturing about 250 others.During her remarks, Warren said people need to think “past a labels argument.”“For me, it is far more important to say what Israel is doing is wrong. And it is wrong. It is wrong to starve children within a civilian population in order to try to bend to your will, it is wrong to drop 2000-pound bombs, in densely populated civilian areas,” she said. “I think I can make a more effective argument by describing the behavior that is happening.”Warren has recently ramped up her criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s wartime campaign and said last week she would move to block the sale of F-15s to Israel after six aid workers and their driver were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Lloyd Austin Claims There's 'No Evidence' of Genocide in Gaza - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday claimed there was “no evidence” of genocide in Gaza despite the massive civilian casualties.Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked Austin if he believed genocide was being committed in Gaza in response to protesters who disrupted a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. The demonstrators said the US was complicit in genocide by supporting Israel.“I want to address what the protesters raised earlier. Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?” Cotton asked.Austin replied, “We don’t have any evidence of genocide.” His comments align with the US government’s rejection of the International Court of Justice ruling that it’s “plausible” Israel is committing genocide.
US Says It Conducted 94 Missions Against ISIS in Iraq and Syria This Year - According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the US and its partner forces in Iraq and Syria conducted 94 operations against ISIS in the first three months of this year.CENTCOM said it was involved in 66 operations with Iraqi government forces in Iraq and 28 operations with the Kurdish-led SDF in Syria. The missions resulted in the killing of 18 alleged ISIS operatives and the detainment of 63.ISIS holds no significant territory in either Iraq or Syria, and remnants of the group operate in rural areas. The fight against ISIS is what the US uses as its excuse to stay in both countries, but the presence is more about countering Iran and its allies.According to the latest numbers, the US has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.The update on US operations against ISIS comes after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called for the US to leave his country and said Iraqi security forces can handle ISIS remnants on their own. The US entered talks with al-Sudani’s government about a potential withdrawal but appears determined to stay in the country.In Syria, the government is opposed to the US presence, making it an illegal military occupation. By backing the SDF, the US is able to control about one-third of Syria’s territory, an area where most of the country’s vital oil and gas fields are located. The US also maintains crippling economic sanctions on Syria specifically designed to prevent reconstruction.
Nancy Pelosi Signs Letter Urging Biden To Halt Weapons Transfers to Israel - Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joined a group of House Democrats in a letter urging President Biden to halt weapons transfers to Israel until there’s a full investigation into the Israeli killing of seven workers for the World Central Kitchen. Pelosi’s signature is notable since she’s been a staunch supporter of Israel throughout her long career in Congress. In 2018, Pelosi vowed that if “this Capitol crumbled to the ground, the one thing that would remain is our commitment to our aid – I don’t even call it aid – to our cooperation with Israel.” Her signature could be part of a Democratic push against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently called for elections in Israel.The letter was signed by a total of 40 House Democrats and called for the US to halt arms shipments to Israel until a full investigation into the killing of WCK workers was complete.The letter reads: “In light of this incident, we strongly urge you to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel, and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed. If this strike is found to have violated US or international law, we urge you to continue withholding these transfers until those responsible are held accountable. We also urge you to withhold these transfers if Israel fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers, and if it fails to facilitate -or arbitrarily denies or restricts – the transport and delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”Israel has killed over 220 aid workers throughout its genocidal war in Gaza, including 177 employees of the UN’s Palestinian Relief Agency, known as UNWRA. Most American politicians can tolerate the killing of Palestinian civilians, but the strike on the WCK workers got more attention and scrutiny since it killed foreigners, including one American citizen. The WCK workers were killed in a series of drone strikes while traveling in three clearly marked cars along a route pre-approved by the Israeli military. Israel said it dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their role in the killing but is still claiming the strikes were the result of an accident.
Democrats Cry Foul As Anti-Free Speech Allies Turn Against Them by Jonathan Turley - Below is my column in The Hill on the recent disruptions of events featuring leading Democrats from President Joe Biden to Rep. Jamie Raskin. After years of supporting the censoring and blacklisting of others, these politicians are now being targeted by the very anti-free speech movement that they once fostered. Hillary Clinton last week became the latest Democrat targeted by protesters in a visit to her alma mater, Wellesley College. Here is the column: You are “killing people,” President Biden told social media companies a couple of years ago. He sought to shame executives into censoring more Americans. Biden has lashed out at disinformation by anti-vaxxers, “election deniers” and others. This month, those words were thrown back at Biden himself as a “genocide denier” by protesters who have labeled him “Genocide Joe” over his support for Israel. After years of supporting censorship and blacklisting of people with opposing views, politicians and academics are finding themselves the subjects of the very anti-free speech tactics that they helped foster. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), for example, has been a leading figure in Congress opposing efforts to curtail massive censorship programs coordinated by the Biden administration. While opposing the investigation into past federal censorship efforts, Raskin continues to push social media companies to increase the censorship and silencing of Americans. Last December, Raskin sent a letter on behalf of other Democrats on the powerful House Oversight Committee demanding even more censorship, not only on election fraud, COVID or climate change, but also on abortion. “We are troubled by the rapid spread of abortion misinformation and disinformation on your company’s social media platform,” he wrote, “and the threat this development poses to safe abortion access in the United States.”When journalists and even other members testified in favor of free speech, Democrats attacked them as “Putin lovers” and fellow travelers supporting “insurrectionists.”Last week, however, the left turned on Raskin.He was giving a lecture titled “Democracy, Autocracy and the Threat to Reason in the 21st Century.” According to the Maryland Reporter, the protesters accused Raskin of being “complicit in genocide.” After efforts to resume his remarks, University of Maryland President Darryll Pines finally ended the event early.Pines then pulled a Raskin. While mildly criticizing the students for their lack of “civility,” he defended their disruption of Raskin’s remarks as if a heckler’s veto were free speech. “What you saw play out actually was democracy and free speech and academic freedom,” he said. “From our perspective as a university, these are the difficult conversations that we should be having.”There was, of course, no real conversation because this was not the exercise but the denial of free speech. The protesters were engaging in “deplatforming,” which is common on our campuses, where students and faculty organize to prevent others from hearing opposing views.So, after years of Raskin encouraging the censorship of others, the mob finally came for him. The yawning response of the university was not unlike his own past response to journalists, professors and dissents who have come before his committee.The only “difficult” aspect of this conversation is for university figures like Pines who are called upon to defend the free speech rights of speakers or faculty. They need to show the courage and principle required to uphold the free speech commitment of higher education, even at the risk of being targeted themselves. That includes the sanctioning of students who prevent others from hearing opposing views in classrooms and event forums. These students have every right to protest outside such spaces, but higher education is premised on the free exchange of ideas. There is really no further “conversation” needed, just a letter of suspension or expulsion for those who deprive others of their rights.Deplatforming is the rage on our campuses. Universities often use it to cancel events for conservatives or controversial speakers. Often officials will sit idly by, refusing to remove protesters or deter disruptions. And that can lead to self-help measures by others.
Biden Says Israel Should Call a 6-8 Week Ceasefire in Gaza - President Biden said in an interview with Univision that aired on Tuesday that Israel should call a six-to-eight-week ceasefire in Gaza and appeared not to condition a truce on a hostage deal with Hamas.“So what I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country,” Biden said in the interview, which was recorded last Wednesday, two days after Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen workers, including an American citizen.“I’ve spoken with everyone from the Saudis to the Jordanians to the Egyptians. They’re prepared to move in. They’re prepared to move this food in. And I think there’s no excuse to not provide for the medical and the food needs of those people. It should be done now,” he added.It’s unclear if the comments mean a shift in policy since on the same day the interview aired, Biden’s top aides were pinning the blame for the lack of a ceasefire on Hamas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas “has an opportunity now to agree to the proposal on a ceasefire and hostages. The ball is in Hamas’s court. The world is watching to see what it does.”Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest proposal since it didn’t address the Palestinian group’s main demands, which include a permanent ceasefire and the free movement of displaced Palestinians to travel to northern Gaza.It’s also unclear if Biden will use the significant leverage he has to pressure Israel to declare a unilateral ceasefire. The day after the interview aired, Biden spoke with Netanyahu and told him to take steps to allow more aid into Gaza. Israel has claimed more trucks are entering the Strip, but the UN is disputing the numbers, and a border crossing into northern Gaza that Israel vowed to open remains closed.
Trump Says Biden Has 'Totally Abandoned Israel' - Former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that President Biden has “totally abandoned Israel” and said any Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats this November should “have their head examined.” Trump has been critical of Israel for sharing images and videos of its destruction of Gaza, saying that’s why it’s losing public and international support. But Trump has also signaled he will strongly support the genocidal campaign against Palestinians in the Strip.Trump’s latest comments on Israel came after an interview aired of President Biden calling for Israel to declare a six-to-eight-week ceasefire, but he has since walked back the call, saying any truce should be linked to a hostage deal.Biden also said in the interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made a “mistake” in Gaza and that he didn’t agree with his approach. But Biden has been the biggest backer of Netanyahu’s campaign and continues to provide military aid to Israel.Biden’s support for the slaughter in Gaza could cost him in November, as over 500,000 people have cast protest votes in the Democratic primaries by voting “uncommitted,” including in significant swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.When he was president, Trump was extremely pro-Israel and carried out policies to support Israeli claims to occupied land, which all played a role in escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. His administration recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory and declared that illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law.Trump’s administration moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and unveiled a so-called “peace plan” that would have seen Israel annex large swathes of the West Bank. Trump also brokered the Abraham Accords, deals that resulted in Israel normalizing ties with the UAE and Bahrain. Jared Kushner, who was Trump’s point man on Israel, recently said Gaza’s “waterfront property could be very valuable.”
Idiot Republicans Are Saying Genocide Joe Has 'Abandoned Israel' by Caitlin Johnstone -- Dopey Republican pundits and politicians have begun claiming that Joe Biden has “abandoned Israel” and has fallen under the control of Hamas, because this is a presidential election year and everything needs to be ten times dumber than usual.Donald Trump said on the campaign trail on Wednesday that “Any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined,” saying of Biden, “He totally abandoned Israel.”Trump’s comments were made in response to Biden saying that Israel should declare a ceasefire of six to eight weeks, seemingly suggesting that Israel should do so without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of Israeli hostages. This hopeful statement was swiftly dispelled by Biden himself, however, with the president reiterating the same keep-killing-children-until-Hamas-gives-us-everything-we-want position that this administration has stood by for six months. Apparently Biden’s dementia-addled brain is just struggling to keep its story straight. Meanwhile Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro has been pushing the narrative that Biden has “saved” Hamas by capitulating to demands from the left on Gaza, going so far as to declare that “Hamas is now in control of the Biden administration.”To be clear, this is all foam-brained nonsense. Biden has spent six months pouring weapons of mass murder into Israel without any conditions whatsoever, and his administration has been justifying and spinning and making excuses for all of Israel’s heinous actions in Gaza this entire time. No US president in history has done more to directly serve the murderousness of the Israeli war machine than Joe Biden. Right to this very day the president is declaring “ironclad” support for Israel as fears mount that Iran may retaliate for the Israeli strike on its consulate building in Syria which killed multiple Iranian military officers, despite the fact that Iran has made it clear to the White House that if the US comes to Israel’s defense it will make the US a target as well. Biden is so fanatically pro-Israel that we could be near the precipice of the worst-case nightmare scenario of all possible middle eastern conflicts because of his unwavering support for the genocidal apartheid state. In reality, the only reason Republicans have begun trying to frame Biden as anti-Israel is because only through fiction and fantasy can America’s two mainstream parties pretend there are any significant differences between them. They’re both insanely supportive of Israel and its crimes. They both support war, militarism, imperialism, capitalism and oligarchy. The only areas in which there’s any meaningful disagreement between them are the issues that don’t inconvenience the powerful in any way like whether or not you’re allowed to have an abortion or whether it’s good or bad to be mean to trans people — and even those issues are only used to keep everyone’s interest and attention locked into mainstream politics and diverted from revolutionary sentiment.
As Palestinians starve, Netanyahu government attempts face-saving gesture following US-Israel murder of aid workers -- In the aftermath of Monday’s targeted killing of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers by the Israel Defence Forces, the White House and media outlets internationally have gone into overdrive to convince everyone that a significant shift in Israel’s policy towards Gaza’s Palestinians is taking place. Friday’s announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that an additional border crossing for aid deliveries to the north of the Gaza Strip will be opened and temporary deliveries will be allowed to depart Israel’s Ashdod port was widely reported as a newfound humanitarian commitment to 2.3 million starving Gazans. In reality, the move is a face-saving gesture aimed at quelling an eruption of popular outrage around the world to Israel’s barbaric war crimes, while allowing US imperialism to hypocritically posture as a restraining force in the ongoing genocide. Netanyahu’s announcement was closely coordinated with Washington, coming just hours after a phone call between Biden and Netanyahu. Media reports presented the call as tense, with Biden supposedly urging the adoption of “specific, concrete and measurable” steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. However, leading Biden administration officials, including National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, made clear that there would be no change to the supply of weaponry to Israel and that Washington’s support was “iron clad.” Referring to Netanyahu’s announcement later Friday, Biden bluntly told a reporter, “I asked them to do what they’re doing.” The opening of an extra border crossing and a temporary maritime route into Gaza is a moot point if there are no aid workers to deliver desperately needed food and medical supplies. The Israel Defence Forces stopped all aid deliveries to northern Gaza by the UN Relief Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) last week. Following the massacre of the World Central Kitchen aid workers, WCK, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have suspended aid operations in Gaza. WCK was supposed to have played a central part in the maritime aid corridor from Cyprus that was touted by the Biden administration in March, when it announced plans to construct a floating dock off the enclave’s coast. The Cypriot government stated Monday that a ship organised by WCK returned from Gaza without offloading the 332 tons of humanitarian aid it was carrying. Data from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Israeli government agency that controls access to Gaza, reveal that WCK was responsible for 60 percent of non-governmental aid deliveries in Gaza before it suspended its operations. ANERA reportedly delivered an average of 150,000 meals each day since October. The UAE has supplied 25 percent of all aid from foreign countries. Other aid organisations still operating have underscored that it is more or less impossible to maintain their activities. “We go on a mission where we are told we would be safe and then we are delayed for hours, our staff is interrogated, they are put in harm’s way or they are killed and that’s not acceptable,” commented Tess Ingram, a spokeswoman for UNICEF, the UN children’s agency. Even if one accepts Israel’s propaganda about aid deliveries under Netanyahu’s latest announcement, they will continue to fall well short of what is required. Israel Army Radio reported that 350 aid trucks could now reach Gaza each day, up from the current level of 200. This would amount to just 70 percent of the 500 aid trucks that arrived in Gaza each day prior to Israel’s assault. The claim that 200 trucks are currently arriving each day is rejected by independent sources, with Oxfam stating that an average of 105 trucks reach Gaza daily. Since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal onslaught, government officials have made no secret about their intention to ethnically cleanse Gaza and use starvation as a weapon of war. From Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s infamous remark describing Palestinians as “human animals,” to former Israeli National Security Council head Giora Eiland’s statement that “severe epidemics in the south of the Gaza Strip will bring victory closer and reduce casualties among IDF soldiers,” and Finance Minister Bezalil Smotrich’s demand for “the voluntary emigration of the Gaza Arabs to the countries of the world,” the Zionist regime has left no doubt about its determination to kill a large portion of Gaza’s population and forcibly expel the rest. In this context, the most plausible explanation is that the massacre of the WCK workers was a carefully considered decision taken at the highest levels of the Israeli state in consultation with Washington aimed at sabotaging aid supplies into Gaza and thereby escalating the genocide. The three clearly marked vehicles were struck separately along a 2.4-kilometre stretch of road. Biden and Netanyahu are now trying to manage the diplomatic fallout. According to Oxfam, the approximately 300,000 people believed to be stranded in northern Gaza have been surviving on just 12 percent of the recommended daily calorie intake since January. The 245 calories consumed on average equate to less than a can of fava beans. For the Gaza Strip as a whole, aid deliveries allowed in by Israel since the start of its bombardment account for just 41 percent of the recommended calories required by the entire population. The aid organisation’s 3 April press release noted: The Israeli government has known for nearly two decades exactly how many daily calories are needed to prevent malnutrition in Gaza, calculating this according to both age and gender within its Food Consumption in the Gaza Strip - Red Line document. Not only did it use a higher calculation of 2,279 calories per person, it also took into account domestic food production in Gaza, which the Israeli military has now virtually obliterated.
Erez Border Crossing Into Northern Gaza Still Not Open for Aid Despite Israeli Commitment - Israel’s Erez border crossing into northern Gaza has still not been opened for aid deliveries despite a commitment Israel made last week to do so following a call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, El Pais reported on Tuesday.Biden told Netanyahu to take more action to allow aid into Gaza following the Israeli killing of seven workers for the World Central Kitchen, who were hit by several Israeli missiles while traveling along a pre-approved route.After the Biden-Netanyahu call, the Israeli cabinet approved the opening of Erez and the use of the Israeli port of Ashdod as a hub for humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. But, according to the El Paisreport, Israel has yet to fulfill either commitment.The Israeli government said 468 aid trucks were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday, the highest number since October 7, and 419 entered the Strip on Monday. But UN officials are disputing the numbers and say most of the trucks being counted are only half full when they are inspected by Israel.The aid is only being allowed in mainly through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing and, to a lesser extent, the Kerem Shalom crossing. Both connect to southern Gaza, and it’s unclear how much food aid is getting into the north, where Palestinians are facing the worst food shortages.Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN’s humanitarian agency, said food aid has been subject to the most restrictions, demonstrating that Israel is purposely starving civilians. “Food convoys that should be going particularly to the north, where 70 percent of people face famine conditions, are … three times more likely to be denied than any other humanitarian convoys with other kinds of material,” Laerke said.
Democrats bash GOP proposal linking natural gas exports to Ukraine aid --House Democrats are hammering a Republican proposal linking Ukraine aid to an increase in natural gas exports, accusing GOP leaders of pushing poison-pill policies that will only further delay much needed help for a democratic ally under siege. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) launched the controversial debate late last month, telling Fox News that he’s eying a plan to allow new permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports — a reversal of President Biden’s recent freeze on those licenses — as part of legislation providing new military assistance to Kyiv. Johnson has been vague about the specifics for a foreign-aid package, and it’s unclear if the proposed natural gas provision will be part of any final legislation emerging from his office. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), a member of GOP leadership, told reporters Tuesday the provision is still on the table. But Democrats aren’t waiting silently while the GOP’s favored energy policies gain momentum. Instead, they’re bashing Johnson’s LNG proposal as a conservative pipe-dream that would never win over the Democratic support Johnson will need to get Ukraine aid to Biden’s desk. “I think it’s a non-starter,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). “I can’t speak for every Democrat, but I know a lot of my colleagues would be mortified by that, and would be upset with any Democratic leader that negotiated for it.” Johnson is walking a tightrope in his attempt to move another round of Ukraine aid through the lower chamber as Kyiv’s forces run low on munitions and Russian troops make advances. The new funding is supported by the old-guard conservatives in Johnson’s GOP conference — who favor a strong interventionist policy overseas — but is opposed by a newer crop of isolationists, led by former President Trump, who want to use more of Washington’s resources to address problems at home. In an effort to prevent a revolt from the Trump faction, Johnson has rejected a Senate-passed foreign-aid package, which provided $60 billion to Ukraine, and is vowing to move a more conservative version through the House. As part of that effort, he’s floating the LNG provision, which would reverse a Biden policy reviled by Republicans who want to expand domestic fossil fuel production, not curb it. The Speaker says the proposal is relevant to the Ukraine debate because it could help other countries wean themselves from a reliance on Russian fuel, which is helping to fund Moscow’s invasion. “We want to unleash American energy. We want to have natural gas exports that will help un-fund Vladimir Putin’s war effort there,” Johnson told Fox News at the end of March. Democrats have far different ideas. They’ve largely supported Biden’s freeze on LNG export permits, in the name of tackling climate change, while pressing Johnson to bring a vote on the Senate Ukraine bill, which passed through the upper chamber with an overwhelming 70-29 vote, including support from 22 Republicans. Given the bipartisan nature of that bill, they say Johnson is wasting his time with the LNG proposal while Ukraine suffers. “Speaker Johnson should stop playing political games with crucial aid to our allies and bring up the bill that got 70 votes in the Senate,” said Rep. Diane DeGette (Colo.), the senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subpanel on energy and climate.
Iran’s diplomats warn US ‘must stay away’ from Iran-Israel conflict - Iran’s diplomats warned the U.S. “must stay away” from the developing Iran-Israel “conflict” following Tehran’s drone and missiles attack on Saturday. The post by the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said the Saturday attack on Israel was a “legitimate defense” and a “response” to the alleged Israeli strike on April 1 in Damascus, Syria which struck near the Iranian embassy and killed two senior officers in Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). “Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,” the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations posted Saturday on social media platform X. They warned the U.S. “must stay away” from the “conflict” between Iran and Israel. “The matter can be deemed concluded,” they said in the post. “However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!” The warning comes as Iran launched a drone missile attack on Israel on Saturday. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the Saturday launch was a “direct attack” from Tehran and is a “severe and dangerous escalation.” “Our defensive and offensive capabilities are at the highest level of readiness ahead of this large-scale attack from Iran,” Hagari said. “This is a mission that we are determined and ready to fulfill.”
U.S. Military Isn't That Concerned About War With Iran - UNITS ON ALERT, naval ships repositioning, bombers postured to fly, Marines ready to storm the beaches. These are all of the routines of a crisis that signals U.S. military readiness for war. But there’s another routine that often eludes Washington’s acknowledgment: the military’s own deployment schedule when it comes to units venturing out there into the real world. The schedule is sacrosanct. So while some might think the potential for war with Iran — right now — is high and the U.S. military is on high alert, the reality is that it’s business as usual. On Friday, the Pentagon made vague statements that it is moving assets to the Middle East to express American displeasure and readiness should Iran attack Israel. President Joe Biden made a public threat toward Iran: “Don’t,” referring to any Iranian strike. And the administration trumpeted the presence of Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of Central Command, or CENTCOM, in Israel, there to “consult” with America’s ironclad partner. But as Washington hawks and the news media hold their breath for what they call an “imminent” strike overseen by Tehran on Israeli soil, the U.S. military in the Middle East is sticking to its regular schedule of soldier comings and goings, including the redeployment of a high-profile Marine battle group that returned to the U.S. after an eight-month voyage. In fact, thousands of Marines, Navy sailors, Army troops, and Air Force war fighters have cycled back stateside over the past few weeks and even since the Israeli attack on the Iranian Embassy compound in Syria on April 1. In a purely routine way, in accordance with existing plans, some half-dozen deployments to the Middle East have come to an end. For the armed services, maintaining soldier schedules is more important than geopolitics. And indeed, there’s no evidence that the military services take much notice of the contradiction between their schedules and a brewing escalation. They are more focused on trying to please service members, wives, and parents in their bids to recruit and retain enlisted people than they are on the Pentagon’s war game machinations.
US announces $138 million in sales to bolster Ukraine’s HAWK air defense system --The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that it has approved a potential emergency $138 million in foreign military sales to Ukraine for repairs to its HAWK missile systems.“Ukraine has an urgent need to increase its capabilities to defend against Russian missile strikes and the aerial capabilities of Russian forces. Maintaining and sustaining the HAWK missile system will enhance Ukraine’s ability to defend its people and protect critical national infrastructure,” the State Department said in a release announcing the sale.The HAWK is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system that provides air defense, The Associated Press reported.The money will go toward engineering and integration for the system’s communications, refurbishment of the system, tool kits and test equipment, spare parts, training and other U.S. support, the memo said.The department said the aid will “support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives” of the U.S. because it will improve the security of a partner country.
Yellen warns of sanctions against Chinese banks that aid Russia -Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in Beijing on Monday that Chinese banks that facilitate support for Russia amid its war in Ukraine could face U.S. sanctions. “We continue to be concerned about the role that any firms, including those in the [People’s Republic of China], are playing in Russia’s military procurement,” Yellen said in remarks during a press conference at the close of her trip to China. “I stressed that companies, including those in the PRC, must not provide material support for Russia’s war and that they will face significant consequences if they do,” she continued. “And I reinforced that any banks that facilitate significant transactions that channel military or dual-use goods to Russia’s defense industrial base expose themselves to the risk of U.S. sanctions.” The Biden administration has previously warned China against supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has now stretched on for more than two years. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed last year that Beijing had provided Moscow with nonlethal assistance and was considering sending lethal aid.
US to Expand Naval Base in Papua New Guinea as Part of Anti-China Buildup - The US is expanding a naval base in Papua New Guinea as part of its military buildup in the Asia Pacific that’s being done to prepare for a future war with China, USNI News has reported.The US signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with Papua New Guinea last year that gives the US military “unimpeded access” to two ports, three airports, and the Lombrum Naval Base.According to USNI, the US Navy is planning three projects at Lombrum: the construction of a regional maritime training center, a small boat team and boson facility, and the overhaul of a 118-foot-long deteriorated small boat jetty. The projects are estimated to cost somewhere between $11 million and $25 million. The Trump administration announced it would help expand the Lombrum Naval Base in 2018 in a move seen as a response to Chinese infrastructure projects in the region. However, the administration never allocated funds for the project.In its announcement of the projects, the US said the purpose was to “support the PNGDF (Papua New Guinea Defence Force), maritime security operations, US military personnel participating in joint exercises, and USINDOPACOM Theater Campaign Plan with various critical facilities located at Lombrum Naval Base.”US military officials have been explicit that the purpose of gaining access to more bases in the region is to expand China’s potential list of targets in a future war. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the former head of US Pacific Air Forces who is now the commander of Air Combat Command, made this clear in comments to Nikkei Asia last year.“Obviously, we would like to disperse in as many places as we can to make the targeting problem for the Chinese as difficult as possible,” Wilsbach said. “A lot of those runways where we would operate from are in the Pacific Island nations.”
US, Philippines, Japan, and Australia Conduct First Joint Military Exercise in South China Sea - The US, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia conducted joint military exercises in the South China Sea on Sunday in a provocative show of force aimed at China.According to Japan’s Kyodo News, the drills marked the first “full-scale exercise” between the four nations. The US has been looking to increase military cooperation between its treaty allies in the region as part of its military build-up to prepare for a future war with China.The four countries released a joint statement that made clear the drills were meant to push back on China’s claims to the South China Sea. “We stand with all nations in safeguarding the international order based on the rule of law that is the foundation for a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.According to The South China Morning Post, the drills included two Philippine vessels, one American ship, one Australian ship, and a Japanese ship and focused on anti-submarine warfare training, tactical exercises, and photo exercises.China launched patrols in the South China Sea on the same day in what appeared to be a response to the drill. “The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army will conduct a joint air and sea combat patrol in the South China Sea on April 7,” the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said.The joint drills come as tensions are soaring between China and the Philippines over disputed rocks and reefs in the South China Sea. Chinese and Philippine vessels frequently have tense encounters in the waters, which often end in collision. In the most recent incident, a Chinese vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine supply boat, injuring several crew members.
McConnell: TikTok threatens security ‘on US soil’ - Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Monday endorsed an effort to require the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban of the popular app within the United States, warning that Chinese ownership poses a serious national security threat. “America’s greatest strategic rival is threatening our security right here on U.S. soil… in tens of millions of American homes. I’m speaking, of course, about TikTok,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. McConnell noted that today 170 million Americans are active users of TikTok, which he said the People’s Republic of China “treats as a tool of surveillance and propaganda.” The Republican leader warned that China’s communist government has full access to the data of American users, despite claims by TikTok officials who say that users’ personal information, browsing histories, keystrokes and other sensitive data is protected. “Requiring the divestment of Beijing-influenced entities from TikTok would land squarely within established Constitutional precedent. And it would begin to turn back the tide of an enormous threat to America’s children and to our nation’s prospects in the defining competition of the 21st century,” he said. “This is a matter that deserves Congress’ urgent attention. And I’ll support commonsense, bipartisan steps to take one of Beijing’s favorite tools of coercion and espionage off the table,” he added. McConnell ticked through a litany of alarming trends on TikTok, such as “the glorification of Hamas terrorists to a particularly outrageous fad that emerged last year where young people ‘discovered’ the wisdom of Osama bin Laden.” “With TikTok, we’re not talking about meddling or hijacking an American platform. In this case, PRC influence and control have been baked in from the beginning,” he said. “With Beijing’s blessing, TikTok’s algorithm pours gasoline on alarming trends.” McConnell waved away claims that requiring the Chinese owner to sell TikTok or ban the app altogether in the United States would violate the First Amendment or restrict political speech. “No matter how loudly TikTok’s apologists claim that reining in PRC influence violates the First Amendment, the question we’ll face is about conduct, not content,” he said. “I take a backseat to no one when it comes to protecting First Amendment rights. I’ve firmly defended Americans’ rights to even the most noxious forms of free speech, like flag-burning,” he added. “But there’s a serious difference between the views Americans might express on TikTok… and the actions taken by a platform that’s beholden to our foremost strategic competitor.
Biden announces deal with Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer for US investments --The Biden administration announced a multi-billion-dollar agreement with a Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer Monday to support the construction of facilities in the United States, including one in Arizona. The administration said it had reached a preliminary agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is headquartered in Hsinchu, for funding through the CHIPS and Science Act. The agreement would provide up to $6.6 billion in funding for the company and would support an investment of more than $65 million in three facilities in Phoenix. Biden said in a statement that the investment will “support the construction of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing facilities right here in the United States” and allow the company to build a third chip factory in Phoenix. The deal also includes $50 million through the CHIPS and Science Act to train and develop the local workforce, Biden said. The agreement with the Taiwanese company marks the latest investment through the CHIPS law, which passed Congress with bipartisan support in 2022. Biden has repeatedly touted the importance of the CHIPS and Science Act, citing the prevalence of microchips that are used in everyday technology such as phones, cars, home appliances and more. Officials have said the law is critical to bolster domestic production of the chips to make the U.S. less reliant on foreign supply chains. The White House has announced four other preliminary agreements with companies for CHIPS funding, including with Intel, GlobalFoundries and Bae Systems.
Prosecutors OK with delaying Menendez trial for wife's health issues - Federal prosecutors said Wednesday they are OK with a slight delay of Sen. Bob Menendez’s trial after his wife, who is a co-defendant, said she isdealing with an unspecified health issue.United States Attorney Damian Williams said in the legal filing to Judge Sidney Stein that his office “takes seriously” Nadine Menendez’s health issues and her request. Williams said the best way to proceed is by delaying the trial, set to start on May 6, further into the summer.Prosecutors want to try Bob and Nadine Menendez together, along with three fellow defendants, because the trial is expected to be lengthy and will involve calling dozens of witnesses, “including at least one non-law enforcement government official stationed outside of the United States and many lay witnesses who do not live in New York, and certain of whom have expressed a concern about testifying.”Nadine Menendez did not say what her “serious medical condition” was in public legal filings, but the prosecutors said a sealed document her attorneys filed “indicates that there is likely to be substantially more information about her medical condition and its implications for her participation in this case” by early June.v The prosecutors suggested delaying the trial until July or August but asked the judge to keep in place many of the current deadlines for making motions and exchanging information ahead of a trial. Bob Menendez is accused by federal prosecutors of using his office to help foreign governments and New Jersey businesspeople in exchange for cash, gold bars and a luxury vehicle. Nadine Menendez also allegedly received home mortgage payments and a low- or no-show job in exchange for favors arranged by her husband. All the defendants in the case have pleaded not guilty.
Divided Congress set for fight over spy powers --Lawmakers are returning to Washington with a rapidly approaching deadline to extend the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers and with the same competing factions that have stalled the bill’s progress over the last several months. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and with it the government’s ability to spy on noncitizens located abroad, is set to expire April 19.The deadline comes after Congress passed a short-term extension of the law last year because lawmakers failed to agree on how to reform the controversial spy powers.Various national security leaders are expected to make their pitch for the bill Wednesday in an all-member House briefing.The House Rules Committee is also expected to mark up the legislation Tuesday, using the same base text that in February left Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) swiftly reversing plans to bring the measure to the floor.The same bill is likely to face the same problems.FISA 702 has pit House Judiciary Committee Republicans and House Intelligence Committee Republicans against each other, each camp joined by Democrats who either think the bill needs to include a warrant requirement for data on Americans swept up in surveillance or who argue such a measure would undermine the tool entirely.Privacy hawks see a warrant as the only way to protect Americans from being surveilled. It’s a stance that’s created strange bedfellows — both House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) support the measure.But the intelligence community says it would stop law enforcement from acting on information in real time. The position is backed by the White House and members of Congress who rallied behind an earlier proposal that added guardrails but stopped short of a warrant requirement.Speaking with reporters Friday, one senior administration official said a warrant requirement would “fundamentally undermine our ability to protect the homeland.”“Let me be very clear. Such a requirement is not only legally unnecessary, but it is a policy choice that will make the country less safe,” they said.The text of the FISA reauthorization bill doesn’t include a warrant requirement but does contain numerous reforms to address concerns about prior abuse by the FBI.FBI supervisors or attorneys would have to approve any agent query that might involve U.S. citizens — a figure that has dropped substantially since a shift in the FBI search portal that opted agents into searching the 702 database.It also requires an after-the-fact review of all 702 queries of U.S. citizens.For intelligence community leaders, there is no substitute to Section 702. “I’m not sure I’ve seen a time when our country faces such a complex set of threats and such a dangerous threat landscape. … I’ve never seen a time when a single authority is as important to protecting the country as Section 702 is today,” another senior administration official said. They added that 702 fills that role with “a speed and reliability that we cannot cannot replace with any other authority.” Still, efforts to add a warrant requirement have rocked the bill’s path to the floor, and could do so again.House Judiciary members, including Jordan, have pushed for a vote on the House floor on adding a warrant requirement to the bill. Members had lobbied Johnson to back an earlier proposal from Judiciary and protested his offer to bring the two competing bills to the floor. It’s still an open question whether the bill can pass through the Rules Committee, a panel stocked with FISA critics, to enable an amendment vote. If the bill can’t get out of Rules, it would take a two-thirds majority, or about 290 votes, to pass the legislation. Democrats are similarly divided over whether to support the bill, as a number have also called for a warrant requirement or other reforms.But the first hurdle of even determining how the bill comes to the floor is “just going to come down to Republican dynamics,” the source said.
FISA bill overcomes key hurdle to tee up floor fight on warrant requirement -- A bill to reauthorize the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers passed a key hurdle in the House on Tuesday even as it still faces a rocky pathway to the Senate – including a floor fight over whether to add a warrant requirement to the bill. The House Rules Committee on Tuesday gave its blessing to a bill that would reauthorize for five years Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which greenlights the government to spy on foreigners located abroad. The Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act includes a number of reforms to provide greater oversight of how agencies, particularly the FBI, use a tool that also sweeps up the communications of Americans who communicate with those being surveilled. But while billed as a compromise measure, it comes after months of feuding between the House’s Intelligence and Judiciary committees, pushing its consideration up against the April 19th deadline. The latest bill also hews more closely to the prior Intel legislation, reigniting frustration from Judiciary members who want a warrant requirement for accessing Americans’ data – a detail set to be handled in a floor showdown on a controversial amendment to add one. In many ways, the bill’s future hinges on that amendment. Though loudest in Republican circles, many lawmakers have said they will not back a FISA reauthorization if the warrant amendment is not approved. To privacy hawks it’s a needed protection. For the intelligence community, it would essentially gut the law and eliminate a key national security tool. “Without the warrant requirement I don’t think we’ve protected Americans in the way that we should,” House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who has been among those leading the charge for adding such an amendment to the 702 legislation, told the committee. “If you’re going to look at this, what I call the ‘haystack’ of information that is collected, which has Americans’ information…then you should go to a separate and equal branch of government to get a warrant to do so,” Jordan added. “Without that in the legislation, we’re not going to support it.” But Intel committee leaders echoed the warnings of the intelligence community, who said doing so would blind stop law enforcement to key information and stop them from acting in real time, as it could take weeks to secure a warrant. Rep. Jim Himes (Conn.), the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, noted that in many cases, agencies like the FBI are using the 702 database to ferret out information on potential threats – information that would likely be insufficient to get a traditional warrant. The scene at the House Rules Committee on Tuesday was emblematic of the unusual fault lines underlying the debate. Jordan sat alongside Judiciary ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) to pitch a warrant requirement, while House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Himes argued against it, even as they backed the concept of allowing the matter to come to a floor vote. Tensions flared between the two sides, with members of the Rules panel getting annoyed as they bickered among themselves rather than addressing members of the committee. “It’s clear that you don’t agree with each other,” Rules ranking member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said, urging them to “cut to the chase” by noting both sides agreed the matter should be weighed by the full House. “If we’re all in agreement, [the warrant amendment] should hopefully be made in order and we can debate this on the House floor.”
House Conservatives Tank FISA Bill in Blow to Speaker Johnson - House conservatives on April 10 tanked a procedural vote to advance a surveillance power reauthorization bill in protest against its lack of warrant requirements. The development is another blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who already faces an ouster threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). In a 193-226 vote, lawmakers voted not to advance Rep. Laurel Lee’s (R-Fla.) “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America” Act, which would extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA’s) controversial Section 702 for a period of five years. The warrantless surveillance power is due to lapse on April 19.While such procedural votes normally advance along party lines, 19 Republicans joined all Democrats to block the bill, employing a tactic increasingly used by GOP factions to apply pressure on leadership.Conservatives who voted against the bill’s advancement were Reps. Greene, Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Bob Good (R-Va.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Chip Roy (R-Texas.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Matt Rosendale (R-Md.), and Greg Steube (R-Fla.)It’s yet another failure for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who in February had to pull a similar bill from the floor.FISA Section 702 is one of several post 9/11 surveillance authorities that have come under scrutiny as some lawmakers from across the political aisle have raised alarm over its potential to violate the civil liberties of Americans.Section 702, which was last authorized in 2018, was intended to permit warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals located outside the United States. However, in practice, it also sweeps up communications with U.S. citizens.This vulnerability has allowed FBI agetnts to extensively misuse the tool in recent years, using it to search for the names of Black Lives Matter and Jan. 6 protesters.
GOP rages over FISA as deadline inches closer - Frustrations are boiling over in the GOP conference after 19 Republicans blocked legislation to reauthorize the government’s surveillance powers, a number that stunned Washington on Wednesday and sent GOP leaders scrambling for a Plan B to shore up national security protections before they expire next week. The tanked procedural vote sent House Republicans to a hasty conference meeting behind closed doors in the Capitol basement, their second of the day, for a huddle that lawmakers described as an “airing of grievances” — one that seemed only to heighten the internal tensions. “That was pure chaos,” Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) told reporters of the meeting. “It wasn’t productive at all.” “It was a conference that could have been an email, minus the yelling,” Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) said. “I think it’s cathartic to some degree or another, but … we got to figure out something. I don’t know what this looks like.” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) listened to his colleagues and took notes throughout the huddle, according to lawmakers in the room, and at times he responded to qualms members aired. But the Speaker did not lay out a path forward on the contentious question of how to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), leaving Republicans wondering how the House will reform the country’s ability to spy on foreigners abroad by next week’s deadline. “It was a fruitful meeting,” House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said of the last-minute conference meeting. But when pressed to detail what was fruitful about it, he paused and then laughed before floating negotiations with the upper chamber. “Well, I think that the Speaker has a number of options that he has to consider, including working with the Senate directly,” Turner said. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), who voted to spike the rule, said the conversation was “definitely a little contentious” at some points. “You can just just tell that people are passionate about this issue, and I think for good reason,” he added. Rule votes have historically been predictable affairs, with the majority party voting in favor and the minority party against, regardless of how lawmakers plan to vote on the underlying legislation. That’s changed in this Congress, with conservatives repeatedly using the procedural votes to protest legislation leadership has brought to the floor — but even so 19 “no” votes shocked many in the Capitol. Those Republicans were largely opposed the procedural vote out of frustration with Johnson for backing the legislation without a warrant requirement they’ve demanded. While Section 702 does not permit the government to spy on Americans, citizens who communicate with foreigners who are being surveilled have their interactions swept up in the process — information that can later be viewed by law enforcement. But their revolt was counterintuitive — it blocked an amendment from coming to the floor that would have added a warrant requirement for Americans’ data that was predicted to have broad support. The debate over FISA has for months pitted members on the House Judiciary Committee against those of the House Intelligence Committee, with the warrant requirement emerging as the main source of disagreement. “I’m just bewildered that a small number of members decided to take down the rule,” said House Intelligence Committee ranking member Jim Himes (Conn.), the senior Democrat on the committee. “We would have won or we would have lost but it was all teed up with a base bill that had various tangible reforms, and 19 people decided no, we shouldn’t have that debate.”
US 'Considering' Dropping Prosecution Of Assange, Biden Says - Wednesday saw a rare and unexpected positive development in the Julian Assange extradition case. President Joe Biden has affirmed the US is "considering" dropping its prosecution of the WikiLeaks founder. Currently, Assange is awaiting a final ruling from the UK high court over his possible extradition to the US, coming at the end of a lengthy appeals process. But the following exchange with President Biden and reporters just happened: When asked about the request by reporters at the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said "we're considering it" - comments described as "encouraging" by Mr Assange's lawyer.Biden issued the response in a press briefing while hosting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official White House visit, where the two leaders are expended to deepen defense ties.It is widely perceived this was all set in motion when in February Assange's native Australia saw its parliament vote to issue formal request that charges against Julian Assange be dropped by the US. The motion adopted by parliament emphasized "the importance of the UK and USA bringing the matter to a close so that Mr. Assange can return home to his family in Australia."The country's prime minister Anthony Albanese immediately backed the motion calling for his return to Australia.Amnesty International also recently renewed its call to drop the charges against Assange. "The risk to publishers and investigative journalists around the world hangs in the balance. Should Julian Assange be sent to the U.S. and prosecuted there, global media freedoms will be on trial, too," a statement said.We detailed in March that the Biden administration might be looking for a way to bring the 14-year long legal drama to an end. A WSJ report at the time said, "The U.S. Justice Department is considering whether to allow Julian Assange to plead guilty to a reduced charge of mishandling classified information, according to people familiar with the matter, opening the possibility of a deal that would end a lengthy legal saga triggered by one of the biggest classified intelligence leaks in American history."A plea deal means the whole crisis for him and his family could finally come to an acceptable and peaceful end after all of these years. But Assange's legal team never gave any level of confirmation to the prior WSJ reporting.
Biden Says He's Considering Dropping Charges Against Julian Assange - President Biden on Wednesday said he’s considering a request from Australia to drop the charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who’s being targeted for exposing US war crimes through standard journalism. The Australian government has recently stepped up its pressure on the Biden administration to end its persecution of Assange, who is an Australian citizen. When asked about the Australian request, Biden said, “We’re considering it.”The US Department of Justice first indicted Assange under the Espionage Act during the Trump administration in 2019, leading to his arrest at the Ecuadorian embassy in London and imprisonment in Belmarsh Prison, where he is still being held today.Assange faces 17 counts of Espionage and one charge of conspiracy to commit a computer intrusion for publishing documents leaked to WikiLeaks by former Army Private Chelsea Manning in 2010. Publishing classified documents obtained by a source is a standard journalistic practice, and if Assange is convicted, it would set a grave precedent for press freedom in the US and around the world.Biden’s comments came after London’s High Court ruled that Assange might have a chance at a limited appeal of the British Home Secretary’s decision to extradite him to the US. But the US government has a chance to avoid the appeal if it offers “assurances” that satisfy the court.The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the US might be seeking a plea deal for Assange, although his legal team denied that the US government was looking for anything less than the full charge. A plea deal could still set a bad precedent if it criminalizes the journalist-source relationship.WikiLeaks has been asking Americans to put pressure on the Biden administration to stop its pursuit of Assange by contacting their House representatives and telling them to support H.Res.934, a bill introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) that calls for the US to drop the charges against Assange.
White House, Senate Democrats pitch pandemic aid fraud crackdown bill — The White House, along with leading Senate Democrats, has unveiled a $1.3 billion piece of legislation aimed at combating pandemic-era fraud. The White House on Tuesday promoted a bill written by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the majority whip, Gary Peters, D-Ill., the chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman of the Finance Committee. "Bad actors got their hands on money that was meant to help our communities get through what was an incredibly difficult time," Peters said on a White House call unveiling the bill. The bill follows up on the budget request made by President Joe Biden earlier this year and allocates roughly $675 million to battling identity fraud. The bill would also provide $300 million to triple the Justice Department's COVID-19 fraud strike force teams, and $250 million to the Small Business Administration, Labor Department and their inspectors general to identify and recover pandemic-era fraud.Pandemic programs like the Paycheck Protection Program brought the methods that the government uses to disburse funds to the public under closer scrutiny. Lawmakers and other critics have been especially pointed in their criticism of the widespread fraud by fintechs in the PPP program. Since then, fintech participation in SBA loan programs, including the department's flagship 7(a) loan-guarantee program, has remained controversial.The funding package signed by Biden last month allocated $1.18 billion for SBA programs. ,including money to allow the agency to begin lending directly under 7(a)."Fraud and inefficiency characterize the Small Business Administration's history in direct lending," said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., last month as he introduced a bill to prevent the Biden administration from being a direct lender for the loan program. "The government shouldn't crowd out private lenders that are already doing a good job getting funds to the small businesses that need them." Another bipartisan framework released in February by Wyden and the Senate Finance Committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, would raise the statute of limitations for pandemic unemployment insurance fraud to 10 years. The framework was promoted by the White House alongside the fraud bill on Tuesday.Also Tuesday, the Justice Department announced that it has filed charges against more than 3,500 defendants since the pandemic relief programs were established, and that it has seized more than $1.4 billion in coronavirus relief fraud. While some of the measures announced by the Biden administration have bipartisan support, the legislation still faces a tough road on Capitol Hill. Although lawmakers of both parties have complained of waste and fraud in the pandemic-era program, previous efforts to patch holes in the way the government disburses aid, or to bolster protections to those affected by fraudsters, have fallen short.
DOJ opens formal investigation of U.S. Steel takeover - The Justice Department has opened up an in-depth antitrust investigation of Nippon Steel’s $14.1 billion takeover of U.S. Steel, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.The move escalates U.S. government scrutiny of the controversial deal, which has drawn fire from lawmakers, labor unions and others who argue the storied U.S. industrial titan should not be owned by a foreign company — even one based in Japan, one of America’s closest allies. It also follows a preliminary antitrust review previously reported by POLITICO. The opening of the antitrust probe has the potential to ripple through Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s official White House visit this week where the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance is meant to be on full display. The Japanese leader said he hoped the proposed deal would proceed in a positive direction but did not criticize U.S. scrutiny of the transaction.“Japan believes that appropriate procedures based on law are being implemented by the US government,” Kishida said Wednesday at a joint press conference with Biden.Last month President Joe Biden highlighted those concerns in a highly unusual statement, spaced well before Kishida’s arrival, saying it must “remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.”The president, this week, did not waver from his initial position.“I stand by my commitment to American workers. I’m a man of my word, I’m going to keep it,” Biden said during the press conference.The United Steelworkers union — whom Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are both courting on the campaign trail — opposes the deal, saying it puts U.S. jobs at risk.
Biden continues cover-up of Key bridge disaster in visit to Baltimore - US President Joe Biden took an aerial tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on Friday before delivering comments to the media about the disaster that killed six immigrant construction workers and halted shipping in the Port of Baltimore. He began by feigning sympathy for the families and loved ones of the workers who died as they were fixing potholes on the bridge when it went down at 1:30 a.m. Using well-worn phrases that he has delivered at every avoidable US disaster that has killed people, Biden said he knows “a little bit about what it’s like to lose a piece of your soul.” The president then quickly moved on and said, “[w]e will not rest until the cement has dried on a new bridge” and boasted about the administration’s response to the disaster. He also claimed without going into details, “we’re going to continue to have your backs every step of the way, I guarantee it.” The two priorities of the US ruling establishment regarding the Key bridge collapse were conveyed by Biden, the first by what he did say and the second by what he did not say. He said, “Our first priority is to open the port,” that is, to overcome supply chain disruptions and resume shipping through the harbor so that capitalist profit-making can be resumed as quickly as possible. Biden emphasized that the port had to be reopened because it is costing US corporations money. He said, “But, folks, we all need to step up. Amazon, Home Depot, Domino Sugar, and many other companies all rely on this port. And they have committed to keep workers and payrolls on their—and their businesses in Baltimore and [as we] move as quickly and clearly as possible to clear the channel.” At the same time, Biden did not say anything about a federal government investigation into the cause of the bridge collapse or discuss any of the details about how it happened. Through his silence on this question, the president made it clear that the cover-up of the disaster will continue, and the White House has no intentions of holding anyone responsible for it. Even though experts have exposed over the past 10 days that a combination of corporate profit-making and government negligence is responsible for the disaster, Biden presented the bridge collapse as a positive thing. He said, “We’re the only nation that has gone through every crisis that we’ve had—we come out stronger than we went in. And we’re going to do it here as well.” While he was preoccupied with the concerns of the multibillion-dollar corporations, he had nothing to say about the impact of the bridge collapse on the working class. He did not mention the crew members of the Dali who are still on the 984-foot container ship with its bow partially smashed by a collapsed bridge section. There are 21 crew on board—20 from India and one from Sri Lanka—who are continuing to perform ship duties while answering questions from investigators about what happened on the morning of March 26. The ship was on its way to Sri Lanka and had on board at least 56 containers (764 tons) of hazardous material, including corrosives, flammables and lithium ion batteries. When the ship was damaged by the bridge collapse, some of these HAZMATs spilled into the water. Biden also said nothing about the layoffs that have already taken place and the impact on workers who relied on the Key Bridge each day to get to and from work. Last week, an Amazon worker told the WSWS that some workers at the Port of Baltimore have been furloughed, citing one of his relatives. The worker said some workers at Amazon are worried about potential shift eliminations or the closing of the Tradepoint Atlantic facility, or one of the three Amazon facilities in the southeastern region of Baltimore. Since Amazon busses many workers from Anne Arundel County over to Sparrow’s Point, without the bridge, the buses will have to take alternate routes, through the traffic-snarled I-95 or I-895 tunnels or through the city of Baltimore.
House approves bipartisan outdoor recreation package | The House on Tuesday approved a package aimed at boosting the nation’s access to outdoor recreation. The bipartisan EXPLORE Act contains provisions that seek to open up more opportunities for spending time in national parks, forests and other public lands. The legislation passed by a voice vote. If the Senate takes up the legislation, it’s expected to have a good chance of passing. This is not the first time bipartisan lawmakers have advanced a public lands package in an election year. In 2020, President Trump signed a bipartisan bill allocating billions of dollars for addressing a maintenance backlog in national parks and codifying other conservation spending. The EXPLORE Act includes a wide range of provisions, including some intended to make it easier to get permits for activities on public lands and develop more biking trails. The bill would also seek to codify a fund called the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which opens up outdoor opportunities in urban and low-income communities, as well as a federal council that coordinates recreation across several federal agencies. The bill is also intended to expand access for groups including veterans and disabled Americans. It sets up a strategy to coordinate veteran visits and a pilot program for employing them in federal conservation jobs. It also seeks to develop new trails that are accessible for disabled people and increase information availability about what is already accessible.
Biden has a massive pile of loan money for his energy revolution — and can’t spend it all before November - The office running a crucial part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda has Congress’ approval to lend more than $200 billion for next-generation energy projects — from solar farms and batteries to hydrogen production and lithium mining. So far, it’s given the go-ahead to a little more than $25 billion. And even as the administration envisions issuing tens of billions more in the next two years, most of the program’s potential will almost certainly remain untapped come Inauguration Day — a reality that may leave its fate in the hands of a President Donald Trump.The gap between the Energy Department lending power and the money it has approved to date illustrates both the scope of Biden’s climate ambitions and the staggering challenge of achieving them. Early in his term, Biden persuaded Congress to approve roughly $1 trillion in programs to tackle climate change, rebuild U.S. manufacturing, restore the nation’s infrastructure and best China in chips technology. Now, his agencies are racing to get the money out the door.For DOE’s Loan Programs Office, the roughly $25.8 billion in conditional and final loans and loan guarantees it has announced during Biden’s presidency represents a huge burst of activity after the program went largely fallow in the Trump era.
Biden races to commit billions to climate action as election looms - Amid rising global temperatures and a looming election against an opponent who has indicated he will gut his climate policies, Joe Biden’s administration is shoveling billions of dollars into efforts it hopes will spur enduring cuts to planet-heating emissions, no matter the occupant of the White House. In recent weeks, large tracts of funding has been announced by the administration to help overcome some of the thorniest and esoteric challenges the world faces in driving down carbon pollution, seeding the promise of everything from the advent of zero-emissions concrete to low-pollution food production, including mac and cheese and ice-cream, to driving the uptake of solar panels and electric stoves in low-income households. “We are seeing billions of dollars going into really tricky parts of the energy transition and if there’s momentum behind this we will be measuring the impacts many years in the future,” said Melissa Lott, a professor at Columbia University’s climate school. “I would expect these investments to have knock-on impacts well outside the US’s borders.” The spending is the most significant yet to come via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Biden’s signature climate bill, and the gusher of cash has a certain urgency. By January, Donald Trump, who has called some of Biden’s climate policies “insane”, could be president and Republicans, who have already attempted to gut the IRA and have called the latest spending a “greendoggle”, could hold Congress. “The money from the IRA needs to get out of the door due to the urgency of the climate crisis but also the politics of this year and next year,” said Lott. “If money has been already committed, it’s gone. It’s very tough for a new administration to pull back funding once it has already committed.” But the new funding in many ways goes beyond the short-term politicking that has haunted the US’s ponderous response to the climate crisis. Last week, $20bn was awarded under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a mechanism set up by the IRA, to non-profit groups that will provide low-interest loans for clean energy projects, such as installing solar panels on community centers, or heat pumps and induction stoves in households that couldn’t otherwise afford them.“For the first time in history, we are providing tens of billions of dollars directly to community lenders to finance local climate projects,” said Kamala Harris, the US vice-president, in unveiling the spending. Michael Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said the funding would be “transformational”.The aim of these new “green banks” will be to multiply this infusion – the EPA predicts that the private sector will increase the overall funding seven-fold to about $150bn, accelerating the replacement of polluting appliances with cleaner versions, greening public transit and boosting renewable energy going to the grid, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.Each small win will deliver new emissions cuts, culminating years beyond the next election term, as will the Biden administration’s other big recent announcement, of $6bn to drive the decarbonization of industrial processes such as making steel, creating aluminum, pouring concrete and even producing ice-cream and pasta.In many ways, the US is now plunging into the unglamorous guts of the vast, knotty task to rewire almost all processes undergirding modern life, in order to meet the deep yet rapid emissions cuts that scientists say are imperative if the world is to avoid unbearable global heating. Yet more work is under way. The administration has lent $1.5bn to reopen a nuclear plant in Michigan – an energy source that doesn’t emit carbon but is still controversial among environmental groups – while new plans have been set out to rid buildings of their reliance on fossil fuels.
Border Patrol must care for migrant children it locks up, federal judge rules - When the federal government locks migrants up, it’s responsible for them — regardless of whether they’ve been formally processed, a federal judge found Wednesday. As migrant crossings over the border between Mexico and Southern California have overwhelmed local detention facilities, thousands of people have been left to camp in the desert, often for days. In the case under dispute, Flores v. Garland, civil rights groups sued on behalf of migrant children living in the camps, who they argued were being housed in “inhumane” conditions. The U.S. Border Patrol largely didn’t challenge the idea that the conditions weren’t adequate. Instead, it argued the court didn’t have jurisdiction over the agency on this issue because the agency had not formally taken on responsibility for the children by processing them. Judge Dolly Gee of the U.S. District Court of Central California roundly rejected that idea. The agency may not have intended for temporary camping sites to become polluted open air detention sites “collectively holding thousands of migrants,” Gee conceded. But she added the situation has “evolved such that the minors held there” are in the agency’s legal custody — and therefore it is responsible to care for them. At the core of the present case is the 27-year-old decision in Flores v. Sessions, which established that the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for providing housing to “all minors who are detained in the legal custody” of the agency. Gee determined it didn’t matter that the children had not been formally processed: They were held in a fenced area to which they were forcibly returned if they tried to leave, by an agency with “decision-making authority over [their] health and welfare,” she wrote in the ruling. The court found that Customers and Border Protection (CBP), for example, “largely controls the provision” of necessities like drinking water and handwashing stations at the camping sites — as well as portable toilets and dumpsters, the last of which Gee noted were “quickly filled and infrequently serviced.” Volunteers reported to the court that the water and handwashing stations were also poorly maintained — on a recent inspection, “the handwashing stations have been filled with trash and the spigots to the waters stations [were] dirty,” Gee wrote. That overloaded infrastructure is part of generally grim conditions. The camps themselves are an archipelago of rocky, barren quadrangle encircled by the border wall, train tracks, desert and mountains. In the dry air, temperatures can be above 110 degrees in the summer and below 20 degrees in the winter, with little shelter, save for “various forms of brush that the migrants try to burn to keep warm at night,” Gee wrote. While volunteer groups try to supply people in the open air detention site with food, clothing and sanitation services, “the need outpaces their ability to provide this assistance,” the court found. National standards for migrant detention require kids to get a meal every six hours, and two hot meals per day; generally, migrants in the detention sites get “one bottle of water and one pack of crackers” each day, according to the court. Also, the insufficiently abundant and infrequently cleaned dumpsters and portable toilets “are unflowing and unusable,” Gee found. “This means that the [open-air detention sites] not only have a foul smell, but also that trash is strewn about, and [migrants] are forced to relieve themselves outdoors.” All of this, Gee found, violated immigration authorities’ responsibility under the 1997 Flores decree to hold “minors in facilities that are safe and sanitary.” The mere fact that CBP had provided services — or that those services were inadequate for need — would not imply that they had the minors in “custody,” except for the crucial fact that the migrants can’t leave, Gee wrote in the ruling. On their arrival, migrants are given a wristband marked with a date; when they ask CBP officers if they can leave to get told food and water, they are told no, she noted in the decision. And “if an individual does leave [the site], Border Patrol brings them back.” Having established that the children at these camping sites are in U.S. custody, the court found “abundant evidence” that the care they were receiving “is not adequate for minors.” Finally, the court found that CBP “had not been processing [migrants] as expeditiously as possible,” though Gee declined to give the agency a hard limit for the time they could take to process them. But she warned that the agency’s “failure to process minors in a reasonably expedition manner” would lead to “further remedial measures” by the court.
Biden says he’s exploring whether he has power to shut border --President Biden said Tuesday that the administration is weighing whether he has the sole power to close the southern border with Mexico should the need arise.“We’re examining whether or not I have that power,” Biden said in an interview with Univision’s Enrique Acevedo, shared Tuesday, referencing a potential need for congressional action.“When the border has over … 5,000 people a day trying to cross the border because you can’t manage it, slow it up. There’s no guarantee that I have that power all by myself without legislation,” he continued. “And some have suggested I should just go ahead and try it. And if I get shut down by the court, I get shut down by the court.”“But we’re trying to … work through that right now,” the president added.His comments come just months after the most recent bipartisan bill including border security funding failed because Senate Republicans blocked it.In his State of the Union address last month, Biden pushed for Congress to send a bill to his desk. He also placed blame on former President Trump after the border security package collapsed.“I’m told my predecessor called Republicans in Congress and demanded they block the bill,” he said at the time.“He feels it would be a political win for me and a political loser for him,” Biden added. “It’s not about him or me. It’d be a winner for America.”One of the architects of the border deal, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), could be seen mouthing “that’s true” during the address, after Biden touted that the deal would have resulted in the hiring of more border agents and immigration judges to assist in making the asylum process faster. Biden doubled down on his comments Tuesday, claiming he wouldn’t give up on the bipartisan bill.“When Trump found out that I liked it and I supported it, and I’d get, ‘credit’ for it, he got on the phone — not a joke — checked with the Republicans and called them and said, don’t be for it, will benefit Biden,” Biden said of the bill.“When the hell would you vote on a major piece of legislation based on whether you benefit somebody that’s in politics? It’s either good or it’s bad,” he continued. “It was a good piece of legislation, and I’m not giving up on it.”
Speaker Johnson to delay sending Mayorkas impeachment to Senate --Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has agreed to Senate conservatives’ request that he delay sending two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas until next week. The House had been slated to send the articles to the Senate on Wednesday. “To ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week. There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial,” Johnson’s spokesperson Taylor Haulsee said. Senate Steering Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah) told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he was “very grateful to Speaker Johnson for his willingness to delay this.” “We don’t want this to come over on the eve of the moment when members might be operating under the influence of jet-fume intoxication,” Lee said, referring to the expectation that the Senate was going to vote Thursday on whether to table the articles of impeachment right before senators were scheduled to fly back to their home states for the weekend. “It’s much better for us to do this at the beginning of a legislative week rather than toward the end of one and I thank him for doing that,” he added. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told reporters earlier Tuesday that it’s entirely up to Johnson to decide when House impeachment managers will present the charges against Mayorkas to the Senate. Once the impeachment managers make their presentation, the Senate’s impeachment procedures will be put into motion. Senators would be sworn in as jurors the day after the House impeachment mangers present the articles in the Senate chamber. The presentation was originally scheduled to happen at 5 p.m. Wednesday. But postponing the process until next week means it will vie for floor time with legislation to extend the expiring FISA expanded surveillance authorities. That bill faces an April 19 deadline. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) responded to the revised timeline by announcing that Senate Democrats will move quickly to quash the impeachment charges whenever they arrive from the House.
Iowa governor signs bill that lets state arrest and deport some migrants - — It will be a state crime for a person to be in Iowa if previously denied admission to or removed from the United States under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday.The law, which takes effect July 1, has elevated anxiety in Iowa’s immigrant communities and has prompted questions among legal experts and law enforcement on how it will be enforced. It mirrors part of a Texas law that is currently blocked in court.In Iowa and across the country, Republican leaders have accused President Joe Biden of neglecting his responsibilities to enforce federal immigration law, leading Republican governors to send troops to Texas and legislatures to propose a variety of state-level strategies.“The Biden Administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk,” Reynolds said in a statement after signing the bill. “This bill gives Iowa law enforcement the power to do what he is unwilling to do: enforce immigration laws already on the books.” After the Legislature passed the bill, Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert told The Associated Press in an email in March that immigration status does not factor into the department’s work to keep the community safe. He said the force is “not equipped, funded or staffed” to take on responsibilities that are the federal government’s.“Simply stated, not only do we not have the resources to assume this additional task, we don’t even have the ability to perform this function,” Wingert said. The Iowa legislation, like the Texas law, could mean criminal charges for people who have outstanding deportation orders or who have previously been removed from or denied admission to the U.S. Once in custody, migrants could either agree to a judge’s order to leave the U.S. or be prosecuted.
Trump says abortion law should be left to states Former President Trump declined to take a position on a potential federal abortion ban Monday and said the fate of the procedure should be left to individual states.Trump, in a roughly four-minute video posted to Truth Social, once again said he was proud to have ended Roe v. Wade through the appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices, but he did not endorse any kind of federal abortion legislation, which some conservative groups have pushed him to do.“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint,” Trump said. “The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state.” “Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and that’s what they will be,” he added. “At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or your faith.”The former president’s statement was his most comprehensive to date on the divisive issue of abortion since he became the presumptive Republican nominee. But it was still evasive on the issue of whether he would as president sign a federal law limiting abortion after a certain number of weeks.In his statement, Trump referenced the importance of winning elections for Republicans. He had previously blamed the GOP’s rhetoric on abortion for the party’s struggles in the 2022 midterms.“We have to bring our nation back from the brink, and that’s where it is,” he added. “Always go by your heart, but we must win. We have to win.”Trump reiterated his support for exceptions allowing for the procedure in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk. And he said the GOP should support procedures such as in vitro fertilization, which has been threatened following the end of Roe, that make it easier for Americans to start a family. And he called Democrats “radical” for supporting abortion “up to and even beyond the ninth month.”
Trump Says Abortion Should Be Decided By States, 'Will Of The People' -Former President Donald Trump said in a Monday announcement that he believes abortion should be left to the states and that in-vitro fertilization (IFV) should be available, he said in a video statement posted on Truth Social."My view is…the states will determine by legislation or vote or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people," Trump said. "You must follow your heart or, in may cases, your religion or your faith. Do what’s right for your family and do what’s right for yourself…do what’s right for our country." Trump had previously indicated that he would publish his position regarding abortion, which is a large departure from a federal abortion limit that some Republicans have pushed for.He also said regarding IVF, "We want to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies, not harder. That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every state in America."Last week, Trump told reporters at a Michigan campaign stop that he would make a statement in the coming week, after he was asked about Florida's controversial six-week abortion ban.
Arizona Supreme Court revives primitive 1864 law to criminalize abortion --In a ruling issued Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court revived a criminal law first enacted in 1864 that allows sending a doctor or other medical provider to state prison for two to five years for performing an abortion that is subsequently not deemed “necessary to save” a woman’s life. There are no time limits—the prohibition begins “the morning after”—and no other exceptions, such as for pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest.This draconian law dates from when Arizona was a newly formed US territory, slavery still existed, women could not vote and were legally subordinate to their husbands. Their right to vote would not be realized for another half-century. The statute was re-enacted after Arizona achieved statehood in 1912 and remained in effect until a 1973 injunction following the United States Supreme Court’s recognition of the federal constitutional right to abortion in Roe v. Wade.While bound by the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, anti-abortion activists in the Arizona state government passed dozens of laws to restrict abortion access to the constitutional minimum and added onerous procedural requirements, pushing the envelope under the steadily eroding federal standards.In 2022, the United States Supreme Court eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion altogether in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade, stripping all women in the United States of their constitutional right to access abortions. The World Socialist Web Site labeled Dobbs “the opening salvo in a historically unprecedented attack by the ruling class on all democratic rights.” Tuesday’s ruling underscores that perspective. When Dobbs was decided, Arizona statutes had limited abortion access to the first 15 weeks following gestation, absent a “medical emergency.” By a 5-2 vote, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that these subsequent enactments did not create a statutory right to abortion during the first 15 weeks, and that Dobbs effectively resurrected the 1864 felony prohibition. Not only does the ruling eliminate the brief 15-week window, it also narrows the exception from any “medical emergency” to abortions “necessary to save” the life of the mother.The two dissenting justices would have enforced the more recent enactments, noting that following D obbs in June 2022, “the Arizona Legislature stood pat,” rather than repealing the 15-week limit then in effect and reinstating the 1864 ban. The dissent did not, however, address the consequences of denying a pregnant person access to an abortion.
Surprise Arizona ruling sets abortion politics aflame -The Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling doused gasoline on the already-flickering fire of abortion politics Tuesday and threatened to upend the 2024 contests in the state by upholding a Civil War-era law that made performing an abortion a felony, putting Republicans on the back foot in the process.The ruling, which makes abortion punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs or helps someone obtain one, was the latest bombshell that will supercharge the fight over abortion rights, this time in a major presidential battleground state with a Senate race also on the ballot in November.The news sent shock waves throughout Washington, with Democrats of all stripes wasting no time reacting. President Biden laid into the ruling, saying it was “a result of the extreme agenda of Republican elected officials who are committed to ripping away women’s freedom.”“Millions of Arizonans will soon live under an even more extreme and dangerous abortion ban, which fails to protect women even when their health is at risk or in tragic cases of rape or incest,” Biden said, calling it a “cruel ban.” The White House also quickly announced Vice President Harris would head to the Grand Canyon State at the end of the week in response to the court ruling, which overturned the 15-week ban the state enacted in 2022 in response to the Dobbs ruling.Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) briefed Senate Democrats during their weekly luncheon moments after the ruling was handed down, and he appeared alongside Democratic leaders at their press conference to decry the decision, noting that the 1864 law came into existence 48 years before Arizona became a state.“This law may have been written 160 years ago, but it’s only being reinstated now because of politicians who worked to overturn Roe v. Wade,” Kelly said, adding that the court’s decision on Tuesday referenced the Dobbs decision 22 times. “This is devastating for women in Arizona.” The arcane law, which also includes an extremely narrow exception for “when it is necessary” to save a pregnant person’s life, will go into effect in 14 days unless the Legislature moves to repeal it. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) called for the 1864 ban to be repealed.The ruling also is expected to have an outsized political impact, as Arizona voters likely will consider a ballot measure in November to reinstate abortion rights. Groups involved with the effort said in the past week they have exceeded 500,000 signatures, 120,000 more than the requisite number needed to put it on the ballot. The Tuesday decision is expected to further boost that total, with the deadline to hand in those signatures set for early July. It could also follow the trend of recent elections, fueling Democratic turnout in a presidential contest that was razor-thin four years ago and help the party in the contested Senate race, which is one of the top ones on the map this cycle. While Democrats loudly cried foul at the ruling, they were hopeful that it would give them a shot in the arm in a state that is crucial to their electoral hopes in November. “It just goes to show what happens when you put extremists in charge. People who want to take away women’s reproductive freedom — people should understand they mean what they say,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who ran the Senate Democratic campaign arm in 2018. The GOP also seemed to realize the ruling could be a problem. Republican Kari Lake, who is running against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in the upper chamber, said she opposes the court’s decision and called on Hobbs and the GOP-held Legislature “to come up with an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support.”
Arizona governor slams GOP lawmakers who criticized new abortion ruling - Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) took aim at GOP lawmakers who criticized a court ruling Tuesday that held up an 1864 law that made performing an abortion a felony in the state.Hobbs said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that the decision was “very harmful” for the state, noting that Arizonians are “reeling” from the ruling issued earlier today. She said she called on the legislature to repeal the “archaic ban” as soon as she took office.“I renewed that call at the beginning of this legislative session,” Hobbs continued. “The fact is that some of the Republicans right now, who are saying that this decision went too far, are the same politicians who celebrated the Dobbs decision, which paved the way for this court ruling today.”“And the Speaker of the House and the Senate President both weighed in in this case with amicus brief, urging the court to do exactly what it did today,” she added.The Arizona Supreme Court rejected arguments on Tuesday that it should uphold the current 15-week abortion ban signed in 2022 by then-Gov. Doug Ducey (R) that was enforced after the end of Roe v. Wade. Instead, the court ruled that the 1864 law — passed before Arizona was even a state — should be enforced.The Civil War-era law makes performing or helping a pregnant person receive an abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison. It also includes does not include exceptions in the cases of rape or incest, instead only giving exceptions for “when it is necessary” to save the pregnant person’s life.Some Republicans who have shown support for abortion bans, including GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake, have said they oppose the ruling.Earlier on Tuesday, Hobbs called on the legislature “to do the right thing right now and repeal this 1864 ban and protect access to reproductive health care.” She reiterated on Tuesday thatan executive order signed last year that bars county attorneys from prosecuting women and doctors for receiving and performing abortions “still stands.”“It just prevents an extreme county attorney from using this ban to criminalize women and doctors for seeking the care of providing the care that their patients need and would provide consolidation with the Attorney General,” she said, noting that the executive order has not been tested yet.
‘There’s nothing more important right now’: Cardona commits to fixing FAFSA disaster - Education Secretary Miguel Cardona defended his administration’s botched debut of a new federal student aid application, as Republican appropriators pressed the cabinet official to explain the cause of glitches that are now expected to require weeks of repair work.“There’s nothing more important right now at the Department of Education,” Cardona said Wednesday during a congressional hearing on President Joe Biden’s education budget proposal. “We’re working on this around the clock, because we want to make sure our students have information they need to make informed decisions.” Approximately 30 percent of FAFSA forms so far are “potentially affected” by processing or data errors, the agency’s student aid office said Tuesday in an online bulletin, in addition to a separate category of applications that need corrected information from students. Processing errors also mean a huge chunk of applicants mistakenly appeared to qualify for more financial aid than they actually should receive.“I do empathize with the challenges and frustrations that folks are feeling,” Cardona added. “We need to do better, and we’re going to get better.”But he pushed back on accusations that department staffers have been diverted to work on Biden’s sweeping loan forgiveness efforts instead of focusing on implementing the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid — a point Republican Reps. Julia Letlow of Louisiana and John Moolenaarof Michigan sought to engage the secretary on.“I hope this debacle never happens again,” Letlow told Cardona. “The American people want to see you focused on getting students into the classroom, not repaying loans for people who have already been there.”Cardona emphasized FAFSA issues are a key focus for the department and its employees. “I don’t want you to think they’re not doing FAFSA because they’re working on something else,” he told lawmakers. “FAFSA has been a priority since day one when we got into these positions, and it will continue to be a priority until we deliver for those students.”He refused to answer questions after the hearing, as aides rushed him out of the Capitol.At almost the same time as the appropriations hearing, members of the House Education and the Workforce committee debated the magnitude of the FAFSA disaster during a separate hearing with a panel of financial aid experts.“This country deserves public leaders who fulfill their duties rather than shirk responsibilities and point the finger of blame at others,” said House Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx. “Now is the time for Secretary Cardona to explain his abysmal leadership to the American people. It is clear something needs to change.”While they didn’t invite anyone from the department to testify at the higher education subcommittee hearing, GOP lawmakers asked panelists whether anyone from the Education Department has taken accountability for the botched rollout of FAFSA and whether anyone should be fired for it.
Biden seizes on student debt relief amid worries about young voters - President Biden is pushing forward with plans for “life-changing” student debt relief as he courts young voters amid signs that the critical voting bloc could turn away from his party or simply sit out in November.A new NPR/NewsHour/Marist Poll released last week found former President Trump up 2 points over Biden among millennial and Generation Z Americans — an age group frustrated with economic strains and stressed about student debt.Leaning in on student debt relief could help boost Biden’s standing with the key demographic, “where he could use some shoring up of his support,” said Morley Winograd, a former senior policy adviser to Al Gore and the author of multiple books on millennials.“Today, too many Americans, especially young people, are saddled with unsustainable debts in exchange for a college degree,” Biden said in Wisconsin on Monday, acknowledging the key demographic in a battleground state vital to his reelection bid. His remarks came as he unveiled a new initiative to ease debt for millions of borrowers, part of his effort to make good on his 2020 campaign promises and to court young voters who may be gravitating away from the party.“It’s going to be very difficult for him to put together a winning coalition without getting the support of voters under 45,” Winograd said. Younger voters’ impatience has grown after the Supreme Court stymied Biden’s earlier student debt relief plan, forcing the president to find a workaround. Although many older Americans are also saddled with student debt, the issue is top of mind for younger voters already anxious about coming of age in a fraught economy. “Younger people who are thinking about going to college — can they afford it? Younger people who are in college — can they afford to stay in college? And then younger people who just graduated — can they find a job in their field and pay back these loans?” said Joshua Ulibarri, a Democratic pollster who focuses on young voters at Lake Research Partners.“Like all Americans, young people, young voters are struggling with the cost of housing, the cost of food, ‘can I stay on my parents’ health care plan?’ And so just the cost of things is the No. 1 issue,” Ulibarri said.
Biden Scrambles To Buy Votes With New Taxpayer-Funded Student Debt Relief Scheme - After American borrowers adjusted their finances amid the mass-suspension of student loan payments during the pandemic (and the scorching inflation that followed), the Biden administration on Monday announced new student loan plans that would give borrowers up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness for balances that have grown due to unpaid interest since entering repayment, regardless of income. The plan is aimed at those with "runaway interest." Those who qualify for the "SAVE IDR" (income-driven repayment) would have the full balance of their unpaid interest forgiven, which would benefit roughly 25 million Americans. What's more, the administration is also looking to provide automatic debt relief for those who qualify under the SAVE plan, Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and similar forgiveness programs which have hit red tape when it comes to relief. Lastly, the plan would give relief to those enrolled in low-financial-value education programs deemed insufficient by the Department of Education, as well as those experiencing hardship in paying back loans and who are at risk of default. "The Biden-Harris Administration plans to release proposed rules on these plans over the coming months. If these plans are finalized as proposed, this fall the Administration would begin canceling up to $20,000 in interest for millions of borrowers and full loan forgiveness for millions more," the administration said in a Monday statement. The administration said the White House estimates more than 30 million Americans would have benefited from loan forgiveness from the plans during the past three years. The administration is also emphasizing how its action will help Black and Latino borrowers and those who went to community college, who are more likely to struggle with student loan debt. -The Hill "These actions are expected to provide significant relief to Black and Latino borrowers, borrowers who attended community college, and borrowers who are financially vulnerable because they took out debt but never had the chance to complete their degree," according to the administration.
'A Big Deal': Progressives Applaud New Biden Plan to Provide Student Debt Relief for Millions Organizers who have tirelessly pushed for student debt cancellation applauded on Monday as President Joe Biden—who years ago dismissed the proposal as "unrealistic"—announced a plan to help tens of millions of Americans burdened with educational debt.Biden announced his new plan at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his previous program, which would have provided relief to 40 million borrowers by canceling up to $20,000 in debt per person.Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director of the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) credited Biden with publicly resolving to find a solution for struggling Americans "only hours after the Supreme Court callously struck down his original debt relief program." The president's new plan would wipe out the entire debt amount held by about 4 million people, give debt relief of at least $5,000 to 10 million borrowers, and reduce the undergraduate and graduate student debt of 23 million people whose interest would be eliminated.The plan would allow millions of young people to "finally get on with their lives instead of their lives being put on hold," said the president.Student debt is "not just a drag on them, it's a drag on our local economies," Biden said in Madison. "When you can't afford to buy a home, start that small business, chase that career that you'd been dreaming about for a long time."Bañez said in addition to bringing "tens of millions of borrowers one step closer to realizing the life-changing impact of student debt cancellation," Biden's announcement "also offers a roadmap for how this administration should deal with a hostile Supreme Court majority captured by right-wing special interests.""Call the high court's bluff by aggressively using the full power of the law and delivering for working people," she said. "For too long, student debt has blocked homeownership, inhibited savings, limited career opportunities and economic mobility, and choked at the promise of entire generations. Taken together, the Biden administration's actions are setting a path to a debt-free, brighter economic future for more than 30 million Americans.""Now, the president must move fast and finish the job," she added.Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said pressure from "borrowers, activists, and progressives in Congress" pushed Biden to develop a new plan after his original program was struck down."Progressives were the earliest and loudest champions of student debt cancellation, and this president is delivering—despite Republican obstruction," she said. "We are proud to continue our partnership with the Biden administration on its implementation of this and other pathways to cancellation."The Biden administration said it expected Republicans to file legal challenges, which could prevent the new provisions from going into effect by the time Americans choose between Biden and former President Donald Trump in November."President Biden will use every tool available to cancel student loan debt for as many borrowers as possible no matter how many Republican officials stand in his way," Karine Jean Pierre, the White House press secretary, told The New York Times.
Justice Department asks GOP to ‘avoid conflict’ following Garland contempt threat - The Justice Department urged House Republicans to “avoid conflict” in a brewing battle after they threatened the possibility of contempt proceedings in their efforts to gain information on special counsel Robert Hur’s probe of President Biden’s handling of classified records. The Monday letter from the Justice Department’s head of legislative affairs asserts the House’s Oversight and Judiciary committees received the information they requested when they asked for transcripts of Hur’s interview with Biden, as well as a recording of the conversation. They likewise asked for some of the classified documents as well as all communications with Biden’s attorneys. “The Committees have received the information you requested. That information may not have substantiated the concerns the Committees articulated, but it does appear to help resolve them and your inquiry,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote to House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). The letter goes on to assert the chairs may have requested the information for “political purposes that should have no role” in determining which law enforcement files are shared. The two chairs have sought to connect Hur’s inquiry to their own impeachment investigation into Biden, a struggling effort that has faced further challenges since the arrest of an FBI informant who accused Biden of taking a bribe as vice president in connection with his son’s work in Ukraine. The informant was accused of fabricating the claim and indicted on charges of making false statements to the bureau. “We are therefore concerned that the Committees are disappointed not because you didn’t receive information, but because you did. We urge the Committees to avoid conflict rather than seek it,” Uriarte wrote. The GOP impeachment leaders nonetheless suggested Biden may have sought to place limitations during his interview on that subject, likewise asking for two documents related to Ukraine, including a call in which he exchanged pleasantries with the country’s former prime minister. Uriarte said the committees “have responded with escalation and threats of criminal contempt” despite the “productions on each of the four subpoena items have met or exceeded the Committees’ stated informational needs.” While the Justice Department has shared the transcript of Biden’s interview with Hur, it did not turn over the prized audio recordings Republicans demanded. “The Biden Administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch. It’s curious the Biden Administration is refusing to release the audio of President Biden’s interview with the Special Counsel after releasing the transcript,” Comer said in a statement. “Why shouldn’t the American people be able to hear the actual audio of his answers? The American people demand transparency from their leaders, not obstruction. The Oversight Committee will continue to work with the Judiciary Committee to obtain the information needed for our investigation of President Biden’s willful retention of classified documents. We will respond to the Justice Department soon.” The letter comes after the two chairs threatened contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland. The back and forth over the recordings suggest the two sides could be headed towards a legal battle over the matter – something that could spur Biden to assert executive privilege and bar its release.
Biden May Not Appear On Ohio Ballot Due To Democratic Convention Timing -- President Biden is in danger of not appearing on Ohio's general election ballot, thanks to the fact that the Democrats' nominating convention is scheduled to take place after the state's candidate certification deadline. The chief legal counsel for Ohio secretary of state Frank La Rose broke that news to Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters via a letter, the Washington Post reports. He noted that Ohio law sets the presidential candidate certification deadline at 90 days before the election -- which this year means Aug. 7. Trouble is, the Democratic national convention in Chicago doesn't start until Aug. 19. The letter offered two varyingly implausible avenues by which Dems could fix the snag:
- Reschedule the national convention so Biden can be nominated before Aug. 7
- Persuade the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature to enact an exception to the law out of the kindness of their hearts, and coax Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to sign it
In 2020, both party conventions were similarly scheduled after the Ohio deadline. Legislators did pass a one-time exception then, but they were incentivized to do so because the GOP also needed relief. This time, it's only the Democrats swinging in the breeze. Given their attempts to block Trump from ballots on flimsy 14th Amendment "insurrectionist" claims, Democrats are in no position to ask for mercy. Republicans aren't the only ones who'd like to tell the Democrats "tough luck." After all, while constantly crowing about saving Our Democracy®, the Dems are engaging in aggressive lawfare to make sure Americans don't have the option to vote for independent and third-party candidates.
Cornel West chooses Black Lives Matter activist Melina Abdullah as his vice president - 0Cornel West tapped university professor and prominent Black Lives Matter activist Melina Abdullah to be his running mate on his long-shot preAbdullah has never run for political office before and is the former chair of the Pan-African Studies Department at California State University, Los Angeles.“I wanted to run with someone who would put a smile on the face of Fannie Lou Hamer and Martin Luther King Jr. from the grave,” West said.He announced his pick on Wednesday’s episode of the Tavis Smiley Radio Show on KBLA radio.West is running as an independent candidate and faces significant challenges in his campaign for the White House. West’s fundraising has lagged behind his opponents, raising less than $1 million since launching his bid last summer.Since getting in the race, West has switched parties twice, leaving the People’s Party and the Green Party to ultimately run as an independent. The switch mandates an expensive and difficult process to get his name on the ballot in 50 states and Washington, DC. Officially choosing his vice president allows him to start collecting petition signatures to get on the ballot in about 20 states.“Both of us want to disrupt the narrative that you have only two choices,” Abdullah said of their ticket. “We can be expansive and imaginative … we enter this really as faithful people who are not more pragmatists than we are faithful.” Through partnerships with existing third parties, West is already on the ballot in three states. But this method was not successful in California, one of the hardest states to gain ballot access, as West lost the Peace and Freedom Party’s primary to the Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate in March.
Jack Smith urges Supreme Court to reject Trump’s ‘novel and sweeping’ immunity claim -- Special counsel Jack Smith urged the Supreme Court on Monday to reject former President Trump’s claims of immunity and prevent the former president from further delaying his federal election subversion case trial in Washington, D.C.In a Monday night filing to the nation’s high court, Smith argued Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution for his actions on Jan. 6 contracts the “bedrock principle” of the United States that no person, including the president, is “above the law.”“The former president’s constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed does not entail a general right to violate them,” Smith wrote.Even if the court determined Trump is entitled to to a level of presidential immunity, Smith argued the former president’s use of official powers “was merely an additional means of achieving a private aim,” and should be able to be prosecuted based on private conduct.“The Framers never endorsed criminal immunity for a former President, and all Presidents from the Founding to the modern era have known that after leaving office they faced potential criminal liability for official acts,” Smith wrote.The former president and his legal team are arguing his actions leading up to and surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection are protected by presidential immunity.Trump asked the Supreme Court justices in February to slam the breaks on his trial but hold off on taking up the immunity claims until he exhausts his appeal options in a lower court. This may have taken weeks, if not months, to reach a conclusion and at Smith’s suggestion, the high court agreed to take up the issue on an expedited schedule.The justices will begin hearing oral arguments on April 25 and the landmark decision is likely to be handed down by the end of June or sooner.The trial for the election subversion case was slated to start early March, but proceedings are currently on hold while the Supreme Court weighs the argument. Several Trump critics have contended his immunity push is another way to delay his trial until after the November election.If Trump — the presumptive GOP nominee for president this cycle — is elected, he could appoint an attorney general who could attempt to have his federal charges, including this case, dropped.
Former top military officers push back on Trump immunity claim -More than a dozen retired four-star generals, admirals and other former military leaders filed an amicus brief with in the Supreme Court on Monday, arguing against former President Trump’s claims of immunity in his criminal cases.The group said Trump’s claims “would threaten the military’s role in American society, our nation’s constitutional order, and our national security,” and would have a “profoundly negative effects on military service members.”The former president’s attorneys have argued that the charges against Trump related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol should be thrown out because he was acting as president at the time. Prosecutors have denounced the idea as a “novel and sweeping” claim.The brief’s signatories include former CIA Director Michael Hayden, retired Adm. Thad Allen and retired Gens. George Casey, Carlton Fulford, Craig McKinley and Charles Krulak.The group argued that granting Trump immunity against the criminal claims could open the door to future executive intervention in the country’s elections and could put national security at risk.“The notion of such immunity, both as a general matter, and also specifically in the context of the potential negation of election results, threatens to jeopardize our nation’s security and international leadership,” the brief reads. “Particularly in times like the present, when anti-democratic, authoritarian regimes are on the rise worldwide, such a threat is intolerable and dangerous.”The group also wrote that if the court agrees with Trump’s argument, it will destroy the relationship between the commander in chief and the military, because the president would not have to follow law, while the military still would.The situation could end up “creating the likelihood that service members will be placed in the impossible position of having to choose between following their Commander-in-Chief and obeying the laws enacted by Congress,” the brief says.
Judge Orders Witness Names To Remain Secret In Trump Classified Docs Case -- The federal judge overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump has ordered that the names of potential witnesses remain secret, marking a victory for special counsel Jack Smith.In a 24-page ruling on Tuesday, Judge Aileen Cannon said potential government witnesses’ names will be redacted in the case involving President Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office in 2021, in line with Mr. Smith’s request, which had cited safety concerns.However, he will still need to justify the redactions of every witness’s identity, the judge ruled.“This evaluation contemplates the balancing of several relevant factors, including the safety of witnesses and third parties; a particular danger of perjury or witness intimidation; the protection of information vital to the national security; and the protection of business enterprises from economic reprisals,” the judge wrote.Judge Cannon also ruled that significant parts of the substantive witness statements to investigators may still be made public, as they do not identify the witnesses or other third parties mentioned.In her ruling, the judge—who was nominated to the bench by President Trump—took aim at Mr. Smith’s “wholesale request” for complete anonymity of the witnesses via full redactions, noting that redacting identifiable information would sufficiently address safety concerns.“Confident that such redactions will address the witness-safety concerns at the center of the Special Counsel’s seal request, the Court exercises its discretion to decline the Special Counsel’s wholesale request to seal non-identifying substantive witness statements, for which no particularized factual or legal support has been presented,” she wrote.
Appeals court rejects Trump’s bid to delay hush money trial over Manhattan venue - A New York appeals court on Monday denied Trump’s bid to put his hush money trial on pause while he argues the case should be tried outside of Manhattan. The decision followed arguments at an emergency hearing where Trump’s lawyers contended deep-blue Manhattan is not an appropriate venue for the controversial Republican former president’s criminal case to be heard. Judge Lizbeth González heard the arguments. Instead, the former president’s lawyers suggested the trial take place on Staten Island — the only New York City borough Trump won in 2016 and 2020. In the meantime, Trump’s trial — scheduled to begin with jury selection April 15 — should be paused, the lawyers argued. It’s slated to be his first criminal trial and the first criminal trial of any former U.S. president. Trump’s lawyers asked González to issue an emergency stay, which would have postponed the trial indefinitely. She declined to do so. The hush money trial has already faced delays due to a last-minute document dump; it was originally scheduled to begin on March 25. Lawyers with the Manhattan district attorney’s office pointed to Judge Juan Merchan’s previous ruling that Trump’s motion to change venues was untimely. They also blamed Trump for any pretrial prejudice for making “countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses, and so on,” according to The Associated Press. Trump’s lawyers are expected to return to the New York appeals court at a later date for arguments over their last-ditch effort to pause the trial while they appeal a gag order imposed by the trial judge. Merchan barred Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judge’s family, but did not preclude him from hurling insults at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) or the judge. The gag order originally did not include the family members of Bragg and Merchan, but the judge expanded it after Trump assailed his daughter, Loren, who works for a progressive political consulting firm. The firm, Authentic, boasts clients including prominent Democrats President Biden, Vice President Harris and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Loren Merchan’s work also forms the basis for an effort by Trump to recuse Merchan from the case. The former president claims Merchan’s daughter has a “direct financial interest” in his case because of her work for his political opponents.
Trump sues NY judge overseeing hush money case in effort to delay trial - Former President Trump sued the New York judge overseeing his hush money case Monday over the gag order he imposed on the former president — an eleventh-hour bid to delay the trial which is scheduled to begin next week. Judge Juan Merchan’s gag order bars Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judge’s family, but doesn’t stop him from hurling insults at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) or the judge himself. The documents were placed under seal, though several outlets have reported that they pertain to the gag order. The Hill requested comment from Trump’s lawyers and his campaign regarding the lawsuit, which essentially functions as an appeal of the gag order. Merchan cited Trump’s “uncontested record” of attacks on those involved in his legal matters in his original order curbing the former president’s speech. He originally refrained from gagging Trump, instead choosing to admonish him, but agreed to do so after Bragg’s office requested it last month. Weeks later, the judge expanded his order to include attacks against his family and Bragg’s family following a series of posts Trump made about the judge’s daughter, who works at a progressive political consulting firm. Merchan’s daughter, Loren, is an executive at the digital agency Authentic, which boasts clients including prominent Democrats President Biden, Vice President Harris and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y). Loren Merchan is also the subject of the former president’s efforts to recuse the judge from the case — an effort he has mounted twice. The most recent bid came Friday, when Trump asked the judge to recuse because his daughter has a “direct financial interest” in the former president’s case, given the firm’s work for his 2024 presidential election opponents. The long-shot lawsuit against Merchan comes just a week before Trump is scheduled to head to trial in his New York criminal case on April 15. The former president faces 34 charges linked to hush money payments made by his ex-fixer to porn actress Stormy Daniels with the aim of covering up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty. A New York appeals judge could preliminarily rule on Trump’s lawsuit against Merchan as soon as Monday, before the matter goes to a full five-judge panel to consider the request.
Fani Willis asks appeals court not to consider Trump disqualification bid Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) asked a Georgia appeals court Monday not to reconsider a trial judge’s ruling allowing her to continue overseeing the election interference case against former President Trump and several allies. Judge Scott McAfee ruled last month that Willis’s previous romance with ex-special prosecutor Nathan Wade created an appearance of conflict. However, he allowed Willis to remain on the case after Wade resigned. “Because the applicants have wholly failed to carry their burden of persuasion, this Court should decline interlocutory review,” Willis’s office told the Georgia Court of Appeals. Willis charged Trump and more than a dozen allies with attempting to subvert Georgia’s 2020 election results last summer. Trump has pleaded not guilty. But the case took a weeks-long detour after Trump co-defendant Michael Roman surfaced evidence of a romance between Willis and Wade, who was leading the prosecution of the former president. During a fiery hearing on the matter, Willis and Wade both took the witness stand to defend their reputations, confirming their romance but insisting it began after Wade was hired to the case — not before, as defense attorneys contended. Two defense witnesses said the pair began seeing each other romantically after a 2019 judicial conference they both attended, but the prosecutors said their relationship at that time was only a mentor-like friendship. McAfee found evidence of an apparent conflict of interest after the blockbuster hearings, but he did not find an actual conflict of interest. “There is simply no trial court error to be found in the decision to deny disqualification,” Willis’s office wrote Monday. “Days of evidence and testimony failed to disclose anything like a calculated pre-trial plan designed to prejudice the defendants or secure their convictions. The applicants have not identified any public statement injecting the District Attorney’s personal belief as to the defendants’ guilt or appealing to the public weighing of evidence.” However, Trump and his co-defendants assert the romance — and other actions by Willis — amount to more. After McAfee greenlighted their appeal, the defendants filed an application with the state appeals court urging it to take up the case. Trump attorney Steve Sadow has specifically pointed to a church speech Willis gave suggesting that the criticism Wade faced stemmed from being the only Black special prosecutor she hired — a contention Sadow has portrayed as an attempt to “foment racial animus” against Trump and his co-defendants to take focus off of Willis’s romance.
'Brazil's Darth Vader' Orders Investigation Into Elon Musk After Defying X Court Order -- Brazil's activist Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered an investigation into Elon Musk, after the billionaire vowed to defy a court order as part of an ongoing probe into social media accounts allegedly spreading misinformation and 'hate' speech."The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil," wrote de Moraes - who Musk called "Brazil's Darth Vader" over the weekend. While X initially said in a Saturday post that they would comply, blocking certain popular accounts in Brazil - Musk said an hour later, after the release of the "TWITTER FILES BRAZIL," that they would not, noting that "As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there."in a Sunday post, Musk said that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had "brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil," and should "resign or be impeached."De Moraes said that as part of his decision to open an inquiry, that "X shall refrain from disobeying any court order already issued, including performing any profile reactivation that has been blocked by this Supreme Court," Reuters reports.The justice said that Musk would face a fine that equates to approximately $20,000 each time an account is reactivated on X.
Majority of US voters hold unfavorable views of Bezos, Zuckerberg: Poll - A majority of U.S. voters hold unfavorable views of Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, according to a new survey from The Tech Oversight Project. Sixty-five percent of registered voters said they have a somewhat or very unfavorable opinion of Zuckerberg, who runs the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Another 59 percent said the same of Bezos, the survey found. Slightly less than half — 45 percent — said they have an unfavorable opinion of Google CEOSundar Pichai, while 44 percent said they hold negative views of Apple CEO Tim Cook. “As Americans continue to see the dangerous effects of social media platforms on youth, the creation of AI scams and harmful algorithms, and tech companies undermining national security by catering to China and Russia, it should come as no surprise that the American people do not have faith in the status quo of our digital lives,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project, a nonprofit that seeks to hold Big Tech accountable. Several CEOs of major tech companies were hauled before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year to discuss children’s safety online, where they were grilled by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle for nearly four hours. Zuckerberg, who appeared alongside the CEOs of TikTok, Snap, Discord and the social platform X at the January hearing, faced the brunt of the criticism, with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) accusing him of running a product that is “killing people.”The survey was conducted by Public Policy Polling with 568 registered voters on March 26 and 27 and had a margin of error 4 percentage points.
AI-generated Elon Musk videos flood YouTube with fake eclipse streams to promote crypto scams - It's April 8, 2024 and all anyone can talk about is today's solar eclipse. News articles, social media posts, and viral photos and videos are spreading all over the internet. Go over to YouTube and numerous solar eclipse live streams are racking up hundreds of thousands of concurrent views. However, some of the most popular livestreams aren't what they seem. YouTube is being flooded with fake livestreams from imposter SpaceX channels featuring an AI-generated Elon Musk speech. The purpose of these fake livestreams? To steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting targets. Mashable first became aware of these streams thanks to a tip from the iOS developer and research group Mysk. Each stream follows the same pattern. The stream plays a pre-recorded video of Elon Musk beside a SpaceX sign talking in front of a crowd on loop. However, the video features a fake AI-generated Musk voice telling viewers about a supposed cryptocurrency investment opportunity promising doubles on investments. Embedded over the video is a QR code which says "Eclipse of 2024 - Change your life" and a call-to-action to scan the code. The code takes users to a website where they can "invest" their crypto, whether it be Bitcoin or Ether or another popular cryptocurrency, right there on the site. Sometimes these live streams even feature a fake Elon Musk account posting in the live chat, informing the viewer of all the alleged investment they are receiving. The fake Musk spams links into the chat, supposedly showing users where they can invest too. "2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of SpaceX" reads the title of one of the fake SpaceX livestreams. The stream at one point had over 210,000 concurrent views. "Live: Solar Eclipse Spectacular 2024 of SpaceX" reads the title of another livestream, which has been attracting tens of thousands of views at any given time. At one point, that stream hit nearly 100,000 concurrent views. Many of these streams have been live for hours and appear on YouTube channels that have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Fake SpaceX and Elon Musk videos are nothing new on YouTube and their prevalence must mean that they are proving to be lucrative to scammers. In fact, a few years ago, Steve Wozniak sued YouTube over the proliferation of similar videos featuring impersonations of the Apple co-founder in order to promote Bitcoin scams.
Prosecutors Drop Australian Mining Billionaire’s Charges Against Meta Over Scam Crypto Ads On Facebook - Australian minerals billionaire Andrew Forrest faced a major setback in a legal fight against Meta on Friday after government prosecutors dropped his criminal case against the social media giant over scam cryptocurrency ads he said featured his face, amid ongoing concerns tech companies are failing to do enough to combat the dubious schemes that still plague their platforms. Andrew Forrest brought a criminal case against Meta for crypto Facebook ads bearing his likeness and ... [+]
- Chief Judge Julie Wager of the Western Australia District Court on Friday accepted a submission from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) to discontinue three criminal charges Forrest had brought against Meta.
- Forrest, often known by the nickname “Twiggy,” accused the social media giant of breaking Australia’s money laundering laws for failing to act against scam cryptocurrency ads using his name and likeness on Facebook.
- Private prosecutions are rare in Australia—criminal prosecutions are normally led by the state—and typically restricted to lower courts, with serious charges like those leveled by Forrest needing to be heard in a higher court and prosecuted by the CDPP.
- A CDPP spokesperson did not provide details on why the case had been discontinued but told Reuters there was insufficient evidence to continue the case.
- Forrest said the incident “shows that Facebook is beyond the laws of Australia,” the Guardian reported, adding “that scams will continue to run rampant with no recourse for those who are duped by increasingly sophisticated technology on social media platforms that take no responsibility.”
- A Meta spokesperson told Reuters scams were a complicated matter that affect every platform and that company’s “sympathy goes out to people who have been impacted” by the crypto scheme, adding: “Meta doesn't want scams on its platforms and we will continue to work tirelessly to prevent them and protect our users.”
Forrest has vowed to continue his fight and campaign for legal reform to allow action to be taken against foreign-owned social media platforms like Facebook. He accused Facebook of doing “nothing about this fraudulent advertising” that is “hurting the innocent.” He said “politicians must take responsibility on behalf of ordinary mums and dads” who have lost their savings to such scams. A separate civil lawsuit Forrest has filed against Meta over the ads is ongoing in California.
50% of Solana's Recent Token Launches Revealed as Malicious Scams: Report -- Meme coin explosion on Solana has attracted malicous entities to launch fradulent projects. Despite network outages, Solana has witnessed a flurry of projects launched on top of its blockchain. Such a trend typically depicts a growing demand. But the latest report paints a different picture. These fraudsters were found to be capitalizing on users’ heightened risk appetite, fueled by FOMO amidst a market-wide resurgence.
- In a report shared with CryptoPotato, blockchain security company Blockaid revealed that 50% of recent pre-sale token launches on Solana have been malicious. The strategies employed by fraudsters within the popular Layer 1 ecosystem closely resemble those observed in other cryptocurrency platforms.
- This includes leveraging social engineering platforms such as Telegram, Twitter, and Discord to trick users into engaging with malicious addresses or websites.
- The ongoing meme coin frenzy as well as the potential for quick profits amidst market volatility further exacerbated the vulnerability of inexperienced and novice users to these scams.
- “Scammers capitalize on the excitement surrounding meme coins to lure investors, exploiting fear of missing out (FOMO) and the promise of lucrative returns.”
Ripple's proposed $2 billion fine would close ugly chapter - A final ruling expected in the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against Ripple this spring could provide some clarity to the murky underworld of altcoins. The SEC in late March asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District Court of New York to order Ripple to comply with federal securities laws and pay a $1.9 billion fine to the SEC. According to the court, Ripple is expected to file an opposition brief on April 22 and the SEC would reply on May 6. The court says it will issue a final ruling on remedies sometime after that. Ripple declined a request for comment, but pointed to a recent tweet posted by CEO Brad Garlinghouse: "Gensler's SEC has repeatedly acted outside the law — not going unnoticed by Judges admonishing the agency for a 'gross abuse of the power entrusted to it by Congress' (DEBT Box case) and for acting without 'faithful allegiance to the law' (Ripple case). Let's not also forget Gensler's lack of attention to SBFraud." The final judgment could help define a product that initially piqued the interest of many in the U.S. financial services industry but later raised alarms.For more than a decade, Ripple has used proceeds from the sales of more than 14.6 billion XRP tokens worth more than $1.38 billion dollars, "to fund Ripple's operations and enrich [original founder Chris] Larsen and Garlinghouse," in an unregistered securities offering, the SEC said in its complaint. Larsen and Garlinghouse "personally profited by approximately $600 million from their unregistered sales of XRP." When I met several years ago with Ripple leaders, and then spoke with a London bank executive who was planning to start using XRP in international payments, I was taken with Ripple's vision for making cross-border payments more efficient. At that time, most international payments moved through the Swift network. If a U.S. bank wanted to send a payment to another country, it had to keep money in the form of local currency on deposit in a nostro account at a Swift member correspondent bank in that country. The funds in that account were used to settle the payment at the direction of a message sent over the Swift network. When a bank did not have a direct relationship with a bank in another country, it used correspondent banks as intermediaries. Payments sometimes took months to get to their destination and were expensive and hard to track. (Since then, Swift has implemented technology that speeds up and tracks payments.)Using Ripple's technology, theoretically, banks could send payments by exchanging XRP on a ledger. The payments would be instant and low-cost and eliminate the need for nostro accounts.Some banks embraced this vision. The capital markets division of Royal Bank of Canada, a former Ripple partner, enthusiastically endorsed Ripple and XRP in a 2018 report called "Imagine 2025." ATB Financial in Edmonton started piloting Ripple software for cross-border payments in 2016. PNC agreed to use Ripple's RippleNet distributed ledger to process international payments in 2018. In recent years, these banks have refused to comment on Ripple or on XRP.The more I looked into what XRP was, and understood its origins, the more I saw XRP as a scheme that enriched a few Ripple founders and leaders — and the company itself — at the expense of all who had bought the token.
Brooklyn DA exposes 'pig butchering' cryptocurrency scam- The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, led by Eric Gonzalez, has dismantled a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam that duped individuals across the U.S. out of millions.The so-called “pig butchering” scheme revolved around a deceptive practice where scammers befriended unsuspecting victims online, and steered them toward investing in cryptocurrencies through fraudulent websites and apps. Afterward, they ultimately blocked them from withdrawing their funds, resulting in total losses of their investments.Gonzalez expressed concern over the growing prevalence of such scams, which he described as defrauding residents beyond the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Losses from similar schemes reach billions annually.He also stressed the importance of public awareness and education as vital defenses against such pervasive scams, urging skepticism towards overly enticing investment opportunities in crypto. The investigation, led by the Virtual Currency Unit within the DA’s office, stemmed from numerous complaints received by the office, including a case involving a 51-year-old woman who reported a loss of $22,680 after falling victim to a similar scam in March 2023. She was enticed to invest through chat groups discussing crypto investments, leading to significant deposits and false promises of high returns. However, when attempting to withdraw her funds, she encountered obstacles and ultimately lost her entire investment. “Investment returns that seem too good to be true are almost always just that – fake,” Gonzalez said. “So, I urge everyone to be very skeptical of anyone who they haven’t met in person and who offers a lucrative investment opportunity in cryptocurrency.”A detailed analysis of crypto transactions revealed the complexity of the scheme. Gonzalez’s team uncovered a network of domains and servers associated with the fraudulent operation.The investigation also identified multiple victims from different states, highlighting the far-reaching impact of such scams.Furthermore, investigators unearthed a network of over 80 domains associated with the scam, with a website known as coinformat.com at its epicenter. Through forensic analysis, the DA’s office identified malicious mobile apps linked to the scam, capable of secretly extracting sensitive user information.Additionally, the DA highlighted the international nature of these crypto fraudschemes, often facilitated by human trafficking victims in Southeast Asia, stating it poses challenges for localized prosecution and asset recovery efforts.To combat such scams, Gonzalez’s office seized coinformat.com and 20 related domains, along with three virtual servers hosting these deceptive sites.The office also initiated a comprehensive public awareness campaign, especially targeting vulnerable communities like the Chinese and Russian populations in Brooklyn, to educate residents about the warning signs and preventive measures against crypto scams.Gonzalez cautioned against red flags indicative of potential crypto scams, such as unsolicited texts promoting lucrative investments, invitations to join investment groups on messaging platforms, and coercive tactics to download unverified investment apps.He also advised individuals to research and verify the legitimacy of companies, avoid sharing personal information, and refrain from making investments based solely on online recommendations.
NYC dating app users swindled out of $100K in 'pig butchering' phony crypto scam - Two Brooklyn women thought they’d found love connections but ended up matched up with a crew of cryptocurrency scammers who bilked them out of $100,000 each, officials said Thursday.The women were wooed and talked into investing using phony crypto apps where thought they were rolling in dough — until they tried to withdraw their cash and ended up with empty accounts and broken hearts, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced.“He was using actual financial terms, and he sounded legit,” a victim identified only as E said of the scammer she met on the dating app Hinge in a video shared by the DA office. “The painful reality is he bled me out of money, it was over $106,000, which is a significant amount of money,” E, 41, added. “To just see that go away in seconds and not be able to get it back is gut-wrenching. It’s so painful.”Brooklyn prosecutors shared the horror stories as it announced busts in a “pig butchering” scheme that saw victims scammed out of more than $4 million, with officials shutting down nearly two dozen web domains in the network.“Pig butchering” gets its name from the concept of fattening a pig prior to its slaughtering and goes well beyond dating apps, with scammers building trust with victims through social media before referring them to invest through programs that show tremendous returns.E’s scammer even coached her on what to say to Bank of America representatives when they flagged her account for making same-day wire transactions, she said.“You don’t know what to trust anymore after you’ve been fooled so easily with this digital technology,” she said, adding, “And I even work in digital technology.”Another victim, H, a 41-year-old from South Brooklyn, matched with a scammer on the dating app Bumble and said that she was trying to buy the house she once shared with her ex-husband.“From that conversation, he told me, ‘Oh I have this crypto thing, you should put some money in it. I was hesitant at first,” she said, later taking out money, a personal loan and her pension to invest in the bogus cryptocurrency. In total she lost some $118,000.
Ransomware attacks are the canaries in the cyber coal mine - The hotel and entertainment company MGM was the target of a massive ransomware attack last September that disrupted operations for days and reportedly cost it $100 million in revenues. In February, the payments processing operations of UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare were affected by a ransomware group, costing an estimated $1 billion per day. The increasing frequency of cyberattacks should be five-alarm warning for businesses and governments, which have squandered the last 25 years hopelessly tethered to a remarkably insecure internet. Hackers seem to have figured out what America’s executives and policymakers have been slow to conclude: data-transmission pipelines are not only ransomware gold, they are also easy pickings. In 2021, there were reportedly 623.3 million ransomware attacks and another 236.1 million in the first half of 2022 accounting for approximately 20 percent of all global cybercrime. Even before the wide-scale use of ransomware, we seem to have been defenseless against Russian and North Korean interests that launched digital viruses and malware such as WannaCry ($4 billion in damages), NotPetya ($10 billion in damages) and Sodinokibi ($200 million in damages) that could immobilize commerce, extort money and bring some aspects of modern life to a halt. And the increasing availability of relatively cheap cyber technologies that can be used as online weapons is rapidly changing the balance of power, allowing nations like North Korea to punch above their weight in cyberspace.Ransomware is not new. It is the modern-day mutation of a very old extortion racket. Executives of Italy’s major corporations were routinely kidnapped for over three decades until 1991, when a law was enacted permitting the government to freeze the assets of the families of victims so that they could not pay the ransom. That may have seemed harsh, but it worked. Data kidnapping began around that time, when a Harvard-taught evolutionary biologist namedJoseph Popp allegedly sent floppy disks to addresses all over the world that locked up computers unless the user sent him money.Old-world solutions have been tried in response to these new-world problems. Ransomware insurance, for example, reimburses companies for payments made to unlock their data. But this is precisely the wrong way to eliminate a business built upon the extortion of money, telling cybercriminals that there will be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Making the payment of ransomware illegal would, as in Italy, undercut the reason to engage in the business. But that would make it imperative that organizations isolate their data in secure, reliable and immediately available backup systems — an aspirational goal at best. Not much will change until policymakers decide to reconfigure the internet and control the financial lubrication that allows crimes like ransomware to work: cryptocurrencies.Digital pipelines and networks must be reconfigured into ecosystems with real authentication, governance and a police force that everyone knows how to reach. Both machine intelligence and human common sense must also work together to limit the impact of the mistakes people make that lead to network penetrations.Dealing with cryptocurrencies should be easier. After all, to date, their highest and best use has been to facilitate reprehensible online crimes, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material and the financing of human trafficking and terrorism. But until cryptocurrencies are registered and regulated and issuers are forced to submit to the jurisdiction of any country where they are available, ransomware will proliferate and lead to even bigger and more damaging online crimes. Congress should ask itself how — despite the collapse of crypto values in 2021, the dramatic fall of FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried and the criminal admissions by Binance — random computer codes with no intrinsic value created by people we can’t even find and moderated by mysterious coders around the world can continue to grow. And the one thing any money or investment covets — backing by a government or central bank — cryptocurrencies despise.
Great unknown: How much energy crypto mining uses - The exact amount of electricity used to mine cryptocurrency in the U.S. is a mystery.The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that computers “mining” digital currencies like bitcoin — by solving complex puzzles around the clock — eat roughly 0.6 to 2.3 percent of the nation’s power. But an ongoing lawsuit has stopped the Energy Department agency from collecting more detailed information, writes Jason Plautz.Without exact figures, the nation’s power providers cannot assess how the rapidly growing crypto industry will affect the electric grid in the future.That could pose a major problem for grid operators as the nation’s demand for energy increases in the coming years. The EIA estimates that demand could shoot up 15 percent by midcentury — numbers that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said “literally” keep her up at night. Predicting the crypto industry’s demand for power is distinctly complex because the amount of electricity miners need in any given moment is determined by the price of their product — not by the weather or population growth, which are factors utilities are accustomed to navigating. That variability has led lawmakers and energy sector officials to call for more transparency into crypto mining’s energy use. Last year, eight Democratic lawmakers implored the Biden administration to issue a mandatory disclosure regime for the industry. In January, EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis issued an emergency order requesting that 82 companies report the electricity used at their 150 mining facilities along with which sources of power they rely on. DeCarolis said the industry’s rapid growth and existing strain on the grid has created “heightened uncertainty” for power markets. That means there may not be enough power available to meet moments of high demand, leading to blackouts. But the industry protested. The nonprofit Texas Blockchain Council and mining company Riot Platforms filed a lawsuit accusing the EIA had not properly seeking public comment. And the groups said EIA’s “legally defective survey” would pose a risk to their operations.EIA agreed to withdraw its emergency survey and committed to seeking public comment before launching a new one. But the agency told Jason last month there is no update on timing.
The banking and crypto markets may be more symbiotic than you think The promise of crypto is to democratize financial services that are otherwise captured by brick-and-mortar banking or classes of products that require money to make money. The promise ofblockchains is a third generation of the internet, what can be referred to as Web3, which enables people to read, write and own digitally scarce content and assets. Crypto proponents would argue that this amounts to nothing short of an anti-establishment revolution allowing people to opt out of the traditional political economy and opt in to technology-powered economic self-sovereignty. As the market losses and enforcement actions of the last two years have shown, the durable parts of crypto (no more monolithic than banking) may be more evolutionary in financial services than revolutionary. This is a good thing for markets and the players who wish to disrupt financial services with novel technologies.Taking a long view on evolutionary innovations in banking is telling. For example, far from a world of always-on financial services, banks have had to undergo profound business model innovations that both extended their reach, while lowering the cost of being a bank — a segment of the economy that enjoys a necessary public backstop, thus imposing conservative prudential and risk management standards. As the economy shifted over the last 100 years, consumers demanded access to their money beyond 9-to-5 banking hours — with a number of bank holidays in between. Arguably the blend of labor laws, efficiency and cost reductions of moving from a human teller to the automated teller machine, which was invented in the late 1960s, is an example of evolution rather than revolution.As ATMs proliferated, the ability of banks to meet their increasingly dynamic customers where they were — whether at a gas station, traveling overseas or at odd hours of the day — the ATM represented a breakthrough. The breakthrough is in evolving the physics of banking and money, while still abiding by a rules-based economy. The next extension of this model saw the rise of e-commerce force banks to face a potential adapt-or-die moment, as growth of internet-scale economic activity triggered a wave of fraud metastasizing into today's virulent version of cybercrime. Banks and financial services firms faced a stark choice: Absorb fraud risks giving customers a zero-liability proposition, or miss a permanent transition in the economy to an internet-borne services sector and the rise of globalization.Evolution, not revolution, followed, and while the number of banks in the U.S. began to decline from more than 14,000 in the 1930s to around 4,100 today, banking did not die, it evolved. This evolution required the approximation of an always-on, more open banking environment powered by the internet as a part of the technology foundation that would not only power the economy, but would also power banking. Insidiously, not all banks, even the survivors, can keep up with the digital transformation and cybersecurity arms race, and the failure of any one bank erodes confidence in banking. Today, it is not only normal in banking to have internet-based account access, the ability to execute wires, move money across accounts, check balances or request a loan, among other integrated services, it is the basis of survival.Despite many banks keeping pace with evolution in internet banking, much of the core of banking remains unchanged. Even at the most well-endowed technology-powered bank, executing a wire transfer is still analogous to the era of fixed-line telephony. The longer a call traveled over fixed infrastructure, the higher the costs. In banking, the faster a customer needs a payment, in no small measure because speed in today's banking system requires people and overhead, the higher the cost. These activities are further encumbered by technologies that are either antiquated or proprietary, which conspires to produce a veritable walled garden in financial services. This walled garden exacts the highest costs from the people who can afford it the least, for even basic financial services. As an example of legacy technology debt, the ACH, Swift and other interbank payment networks were first born in the 1970s. As an example of proprietary, most of these networks and even their public alternatives such as FedNow, which was launched with a pilot group in July 2023, are still proposing closed value transfer networks.
It's time to rationalize the disparate regulatory treatment of crypto -Easing inflation, a pause in interest rate hikes and a brief U.S. banking crisis have driven bitcoin prices to a record high, as investors see the digital currency as a safe haven.New forms of digital money, such as fiat-backed stablecoins, central bank digital currencies and decentralized finance, or DeFi, could transform payments and financial services and improve efficiency in digitally native environments, such as the metaverse, without the costs of switching between digital and traditional financial activities.Large banks are looking to use blockchain technology to tokenize deposits to support payments and tokenize real-world assets for clearing and settling transactions. While blockchain improves security, increases regulatory transparency and reduces concentration risk, it also brings new risks and mostly remains unregulated.The volatility and recent failures in crypto exchanges, and among lenders and other digital-asset firms, jeopardize crypto's standing as a safe haven, show the fragility of the digital asset ecosystem and make the case for a tougher and unified regulatory approach.Despite its game-changing potential, crypto adoption has remained relatively low. Only 42% of institutional respondents to the 2023 ISG State of the Banking Industry Study said CBDC and digital assets will be a top priority over the next two years. Survey respondents ranked "enabling digital asset services" 13th out of 20 opportunities over the next two years, and "enabling digital currency transactions" 17th out of 20.It's clear that the high potential for fraud and the lack of regulations have hampered bank investments. Consumers are also wary of digital assets' unsavory reputation and investor losses from high-profile collapses such as FTX, Celsius and Silicon Valley Bank.There is an increasing view that crypto and digital assets must be subject to the same rules and regulatory compliance frameworks as traditional financial assets. Public/private collaboration among traditional financial firms, digital asset natives, virtual asset service providers, or VASPs, and regulators can help achieve better standards in regulating digital assets without inhibiting innovation.Traditional banks need to evaluate the best approach to the digital asset ecosystem, perform due diligence on third-party vendors, implement an overarching digital asset strategy and integrate digital asset activities into their risk and compliance frameworks. This requires additional investments in people, processes and technology as well as adequate controls to protect consumers, operate safely and mitigate risks, including credit, market, liquidity, concentration, compliance, operational/cyber, technology and legal/regulatory challenges. . Regulatory sandboxes allow innovators and regulators to work toward responsible innovation and consumer protection by enabling digital asset products, services, solutions and business models to be tested before a full-scale launch. Responsible innovation, combined with technology, robust guardrails and proactive risk management and governance, has the potential to alleviate the frictions and inefficiencies in the digital asset landscape, so it seems worth the time and effort to achieve.The global nature of digital assets requires coordination, but countries are taking wildly varied approaches, ranging from China's attempts at a total ban to the United Arab Emirates' partial ban on certain activities such as issuance of new stablecoins.Furthering the patchwork approach, banks in some countries have imposed restrictions on certain activities or blocked crypto transactions. For instance, providers in the U.K. are prohibited from offering crypto-derivative products to retail investors. U.K. lenders including Chase, Santander, NatWest, HSBC, Barclays and Nationwide have restricted transactions with crypto exchanges or imposed limits on payments to crypto exchanges, citing an uptick in fraud, scams and volatility.In June 2023, the European Union adopted the Markets in Crypto-Assets, or MiCA, regulation, a cross-jurisdictional regulatory and licensing framework for crypto assets across all member states. It aims to curb market abuse and will require service providers like crypto exchanges to comply with rules such as AML, market manipulation and insider trading, and make them liable in the event of loss of investors' assets. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed extending custody rules to crypto assets to ensure investors are protected in case of a business failure.Global regulatory coordination and cooperation will help financial institutions navigate digital assets' opportunities and risks effectively and will promote strategic consistency. For example, it would be helpful if the Financial Stability Board's recommendations for the regulation, supervision and oversight of crypto-asset activities and markets, as well as global stablecoin arrangements, were adopted and enforced in non-FSB jurisdictions.
Fintech partner banks facing 'volatile mix' of supervisory scrutiny - Federal regulators have taken a sharper look at bank partnerships with financial technology firms in recent months, a shift that has resulted in a surge in publicly disclosed enforcement activity.Through the first quarter of the year, actions against fintech partner banks have accounted for 35% of publicized enforcement measures from the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller, according to the consultancy Klaros Group. This is an uptick from 26% during the previous quarter, and 10% from the first quarter of 2023. The jump in enforcement actions against firms engaging in so-called banking-as-a-service, or BaaS, business models corresponds with the adoption of a new joint guidance from the Fed, FDIC and OCC for evaluating third-party risks, which was codified last June. The following quarter, the share of fintech partner bank enforcement actions doubled from 9% to 18%, according to Klaros. The uptick in BaaS-related enforcement comes amid a doubling of total enforcement actions against banks over the same period. "It's undeniable that there's more enforcement activity happening related to BaaS,". "You are seeing the fruits of the enhanced supervisory posture towards that space."The question moving forward is whether this recent string of activity is a momentary adjustment as agencies ensure their expectations are taken into account, or a permanent shift in regulators' attitude toward BaaS models. Along with crafting new expectations for fintech partnerships, Washington regulators are also putting together specialized supervision teams to explore these activities more comprehensively. Last year, the OCC launched an Office of Financial Technology to "adapt to a rapidly changing banking landscape," and the Fed established a similar group called the Novel Activities Supervision Program, which tracks fintech partnerships, engagement with crypto assets and other emerging strategies in banking.These fintech-specific developments come at a time when the agencies are changing their approach to supervision across the board with an eye toward escalating issues identified in banks more quickly and more forcefully. The effort is being undertaken in response to last year's failure of Silicon Valley Bank, which had numerous unaddressed citations — known as matters requiring attention — at the time of its collapse.
CFPB warns banks of video games' money laundering, fraud risks --The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report last week on the inadequacies in consumer protections that video game makers provide to players, particularly against scams and account theft. The bureau also warned about data collection practices it says publishers can use to "take advantage of players' proclivities to entice more spending."In the report, the bureau cited a 2019 paper that analyzed 13 patents about in-game purchases; the paper found the systems studied "optimize offers to incentivize continuous spending," potentially exploiting vulnerable players such as adolescents and problem gamers — without the promise of refund entitlements.Video games represent a large sector of the U.S. economy; American consumers spent nearly $57 billion on gaming in 2023, including on hardware, software and in-game transactions such as converting dollars to virtual currencies or other gaming assets, according to the bureau's report.The video game economy includes companies that are not game publishers, encompassing many large tech companies, as well. For example, according to a 2021 court ruling in a case between Apple and game publisher Epic Games, 70% of the revenue Apple collects from its app store comes from gaming apps. The court added that this 70% of revenue is generated by less than 10% of app store users."As more banking and payments activity takes place in video games and virtual worlds, the [bureau] is looking at ways to protect consumers from fraud and scams," said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a press release on the bureau's gaming report.Chopra added in a statement that the report focuses on the potential harms related to gaming for children and other vulnerable populations, including "how these worlds can become a haven for scams, fraud, financial losses and unanticipated purchases that can deplete a family's real-world financial assets."The report documents the various ways in which value is stored and transferred in games — including to and from fiat currency. In cases where games do not allow players to convert from in-game value into fiat currency, third-party systems are sometimes available to act as a bridge.
Capital reform could 'deviate' from Basel agreement: Fed's Bowman - Bank regulators need not adhere strictly to internationally agreed-upon standards as they rethink their controversial capital reform package from last year, one Federal Reserve official says.During a forum hosted by the French bank BNP Paribas on Wednesday, Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman said the U.S. central bank — along with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency — should be willing to "deviate" from the risk capital rules laid out by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision as they adjust their so-called Basel III endgame proposal.Bowman noted that the Fed's regulatory counterparts, such as the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, have adjusted their Basel-related policies to suit the risks and activities in their banking sectors. "Just like in the U.K. and in the EU, the U.S. proposal may need to deviate from the Basel standards to address unique characteristics of the U.S. banking system," she said, "which is entirely appropriate based on these differences."Bowman's comments come as the Fed, FDIC and OCC consider a rash of broadly negative comments about the capital reforms they proposed last summer, which would implement policy changes called for by the Basel Committee in 2017The Basel Committee was formed with the goal of creating a more uniform set of standards for the regulation of big banks around the world. At the time, some jurisdictions, such as Japan, were significantly less stringent in their oversight of risks in their banking sectors. But, policies agreed upon by the committee are nonbinding and subject to national discretion from the participating countries. The European Union and United Kingdom have used this discretion to adjust their implementations of the most recent Basel framework. The Bank of England, for example, has adjusted its calculation of operational risks to exclude past operational losses, whereas the U.S. proposal uses prior losses to multiply the amount of capital associated with certain risks.The ECB and Bank of England project that their Basel III endgame implementations would come with significantly lighter new capital requirements for their largest banks than in the United States, with the European agencies projecting increases of 10% and 3.2%, respectively. U.S. regulators, meanwhile, expected their framework to drive up capital requirements by more than 16% for the biggest American banks.
FDIC's Gruenberg: We have a strategy to fail a 'too big to fail' bank - — Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg on Wednesday outlined how the agency would resolve a "too big to fail" bank if one of them were to collapse. The topic has taken on new importance after the falls last year of First Republic Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Though they were regional banks and not among the very largest domestic banks, their failures, respectively, were the second-, third- and fourth-largest in U.S. history. The Dodd-Frank Act, created in response to the 2008 financial crisis, granted the FDIC "dramatically expanded authorities" to resolve one of the United States' largest banks, otherwise known as a global systemically important bank, or GSIB. "A U.S. GSIB failure will be extraordinarily challenging under any circumstances," Gruenberg said. "Needless to say, we have yet to execute an orderly resolution of a U.S. GSIB. And look, until we do so successfully, there will be questions as to whether it can be done." The FDIC, alongside Gruenberg's speech, released a 50-page overview of its planned response to the failure of one of these "too big to fail" institutions. Gruenberg said that the approach in the paper is far more preferable to the alternatives such as "resorting to taxpayer support to prop up a failed institution or to bail out investors or creditors." "With this paper the FDIC is reaffirming that, should the need arise, we are prepared to apply the resolution framework that the FDIC and many other regulatory authorities in the U.S. and globally have worked so hard to develop," he said. Gruenberg said that his agency's outline is "particularly timely" in light of Swiss authorities' decision last year to not place Credit Suisse in a resolution process that they had developed post 2008. Instead they chose to facilitate an open-institution acquisition of the troubled bank. "This was done despite the view, as detailed in [a Financial Stability Board] report released last year, that the cross-border resolution framework was sound and that a resolution was ready to be implemented by the Swiss authorities," he said. The FDIC favors what's called a "single point of entry," or SPOE, resolution strategy, Gruenberg said. In an SPOE resolution, the FDIC places just one legal entity, the parent holding company, into resolution. The ownership interests in the underlying subsidiaries would be transferred from the failed parent company to a new bridge company, which is under the control of the agency. This strategy, Gruenberg said, would allow those subsidiaries to remain open, limiting cascading damage to the financial system. "This protects depositors, preserves value, and promotes financial stability," he said. "In an SPOE resolution, the failed holding company's shareholders and unsecured creditors are not transferred to the bridge financial company, become claimants against the receivership, and will ultimately absorb the losses of the firm. There would be no taxpayer support, and the board and senior executives of the failed firm would be removed." In order to resolve a GSIB, the FDIC would need the buy-in of other regulators, typically the Federal Reserve in the case of one of the largest banks. The FDIC would also need the Treasury secretary to agree on an orderly liquidation plan for the agency to access the Orderly Liquidation Fund, or OLF, giving the FDIC a temporary backstop source of liquidity.
Fed approves $1.3 billion merger of two New Jersey banks -Federal regulators signed off on the $1.3 billion merger of two New Jersey-based banks on Thursday.The Federal Reserve Board approved Jersey City-based Provident Financial Services' all-stock acquisition of Oak Ridge-based Lakeland Bancorp. The deal was first struck in September 2022and submitted for regulatory approval that November.Both banks are supervised by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Because they both have bank holding companies, they are also supervised by the Fed.The merger was approved despite fair lending concerns raised from public commenters about Lakeland. Shortly after the merger was announced, the bank acknowledged that it was being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over redlining practices in and around Newark between 2015 and 2021. As part of a consent order with the DOJ, the bank agreed to make significant financial contributions and investments in Essex, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union counties in New Jersey. These include $12 million of mortgage subsidies to borrowers from minority-majority census tracts over a five year period, $400,000 toward community development projects and $150,000 per year for five years toward community outreach and education.The Fed received two letters flagging the bank's discriminatory lending practice, one of which objected to the merger outright while the other said it should be conditioned on Lakeland's adherence to the DOJ consent order.During its evaluation, the Fed determined that the consent order was binding on its own. It also noted Lakeland had made progress toward satisfying its obligations under the consent order and that Provident had the proper controls in place to see those commitments through.
New twists in suit over CFPB's $8 late fee favor credit card industry -- The topsy-turvy litigation involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $8 credit card late fee rule is now squarely in the hands of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is widely expected to side with business groups that are fighting over $10 billion in annual revenue.A federal judge in Texas had ordered the lawsuit be moved to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week. But on Wednesday, a judge in that district terminated the case without prejudice."This order should not be read to express any view on the transfer question, which has not been presented to this Court to decide," U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote. With the D.C. Circuit no longer involved, many legal experts think the credit card industry will prevail in getting an emergency stay to stop the $8 late fee rule from taking effect on May 14."The 5th Circuit has taken control and will issue a preliminary injunction," said Christopher Willis, a partner at Troutman Pepper, who is not involved in the case. The CFPB's late fee rule, which was finalized on March 4, applies only to the 35 largest credit card issuers. It would eliminate $10 billion a year in late fee revenue by cutting credit card late fees to just $8. Currently, customers are charged $32 for the first violation and $41 for subsequent late payments. Under the rule, issuers would still be able to charge more than $8 for late fees but only if they could prove to the bureau that higher fees are necessary to recoup costs associated with late payments. Credit card issuers bring roughly $14 billion a year in late fee revenue. The case, Chamber of Commerce v. CFPB, is already notable for the massive number of docket entries — at 73 and counting. The flurry of legal moves and countermoves are an indication of the financial stakes. "There's an enormous amount of money on the table," said Joe Lynyak, a partner at the law firm Dorsey & Whitney.The 5th Circuit abruptly took control of the case on Friday despite an earlier ruling by Judge Mark T. Pittman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, who declined to grant an emergency injunction and instead transferred the case to the D.C. Circuit. He cited a busy docket in making the move.The 5th Circuit is widely viewed as hostile to the CFPB and favorable to industry since it ruledin 2022 that the agency's funding structure is unconstitutional. That separate case, CFPB v. Community Financial Services Association of America, was appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in the case last year and is expected to rule by the end of June. "It's not a sure thing that the [$8 late fee] rule will be permanently stayed after the CFSA case shakes out in the Supreme Court, but it will likely be temporarily stayed," Willis said.If the Supreme Court sides with the CFPB, as many experts expect, the $8 late fee rule then would still have to be decided on its merits by the District Court in Texas. The trade associations likely would ask for another emergency injunction to keep the rule from going into effect.
Potential CFPB arbitration rule would violate CRA, GOP lawmakers say --Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., plan to press the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on what the two Republican lawmakers call "influence campaigns" targeting the bureau's forced arbitration rulemaking, and said that the CFPB pursuing it further would be an "affront to Congress." Barr, who is chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy, and Tillis, a longtime member of the Senate Banking Committee, said that a future rulemaking might violate the Congressional Review Act, which Congress invoked when it passed a resolution eliminating the prior iteration of the arbitration rule. The letter is the latest iteration in a brewing battle between bankers, other trade groups and consumer advocates. The letter was shared with American Banker. "Congress clearly restricted the CFPB's authority to limit use of arbitration when it rejected the agency's prior anti-arbitration rule under the Congressional Review Act," the lawmakers said in their letter to the CFPB, which will be sent on Friday. "As you know, the CRA provides that a rule may not be issued in "substantially the same form" as the disapproved rule unless specifically authorized by a subsequent law." At issue is a series of rulemakings by the CFPB relating to forced arbitration. A CFPB proposal in January last year would create a nonbank public registry of non-negotiable form contracts that the bureau says "mislead consumers into believing the terms or conditions are legally enforceable." While the first arbitration rules would have eliminated mandatory arbitration clauses in a number of financial contracts, which included cell phones, credit cards and checking accounts, the current proposal specifically would address nonbanks that are supervised by the CFPB. A group of consumer advocates have urged the CFPB to go further. In September, the CFPB posted a rulemaking petition from Public Citizen, National Consumer Law Center, Americans for Financial Reform, Better Markets and others, urging the bureau to require "meaningful" customer consent regarding arbitration to resolve financial product consumer disputes. They argue in their petition that doing so would not contradict the CRA resolution, and is well within the CFPB's statutory authority.
Blackstone Makes $10 Billion Bet On Multifamily Units As Real Rents Begin Re-Accelerating - Democrats are probably furious this morning after reading The Wall Street Journal's headline announcing Blackstone's $10 billion acquisition of Apartment Income REIT, taking the company private. This move signals the firm's bullishness on the rental housing market, especially when rents are beginning to re-accelerate. Blackstone agreed to purchase AIR Communities for $39.12 a share, representing a 25% premium to the company's closing share price on Friday. The deal is being completed through the investment management company's $30.4 billion global real-estate fund. Blackstone favors rental housing as one of the hottest places in the commercial property market to invest. The acquisition of AIR will give the investment manager exposure to 76 rental housing communities in coastal markets, including Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles. "The acquisition is Blackstone's largest transaction in the multifamily market," WSJ pointed out. Earlier this year, Blackstone President Jonathan Gray said, "We can see the pillars of a real-estate recovery coming into place," adding, "We are, of course, not waiting for the all-clear sign and believe the best investments are made during times of uncertainty."Blackstone has been aggressively increasing investments in CRE markets, a major bet the Federal Reserve's interest rate hiking cycle has plateaued and cuts near. Blackstone's actual bet is based on the idea that rent inflation is reaccelerating. In December, we noted that shelter CPI lags actual rents by about 18 months. So, by the time the Fed figures out the next surge in shelter costs - it will be too late.
What happens if the CFPB makes lenders pay title insurance? --News that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering making lenders pay fortheir portion of an origination's title insurance policy was met with skepticism from analysts and pushback from industry insiders.Bloomberg first reported that CFPB is considering this in an April 10 article.The CFPB declined to comment specifically on a specific proposal or plan. However, in a statement, a spokesperson added, "The CFPB is looking carefully at closing costs and feesconsumers may encounter throughout the mortgage process. We are working with agencies across the government to foster greater competition in the mortgage market and help Americans save money when purchasing or refinancing a home."The Bureau previously published a blog posting on mortgage junk fees that mentioned title insurance charges, particularly for owners' policies, which are optional.Some form of lender protection, whether through title insurance or attorney opinion letter, is required by the secondary market, although one existing proposal to reduce costs, the Federal Housing Finance Agency's title waiver pilot, would cover a small portion of refinance transactions.Such a move might result in lenders pricing these premiums directly into the mortgage, decreasing the transparency into loan closing costs that the Bureau desires, said Soham Bonsle, an analyst at BTIG.The result would likely be similar to lender-paid mortgage insurance, a product for which the borrower ends up with a higher rate because the premium is rolled in. Most other cases, private mortgage insurance is paid directly by the borrower, either through the servicer every month or at the closing table for the life of the loan.Furthermore, "if lenders are in fact going to carry the cost of title in the future for both purchase and refi loans (as per the article), this would stand in contrast to the FHFA's recent stance on waiving title on certain low-risk refi loans."If anything, making the lender pay the premium "only further embeds title into the mortgage process," Bonsle said. Fitch Ratings "expects that any changes made to the ultimate payers of lender's title policy premiums would have little impact on title insurers but could put pressure on lender earnings if the costs can't be passed on to borrowers," said Christopher Grimes, senior director, insurance in an email.From the perspective of investors in title underwriter stocks, "there is a concern that lenders could potentially negotiate down title premiums in a way that buyers currently do not," Bose George of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods wrote in his flash note on the article.American Land Title Association CEO Diane Tomb says that while title insurance is among the most essential part of buying a home, it is also the least expensive.The typical price of a title insurance premium is less than 0.5% of the total life-of-loan costs, the ALTA previously told National Mortgage News."We have real concerns about how this proposed framework would undermine the critical protections provided by title insurance," Tomb said in a statement. "We will continue our efforts to educate the CFPB as to how the title insurance market works and collaborate with policymakers on thoughtful approaches to housing affordability."Even the Community Home Lenders of America, which has supported the CFPB in its look at junk fees as well as the use of AOLs and the FHFA title waiver pilot, is urging caution because of the issues Bonsle and George touched upon in their commentary.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac regulator, CSBS agree to share nonbank info -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors have established a voluntary path to sharing information about nonbank mortgage companies. Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding that representatives of both signed amid a CSBS government relations gathering in Washington, the two aim to establish a way to efficiently work together in comparing notes on lenders and servicers in their jurisdictions.The memorandum furthers FHFA's work monitoring the counterparty risk of the government-related mortgage investors it oversees and the states' regulation of nonbanks. Those investors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, work with many servicers and lenders."The development of an information sharing framework is an important milestone that will better equip both FHFA and state regulators to oversee our respective regulated entities," FHFA Director Sandra Thompson said in a press release.The development suggests the FHFA and state regulators will continue a trend in which they have worked more closely together over time."Establishing information sharing opens the door to a more collaborative oversight process," said CSBS Board Chair Lise Kruse, who also serves as North Dakota's commissioner of financial institutions.Information sharing may revolve around financial concerns like liquidity but also could extend to other regulatory matters both entities have an interest in keeping an eye on such as data security.Such concerns have increasingly led the state regulators group and the FHFA to find they have coordinated interests.While the regulatory role of the states and the federal agency are distinct, broad mortgage industry discussions with the former resulted in prudential standards for nonbanks that have some parallels with the FHFA's requirements.
MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey - From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 0.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 5, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 0.2 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 10 percent from the previous week and was 4 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 5 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 4 percent compared with the previous week and was 23 percent lower than the same week one year ago. “Mortgage rates moved higher last week as several Federal Reserve officials reiterated a patient posture on rate cuts. Inflation remains stubbornly above the Fed’s target, and the broader economy continues to show resiliency. Unexpectedly strong employment data released last week further added to the upward pressure on rates,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The 30-year fixed rate increased to 7.01 percent, the highest in over a month. Purchase applications were down almost five percent to the lowest level since the end of February, but refinance applications were up 10 percent, driven particularly by VA refinance applications.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($766,550 or less) increased to 7.01 percent from 6.91 percent, with points remaining at 0.59 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index. According to the MBA, purchase activity is down 23% year-over-year unadjusted. Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly). Purchase application activity is up slightly from the lows in late October 2023, and below the lowest levels during the housing bust. The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990. With higher mortgage rates, the refinance index declined sharply in 2022, and has mostly flat lined since then.
An Update on the House Price Battle Royale: Low Inventory vs Affordability --Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: An Update on the House Price Battle Royale: Low Inventory vs Affordability A brief excerpt: Almost a year ago I wrote: House Price Battle Royale: Low Inventory vs Affordability. Here is an update as the battle continues! I’ve been wrestling with the impact on house prices of the rapid increase in mortgage rates and monthly payments over the last two years. My reaction was the current situation was somewhat similar to the 1978 to 1982 period and we would likely see prices decline in real terms (adjusted for inflation). See from March 2022: Housing: Don't Compare the Current Housing Boom to the Bubble and Bust. In that article I wrote on prices: [W]e should expect something similar to the what happened in the late ‘70s - a decline in real house prices seems likely … Currently we just have to watch and wait. However, we can be fairly confident that we won’t see cascading nominal price declines like during the housing bust - since there will be few distressed sales.In the 1980 period, nominal prices only declined slightly on a month-to-month basis a few times according to the Case-Shiller National house price index. However, real prices - adjusted for inflation - declined 10.7% from the peak. The inflation adjusted peak was in October 1979, and real prices didn’t exceed that peak until May 1986 (See from October 2022: House Prices: 7 Years in Purgatory).
Insurers Spy On Houses Via Aerial Imagery, Seeking Reasons To Cancel Coverage - Insurance companies across the country are using satellites, drones, manned airplanes and even high-altitude balloons to spy on properties they cover with homeowners policies -- and using the findings to drop customers, often without giving any opportunity to address alleged shortcomings. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase across the country in reports from consumers who’ve been dropped by their insurers on the basis of an aerial image,” United Policyholders executive director Amy Bach tell the Wall Street Journal. Reasons can range from shoddy roofing to yard clutter and undeclared trampolines. Much of this surveillance is done via the Geospatial Insurance Consortium, which boasts of its coverage of 99% of the US population.Geospatial Insurance Consortium provides imagery insurers use to study roof condition and look for risky property attributes, In pitching its ability to provide high-resolution "imagery and insights" for property reviews, GIC says insurers can use the service to "review risk and exposure on a building such as proximity of vegetation to the structure, whether a roof needs updating, and verify the exact location for a policy." “If your roof is 20 years old and one hailstorm is going to take it off, you should pay more than somebody with a brand new roof,” Allstate CEO Tom Willson told the Journal, unapologetically and ominously adding that, where the company's use of digital imagery is concerned, "there's even more to come." Wilson framed aerial spying as a pricing issue, but many consumers are finding that companies are using it to suddenly drop their coverage altogether. The Journal describes the experience of northern California resident Cindy Picos, who was dropped by CSAA Insurance last month, with the company saying aerial imagery revealed that her roof had aged beyond its life expectancy. She paid for an inspection of her own, which found the roof was good for another decade. CSAA wasn't impressed, and said its decision was final. The firm also refused to share its photos, though it now says it's changed that policy and will let customers see them -- if they ask. Another Californian, CJ Sveen, was dropped by AAA Homeowners Insurance after their reconnaissance discovered "clutter" in his yard. An indignant Sveen told ABC7 that he uses his yard as a workshop "Apparently they have some pictures and they noticed clutter. I find that offensive. How dare you judge me because of my stuff!" In AAA's defense, clutter isn't just about aesthetics. It could present a fire hazard, attract rodents that harm the structure, present a physical danger to visitors, and obstruct firefighters' ability to quickly contain a fire at the premises. Another California couple had their policy torn up by AAA after overhead photography found their swimming pool had been drained. The aging pair said they emptied it because their grandchildren had grown up and they no longer used it. Empty pools are prone to cracking for lack of counter-pressure from water; they can also "float" up from the earth, creating hazardous conditions. Former Michigan Farmers Insurance agent Nichole Brink told the Journal she quit the company last year over her concern that it was aggressively using aerial imagery to chase off customers, and even using shots that were two or three years old. "It’s like they’re using anything as an excuse to get people off their books,” she said. Farmers says it gives policyholders at least 60 days to challenge the company's findings or remedy shortcomings. It's probably no coincidence that Californians are frequently targeted for non-renewal via overhead spy technology. Insurers are aggressively paring back their business in the state, as the state's thicket of regulations has blocked insurers' ability to adequately charge for coverage in a state cursed by wildfires and earthquakes. Last year, for example, State Farm said it would no longer issue new homeowners policies in the Golden State. The, in March, the company took the more draconian step of opting not to renew 72,000 property and commercial apartment policies. AIG bailed on the state in 2022.
BLS: CPI Increased 0.4% in March; Core CPI increased 0.4% -- From the BLS: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the same increase as in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.5 percent before seasonal adjustment.The index for shelter rose in March, as did the index for gasoline. Combined, these two indexes contributed over half of the monthly increase in the index for all items. The energy index rose 1.1 percent over the month. The food index rose 0.1 percent in March. The food at home index was unchanged, while the food away from home index rose 0.3 percent over the month.The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in March, as it did in each of the 2 preceding months. Indexes which increased in March include shelter, motor vehicle insurance, medical care, apparel, and personal care. The indexes for used cars and trucks, recreation, and new vehicles were among those that decreased over the month. The all items index rose 3.5 percent for the 12 months ending March, a larger increase than the 3.2-percent increase for the 12 months ending February. The all items less food and energy index rose 3.8 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index increased 2.1 percent for the 12 months ending March, the first 12-month increase in that index since the period ending February 2023. The food index increased 2.2 percent over the last year. The change in both CPI and core CPI were above expectations. I'll post a graph later today after the Cleveland Fed releases the median and trimmed-mean CPI.YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter -- Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but has turned up recently, and is now up 4.8% YoY. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through March 2024. Services were up 5.3% YoY as of March 2024, unchanged from 5.0% YoY in February. Services less rent of shelter was up 4.8% YoY in March, up from 3.9% YoY in February.The 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 -2.1% YoY as of March 2024, down from -1.6% YoY in February. Commodities less food and energy commodities were at -0.7% YoY in March, down from -0.3% YoY in February.Here 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) Shelter was up 5.6% year-over-year in March, down from 5.8% in February. Housing (PCE) was up 5.8% YoY in February, down from 6.1% in January.This is still catching up with private data. The BLS noted this morning: "The index for shelter rose in March, as did the index for gasoline. Combined, these two indexes contributed over half of the monthly increase in the index for all items."Core CPI ex-shelter was up 2.4% YoY in March, up from 2.2% in February.
Cleveland Fed: Median CPI increased 0.4% and Trimmed-mean CPI increased 0.3% in March - The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in March. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index increased 0.3%. "The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report". This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 4.6% (unchanged from 4.6% in February), the trimmed-mean CPI rose 3.6% (up from 3.5%), and the CPI less food and energy rose 3.8% (unchanged from 3.8%). Core PCE is for February was up 2.8% YoY, down from 2.9% in January. Note: The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI details. Rent and Owner's equivalent rent are still very high, and if we exclude rent, median CPI would be around 1.95% year-over-year.
Officials aim for limited access to Port of Baltimore within 4 weeks, full access by end of May - The Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday evening it hopes to open up a limited access channel for the Port of Baltimore within four weeks and to restore a permanent channel to the port by the end of May. What officials acknowledged was an ambitious timeline was greeted with enthusiasm by Gov. Wes Moore. “As we learned this evening, this ambitious timeline proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers offers a level of clarity and certainty that Baltimore needs to hear so we can collectively plan for continued recovery efforts – related to both our economy and our infrastructure,” Moore said in a statement. “We and our partners across all levels of government have been pushing for a timeline, and now we have a target. We must do everything we can to meet that target. The Corps of Engineers announcement said that the limited access channel in the Patapsco River would be 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep and support one-way traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore for barge container service and some roll on/roll off vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment to and from the port. Baltimore’s Key Bridge destroyed: Everything you need to know Engineers are aiming to reopen the permanent, 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring port access to normal capacity.
Amid cover-up of whistleblower John Barnett’s “suicide,” new Boeing whistleblower exposes safety violations in manufacture of 787 Dreamliner - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed Tuesday that it is investigating assertions by a Boeing whistleblower that components of the 787 Dreamliner are improperly put together and “could break apart mid-flight after thousands of trips,” according to a report in the New York Times. Engineer Sam Salehpour, who has worked for Boeing for more than a decade, including working on the Dreamliner, gave details of his claims to the Times in a series of interviews and in documents he sent to the FAA. While an FAA representative acknowledged its investigation into the complaints, it would not comment to the Times on specifics. Salehpour said that changes in how the sections of the 787 Dreamliner fuselage, which come from different suppliers, are “fitted and fastened together” on the assembly line have compromised the integrity of the aircraft. He charged that shortcuts being taken by Boeing “resulted in excessive force being applied to narrow unwanted gaps in the assembly connecting pieces of the Dreamliner’s fuselage,” the Times wrote. The engineer said the force used led to the deformation of the composite material out of which the jetliner components are made. This deformation, he said, “could increase the effects of fatigue and lead to premature failure of the composite.” The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a wide-body jet that can carry between 210 and 330 passengers, depending on the configuration. It is the first plane with an airframe made primarily of composite materials, which are lighter than metal and make the Dreamliner more fuel-efficient than other jets. At the same time, composites, made by combining materials, such as carbon and glass fiber, are comparatively newer materials. Less is known about how they hold up under the long-term stresses of flight. Engineers call those stresses “fatigue,” which can compromise safety if it causes the material to fail. The new whistleblower complaints at Boeing have emerged just one month after former quality manager John Barnett, who also worked on the 787 Dreamliner at the company’s manufacturing facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, was found dead in his car from a purported self-inflicted gunshot wound. Barnett was scheduled to continue giving deposition testimony in a civil suit he filed against Boeing for retaliating against him after he spoke out against practices that undermined airline safety. Although his death in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn was ruled a suicide by the county coroner, Charleston law enforcement is still investigating it. According to a local news report at the time, police said Barnett had a silver handgun in his right hand with his finger still on the trigger when he was found by a hotel employee. The police said there was a white piece of paper “resembling a note” on the passenger seat of his car but did not specify the contents of the note. Barnett’s attorneys have questioned the suicide narrative and maintained that, prior to his death, John was happy to be finally telling his side of the story after seven years of court delays.
Newsom orders state workers back into the office - — Gov. Gavin Newsom is setting a government-wide requirement that state employees work from the office two days a week starting in June, according to a memo his cabinet secretary sent to top state officials on Wednesday and shared exclusively with POLITICO. State employees will have to return to the office June 17, according to the memo from Cabinet Secretary Ann Patterson. Workers will be eligible for case-by-case exceptions based on individual circumstances and departments’ needs, she said in the memo. The directive is a significant policy shift for the administration, which from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic has allowed leaders of the state’s roughly 150 agencies, departments and offices to set their own remote work policies for the state’s 240,000 workers.That approach led to varying rules from one agency to the next even for similar classifications of white-collar workers, with some agencies allowing full-time remote work.“Unfortunately, the varied approaches have created confusion around expectations and are likely to exacerbate inconsistencies across agencies and departments,” Patterson said in the memo. She cited “enhanced collaboration, cohesion, and communication, better opportunities for mentorship, particularly for workers newer to the workforce, and improved supervision and accountability” as benefits of returning to the office. Newsom embraced remote work early in the pandemic, and his administration has promoted its benefits, even launching a data dashboard ( taken down March 29) that listed miles saved and associated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Cubicles in some offices got smaller, and employees gave up coveted long-term parking spots. Roughly half of state employees had to report to work in-person throughout the pandemic, Patterson said in the memo, including prison employees, janitors, groundskeepers and others.
LA's District Attorney Sued By Game Of Thrones Actor Over Dismissed Pedophilia Charges Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is facing legal action after a “Game of Thrones” actor filed suit over dismissed pedophilia charges. The 52-year-old is seeking $40 million in damages, and says the allegations made against him were not only career-ending, but ruined his reputation by branding him as a “serial pedophile.” The charges stem from a 2022 arrest after Mr. Gatt was accused of engaging in sexually explicit online communication with a minor across state lines. He notes the claims were inadequately investigated prior to his felony charges being publicly announced in an LAPD press release. The alleged interaction resulted from a video on Cameo Mr. Gatt recorded for a fan’s 16th birthday, before being contacted by the teenage girl via social media on multiple occasions. Mr. Gatt did respond, but according to the suit it was in a manner that was “wholly appropriate and consistent with typical celebrity-fan exchanges.” The two, however, never met in person. Cameo is a video-sharing website often used by public figures. Users can purchase a personalized video for the individual receiving it. This gives fans a chance to connect with their favorite celebrities with a video message for any occasion. A crucial bit of information the lawsuit says backs claims that the teenage girl was an “admittedly obsessed fan of Gatt.” The 16-year-old went on to claim to have pictures of the supposed inappropriate conversations, but the defendants failed to “interview or even remotely assess for credibility.” Mr. Gatt was arrested in April of 2022 following a search warrant on his home. He called the act an “invasion of privacy” that deprived him of his “liberty and freedom.” Court records show the charges were dismissed in February of this year, after finding there was no sustainable evidence, and following forensic analysis, the minor in question fabricated the incriminating screenshots.
Chicago police shot at 26-year-old Dexter Reed 96 times in 41 seconds -On Tuesday, Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), an official oversight agency, released video of the street execution of 26-year-old Dexter Reed in the west side neighborhood of Humboldt Park on March 21 during what police report was a “traffic stop” by Chicago police. Police Boyd camera footage shows the plainclothes officers approaching Dexter Reed with guns drawn. The videos released included bodycam footage showing plainclothes officers in a car pulling up alongside Reed’s car. Police then surround Reed’s car with guns drawn, shouting at him to unlock the door and to roll his window down.The officers involved are the 11th District tactical team, Alexandra Giampapa, Victor Pacheco, Thomas Spanos, Aubrey Webb and Gregory Saint Louis.In the video, as police have Reed surrounded with their guns drawn, Reed appears to fire a shot that hits Saint Louis in the arm. The officers surrounding his car let loose a hail of bullets—96 in total in just 41 seconds. Three cops stopped to reload. Reed can be seen exiting the car while being shot, then stumbling and collapsing underneath it. Police shot at him at least three more times as he lay dying on the ground. The extreme violence of the trigger-happy police reveals an extreme level of hostility to the lves and the rights of all citizens characteristic of an occupying military. It is well known that many US police forces, including Chicago’s, have for decades received regular “counterterrorism” training with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and that police forces recruit heavily from veterans of America’s neocolonial occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.Last week, in a letter to Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, COPA Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten raised questions about the reason why Reed was stopped, indicating “evidence raises serious concerns about the validity of the traffic stop.” She shared “grave concerns about the officers’ ability to assess what is a necessary, reasonable, and proportional use of deadly force. “The incident lasted more than 40 seconds, giving three of the four officers time to reload their firearms. This provided the officers with ample opportunity to reassess the situation.”
Study finds nearly 70 percent of Chicago’s children under six are exposed to lead contaminated drinking water Last month’s publication by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the pediatric section of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) exposing the long-standing and high prevalence of lead in Chicago’s drinking water should stand as an indictment of the city’s Democratic political leadership that has done little to address this public health issue. Close to 70 percent of Chicago’s children under the age of six live in homes containing detectable levels of lead in their drinking water. To perform their analysis, the researchers utilized artificial intelligence machine learning techniques to estimate levels of lead in tap water across Chicago households, utilizing results in tests conducted in nearly 40,000 homes from 2016 to 2023. The study also found that almost 10 percent of homes had levels above the 15 parts per billion (PPB) that is the “action level” of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for lead in drinking water. Benjamin Huynh, PhD, lead author of the study, said of the results, “The extent of lead contamination of tap water in Chicago is disheartening—it’s not something we should be seeing in 2024.” However, Chicago is not unique in America in this regard. A March 2022 paper published in PNAS by Princeton University researchers estimated that over 170 million Americans alive today had previously been exposed in early childhood to high lead levels. Besides Chicago, high levels of lead have been found in tap water in Baltimore, Detroit, Milwaukee, Newark, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C., according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Lead service lines per state [Photo: Natural Resources Defense Council] In their analysis of EPA data published in 2021, the NRDC showed that between 2018 and 2020, almost 190 million people drank water from drinking water systems with detectable lead levels above one PPB. More than 61 million drank water exceeding the five PPB maximum set by the Food and Drug Administration for bottled water. Finally, 7 million people were drinking water with more than 15 PPB of lead. Current guidance by the EPA and health experts has emphasized there is no level of lead in drinking water that can be regarded as safe.
Ann Arbor, Michigan schools post $25 million deficit, plan to cut teachers and staff -- Following the announcement of a $25 million budget shortfall, the Ann Arbor, Michigan School District will vote Thursday on a proposal to authorize staff layoffs including teachers and support workers. Pink slips have already been issued to members of the Association of School and Community Service Administrators (ASCA). The college town is home to the University of Michigan, an elite so-called “public Ivy” whose endowment stands at about $18 billion. The sudden announcement of cuts and layoffs in one of the wealthiest districts in the state has shocked and outraged educators, parents and students. Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) has scheduled community forums next week at the three high schools to take “input” from educators and families on what programs and services to target. Earlier, they posted an online survey asking residents to suggest deficit-reductions and rank programs in order of importance—a transparent effort to further justify cuts. Parents and educators are incensed. Parent Andrea Walker told WXYZ 7, “We have no transparency. That is one of the problems, we want to know what is happening…I live about a half hour away and we drive every day because we love the school, we love the staff. “If they make cuts like this and get rid of the teachers that we love, why should we drive here? What is the point? The concern is that we won’t have the same staff that are highly trained to work with autism, like [for] my son. He needs his paraprofessional. We don’t want them to touch any of the staff that are student-facing…We have a great staff.” Parent Najla August, also speaking with WXYZ, asked why beloved teachers are being made to pay for “an accounting error.” AAPS Interim Superintendent Jazz Parks has cited a $14 million accounting “error” related to pension liabilities, increased staff and pay raises, as well as a 1,123-student decrease as the reasons for the deficit. August continued: “One of the bigger shocks is…we were already hearing that they are short of staff [like] occupational therapists, that the [teacher-student] ratios are 1 to 25 and ideally they need to be lower, that we need more staff. Now they want to get rid of some? That is really not okay. They are short-handed.” Parent Sonia Chawla pointed to the lack of after-school care, and that it impacts enrollment. She emphasized, “There’s a whole group of concerned caregivers and families that our rallying around to support our teachers.” She added, “Our kids are behind, socially,” asking why the children are being made to suffer by laying off teachers or paraprofessionals. “They should not pay for this,” she concluded.
Jennifer and James Crumbley sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for Oxford High School shooting -- Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of Michigan high school student Ethan Crumbley, who killed four of his classmates and injured seven others on November 30, 2021, were each sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison on Tuesday. The prosecution, conviction and sentencing of Jennifer, 45, and James Crumbley, 47, concludes the first case in the US in which parents have been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child. Ethan Crumbley, who was charged as an adult with 24 counts, including first-degree murder, pled guilty on October 22, 2022 and, more than a year later, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The parents of Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 years old when he carried out a shooting spree between classes at Oxford High School, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in separate jury trials earlier this year. All three Crumbleys are eligible to appeal their convictions. While it is true that the Crumbleys were negligent and morally culpable for the crime committed by their son, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald seized upon the evidence against the parents to bring a case against them that establishes a dangerous and reactionary legal precedent. The case opens the door to criminally prosecuting parents for what is fundamentally an expanding and horrendous social crisis of mass school shootings carried out by children. The Crumbleys have now been convicted and sentenced to long prison terms for failing to stop the murders carried out by their son. The Crumbleys were given the opportunity to speak before their sentences were imposed by Judge Matthews. Both expressed remorse for what their son had done but refused to admit that they were responsible for the crimes he committed. Jennifer Crumbley, who had asked the court before the hearing to impose a sentence of house arrest instead of prison time, addressed the families of the victims. She said, “I stand today not to ask for your forgiveness, as I know it may be beyond reach, but to express my sincerest apologies for the pain that has been caused.” James Crumbley, who asked before the hearing for the court to impose a sentence of time served in jail, said to the families, “I cannot express how much I wish that I had known what was going on with him or what was going to happen, because I absolutely would have done a lot of things differently.” The family members of the victims also spoke before the sentencing about the impact on their lives of the horrific deaths of the high school students at the hands of the shooter. They condemned the inaction of the Crumbley parents, who they said could have prevented the shooting from taking place.
Rutgers Unexpectedly Drops Student Vaxx Requirement, Litigation Proceeds -One of the last major, and most strident, institutes of higher learning holdouts clinging to pseudoscientific and immoral COVID-19 vaccine mandates, Rutgers University, recently unexpectedly halted its requirements for students.Pending litigation against Rutgers by Children’s Health Defense continues unabated: “We are planning to appeal further to the U.S. Supreme Court, continuing to press our position that Rutgers never had the power to do what it did,” per lead attorney in the suit, Julio C. Gomez.In an email obtained by Children’s Health Defense and distributed by the administration to all faculty, staff, and students, the university made the following claims before noting it has decided to drop COVID-19 vaxx requirements despite emphasizing that “ALL other vaccine requirements will remain in effect” for students:“Since March 2020 we have relied on science, including guidance from our own experts and from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention*, on how best to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Your cooperation has been unfailing and led to a successful effort in keeping our community safe**.”*This is how institutions like Rutgers have been allowed to get away with enforcing pseudoscientific COVID policies throughout the pandemic: hiding behind the “guidelines” from the CDC. It’s also how the Public Health™ appendages of the federal government have been able to enforce their will yet retain plausible deniability that they themselves ever created or enforced any mandates; they simply released “guidelines” that Rutgers and other institutions reflectively followed, with implications of revoked federal funding or other consequences for non-compliance. It’s a shell game of deferred responsibility.**On the substantive merit of mandates, the so-called “vaccines,” we now have the data to prove, did no such thing as “led to a successful effort in keeping our community safe,” as Rutgers claims — a claim, by the way, likely designed to indemnify itself against legal responsibility in the pending CHD lawsuit. It is public record, and has for years at this point, that, in addition to the “vaccines” not stopping transmission, Pfizer never even tested in its clinical trials to determine whether they prevented transmission. The pharmaceutical industry simply dispatched the dutiful corporate state media stenographers who rely on its advertising bucks, and politicians who rely on their campaign bucks, to say they prevent transmission, thereby granting carte blanche to workplaces, schools, and local governments to enforce unjustifiable mandates.
Multiple students at Pomona College in Southern California arrested for protesting against Gaza genocide - In a vicious attack against democratic rights and freedom of speech, nineteen students were arrested Friday at Pomona College in Claremont, California. The students were arrested at the college president’s office after holding a sit-in opposing the university’s previous crack downs on pro-Palestinian protests. The student arrests were coordinated at the highest levels with police from the college along with the nearby cities of Claremont, Azusa and LaVerne all participating. They are another clear indication that university administrations in the US, in full coordination with state governments and the Biden administration, have decided to launch police state crack downs against student youth protesting the Gaza genocide. According to media reports, an initial contingent of seven patrol cars arrived at the president’s office and departed soon afterwards. Twenty minutes after their departure, however, 20 squad cars arrived on the scene and quickly proceeded to conduct a swat-style raid against the protesting students, suggesting that a heavy-handed operation was prepared in advance. One student who witnessed the operation told CBS News, “When [the police] walked in, they were in full riot gear, there were lots of them. A couple of them had big rifles, like two and a half feet long, strapped across their chest, they all had batons and they all had the helmets down.” Pomona College is part of a small consortium of seven private liberal arts colleges located in the Southern California city of Claremont outside of Los Angeles. Approximately 1,690 undergraduate students attend Pomona college alone. The students arrested were not only from Pomona but also Scripps and Pitzer Colleges, all part of the Claremont College network. Because of the close proximity of the campuses, many students attend classes at the other colleges in the consortium. According to media reports, the protest had been triggered by the university’s dismantling of a student-made sculpture on campus called the “apartheid wall.” The sculpture’s creators said it was designed to highlight “the unequal treatment of the Palestinian people living under the brutal conditions of the illegal Israeli Occupation.” Another motivation for the protest was the university’s complete refusal to acknowledge a February vote of the student government which voted by 78.29 percent for the college to “cease all academic” support for Israel. Over four fifths, 86.17, percent voted for the college to reveal its investments “in all companies aiding the ongoing apartheid system within the state of Israel” while 81.67 percent voted in favor of the college completely divesting from said companies. Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr, with a salary in excess of $685,000, responded to the student arrests with particular vindictiveness. A statement released by Starr’s office Friday read, “Any participants in today’s events on the SCC lawn or in the Alexander Hall, who turn out to be Pomona students, are subject to immediate suspension. Students from the other Claremont Colleges will be banned from Pomona’s campuses and subject to discipline on their own campuses. All individual participants not part of The Claremont Colleges community are hereby banned from campus immediately.” Not only were the students banned from classes but were also not allowed back into their dorm rooms leaving the students scrambling to find housing. The students, many of whom were a month away from graduation, also relied on school cafeterias to eat, from which they are now banned as well.
Columbia University suspends and evicts pro-Palestinian students - On Wednesday, April 3, Columbia University suspended and evicted six students for their involvement in a pro-Palestinian panel event on campus on March 24. According to Columbia’s student newspaper, the Daily Spectator, the students received a notice that read, “You may remain in your Columbia residence for 24 hours after which time your access to your residence and dining services will also be suspended.” Two of the students had their suspensions lifted on Thursday, and one of the two told the Spectator that he “was not involved in organizing nor did he attend the event, but lives in the residence hall where the panel was held.” The reversal of the remaining four suspensions and evictions has become a key demand of ongoing protests at Columbia. All six students were apparently arbitrarily targeted after the university brought in a team of private, former police investigators. According to Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the investigators harassed and intimidated a Palestinian student at their home, demanded to see students’ private text messages and sent threatening emails to the leaders of pro-Palestinian student groups. The investigation into the event, which was held on Sunday, March 24 under the title “Resistance 101,” began after the Columbia chapter of Zionist organization Students Supporting Israel (SSI) made a post characterizing the event as a “terrorism recruitment opportunity.” In particular, SSI identified Khaled Barakat, one of the event’s featured speakers, as a “terrorist leader” for his alleged connections with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Barakat is a pro-Palestinian activist who is now affiliated with the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement. Barakat has been targeted by Zionists internationally since as early as 2019, standing accused of being a leading member of the PFLP, an organization outlawed in Israel by the Knesset and deemed a terrorist outfit by the US, Canada, the European Union and Japan. He has denied this claim. The university responded first with a statement from Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway on March 28 that read, “The event that took place Sunday night was unsanctioned and unapproved. … We have banned the outside speakers from campus. Columbia University rejects all forms of hate and bigotry, and we unequivocally condemn language that promotes or supports violence in any manner. We will pursue discipline against any community member who has violated our policies.” On Friday, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik added in a second statement that the Resistance 101 event was “an abhorrent breach of our values.” She wrote, “[t]hat I would ever have to declare the following is in itself surprising, but I want to make clear that it is absolutely unacceptable for any member of this community to promote the use of terror or violence.” The university has also targeted pro-Palestinian professors, including Professor Abdul Kayum Ahmed, who was removed from teaching positions after an article in the Wall Street Journal accused him of pro-Palestinian “political indoctrination” in his Health and Human Rights Advocacy class. As Columbia’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) pointed out in their response to the suspensions on Instagram, “This is all part of a coordinated campaign to boost Columbia’s public image prior to the antisemitism congressional hearing on April 17th, where President Minouche Shafik and two trustees will testify before congress.”The post continued, “Both the presidents of Harvard and University of Pennsylvania were forced to resign shortly following their own hearings. They received heavy backlash from Zionists for being perceived as insufficiently harsh on pro-Palestine campus organizing.” The statement also pointed out that Columbia conducted no such investigation into the chemical attack by former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers on student protesters on campus in January.
Democrats Cry Foul As Anti-Free Speech Allies Turn Against Them by Jonathan Turley - Below is my column in The Hill on the recent disruptions of events featuring leading Democrats from President Joe Biden to Rep. Jamie Raskin. After years of supporting the censoring and blacklisting of others, these politicians are now being targeted by the very anti-free speech movement that they once fostered. Hillary Clinton last week became the latest Democrat targeted by protesters in a visit to her alma mater, Wellesley College. Here is the column: You are “killing people,” President Biden told social media companies a couple of years ago. He sought to shame executives into censoring more Americans. Biden has lashed out at disinformation by anti-vaxxers, “election deniers” and others. This month, those words were thrown back at Biden himself as a “genocide denier” by protesters who have labeled him “Genocide Joe” over his support for Israel. After years of supporting censorship and blacklisting of people with opposing views, politicians and academics are finding themselves the subjects of the very anti-free speech tactics that they helped foster. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), for example, has been a leading figure in Congress opposing efforts to curtail massive censorship programs coordinated by the Biden administration. While opposing the investigation into past federal censorship efforts, Raskin continues to push social media companies to increase the censorship and silencing of Americans. Last December, Raskin sent a letter on behalf of other Democrats on the powerful House Oversight Committee demanding even more censorship, not only on election fraud, COVID or climate change, but also on abortion. “We are troubled by the rapid spread of abortion misinformation and disinformation on your company’s social media platform,” he wrote, “and the threat this development poses to safe abortion access in the United States.”When journalists and even other members testified in favor of free speech, Democrats attacked them as “Putin lovers” and fellow travelers supporting “insurrectionists.”Last week, however, the left turned on Raskin.He was giving a lecture titled “Democracy, Autocracy and the Threat to Reason in the 21st Century.” According to the Maryland Reporter, the protesters accused Raskin of being “complicit in genocide.” After efforts to resume his remarks, University of Maryland President Darryll Pines finally ended the event early.Pines then pulled a Raskin. While mildly criticizing the students for their lack of “civility,” he defended their disruption of Raskin’s remarks as if a heckler’s veto were free speech. “What you saw play out actually was democracy and free speech and academic freedom,” he said. “From our perspective as a university, these are the difficult conversations that we should be having.”There was, of course, no real conversation because this was not the exercise but the denial of free speech. The protesters were engaging in “deplatforming,” which is common on our campuses, where students and faculty organize to prevent others from hearing opposing views.So, after years of Raskin encouraging the censorship of others, the mob finally came for him. The yawning response of the university was not unlike his own past response to journalists, professors and dissents who have come before his committee.The only “difficult” aspect of this conversation is for university figures like Pines who are called upon to defend the free speech rights of speakers or faculty. They need to show the courage and principle required to uphold the free speech commitment of higher education, even at the risk of being targeted themselves. That includes the sanctioning of students who prevent others from hearing opposing views in classrooms and event forums. These students have every right to protest outside such spaces, but higher education is premised on the free exchange of ideas. There is really no further “conversation” needed, just a letter of suspension or expulsion for those who deprive others of their rights.Deplatforming is the rage on our campuses. Universities often use it to cancel events for conservatives or controversial speakers. Often officials will sit idly by, refusing to remove protesters or deter disruptions. And that can lead to self-help measures by others.
Boston University graduate students strike over pay, healthcare, housing and other benefits - Members of the Boston University Graduate Workers Union (BUGWU) went on strike March 25. BUGWU members include over 3,000 masters, professional and PhD graduate students. They are demanding a new contract guaranteeing pay increases, more health and dental care coverage, plus other benefits such as childcare, affordable housing, workload limits and aid for international graduate students. BUGWU has been organized since 2022 under Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 of the Massachusetts Union for Human Service Workers and Educators. The union includes students involved in research, instructional and teaching work. Many Boston University (BU) student workers are supporting families and even those who don’t are finding it increasingly impossible to survive in one of the most expensive US cities. The cost of living for a single adult in Boston is $46,918, according to MIT’s Living Wage. Bostonpads.com reports the average Boston apartment now rents for $3,275 a month, up nearly 8 percent since 2023 and 22 percent since 2022. The average studio apartment rents for a staggering $2,250. BU is the largest university in Boston, with a student population of about 37,000. It has an endowment of over $3 billion. Annual undergraduate tuition and fees will rise to over $90,000 for the 2024-2025 academic year. The millions of dollars charged to students and their families clearly are not ending up in the pockets of grad student employees, who do much of the work at universities, including teaching, grading and leading discussions. Pol Pardini-Gisperd, a PhD student and graduate worker at BU, told NBC Boston, “I need to go to the class, I need to grade exams but I also need to be working all the time. There’s certain hours I need to go to be a teaching fellow, and there’s certain hours I need to devote to my dissertation work.” He said he doesn’t make enough to afford living in the city and to take care of his 8-month-old daughter. “I can’t begin to explain how much we are struggling,” he said. BU grad students had been conducting a strike authorization vote since February 2024. The union voted to authorize a strike by March 25 if an agreement was not reached. Ninety percent of the unionized workers voted to strike. The walkout mainly involves those with teaching responsibilities and graduate students who perform other types of paid service work for BU, and undergraduate students are not included. More than 30 new bargaining units of graduate students have been formed in recent years in Greater Boston, including at Northeastern and Harvard universities. In September, graduate students at MIT threatened to strike and won their first contract a week later. Numerous graduate and undergraduate worker strikes and protests have taken place across Massachusetts in recent years, including at Harvard, Clark University in Worcester, Tufts University in Medford, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Brandeis University in Waltham, and other colleges and universities. Nationally, 48,000 University of California graduate assistants, researchers and post-docs, struck in 2022 in the nation’s largest-ever strike of academic workers. This spring, more than 500 teaching assistants and fellows, research assistants and associates, course assistants and tutors struck at The New School in New York City. Graduate student workers have long been relied upon by universities as cheap labor. As at Boston University, many of these academic workers have been organized by the SEIU or the United Auto Workers. These large national unions have seized upon the conditions facing academic workers—including low pay and dismal benefits—as an opportunity to boost their membership rolls and collect dues money as these unions’ own policies have resulted in massive job losses in their traditional industries. In what may be an early example of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strikebreaking tool, Stan Sclaroff, dean of BU’s College of Arts & Sciences, sent an email to BU professors suggesting the staff use AI to “manage course discussion sections and labs that are impacted by the BUGWU strike,” according to the Daily Beast.Is Ohio State teaching 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline'? — Late last month, Amy Andryszak, the president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, sent a letter to Gov. Michael DeWine (R-OH) in response to seeing The Ohio State University initially had plans to add How to Blow Up a Pipeline to its curriculum.The book, written by Swedish professor of human ecology and climate change activist Andreas Malm in 2021, advocates the climate social justice movement to ramp up its tactics “in the face of ecological collapse.” Part of its argument includes advocating the destruction of equipment and tools used in the production of fossil fuels.The New York Times review of the book details Malm’s argument that because the ruling class response to climate change has been inadequate, the “proportionate and rational response should be to target fossil fuel infrastructure: Destroy fences around a power plant; occupy pipeline routes, as protesters did for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.” And do the same at coal mines.In a Jan. 14 story titled "How This Climate Activist Justifies Political Violence," Malm told the New York Times that he wanted sabotage of fossil fuel operations to be on a much bigger scale than it is now.His book, which does not give actual instructions for destroying a pipeline, does ask why the climate justice movement stayed so peaceful. When questioned by the reporter how confident he is that when you open the door to political violence, it stays at the level of property and not people, this is how the conversation went: I want sabotage to happen on a much larger scale than it does now. I can’t guarantee that it won’t come with accidents. But what do I know? I haven’t personally blown up a pipeline, and I can’t foretell the future. Andryszak cast doubt in her letter to DeWine on the wisdom of Ohio taxpayers financing a curriculum that includes a book that unabashedly advocated violence of an industry where thousands of Ohioans are employed in one of the country’s top natural gas producers.“The teaching of this book anywhere, but especially in a publicly funded state university, is very concerning, should be investigated by the State and, in our opinion, prohibited,” she wrote. She added: “The activities advocated in the book can result in death, danger, and serious injury to those perpetrating the acts and innocent bystanders.” The class Geography 3597.03 according to the university was initially established in 2008 as a “team-taught, cross-disciplinary course in English and Geography about ‘Environmental citizenship’.” However, Geography 3597.03 had not been team-taught in a decade, and, over time, the course content and focus evolved considerably. Indeed, “climate justice” has been the de facto but unofficial title of the course for the past four years. That change from Geography to Climate became official when the course was offered last fall. Joel Wainwright, professor in the Department of Geography at The Ohio State University, who designed and is scheduled to teach the class, said in an interview conducted by the university’s Global Arts + Humanities program manager he “was a Marxist who shares a similar background with Geoff Mann, professor of geography at Simon Fraser University, with whom he co-authored Climate Leviathan” a book they published in 2018. Wainwright wrote in the course description that “while this course starts—as it must—with a sober, scientific assessment of the current crisis of the Earth and humanity, marked by economic insecurity, a lack of faith in political parties, species loss, and climate change, ultimately, this course aims at cultivating the imagination.” Wainwright said one of the educational goals of the class was for “successful students to integrate approaches to the theme by making connections to out-of-classroom experiences with academic knowledge or across disciplines and/or to work they have done in previous classes and that they anticipate doing in future.” The course was approved by university in October and is seemingly still listed for the fall. Yet Chris Booker, the university director of Media and PR, told me that “The course in question has not been offered since autumn 2022 and is not listed for summer or autumn 2024.”
York University threatens to hire scabs to break six-week strike by 3,700 academic workers - In a highly provocative move reported on Reddit this past week by a student who attended a recent town hall meeting, the School of Nursing is threatening to hire scabs to break the strike by TAs. They wrote, “The nursing faculty and students recently convened for a townhall meeting with the Course Directors to address the matter concerning the suspended course, NURS4527. It is one of the most outrageous meetings we’ve ever had and I’m sure 99.9% of all the nursing students who attended this townhall meeting would back me up… “Despite almost being near the end of the course program, we are being recalled to continue our suspended course and finish our remaining hours regardless whether the strike continues or not. We have been informed that the School of Nursing are hiring TAs (or CCDs as we call them) to allow the suspended course to continue. This not only defeats the purpose of the strike, but also undermines the instructors who went on strike. Basically they are going around the union to allow the suspended course to continue and hire people from outside the union to allow the course to continue. We are expected to have ‘new instructors’ once they give us the green light to return sometime before April 14.” The student stated that school officials gave them a deadline for the implementation of this strikebreaking plan of April 14. Management’s provocative actions flow from its understanding that no threat to its position is posed by the CUPE bureaucrats, whose aim is to starve the overwhelmingly low-paid and precariously employed strikers out on the picket line until they can convince them to accept a rotten sellout. Bargaining between CUPE and York management stalled in late March after the mediator left the bargaining table claiming the “two parties are still too far apart for bargaining to be fruitful at this time.” CUPE Local 3903’s response was to plead with management to return to the bargaining table, while offering no advice to workers other than to attend a barbecue and a rally aimed at persuading the university to bargain “fairly.” The strike at York takes place under conditions of major struggles by other sections of workers across Canada and internationally, creating the ideal opportunity to broaden the fight. At McGill University in Montreal, 1,600 TAs have been on strike since March 25 after voting for an eight-week strike. The main demand of workers is higher wages to compensate for the spike in inflation over recent years caused by the US/NATO war against Russia, in which Canadian imperialism is playing a major role, and address the cost of living crisis. Despite working at one of the most prestigious universities in Canada, McGill workers live below the poverty line and experience terrible working conditions. University management is demanding that full-time professors and other staff scab on the strikers, as detailed in an April 5 open letter to the university administration.
‘There’s nothing more important right now’: Cardona commits to fixing FAFSA disaster - Education Secretary Miguel Cardona defended his administration’s botched debut of a new federal student aid application, as Republican appropriators pressed the cabinet official to explain the cause of glitches that are now expected to require weeks of repair work.“There’s nothing more important right now at the Department of Education,” Cardona said Wednesday during a congressional hearing on President Joe Biden’s education budget proposal. “We’re working on this around the clock, because we want to make sure our students have information they need to make informed decisions.” Approximately 30 percent of FAFSA forms so far are “potentially affected” by processing or data errors, the agency’s student aid office said Tuesday in an online bulletin, in addition to a separate category of applications that need corrected information from students. Processing errors also mean a huge chunk of applicants mistakenly appeared to qualify for more financial aid than they actually should receive.“I do empathize with the challenges and frustrations that folks are feeling,” Cardona added. “We need to do better, and we’re going to get better.”But he pushed back on accusations that department staffers have been diverted to work on Biden’s sweeping loan forgiveness efforts instead of focusing on implementing the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid — a point Republican Reps. Julia Letlow of Louisiana and John Moolenaarof Michigan sought to engage the secretary on.“I hope this debacle never happens again,” Letlow told Cardona. “The American people want to see you focused on getting students into the classroom, not repaying loans for people who have already been there.”Cardona emphasized FAFSA issues are a key focus for the department and its employees. “I don’t want you to think they’re not doing FAFSA because they’re working on something else,” he told lawmakers. “FAFSA has been a priority since day one when we got into these positions, and it will continue to be a priority until we deliver for those students.”He refused to answer questions after the hearing, as aides rushed him out of the Capitol.At almost the same time as the appropriations hearing, members of the House Education and the Workforce committee debated the magnitude of the FAFSA disaster during a separate hearing with a panel of financial aid experts.“This country deserves public leaders who fulfill their duties rather than shirk responsibilities and point the finger of blame at others,” said House Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx. “Now is the time for Secretary Cardona to explain his abysmal leadership to the American people. It is clear something needs to change.”While they didn’t invite anyone from the department to testify at the higher education subcommittee hearing, GOP lawmakers asked panelists whether anyone from the Education Department has taken accountability for the botched rollout of FAFSA and whether anyone should be fired for it.
Biden seizes on student debt relief amid worries about young voters - President Biden is pushing forward with plans for “life-changing” student debt relief as he courts young voters amid signs that the critical voting bloc could turn away from his party or simply sit out in November.A new NPR/NewsHour/Marist Poll released last week found former President Trump up 2 points over Biden among millennial and Generation Z Americans — an age group frustrated with economic strains and stressed about student debt.Leaning in on student debt relief could help boost Biden’s standing with the key demographic, “where he could use some shoring up of his support,” said Morley Winograd, a former senior policy adviser to Al Gore and the author of multiple books on millennials.“Today, too many Americans, especially young people, are saddled with unsustainable debts in exchange for a college degree,” Biden said in Wisconsin on Monday, acknowledging the key demographic in a battleground state vital to his reelection bid. His remarks came as he unveiled a new initiative to ease debt for millions of borrowers, part of his effort to make good on his 2020 campaign promises and to court young voters who may be gravitating away from the party.“It’s going to be very difficult for him to put together a winning coalition without getting the support of voters under 45,” Winograd said. Younger voters’ impatience has grown after the Supreme Court stymied Biden’s earlier student debt relief plan, forcing the president to find a workaround. Although many older Americans are also saddled with student debt, the issue is top of mind for younger voters already anxious about coming of age in a fraught economy. “Younger people who are thinking about going to college — can they afford it? Younger people who are in college — can they afford to stay in college? And then younger people who just graduated — can they find a job in their field and pay back these loans?” said Joshua Ulibarri, a Democratic pollster who focuses on young voters at Lake Research Partners.“Like all Americans, young people, young voters are struggling with the cost of housing, the cost of food, ‘can I stay on my parents’ health care plan?’ And so just the cost of things is the No. 1 issue,” Ulibarri said.
Biden Scrambles To Buy Votes With New Taxpayer-Funded Student Debt Relief Scheme - After American borrowers adjusted their finances amid the mass-suspension of student loan payments during the pandemic (and the scorching inflation that followed), the Biden administration on Monday announced new student loan plans that would give borrowers up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness for balances that have grown due to unpaid interest since entering repayment, regardless of income. The plan is aimed at those with "runaway interest." Those who qualify for the "SAVE IDR" (income-driven repayment) would have the full balance of their unpaid interest forgiven, which would benefit roughly 25 million Americans. What's more, the administration is also looking to provide automatic debt relief for those who qualify under the SAVE plan, Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and similar forgiveness programs which have hit red tape when it comes to relief. Lastly, the plan would give relief to those enrolled in low-financial-value education programs deemed insufficient by the Department of Education, as well as those experiencing hardship in paying back loans and who are at risk of default. "The Biden-Harris Administration plans to release proposed rules on these plans over the coming months. If these plans are finalized as proposed, this fall the Administration would begin canceling up to $20,000 in interest for millions of borrowers and full loan forgiveness for millions more," the administration said in a Monday statement. The administration said the White House estimates more than 30 million Americans would have benefited from loan forgiveness from the plans during the past three years. The administration is also emphasizing how its action will help Black and Latino borrowers and those who went to community college, who are more likely to struggle with student loan debt. -The Hill "These actions are expected to provide significant relief to Black and Latino borrowers, borrowers who attended community college, and borrowers who are financially vulnerable because they took out debt but never had the chance to complete their degree," according to the administration.
'A Big Deal': Progressives Applaud New Biden Plan to Provide Student Debt Relief for Millions Organizers who have tirelessly pushed for student debt cancellation applauded on Monday as President Joe Biden—who years ago dismissed the proposal as "unrealistic"—announced a plan to help tens of millions of Americans burdened with educational debt.Biden announced his new plan at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his previous program, which would have provided relief to 40 million borrowers by canceling up to $20,000 in debt per person.Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director of the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) credited Biden with publicly resolving to find a solution for struggling Americans "only hours after the Supreme Court callously struck down his original debt relief program." The president's new plan would wipe out the entire debt amount held by about 4 million people, give debt relief of at least $5,000 to 10 million borrowers, and reduce the undergraduate and graduate student debt of 23 million people whose interest would be eliminated.The plan would allow millions of young people to "finally get on with their lives instead of their lives being put on hold," said the president.Student debt is "not just a drag on them, it's a drag on our local economies," Biden said in Madison. "When you can't afford to buy a home, start that small business, chase that career that you'd been dreaming about for a long time."Bañez said in addition to bringing "tens of millions of borrowers one step closer to realizing the life-changing impact of student debt cancellation," Biden's announcement "also offers a roadmap for how this administration should deal with a hostile Supreme Court majority captured by right-wing special interests.""Call the high court's bluff by aggressively using the full power of the law and delivering for working people," she said. "For too long, student debt has blocked homeownership, inhibited savings, limited career opportunities and economic mobility, and choked at the promise of entire generations. Taken together, the Biden administration's actions are setting a path to a debt-free, brighter economic future for more than 30 million Americans.""Now, the president must move fast and finish the job," she added.Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said pressure from "borrowers, activists, and progressives in Congress" pushed Biden to develop a new plan after his original program was struck down."Progressives were the earliest and loudest champions of student debt cancellation, and this president is delivering—despite Republican obstruction," she said. "We are proud to continue our partnership with the Biden administration on its implementation of this and other pathways to cancellation."The Biden administration said it expected Republicans to file legal challenges, which could prevent the new provisions from going into effect by the time Americans choose between Biden and former President Donald Trump in November."President Biden will use every tool available to cancel student loan debt for as many borrowers as possible no matter how many Republican officials stand in his way," Karine Jean Pierre, the White House press secretary, told The New York Times.
Rural COVID-19 patients have higher death rates following hospital stays, data reveal - A new analysis of US national data from researchers at the Mayo Clinic shows that patients from rural counties had higher death rates and trended toward higher readmission rates following COVID-19 hospitalization than those from urban counties. The difference persisted after the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines. The study is published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The researchers looked at outcomes through more than 600 days of follow-up. The 9,325 patients were hospitalized from March 2020 to July 2022 for COVID-19. Follow-up continued through May 2023. Among the patients, 31% were from 187 rural counties in 31 states, and 69% were from 234 urban counties in 44 states. The average age was 66 years for rural patients and 64 years for urban. A sensitivity analysis was carried out on data collected at 17 hospitals in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. "Patients from rural counties were more likely to be older, white, nonmarried (living alone), and current smokers compared to those from urban counties," the authors wrote. A total of 1,738 deaths occurred during study follow-up (21% of rural patients; 17% of urban). Overall, the study described a mortality rate of 19% within a 3.14-year follow-up period. Rural residence was associated with a 22% higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 1.34), and a 6% higher readmission rate, but that finding was not considered statistically significant (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.15). When hospitalized, rural patients were also treated more often with COVID-specific or repurposed drugs, including remdesivir (61% vs 56%), dexamethasone (62% vs 59%), and JAK1/2 inhibitors/interleukin-6 inhibitors (17% vs 15%). "The rural-urban difference in mortality remained consistent when analyzed by sex, marital statuses, pandemic year, admission service, and use of remdesivir and dexamethasone," the authors wrote. "The rural-urban disparity in mortality persisted in sensitivity analysis." The authors said rural residence remained a risk even in the post-vaccination landscape, because rural patients were still older and likely to report more comorbidities for severe COVID infection.
Younger people in wealthy New York City areas snatched up COVID vaccine reserved for seniors - Many younger people in high-income New York City neighborhoods accessed COVID-19 vaccinations before they were eligible, risking the lives of older people in low-income areas by pushing them down the queue, according to research in the Journal of Urban Health. Led by researchers at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and Columbia University, the study used linked data from the Census Bureau and New York City Health. Starting on December 14, 2020, New York administered vaccines to high-risk hospital workers, expanding to adults 70 years and older on January 4, 2021, 60 and older on March 10, 50 and older on March 23, and those 30 and older on March 30. In the first 3 months of COVID-19 vaccine availability, low-income neighborhoods with higher percentages of people 65 years and older had lower vaccine coverage (average vaccination rate, 52.8%; maximum coverage, 67.9%) than higher-income areas (average vaccination rate, 74.6%; maximum coverage in the wealthiest quintile, 99%). Over the year, low-income areas also had higher death rates. Despite limited vaccine availability, many younger people—especially in high-income neighborhoods—jumped the queue to get vaccinated before they were eligible (average coverage, 60% among residents 45 to 64 years in the most affluent quintile). A year later, when vaccines were broadly available, older residents' median vaccine uptake was 87%, including in the poorest area. "Our analysis provides clear evidence of why U.S. policymakers must target their distribution approach to providing access to lifesaving technologies in short supply, focusing first on those most at risk of severe morbidity and mortality," lead author Nina Schwalbe, of Columbia University, said in a Columbia news release.
Surveys spotlight pregnant women's drop in confidence over COVID vaccines - A new study details dramatically lower confidence in COVID-19 vaccine safety in pregnant and recently pregnant women in 2023 compared to 2021, despite evidence to the contrary, according to findings published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. The study was based on responses given in two survey waves from 2021 to 2023, with 1,227 total respondents. Wave 1 took place from October 2021 to February 2022, and wave 2 took place from November 2022 to February 2023Participants, members of the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), were asked about their vaccination status, race, ethnicity, and preferred language, as well as whether they somewhat or strongly agree with the statement that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.Overall, 76.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 71.5% to 82.2%) reported one or more COVID-19 vaccinations. All participants identified as female, and the average age was 31.7 years. A total of 356 (29.0%) identified as Black race, 555 (45.2%) identified as Hispanic ethnicity, and 445 (36.3%) preferred the Spanish language. Spanish-speaking Hispanic women had the highest self-reported rate of any COVID-19 vaccination, 86.9% (95% CI, 82.0% to 91.8%) in wave 1, and 84.2% (95% CI, 80.4% to 88.1%) in wave 2. The weighted estimates of somewhat or strongly agreeing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe decreased from wave 1 to 2 for respondents who reported having received at least one vaccine dose (76% in wave 1 compared to 50% in wave 2). Among non-Hispanic White respondents, the drop was from 72% to 43%; Spanish-speaking Hispanic respondents went from 76% vs 53%.
Those not vaccinated against COVID-19 more likely to be poorer, immigrants, study shows -A study today in CMAJ describes the characteristics of family practice physicians who see the largest share of patients unvaccinated against COVID-19, and reveals that the largest percentage practice in marginalized, lower-income neighborhoods. The study also suggests that family practice physicians who practice alone, without a team-based model, were less likely to have vaccinated patients. The study was based on 9,060 family physicians in Ontario who treat more than 10 million patients. Researchers looked at characteristics of the 10% of physicians who had the most unvaccinated patients as of November 1, 2021, when everyone in Canada was eligible for at least two doses of vaccine. Physicians with the largest proportion of unvaccinated patients were more likely to be male (64.6% vs 48.1%), to have trained outside of Canada (46.9% vs 29.3%), and to be older (mean age, 56 vs 49 years). More unvaccinated patients were recent immigrants to Canada, had higher rates of material deprivation, and had lower incomes, the authors said. Though family practice physicians were not the first line of COVID-19 vaccinators in Canada, their influence and recommendations shape patient care. "We know that relationships with trusted family physicians can positively influence patients' decisions," said senior author Noah Ivers, MD, in a CMAJ press release. "Our study highlights the need to create equitable systems and processes that create opportunities for primary care teams to play a crucial role in influencing both general and SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccine-related decision-making."
CDC Hid Finding Of Possible Link Between COVID Vaccines and Tinnitus -via Zero Hedge - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners uncovered signs that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines might cause the persistent condition called tinnitus but never disclosed the findings to the public, The Epoch Times can report. The signs were found while analyzing data from the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), which has been described as one of the stronger CDC surveillance systems because it utilizes health care records.The detection of the signs came just after the CDC told a reporter that there were no signs of large numbers of cases of tinnitus, which commonly manifests as a constant ringing in the head, following COVID-19 vaccination, documents obtained by The Epoch Times show.The CDC never updated the reporter, whose story reported that the CDC had not found a clustering of cases.The CDC declined to comment.The documents “prove that they were aware of a safety signal of tinnitus after the COVID-19 shots as early as 2022,”Dr. Joel Wallskog, co-chair of the advocacy group React19, told The Epoch Times via email. “However, to my knowledge, this safety signal was never communicated to the public and no further epidemiological study on tinnitus in VSD was ever completed.” The Epoch Times obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Popular Paper On Ivermectin And COVID-19 Contains False Information -via Zero Hedge - A popular study that claims ivermectin has shown no effectiveness against all-cause mortality contains false information but remains uncorrected. The meta-analysis, published in 2021 by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, explores how groups in randomized, controlled trials fared after receiving ivermectin compared to control groups.Among five trials included for the portion on all-cause mortality, none showed an effect for ivermectin, the authors claimed.Ivermectin “did not reduce all-cause mortality,” they wrote.But the claim is wrong. One of the five trials was described as finding ivermectin recipients were more likely to die, but actually found that ivermectin recipients were less likely to die. “The risk base estimation ... confirmed that the average mortality obtained in all of ivermectin treated arms was 3.3%, while it was about 18.3% in standard care and placebo arms,” the authors of that paper said. Dr. Adrian Hernandez, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy, and other authors of the meta-analysis are aware of the false information. The group released their study as a preprint before the journal published it. The first version included the false information. A corrected version properly portrayed the trial’s results for all-cause mortality in a figure summarizing the results, but still falsely said none of the trials showed a benefit against all-cause mortality. Dr. Hernandez and Clinical Infectious Diseases did not respond to requests for comment.
Study identifies inflammation and symptom patterns in long COVID - Scientists who studied the blood samples of patients hospitalized for COVID who months later developed long COVID found distinct inflammation patterns that were tied to different symptoms that could be targeted with existing treatments, researchers based in the United Kingdom reported yesterday in Nature Immunology.The team examined the blood work and clinical data of 426 people who were experiencing long COVID and who had been hospitalized at least 6 months earlier. They compared their blood findings to those of 233 patients who were hospitalized for COVID but didn't develop long COVID. The work of the research consortium was led by a team from Imperial College London (ICL).Compared to patients who recovered, long-COVID patients' immune system activation patterns included inflammation of myeloid cells and activation of a family of immune proteins called the complement system. Myeloid cells produce types of white blood cells that respond to damage and infection in organs and tissues. Overactivation of complement system has been linked to autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. In an ICL press release, Felicity Liew, MBBS, the study's first author who is with ICL's Heart and Lung Institute, said, "It is unusual to find evidence of ongoing complement activation several months after acute infection has resolved, suggesting that long COVID symptoms are a result of active inflammation. However, we can’t be sure that this is applicable to all types of long COVID, especially if symptoms occur after non-hospitalised infection." Researchers were also able to tease out a range of symptoms that patients experienced and identify ones that were most common. Certain symptom groups were associated with specific proteins. For example, people with gastrointestinal symptoms had increased levels of a marker called SCG3, which had earlier been linked to impaired communication between the gut and the brain.The investigators found five overlapping long-COVID symptom subtypes with different immune signatures: fatigue, cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression, cardiorespiratory, and gastrointestinal. The team emphasized, however, that the groups aren't mutually exclusive.
Blood donor study finds 21% incidence of long-term symptoms attributed to COVID-19 -- A new cross-sectional study in JAMA Internal Medicine of 238,828 blood donors finds that 43.3% of those with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection reported new long-term symptoms, compared with 22.1% without a history of infection."The difference in these proportions suggests that 21.2% of donors with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection likely experienced long-term symptoms attributed to their infection," the authors said. This is one of the first long COVID studies to compare those with a history of COVID infection and long-term symptoms to a non–SARS-CoV-2–infected control population. Such a comparison, the author said, helps to distinguish background prevalence of symptoms from those following COVID-19. The study included adult American Red Cross blood donors surveyed from February 22 to April 21, 2022. the survey asked about new long-term symptoms arising after March 2020, and their SARS-CoV-2 infection status.Fifty-eight percent of respondents were female, and the average age was 59 years. All participants also underwent at least one serologic test for antinucleocapsid antibodies from June 15, 2020, to December 31, 2021. Those antibodies appear in the blood only after COVID-19 infection and not following vaccination. The study authors defined long-term symptoms as those lasting 4 or more weeks after COVID-19 infection. In the surveys, long-term symptoms were grouped by system: neurologic, gastrointestinal, respiratory or cardiac, mental health, and other.Of the 83,015 people with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 43.3% reported new long-term symptoms compared with 22.1% of those without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.51 to 2.61).Being a woman and having history of chronic health conditions was associated with long COVID symptoms.Among blood donors with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, 23.6% reported long-term neurologic symptoms, 23.1% reported other symptoms (including changes in taste or smell), 15.8% reported respiratory or cardiac symptoms, 11.9% reported mental health symptoms, and 4.6% reported gastrointestinal symptomsLong-term symptoms in the "other" and the respiratory/cardiac categories were most associated with prior COVID-19 infection (AOR, 4.14; 95% CI, 4.03 to 4.25; and AOR, 3.21; 95% CI, 3.12 to 3.31, respectively).The two most common individual long-term symptoms among those with SARS-CoV-2 infection were difficulty thinking or concentrating (12.7%) and fatigue (11.1%). Six percent of those without a history of COVID-19 reported anxiety, making it the most common long-term symptom.
Hidden Long COVID crisis deepens in New Zealand - February 28 marked four years since COVID-19 was first reported in New Zealand. Today, the virus is still circulating, with new strains, including the more infectious variants like JN.1, having arrived two years after the Omicron variant became widespread. Initially, with strict border controls and lockdowns imposed by the Jacinda Ardern-led Labour Party government, New Zealand was largely successful keeping the pandemic at bay. However, under pressure from big business and the media, Ardern abandoned the government’s elimination policy in late 2021 and adopted the criminal “let it rip” agenda that has killed more than 27.4 million people globally. Last year Ardern’s successor, Chris Hipkins, announced the formal end of all remaining public health measures. The policy has been reinforced by the recently installed far-right National Party led coalition government. Health NZ last month declared that household contacts of people with COVID-19 no longer need to test daily unless they develop symptoms. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will likely only be available free until June, with the government non-committal about paying for more. On April 2, Health NZ declared that 3,399 new cases, of which 67 percent were reinfections, had been reported the previous week, with seven more deaths attributed to the virus. Nationwide wastewater readings suggest that the real number of cases is twice as high. Despite ongoing attempts by the political establishment to convince the population that the COVID pandemic is “over” or no worse than seasonal influenza, in 2023 the coronavirus caused more than 12,000 hospitalisations and 1,000 deaths. Total deaths in New Zealand attributed to COVID will pass 4,000 this week, but the real toll is likely higher. According to Health NZ there are 226 deaths that may or may not be COVID-related, and 1,773 people who died shortly after being infected with COVID, but whose deaths have been deemed unrelated to COVID. Otago University epidemiologist Michael Baker warned in the Conversation last month that a fifth wave of the virus, which entered the country during the summer, was significantly larger than the fourth wave, signaling that “we cannot rely on the comforting assumption that COVID will get less severe over time.” Baker condemned the “growing pandemic complacency” from political leaders and sections of the public. The government is doing its best to bury any evidence of the ongoing dangers. Last week Health Minister Shane Reti and Finance Minister Nicola Willis falsely claimed that they had established a Long COVID expert advisory group as part of the government’s response. Health NZ was forced to reveal the group was actually established in 2022 but disestablished the same year. International evidence indicates that between 5 to 15 percent of all infections can lead to Long COVID, which can persist for up to four years, with symptoms that fluctuate from mild to severe. With every re-infection, the chances of developing Long COVID increase, and there is no known cure.
US drugs with noted supply-chain risks 5 times more likely to go into shortage in early COVID --In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, US prescription drugs flagged for potential supply-chain disruptions were nearly five times more likely to go into shortage than those without such warnings, finds a University of Pittsburgh–led study.For the study, published today in JAMA Network Open, the researchers used the IQVIA Multinational Integrated Data Analysis database to match 571 drugs with supply-chain disruption reports to 7,296 control drugs without such reports from 2017 to 2021. Shortages were defined as at least a 33% drop in drug units sold within 6 months of a supply chain–disruption report to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Examples of such reports include those involving quality problems (eg, microbial contamination), unforeseen circumstances (eg, natural disasters), and discontinuation."Drug shortages have reached record highs," the study authors noted. "Shortages have been associated with missed or delayed dosages, medication errors, increased spending, and death." After adjustment for drug characteristics, 13.7% of supply chain issue reports were linked to subsequent drug shortages vs 4.1% of controls (marginal odds ratio [mOR], 3.7). From February to April 2020, 34.2% of drugs with supply chain reports and 9.5% of control drugs experienced shortages (mOR, 4.9), but they returned to prepandemic levels by May 2020 (9.8% of drugs with reports and 3.6% of controls; mOR, 2.9). There were significant differences by formulation (non-oral mOR, 1.9 vs oral mOR, 5.4), World Health Organization (WHO) essential medicine status (essential mOR, 2.2 vs nonessential mOR, 4.6), and brand-versus-generic status (brand-name mOR, 8.1 vs generic mOR, 2.4).Drug makers didn't cite a reason for the disruption on 264 reports (36%), with the percentage of reports with unknown or unspecified reasons climbing to 42% from February to April 2020 and 47% after May. During the total study period, more than half of reports were due to recalls or discontinuations (68%), mostly owing to quality problems.
US respiratory virus activity declines, with few hot spots reported -Activity from the three main respiratory viruses continues to decline in the United States, with one of the main flu markers—outpatient visits for flulike illness—now below the national baseline for the first time since October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates for flu, COVID, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).Only one jurisdiction—North Dakota— reported high respiratory virus activity last week, down from six the previous week, the CDC said in its respiratory virus snapshot. No locations reported "very high" activity.In its weekly FluView report, the CDC said activity is still elevated but continues to decline, with other indicators such as test positivity and hospitalizations also heading downward. Three areas of the country are still above their regional baselines for outpatient visits: the upper and central Midwest and the Northeast. Five more pediatric flu deaths were reported, raising the season's total to 138. The deaths occurred between the middle of February and the end of March. Two were due to influenza A, and three were linked to influenza B. COVID data updates today from the CDC show declining trends for severity markers such as hospitalizations and deaths as well as for early indicators, which include emergency department visits and test positivity. Also, the CDC said wastewater SARS-CoV-2 detections remain low.Also today, the CDC updated its SARS-CoV-2 variant proportions, which show that JN.1 is still dominant, at 83.7%, with slowly rising proportions of one of its offshoots, JN.1.13. The proportion of JN.1.13 viruses rose from 6.5% to 9.1% over the past 2 weeks.
Quick takes: US measles cases top 100, WHO extends polio emergency | CIDRAP
- In its latest weekly update the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 16 more measles cases, raising the national total to 113. The number of affected jurisdictions remained at 18. Of the 113 cases, 83 (73%) are related to outbreaks, seven of which have been reported so far. Sixty-five people were hospitalized for measles complications, with the highest percentages in young children and adults. Of the outbreak total, 83% of people were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. For comparison, the CDC reported 58 cases for all of last year, of which 28 (48%) were part of four outbreaks.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) polio emergency committee met for the 38th time on March 20 to assess the latest developments and recommended that the situation still warrants a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), which was declared in May 2014. In a statement today, the WHO said some of the factors involved in extending the health emergency include wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) infections in critical areas and historic reservoirs in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with lineages seen in Afghanistan in 2022 now being detected in Pakistan in 2023 and 2024. Also, the agency said the risk of further spread of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) remains high, with ongoing cross-border detections in Africa and a new emergence in South Sudan, despite never having used the oral poliovirus type 2 vaccine. The group also noted that vaccination gaps are still a threat, given weak routine immunization and lack of access in northern Yemen and Somalia, which have large unvaccinated populations.
CDC: Spike in measles cases poses threat to US elimination status A rapid rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024 threatens the United States' elimination status, a situation the nation hasn't faced since 2019, when prolonged outbreaks posed a similar problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.CDC scientists from the group spelled out the warning today inMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). In their analysis of measles activity from January 1, 2020, to March 28, 2024, they said cases in the first quarter of 2024 have risen 17-fold compared to the mean first-quarter average from 2020 to 2023.As of the March 28 data cutoff, 97 cases had been reported to the CDC. In its latest update, which includes infections reported through April 4, the CDC confirmed 113 cases from 18 jurisdictions. Of 20 outbreaks involving 3 or more cases reported since 2020, 7 have occurred in 2024.Maintaining measles elimination status—which helps reduce cases, deaths, and costs—means that no outbreaks have persisted for 12 months or more in a setting where the surveillance system is working well. The last threat to US elimination status occurred in 2019, which saw two prolonged outbreaks in undervaccinated communities in New York City and elsewhere in New York state.
On-time childhood vaccination linked to family income In JAMA Network Open, a study todaydemonstrates that receipt of the recommended combined seven-vaccine series in US kids increased from 22.5% in 2011 to 35.6% in 2021. But improvements in on-time vaccination rates were lower for children from lower-income families and those without private health insurance, showing a link between vaccine coverage and household income. The immunization schedule recommended in the United States says vaccinations, including diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (four doses), inactivated poliovirus (three doses), measles-mumps-rubella (one dose), hepatitis B (three doses), Haemophilus influenzae type b (three or four doses, depending on brand), varicella (one dose), and pneumococcal conjugate (four doses) should be provided at birth and ages 2, 4, 6, 12 to 15, and 15 to 18 months.The study was based on vaccination timeliness for US children aged 0 to 19 months using data from the annual National Immunization Survey–Child (NIS-Child) conducted from 2011 through 2021. Included in the survey were 179,154 children, 31.4% of whom lived above the federal poverty level (more than $75,000 in annual family income), 32.4% lived at or above the poverty level ($75,000 or less), and 30.2% lived below the poverty level.Children whose families had more than $75,000 in annual income had a 4.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0% to 5.2%) mean annual increase in on-time vaccination. The mean annual increase was 2.8% (95% CI, 2.0% to 3.6%) for children living at or above the poverty level, and 2.0% (95% CI, 1.0% to 3.0%) for children living below the poverty level."The rate of improvement was greater for children from higher-income families and with private health insurance, compared with children from lower-income families or those with Medicaid insurance, respectively. As a result, disparities in vaccination timeliness by socioeconomic indicators widened over the 11-year period," the authors said.
Food supplement fails to reduce recurrent urinary tract infections - A potential antibiotic-sparing strategy for women with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) failed to move the needle in a randomized controlled trial, British researchers reported yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine.The food supplement D-mannose is a simple sugar found in many fruits and vegetables that has shown potential efficacy in preventing UTIs in animal models and some clinical studies. Researchers have suspected D-mannose might work by preventing bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract and could be an alternative to daily prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics, a common approach that comes with the risk of adverse effects and subsequent drug-resistant UTIs.The over-the-counter supplement is one of several approaches that researchers have considered for reducing an infection that affects nearly half of all women—25% of whom go on to have recurrent infections—and is a significant driver of antibiotic use. But in a trial conducted at primary care centers in the United Kingdom, researchers found that, compared with placebo, daily intake of the supplement over 6 months failed to reduce the proportion of women who had a history of rUTIs from experiencing a subsequent UTI enough to warrant recommending it.
Report details health, economic impact of inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene in hospitals - New research conducted in seven sub-Saharan African counties highlights the health and financial impact of inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities.In a report published late last week, non-governmental organization WaterAid estimated that inadequate WASH in healthcare facilities in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia contributed to 2.6 billion healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and 277,160 excess deaths in 2022. At least 50% of the HCAIs are believed to have been caused by antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria.The economic costs of these infections is estimated to range from 2.5% to 10.9% of the healthcare budgets in the seven countries, while lost wages and productivity due to infections accounted for 0.4% to 2.9% of the countries' gross domestic product. The report notes that globally, nearly 4 million people—predominantly those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—lack basic hygiene services at their healthcare facility, and one in five lack basic water services. Inadequate WASH at healthcare facilities in LMICs contributes to a rate of HCAIs that is more than twice that of high-income countries (15.5% vs 7.6%)."The major transmission pathway for HCAIs is lack of cleanliness and hygiene measures provided during the delivery of healthcare," the report states. "Beyond the health impacts, poor WASH in HCF [healthcare facilities] has additional negative consequences as it relates to other aspects of quality care, including patient satisfaction, dignified and respectful care, future healthcare seeking behaviours and healthcare worker morale, motivation and retention, all of which ultimately impact health outcomes."WaterAid says the problem is likely to get worse as AMR rates rise, and argues that the less than US$1 per capita needed to provide basic wash services at healthcare facilities in these countries would be covered by savings from a reduction in the medical costs associated with HAIs. The group calls on national governments to develop a dedicated budget line for WASH in healthcare facilities and urges donors, G7 countries, and multilateral financing institutions to prioritize WASH when working with national governments in LMICs.
PAHO issues alert about drug-resistant Campylobacter cases -- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) last week urged member states to be on alert for cases of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) and outbreaks in high-risk populations. Citing a February outbreak of drug-resistant Campylobacter in 13 MSM in Minnesota, as well as and multiple small outbreaks in MSM in Canada dating back to 1999, PAHO encouraged member states in an information note to be vigilant in cases of MSM presenting with diarrhea with dysentery features. "While reporting of Campylobacter outbreaks in MSM in the Americas is not alarmingly frequent at present, the cases were associated with a high rate of antimicrobial resistance," PAHO said. "Therefore, Member States are encouraged to maintain surveillance for outbreaks of diarrhea, particularly in MSM populations."Although Campylobacter is most commonly known as a foodborne bacterial pathogen that causes diarrhea, it is among the species of enteric pathogens that is also known to be transmitted among MSM through oral and anal sex and is frequently associated with resistance to commonly used antibiotics. PAHO recommended providing counseling to MSM on the risks of transmitting enteric pathogens during sexual activity and when to seek treatment for dysentery symptoms.The note also urged member states to be on the lookout for unusual increases in Campylobacter infections in high-risk populations such as people ages 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
- A recent human H9 avian flu case in Vietnam, the country's first, has now been confirmed as H9N2, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in an update. The 37-year-old man lives near a poultry market, though there were no reports of sick or dead birds, according to earlier report. The CDC said the patient, who had underlying health conditions, remains hospitalized for monitoring and treatment. It added that H9N2 infections in people, typically mild and limited to the upper respiratory tract, remain sporadic, with more than 100 cases reported globally since 1998. The virus circulates in poultry as a low-pathogenic virus in many world regions and is the most commonly identified avian flu virus in Vietnam.
- China has reported a third human H10N3 avian flu case, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in its weekly communicable disease update, which cites an April 10 preprint report on the case from a team from China. The patient is a 51-year-old man from Yunnan province who had contact with poultry before he became ill in late February. He was hospitalized on March 6 and remains in critical condition. No other cases among his contacts were identified. The two earlier cases were in Jiangsu province in 2021 and in Zhejiang province in 2022. All three patients infected with H10N3 had severe illnesses.
- One country reported a new polio case this week, Afghanistan with its second wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of the year, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said in its latest weekly update. Afghanistan is one of two countries where WPV1 is still endemic. The latest case involves a patient from Nuristan province in the eastern part of the country.
WHO warns about rising viral hepatitis deaths - Global deaths from viral hepatitis are rising, despite progress with prevention and better tools for diagnosis and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today in its annual hepatitis report, which it released at the World Hepatitis Summit. New data show that deaths rose from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. Hepatitis is the second-leading infectious disease cause of death, with levels about the same as tuberculosis, another leading cause of infectious disease fatalities. Of hepatitis deaths, 83% were due to hepatitis B, with 17% related to hepatitis C. The WHO estimates that 3,500 people die each day from their hepatitis B or C infections.The WHO said half of the disease burden is in adults ages 30 to 54, with men accounting for 58% of cases.Also, disease burden varies by region, with 10 countries making up nearly two thirds of global viral hepatitis cases: Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam. Though affordable generic treatments are available, many countries haven't procured them, and problems with access are made worse by pricing disparities and centralized service delivery, the WHO said.The agency said achieving the elimination goal by 2030 is still possible, and it detailed several steps for accelerating the process, including streamlining service delivery and mobilizing innovative financing.In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said, "WHO is committed to supporting countries to use all the tools at their disposal—at access prices—to save lives and turn this trend around."
Lunchables found to contain relatively high lead levels - The popular kids snack Lunchables contains relatively high levels of lead and sodium, a consumer watchdog group warned Tuesday.Consumer Reports (CR), a consumer advocacy group, said it tested 12 store-bought versions of Lunchables — which are made by Kraft Heinz — along with similar lunch and snack kits and found “relatively high levels of lead and cadmium” in the Lunchables kits.Cadmium is a chemical element linked to negative effects on the kidney and the skeletal and respiratory systems and is classified as a human carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization.There is not a safe level of lead for children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.The sodium levels in the kits ranged from 460 to 740 milligrams per serving, nearly a quarter to half of a child’s daily recommended limit for sodium, CR said.All but one of the kits contained harmful phthalates — chemicals found in plastic that can be linked to reproductive issues, diabetes and some cancers.When testing the Lunchables kits distributed by schools under the National School Lunch Program, CR found the sodium levels in these kits, which have larger portions of meat, are higher than the store-bought versions. The school version of the turkey and cheddar lunch had 930 milligrams of sodium, while the Lunchables pizza kit for schools had 700 milligrams of sodium. A spokesperson for Kraft Heinz said Lunchables products provide a “good source of protein” and offer nutrients through meat and cheeses. “We’ve taken great steps to improve the nutrition profile of Lunchables,” the spokesperson said, pointing to the reduction of sodium in the crackers by 26 percent.
Study finds nearly 70 percent of Chicago’s children under six are exposed to lead contaminated drinking water Last month’s publication by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the pediatric section of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) exposing the long-standing and high prevalence of lead in Chicago’s drinking water should stand as an indictment of the city’s Democratic political leadership that has done little to address this public health issue. Close to 70 percent of Chicago’s children under the age of six live in homes containing detectable levels of lead in their drinking water. To perform their analysis, the researchers utilized artificial intelligence machine learning techniques to estimate levels of lead in tap water across Chicago households, utilizing results in tests conducted in nearly 40,000 homes from 2016 to 2023. The study also found that almost 10 percent of homes had levels above the 15 parts per billion (PPB) that is the “action level” of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for lead in drinking water. Benjamin Huynh, PhD, lead author of the study, said of the results, “The extent of lead contamination of tap water in Chicago is disheartening—it’s not something we should be seeing in 2024.” However, Chicago is not unique in America in this regard. A March 2022 paper published in PNAS by Princeton University researchers estimated that over 170 million Americans alive today had previously been exposed in early childhood to high lead levels. Besides Chicago, high levels of lead have been found in tap water in Baltimore, Detroit, Milwaukee, Newark, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C., according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Lead service lines per state [Photo: Natural Resources Defense Council] In their analysis of EPA data published in 2021, the NRDC showed that between 2018 and 2020, almost 190 million people drank water from drinking water systems with detectable lead levels above one PPB. More than 61 million drank water exceeding the five PPB maximum set by the Food and Drug Administration for bottled water. Finally, 7 million people were drinking water with more than 15 PPB of lead. Current guidance by the EPA and health experts has emphasized there is no level of lead in drinking water that can be regarded as safe.
New EPA rule say West Virginia and Ohio River Valley chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer (AP) — More than 200 chemical plants nationwide will be required to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer under a new rule issued Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The rule advances President Joe Biden’s commitment to environmental justice by delivering critical health protections for communities burdened by industrial pollution from ethylene oxide, chloroprene and other dangerous chemicals, officials said.Areas that will benefit from the new rule include majority-Black neighborhoods outside New Orleans that EPA Administrator Michael Regan visited as part of his 2021 Journey to Justice tour. The rule will significantly reduce emissions of chloroprene and other harmful pollutants at the Denka Performance Elastomer facility in LaPlace, Louisiana, the largest source of chloroprene emissions in the country, Regan said.When combined with a rule issued last month cracking down on ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizers used to clean medical equipment, the new rule will reduce ethylene oxide and chloroprene emissions by nearly 80%, officials said. The rule will apply to 218 facilities spread across Texas and Louisiana, the Ohio River Valley, West Virginia and the upper South, the EPA said. The action updates several regulations on chemical plant emissions that have not been tightened in nearly two decades.Democratic Rep. Troy Carter, whose Louisiana district includes the Denka plant, called the new rule “a monumental step” to safeguard public health and the environment.“Communities deserve to be safe. I’ve said this all along,” Carter told reporters at a briefing Monday. “It must begin with proper regulation. It must begin with listening to the people who are impacted in the neighborhoods, who undoubtedly have suffered the cost of being in close proximity of chemical plants — but not just chemical plants, chemical plants that don’t follow the rules.”Carter said it was “critically important that measures like this are demonstrated to keep the confidence of the American people.”The new rule will slash more than 6,200 tons (5,624 metric tonnes) of toxic air pollutants annually and implement fenceline monitoring, the EPA said, addressing health risks in surrounding communities and promoting environmental justice in Louisiana and other states. The Justice Department sued Denka last year, saying it had been releasing unsafe concentrations of chloroprene near homes and schools. Federal regulators had determined in 2016 that chloroprene emissions from the Denka plant were contributing to the highest cancer risk of any place in the United States. Denka, a Japanese company that bought the former DuPont rubber-making plant in 2015, said it “vehemently opposes” the EPA’s latest action. “EPA’s rulemaking is yet another attempt to drive a policy agenda that is unsupported by the law or the science,” Denka said in a statement, adding that the agency has alleged its facility “represents a danger to its community, despite the facility’s compliance with its federal and state air permitting requirements.” The Denka plant, which makes synthetic rubber, has been at the center of protests over pollution in majority-Black communities and EPA efforts to curb chloroprene emissions, particularly in the Mississippi River Chemical Corridor, an 85-mile (137-kilometer) industrial region known informally as Cancer Alley. Denka said it already has invested more than $35 million to reduce chloroprene emissions. The EPA, under pressure from local activists, agreed to open a civil rights investigation of the plant to determine if state officials were putting Black residents at increased cancer risk. But in June the EPA dropped its investigation without releasing any official findings and without any commitments from the state to change its practices.
Norfolk Southern avoids admission of wrongdoing in settlement on East Palestine, Ohio derailment - Class I railroad Norfolk Southern avoided any admission of wrongdoing in a $600 million class action settlement reached Tuesday with the victims of last year’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The February 2023 derailment, and subsequent deliberate release and burn of toxic chemicals by the railroad, poisoned the entire town of of 4,600 people and the surrounding area. The cost of the settlement will be seen by management as a one-off, merely the cost of doing business. It is less than its $808 million in earnings from the fourth quarter alone last year, a total which includes a $150 million charge associated with the costs of the derailment. The company has spent $1.1 billion in total costs related to the cleanup, including a meager $104 million in aid so far to residents. The settlement money will be available to those who live within 10 miles of the accident site. According to statements to the press, payouts to claimants will not even begin until toward the end of the year, nearly two years after the disaster. Meanwhile, derailments at Norfolk Southern and other US railroads continue apace, while the average speed of Norfolk Southern trains has crept up to 21.9 miles per hour, according to the Associated Press. Last month, a collision involving three Norfolk Southern trains sent locomotives into the Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River which passes by the city of Philadelphia. There is no question that in East Palestine, Norfolk Southern is responsible for one of the worst environmental disasters in recent memory in the United States. It was caused by a defective axle on a train car which overheated and caught fire, leading to the derailment of approximately 50 cars, including several carrying highly toxic vinyl chloride. In an effort to reopen the tracks as soon as possible, and falsely claiming that several cars were at risk of an explosion, the company carried out what it called a “controlled release and burn” of vinyl chloride from several cars. The resulting fire led to a massive smoke plume and the release of carcinogens such as dioxins into the air, soil and water of the region. Meanwhile, more than a year after the incident, residents still report serious health problems. One independent investigation noted by NewsNation found that 80 percent of respondents reported upper respiratory symptoms within a mile of the accident, and three out of four reported at least one new health symptom. Once again, a corporation in the US is being let off the hook for a disaster caused by the ruthless pursuit of profits. Massive cuts to maintenance and workforce levels in the railroad industry, one of the most profitable industries in America, contribute to a situation where derailments occur on average three times a day nationwide. Local residents spoke with contempt toward the settlement. Ashley McCollum lived with her family just two blocks from the crash site. Over the past year they have been living much of the time in a hotel until Norfolk Southern stopped paying for the living expenses without explanation. “My house was independently tested, and I have chemicals in it. I still get sick when I go there,” she said. “I still don’t feel safe living there or selling it. That’s a weight I shouldn’t have to carry. If this was being made right, my house should be tested properly to let me make the right choices to move on.” Another resident who asked not to be named said, “We have a horrible chemical cocktail to deal with on land, in our water and through the air, not to mention the byproducts of what was created in the fires both from the derailment and the ‘controlled’ release. “I do not believe we are okay now, and I do not believe we will be okay in the future. I have lost my sense of security in so many ways. The question is how do we make Norfolk Southern accountable? How are members of our community made whole?”
EPA sets first-ever national limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water -The Biden administration on Wednesday set the first-ever national limits for toxic and pervasive ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water. The administration’s action seeks to reduce the amount of chemicals belonging to a class known as PFAS in drinking water. These substances, which have been used to make waterproof and nonstick products, have seeped into a significant portion of the nation’s water. They have been linked to increased risk of prostate, kidney and testicular cancer, weakened immune systems, developmental delays in children, decreased fertility and high blood pressure in people who are pregnant. They have been nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they tend to persist in nature instead of breaking down. While some states had previously set their own limits for the amount of PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, that can be in drinking water, there was previously no restriction that applied nationwide. The EPA said that its rule will reduce exposure to these substances for about 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses. “Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan in a written statement. “Today, I am proud to finalize this critical piece of our [PFAS] Roadmap, and in doing so, save thousands of lives and help ensure our children grow up healthier,” Regan added. The rule is only expected to apply to public drinking water systems and not the water of people who use private wells. The agency estimated that between 6 percent and 10 percent of the nation’s drinking water systems will have to take action to meet the standards. Water systems will have three years to monitor for the chemicals. If they find levels above the EPA’s standards, they will have to implement a system to reduce them within five years. In addition to the limit on PFAS, the administration announced that $1 billion will be available through the bipartisan infrastructure law to help both water systems and private wells address PFAS. A lawsuit between polluters and drinking water providers were recently settled, with 3M expected to pay more than $10 billion while DuPont and its spinoffs are expected to pay a combined $1.2 billion. While there are thousands of types of PFAS, the EPA’s rule applies to just a handful. Though some of the technologies that are used to filter them from drinking water may also reduce the presence of other types.
More than two dozen Colorado water systems exceed EPA's new limits on 'forever chemicals' --Twenty-nine of the more than 2,000 water treatment facilities in Colorado do not meet strict new federal limits on the amount of dangerous "forever chemicals" in their drinking water supplies and it will cost millions to clean those toxins out of the water. The public water systems that do not meet new standards of 4 parts per trillion for the chemicals, which generally are referred to as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, include the cities of Brighton, Thornton and Keenesburg, as well as water districts in Boulder, Douglas and Jefferson counties, according to a status report from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The state report does not specify how much PFAS has been found in those 29 water systems, only that they exceed the "minimum reporting level." Denver's water system does not have current detections of PFAS, but the city's water has not been sampled since 2020, which is the case for dozens of Colorado water districts, according to state health department's status report. For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced strict limits on the amount of forever chemicals that will be allowed in the nation's drinking water systems. The agency estimates that nationally, 6% to 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems may fall short of the new standards. Testing and public reporting must begin in three years, and utilities must install treatment systems by 2029, according to the EPA's announcement. Officials with the state Department of Public Health and Environment said they will work with the various Colorado water districts to help them comply by the federal deadline.The EPA also announced on Wednesday that it would award nearly $1 billion to states so public water districts can test and treat the water they provide to customers. Colorado is slated to receive $41 million to test and clean drinking water, according to a chart provided by the EPA. PFAS chemicals are used in products such as firefighting foam, makeup, cookware, carpets, clothes and ski wax to make things stain-resistant or non-stick. They are toxic to humans and can cause cancer, impair fertility and harm the liver. They leach into groundwater, creeks, lakes and canals that supply water for human consumption and agriculture.
Thames Water set to collapse as UK’s rivers and seas flooded with sewage by private operators -- Thames Water is seeking either a taxpayer-funded bailout or a massive hike in customer bills, plus reduced fines for environmental breaches, to satisfy its investors. Cutting through the business jargon, its executives are essentially demanding workers pay the super-rich more money to pump more untreated sewage into Britain’s seas and rivers. Thames Water provides water and wastewater services for 16 million people in the UK. Parent company Kemble Water Holdings was told by auditors in December that it could run out of money in April trying to service Thames Water’s £18 billion mountain of debt—80 percent of the value of the company. Investors offered to provide £500 million upfront and a further £3 billion if regulator Ofwat agreed to let the company raise bills by 40 percent and begin paying internal dividends to Kemble. Attempting to force the issue, investors took the £500 million off the table last month, leading to Kemble missing a debt interest payment on a £400 million bond, asking creditors not to take action against the company, and announcing it could not repay a £190 million loan due to mature at the end of April. Ofwat is to make a draft decision in June and a final one at the beginning of 2025. The Conservative government has drawn up contingency rescue plans. According to the Daily Telegraph, after speaking with a Whitehall source, “If Thames Water is put into special administration, it is estimated that as much as £5bn of financial support would be needed from the outset ‘just to keep the lights on’.” The company’s finances are almost as much of a mess as the waters it has been relentlessly polluting for years. It was criticised and fined repeatedly throughout the 2010s for sewage spills, but the full scale of the problem has only recently come to light. Since 2020, the company has pumped at least 72 billion litres of sewage into the River Thames that runs through London, equating to 29,000 Olympic swimming pools. Figures released last month by the Environment Agency showed the company recorded a 163 percent increase in the number of hours it pumped raw sewage into rivers and seas in 2023—over 196,000 hours. The scandal blighted the genteel occasion of the Oxford-Cambridge boat race this year, with competitors given safety instructions after campaign group River Action warned of “alarmingly high levels of dangerous E. coli bacteria” present in the Thames between Putney and Mortlake where the annual event takes place. Three members of the Oxford team were infected with the bacteria in the run-up to the event. Lenny Jenkins of the Oxford team explained, “We’ve had a few guys go down pretty badly with E. coli strain… It would have been ideal not to have so much poo in the water.”
EU to make pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries pay for treating water --The European Union's parliament Wednesday approved a package of rules that will make the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries cover more of the costs of cleaning up their wastewaters. With a vote of 481 in favor and 79 against, with 26 abstentions, Europe's parliament rubber-stamped an accord it reached late January with member states. The text, which revises rules in place since 1991, drastically lowers to 1,000 inhabitants the threshold at which towns will be required by 2035 to eliminate all biodegradable organic materials before they can release their treated used waters into the environment. Towns with more than 150,000 inhabitants will by 2039 have to remove all nitrogen and phosphorous, and by 2045 a wide range of micropollutants. Most importantly, the package establishes the principle of "the polluter pays" by imposing greater contributions from the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. According to the EU, 59 percent of micropollutants in water treatment stations come from pharmaceutical producers and 14 percent from cosmetics. These two sectors will be asked to cover 80 percent of the extra investments needed to eliminate micropollutants, with the remaining 20 percent covered by member states. The European Commission initially wanted industry to cover the full cost, but it dialed back its demands under pressure from the parliament and industry lobbyists. The package must still be officially approved by the EU's member states.
Vietnam reports its first human infection from H9 avian flu virus 0Vietnam's health ministry over the weekend reported a human H9 avian flu case, which involves a 37-year-old man from Tien Giang province in the southern part of the country, according to official statements translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog. The man's symptoms began on March 10, and 6 days later he sought care at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where he was diagnosed as having severe viral pneumonia. Initial tests were positive for influenza A, but with gene segments similar to the H9 avian flu subtype. His sample was sent to the city's Pasteur Institute for follow-up testing and virus subtyping. An investigation revealed that the man lived adjacent to a poultry market, but there were no reports of sick or dead birds near the family's home. No similar symptoms have been found during monitoring of the man's contacts, and no respiratory illness outbreaks have been reported in his community.The ministry noted that 98 H9N2 cases have been reported in the Western Pacific region since 2015. Two of the infections were fatal, and both involved people who had underlying illnesses. It added that H9N2 has been found in Vietnamese poultry before. It is considered a low-pathogenic virus and usually causes only mild symptoms in birds.
Will Human-to-Human Bird Flu (H5N1) Be the Long-Awaited "Disease X?" -- Lambert Strether - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1(“Bird Flu”)[1], which is global, rapidly spreading, and “highly pathogenic,” is now infecting cattle, and (in the United States) at least one human. (Bird flu first emerged in China in 1996 in geese; from a useful potted history). The New York Times asks: “Is Bird Flu Coming to People Next? Are We Ready?” The deck, and I’m throwing a flag for a gross violation of Betteridge’s Law: “Unlike the coronavirus, the H5N1 virus has been studied for years. Vaccines and treatments are available should they ever become necessary.” Well, let’s hope so. However, I’m reluctant to attribute the miserably inadequate performance of our public health establishment on Covid to the virus not having been “studied”[2]. Influenza has been around a long time. The literature is vast, and I’m not going to try to summarize it today. (I encourage readers to expand on the science as needed, or correct me.) Rather, I will focus on bird flu institutional players, press coverage of bird flu spread and tranmission in mammals, and spillover (“zoonotic transmission”) from birds to mammals to humans (we being also mammals). I will close with a quick look at whether “Bird Flu” could be “Disease X”, which is how the major players frame the problem — and, no doubt, the opportunities — of a really badpandemic.Here is a close reading of CDC’s guidance for workers on bird flu: “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus: Identification of Human Infection and Recommendations for Investigations and Response“: To reduce the risk of HPAI A(H5N1) virus infection, poultry farmers and poultry workers, backyard bird flock owners, livestock farmers and workers, veterinarians and veterinary staff, and responders should wear recommended PPE (e.g., the same PPE is recommended for persons exposed to any confirmed or potentially infected animals as for exposed poultry workers; for specific recommendations see: PPE recommended for poultry workers). This includes wearing an N95[1]™ filtering facepiece respirator, eye protection, and gloves and performing thorough hand washing after contact, when in direct physical contact, or during close exposure[2] to sick or dead birds or other animals, carcasses, feces, unpasteurized (raw) milk, or litter from sick birds or other animals confirmed to be or potentially infected with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses. The only material I’ve seen on bird flu transmission in mammals comes from dairy (and not beef) cattle. From Science, “Bird flu may be spreading in cows via milking and herd transport“:The avian virus may not be spreading directly from cows breathing on cows, as some researchers have speculated, according to USDA scientists who took part in the meeting, organized jointly by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the United Nations’s Food and Agricultural Organization. “We haven’t seen any true indication that the cows are actively shedding virus and exposing it directly to other animals,” said USDA’s Mark Lyons, who directs ruminant health for the agency and presented some of its data. The finding might also point to ways to protect humans. So far one worker at a dairy farm with infected cattle was found to have the virus, but no other human cases have been confirmed.USDA researchers tested milk, nasal swabs, and blood from cows at affected dairies and only found clear signals of the virus in the milk. “Right now, we don’t have evidence that the virus is actively replicating within the body of the cow other than the udder,” From the Journal of Experimental Medicine, “Mammalian infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses renew concerns of pandemic potential” (2023): During 2020, a subclade of 2.3.4.4 viruses paired with an N1 NA called 2.3.4.4b emerged and started to spread to many parts of the world including Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. These viruses have devastated wild bird populations and caused outbreaks in domestic poultry. Notably, they have also caused infections in various small mammals, including badgers, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, ferrets, fisher cats, foxes, leopards, opossums, pigs, raccoons, skunks, sea lions, and wild otters. Most of these have been “dead end” infections and are attributed to direct contact, from animals preying on and ingesting infected birds. However, two recent reports of H5N1 outbreaks in New England seals (Puryear et al., 2023) and on a mink farm in Spain (Agüero et al., 2023) mark the first H5N1 infections potentially involving mammal-to-mammal transmission, renewing concerns that the virus could be poised for spillover into humans. If confirmed, this is particularly concerning as the capacity to transmit between mammals has not been associated with H5N1 viruses previously, and it would suggest that clade 2.3.4.4b viruses may also have an increased capacity to cause human infection. In the absence of population immunity in humans and ongoing evolution and spread of the virus, clade 2.3.4.4b H5 viruses could cause an influenza pandemic if they acquired the ability to transmit efficiently among humans. From 2020 to date, six detections or infections in humans by clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses have been reported to the WHO. Four were asymptomatic or mild, and two cases were associated with severe disease (World Health Organization, 2022).However, the mode of transmission has not yet been established. From the European Food Safety Authority, “The role of mammals in Avian Influenza: a review” (2024). A systematic review:The risk of infection was identified mainly as predation (or feeding) upon infected birds or contact with avian species. Evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission in the wild is only circumstantial and yet to be confirmed.
H5N1 avian flu virus found in cattle across six US states -- Since the confirmation of infections with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, also referred to as H5N1 and bird flu, among dairy cows from Texas and Kansas in late March, the virus has been detected in 16 herds from six states: Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Idaho, and most recently, Ohio. This also includes detection of the virus in an animal handler in Texas whose only symptom was eye inflammation, a condition known as conjunctivitis. However, Reuters recently reported that the outbreak of influenza among cattle may have started much earlier in the month when “a mysterious illness affected about 40 percent of the state’s dairy herds,” according to Texas’ Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Testing for Influenza was not routine, but now he suspects that it was the bird flu. “We were testing for every cattle disease we could think of and then somebody said, ‘What are all these dead birds doing around the dairies?’” The latest outbreak of avian influenza is the same strain that has caused the spread of the virus across the globe since late 2020, killing millions of birds and crossing over to affect multiple mammalian species, including sea lions, minks, grizzly bears, red foxes, coyotes, seals, and dolphins. In October 2023, Alaska reported the first polar bear case, believed to be caused by the animal scavenging bird carcasses and consuming one infected with H5N1. Since 2022, more than 65 million birds and poultry have been culled in the US. Most recently, egg producer Cal-Maine said last week that a positive test at one of their Texas egg farms forced the company to cull 1.6 million laying hens. The addition of infected bovines marks the first time that the virus has been identified in these animals. The disease appears to be mild in cattle, causing a transient decline in their appetites, lower milk production and symptoms like low-grade fever and lethargy. Migratory waterfowl infected with the virus have been blamed for the avian-flu outbreak in Texas. An infected bird can release viruses through its saliva and feces for up to 10 days. Contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated by their droppings, saliva or feathers appear to be the biggest risk factor for contracting avian influenza. These birds are expected to make their way up north into Canadian forests and lakes to their nesting grounds. Although the HPAI virus has been detected in cattle, it has yet to be determined if there has been respiratory transmission among cattle or from infected cattle to the worker with conjunctivitis. These questions need to be urgently addressed. At a meeting organized last Thursday by the World Organization for Animal Health and the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, US Department of Agriculture official Suelee Robbe Austerman explained, “Right now, we don’t have evidence that the virus is actively replicating within the body of the cow other than the udder.” USDA’s Mark Lyons suggested that the virus could potentially be transmitted by contamination of workers’ clothing and gloves or the suction cups that are attached to cow udders during milking. Clearly, the presence of dead infected birds in the fields adjacent to the cattle underscores the difficulties of protecting farm animals. However, it has yet to be ascertained how prevalent the virus is among cattle or the routes of transmission through which cattle are being infected. Some have suggested the water troughs could be a common source for viral transmission. These animals are kept together in close quarters and the virus can be present in their excrement. Similarly, the affected human being, who is in direct contact with cows, may have been infected through self-inoculation by simply touching his eyes. These workers are not offered personal protective equipment to protect them from these forms of zoonotic infections. They are also not being tested routinely and asymptomatic or mild cases may be occurring under the radar, providing the virus opportunities to adapt itself to the human host. The HPAI virus among cows has been little studied. Richard Webby, a virologist and expert on avian influenza at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, told MIT Technology Review, “Exactly what happens when an avian flu virus replicates in a cow and potentially transmits from cow to cow, we actually don’t have any idea at all.” The virus that has infected cattle in Texas and the animal handler has been sequenced and belongs to clade 2.3.4.4b of H5N1. In particular, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the virus from the worker has a mutation with known links to host adaptation that has been previously detected in people and other mammals. However, the CDC assured the public that they haven’t found any markers associated with influenza antiviral resistance and noted that “the virus sequence indicates it is closely related to two existing HPAI A(H5N1) candidate vaccine viruses that are already available to manufacturers.”
Avian flu virus detected in South Dakota dairy herd - The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) and the state's Animal Industry Board today announced that tests have confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a South Dakota dairy herd, a first for the state.Testing was done by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The detection in South Dakota dairy cows raises the number of affected states to eight and comes 1 day after animal health officials in North Carolina announced that state's first HPAI detection in dairy cows.Marv Post, chairman of South Dakota Dairy Producers, said, "South Dakota Dairy Producers encourage all dairy producers to closely monitor their herd and contact their herd veterinarian immediately if cattle appear symptomatic." He added that the USDA continues to emphasize that pasteurization kills viruses and that milk and dairy products are safe to consume.Similar to the North Carolina announcement, South Dakota officials did not say if the affected herd had received cows from an earlier-affected state.
Bird flu outbreak in US cows: why scientists are concerned - Researchers are closely monitoring the spread of a worrisome strain of avian influenza to cattle — and one person — at farms in six US states.These infections represent the first widespread outbreak of bird flu in cows. The outbreak is concerning because humans frequently come into contact with cattle on farms, giving the virus ample opportunity to spread to people, says Daniel Goldhill, an evolutionary virologist at the Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield, UK.Health officials have said that the overall threat to people remains low, for now, but they are watching the situation unfold closely. “There’s always a worry that viruses will surprise us,” Goldhill says. “We don’t know what they’ll do next.”Scientists are scrambling to assess how well candidate vaccines and antiviral drugs will work against the circulating strain and to update diagnostic kits for identifying infections in people quickly. They are also trying to understand whether the cows were infected by birds or another source, and are on alert for any changes in the situation that could raise the risk for people. “There are a lot of questions and, so far, not a lot of answers,” In 1996, the influenza strain called H5N1 was first detected in birds in China. It has been spreading ferociously in birds since 2021, killing hundreds of millions of domestic and wild birds around the world. It has also occasionally infected mammals, including seals and bears, which have become “accidental hosts” of what is mostly an avian virus, In the past two weeks, health officials have detected H5N1 in cows from 16 herds across six states — a number that is likely to increase as US surveillance is stepped up. Researchers have previously documented1 sporadic infections of cows with flu viruses closely related to H5N1, but no widespread outbreaks had been detected until now. The more mammalian species the virus infects, the more opportunities it has to evolve a strain that is dangerous to humans, Goldhill says. One dairy worker in Texas has been infected, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the person is recovering. The worker’s only symptom was eye inflammation, and viral levels in their nose were low, suggesting that they don’t have a respiratory infection, according to the CDC. The virus infecting the worker is closely related to the strains found in dairy cattle in Texas, with one notable distinction: the worker’s variant has a mutation that is linked to more-efficient spread in mammals. A key question for researchers is how the cows are getting infected. The answer will be important for controlling H5N1’s spread to other farms and people. “This is a controllable situation, we just have to understand how this virus is getting around,” Of particular interest is whether the virus is passing from infected cows to uninfected ones, because that would suggest the virus has become more adept at transmission in mammals. Given that the virus has been detected at several farms across the United States, epidemiological data make it “pretty clear now we’re seeing cow-to-cow spread”, and that wild birds are not necessarily involved in viral spread in the farms, says Webby. But there aren’t enough viral sequences of animals infected later in the outbreak for genomic data to confirm cow-to-cow spread, he says. If the virus is spreading between cows, it will be important to work out precisely how, Webby says. Evidence so far suggest that virus levels are highest in the animals’ milk, according to a report in Science. That suggests that H5N1 might not be spreading between cows through the air, a transmission pathway that would be difficult to control and could allow for relatively quick spread, Webby says. If cows are becoming infected by touching contaminated surfaces, such as milking machines, the virus would be transmitted more slowly than if it is airborne.Gathering evidence to address these questions could help to answer why infections have only recently cropped up in cattle, and only in the United States, despite the virus’s global spread in the past few years. Marion Koopmans, a virologist at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, wonders whether there is something unique about how cattle are kept in the region, for example, or whether the virus has gained new abilities to persist in the environment. Addressing these questions will offer insights into how widespread bird flu infections could be in cattle globally, she says. It will be important for health officials outside the United States to start looking for evidence of overlooked outbreaks, Krammer says. Scientists say that, although bird flu is unlikely to spread widely in people, they are closely monitoring samples of H5N1 globally for mutations known to signal that it is becoming better at spreading in mammals. The virus has not spread widely in humans in part because it can’t readily enter the cells that line the nose and mouth. But it would be problematic if the virus developed mutations that would help it to gain entry to these cells, Goldhill says.
Indiana confirms its first chronic wasting disease detection The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) late last week confirmed the state's first detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD), which involves a male white-tailed deer harvested in La Grange County in the northeastern region of the state.In a statement, officials said La Grange County borders a region in Michigan where CWD had already been detected.Joe Caudell, PhD, a deer biologist with Indiana DNR, said, "CWD has been in our region for many years, with positive cases in all of our surrounding states." He added that the CWD detection in La Grange County was highly likely and that DNR officials will continue monitoring the area for the disease."The public can help by reporting sightings of sick or dead deer to the DNR, as well as submitting harvested deer for testing during deer hunting season," he said. "Through increased awareness and testing, we can work to monitor CWD within Indiana's deer population." The deer was harvested by a hunter and was confirmed as positive for CWD by two independent tests. Indiana's different deer-hunting seasons run from the middle of September until the end of January. The sample came from a program that enlists the help of Indiana taxidermists with CWD surveillance, according to Outdoor Life. The DNR, the National Deer Association, and taxidermists had piloted the taxidermist incentive program for a few years before it became fully operational during the 2023-24 hunting season.CWD has been detected in 33 states, including all states that border Indiana. Found in deer and other cervids such as moose and elk, the infectious illness is a fatal neurologic disease caused by misfolded proteins known as prions.The disease poses an ongoing threat to animals, given that CWD can spread from deer to deer or through contaminated environments where CWD can remain in the soil for several years. No human cases have been reported, but health officials urge people to avoid eating the meat of infected animals and to take precautions when field-dressing or butchering cervids.
Wisconsin confirms another county affected by CWD in deer -The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) yesterday confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild deer in Waushara County for the first time. The deer was found dead in early February in the town of Wautoma, within 10 miles of the Marquette and Portage county borders. It was a 3-year-old buck.CWD is an always-fatal infectious disease that affects the brain and nervous system of deer, moose, elk, reindeer, and caribou. It has not yet jumped to humans, but officials warn people not to eat the meat of infected animals. The Wisconsin DNR first detected the disease in 2002.The new positive test lifts the number of Wisconsin counties that have reported CWD or are considered "CWD affected" to 63 of 72.Because of the detection, Waushara County will renew a baiting and feeding ban that was already in place because of CWD-positive tests in neighboring counties. Marquette and Portage counties already have 3-year baiting and feeding bans in place from earlier detections, so the new test result will not affect those counties.
US Government Sued Over 'Unethical Destruction' of Wolf Population A pair of conservation coalitions on Monday made good on their threats to sue the U.S. government over its denial of federal protections for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, where state killingregimes "put wolves at obvious risk of extinction in the foreseeable future."The organizations filed notices of their plans for the lawsuits in early February, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) determined that Endangered Species Act protections for the region's wolves were "not warranted." The Interior Department agency could have prevented thesuits in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana by reversing its decision within 60 days but refused to do so."The Biden administration and its Fish and Wildlife Service are complicit in the horrific war on wolves being waged by the states of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana," declared George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, one of 10 organizations represented by the Western Environmental Law Center (WELC)."Idaho is fighting to open airstrips all over the backcountry, including in designated Wilderness, to get more hunters to wipe out wolves in their most remote hideouts," Nickas noted. "Montana is resorting to night hunting and shooting over bait and Wyoming has simply declared an open season.""These states are destroying wolf families in the Northern Rockies and cruelly driving them to functional extinction via bounties, wanton shooting, trapping, snaring, even running over them with snowmobiles."Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense, another WELC group, pointed out that "these states are destroying wolf families in the Northern Rockies and cruelly driving them to functional extinction via bounties, wanton shooting, trapping, snaring, even running over them with snowmobiles. They have clearly demonstrated they are incapable of managing wolves, only of killing them."KC York, founder and president of Trap Free Montana, also represented by WELC, said that "Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming know that they were let off the hook in their brutal and unethical destruction of wolves even acknowledged as such by the service.""They set the stage for other states to follow," York warned. "We are already witnessing the disturbing onset of giving the fox the key to the hen house and abandoning the farm. The maltreatment is now destined to worsen for these wolves and other indiscriminate species, through overt, deceptive, well-orchestrated, secretive, and legal actions."
Historic drought impacting over 1 million ha (2.5 million acres) of crops, Zambia - Zambia is in the throes of an unprecedented drought, prompted by El Niño, resulting in the driest February recorded since 1981. This natural disaster has compelled the President to declare a state of emergency, with 84 districts suffering and over 1 million ha (2.47 million acres) of crops affected, causing widespread shortages in essential resources including food and water. Government assessments have estimated that over 1 million ha (2.47 million acres) of cropland have been affected. Rapid assessments conducted in 27 of the most severely impacted districts revealed a dire humanitarian situation, with local markets experiencing critical shortages of staple foods; only 11.4% of markets had maize available, and 31.1% had maize meal. This shortage indicates a significant threat to food security in the region. Survey data from 4 277 households illustrate the extent of the crisis, with 51.7% reporting a poor Food Consumption Score. This poor nutritional intake is alarming and reflects the widespread inability of families to meet basic food needs. The Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) model indicates that 70.6% of these households cannot afford essential food items, exacerbating the risk of malnutrition and health complications among the affected population. Extrapolating these findings to the entire population of the 27 affected districts reveals that approximately 2.3 million people (out of 20 million total population) are moderately food insecure, with an additional 600 000 being severely food insecure. The declaration by the President calls for action to alleviate the loss of lives due to hunger. However, ActionAid said it has observed the absence of adequate early warning systems that would have prevented the huge losses incurred by farmers especially in the southern part of the country due to drought. “Having such a strong system would have prepared the farmers with regards to the kind of crops they would have planted to prevent crop failure and loss of financial resources,” Jovina Newanzake of ActionAid Zambia said. “There is an urgent need for investment in early warning systems. The Government must increase the allocation of resources to early warning systems to the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment in particular the Meteorological Department to prevent losses incurred during the El Nino and better prepare the farmers against future natural calamities. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) should be proactive.”
Q&A: El Niño drought leaves Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba only 13% full—a disaster for people and wildlife - Water levels at Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe have dropped dramatically because of the latest El Niño drought. The 280 kilometer long, man-made Lake Kariba is part of the Kariba Dam, which was built between 1955 and 1959 in the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dam provides hydroelectric power to the Kariba north power station on the Zambian side and Kariba south power station on the Zimbabwean side. These provide most of the electricity for the two nations.The remote Kariba Dam, about five hours' drive from Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare, and a three hour drive from Zambia's capital, Lusaka, also supportsfisheries, conservation, tourism and recreation. Over 100,000 people live in Kariba town and the Nyaminyami and Binga rural districts. It is also a religious site and locals believe it shelters their ancestors and Nyaminyami, the river god. Since the early 2010s, the El Niño weather pattern has induced droughts and heat waves in the Zambezi region, causing a drop in the water levels at Lake Kariba. EL Niño is an unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that brings hotter temperatures and much lower rainfall to southern Africa for five months at a time. By 8 April 2024, the Zambezi River Authority, which owns and manages Lake Kariba, announced that water in the lake had dropped to just 13.52% of its capacity. Water levels in the lake fluctuate according to the rainfall—this time last year, the lake was 21.94% full, but levels dropped as low as 12% in 2015. Low water levels in Lake Kariba have had a huge impact on the people in the area. The key areas of concern are:
- Survival. Many people survive directly off the lake, by catching and selling fish. The drought reduces fish spawning areas, which means that fishers who live near Lake Kariba catch very few fish during times of drought. My research has found that during times of drought in Kariba, crocodiles take fish from the fishers' nets and destroy the nets. In retaliation, fishers attack crocodiles withspears and logs, exposing themselves to crocodile attacks.
- Human-wildlife conflict. The area is already a hotspot for human-wildlife conflict. A drop in the water levels results in increased competition over water resources between people and wild animals, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. Animals that normally drink water from far-away river estuaries start approaching the parts of the lake populated by humans. Clashes betweenelephants, buffalo, baboons, lions and humans increase as they have to share reduced waterscapes.
- Poaching. There's also an increase in poaching as impala, kudu, waterbuck and duiker move closer to human settlements to seek water and people seek more sources of food and income due to the economic downturn caused by the drought.
- Tourism. Numbers drop off. Game drives along the lake to the estuaries, which have unique flora and fauna and allow tourists a closer view of wild animals and birds, come to a standstill during times of drought. Tourist fishing in the estuaries dries up. The opening of the floodgates at the dam walls, which were a drawcard for tourism, stops as the water levels are too low for this.
- Long walks to collect water. Water level reductions burden women and children from surrounding fishing camps and villages who fetch water for home use from the lake. In my research, residents of the area say that water levels have dropped so much that fishing camps are now up to 2 km further away from the lake than they were before the drought. Women and children from fishing camps have even been injured and killed by wild animals as they fetch water in the lake.
- Trade is disrupted. Cross border traders based in Kariba who do business between Zimbabwe and Zambia are also affected. Kariba traders often cross the border to sell fish in Zambia, but with low catches this is no longer possible. Also, most traders depended on income from fishing to purchase goods from Zambia for resale in Zimbabwe.
Panama plans dry alternative to drought-hit canal --Panama on Wednesday unveiled plans for a "dry canal" to move cargo between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans due to low water levels in its century-old maritime channel. The Panama Canal usually handles about six percent of global maritime trade, but a drought caused by climate change and the El Niño phenomenon has forced authorities to limit the number of ships passing through. The Multimodal Dry Canal project will use existing roads, railways, port facilities, airports and duty-free zones in a new "special customs jurisdiction," said Rodolfo Samuda, director of logistics at the ministry of the presidency. It will not require any investment thanks to its use of existing infrastructure, he said at the presentation of the project. A decree simplifying procedures for transporting cargo by land across the isthmus has already been declared by President Laurentino Cortizo. The project aims "to complement the Panama Canal" and resolve the problems facing its users, said Guillermo Salazar, director of the country's state development planning institute. Now 27 ships navigate the Panama Canal each day, compared with 39 previously. Unlike the Suez Canal, it uses fresh water provided by previously abundant tropical rains stored in two artificial lakes, which are also a crucial source of drinking water. The canal—used mainly by customers from the United States, China, Japan and South Korea—has a system of locks to raise and lower ships. For each vessel that passes through it, 200 million liters of fresh water are released into the sea. The capacity restrictions have caused a marine traffic jam on some days of more than 100 ships waiting to enter the 50-mile (80-kilometer) waterway, which was inaugurated in 1914. To avoid a delay, some vessels paid up to four million dollars for a slot in an auction, in addition to the usual toll.
This El Nino-to-La Nina Spring is Drier Compared With Analog Years --For almost 60 years, the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) has been a standard tool to analyze drought and soil moisture conditions. A look at the PDSI map for March 2024 shows drought conditions as "moderate" to "severe" in much of the western and southern Midwest. Parts of the Central Plains are listed as in "extreme" drought. Meanwhile, portions of the north-central Plains are listed as being in "moderately moist" to "extremely moist" conditions. That is much different than the years 2010 and 2020, when the March PDSI maps showed almost the entire central U.S. from the Plains to the Midwest in "very moist" to "extremely moist" conditions. Soil profiles were full.Now, to concern about moisture prospects for this crop year. The Pacific Ocean El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) temperature and barometric pressure feature is widely forecast to change from the warm-ocean El Nino to the cool-ocean La Nina during the Northern Hemisphere summer, possibly as early as June. When that has happened in the past, DTN's long-range forecast team has identified the years 2010 and 2020 as the top two analog years for reference in developing forecasts and risk assessments. U.S. corn production in those top two analog years of 2010 and 2020 were both 7% below initial estimates because of late-season heat and dryness impact on filling corn. However, crops in both years benefited from a well-supplied soil moisture profile at the beginning of the season. The PDSI March 2024 rendition suggests that crops will already lack a full helping of moisture to work with as planting continues. This dry start also looms as a season-long feature due to active crop and plant root systems using up available moisture as well as warm season evapotranspiration.
Widespread record floods hit parts of Russia, flooding over 10 500 homes - 3 YouTube videos - Severe flooding struck Russia’s Ural Mountains and Siberia, alongside parts of neighboring Kazakhstan since April 3, 2024, caused by rapid snow melt and heavy rainfall. The situation worsened after two dams broke near Orsk City on April 5, leading to record flood levels by April 7. The crisis has resulted in at least three deaths in Russia and more than 10 500 homes flooded. In Kazakhstan, two fatalities and nearly 75 000 displacements have been reported. South-western Russia, particularly the Orenburg Region, and north-western Kazakhstan have experienced severe floods and flash floods since April 3. The floods, primarily triggered by a rapid thawing of snow due to warm temperatures and further exacerbated by heavy rainfall, have caused widespread destruction and displacement. The situation further deteriorated after the breach of two local dams near Orsk City in the south-eastern Orenburg Region on April 5, prompting a criminal investigation into suspected construction violations. By April 7, the floodwaters in Orsk surged to a historic high of 9.7 m (31.8 feet), surpassing the previous record of 9.46 m (31.0 feet), as reported by Russia’s AllRivers water level information site. The catastrophic flooding has led to the displacement of approximately 4 500 people and the inundation of around 6 500 houses across 15 towns and cities in the Orenburg Region, as of April 8. Orsk, Krasnokholm, and Sorochinsk cities were the hardest hit. On the morning of April 9, TASS reported as many as 6 995 homes still flooded in Orsk. Overall, more than 10 400 homes across various regions of Russia, including the Urals, Siberia, the Volga, and central areas, have been reported flooded. On April 9, the Orenburg Mayor’s Office said the water level in the Ural River gained 25 cm (9.8 inches) over the past day. According to data of the Hydrometeorological Center of Orenburg, the Ural [river] rises to 8.97 m (29.4 feet) as of 08:00 LT (03:00 UTC) against the dangerous mark of 9.30 m (30.5 feet). Specialists forecast that the water level will continue growing today and peak on Wednesday, April 10. YouTube video YouTube video YouTube video The flooding has not only impacted Russia but also Kazakhstan, where nearly 75 000 people have been displaced, a number of whom are now in temporary accommodation centers. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reports two fatalities in Kazakhstan. Emergency declarations have been issued in 10 oblasts across both countries, including Aktobe, Kostanay, Karaganda, Akmola, Atyrau, Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan, Abay, and Ulytau, with Atyrau Region being among the worst affected.
Severe storms unleash tornadoes and extreme floods across Texas and Louisiana, U.S. - 6 YouTube videos - A deadly severe weather outbreak hit the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley on April 10, 2024, with tornadoes, heavy rains, and high wind gusts. The storms caused at least one fatality in Mississippi and widespread destruction, including in New Orleans, which faced a Flash Flood Emergency. Investigations suggest the event might qualify as a serial derecho — a significant meteorological phenomenon. In a severe weather outbreak that spanned across the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley on April 10, 2024, at least one person was killed, and numerous others were injured. The city of New Orleans, particularly affected by the storms, faced a Flash Flood Emergency as torrential rains led to widespread flooding, making many roads and underpasses impassable. The National Weather Service reported that New Orleans International Airport recorded 158.8 mm (6.24 inches) of rainfall in just seven hours, marking the third-highest rainfall for April in the region’s history. Alongside the floods, the region experienced powerful wind gusts, with one reaching up to 114 km/h (71 mph) east of New Orleans. In Slidell, Louisiana, an EF-2 tornado caused significant damage, leading to the injury of several people within a heavily impacted apartment building. Local officials reported that hundreds of homes and businesses suffered damage, with over 100 000 residents experiencing power outages. Mississippi also faced severe impacts, with one fatality reported in Scott County and additional injuries across the state. Emergency services were on high alert for a potential levee break in Yazoo County, prompting evacuations for safety. In Texas, a preliminary EF-1 tornado caused destruction in Katy, while in Chunchula, Alabama, another tornado damaged a home. Additionally, southeastern Texas saw over 203 mm (8 inches) of rain within 24 hours, leading to Flash Flood Emergencies and numerous rescues. The FOX Weather Center suggests that the widespread damage and wind reports from Houston to the Florida Panhandle could classify this event as a serial derecho, a rare and powerful type of windstorm. As the storm system moved eastward, it continued to cause significant flooding and damage across the Gulf Coast. Serial derechos are produced by multiple bow echoes embedded in an extensive squall line that sweeps across a very large area, both wide and long. This type of derecho is typically associated with a strong upper level trough with a strong surface low pressure system.
Flooding swamps South with rare Flash Flooding Emergencies in Texas, New Orleans – Rainfall rates of 1 inch per hour or more caused rare Flash Flood Emergencies to be issued in East Texas and southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday with thunderstorms eventually dropping up to a foot of rain in some areas. It was part of a severe weather outbreak that unfolded across the South with reported tornadoes, flash flooding, hail and damaging winds in the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast.Early Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles,Louisiana, issued a Flash Flood Emergency for parts of Jasper, Newton and Tyler counties in southeastern Texas, including Kirbyville and Newton, that lasted for hours. A Flash Flood Emergency is the most severe flood alert that the NWS can issue. It means life-threatening flooding and catastrophic damage are already occurring or expected to occur soon. "If a Flash Flood Emergency is called for your town, that’s the worst of the worst when it comes to flash flooding,". "It’s a very rare warning that is only given when there is a significant risk to loss of property and loss of life." As the storm moved east and the heavy rain subsided in East Texas a new Flash Flood Emergency began unfolding in Louisiana.The NWS New Orleans office issued a Flash Flood Emergency for New Orleans andMetairie until 3:45 p.m. CDT. A Flash Flood Warning continued on Wednesday afternoon for parishes along the Mississippi River, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Charles.At 11 a.m. CDT, emergency managers reported numerous flooded and impassible roads around the city, and flash flooding was beginning. Radar indicated thunderstorms were producing heavy rain, with between 4.5 and 7.5 inches of rain already falling. A rain gauge in LaPlace, within the New Orleans metro, recorded 7 inches of rain since Wednesday morning, with 9.89 inches falling over 24 hours. Several other areas in New Orleans recorded 6-7 inches of rain by early afternoon. In Jasper County, all major roads into Kirbyville were closed on Wednesday morning due to flooding. Jasper County Judge Mark Allen declared a local declaration of disasterdue to the widespread dangerous weather conditions countywide. Multiple fire departments deployed from around the region to conduct water rescues in the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said rescue teams extricated several people from flooded homes and vehicles. "The City of Kirbyville remains underwater and is still the major concern at this time," the sheriff's office said. Kirbyville Mayor George Frank told FOX Weather he estimated about a foot of rain had fallen in the community near the Texas-Louisiana state line. "I thought I'd seen everything when I saw Harvey," Frank said of the 2017 hurricane that made landfall in Texas. On Wednesday morning, volunteer firefighters from the Roganville, Texas, Fire Department responded to a high-water rescue. They had to wait for a front loader to pull them out of the floodwaters. Throughout Wednesday, radar estimated rain totals of 15.4 inches near Newton and 13.3 inches in Spurger. In 24 hours, Belton measured 7.60 inches. "Middle of the night water rushing into your home – that’s the reality for thousands of people across East Texas,"
Multiple roadways flooded as Ohio River levels rise– The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) released its High Water Report, and officials have noted that multiple roadways are flooded as Ohio River levels rise.The following roads are closed due to rising water:
- Henderson County
- Union County
- KY 130 from the 15.7 – 16-mile marker
- KY 667 from the 6 -11-mile marker
- KY 1452 from the 0 to 1.9-mile marker
- KY 1637 from the 0 to 2.9-mile marker
Officials say several roads across KYTC District 2 have been impacted by rising water from the Ohio River and are currently closed.
The Ohio River expected to flood again – Parts of the Ohio River are expected to flood again after Thursday night’s rainfall. Around three inches of rainfall over regions to our north like Pittsburgh, have triggered flooding downstream the Ohio River. Wheeling Island’s water levels will rise and crest around 39.1 feet, leaving folks who live there just shy of the moderate flood stage. The Ohio River is expected to rise and crest around 40.7 feet in Moundsville, leaving folks who live there just shy of the Moderate flood stage. The Ohio River begins to show signs of flooding with the values on the left side of the graphic shown above, while the values on the right side are forecasted crest heights from Friday until Saturday evening.
Pittsburgh flooded as severe storms hit Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic -- Heavy rains flooded Pittsburgh-area streets and prompted water rescues Thursday night, as a severe storm system threatened parts of the eastern U.S. into Friday.A rare flash flood emergency was issued for parts of Pittsburgh, where up to 4 inches of rain had fallen just before 9:30pm Thursday from the extreme weather that's part of a storm system that unleashed tornadoes and heavy rains across much of the U.S. South this week.The National Weather Service received over 200 reports related to severe weather from Tuesday night to Thursday evening — with at least 14 tornadoes striking Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The storm was blamed for at least two deaths.By Thursday night, the storm had shattered daily rainfall records in the Pittsburgh area and prompted water rescues and road closures across Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Officials in the Allegheny County borough of Etna issued an evacuation notification late Thursday for communities in flood zones or areas prone to flooding after a local creek reached 14 feet.: "Severe thunderstorms may produce a few tornadoes, scattered damaging winds, isolated severe hail, and flash flooding across the upper Ohio River Valley and parts of the Appalachians," per a NWS forecast discussion early Friday that noted wind was another threat.The NWS warned of a level 2/4 slight risk of excessive rainfall in the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians and said heavy rain would "continue to be a hazard on Friday throughout northern New England due to the combination of rainfall and recent snowmelt." Flood watches were in effect in parts of the Ohio Valley and between northern New Hampshire and central Maine due to the threat of flash and river flooding.Widespread shower and thunderstorm activity was expected to continue throughout the night across the lower Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.Severe thunderstorms, "scattered damaging winds, and isolated severe hail," were possible, the NWS said. "This severe threat also includes the central Florida Peninsula into this evening, but thunderstorm activity should drastically diminish across the eastern U.S. by Friday," it added. "The East Coast can expect strong southerly flow ahead of the system through early Friday and the potential for coastal flood hazards."This large, deepening low pressure system will be the "driving force behind active weather throughout the eastern United States until early this weekend," the NWS noted.
Ohio Valley, Appalachians Flooded After Heavy Rain Moves In - Videos from The Weather Channel
Ohio, West Virginia brace for second round of river flooding – Less than a week after the Ohio River reached major flood status along the Ohio-West Virginia border, municipalities are preparing again for additional flooding. Widespread amounts of 2-5 inches of rainfall around the eastern Ohio River Valley are causing the river and tributaries to swell once again beyond their banks. Marietta, Ohio, is one of the communities preparing for the renewed round of flooding, with sandbags now available for residents. The town was in the clean-up stages of a major flood event that impacted the region last week, with now a moderate flood level expected to be reached over the next few days. "I can’t name all of the volunteers and donors but all of them assisted with the flood preparations, support and clean up," Mayor of Marietta Josh Schlicher stated during the clean-up of the past event. "The donations of supplies, food and other items were very much appreciated. This is the highest river crest since the 1979 flood excluding 2004 and 2005 floods. Orange boxes indicate flooding, while red boxes indicate moderate flood levels. ( ) Officials at the Wheeling - Ohio County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency in West Virginia are also closely monitoring the river, which is expected to crest around 40 feet on Saturday. NOAA’s National Weather Prediction Service expects nearly a dozen water level gauges to reach moderate status through the weekend, with levels in major metro areas such as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati only expected to reach minor flood stage. Even at minor flood status, parks and recreational areas along the river’s banks are usually shut down, and river barge traffic can be impacted. Drone video from the Wheeling Fire Department around a community known as Wheeling Island in West Virginia. The Ohio River reached moderate to major flood stage in the region on Friday. The heavy precipitation that impacted communities around Pittsburgh and in West Virginia was not unanticipated, as NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has long warned of above-average rainfall throughout the entire month. A continued El Niño pattern has allowed an active storm track to impact the Ohio Valley, with several episodes of heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service reports Pittsburgh is 6.11" above normal and is on track to have its wettest April on record, with Wheeling, West Virginia, at 4.80" above average. A storm system that promises to produce severe thunderstorms over the heartland could be the next significant wet weather event to impact the Ohio Valley.
26 barges break loose and float down Ohio River, leading to bridge closures in Pittsburgh -- Twenty-six barges loaded mostly with dry cargo broke loose from a Pittsburgh marina late Friday night and floated uncontrollably down the Ohio River, causing extensive damage to neighboring docks according to officials.The barges, which broke away from a vessel at the first mile marker, have all been accounted for but caused a substantial amount of damage to Peggy’s Marina. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said 23 of the barges were loaded with nonhazardous dry cargo including coal, and three were empty.A news release from the city of Pittsburgh said 11 of the barges were found near a riverbank by Brunot Island and are being held by a tugboat. Nine barges stopped at Emsworth Dam, and of the remaining six that managed to bypass the dam, five were located and one is believed to have sunk.Both the McKees Rock and West End bridges in Pittsburgh, which officials said were previously closed out of “an abundance of caution,” have since reopened.Campbell Transportation Co., which owns and operates the barges, provided local station KDKA with the following statement:“Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. is actively responding to a recent development involving a multi-barge breakaway in Pittsburgh. Our immediate priority is ensuring public safety and minimizing any potential environmental impact,” the statement said. “The incident occurred under high water conditions on the rivers resulting in strong currents due to flooding in the area.”
Exceptionally intense Saharan dust episode over Europe degrading air quality, suggesting changes in atmospheric circulation patterns - A third exceptionally large wave of Saharan dust in just two weeks is moving over parts of Europe, significantly increasing PM10 concentrations at ground level for the Iberian Peninsula, and some parts of France and Germany. This event coincides with high birch pollen concentrations, potentially affecting sensitive persons. While it is not unusual for Saharan dust plumes to reach Europe, there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of such episodes in recent years, which could be potentially attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns. This latest Saharan dust event started on April 6, with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) forecasts showing that particulate matter concentrations (PM10) in several parts of Europe will increase due to the incoming dust. The dust plume has been traveling across most of the Iberian Peninsula to reach southeastern France, Germany, and Scandinavia. According to CAMS Earth observers, daily maximum values of CAMS PM10 forecasts have been showing significant concentrations at surface level, and exceeding the EU 24-hour mean exposure threshold of 50 µg/m3 in some of the affected regions. As a result of this episode, there has been a degradation of the air quality in several countries. “Moreover, hazy skies and deposits on surfaces including cars and windows can be attributed to this episode,” CAMS’ Nuria Lopez notes. Specifically, this event significantly degraded air quality in parts of south and eastern Spain, with some stations from the Spanish weather service Aemet recording PM10 concentrations over 200µg/m3, well above the 50µg/m3 considered healthy. Extreme dust levels were present in southeastern Spanish cities such as Almería, Granada, Málaga, Cartagena, and others, but the spike was also noticeable, to a lesser extent, in other European cities such as Geneva in Switzerland, Clermont-Ferrand in France and Bonn, Germany. “This latest Saharan dust episode is the third of its kind in the last two weeks, and is related to the weather pattern that led to warmer weather across western Europe in recent days,” Mark Parrington, Senior Scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said. “The two previous episodes were mainly over the Mediterranean and southern Europe, although some effects such as deposition on people’s cars occurred as far north as Scandinavia last weekend. While it is not unusual for Saharan dust plumes to reach Europe, there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of such episodes in recent years, which could be potentially attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns.”
Scientists at Spain meeting sound alarm over ocean warming -- Scientists at a United Nations conference in Spain called Friday for more research into the sharp rise in ocean temperatures which they warn could have devastating consequences. "The changes are happening so fast that we are not able to keep pace with the impact," the executive secretary of UNESCO's intergovernmental oceanographic commission, Vidar Helgesen, told AFP on the sidelines of the three-day "Ocean Decade" conference in Barcelona. "It calls for a much stronger effort to observe and research in real time and a much closer collaboration between science and policy making," he said, adding that "tackling ocean warming is a burning issue". The gathering, which ended Friday, brought together around 1,500 scientists and representatives of governments and environmental organizations to discuss protection of oceans. The European Union's climate monitor Copernicus said Tuesday that average sea surface temperatures had set a new record high in March of just over 21 degrees Celsius. Oceans cover 70 percent of the planet and have kept the Earth's surface liveable by absorbing 90 percent of the excess heat produced by carbon pollution from human activity since the dawn of the industrial age. Underestimated future warming? "The ocean has a much greater thermal capacity than the atmosphere; it absorbs much more heat, but it cannot absorb it ad infinitum," said Cristina Gonzalez Haro, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute of Marine Sciences. Hotter oceans mean more moisture in the atmosphere, leading to increasingly erratic weather—like fierce winds and powerful rain, and they threaten marine ecosystems which produce almost half of the oxygen we breathe.
Study identifies increased threat to coastlines from concurrent heat waves and sea level rises -- Concurrent occurrences of heat waves and extreme short-term sea level rises at the same coastal locations significantly increased between 1998 and 2017 when compared to the preceding 20 years, reports a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. The study also suggests that these events may be five times more likely to occur between 2025 and 2049 under a modeled high emissions scenario. A so-called 'concurrent heat wave and extreme sea level' (CHWESL) event is when a heat wave and an extreme short-term sea level rise occur at the same coastal location over the same time period. Although they can pose a serious threat to coastal communities, there has so far been little research into the characteristics and occurrences of these events. Shuo Wang and Mo Zhou investigated CHWESL events worldwide between 1979 and 2017 and projected future events between 2025 and 2049 under a high emissions climate scenario (the IPCC's SSP5-8.5 scenario). The authors only included events occurring in the extended summer season, spanning May to September in the Northern Hemisphere, and November to March in the Southern Hemisphere. The authors found that approximately 88% of the world's coastlines experienced a CHWESL event during the period 1979–2017. Approximately 39% of coastlines recorded a significant increase in the total duration of CHWESL conditions experienced over a year during the period 1998–2017 compared to during 1979–1998, with tropical regions more likely to experience a greater increase. The authors also found a significant association between heat wave intensity and the probability of a CHWESL event occurring, with a 1% increase in heat wave intensity associated with an approximately 2% increase in the probability of a CHWESL event occurring. From their projections, the authors suggest that global coastal areas could experience on average 38 days of CHWESL conditions each year between 2025 and 2049, an increase of 31 days compared to the historical period of 1989–2013. They note that countries in tropical areas are likely to be the most severely affected, and that many of these countries are low or middle-income countries which may struggle to cope with the effects. The authors argue that effective risk mitigation strategies urgently need to be developed to increase preparedness for these extreme events.
Rare M4.8 earthquake hits New Jersey — the strongest since 1783, U.S. - A rare earthquake registered by the USGS as M4.8 hit New Jersey, U.S. at 14:23 UTC (10:23 LT) on April 5, 2024, at a depth of 4.7 km (2.9 miles). This earthquake — now known as the 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake — is the strongest to hit New Jersey since 1783.The epicenter was located 7.7 km (4.8 miles) ESE of Califon (population 1 080), 13.3 km (8.2 miles) NW of Bridgewater (population 44 464), 16.3 km (10.2 miles) NNW of Bradley Gardens (population 14 206), 17.4 km (10.8 miles) W of Basking Ridge (population 21 424), and 52.5 km (32.6 miles) N of Trenton (population 89 422).11 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 211 000 moderate, 17 261 000 light, and 25 293 000 light.The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.“Crazy rumbling felt there was a massive explosion going on in the basement ran out of the house because I thought it was collapsing,” a witness from Long Valley, located 7 km (4.3 miles) NW from the epicenter, reported to EMSC. “My condo shook for about 30 – 45 seconds,” a witness from Bedminster, located 10 km (6.2 miles) E from the epicenter, said.By 23:39 UTC, the USGS registered 18 aftershocks, with the strongest being M3.8 at 21:59 UTC.
Asteroid 2024 GJ2 to fly by Earth at just 0.05 LD on April 11 - A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 GJ2 will fly past Earth at a distance of just 0.05 LD / 0.00013 AU (18 700 km / 11 620 miles) at 18:33 UTC on April 11, 2024. This is the 25th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and, thus far, the closest flyby of the year. Asteroid 2024 GJ2 was first observed at Pan-STARRS 2, Haleakala on April 9 — 2 days before its close approach to our planet. The object belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 2.2 and 5 m (7.2 – 16.4 feet).
Asteroid 2024 GV2 flew past Earth at 0.28 LD - A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 GV2 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.28 LD / 0.00072 AU (107 573 km / 66 843 miles) at 04:17 UTC on April 9, 2024. This is the 26th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year. This <1LD fly-by was preceded by 2024 FQ5 at 0.08 LD on March 31 and followed by 2024 GX3 at 0.18 LD on April 10 and 2024 GJ2 at 0.05 LD on April 11. 2024 GV2 was first observed at Catalina Sky Survey, Arizona at 10:21 UTC on April 10 — one day after the close approach to our planet. The object belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 3.9 and 8.7 m (12.8 – 28.5 feet).
Asteroid 2024 GX3 flew past Earth at 0.18 LD - A newly-discovered asteroid 2024 GX3 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.18 LD / 0.00048 AU (71 560 km / 44 465 miles) from the center of our planet at 08:27 UTC on April 10, 2024. This is the 27th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year. This <1LD flyby was preceded by 2024 GV2 at 0.28 LD on April 9 and followed by 2024 GJ2 at 0.05 LD on April 11. 2024 GX3 was first observed at Catalina Sky Survey, Arizona on April 11 — one day after its close approach to our planet. The object belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 3.2 and 7.1 m (10.5 – 23.3 feet).
Phreatic eruption at Taal volcano, increased sulfur dioxide emissions, Philippines - A phreatic eruption occurred at Taal Volcano, Philippines, between 21:11 and 21:24 UTC on April 11, 2024 (05:11 and 05:24 LT, April 12), producing a 2.4 km (7 870 feet) tall steam-laden plume that drifted southwest. The eruption is believed to have been triggered by the ongoing release of hot volcanic gases from the Taal Main Crater, indicating that further similar phreatic activity could follow. Despite this activity, the levels of volcanic earthquakes and ground deformation measurements suggest that the volcano’s unrest is unlikely to escalate into a magmatic eruption at this stage. The volcano’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions were recorded at an average of 8 677 tonnes/day on April 11, 2024. This figure is part of a consistent trend of elevated emissions since the start of the year, averaging 10 248 tonnes/day. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has reiterated that Taal Volcano remains at Alert Level 1, signaling that the volcano is in an abnormal condition. This alert level warns of the potential for sudden steam-driven explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and hazardous volcanic gas emissions that could impact areas within Taal Volcano Island (TVI). The ongoing degassing of volcanic SO2 presents a significant risk of long-term health effects to communities frequently exposed to these gases around the Taal Caldera.
Carbon dioxide, methane levels in the air spiked to record highs in 2023 -- The levels of the crucial heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached historic highs last year, growing at near-record fast paces, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Carbon dioxide, the most important and abundant of the greenhouse gases caused by humans, rose in 2023 by the third highest amount in 65 years of record keeping, NOAA announced Friday. Scientists are also worried about the rapid rise in atmospheric levels of methane, a shorter-lived but more potent heat-trapping gas. Both jumped 5.5% over the past decade.The 2.8 parts per million increase in carbon dioxide airborne levels from January 2023 to December, wasn’t as high as the jumps were in 2014 and 2015, but they were larger than every other year since 1959, when precise records started. Carbon dioxide’s average level for 2023 was 419.3 parts per million, up 50% from pre-industrial times.Last year’s methane’s jump of 11.1 parts per billion was lower than record annual rises from 2020 to 2022. It averaged 1922.6 parts per billion last year. It has risen 3% in just the past five years and jumped 160% from pre-industrial levels showing faster rates of increase than carbon dioxide, said Xin “Lindsay” Lan, the University of Colorado and NOAA atmospheric scientist who did the calculations. “Methane’s decadal spike should terrify us,” said Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson, who heads the Global Carbon Project that tracks worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide but wasn’t part of NOAA’s report. “Fossil fuel pollution is warming natural systems like wetlands and permafrost. Those ecosystems are releasing even more greenhouse gases as they heat up. We’re caught between a rock and a charred place.”Methane emissions in the atmosphere come from natural wetlands, agriculture, livestock, landfills and leaks and intentional flaring of natural gas in the oil and gas industry.Methane is responsible for about 30% of the current rise in global temperature, with carbon dioxide to blame for about twice as much, according to the International Energy Agency. Methane traps about 28 times the heat per molecule as carbon dioxide but lasts a decade or so in the atmosphere instead of centuries or thousands of years like carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Carbon dioxide and methane levels have been higher in the far ancient past, but it was before humans existed.The third biggest human-caused greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide, jumped 1 part per billion last year to record levels, but the increases were not as high as those in 2020 and 2021. Nitrous oxide, which lasts about a century in the atmosphere, comes from agriculture, burning of fuels, manure and industrial processes, according to the EPA.“As these numbers show we still have a lot of work to do to make meaningful progress in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere,” NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory Director Vanda Grubisic said in statement. Companies across the globe last year pledged massive — almost complete — cuts in methane emissions from the oil and gas industry in a new initiative that could trim future rises in temperature by a tenth of a degree Celsius. And the EPA issued a final rule to reduce oil and gas industry generated methane emissions.But the past five years, methane levels have risen faster than any time in NOAA record-keeping. And recent studies have shown that government efforts to track methane are vastly underestimating the pollution going into the air from the energy industry.
UN climate chief says humans have 2 years left 'to save the world' (AP) — Humanity has only two years left “to save the world” by making dramatic changes in the way it spews heat-trapping emissions and it has even less time to act to get the finances behind such a massive shift, the head of the United Nations climate agency said.With governments of the world facing a 2025 deadline for new and stronger plans to curb carbon pollution, nearly half of the world’s populations voting in elections this year, and crucial global finance meetings later this month in Washington, United Nations executive climate secretary Simon Stiell said Wednesday he knows his warning may sound melodramatic. But he said action over the next two years is “essential.”“We still have a chance to make greenhouse gas emissions tumble, with a new generation of national climate plans. But we need these stronger plans, now,” Stiell said in a speech at the Chatham House think tank in London. He suggested that climate action is not just for powerful people to address — in a not-so-veiled reference to the electoral calendar this year.“Who exactly has two years to save the world? The answer is every person on this planet,” Stiell said. “More and more people want climate action right across societies and political spectrums, in large part because they are feeling the impacts of the climate crisis in their everyday lives and their household budgets.”Not everyone is convinced such warnings will be helpful.“‘Two years to save the world’ is meaningless rhetoric — at best, it’s likely to be ignored, at worst, it will be counterproductive,” said Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer, who is also a professor of international affairs.Levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the air last year hit all-time highs, according to United States government calculations, while scientists calculate that the world’s carbon dioxide emissions jumped 1.1%. Last year was the hottest year on record by far, global temperature monitoring groups concluded.If emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from burning of coal, oil and natural gas continue to rise or don’t start a sharp decline, Stiell said it “will further entrench the gross inequalities between the world’s richest and poorest countries and communities” that are being worsened by climate change.And behind it all is money.
Two Years to Save the World: Simon Stiell at Chatham House | UNFCCC - The following is the transcript of a speech delivered by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell on 10 April 2024 at Chatham House in London, England. The speech can also be watched on YouTube. opening: Some of you may think the title of today’s event is overly dramatic. Melodramatic, even. So let me start by explaining briefly why the next two years are so essential in saving our planet. First, we know the stakes. You’ve heard me talk before about record shattering heat and massive damage to economies, and how there’s no room for half measures. Let’s take all that as a given. Second, we are at the start of a race which will determine the biggest winners in a new clean energy economy. And with the global index of living standards in constant flux, each country’s climate responses will be key to whether they rise up the ladder or fall. Whether they thrive or barely survive. Third, for many countries, they will only be able to implement strong new climate plans if we see a quantum leap in climate finance this year. Fourth, it’s about how the Paris Agreement works. As of today, national climate plans - called Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs - in aggregate will barely cut emissions at all by 2030. We still have a chance to make greenhouse gas emissions tumble, with a new generation of national climate plans. But we need these stronger plans, now. And while every country must submit a new plan, the reality is G20 emissions are around 80% of global emissions. So G20 leadership must be at the core of the solution, as it was during the great financial crisis. That’s when the G20 came of age and showed major developed and developing economies can work together to avert global economic catastrophes. Fifth and finally, every citizen of every country has an opportunity to be part of this transition. Every voice makes a difference. This year and next, we will need every voice more than ever.
Secretive Experiment To Shoot Aerosols Into The Sky Over San Francisco To Increase Cloud Cover --A secretive project conducted from the deck of an aircraft carrier in the San Francisco Bay will shoot trillions of aerosol particles into the sky to increase cloud cover in the name of preventing global warming, and details have been held back to “avoid (a) public backlash.” “The Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement, or CAARE, project is using specially built sprayers to shoot trillions of sea salt particles into the sky in an effort to increase the density — and reflective capacity — of marine clouds,” reports Scientific American.“The experiment is taking place, when conditions permit, atop the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum in Alameda, California, and will run through the end of May, according to a weather modification form the team filed with federal regulators.”A solar geoengineering experiment in San Francisco could lead to brighter clouds that reflect sunlight. The risks are numerous https://t.co/53pbUSolxi— Scientific American (@sciam) April 4, 2024 The report notes that there is little data on the potential negative effects of such geoengineering projects and that they “could also harm communities and ecosystems in unexpected ways.”Shuchi Talati, the executive director of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, remarked how the test had been “kept under wraps” with little public engagement whatsoever.A similar experiment that was set to be conducted over Sweden by Harvard University and had previously received funding from Bill Gates was cancelled last month after opposition from campaigners and Indigenous groups.The Scientific American report warns that artificially creating cloud cover “could alter weather patterns in unclear ways and potentially limit the productivity of fisheries and farms.”But they’re just going to go ahead and do it anyway.Participants in the project declined to answer emailed questions or interview requests about the experiment in San Francisco.According to a report by the New York Times, the secrecy is based on concerns that if the public knew the full scope of what was happening, “critics would try to stop them.”
Methane from landfills is detectable from space – and driving the climate crisis | Gina McCarthy - An elusive climate menace is now easier than ever to see. In early March, a rocket launched into the sky with a satellite that spots methane emissions from space. MethaneSAT joined more than a dozen similar satellites now in orbit, scanning the Earth for pollution and feeding that information back to scientists, policymakers, industry and the public. What story does the data tell? One of methane on the rise, or one of collective efforts that avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis? Slashing methane is the most efficient way to slow global warming in our lifetimes. We have the chance – and the obligation – to do so. When we think of methane, we often picture leaking pipelines or belching cows. But trash, organic waste decomposing in landfills, is the third largest source of human-caused methane pollution in the United States.Thanks to huge advances in technology, a new study has brought more clarity to the landfill methane problem than ever before. The non-profit organization Carbon Mapper, with support from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other researchers, observed methane emissions from hundreds of large landfills across the US by aircraft.They detected significant emissions at more than half of the landfills they flew over. The emissions were often persistent: observed over multiple visits, spanning months, sometimes years. And they were large. About 80% of the emissions detected at landfills – more than 850 unique methane plumes – released at least 100kg of methane an hour.That emission rate meets the “super-emitter” threshold that the EPA set for the oil and gas sector in its new standards. These large plumes are not fully captured in official inventories. On average, landfill emission rates calculated in the study over multiple visits were 1.4 times higher than the emissions that operators reported to the EPA. This data is alarming, but the solutions are clear.Let’s start with prevention. Keeping organic waste out of landfills – through waste prevention, food recovery and composting programs – is the most effective way to avoid future landfill methane generation, while benefiting communities. Each year, the average American family of four loses $1,500 to wasted food. We can all do a better job of buying what we need, eating what we buy, and donating or composting what’s left.And at landfills, there are simple, low-cost changes to avoid methane leaks. Early and expanded gas collection, better landfill covers, and additional accountability measures – more methane monitoring, more often – can help halt the release of methane to the atmosphere. We can encourage our local landfills to be part of the solution too, implementing best practices that better control methane and co-pollutants.State and local governments, businesses, community groups, and all of us can help curb landfill methane emissions. But my former agency, in particular, can make a big difference.The EPA is required by the Clean Air Act torevisit its landfill standards this summer, and I look forward to EPA’s leaders following their scientists’ research and moving swiftly to modernize air regulations. It just makes sense for the EPA to quickly adopt a rule that reflects the latest best practices in methane monitoring and control, while advancing waste prevention and organics recycling. By leveraging aerial and satellite methane data now available, EPA and cities and towns across the US and beyond can find and fix our largest leaks fast.
Pipeline CEO makes his case for contentious project | Gazette-tribune —The fate of carbon-capture pipelines in Iowa remains in the hands of the Iowa Utilities Board as various parties await a ruling after last year’s hearing. Summit Carbon Solutions chief executive officer Lee Blank is one of the leaders championing for a favorable ruling by the IUB. He recently hosted virtual interviews across the state to outline the scope and impact of the carbon-capture project. “Our project is a three-part project,” Blank said. “We’re actually capturing CO2 off the ethanol industry, we’re putting it in a transportation system — which is what everybody likes to talk about — and then also we’re sequestering it in permanent storage in North Dakota.” More than 50 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota would connect to the pipeline if the entire project proceeds. About 30 of them are located in Iowa, with more than 1,000 miles of pipeline needed to connect them. Only 1.16 miles of the project would be in Osceola County, however, the Summit system would connect to the POET Biorefining plant south of Ashton. While carbon capture is often connected to climate change, Blank said environmental policy is less of a driving force than keeping the ethanol industry viable. “There are consumptive markets out there for low-carbon products,” he said. “The ethanol industry, by participating in this particular infrastructure project will be able to lower their carbon intensity on the ethanol that they will produce and that way they can actually garner a premium into those areas of the country that demand these low-carbon products. And that area’s growing.” Summit has described the move as good for farmers and co-ops, though individuals in the agriculture industry are split on their support for the pipeline. “All we’re trying to do through this project is position the ethanol industry in a place where they can go in additional, more lucrative markets for the industry, and then those economics will flow back into the U.S. farm gate,” Blank said. Ethanol makes a significant impact on the state’s agricultural sector, with about every other row of corn going to the fuel. “Our concept here is to make that industry as healthy as we can make it, make sure that they can continue to buy U.S. farmers’ corn and continue to move that industry forward, and then help that farmer strengthen his balance sheet. We really have the farm gate in mind as we’re going in,” Blank said.
Burying plant waste removes CO2 from the air. But can it scale? -- Startup Graphyte is joining efforts to store biomass underground. Its technique is one of many that aims to use nature’s scraps to help the world decarbonize. In Arkansas, millions of acres of spindly pines and hardwood trees are logged every year to make plywood, planks and paper, a process that generates plenty of bark, sawdust and other woody waste. Still more land across the state is carpeted by low and grassy rice crops, which leave behind husks and stalks after every harvest. These scraps of biomass are rich in the carbon dioxide that plants absorb during photosynthesis, presenting an opportunity for those looking to take on climate change. Companies and scientists have dozens of ideas for how nature’s leftovers might help the planet. They can be made into alternative fuels for airplanes and cargo ships to displace petroleum. They can be turned into chemical products, transformed into hydrogen or used to nourish farmland. The startup Graphyte is doing something else: Burying biomass to trap CO2 deep in the ground. Last month, the Memphis-based company opened a first-of-a-kind facility at an empty warehouse in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Graphyte takes waste from nearby rice and timber operations, runs it through a gas-fired drum dryer, then molds the residues into polymer-sealed bricks. The idea is to keep moisture from seeping in, which would cause biomass to decompose and release CO2 — sending the planet-warming gas back into the air. Graphyte, which is backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, plans to store the beige blocks in polyethylene-lined pits, similar to how construction debris is buried in landfills today. The one-year-old company expects state regulators to issue its landfill permit sometime later this spring. Once that’s in hand, Graphyte can begin stashing CO2-rich bricks beneath the fields of southern Arkansas.Rogers said the brick-burying project will remove 15,000 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere this year. That’s equal to only 4 percent of the annual emissions from a single U.S. gas-fired power plant. Still, it’s notably more carbon-removal capacity than the largest existing direct air capture projects, including Climeworks’s Orca plant in Iceland and Heirloom’s new facility in California, which claim to capture up to 4,000 tons and 1,000 tons of carbon per year, respectively.
New EPA Emissions Standards Defy Reality - The recent stringent Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) carbon emissions standards for internal combustion engines defy economic realities. The EPA would have us believe that coercing folks to buy electric vehicles (EV) will somehow reduce alleged climate change extremes. The new rules will negatively affect California and the entire nation. Obviously, most folks want to maintain clean air, land, and water ecosystems. However, scientists haven’t agreed on what degree human activity adversely impacts global climate change as opposed to natural causes for extreme climate events. Several dire predictions of rising seas haven’t panned out over several decades, while cooling and warming trends haven’t been too much out of the ordinary. The new EPA standards are part of a government plan to make EVs two-thirds of new car sales by 2032. Thirty percent of heavy duty commercial vehicles have to be emissions-free by 2032 and 40 percent of short-haul trucks by the same time frame. Emission particulates must be reduced to nine micrograms for each cubic meter of exhaust. Spokespersons from the American Petroleum Institute stated that the new regulation “threatens consumer freedom, energy reliability and national security.” These EPA goals are unlikely to eventuate due to several factors. First, Americans bristle when they are pressured into purchasing products that haven’t proven their worth over an extended period of time. Electric vehicles can be expensive and heavy due to large batteries that are costly to repair when they break down. They take too long to charge up when contrasted with diesel or gas refilling times. How will the grid handle millions of EVs when it can’t even cope with current electricity demands? Next, electric vehicles lose power in wintry weather, thus increasing the already existent range anxiety. What if an owner needs to charge up the vehicle and the charger doesn’t work at a chosen location, or it has an incompatible charger? Moreover, owners must keep in mind that criminals cut charger cables for the materials, something they aren’t tempted to do at diesel or gasoline filling stations. The car rental company Hertz learned a hard lesson when it purchased a fleet of EVs and hardly anyone wanted to rent them for reasons already noted. Hertz is now trying to sell 20,000 of these vehicles and adding back gasoline-powered cars. Other car rental companies will likely see the writing on the wall and follow suit. A similar scenario is unfolding with some bus and van companies as well. Third, purchasing these vehicles benefits China, because the PRC controls most of the rare earth minerals that go into batteries, as well as the lithium battery industry. Products that are manufactured in China might have questionable quality control standards as they move through the production process. How reliable are these heavy batteries, and how often do they catch on fire? It is unwise to surrender critical facets of our national and technological security to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Fourth, mandating a rapid transition to EVs puts government policies way ahead of actual innovation in the free market. Consumers want choices when it comes to making big purchases, and if they want an EV or hybrid vehicle that’s fine, but buying an internal combustion vehicle ought to be an option, too. With decreasing options, the costs of energy will skyrocket and healthy competition will be stifled.
EPA weighs strengthening climate rule for power plants - The Environmental Protection Agency is considering significantly strengthening proposed limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants — a crucial part of President Biden’s climate agenda — according to three people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because no final decisions have been made.The discussions about toughening the standards, which are set to be released this month, have major implications for America’s fleet of power plants, which rank as the country’s second-largest contributor to climate change. They come as the administration weighs the political calculus of weakening or strengthening environmental regulations before the 2024 election.In some cases, the Biden administration has finalized rules that are less stringent than the original proposals. With power plants, it appears to be heading in the opposite direction. In May 2023, the EPA issued a proposed rule that called for drastically curbing greenhouse gas emissions from three categories of power plants: existing coal plants, existing gas plants and new gas plants. But in February, the agency said the final rule would no longer cover existing gas plants, disappointing some environmental advocates.Now, EPA officials are considering strengthening the requirements for new gas plants, according to the people familiar with the matter. Specifically, officials are in talks about having the final rule apply to new large gas plants that operate more than 40 percent of the time, rather than those that operate 50 percent of the time as the proposal had envisioned.The change could affect the majority of new gas plants built in the United States, and it could have a significant climate impact. According to the EPA’s modeling, it could prevent up to 10.6 million tons of carbon emissions per year — equivalent to taking 2.5 million cars off the nation’s roads for a year.
How the power plant rule might change as its deadline nears - EPA’s marquee climate rule for power plants is entering the home stretch. Two people who have spoken to administration officials about the rule say potential changes are on the table to make the rule’s toughest emissions standards apply to more gas-fired facilities. They also say the administration is mulling changes to the deadlines in last May’s draft. The most likely change involves giving utilities more time to retrofit plants with carbon capture equipment. A final rule is expected this month. Environmentalists filed comments with EPA last year asking for changes that would make more gas plants subject to the rule’s strictest standards for reducing greenhouse gases. They also asked for earlier retirement deadlines for plants that would not be retrofitted. And utilities pleaded for more time to build out carbon capture and storage systems. Ann Weeks, senior counsel and legal director at the Clean Air Task Force, which last year joined the Natural Resources Defense Council in calling on EPA to require deep cuts from a broader swath of gas plants, said EPA’s decision in February to jettison existing gas from this rule made that request more urgent. “We were obviously concerned that by removing existing gas from this rule that it opens up the opportunity to rely more on existing gas, and the emissions from gas plants could increase,” said Weeks, who said she had not talked with administration officials about the upcoming rule. “So if the idea is to rush to build new ones to fill that gap, it’s really important that those new ones be as tightly controlled as they can be.” The upcoming rule covers future and reconstructed gas plants, along with existing coal-fired units. A 2015 rule for new coal-fired power remains in place, and EPA has begun taking public input ahead of issuing a rule for existing gas plants early in a potential second term for President Joe Biden. Since EPA submitted the final draft to the White House budget office for review March 1, administration officials have met with a steady stream of environmentalists, congressional aides and industry advocates. Those meetings are one-way conversations in which stakeholders ask for policy priorities and officials listen, participants say. One joked that it was like to talking to the stone heads on Easter Island — they listen impassively without offering any feedback. The Office of Management and Budget’s website shows that the last such meeting for this rule will be held April 26 with representatives from Duke Energy. That could indicate that the rule might come out soon afterward. EPA declined to comment for this story, citing the ongoing OMB review. But people from industry and environmental groups who have spoken to administration officials say discussion is focused on two possible changes that could show up in the final rule. They note that the process is fluid and could change between now and when the rule is released. The first potential change has to do with how the rule covers future gas plants. Last year’s draft required gas plants that break ground after the proposal to capture 90 percent of their carbon emissions by 2035. They were offered a secondary compliance pathway based on green hydrogen, but that is widely expected to be scrapped in the final rule after drawing fire from greens and industry alike. That aggressive standard, which is based on capturing carbon with mechanical systems, applies only to plants that run frequently. How frequently varies by the plant’s technology, but it tracks roughly with 50 percent of the time. But environmentalists filed comments last summer predicting that utilities would just run gas plants less to avoid making costly upgrades. Environmentalists asked EPA to lower the cutoff for requiring CCS installation to include plants that run roughly 40 percent of the time. The other change that could be in the works has to do with when existing coal plants might be required to retrofit with carbon capture systems. The draft rule required plants that were slated to run beyond 2040 to capture 90 percent of their emissions by 2030. But two people who have spoken with administration officials said they were considering extending it from 2030 to 2032. The Edison Electric Institute and other industry groups filed comments last year saying the 2030 timeline would be difficult to achieve in part due to the slow pace of permitting for infrastructure, including pipelines and injection wells. EEI declined to comment for this story.
More demand, more gas: Inside the Southeast’s dirty power push - Utilities across the U.S. Southeast are claiming that a massive buildout of data centers and factories will force them to construct gigawatts of new fossil gas-fired power plants over the coming decade — a fleet large enough and dirty enough to potentially put U.S. climate goals out of reach. However, critics of these plans say that utilities have cleaner and cheaper alternatives to reliably manage surging new power demand, and that state utility regulators in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee need to require them to explore those options.For the moment, though, these utilities, which serve tens of millions of customers, appear set on a fossil-fueled power expansion that also promises them additional profits for years to come — profits that environmentalists and consumer advocates argue will be reaped at the expense of the climate and their customers.“The problem we face now is that everyone is searching for power,” said Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association. “Utilities across the Southeast are scrambling to find every last megawatt they can get…. They are trying desperately to get these new large-load customers, because they make more money when they sell more power.”In some regions, these potential new customers are big data centers to serve the skyrocketing demand for enterprise computing power, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining. In others, they’re factories for electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels supported by billions of dollars of federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.The exact figures vary from region to region, but most of the utilities are now forecasting high single-digit percentage growth rates every year through the end of the decade. Demand for electricity over the past decade and a half has stayed flat or even declined, so growth on that order would be a sea change for utilities.Whether this new electricity demand will emerge at the speed and scale these utilities are predicting is unclear; utilities have overestimated demand growth before. Some critics have accused utilities of seizing on hype around the rapid expansion of energy-intensive artificial intelligence technology to win approval for gas plants that are not really necessary.But even if these projections are accurate, critics say new fossil gas plants aren’t the answer. They argue that gas plants are polluting, unreliable and likely to become stranded assets in the near future, as climate imperatives and cheaper clean-energy resources force them to close before utilities have recouped their costs.
Transmission study reaches some hopeful conclusions - FOR THE FIRST TIME, New England has a detailed analysis of the investment needed in our region’s energy infrastructure to ensure that clean energy will be able to reliably move around the region to power our homes and charge our vehicles. ISO New England’s 2050 Transmission Study, finalized last month, is the first the regional grid operator has undertaken examining the region’s transmission system in detail beyond the traditional 10-year planning horizon. Born out of discussions with the New England states, the transmission study assesses where and to what degree the region’s transmission lines and transformers would be overloaded by the increased amount of power that will be needed as the heating and transportation sectors electrify—and to identify efficient, cost-effective solutions for these concerns. Based on assumptions about the region’s future resource mix and demand for electricity provided by the New England states, the study estimates the region will need to invest between $16 billion and $26 billion on transmission infrastructure over the next 26 years to ensure a reliable clean energy transition. These numbers may sound daunting, but they’d be spread out over multiple decades and are actually in line with annual averages for reliability investments over the past 20 years. It’s important to note that these estimates do not include investments needed on the region’s distribution systems, or potential transmission upgrades unrelated to the clean energy transition. There are, however, opportunities for savings along the way. For example, the study found that reducing peak consumer demand for electricity through significant increases in demand response initiatives and energy efficiency programs could keep costs in the lower end of the identified range, and, though not analyzed as part of this study, could potentially lead to savings in other areas as well. With these findings, the New England states are already exploring what additional actions are possible at the state-level to address the potential growth in consumer demand. The study includes several high-level roadmaps that identify transmission upgrades needed to support future demand and satisfy reliability criteria while tackling challenges in delivering electricity to densely populated areas in Greater Boston, northeastern Massachusetts, and northwestern Vermont. The study also examined solutions for southwestern Connecticut. Other key takeaways address how the region can most efficiently utilize existing infrastructure and how the location of generating resources and their connections to the grid can impact reliability. The release of the 2050 Transmission Study is the culmination of two years of collaboration between the ISO, the New England states, and stakeholders, but it’s hardly the end of the story. The ISO has already made changes to allow for more studies like this in the future, and discussions are underway on how the region can take these results and turn them into tangible projects.
Biden has a massive pile of loan money for his energy revolution — and can’t spend it all before November - The office running a crucial part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda has Congress’ approval to lend more than $200 billion for next-generation energy projects — from solar farms and batteries to hydrogen production and lithium mining. So far, it’s given the go-ahead to a little more than $25 billion. And even as the administration envisions issuing tens of billions more in the next two years, most of the program’s potential will almost certainly remain untapped come Inauguration Day — a reality that may leave its fate in the hands of a President Donald Trump.The gap between the Energy Department lending power and the money it has approved to date illustrates both the scope of Biden’s climate ambitions and the staggering challenge of achieving them. Early in his term, Biden persuaded Congress to approve roughly $1 trillion in programs to tackle climate change, rebuild U.S. manufacturing, restore the nation’s infrastructure and best China in chips technology. Now, his agencies are racing to get the money out the door.For DOE’s Loan Programs Office, the roughly $25.8 billion in conditional and final loans and loan guarantees it has announced during Biden’s presidency represents a huge burst of activity after the program went largely fallow in the Trump era.
Biden races to commit billions to climate action as election looms - Amid rising global temperatures and a looming election against an opponent who has indicated he will gut his climate policies, Joe Biden’s administration is shoveling billions of dollars into efforts it hopes will spur enduring cuts to planet-heating emissions, no matter the occupant of the White House. In recent weeks, large tracts of funding has been announced by the administration to help overcome some of the thorniest and esoteric challenges the world faces in driving down carbon pollution, seeding the promise of everything from the advent of zero-emissions concrete to low-pollution food production, including mac and cheese and ice-cream, to driving the uptake of solar panels and electric stoves in low-income households. “We are seeing billions of dollars going into really tricky parts of the energy transition and if there’s momentum behind this we will be measuring the impacts many years in the future,” said Melissa Lott, a professor at Columbia University’s climate school. “I would expect these investments to have knock-on impacts well outside the US’s borders.” The spending is the most significant yet to come via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Biden’s signature climate bill, and the gusher of cash has a certain urgency. By January, Donald Trump, who has called some of Biden’s climate policies “insane”, could be president and Republicans, who have already attempted to gut the IRA and have called the latest spending a “greendoggle”, could hold Congress. “The money from the IRA needs to get out of the door due to the urgency of the climate crisis but also the politics of this year and next year,” said Lott. “If money has been already committed, it’s gone. It’s very tough for a new administration to pull back funding once it has already committed.” But the new funding in many ways goes beyond the short-term politicking that has haunted the US’s ponderous response to the climate crisis. Last week, $20bn was awarded under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a mechanism set up by the IRA, to non-profit groups that will provide low-interest loans for clean energy projects, such as installing solar panels on community centers, or heat pumps and induction stoves in households that couldn’t otherwise afford them.“For the first time in history, we are providing tens of billions of dollars directly to community lenders to finance local climate projects,” said Kamala Harris, the US vice-president, in unveiling the spending. Michael Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said the funding would be “transformational”.The aim of these new “green banks” will be to multiply this infusion – the EPA predicts that the private sector will increase the overall funding seven-fold to about $150bn, accelerating the replacement of polluting appliances with cleaner versions, greening public transit and boosting renewable energy going to the grid, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.Each small win will deliver new emissions cuts, culminating years beyond the next election term, as will the Biden administration’s other big recent announcement, of $6bn to drive the decarbonization of industrial processes such as making steel, creating aluminum, pouring concrete and even producing ice-cream and pasta.In many ways, the US is now plunging into the unglamorous guts of the vast, knotty task to rewire almost all processes undergirding modern life, in order to meet the deep yet rapid emissions cuts that scientists say are imperative if the world is to avoid unbearable global heating. Yet more work is under way. The administration has lent $1.5bn to reopen a nuclear plant in Michigan – an energy source that doesn’t emit carbon but is still controversial among environmental groups – while new plans have been set out to rid buildings of their reliance on fossil fuels.
Wyoming wind farm tries painting turbine blades black to prevent bird collisions --Wind energy is expected to be a big part of the transition away from fossil fuels. But that comes with consequences, including the potential for more deadly collisions between turbines and birds and bats. One experimentunderway in Wyoming is studying a potentially game-changing – and simple – solution to this problem. In the Mountain West, large and iconic avian species – such as owls, turkey vultures and golden eagles – are consistently colliding with the human world. At the Teton Raptor Center in Wilson, Wyo., veterinarians, avian scientists and volunteers often treat birds for lead poisoning, crashes into infrastructure, gunshot wounds or other injuries.For the center’s conservation director, Bryan Bedrosian, his work is about preserving the wildlife that makes Wyoming special.“We should be proud of the fact that we in Wyoming have some of the best wild natural spaces and some of the best wildlife populations,” he said. I think, unfortunately, it comes with a higher degree of responsibility.”Wyoming is a critical habitat area for many species, especially golden eagles. Tens of thousands live here year-round and the state is also a huge migration corridorbetween Alaska and Mexico. Unlike its cousin the bald eagle, the golden eagle population is stable at best and could potentially decline in parts of the U.S. Bedrosian said wind energy growth is a threat for a species that has always been “at the top of the food chain.” “They've never had to look over their shoulder. So if they're up soaring looking for prey, they're never looking over their shoulder for something else to come get them,” Bedrosian. “When they don't see that turbine blade going at 180 miles an hour, that could potentially hit them.”Bedrosian knows that wind turbines are nowhere near the largest threat to winged wildlife. They kill an estimated hundreds of thousands of birds and bats a year, though scientific estimates vary. Still, those numbers are exponentially less than threats like power lines, cars, buildings and even house cats. But wind power is new and growing, especially in the West. The largest wind farm in the continental U.S. is being built in Wyoming, and the state has some of the best wind resources in the region.
Lithium Companies Fight Over Water in the Arid Great Basin - Over the past few decades, the United States has imported most of its lithium from Chile and Argentina, but there’s one major domestic source of the mineral—Nevada. Clayton Valley, a remote basin in the nation’s driest state, is home to the Silver Peak mine, where lithium is extracted in gridded ponds that turn neon blue as they recover one of Earth’s lightest elements through solar evaporation. Albemarle, a North Carolina-based company, runs Silver Peak as the only active lithium mine in the U.S. But over the past decade, amid a growing demand for electric vehicles and batteries to store electricity from intermittent renewable sources, dozens of mining companies have rushed to the area, vying for the element critical to the energy transition and the water that’s key to extracting it from the Earth.Mining operators across the West have faced major barriers in the global race for lithium. Mines come with large footprints that can disrupt wildlife habitat, harm cultural sites and put pressures on communities. On top of all that is another major challenge posing a barrier for lithium projects in the western U.S. and Clayton Valley: Competition for limited water supplies.“All these companies can sue each other all they want to,” said De Winsor, a commissioner for Esmeralda County, Nevada, who has been closely monitoring the water situation playing out within its borders. “All we want to do as a county is protect the citizens of the county.”Albemarle claims it holds the rights to nearly all the groundwater in Clayton Valley, leaving little room for more companies to develop scores of additional mining claims. Water is so scarce here that two companies looking to mine in Clayton Valley recently filed requests with state regulators asking for permission to import groundwater from nearby valleys.Exactly how much water is sustainable to use in this area is an open question. Many estimates looking at the volume of water stored in Nevada’s aquifers are based on science dating back to the 1960s. Even in cases where groundwater use remains below the sustainable yield, pumping can affect nearby areas or dry up springs, conflicting with other water rights. In proceedings to settle water disputes, as with an ongoing hearing on Clayton Valley, different parties often present different ideas and modeling of groundwater to show how the aquifer might respond to more use.“There are models and then there are models,” said Jeff Fontaine, executive director of the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority. “I think a lot of this comes down to that very issue.”What happens with water here matters because Clayton Valley and the surrounding valleys have been at the epicenter of Nevada’s lithium boom. Companies ranging from speculators to well-funded ventures have proposed more than a dozen projects to get lithium from brine or clay in Clayton Valley and the nearby valleys that pockmark the Great Basin. And in the months to come, how water is allocated in Nevada’s lithium valley could change—if a venture backed by oil services giant SLB, formerly known as Schlumberger, has its way. For several years, SLB’s subsidiary, NeoLith Energy, has been working to get a pilot plant permitted near the Silver Peak mine and prove-up a new technology known as direct lithium extraction, or DLE. The technology promises to consume less water, take less time and disturb less land. Like other proposed mining projects in Clayton Valley, SLB is targeting lithium dissolved in salty groundwater, so it needs a portion of the water rights Albemarle claims to pump that brine to the surface.In 2021, SLB’s partner filed for water rights, a filing that has led to a tense dispute between two lithium mining projects with major backers. They have fought over this water in court and in a state regulatory hearing that began in January and could decide who controls water in Nevada’s lithium valley.
How the essential, dirty steel industry is going green — Steel is an essential building block of modern society, used in bridges and buildings, transmission towers, wind turbines, electric cars and so much more.It’s also made using extremely dirty processes. Traditional steelmaking contributes up to9 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions every year — and produces a toxic soup of pollutants, which harm nearby communities the most.Yet the United States is suddenly on the very cusp of a “green steel” transition. New solutions are emerging that could offer a cleaner path to producing the high-strength metal. Most likely, they’ll involve using hydrogen to process iron ore for steelmaking.On April 5, at this year’s Society of Environmental Journalists conference, I led a panel about the challenges and opportunities of replacing coal-based steel mills with less-polluting methods. The timing couldn’t have been better. The previous week, the Biden administrationpledged up to $1 billion to help build two hydrogen-based ironmaking facilities, which will be the first in the United States — and among only a few worldwide.Joining me for the discussion were Edith Abeyta, an artist and community advocate in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, where U.S. Steel operates the 140-year-old Edgar Thomson Plant; Hilary Lewis, the steel director at the advocacy group Industrious Labs; and Chathurika Gamage, a principal in the climate-aligned industries program at RMI, a clean-energy think tank. (Canary Media is an independent affiliate of RMI.)Here are some of the key takeaways from our hour-long conversation, edited for brevity and clarity.
Great unknown: How much energy crypto mining uses - The exact amount of electricity used to mine cryptocurrency in the U.S. is a mystery.The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that computers “mining” digital currencies like bitcoin — by solving complex puzzles around the clock — eat roughly 0.6 to 2.3 percent of the nation’s power. But an ongoing lawsuit has stopped the Energy Department agency from collecting more detailed information, writes Jason Plautz.Without exact figures, the nation’s power providers cannot assess how the rapidly growing crypto industry will affect the electric grid in the future.That could pose a major problem for grid operators as the nation’s demand for energy increases in the coming years. The EIA estimates that demand could shoot up 15 percent by midcentury — numbers that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said “literally” keep her up at night. Predicting the crypto industry’s demand for power is distinctly complex because the amount of electricity miners need in any given moment is determined by the price of their product — not by the weather or population growth, which are factors utilities are accustomed to navigating. That variability has led lawmakers and energy sector officials to call for more transparency into crypto mining’s energy use. Last year, eight Democratic lawmakers implored the Biden administration to issue a mandatory disclosure regime for the industry. In January, EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis issued an emergency order requesting that 82 companies report the electricity used at their 150 mining facilities along with which sources of power they rely on. DeCarolis said the industry’s rapid growth and existing strain on the grid has created “heightened uncertainty” for power markets. That means there may not be enough power available to meet moments of high demand, leading to blackouts. But the industry protested. The nonprofit Texas Blockchain Council and mining company Riot Platforms filed a lawsuit accusing the EIA had not properly seeking public comment. And the groups said EIA’s “legally defective survey” would pose a risk to their operations.EIA agreed to withdraw its emergency survey and committed to seeking public comment before launching a new one. But the agency told Jason last month there is no update on timing.
Key Bridge collapse will reduce monthly US coal exports by one-third: EIA - The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reduced its forecast for U.S. coal exports this month by about a third following the closure of the Port of Baltimore due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. As a result of the closure, the EIA reduced its forecast for April coal exports by 33 percent and 20 percent for May. It also cut its overall coal export projections for 2024, which it expected to rise 1 percent from 2023 but is now projected to decrease 6 percent. The collapse of the bridge on March 26 forced the closure of the port, the second-biggest coal export hub in the U.S. American coal companies have grown increasingly reliant on exports in recent years as U.S. utilities shift to renewables for electricity generation. The plurality of U.S. coal went to India last year, with about 25 million short tons, followed by Japan and the Netherlands, both with just under 10 million, according to the EIA. The country exported 100 million short tons of coal in 2023, close to a 50-50 mixture of metallurgical coal — the type used in steel production — and steam coal, used for electricity generation. About 28.1 million short tons of those exports, or just under 30 percent, passed through the port of Baltimore. Officials have predicted it will take between 9 and 10 weeks to fully reopen the port, while Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said earlier this week that a third individual shipping channel will be open by the end of this month. “We expect U.S. coal exports to recover toward the end of the summer or early fall, but there is significant uncertainty based on the timeline for the port reopening and how quickly exporters can adjust to export through alternative ports,” EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis said in a statement.
Ukrainian Drone Hits Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant - On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone struck the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is located in southeastern Ukraine and has been under Russian control since February 2022.The plant’s officials said there was no serious damage in the attack, and radiation levels were normal. Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear agency, later said three people were wounded in the attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has inspectors at the plant, confirmed the drone attack. “IAEA experts confirmed physical impact of drone attacks at ZNPP today,” the agency wrote on X. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi condemned the attack. “This is a clear violation of the basic principles for protecting Europe’s largest NPP. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately,” Grossi said.The ZNPP is located in the town of Enerhodar on the south bank of the Dnieper River. Ukraine controls the territory across the river, and the plant has come under Ukrainian shelling throughout the war. Ukrainian forces have also launched several failed attempts to retake the plant. A report from The Times revealed that the US backed one of the attempts in October 2022 when 600 Ukrainian commandos tried to cross the river. The US supported the raid by providing targeting data so Ukraine could use its US-provided HIMARS rocket systems, which hit Russian positions on the southern bank of the river near the ZNPP.
NM, AZ governors seek federal support on uranium mining cleanup -New Mexico and Arizona’s governors are banding together to ask the federal government to help streamline the process of cleaning up old uranium mining sites, more than 650 of which litter the two states. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday sent a letter to Brenda Mallory, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, which coordinates federal public health and environment efforts, about the restoration and remediation of abandoned uranium mines.
Federal Plan Would Open Ohio's Only National Forest to Fracking - Center for Biological Diversity— A new Bureau of Land Management plan to open 40,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest to fracking for oil and gas looks almost identical to one a federal judge rejected in 2020. The public can comment on the plan in writing or during online meetings Monday and Tuesday.Fossil fuel companies have targeted Ohio’s only national forest for years and in 2016 the BLM first attempted to auction off oil and gas leases in the Wayne. The new proposal, released in late March, is nearly identical to the fracking plan blocked in 2020 after conservation groups challenged it in federal court.“It’s hugely disappointing that federal officials are sticking with this climate-destroying plan to sell off Ohio’s precious public lands to the oil and gas industry, even as flooding, wildfires and heat waves intensify with climate change,” said Wendy Park, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Our government needs to prioritize people, wildlife and our climate over corporate profits and block fracking in the Wayne once and for all. Ohio residents have the chance to speak out over the next few weeks, and I hope land managers get an earful about this reckless fracking proposal.”Fracking threatens the Wayne’s rivers, forests and endangered plants and animals ― the same things Congress intended to protect when it created the national forest in the 1930s.“Fracking the Wayne National Forest would seriously jeopardize Ohio’s ability to fight climate change. This single oil and gas project threatens to generate enough greenhouse gas pollution to cancel out all of the Wayne’s carbon storage services for the next 30 years,” said Nathan Johnson, senior attorney with the Ohio Environmental Council. “Leasing the Wayne to the fossil fuel industry will scar this public forest and pollute our air with toxic chemicals. We should be doing everything we can to protect the public’s access to safe and beautiful public lands — especially in Ohio, where public land is in relatively short supply compared to so many other states.”In 2017 the Center for Biological Diversity, Ohio Environmental Council, Heartwood and the Sierra Club sued the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service over their environmental assessment authorizing fracking in the Wayne. In March 2020 a federal judge ruled that the agencies had ignored fracking’s potential threats to endangered Indiana bats, the Little Muskingum River and the region’s air quality. The judge prohibited any leasing or fracking in the Wayne until the agencies conducted additional studies that considered these harms.Despite the court order, the new proposal ignores how industrial-scale fracking will imperil the Wayne ecosystem. The BLM acknowledges that greenhouse gas emissions under the fracking plan would equal the emissions from 33,000 gas-powered vehicles. “If the BLM opens 40,000 acres of the Wayne to fracking as planned, these beautiful forests could become littered with well pads, gathering lines and other fracking infrastructure,” said Loraine McCosker of Save Ohio Parks. “The Wayne National Forest provides so many ecosystem services to the region, including non-timber forest products and recreation. Allowing this region to be fracked will destroy the forest integrity and harm the many communities in the area.”
Is Ohio State teaching 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline'? — Late last month, Amy Andryszak, the president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, sent a letter to Gov. Michael DeWine (R-OH) in response to seeing The Ohio State University initially had plans to add How to Blow Up a Pipeline to its curriculum.The book, written by Swedish professor of human ecology and climate change activist Andreas Malm in 2021, advocates the climate social justice movement to ramp up its tactics “in the face of ecological collapse.” Part of its argument includes advocating the destruction of equipment and tools used in the production of fossil fuels.The New York Times review of the book details Malm’s argument that because the ruling class response to climate change has been inadequate, the “proportionate and rational response should be to target fossil fuel infrastructure: Destroy fences around a power plant; occupy pipeline routes, as protesters did for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.” And do the same at coal mines.In a Jan. 14 story titled "How This Climate Activist Justifies Political Violence," Malm told the New York Times that he wanted sabotage of fossil fuel operations to be on a much bigger scale than it is now.His book, which does not give actual instructions for destroying a pipeline, does ask why the climate justice movement stayed so peaceful. When questioned by the reporter how confident he is that when you open the door to political violence, it stays at the level of property and not people, this is how the conversation went: I want sabotage to happen on a much larger scale than it does now. I can’t guarantee that it won’t come with accidents. But what do I know? I haven’t personally blown up a pipeline, and I can’t foretell the future. Andryszak cast doubt in her letter to DeWine on the wisdom of Ohio taxpayers financing a curriculum that includes a book that unabashedly advocated violence of an industry where thousands of Ohioans are employed in one of the country’s top natural gas producers.“The teaching of this book anywhere, but especially in a publicly funded state university, is very concerning, should be investigated by the State and, in our opinion, prohibited,” she wrote. She added: “The activities advocated in the book can result in death, danger, and serious injury to those perpetrating the acts and innocent bystanders.” The class Geography 3597.03 according to the university was initially established in 2008 as a “team-taught, cross-disciplinary course in English and Geography about ‘Environmental citizenship’.” However, Geography 3597.03 had not been team-taught in a decade, and, over time, the course content and focus evolved considerably. Indeed, “climate justice” has been the de facto but unofficial title of the course for the past four years. That change from Geography to Climate became official when the course was offered last fall. Joel Wainwright, professor in the Department of Geography at The Ohio State University, who designed and is scheduled to teach the class, said in an interview conducted by the university’s Global Arts + Humanities program manager he “was a Marxist who shares a similar background with Geoff Mann, professor of geography at Simon Fraser University, with whom he co-authored Climate Leviathan” a book they published in 2018. Wainwright wrote in the course description that “while this course starts—as it must—with a sober, scientific assessment of the current crisis of the Earth and humanity, marked by economic insecurity, a lack of faith in political parties, species loss, and climate change, ultimately, this course aims at cultivating the imagination.” Wainwright said one of the educational goals of the class was for “successful students to integrate approaches to the theme by making connections to out-of-classroom experiences with academic knowledge or across disciplines and/or to work they have done in previous classes and that they anticipate doing in future.” The course was approved by university in October and is seemingly still listed for the fall. Yet Chris Booker, the university director of Media and PR, told me that “The course in question has not been offered since autumn 2022 and is not listed for summer or autumn 2024.”
Odor of natural gas smelled across Northeast Ohio: What Columbia Gas is saying - -- 'Our crews are aware of a gas odor in some parts of our service territory. The situation is safe, and the source of the odor is known,' according to Columbia Gas. A text alert was sent to residents of Lorain County around noon Wednesday regarding a natural gas odor in parts of the area that has also been reported by residents across Northeast Ohio. Here’s the alert: "A natural gas supplier added too much odorant to the system causing a natural gas odor without an actual leak. Contact 911 and your gas supplier for any odor." On Wednesday night, a Parma Fire Department spokesperson said the department has received "over 30 calls" regarding the smell. "We caution residents that they will likely smell a gas odor in their homes even after using appliances," the department said in a news release. "We want to reassure the public that their appliances are most likely functioning properly. "What we're asking is that you open up the windows and you ventilate your home now if that smell does not go away in 20, 30, 40 minutes and you continue getting that smell even after all of your appliances are off, that would be when we're urging you to call the fire department, that would be the sign of a gas leak," The Elyria Township Fire Department posted on social media that the department has been "experiencing an increase in natural gas odor calls" and shared the statement from Columbia Gas."Please be advised that we are receiving numerous calls for an odor of gas inside residences," The Brunswick Hills Fire Department wrote on Facebook. "We are responding to the calls in the order in which they are received. If you smell and odor of gas, do not hesitate to call 911." Meanwhile in Richland County, the Mansfield Fire Department says they have received "numerous calls reporting an odor of natural gas in businesses and residences" throughout the city. Here's their statement: "Our crews have responded to all of these incidents and used advanced metering devices to check for the presence of explosive gases. All checks have come back negative; however, the distinct odor of gas is present. "We are currently in contact with representatives from Columbia Gas to determine potential causes for the odor. Columbia Gas of Ohio provided an updated statement Thursday amid ongoing concerns about natural gas odor in several parts of Northeast Ohio. Stemming from the gas odor event in northeastern Ohio, we have been hearing concerns about the use of mercaptan in natural gas pipelines and its potential hazards. Mercaptan is an organic and naturally occurring compound. Because natural gas is odorless and colorless, utility companies add mercaptan as a safety measure to give natural gas its characteristic rotten egg odor. Federal regulations require natural gas companies to odorize natural gas. The amount of mercaptan added to natural gas is very small, but even a small amount of the compound can create a strong smell. The small amount of mercaptan in natural gas is not hazardous to human health.
ODNR responds to Austin Master Services contamination concerns – Martins Ferry residents say they’re worried about contamination after they saw floodwaters approaching Austin Master Services, an oil and gas waste management company.Residents told 7NEWS they’re worried the waste was leaking into the floodwaters during the severe weather earlier this month.Attorney General Dave Yost requested a temporary restraining order against the company last month because of the accumulation of dangerous waste materials exceeding the permitted limit. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) confirmed to 7 News today that staff was aware of flooding concerns.“ODNR staff was onsite during the situation with flood waters last week and confirmed no impact to the materials occurred,” ODNR Communications Chief Andy Chow said.Chow also specified the court granted a preliminary injunction on April 3, adding that Austin Masters would have 14 days to comply, which would include removing excess waste. This is a developing story so stay with 7NEWS for updates.
Austin Master Frack Waste has Until Apr 17 to Regain Compliance -- Marcellus Drilling News - Martins Ferry (OH) Mayor John Davies continues to make noise about the currently shuttered Austin Master Services (AMS) frack waste processing facility in his city. Two weeks ago, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost took legal action seeking to force AMS to correct “egregious violations of Ohio law” regarding the storage of oil and gas waste that he says threatens the Ohio River and Martins Ferry’s drinking water supply (see Ohio AG Sues Austin Master Services for Unsafe Storage of Wastewater). Media accounts report that AMS has stored at least 10,000 tons of fracking waste (drill cuttings) at the Martins Ferry facility. It’s rated to hold 600 tons.
Ohio Village in Belmont County Offered $7,500/Acre Signing Bonus - Marcellus Drilling News - It’s not often we get insight into the latest lease offers floating around. Leasing activity is definitely picking up in the Ohio Utica. We came across what has to be one of (if not THE) highest per-acre bonus offers we’ve seen in Ohio. The Village of Barnesville, in Belmont County, sought lease offers for 177 acres of village-owned property. The village received two offers. One of the offers came from Gulfport Energy, which offered $7,500 per acre as a signing bonus plus 20% royalties. Barnesville turned it down!
ODNR Testing Athens Co. Water Wells for Possible Injection Leaks - Marcellus Drilling News - The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) “temporarily” suspended the operations of four fracking waste injection wells in Athens County last September (see ODNR Temporarily Shuts Down 4 Injection Wells in Athens County). ODNR said, with no solid evidence, that the wells presented an “imminent danger” to health and the environment. ODNR is finally about to test residential water wells in the area (i.e., do real science) to determine if there has been any kind of “communication” or contamination from the injection wells with area production and water wells.
ODNR Using Drones to Sniff Out Orphaned Wells in Bowling Green - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management, has hired environmental company Verdantas LLC to fly drones over Bowling Green (Wood County), OH, to try and identify any hidden orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells. Residents of Bowling Green received a letter from ODNR alerting them to the upcoming drone flights.
Former Colfor Mfg. property transfers twice in one week - The Carroll County Messenger - The former Colfor Manufacturing facility in Brown Township was transferred to new owners March 27 and two days later, transferred again. According to a real estate transfer recorded in the Carroll County Recorder’s office March 27, Reserve Energy Exploration Company of Chagrin Falls purchased two tracts, 2.97 acres and 11.143 acres for $2 million. The same property was transferred to EOG Resources March 29 with no money exchanged. The facility is located at the intersection of SR 43 and 183 near Malvern. According to the Reserve Energy Exploration website, the company is a privately-owned family-held business with a focus on the development of natural gas and renewable energy projects. The site states the Reserve Energy team identifies productive resource areas and secures land in sought-after markets. Areas of development include natural gas and oil exploration, wind energy development and solar energy development. The company’s headquarters is listed as Gottschalk Park Suite, Chagrin Falls. The company has been in oil and gas business since 1972. The Messenger attempted to reach the company by phone and email. Neither method was successful. EOG Resources was born in 1999, declaring its independence from Enron Corp., according to the company’s website. EOG is one of the largest crude oil and natural gas exploration companies in the United States, focusing on being among the lowest cost, highest return and lowest emissions producers, playing a significant role in the long-term future of energy, according to the website. The company has increased operations in the Appalachian Basin in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the Utica Shale play and operates several wells in the Carroll County area. It also operates in shale plays in the northwestern United States, Texas and Oklahoma as well as Trinidad & Tobago. Nine offices are listed on the website, including Artesia, Corpus Christi, Denver, Fort Worth, Midland, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Trinidad & Tobago and the corporate office in Houston.
EOG Resources Picks Up New Regional HQ in Carroll County, OH, $2M -- Marcellus Drilling News - It appears that EOG Resources, with headquarters in Houston, Texas, is about to establish a regional headquarters/operation in Malvern (Carroll County), Ohio. We say “appears” because we have strong evidence, but we don’t (yet) have confirmation. EOG Resources, one of the largest oil and gas drillers in the U.S. (with international operations in Trinidad and China), owns a huge 430,000+ acres of leases in the Ohio Utica. EOG calls its position the “Ohio Utica combo play” and now considers it one of the company’s “premium plays.” EOG concentrates on oil drilling in the Utica. It makes sense the company would establish a regional office in the Utica near where it drills.
Ohio Oil, Appalachia Gas Plays Ripe for Consolidation - Buyers are “starved” for top-tier natural gas assets, experts say. With Henry Hub gas prices near record lows, many owners haven’t been willing to sell.But natural gas-focused M&A activity is poised to ignite as new U.S. LNG exports come online, gas demand grows and the outlook for commodity prices improves, said Daniel Crowley, a managing director for investment bank Houlihan Lokey’s oil and gas group. “We have a nice contango in the curve. We have a starved buyer universe,” Crowley said during Hart Energy’s DUG GAS+ Conference and Expo. “We’re really setting ourselves up for a significant increase in A&D activity.” The upstream sector saw a massive spike in M&A activity in 2023, including multibillion-dollar acquisitions by both U.S. supermajors Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. Dealmaking has spilled over into 2024, centered on the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico.The vast majority of recent upstream deals have centered around oil-producing assets and acreage.Oil prices, generally speaking, have been more stable than natural gas prices over the past year. Price stability has helped fuel a greater volume of transactions for oily assets.Natural gas prices have been much more volatile: Henry Hub prices should average around $2.36/Mcf this year, a 10% decline from 2023 and a 64% decline from 2022 levels.Henry Hub prices averaged $6.67/Mcf in 2022, when energy markets were stretched thin between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the global economy reemerging from the COVID-19 recession.Gas-price instability caused a disconnect between what buyers were willing to pay for gassy assets and terms sellers were willing to accept.But with greater clarity on future gas demand, LNG export growth and increasing prices, gas deals have started to cross the finish line.The biggest example is Chesapeake Energy’s combination with Southwestern Energy in a $11.5 billion merger.Both Chesapeake and Southwestern have footprints in Appalachia and in the Louisiana Haynesville Shale. The merger is expected to create the nation’s largest pure-play gas producer.In the Haynesville, Rockcliff Energy II sold to Tokyo Gas Co. and partner Castleton Commodities in a $2.7 billion deal. The deal gives Tokyo Gas and its U.S. upstream subsidiary, TG Natural Resources, a deeper footprint in East Texas.There are quite a few other gassy properties being shopped around the Haynesville, including notable packages from Chevron and Tellurian.But Appalachia, with its low-cost and bountiful gas supplies and unique infrastructure challenges, could also be a hotspot for gas-weighted M&A in the next two years, Crowley told Hart Energy.“In the conversations I have with some producers in Appalachia, people are very carefully watching that contango and sort of queueing up to come to the market at the right time,” Crowley said.
8 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Apr 1 – 7 -- Marcellus Drilling News - The new permits report for two weeks ago showed just four new permits, which we called “below dismal” (see 4 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Mar 25 – 31). Last week, for April 1 – 7, there were eight new permits issued. However, they were all issued in Pennsylvania. Both Ohio and West Virginia failed to issue any new permits last week. Coterra Energy scored the most new permits last week with three, all of them for Susquehanna County, PA. CNX Resources received two new permits, both in Westmoreland County. Range Resources also received two permits, one in Allegheny County, the other in Washington County. And Repsol received one new permit ALLEGHENY COUNTY | CNX RESOURCES | COTERRA ENERGY (CABOT O&G) | RANGE RESOURCES CORP | REPSOL | SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY | TIOGA COUNTY (PA) | WASHINGTON COUNTY | WESTMORELAND COUNTY
PA Slaps Equitrans with $1.1M Fine for 2022 Rager Mountain Gas Leak -- Marcellus Drilling News - In November 2022, one of the ten natural gas storage wells at the Equitrans Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area in Jackson Township, Cambria County (in Pennsylvania), began to leak. Equitrans is the owner/operator of Rager Mountain. The well leaked roughly 100 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of gas into the atmosphere (see Equitrans Gas Storage Well in Cambria County, PA is Leaking). It took two weeks for the leak to get fixed after it had leaked an estimated 1.4 billion cubic feet into the air (see Storage Well Leak Fix in Cambria County Failed, Leaked 1.4 Bcf). It turned out to be less — around 1.1 Bcf of leaked methane in total. Now, a year and a half later, the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) is fining Equitrans $1.1 million for the accidental leak.
Bloomfield Couple Protest Pipeline By Hunkering Inside Wooden Possum - — Who needs a Trojan Horse when you have a giant possum? Jane Califf and Ted Glick – a married couple from Bloomfield, New Jersey who have been together for 45 years – recently had a unique idea to raise awareness about a controversial gas pipeline in Virginia: use a huge, wooden possum to block construction crews from accessing the site.On Wednesday, Califf and Glick locked themselves inside the wooden critter on Honeysuckle Road in Roanoke County, temporarily blocking work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline.Here’s some background on the project, according to its website:“The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project is a natural gas pipeline system that spans approximately 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia – and as an interstate pipeline will be regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission … With a vast supply of natural gas from Marcellus and Utica shale production, the MVP is expected to provide up to two million dekatherms per day (two billion cubic feet (Bcf) per day) of firm transmission capacity to markets in the mid- and south Atlantic regions of the United States. The MVP will extend from the Equitrans transmission system in Wetzel County, West Virginia, to Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company’s (Transco) Zone 5 compressor station 165 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia … As designed, the pipeline will be 42 inches in diameter and will require approximately 50 feet of permanent easement (with up to 125 feet of temporary easement during construction). The MVP project will require three compressor stations, located in Wetzel, Braxton, and Fayette counties of West Virginia.”After being delayed for years by legal and permitting challenges – and seeing its estimated cost more than double to upwards of $7.6 billion – the project is back on track for completion this year. Supporters say the pipeline will help to meet a crucial need for domestic energy, the Cardinal News reported.
Sierra Club Pressures Connecticut to Block Iroquois Compressor - Marcellus Drilling News -- As we told you earlier this week, the radicals who run the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are gearing up to block the Iroquois Gas Transmission system from completing its Enhancement by Compression (ExC) project (see NY DEC Attempting to Use Draft Reg to Block Iroquois Compressor). The ExC project increases horsepower at three compression stations — two in New York and one in Connecticut — by an extra 125 MMcf/d, flowing more Marcellus/Utica gas into New York City and New England. In what is clearly a case of collusion, the Sierra Club is pressuring Connecticut political leaders to block the expansion of the compressor in that state even as the DEC is blocking the compressors in NY.
Natural Gas Prices Said Still Too Low for E&Ps to Bring On More Production - U.S. natural gas exploration and production (E&P) companies have reduced output in response to high inventories and the low price environment, but now the query is, when might production return? Price will tell, according to analysts. Lower 48 natural gas output has fallen below 100 Bcf/d, down from record highs around 107 Bcf/d early this year, after Chesapeake Energy Corp., EQT Corp. and others eased activity to address an oversupplied market. A major question for the market in April has been whether EQT, the largest gas producer in the country, would reverse its cuts of 1 Bcf/d of gross production made in late February. The company had said it would maintain the curtailment through March and reassess market conditions afterward.
Chesapeake-Southwestern Merger Delayed as FTC Requests More Info --The planned merger of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Southwestern Energy Company has been delayed due to a request for more information from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In a Form 8-K filed Friday, Chesapeake said that the merger is expected to be completed in the second half of the year due to the FTC’s request for additional information and documentary materials relating to the agency’s review of the merger. The merger completion, originally targeted for the second quarter, is still subject to the fulfillment of the other closing conditions, including approvals of Chesapeake and Southwestern shareholders. Chesapeake and Southwestern in January announced in a joint statement that they entered into an agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction valued at $7.4 billion, or $6.69 per share, based on Chesapeake’s closing price on January 10. The statement said that the combined company will assume a new name at closing and that its board of directors will increase to 11 members and will initially be comprised of seven representatives from Chesapeake and four representatives from Southwestern. The two companies said that the strategic combination will create a premier energy company underpinned by a leading natural gas portfolio adjacent to the highest demand markets, premium inventory, resilient free cash flow, and an investment grade quality balance sheet. “Chesapeake and Southwestern will continue to work cooperatively with the FTC in its review of the merger,” the filing said. In March, a group of U.S. senators and representatives wrote a public letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan urging it to investigate and block all anticompetitive Big Oil mergers, specifically naming the Chesapeake-Southwestern agreement, among others.
More demand, more gas: Inside the Southeast’s dirty power push - Utilities across the U.S. Southeast are claiming that a massive buildout of data centers and factories will force them to construct gigawatts of new fossil gas-fired power plants over the coming decade — a fleet large enough and dirty enough to potentially put U.S. climate goals out of reach. However, critics of these plans say that utilities have cleaner and cheaper alternatives to reliably manage surging new power demand, and that state utility regulators in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee need to require them to explore those options.For the moment, though, these utilities, which serve tens of millions of customers, appear set on a fossil-fueled power expansion that also promises them additional profits for years to come — profits that environmentalists and consumer advocates argue will be reaped at the expense of the climate and their customers.“The problem we face now is that everyone is searching for power,” said Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association. “Utilities across the Southeast are scrambling to find every last megawatt they can get…. They are trying desperately to get these new large-load customers, because they make more money when they sell more power.”In some regions, these potential new customers are big data centers to serve the skyrocketing demand for enterprise computing power, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency mining. In others, they’re factories for electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels supported by billions of dollars of federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.The exact figures vary from region to region, but most of the utilities are now forecasting high single-digit percentage growth rates every year through the end of the decade. Demand for electricity over the past decade and a half has stayed flat or even declined, so growth on that order would be a sea change for utilities.Whether this new electricity demand will emerge at the speed and scale these utilities are predicting is unclear; utilities have overestimated demand growth before. Some critics have accused utilities of seizing on hype around the rapid expansion of energy-intensive artificial intelligence technology to win approval for gas plants that are not really necessary.But even if these projections are accurate, critics say new fossil gas plants aren’t the answer. They argue that gas plants are polluting, unreliable and likely to become stranded assets in the near future, as climate imperatives and cheaper clean-energy resources force them to close before utilities have recouped their costs.
Louisiana Court Grants Approval for DTM to Proceed with Natural Gas Crossings in Blow to Energy Transfer - A Louisiana appeals court on Wednesday ruled that Energy Transfer LP may not block DT Midstream Inc. (DTM) from building natural gas pipeline crossings underneath its system, with one judge stating that Energy Transfer’s property rights do not extend “to the center of the earth.” In a unanimous ruling by the three-judge panel, the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal said land rights granted to Energy Transfer for the ETC Tiger Pipeline LLC do not extend beyond dimensions aimed at preventing uses that could damage or interfere with its pipeline. Energy Transfer had argued its 42-inch diameter gas pipeline had exclusive rights under agreements with a landowner. The Dallas-based company also cited concerns about safety. A year ago, a division of the 42nd Judicial...
We Head into Summer with Extra NatGas Supplies from Warm Winter - Marcellus Drilling News -- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), working natural gas inventories in the U.S. ended the winter heating season (November 1–March 31) at 2,290 billion cubic feet (Bcf), which is 39% more than the previous five-year (2019–23) average. Why is there so much in inventory? Warm weather all winter led to less usage of natural gas. Couple that with high production and it’s a prescription for too much gas in inventory, which leads to (you guessed it), low prices.
Steep Contango Drawing Attention to U.S. Natural Gas Salt Storage Limits - Late winter salt storage constraints that helped steepen U.S. natural gas forward curves to near record levels have started to ease with the onset of the injection season, likely providing a tailwind to prompt prices. NGI December forward prices for benchmark Henry Hub stood at a $1.693/MMBtu premium to May at the start of April, with May priced at $1.769 and December at $3.462, NGI’s Forward Look data show. That’s the steepest premium for May-December at the end of the injection season over the past 10 years. The factors driving this year’s contango, where forward prices are at a higher premium than prompt, are well established. The warmest winter on record stalled heating demand, swelling Lower 48 gas inventories to crash cash prices to 25-year lows.
Natural Gas in Crosshairs as DOE Aiming to Decarbonize Commercial, Residential Buildings - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a national blueprint to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050, with potentially significant implications for natural gas demand. Residential and commercial buildings account for roughly 29% of total U.S. natural gas consumption and 42% of end-use sector gas consumption, according to the plan’s authors. Buildings also consumed 38% of total energy across all primary sources (petroleum, natural gas, coal, renewable energy and nuclear power) in 2022, and 74% of electricity generated from primary sources, the DOE team highlighted. Natural gas is the leading source of electricity in the United States, accounting for about 40% of generation.
US weekly LNG exports climb to 25 shipments - US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports rose in the week ending April 3 compared to the week before, according to the Energy Information Administration.The agency said in its weekly report that 25 LNG carriers departed the US plants between March 28 and April 3, three shipments more compared to the week before.Citing shipping data provided by Bloomberg Finance, the EIA said the total capacity of these LNG vessels is 89 Bcf.Average natural gas deliveries to US LNG export terminals fell 3 percent (0.4 Bcf/d) from last week, averaging 12.5 Bcf/d, according to data from S&P Global Commodity. Natural gas deliveries to terminals in South Louisiana fell 4.1 percent (0.4 Bcf/d), and deliveries to South Texas were essentially unchanged at 2.8 Bcf/d.The agency said that deliveries to terminals outside the Gulf Coast were flat at 1.2 Bcf/d.Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant shipped nine cargoes and the company’s Corpus Christi facility sent four shipments during the week under review.Sempra Infrastructure’s Cameron LNG terminal also shipped four cargoes during the period.Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass facility, the Cove Point terminal, the Elba Island terminal, and the Freeport LNG facility each sent two cargoes,Freeport LNG, south of Houston, Texas is currently operating with only one of three trains.This report week, the Henry Hub spot price rose 42 cents from $1.44 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) last Wednesday to $1.86/MMBtu this Wednesday.The agency said the price of the May 2024 NYMEX contract increased 12.3 cents, from $1.718/MMBtu last Wednesday to $1.841/MMBtu this Wednesday. According to the EIA, the price of the 12-month strip averaging May 2024 through April 2025 futures contracts climbed 9.1 cents to $2.818/MMBtu. The agency said that international natural gas futures were mixed this report week.Bloomberg Finance reported that weekly average front-month futures prices for LNG cargoes in East Asia increased 2 cents to a weekly average of $9.51/MMBtu.Natural gas futures for delivery at the Dutch TTF decreased 32 cents to a weekly average of $8.42/MMBtu.In the same week last year (week ending April 5, 2023), the prices were $12.96/MMBtu in East Asia and $14.96/MMBtu at TTF, the agency said.
DOE urged to widen reviews of gas exports - Dozens of environmental groups joined together Monday to push the Department of Energy to make sure climate change and domestic energy prices are major priorities in the agency’s new analysis of liquefied natural gas exports.The groups, led by the Sierra Club, also called for a focus on environmental justice — the effort to reduce pollution that takes a disproportionate toll on communities of color and certain rural and low-income areas.It’s “past time for a robust review of LNG export proposals and our frontline communities, domestic consumers, and manufacturers are actively suffering as a result,” the groups said in a letter delivered to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and shared with POLITICO’s E&E News.In late January, DOE paused approvals of new LNG exports to countries that the U.S. does not have free trade agreements with — a move with big potential implications for President Joe Biden’s reelection bid that was praised by environmentalists and condemned by fossil fuel supporters. The department is now conducting an economic and climate analysis on LNG that will help inform future decisions to approve or deny exports.
Environmental Groups Keep Pressure on Biden Amid LNG Export License Pause - More than 100 environmental and grassroots groups sent a letter to the Biden administration this week urging the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a “robust analysis” of the LNG supply chain before the pause on new export authorizations is lifted. The organizations argued in the letter that the DOE has relied too long on outdated economic and environmental impact studies conducted between 2012 and 2019 to determine whether U.S. liquefied natural gas exports are in the public interest. They said the administration must build a stronger public interest determination process than it ever has before during the pause. The studies that DOE has been relying on to make its decisions “do not adequately reflect the lifecycle emissions from exports, the social cost of those...
Democrats bash GOP proposal linking natural gas exports to Ukraine aid --House Democrats are hammering a Republican proposal linking Ukraine aid to an increase in natural gas exports, accusing GOP leaders of pushing poison-pill policies that will only further delay much needed help for a democratic ally under siege. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) launched the controversial debate late last month, telling Fox News that he’s eying a plan to allow new permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports — a reversal of President Biden’s recent freeze on those licenses — as part of legislation providing new military assistance to Kyiv. Johnson has been vague about the specifics for a foreign-aid package, and it’s unclear if the proposed natural gas provision will be part of any final legislation emerging from his office. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), a member of GOP leadership, told reporters Tuesday the provision is still on the table. But Democrats aren’t waiting silently while the GOP’s favored energy policies gain momentum. Instead, they’re bashing Johnson’s LNG proposal as a conservative pipe-dream that would never win over the Democratic support Johnson will need to get Ukraine aid to Biden’s desk. “I think it’s a non-starter,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). “I can’t speak for every Democrat, but I know a lot of my colleagues would be mortified by that, and would be upset with any Democratic leader that negotiated for it.” Johnson is walking a tightrope in his attempt to move another round of Ukraine aid through the lower chamber as Kyiv’s forces run low on munitions and Russian troops make advances. The new funding is supported by the old-guard conservatives in Johnson’s GOP conference — who favor a strong interventionist policy overseas — but is opposed by a newer crop of isolationists, led by former President Trump, who want to use more of Washington’s resources to address problems at home. In an effort to prevent a revolt from the Trump faction, Johnson has rejected a Senate-passed foreign-aid package, which provided $60 billion to Ukraine, and is vowing to move a more conservative version through the House. As part of that effort, he’s floating the LNG provision, which would reverse a Biden policy reviled by Republicans who want to expand domestic fossil fuel production, not curb it. The Speaker says the proposal is relevant to the Ukraine debate because it could help other countries wean themselves from a reliance on Russian fuel, which is helping to fund Moscow’s invasion. “We want to unleash American energy. We want to have natural gas exports that will help un-fund Vladimir Putin’s war effort there,” Johnson told Fox News at the end of March. Democrats have far different ideas. They’ve largely supported Biden’s freeze on LNG export permits, in the name of tackling climate change, while pressing Johnson to bring a vote on the Senate Ukraine bill, which passed through the upper chamber with an overwhelming 70-29 vote, including support from 22 Republicans. Given the bipartisan nature of that bill, they say Johnson is wasting his time with the LNG proposal while Ukraine suffers. “Speaker Johnson should stop playing political games with crucial aid to our allies and bring up the bill that got 70 votes in the Senate,” said Rep. Diane DeGette (Colo.), the senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subpanel on energy and climate.
JPMorgan CEO Says LNG Projects Delayed Mainly for Political Reasons - Trade is realpolitik, and the recent cancellation of future liquified natural gas (LNG) projects is a good example of this fact. That’s what Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said in a recent letter to the company’s shareholders, which was posted on the company’s website. “The projects were delayed mainly for political reasons, to pacify those who believe that gas is bad and that oil and gas projects should simply be stopped,” he added. “This is not only wrong but also enormously naïve. One of the best ways to reduce CO2 for the next few decades is to use gas to replace coal,” he continued. In the letter, Dimon stated that, “when oil and gas prices skyrocketed last winter, nations around the world - wealthy and very climate-conscious nations like France, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as lower-income nations like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam that could not afford the higher cost - started to turn back to their coal plants”. “This highlights the importance of safe, secure, and affordable energy,” he added. Dimon also noted in the letter that the export of LNG “is a great economic boon for the United States”. “But most important is the realpolitik goal: Our allied nations that need secure and affordable energy resources, including critical nations like Japan, Korea, and most of our European allies, would like to be able to depend on the United States for energy,” he said. “This now puts them in a difficult position - they may have to look elsewhere for such supplies, turning to Iran, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates or maybe even Russia. We need to minimize anything that can tear at our economic bonds with our allies,” he added. “The strength of our domestic production of energy gives us a ‘power advantage’ - cheaper and more reliable energy, which creates economic and geopolitical advantages,” Dimon went on to state. Rigzone has contacted the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House (WH) for comment on Dimon’s letter. At the time of writing, neither has responded to Rigzone yet.
Biden Commits to Japanese Energy Security While Holding Firm on LNG Pause - As the United States moves to reassure allies that reliable LNG exports are still a priority, market analysts warn the Department of Energy’s (DOE) pause on new export permits has already opened the door for international competitors. President Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio Wednesday where, along with security and economic cooperation, the two reportedly discussed Japan’s energy relationship with the United States. While Biden’s January directive for DOE to review its policies for approving exports from new liquefied natural gas projects does not currently prevent U.S. cargoes from being sent to Japan, some Japanese firms and officials have expressed concern about its impact on long-term energy security and affordability.
APA Curtails Permian Natural Gas Output, Citing Negative Waha Prices - APA Corp. said Wednesday it curtailed about 35 MMcf/d of U.S. natural gas production during the first quarter, mostly during March. The curtailment was “in response to weak or negative Waha hub prices.” Waha is the hub of record for the Permian Basin, which spans West Texas and portions of southeastern New Mexico. Waha prices were negative for much of March and have mostly remained that way in April amid weak weather-driven demand and a massive supply overhang in the region. Negative pricing means producers have to pay shippers to take their gas.
NatGas Flows to Freeport LNG Export Plant Drop to Near Zero, Again - Marcellus Drilling News - The problem-plagued Freeport LNG export plant is once again completely out of order. The plant had been mostly offline following an episode of cold temps in January (see Freeport LNG Repairs Won’t be Done Until May – 2 Trains Offline). Freeport announced that two of the three trains at its facility would remain out of service for testing and repairs through May. In late March, Train 3 at the plant came back online (see Freeport LNG Maintenance Work Continues – Gas Flows to One Train). However, a new problem at Train 3 took it offline late Tuesday.
Freeport Again Restarts Train 3 After Unplanned Outage – Three Things to Know About the LNG Market - Freeport LNG Development LP said Train 3 at its export plant on the upper Texas coast tripped offline late Tuesday due to an issue with the ventilation flow meter. The train, which only recently came back online after a lengthy outage, was restarted Wednesday, according to a regulatory filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Feed gas flows to the facility dropped significantly Wednesday and were nominated at below 180 MMcf/d on Thursday. The facility has been using about half of its 2.6 Bcf/d of feed gas capacity. Two of Freeport’s three trains are expected to be offline intermittently through at least May for inspections and repairs. Train 3 was restarted in March after a months-long outage caused by electrical issues during extreme cold in January...
TotalEnergies expands its US natural gas production - France’s TotalEnergies has agreed to buy the 20 percent interest held by Lewis Energy in the Dorado leases operated by EOG Resources in the Eagle Ford shale play, increasing its natural gas production capacity in Texas and further strengthening its business integration in the US LNG value chain. Located in Texas, the Dorado field will allow TotalEnergies to increase its net US natural gas production by 50 million cubic feet a day (Mcf/d) in 2024, with the potential for an additional 50 Mcf/d by 2028, it said in a statement. According to TotalEnergies, the field has an emission intensity of around 10 kg CO2e/boe. In 2023, TotalEnergies’ net US natural gas output reached around 340 Mcf/d (450 Mcf/d technical production). Largest exporter of US LNG With over 10 million tons (Mt) in 2023, TotalEnergies was the number one exporter of US LNG, thanks to its 16.6 percent stake in the Sempra infrastructure-operated Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana and several long-term purchasing agreements, the firm claims. Moreover, the company’s LNG export capacity will reach 15 Mt/y by 2030 following the start-up of the first phase of NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, currently under construction.
U.S. Natgas Prices Hit 5-Week High on Rising Feedgas to Freeport LNG, Output Drop -- U.S. natural gas futures edged up about 1% to a five-week high on Wednesday on an increase in feedgas to the Freeport LNG export plant and a drop in output as pipeline maintenance trapped gas in Texas and producers continued to reduce drilling activities after prices collapsed to 3-1/2-year lows earlier this year. Limiting price gains was the huge amount of surplus of gas in storage and negative spot power and gas prices in parts of Texas, California and Arizona seen over the past few weeks. Front-month gas futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 1.3 cents, or 0.7%, to settle at $1.885 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since March 6 for a second day in a row. Analysts projected gas stockpiles were about 37% above normal levels for this time of year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected gas and power demand would both hit record highs in 2024, while gas output will drop for the first time since 2020 when COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns cut demand for the fuel. The EIA also projected that U.S. gas prices would be cheaper in 2024 than coal for the first time ever. In the spot market, next-day gas prices at the Waha hub in the Permian Basin in West Texas fell from negative $1.20 on April 8 to negative $1.50 per mmBtu on April 9, their lowest since April 2020 for a second day in a row, according to data from SNL Energy on the LSEG terminal. Over the past several weeks, daily power and gas prices in Texas, California and Arizona have traded below zero due to low demand, ample renewable sources of power and pipeline maintenance that trapped gas in Texas. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to an average of 98.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in April, down from 100.8 bcfd in March. That compares with a monthly record of 105.6 bcfd in December 2023. On a daily basis, output was on track to drop by 3.9 bcfd over the past four days to a preliminary 12-week low of 96.1 bcfd on Wednesday. Energy traders have said preliminary data was often revised higher later in the day. With warmer weather coming, LSEG forecast gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would fall from 100.9 bcfd this week to 96.4 bcfd next week. The forecast for next week was higher than LSEG’s outlook on Tuesday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants slid to an average of 12.7 bcfd so far in April, down from 13.1 bcfd in March. That compares with a monthly record of 14.7 bcfd in December. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to rise to a three-week high of 13.5 bcfd as the amount of gas flowing to Freeport climbs to 1.5 bcfd on Wednesday from 1.1 bcfd on Tuesday and an average of 0.8 bcfd over the prior seven days. Analysts do not expect U.S. LNG feedgas to return to record levels until all three liquefaction trains at Freeport’s plant in Texas return to service. Freeport said in late March it expects Trains 1 and 2 to remain shut until May for inspections and repairs, while Train 3 was operating. Analysts, however, believe Freeport has already restarted at least one of the two trains shut for inspection and repairs. Each Freeport train can turn about 0.7 bcfd of gas into LNG.
U.S. Natgas Prices Hold Near 2-Week Low on Lower Demand Forecasts - U.S. natural gas futures held near a two-week low on Friday on worries about a huge storage surplus and forecasts for lower demand over the next two weeks than previously expected due primarily to a drop in feedgas to the Freeport LNG export plant in Texas. Analysts forecast gas stockpiles were about 36% above normal levels for this time of year. That lack of price movement occurred despite a drop in output as producers reduced drilling activities after prices fell to a 3-1/2-year low in February and March, and forecasts for colder weather to boost heating demand in two weeks. U.S. drillers cut the number of gas rigs operating this week by one to 109, their lowest since January 2022, according to data from energy services company Baker Hughes. Front-month gas futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 0.6 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $1.770 per million British thermal units. On Thursday the contract closed at its lowest since March 28. For the week, the front-month lost about 1% in its first weekly decline in four weeks. In the spot market, next-day gas prices at the Waha hub in the Permian Basin in West Texas rose to negative $1.74 per mmBtu on April 11 from a near four-year low of negative $2.10 on April 10, according to data from SNL Energy on the LSEG terminal. In Canada, spot gas prices at the AECO hub in Alberta fell to $1.00 per mmBtu, their lowest level since October 2022 for a fourth day in a row. In other news, Williams Cos said it will allow the certificate for the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) gas pipe in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York to expire in May, according to a filing with federal energy regulators. The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved construction of the roughly $1 billion NESE project in 2019, but Williams put it on hold because environmental regulators in New York and New Jersey did not approve water permits. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to an average of 98.8 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in April, down from 100.8 bcfd in March. That compares with a monthly record of 105.6 bcfd in December 2023. LSEG forecast gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would fall from 99.3 bcfd this week to 94.4 bcfd next week as the weather warms before rising to 98.1 bcfd in two weeks with cooler temperatures. The forecasts for this week and the next were lower than LSEG’s outlook on Thursday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants slid to an average of 12.5 bcfd so far in April, down from 13.1 bcfd in March. That compares with a monthly record of 14.7 bcfd in December. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to fall to a one-week low of 12.0 bcfd as the amount of gas flowing to Freeport LNG holds at 0.1 bcfd for a second day in a row on Friday, down from a recent high of 1.1 bcfd on Tuesday and an average of 0.8 bcfd over the prior seven days. Freeport said in late March it expects Trains 1 and 2 to remain shut until May for inspections and repairs, while Train 3 was operating. But the small increase in feedgas seen on Tuesday convinced some in the market that Train 1 or 2 was returning to service early. That, however, was before Train 3 tripped late on Tuesday.
Oklahoma AG Alleges ‘Unconscionable’ Natural Gas Price Gouging by Symmetry, Enable During Winter Storm Uri - Oklahoma is suing two natural gas marketers over alleged market manipulation and price gouging during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. The deep freeze wreaked havoc on natural gas and electricity supply in the South Central United States, particularly Texas and Oklahoma, causing prolonged energy outages and extreme price spikes. Rather than taking measures to ensure reliable supply for homes and businesses ahead of the cold weather event, Symmetry Energy Solutions LLC and affiliates of Enable Midstream Partners LP sought to artificially inflate gas prices, according to lawsuits filed in Osage County District Court by Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General (AG) Gentner Drummond. Enable has since been acquired by Energy Transfer LP.
LSU professor creates new pipeline leak detection technology, saving millions of dollars - An LSU professor discovered an innovative advancement using fiber optics, that has the potential to rapidly and accurately detect pipeline leaks. This could prevent substantial environmental harm and save the oil and gas industry billions annually. According to the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Louisiana has about 50,000 miles worth of pipelines running through it more than any other state except Texas, creating greater margins for leaks and detection errors in a state already plagued by oil spills and air pollution. Louisiana is not alone in its pipeline complications; United States oil and gas pipeline leaks happen every 40 minutes on average. Jyotsna Sharma, LSU petroleum engineering professor and creator of this technology, said her invention helps Louisiana “given the dense network of subsea, surface and subsurface pipelines crisscrossing the state. A micro-leak in an underwater pipeline can quickly become an environmental disaster.”The energy industry spends more than $3 billion on leak detection with faulty pressure gauges, which indicate a decrease in pressure if the leak is large enough. However, when these gauges are spaced miles apart, they may not readily detect the leak. Consequently, minor leaks often go unnoticed and unremedied, leading to environmental harm.This is where fiber-optic leak detection can assist by catching minor leaks and preventing environmental damage. “Light is sent into the optical fiber. If there is a change in temperature, strain, pressure, or vibrations anywhere along the fiber– such as at a leaking location– the light gets modulated at that location. By knowing the speed of light in fiber, which is made of glass or silica, we can calculate exactly where that leak is coming from,” Sharma said. Sharma noted that, though fiber-optic sensing technology has been around for about two decades, the novelty is in their algorithm that can identify the leak signature from all other background signals that are always present, minimizing false alarms.
Cleanup underway in Bronx River after an accidental oil spill in Yonkers --Con Edison is cleaning up non-hazardous insulating fluid similar to mineral oil that leaked out of a transmission feeder in Yonkers on April 1.A portion of an estimated 1,000 gallons of oil passed through a storm drain that has an outfall on Nereid Avenue.“[Department of Environmental Conservation] spill response is directing the clean-up operation and Con Edison has placed a series of fluid absorbing booms spread across the river from McLean Avenue in Yonkers down to Fordham Road in the Bronx,” Con Edison Spokesperson Alfonso Quiroz told News 12.He added, "The booms should prevent any significant amount of fluid traveling farther south."Quiroz also told News 12 that the cleanup should be complete by Friday.News 12 also reached out the DEC but had not heard back as of Sunday evening.
Unified Command Repairs Gulf Of Mexico Pipeline After Mysterious Oil Spill Off Louisiana - A Unified Command has completed an integrity test on the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) firm’s pipeline system southeast of New Orleans. The location was Plaquemines Parish. The procedure was done in response to an oil release detected on 16 November last year. The integrity test indicated a failed subsea connector on the MPOG line that could not maintain the pressure. It is yet undetermined if this connector was linked with the November oil release, and other potential sources are also being examined. The precise quantity of the oil discharge is also unknown. However, the initial projections indicate that around 1.1 million gallons of crude oil could’ve been released from the 67-mile pipeline that was subsequently closed by the MPOG. Working with the Unified Command, the MPOG developed and enforced a plan to remove and replace the spool piece — the part of the pipeline that included the failed connector. The operation prioritized both safety and environmental protection. The spool piece was replaced on 21 February. Following the replacement, the MPOG conducted another integrity test on most of the pipeline. It was pressurized in phases utilizing an inert gas to ensure the system maintained containment. The test ended on Friday, disclosing that no additional pipeline segments need further assessments. The Unified Command and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration monitored the operations closely. Considerable safety measures included multi-spectral imaging cameras, divers, spill response vessels, and remotely operated vehicles. No significant oil discharges could be observed during the procedures.
Gulf of Mexico Pipeline Repaired After Mystery Oil Spill Off Louisiana - --A Unified Command has successfully completed an integrity test on the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) company’s pipeline system, located southeast of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish. This procedure was carried out in response to an oil release that was first detected on November 16, 2023.The integrity test revealed a failed subsea connector on the MPOG line that did not maintain pressure. It is still undetermined whether this connector was associated with the November oil release, and additional potential sources are being investigated.The exact quantity of the oil discharge is unknown. However, initial projections suggest that roughly 1.1 million gallons of crude oil could have been released from the 67-mile long pipeline, which was subsequently was closed by MPOG.Working with the Unified Command, MPOG developed and executed a plan to safely remove and replace the spool piece – the part of the pipeline that included the failed connector. The operation prioritized safety and environmental protection. The spool piece was successfully replaced on February 21.After the replacement, MPOG performed another integrity test on a majority of the pipeline. The pipeline was pressurized in stages using an inert gas to ensure the system could maintain containment. The test concluded on Friday, revealing no additional pipeline segments that require further assessment.The operations were closely monitored by the Unified Command and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Multiple safety measures were in place, including spill response vessels, divers, remotely operated vehicles, and multi-spectral imaging cameras. No significant oil discharges were observed during these procedures.
Diamondback Sells $5.5B of Bonds for Endeavor Deal - Diamondback Energy Inc. borrowed $5.5 billion in the US investment-grade market to partly help fund its $26 billion takeover of Endeavor Energy Resources LP, joining other blue-chip companies capitalizing on robust investor demand to bring acquisition-related debt deals. Diamondback sold the bonds in five parts, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The longest portion of the offering, a 40-year security, yields 142 basis points above Treasuries, after initial discussions of around 170 basis points, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the details are private. The deal garnered nearly $35 billion in investor orders, Bloomberg’s Brian Smith wrote in a note Tuesday. A representative for Diamondback didn’t respond to a request for comment. Proceeds from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, including paying a portion of the cash consideration for the Endeavor merger and repaying certain debt of Endeavor if the merger closes, added the person. Diamondback last month inked a $1.5 billion term loan agreement to finance the acquisition. Diamondback in February agreed to buy fellow Texas oil-and-gas producer Endeavor in a $26 billion cash-and-stock deal to create the largest operator focused on the prolific Permian Basin. Diamondback will fund the deal with 117.3 million shares and $8 billion in cash, the two Midland, Texas-based companies said in a statement on Feb. 12. Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Toronto-Dominion Bank managing the bond sale, said the person. Representatives for the three banks didn’t respond to requests for comment. Multi-billion dollar bond offerings to fund mergers and acquisitions are helping fuel a $559.2 borrowing binge in the high-grade market this year through Monday, a trend that Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Robert Schiffman said he expects will boost debt sales through the rest of 2024. Home Depot Inc. told investors last month it expects to take on $12.5 billion of debt to help fund its planned purchase of building-products distributor SRS Distribution Inc. Diamondback’s debt outstanding will double to around $13 billion if it closes the takeover, CreditSights analysts including Charles Johnston wrote in a note Tuesday. Still, cash flow generated throughout the year will limit the leverage impact, with pro forma leverage expected to be at around 1.1 times by the end of the year, they added. “In the medium term, the CFO would like the net debt to be in the $6-$8 billion range, with material amounts of cash on the balance sheet for countercyclical share repurchases,” wrote the analysts.
Biden administration says federal court should reconsider Line 5 shutdown order - The Biden administration is urging a federal appeals court to reverse a lower court order that would shut down an oil and gas pipeline crossing the Bad River tribe’s reservation within three years. Attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justice weighed in for the first time as the northern Wisconsin tribe and Canadian energy firm Enbridge have been locked in a years-long legal battle over the fate of the company’s Line 5 pipeline. In 2019, Bad River sued Enbridge in federal court to shut down and remove the pipeline from its reservation. Last year, U.S. District Judge William Conley ordered the company to pay$5.1 million for trespassing where its pipeline easements expired and shut down Line 5 there by mid-2026. Both Enbridge and Bad River appealed the ruling to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. In a brief made public Wednesday, the federal government argued Conley was right to find that Enbridge has been trespassing on tribal lands for more than 10 years. Even so, U.S. attorneys said the case should be sent back for the lower court to reconsider both the tribe’s treaty rights and the consequences of shutting down the pipeline on relations between the U.S. and Canada. “The operation of that pipeline has implications for the trade and diplomatic relationship between the two countries, as well as economic and energy-supply implications,” attorneys wrote in a court filing. U.S. attorneys also argued a federal judge was wrong in awarding only $5 million to the tribe for Enbridge’s trespass. They note the company has made more than $1 billion in profits tied to Line 5 since its right-of-way easements expired in 2013 on a dozen parcels of the tribe’s land. They say the award does nothing to discourage trespassing and encourages delaying the pipeline’s relocation.In a statement, Bad River Tribal Chair Robert Blanchard said tribal leaders are grateful the Biden administration urged against Enbridge profiting from its trespass on tribal lands. “But we are disappointed that the U.S. has not unequivocally called for an immediate end to Enbridge’s ongoing trespass, as justice and the law demand,” Blanchard said. “Enbridge should be required to promptly leave our Reservation, just like other companies that have trespassed on tribal land.” A group of 30 tribal nations, including Bad River, have urged President Joe Biden and his administration to support the tribe and treaty rights in the case. Juli Kellner, an Enbridge spokesperson, said in a statement the company has valid easements under a 1992 agreement to operate Line 5 on the vast majority of land where it crosses the reservation. She said shutting down Line 5 would violate a 1977 treaty between the U.S. and Canada, adding it would negatively impact businesses, communities and millions of people who rely on the pipeline.
The legal long shot that could shut down Dakota Access - The tribe fighting to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline has new ammunition in its long legal battle: The operator needs a federal easement, but it’s barred from doing business with the government. Energy Transfer has been operating Dakota Access for years under a lake managed by the federal government. But its original easement was struck down by a court — and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe argues that the company’s federal “debarment” means it isn’t eligible for a new one. Experts say it’s a legal long shot — but not an impossible one. Advertisement “It’s plausible, possible, but maybe not probable,” said Robert Meunier, who was a top debarment official at EPA and led the Office of Management and Budget’s Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee. Still, he said, “It sounds like that company may have a major problem.” The debarment — which has not been previously reported — stems from Energy Transfer’s checkered environmental record, which includes spills, leaks and an explosion during construction of pipelines in Pennsylvania. It provides a new opening for a legal case that could have far-reaching repercussions: Dakota Access carries about 6 percent of the country’s daily oil production and plays an outsize role in the national debate over climate and domestic energy production. Tribal officials have contacted EPA, which issued the debarment, to outline their objections and have laid out their arguments in public filings. But the tribe has not yet formally raised the issue in their litigation with the Army Corps of Engineers. Notably, the judge in the existing case ordered the pipeline “drained of oil” in 2020, only to be overruled by a higher court. “We’re gathering our quivers and our arrows to continue to fight and stop the Dakota Access pipeline in any way we can,” Doug Crow Ghost, the tribe’s water resources director, said in an interview. “We’re trying to figure out how this debarment can play a role in a lawsuit.” Construction of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access pipeline inspired intense protests by thousands of people in 2016 and 2017. The bitter fight spurred a debate about tribal treaty rights and the costs of the United States’ newfound abundance of oil. Tribal officials have tried for years to shut down the pipeline by arguing that the Army Corps did an inadequate environmental review when granting the original easement for Lake Oahe, the tribe’s primary water supply. For the first time, they may go after Energy Transfer directly, suggesting that the company’s environmental record could haunt its highest-profile asset. Energy Transfer is a sprawling Dallas-based empire of oil and gas infrastructure led by a major former President Donald Trump donor, Kelcy Warren, and has more than 125,000 miles of pipelines. A spokesperson for the company did not respond to requests for comment. The Army Corps also did not respond to requests for comment.
Cedar LNG issues notice to proceed to SHI and Black & Veatch, expects FID by mid-2024 - Canada’s Pembina Pipeline and the Haisla Nation have issued a notice to proceed to Samsung Heavy Industries and Black & Veatch for Cedar LNG’s floating LNG production unit following the finalization of long-term commercial offtake agreements. Cedar LNG said on Thursday these “critical” milestones allow the project to proceed to secure financing, which is required prior to making a final investment decision (FID), expected by the middle of 2024. The JV is preparing for construction, with pre-FID early works starting in May 2024, including tree clearing and rough grading activities at our proposed marine terminal near Kitimat. The in-service date is expected in late 2028. Pembina and the Haisla Nation each own 50 percent in the Cedar LNG project. In February, the partners have again postponed the final decision on their Cedar floating LNG export project to the middle of this year.Pirior to that, the duo confirmed they had selected SHI and Black & Veatch to provide engineering, procurement, and construction for Cedar LNG’s floating LNG production unit. According to the statement on Thursday, the issuance of the NTP directs the EPC contractor to finalize engineering and design for, and start construction of the FLNG. Subject to the final decision, once complete, the FLNG unit will be transported from South Korea to the Cedar LNG site in Haisla traditional territory in the Douglas Channel, signaling a “step change for the LNG industry and Indigenous people everywhere.”
Drought Seen Impacting Western Canada’s Natural Gas, Oil Operations - Canadian oil and natural gas operators are working to manage water use as western provinces face increasingly dry conditions after a mild winter. Exploration and production (E&P) companies achieved record natural gas production last winter, according to the latest data from the Canada Energy Regulator. Total marketed natural gas production during December was more than 531 million cubic meters/day (MMcm/d), or 18.8 Bcf/d, the highest level achieved over the last two years. Also last winter, however, El Niño led to lower snowpack levels throughout much of Canada, including British Columbia (BC) and Alberta, the two leading gas-producing provinces.
Pemex Safety Woes Continue as Offshore Platform Fire Kills One, Injures Nine - Mexico’s state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) said a fire Saturday at the Akal-B offshore platform in Campeche Bay left one worker dead and nine injured, including two in critical condition. The deceased worker was an employee of a contractor company called COTER. The incident occurred in an area where pipelines supply natural gas as a fuel for the platform’s turbomachinery, Pemex said. One of the workers in critical condition is a Pemex employee, while the other works for COTER. Pemex said it was investigating the cause of the blaze and taking actions that would allow the restart of operations. The fire is the latest in a long series of fatal accidents at Pemex oil and gas installations.
One Dead in PEMEX Platform Fire - In a statement posted on its website on Saturday, which was originally in Spanish and translated to English, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) revealed that a fire broke out on one of the platforms of the Akal-B Process Center in the Campeche Sound at just before 5pm local time that day. The fire occurred in the area where the pipelines that handle fuel for the turbomachinery are located, the statement highlighted. “The Emergency Response Plan (PRE) was immediately activated at the facility, controlling the fire at 5.04pm,” the translated statement said. “Two PEMEX workers and seven company workers (three from DIAVAZ, four from COTER) were reported with non-serious injuries. They are sent to Ciudad del Carmen for evaluation,” it added. In an update posted on its site on Sunday, PEMEX revealed that five of its workers had been affected by the fire. Two of these had first and second degree burn injuries and two had bruises but all four were in stable condition, according to that update, which revealed that one worker was in a serious condition and would be moved to Mexico City for treatment. “Three workers from the DIAVAZ company were evaluated at the Social Security hospital and were discharged,” the translated statement said. “Six workers from the COTER company - one worker was evaluated at the Social Security hospital and discharged; three workers with first and second degree burn injuries are hospitalized in the same institution in stable health condition; a hospitalized worker in serious health condition; and, unfortunately, a deceased worker,” it added. “The inspection and evaluation of the area continues to be carried out to establish the causes of this fire and the actions that allow the reestablishment of the operation of the Process Center,” PEMEX continued. Rigzone has contacted PEMEX asking for an update on the workers affected in the fire that occurred on the Akal-B marine platform. Rigzone also asked PEMEX if production was affected by the fire. The questions were posed in English and Spanish. At the time of writing, PEMEX has not yet responded to Rigzone.
Spot LNG shipping rates, European prices drop this week –- Spot charter rates for the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier fleet decreased further this week, and European prices dropped for the first time in six weeks.Last week, Spot charter rates dropped below $50,000 per day.“Freight rates in the Atlantic and Pacific basins continue to fall for the second consecutive week, with the Spark30S Atlantic spot rate falling by $1,750 per day to $44,750 per day, and the Spark25S Pacific rate falling by $1,500/day to $47,000 per day,” Qasim Afghan, Spark’s commercial analyst told LNG Prime on Friday. “For this time of the year, the Spark30S Atlantic spot rate is at its lowest point since 2021,” he said.LNG freight rates remain low despite the fact that LNG carriers are still avoiding the Suez Canal due to the situation in the Red Sea and the lower LNG transits in the Panama Canal due to a drought situation.In Europe, the SparkNWE DES LNG front month dropped compared to the last week.“The SparkNWE DES LNG front month price for April delivery is assessed at $8.047/MMBtu and at a $0.300/MMBtu discount to the TTF,” Afghan said.He said this is a $0.277/MMBtu decrease in DES LNG price, the first weekly decrease in SparkNWE DES LNG price in six weeks.Levels of gas in storages in Europe are very high following a mild winter.Data by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) shows that volumes in gas storages in the EU rose and they were 59.44 percent full on April 3. Gas storages were 58.81 percent full on March 27, and 55.87 percent full on April 3 last year.The EU-27 ended the winter with record-high stocks in gas storages.US LNG exports rose in the week ending April 3 compared to the week before while the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas still operates with only one train.The LNG terminal operator told LNG Prime last month that its third train is currently online and producing LNG, while the “train 2 liquefaction unit is now offline and our train 1 liquefaction unit will be taken down imminently.”This week, JKM, the price for LNG cargoes delivered to Northeast Asia, rose slightly when compared to the last week, according to Platts data.JKM for May settled at $9.545/MMBtu on Thursday.State-run Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) said in a report earlier this week that the JKM “increased to mid-$9s on March 28 from low-$9s the previous weekend.”“In a bear market, there has been no significant movement, but the market is slowly rising after bottoming out at the end of February,” it said.Japan’s METI recently said that Japan’s LNG inventories for power generation as of March 31 stood at 1.48 million tonnes, down 0.4 million tonnes from the previous week.Kpler said this week that March LNG imports rose in Asia and declined in Europe, with price-sensitive Asian buyers returning to the market.Asian LNG imports hit 24.29 million mt, with China leading at 6.62 million mt, seeking cheaper spot LNG cargoes, it said.In contrast, Europe’s LNG imports fell to 9.12 million mt, the lowest since September 2023, attributed to warmer weather and high gas reserves, Kpler said.
Geopolitical Tensions Push TTF Higher, but Cargoes Flow to Asia Amid Unchanged Fundamentals – LNG Recap -LNG cargoes continue to flow to Asia as injections get underway in Europe, where the market is well stocked and demand is low. Asia has imported 93.8 million tons (Mt) of liquefied natural gas year-to-date, up 8% over the same time last year, according to Kpler data. Meanwhile, European imports of the super-chilled fuel are down 19% over the same time to 38.3 Mt. Both futures and spot Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) prices were trading near $9.50/MMBtu on Monday, above European gas prices, but low enough to entice spot purchases. Buyers from India, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand have all been in the market with tenders over the last week, according to Kpler.
Baker Hughes to Provide Compressor Trains for Snam's Adriatic Line - Baker Hughes has secured a contract to provide three NovaLT12 gas turbine-driven compressor trains for a new gas compressor station in Sulmona, Italy, to European natural gas operator Snam SPA. The station is an integral part of the Adriatic Line, a Snam pipeline project, whose first phase was included in Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) as part of the REpowerEU Plan. The Adriatic Line project entails the construction of a 264-mile (425-kilometer) long, hydrogen-ready pipeline to allow the transport of additional energy supplies from Azerbaijan, Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean region to northern Europe. The contract, which was awarded to Baker Hughes following a public tender, builds on a long-standing collaboration between the two companies, Baker Hughes said in a news release, adding that the contract will be booked in the first quarter. The financial details were not disclosed. Baker Hughes said its NovaLT12 turbines will provide the option to run on 100 percent natural gas or hydrogen blends up to 10 percent. The technology will help decarbonize the Italian gas network infrastructure and aligns with Snam’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality on direct emissions by 2040, according to the release.
Gladstone LNG exports up in March on higher China volumes - Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the Gladstone port in Australia’s Queensland increased in March compared to the same month last year due to higher volumes going to China, according to the monthly data by Gladstone Ports Corporation. Curtis Island is home to the Santos-operated GLNG plant, the ConocoPhillips-led APLNG terminal, and Shell’s QCLNG facility. These are the only LNG export facilities on Australia’s east coast. Last month, about 2.07 million tonnes of LNG or 31 cargoes left the three Gladstone terminals on Curtis Island. This compares to about 1.74 million tonnes of LNG or 27 cargoes in March 2023, the data shows. March LNG exports rose some 19 percent year-on-year and they also rose compared to the previous month when LNG exports reached some 1.98 million tonnes of LNG or 30 cargoes. Moreover, most of March LNG exports (1.45 million tonnes) landed in China, marking a rise of 48.7 percent compared to 974,903 tonnes last year. The rest of the Gladstone LNG exports in March landed in Malaysia (245,757 tonnes), South Korea (176,594 tonnes), Japan (134,984 tonnes), and Singapore (68,866 tonnes), GPC’s data shows. Volumes to Malaysia dropped slightly compared to 248,238 tonnes last year, while volumes to South Korea decreased from 226,041 tonnes last year and volumes to Japan dropped from 187,657 tonnes last year. Volumes to Singapore dropped slightly compared to 66,167 tonnes in March 2023. The three Gladstone terminals shipped about 22.97 million tonnes of LNG or 350 cargoes in 2023.
Egypt to Import More LNG over Next Four Months to Ensure Summer Supply --Egypt aims to buy more liquefied natural gas shipments over the next four months as the nation aims to avoid a repeat of last year’s chronic blackouts. Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co. is currently aiming to import at least one shipment a month through July or August, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss private details. Egypt will need at least five cargoes for the summer, one of the people said. Egypt’s oil ministry, which has responsibility for overseeing fuel imports, couldn’t be reached for comment outside usual office hours. The North African country — typically a fuel exporter — uses natural gas to produce electricity for air conditioning, and has begun buying LNG ahead of forecast summer heat waves as it aims to avoid disruptions to power supply. Temperatures that rose above 35C (95F) last summer caused interruptions that continued for an hour or two each day.
Investigation under way after gas pipeline off Victorian coast ruptures - The offshore oil and gas regulator is investigating after an undersea gas pipeline ruptured off the Victorian coast, causing a visible “sheen” on the ocean’s surface. The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (Nopsema) confirmed it received a notification about a potential spill from ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso on Saturday morning. It is believed the rupture originates with a pipeline connecting the West Kingfish platform to the Kingfish A platform. A Nopsema spokesperson said the pipeline was “reported to contain 95% water at the time” but has since been “isolated at both facility ends and is being depressurised”. “The facility has been offline for four weeks and continues to be so,” they said. “An investigation has been launched and Nopsema is content Esso is currently managing the incident appropriately.” The regulator did not clarify what remaining material the pipeline was carrying or what may have been dissolved in the water. “As the investigation is ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment more at this stage,” the spokesperson said. ExxonMobil Australia has been contacted for comment. The gas platforms in the area are among the oldest offshore oil and gas operations in the country, with West Kingfish in the early stages of decommissioning. News of the rupture has prompted calls for more stringent regulations and transparency from the regulator and operators, particularly when it comes to decommissioning old oil and gas infrastructure. Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said he had serious concerns about the rupture, particularly as Esso is applying to set up a carbon, capture and storage (CCS) operation in the area to inject waste CO2 into the Gippsland Basin, beneath the ocean’s surface. “Nopsema is supposed to have oversight and regulate the environmental management of the offshore fossil fuel industry, but coastal communities are fast losing confidence in the ‘independent’ regulator, which has become more of an enabler than an investigator of offshore oil and gas projects,” he said. “If Esso cannot manage to decommission rig infrastructure safely I highly doubt it’s capable of carrying out risky carbon capture and storage it has planned for the region.”
Malaysia Starts Work on Third FLNG Facility to Utilize More Stranded Natural Gas - State-owned Petronas has started construction on Malaysia’s third floating LNG (FLNG) facility to better help it capitalize on stranded natural gas assets amid failing production from other fields. The design and construction of the nearshore facility “is expected to be simpler, and upon completion, has the potential for improved production uptime as it will be located within a protected bay area” versus an offshore liquefied natural gas facility in the open seas, management said in a statement. Malaysia is struggling with declining output from its upstream assets. Its first two operating FLNGs have helped unlock the country’s gas reserves in remote and stranded fields, which were previously considered uneconomical for conventional exploration and production.
PetroVietnam Power gets $300 million loan for LNG power plants - PetroVietnam Power, a unit of state-owned PetroVietnam, has signed a deal with Citibank and ING for a $300 million short-term loan to fund the construction of its Nhon Trach 3 and 4 LNG power plants. PV Power said in a statement that the deal was signed during a ceremony held on April 4. In addition to the short-term loan, PV Power said it is also working with Citibank and ING to arrange a long-term loan worth up to $600 million to finance the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 power plants. PW Power said this is the first LNG power project in Vietnam with strategic importance in ensuring national energy security. The firm previously said it expects the Nhon Trach 3 power plant to launch operations in November 2024, while the Nhon Trach 4 power plant is expected to start operations in May 2025. PetroVietnam Power said in November 2021 it broke ground on the two LNG power plants in the southern province of Dong Nai worth about $1.4 billion. The Nhon Trach 3 and 4 plants will have a total capacity of 1,500 megawatt (MW). South Korea’s Samsung C&T secured a contract from PetroVietnam Power to build the plants as part of a consortium with Vietnamese contractor Lilama.
SEFE rejects GAIL's $1.81 billion claim over LNG supplies - SEFE Marketing & Trading Singapore, previously known as Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore, has rejected GAIL’s $1.81 billion claim over undelivered LNG volumes. India’s largest gas utility GAIL said in a filling to the stock exchange that SEFE Marketing & Trading Singapore (SM&TS) has filed its statement of defence on April 2, 2024. “SM&TS denies that it owes anything other than an alleged contractually limited sum properly evidenced and subject to SM&TS’ defences,” GAIL said. GAIL announced in December it launched an arbitration process in the hope of securing up to $1.81 billion in compensation from SM&TS over undelivered LNG volumes. GAIL said the dispute is related to “non-supply of LNG cargoes to GAIL under long-term LNG contract.” The state-owned firm filed the claim in the London Court of International Arbitration on November 30. It is seeking “up to $1.817 billion and alternative reliefs including non-monetary reliefs.” GAIL previously said that SEFE stopped supplying LNG in May 2022 and that the deliveries resumed in May last year with about four LNG cargoes per month. This means that SEFE did not supply up to 48 LNG cargoes to GAIL during the period. In 2012, the Indian firm and Gazprom’s unit signed the sales and purchase deal for 2.5 mtpa of LNG. The contract started in 2018 and ends in 2041, according to GIIGNL data. However, the German government took over Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE), previously Gazprom Germania, in November 2022 saying the move is necessary to protect its energy security due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
TotalEnergies pushes back Papua LNG FID to 2025 - French energy giant TotalEnergies and its partners have postponed a final investment decision on the planned Papua LNG export project in Papua New Guinea. This was revealed during a meeting between Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, and James Marape, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, according to a statement by TotalEnergies. Pouyanne reaffirmed that TotalEnergies, operator of the project, and its international partners ExxonMobil, Santos, JX Nippon, are “fully committed” to Papua LNG. “In particular, he shared the high interest of several LNG buyers for off-taking LNG from Papua LNG due to its strategic location close to key Asian markets,” he said. Pouyanne also said that, after receiving first EPC offers, it appears that the project “will need to keep working with contractors to obtain commercially viable EPC contracts and requires more work to reach FID.” “In that view, the project will review the structure of some packages and open the competition to an enlarged panel of Asian contractors. As a consequence, FID of Papua LNG project is now expected in 2025,” the statement said. Pouyanne and Marape “agreed that this slight delay will not affect the early works planned in Papua New Guinea in 2024 and that the project will maintain its full support to local population of Gulf Province,” the statement said. Moreover, Pouyanne announced that TotalEnergies intends to drill the first deepwater exploration well on the PPL 576 license in 2025. In March 2023, the Papua LNG partners launched fully-integrated front-end engineering and design (FEED) for the project, while TotalEnergies sold a small stake in the project to Japan’s JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration in June. Pouyanne said in September last year the project partners could take a final investment decision on the project “by the end of this year or beginning of the next year.” A spokesperson for France’s Credit Agricole recently confirmed to LNG Prime that the group will not finance Papua LNG or Rovuma LNG. “Credit Agricole does not finance any new fossil fuel extraction projects as disclosed last December during its second climate workshop,” the spokesperson said. TotalEnergies has a 37.55 percent operating stake in the Papua LNG project, ExxonMobil has 37.04 percent, Santos owns a 22.83 percent interest, and JX Nippon holds 2.58 percent. The project calls for the design of about 4 million tonnes per year of liquefaction capacity adjacent to the existing PNG LNG processing facilities, operated by ExxonMobil and located 20 kilometers northwest of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, The facility will receives supplies from the Elk-Antelope gas field. Also, the project includes the use of 2 million tonnes per year of liquefaction capacity in the existing trains of PNG LNG.
World’s biggest economies pumping billions into fossil fuels in poor nations -The world’s biggest economies have continued to finance the expansion of fossil fuels in poor countries to the tune of billions of dollars, despite their commitments on the climate.The G20 group of developed and developing economies, and the multilateral development banks they fund, put $142bn (£112bn) into fossil fuel developments overseas from 2020 to 2022, according to estimates compiled by the campaigning groups Oil Change International (OCI) and Friends of the Earth US.Canada, Japan and South Korea were the biggest sources of such finance in the three years studied, and gas received more funding than either coal or oil.The G7 group of biggest economies, to which Japan and Canada belong,pledged in 2022 to halt overseas funding of fossil fuels. But while funding for coal has rapidly diminished, finance for oil and gas projects has continued at a strong pace.Some of the money is going to other developed economies, including Australia, but much of it is to the developing world. However, richer middle income countries still receive more finance than the poorest.The most recent G7 pledge, in the study, is to phase out all overseas fossil fuel funding by the end of 2022. The OCI study concentrates on the period from the beginning of the fiscal year of 2020-21 for each country, to the end of the fiscal year of 2022-23.However, the researchers also found that Japan had continued to make new fossil fuel investments overseas in the past few weeks, up to mid-March 2024, exploiting loopholes in its promise to end fossil fuel funding.The World Bank provided about $1.2bn a year to fossil fuels over the three-year period, of which about two-thirds went to gas projects.The US, Germany and Italy also provided billions in funding a year to overseas fossil fuel projects before the end of 2022-23, according to the report published on Tuesday. The UK supplied about $600m a year on average.Canada supplied just under $11bn a year on average, in the 2020-22 period studied, while South Korea put forward $10bn and Japan about $7bn.Over the same three-year period, the G20 economies put about $104bn into clean energy developments overseas, according to the report.
OIL India reports leak in Assam well site, says situation under control -- State-owned OIL India Ltd on Wednesday (April 10) reported an oil leak incident at well number BGN24, inside the Dighaltarang Tea Estate in Assam's Tinsukia district. The leak, reported around 11.30 pm on April 9, 2024, prompted an immediate response from OIL India personnel, who managed to contain the situation by 2.20 am the following day, according to a stock exchange filing. OIL India promptly informed the district administration, with officials from the administration present at the site to assess and address the situation alongside OIL India's response team. In a proactive measure, the fire service was mobilised, with a crew placed on standby to manage potential risks. On inspection, the response team identified "a hole in the flow path from the X-mass tree," prompting an ongoing investigation into the root cause of the incident. Gas and crude oil had spread to nearby areas within an approximate radius of 100 metres from the well site, necessitating immediate action. "Gas and crude oil had spread out over nearby areas located within approximately 100 m from the well site. An on-site assessment team of OIL India is formed to assess the affected areas immediately," it said. "The OIL India team is taking up measures for remediation of the affected area. An internal enquiry is being conducted for a thorough investigation and Oil India reassures that the well is in completely controlled & closed condition and there is no point of panic for the same," the company added.
Russia's Revenue Jumps in First Quarter as Oil Prices Rise - Russia reported a sharp increase in revenue in the first quarter due in part to one-time tax payments and rising oil prices as the country continues to weather sanctions over its war in Ukraine. Russia observed “sustained positive dynamics” in the flow of money to the federal budget, according to a Finance Ministry statement on Monday. Revenues for the three months through March amounted to 8.7 trillion rubles ($94 billion), an increase of 53.5% compared with the same period last year, data from the ministry showed. “The economy continues to grow at an impressive rate,” Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina told lawmakers Monday in a speech to the country’s lower chamber of parliament. Inflows from non-energy industries increased by 43% year-on-year, forming “a stable basis for further advancing income growth,” the Finance Ministry said. Payments of a “one-time nature” contributed significantly, including exit fees paid by foreign companies leaving Russia. Oil and gas revenue grew rapidly, increasing by almost 80% on last year, boosted by rising prices as well as a one-time tax payment from oil companies. Brent crude oil is trading above $90 a barrel on Monday, up almost 20% since the start of the year due to escalating geopolitical tensions and supply shocks. In 2023, energy income decreased by 23.9% to 8.8 trillion rubles, despite the fact that budget revenue overall showed a slight increase compared with 2022. That was due in part to the European Union’s ban on most seaborne imports of crude and petroleum products from Russia, and the Group of Seven nations’ price caps, both intended to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine. “This situation is fundamentally different from the first quarter of 2023, when the average price of Russian Urals oil was only $48.92 per barrel and the ruble exchange rate was significantly stronger than now,” said Olga Belenkaya, an economist at Finam in Moscow. The Finance Ministry based the budget on a projection of an $85 per barrel average price for Brent oil in 2024. If prices remain high, which seem likely given Opec+ supply restrictions and increased geopolitical risks, then the ministry gets closer to hitting its revenue targets that once seemed optimistic, she said. “In terms of income, oil and gas did not surprise,” said Sofya Donets, an economist at Renaissance Capital. “The non-oil-and-gas sectors show strong dynamics and were somewhat ahead of our expectations.” Russia has posted a budget deficit since the end of 2022, as war costs from President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine weigh heavily on state finances.
OPEC oil production inched higher in March - OPEC’s crude oil production edged up by 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March compared to February as Iran and Saudi Arabia slightly boosted output while Iraq continued to produce more than it is expected to.Crude oil production from all 12 OPEC members – including Iran, Libya, and Venezuela which are exempted from the OPEC+ cuts – averaged 26.60 million bpd in March, up by 3,000 bpd from February, OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) showed on Thursday.Iran, Saudi Arabia, Gabon, and Kuwait slightly increased their respective oil output, while production in Nigeria, Iraq, and Venezuela dropped, according to secondary sources that OPEC uses to track production.OPEC’s top producer, Saudi Arabia, raised output by 20,000 bpd, to 9.037 million bpd in March. This is in line with the Saudi pledge with the extra voluntary 1-million-bpd cut that the Kingdom will pump “around 9 million bpd” of crude until the end of the first half of the year.But OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq, while reducing some output, was still pumping well above its pledged volumes.Iraq pumped nearly 200,000 bpd more than its pledge to keep production at 4 million bpd, as it only reduced output by 23,000 bpd compared to February, according to the secondary sources in OPEC’s report. Iraq’s oil production averaged 4.194 million bpd in March, per the sources. Iran, exempted from the cuts, is estimated by OPEC’s secondary sources to have raised its oil production in March to 3.188 million bpd, up by 28,000 bpd from February.Last week, the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), the OPEC+ panel that monitors oil market developments and the group’s production cuts, didn’t recommend any changes to output policy but noted that compliance with the cuts needs to improve.Of the OPEC producers, the biggest laggard in compliance has been Iraq, which, despite pledges to reduce production within its quota, has been pumping above its ceiling.Iraq is committed to its voluntary cut in the OPEC+ agreement and will produce no more than 4 million bpd of crude oil, Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said in February.
Oil Futures Drop on Reassessed Geopolitical Risk Premium -- Oil futures shed some of last week's gains Monday morning, after Israel withdrew its ground troops from the southern Gaza strip over the weekend amid reports of progressing negotiations for a ceasefire. Flaring tensions in the Middle East propelled both crude benchmarks to 24-week highs Friday on concerns a potential Iranian retaliatory strike on an Israeli diplomatic facility could escalate into a broader military conflict. Threats to already tight crude oil supply -- be it Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping, or a potential military escalation in the Middle East -- have lately been supportive of oil prices. Their effect, however, was dampened by ample spare production capacity, a result of OPEC+'s output curtailments, which tightened the market considerably and have been the actual main driver of prices. The Energy Information Administration in its March Short-term Energy Outlook estimated OPEC spare capacity to sit at 4.71 million barrels per day (bpd).Bullish U.S. macroeconomic indicators, meanwhile, were a double-edged sword for fuel demand expectations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported 303,000 new jobs in March, beating expectations by 91,000. While a red-hot labor market and growing earnings are certainly supportive of gasoline demand, they also push back potential interest rate cuts and with them growth potential in manufacturing activity and associated middle distillate demand. Near 7:00 a.m. EDT, West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery were down $0.67 to $86.24 barrel (bbl), while Brent for June delivery retreated $0.70 to $90.47 bbl. RBOB for May delivery shed $0.0174 to $2.7712 gallon, while ULSD for May delivery traded near $2.741 gallon, down $0.032.
The Crude Market on Monday Retraced Some of its Previous Gains Amid the News That Israel Was Withdrawing More Soldiers From Gaza -- The crude market on Monday retraced some of its previous gains amid the news that Israel was withdrawing more soldiers from Gaza and committing to talks on a potential ceasefire. On Sunday, Israel said it withdrew more soldiers from southern Gaza. The country has reduced troop numbers in Gaza since the start of the year and is under increasing pressure from allies to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Meanwhile, ceasefire talks were revived as Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for talks ahead of the Eid holidays, though a Hamas official on Monday said no progress was made at a new round of talks. The oil market gapped lower from $86.32 to $86.10 and sold off to a low of $84.69 as the Israeli announcement reduced the geopolitical risk premium. The market, which retraced more than 38% of its move from a low of $80.30 to a high of $87.63, later bounced of its low and backfilled its opening gap as it rallied to a high of $87.10 early in the morning. However, the market once again erased its gains and settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The May WTI settled down 48 cents at $86.43, while the June Brent contract settled down 79 cents at $90.38. The product markets ended the session in negative territory, with the heating oil market settling down 4.43 cents at $2.7287 and the RB market settling down 4.00 cents at $2.7486. On Sunday, Israel said it had withdrawn more soldiers from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade, as it and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for new talks on a potential ceasefire. Israel has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and is under growing pressure from the U.S. to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last week's killing of seven aid workers. A military spokesperson did not give details on reasons for withdrawing soldiers or numbers involved. However, Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, said the troops will be preparing for future operations in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas confirmed they were sending delegations to Egypt. Hamas wants any deal to bring about an end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no deal without a hostage release and that he would not cave to international pressure. Later, Israel’s Prime Minister said a date was set for an invasion of Rafah. Goldman Sachs said Brent oil will stay below $100/barrel in their base case because they assume already sold demand, no additional geopolitical supply hit and elevated spare capacity will lead OPEC+ to increase its production in the third quarter. It said geopolitical impediments to OPEC’s ability or desire to deploy spare capacity could send Brent crude prices above $100/barrel. The head of commodities at hedge fund Citadel, Sebastian Barrack, said global oil markets are on track to be “extremely tight” in the second half, with prices increasing to a level that will eventually constrain demand if OPEC does not bring back more supply. IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 932,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending April 12th, increasing available refining capacity by 348,000 bpd.
Oil prices fall after Israel reduces troop presence in Gaza -- U.S. crude oil futures fell Monday after Israel reduced its troop presence in Gaza. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery fell 48 cents, or 0.55%, to settle at $86.43 a barrel. The June Brent contract lost 79 cents, or 0.87%, to settle at $90.38 a barrel. Israel withdrew forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis over the weekend, bringing its troop levels in the enclave to one of the lowest levels since the war with Hamas began last October. Negotiations on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are ongoing in Cairo. U.S. crude and Brent gained more than 4% last week as tensions mounted between Israel and Iran, raising renewed fears that a direct confrontation between the two would lead to regional conflict that disrupts crude supplies. A top Iranian military advisor warned Israel over the weekend that its embassies could be targeted. Tehran has blamed Israel for a missile strike last Monday against its consulate in Damascus, which killed top Iranian commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi. “None of the embassies of the (Israeli) regime are safe anymore,” said Gen. Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ukraine’s campaign of drone attacks on Russian oil refineries also lifted crude prices, with global supplies already tightening due to robust economic growth and OPEC+ production cuts.
Oil falls for second day as rally pauses while traders take stock of Middle East tensions -- Crude oil futures fell for a second day Tuesday as the recent rally paused while traders took stock of where the conflict in Middle East was heading. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery fell $1.20, or 1.39%, to settle at $85.23 a barrel. The June Brent futures contract lost 96 cents, or 1.06%, to settle at $89.42 a barrel. “This is a day of profit taking for traders who have enjoyed a handsome gain year to date, and want to lock in the gains and stay on the sidelines,” said Manish Raj, managing director of Velandera Energy Partners. WTI has gained about 19% this year while Brent is up 16% as geopolitical tensions mount against the backdrop of rising demand and OPEC+ production cuts that are expected to push the market into a supply deficit this year. Barclays expects a 400,000 barrel per day deficit for 2024. Crude prices settled lower Monday after Israel reduced its forces in Gaza over the weekend, suggesting the country’s military campaign might transition to a more limited phase. But Stefano Pascale, head of equity derivatives strategy at Barclays, said there are still upside risks to oil prices, particularly from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, despite the recent rally taking a pause. “Further melt-up may reawaken inflationary concerns, derailing the equity rally,” Pascale told clients in a note Tuesday. Investors will be closely watching the March consumer price index reading on Wednesday to see how oil prices have impacted headline in Oil rallied more than 4% last week as Israel and Iran teetered on the brink of a direct confrontation after Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, was destroyed in a missile attack. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strike. The U.S. has assessed that Israel is responsible. “The conflicts in the Middle East increase the risk of a wider regional conflict, which could have implications for oil supply, but it is important to note that Iran has, so far, refrained from getting directly involved in the conflict and OPEC spare capacity is currently elevated,” Amarpreet Singh, energy analyst at Barclays, told clients Friday. Raj said “traders are discounting the possibility of a direct armed conflict between Israel and Iran as the latter seems to be preparing for a toned-down retaliation through its proxies.” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed late Monday to press on with an offensive against the southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, saying a date had been set for the operation. “This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen —there is a date,” Netanyahu said in an address. The U.S has warned Israel against launching an offensive against Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians who have fled fighting elsewhere in Gaza are taking refuge. Cease-fire negotiations also appeared deadlocked in Cairo, with Hamas saying Israel’s proposal did not meet Palestinian demands.
Oil prices settle lower again, eyes on talks for Gaza ceasefire (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower for a second day on Tuesday, as talks for a ceasefire in Gaza continued, but losses were limited to less than a dollar a barrel as Egyptian and Qatari mediators met resistance in their search to find a way out of the war.The talks in Cairo, also attended by the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns, have so far failed to reach a breakthrough.Hamas said an Israeli proposal on a ceasefire met none of the demands of Palestinian militant factions, but that it would study the offer further and deliver its response to mediators.Brent crude futures settled 96 cents, or 1.1%, lower at $89.42 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures closed down $1.20 or 1.4% at $85.23.On Monday, Brent posted its first decline in five sessions and WTI its first in seven as a fresh round of Israel-Hamas ceasefire discussions in Cairo raised hopes of a breakthrough."Without an end to the conflict, there is an elevated risk that other countries, particularly Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, could be drawn into the war," said Fiona Cincotta, senior financial market analyst at City Index.The commander of the Revolutionary Guard's navy in Iran said it could close the Strait of Hormuz if deemed necessary. About a fifth of the volume of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait daily.Turkey announced it would restrict exports of various products, including jet fuel, to Israel until there is a ceasefire. Israel said it would respond with its own curbs.Adding to concerns of a tight market, Mexico's state oil company, Pemex, said it would reduce crude exports by 330,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May so it can supply more to domestic refineries, cutting by a third the supply available to its U.S., European and Asian buyers. Pemex had already cut its April exports by 436,000 bpd.Limiting oil price declines, overall fundamentals of tighter supplies remain unchanged, citing OPEC's supply cuts, reduction of fuel exports by Russia and geopolitical instability.U.S. crude oil output was expected to rise by 280,000 bpd to 13.21 million bpd in 2024, versus a prior forecast for a 260,000 bpd increase, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.EIA said it expects Brent crude prices to average $88.55 a barrel in 2024, versus a previous forecast of $87 a barrel.Vitol CEO Russell Hardy told a conference in Switzerland that he expected oil prices to trade in a range on $80-100 a barrel and expected oil demand growth of 1.9 million bpd in 2024.U.S. crude oil inventories climbed last week by 3.034 million barrels, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures. Analysts had estimated that stocks would rise by about 2.4 million barrels. Official U.S. government inventory data is due on Wednesday morning.
Pump-Prices Continue To Surge, Gasoline Inventories See Small Build - Crude prices slid back to unchanged this morning - from some overnight gains - after a hotter than expected CPI print took demand-seducing rate-cuts off the table. However, as Bloomberg reports, oil is still up 19% this year as OPEC+ cuts supply and geopolitical tensions across the Middle East create strong tailwinds. The market is bracing for Iran’s response to a suspected Israeli attack on its consulate in Syria last week, and top traders have been striking an increasingly bullish tone in recent days. API reported a sizable crude build and another gasoline draw - all eyes will be on the official data for any confirmation. API
- Crude +3.03mm (+800k exp)
- Cushing +124k
- Gasoline -609k (-1.4mm exp)
- Distillates +120k (-600k exp)
DOE
- Crude +5.84mm (+800k exp)
- Cushing -170k
- Gasoline +715k (-1.4mm exp)
- Distillates +1.66mm (-600k exp)
Bigger than expected crude build surprised traders but a build in gasoline stocks was probably the most notable aspect of the report...In aggregate, this is a pretty chunky nationwide inventory build. Total crude and product stockpiles climbed by 12 million barrels, excluding SPR last week. That’s the biggest weekly gain since July last year. In addition to crude build, there were also increases in the other oils category, as well as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. The Biden admin added 595k barrels to the SPR last week...
Oil prices fall on big build in US crude, fuel inventories - Oil prices fell on Wednesday after U.S. government data showed crude oil and fuel inventories swelled by much more than expected on weak demand and lower oil exports. U.S. crude stocks climbed by 5.8 million barrels in the week ended April 5, more than double the about 2.4 million barrel rise analysts had expected. Refined products inventories rose unexpectedly with gasoline up by 700,000 barrels and distillate stocks by 1.7 million barrels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data also showed a roughly 2.1 million barrel per day (bpd) drop in oil product supplied, a proxy for fuel demand, and a 2.7 million bpd drop in crude oil exports. Brent crude futures fell 28 cents, or 0.3%, to $89.14 per barrel at 11:06 a.m. EDT (1606 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 35 cents, or 0.4%, to $84.88. On Tuesday, both Brent and WTI fell more than 1%. “Some of the heat has come out of the rally in crude oil in the early part of this week on hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza and higher U.S. inventories,” The commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy in Iran said it could close the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. About a fifth of the volume of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait daily. On Tuesday, Hamas said an Israeli proposal on a ceasefire did not meet demands of Palestinian militant factions, but it would study the offer further and deliver its response to mediators. A continuing conflict could drag in other countries, particularly Hamas backer Iran, the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Separately, the U.S. EIA sharply raised its forecast for crude oil output. It now expects an increase of 280,000 bpd to 13.21 million bpd in 2024, up from its earlier forecast of a 20,000 bpd increase. The EIA said it expects Brent crude prices to average $88.55 a barrel in 2024, up from a previous forecast of $87, and it upgraded its demand growth forecast for the past two years. “Broadly it reconfirmed an oil market outlook with OPEC+ in good control of the oil market,” Fitch cut its outlook on China’s sovereign credit rating to negative, citing risks to public finances.
Oil prices rise 1% as traders brace for possible Iran strike against Israel - Crude oil futures rose 1% on Wednesday as the U.S. is reportedly bracing for an “imminent” strike by Iran or its proxies against Israel. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery rose 86 cents, or 1.01%, to $86.09 a barrel. June Brent futures gained 90 cents, or 1.01%, $90.32 a barrel. The U.S. and its allies see a major missile or drone strike by Iran or its proxies against Israel as imminent, people familiar with the intelligence told Bloomberg News. The possible attack could happen in the coming days, the people told Bloomberg. Tensions in the Middle East are red hot with Israel warning OPEC member Iran Wednesday it would attack the Islamic Republic if Tehran strikes Israel. “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack Iran,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on the social media platform X, tagging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei has threatened to punish Israel after Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, was destroyed in a missile attack last week, killing seven Iranian military officials. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strike, but the U.S. has assessed that Israel is responsible. “Consulates and embassies of any country are regarded as the soil of that country. When they attack our consulate, it means that they have attacked our soil,” Khamenei said Wednesday in a speech in Tehran after leading prayers for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Oil prices haven fallen more than 1% this week as investors booked profits after last week’s rally. U.S. crude and the global benchmark have gained nearly 20% and 17%, respectively, this year as geopolitical tensions mount against the backdrop of a tightening global crude market. Oil prices had fallen earlier Wednesday after a major U.S. crude stockpile build and a hotter-than-expected inflation report. U.S. commercial crude stockpiles, which excludes the strategic petroleum reserve, rose by 5.8 million barrels last week, according to the Energy Information Administration. Fuel products supplied to the market, a proxy for demand, fell by more than 2 million barrels per day during the same period. The consumer price index rose 0.4% for March and 3.5% over the previous year, compared with expected gains of 0.3% and 3.4%, respectively. The market was originally expecting the Federal Reserve to start cutting rates, but traders in the fed funds futures market are now expecting the first cut to come in September, according to CME Group calculations. Lower interest rates typically boost economic growth, which can lead to higher crude demand.
Oil Futures Gain as War Concerns Overtake Bearish EIA, CPI - Oil futures closest to delivery settled Wednesday's session higher, as hope for an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza diminished, overtaking bearish weekly supply-demand data and a surging U.S. dollar on renewed inflation concerns. Several media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, said an Israeli airstrike killed three adult sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, with Israel indicating they were members of the Hamas military wing. The incident clouded the prospect for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian nationalisst organization that was renewed on Sunday (4/7) amid intense international pressure, including from the United States. Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures surged last week following a missile strike in Damascus, Syria, on April 1 that killed several members of Iran's military, including two generals. Iran vowed retaliation, blaming Israel for the attack. The geopolitical threat of a broadening war in the Middle East outmuscled bearish statistics from the Energy Information Administration that showed across-the-board inventory builds and weak demand. Gasoline supplied to the U.S. market plunged 624,000 bpd to an 8.612 million bpd six-week low, and distillate fuel supplied to the domestic market tumbled 509,000 bpd to a 2024 low last week. EIA data shows gasoline demand during the four weeks ended April 5 down 241,000 bpd or 2.7% against the comparable year-ago period at 8.843 million bpd, and demand for distillate fuel 349,000 bpd or 8.9% lower at 3.573 million bpd. Despite an inverse relationship, WTI futures advanced despite a surging U.S. dollar, which spiked 1.1% in index trading against a basket of foreign currencies to a 105.031 five-month high. The dollar surged in response to a hotter-than-expected month-on-month increase in a key inflation reading, with the U.S. consumer price index up 0.4% in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Against a year ago, CPI is up 3.5% in March, with core CPI, which strips out energy and food because of their inherent volatility, up 3.8% from March 2023. Investors responded by pushing back their expectations for lower interest rates beyond July, with the Federal Open Market Committee not expected to reduce the federal funds rate from a 5.25% to 5.5% target range until September. The CME FedWatch Tool shows a 59% probability FOMC will maintain the federal funds rate in its current target range in July compared with a 25% probability on Tuesday. Minutes from the FOMC's March 19-20 meeting released at 2 p.m. EDT support this view. "Members viewed the economic outlook as uncertain and agreed that they remained highly attentive to inflation risks. In support of the Committee's goals to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2% over the longer run, members agreed to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25 to 5.5%." FOMC members reiterated their dependency on evaluating incoming economic data before making any changes to the policy rate, and that it would not "be appropriate to reduce the target range until they have gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent." FOMC meets in May, June, July, September, November, and December. NYMEX May WTI futures settled up $0.98 at $86.21 bbl, and ICE June Brent gained $1.06 to $90.48 bbl. NYMEX May ULSD futures advanced $0.0306 to $2.7076 gallon, with the May RBOB contract up $0.0260 on the session with a $2.7816 gallon settlement.
Oil prices up as geopolitical tensions in Middle East fuel supply concerns -- Oil prices increased on Thursday after five-month highs due to strong demand forecasts in the US, the world's biggest oil consumer, and rising concerns over global oil supply routes in the Middle East.International benchmark Brent crude traded at $90.61 per barrel as of 0739 GMT, a 0.14% increase from the closing price of $90.48 per barrel in the previous trading session.The American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $85.28 per barrel at the same time, a 0.08% rise from the previous session that closed at $85.21 per barrel.The conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to put global energy supply routes at risk. Three sons of the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, along with four of his grandchildren, were killed Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in western Gaza City. Prices rose as this fed concerns for the chances of a cease-fire in Gaza, where over six months of Israeli attacks have left over 33,500 Palestinians killed.The sides began a fresh round of talks earlier this week, with the discussions yet to yield a breakthrough.Further, a missile strike on the Iranian Consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus, resulting in the killing of a top commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and six other officers, has also exacerbated tensions in the region, where busy energy supply routes are located.Tensions between Israel and Iran further rose on Wednesday, when Tehran vowed to avenge the attack, while Tel Aviv expressed readiness to retaliate if attacked.However, data showing that US commercial crude oil inventories and gasoline rose last week indicated low demand, limiting upward oil price movements.According to the US Energy Information Administration, commercial crude oil inventories in the country increased by about 5.8 million barrels last week, while gasoline inventories rose by about 700,000 barrels.
Oil prices slip as inflation fears haunt the market - Crude oil futures fell Thursday as worries about inflation overshadowed fears of a potential Iranian strike on Israel for the moment.The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery lost 86 cents, or 1%, to $85.35 a barrel. The June Brent futures contract fell 62 cents, or 0.69%, to $89.86 a barrel. U.S. crude and the global benchmark are down about 1.8% and 1.4%, respectively.Oil prices rose more than 1% Wednesday after Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. and its allies see an Iranian strike against Israel as imminent.But futures dipped during morning trading Thursday as inflation fears also haunt the market after a hotter-than-expected consumer price index reading for March. A measure of wholesale prices in March, released Thursday, was lower than expected, but on a 12-month basis, the gauge of producer prices climbed 2.1%, which was the biggest jump it has logged since April 2023. The increase suggests inflation could stay elevated.The Federal Reserve is now expected to start reducing interest rates in September, much later than originally forecast, with only two cuts now penciled in for the year, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.Lower interest rates typically stimulate economic growth, which fuels crude oil demand. Stubborn inflation is also raising questions about whether the U.S. economy will clinch a soft landing this year.
The Oil Market Ended 1.15% Higher Amid the Intensifying Geopolitical Tension in the Middle East -- The oil market ended 1.15% higher amid the intensifying geopolitical tension in the Middle East. The oil market traded mostly sideways in overnight trading after the market erased some of its previous gains early in the week. The market traded to $86.02 early in the session as it remained well supported by the threats between Israel and Iran, with Israel’s Foreign Minister stating that Israel would attack Iran, if Iran attacked its territory after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated threats of retribution for the deadly attack on its consulate in Syria. However, the oil market erased its gains and breached its previous lows following the release of the latest Consumer Price Index report showing that inflation increased more than expected in March, putting at risk the prospect of a U.S. interest rate cut in June. The market was also pressured by the larger than expected build in crude stocks of over 5.8 million barrels and the unexpected builds in distillate and gasoline stocks of 1.6 million barrels and 715,000 barrels, respectively. The crude market sold off to a low of $84.55 by mid-day before it settled in a sideways trading range. The market later rallied higher and posted a high of $86.38 ahead of the close on a Bloomberg report stating that the U.S. and its allies believe an attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies is imminent. The May WTI contract settled up 98 cents at $86.21 and the June Brent contract settled up $1.06 at $90.48. The product markets also ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 3.06 cents at $2.7076 and the RB market settling up 2.6 cents at $2.7816. The EIA reported that U.S. crude oil, gasoline and distillate inventories increased last week mainly driven by low crude exports and as implied demand for refined products declined. The EIA reported that U.S. crude oil imports from Mexico fell to 209,000 bpd in the week ending April 5th. It is the lowest level on record in the first week of April, as Mexico’s Pemex cut exports to supply more oil to its domestic refineries.UBS raised its oil forecasts higher by $5/barrel as it increased its 2024 oil demand growth estimates and reduced its OPEC+ crude production projection for the second quarter of the year. It said market conditions this summer will allow for some voluntary OPEC+ production cuts to be unwound but added that this should be a gradual process. It said Brent oil will likely trade in the upper half of its new forecast trading range of $85-$95/barrel. It sees oil demand growth in 2024 of 1.5 million bpd and demand growth of 1.3 million bpd in 2025. In regards to Russia, UBS said it expects the country’s crude production to fall to 9 million bpd by June, down from 9.5 million bpd in the first quarter. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. and its allies believe an attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies is imminent.IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 1 million bpd of capacity in the week ending April 12th, increasing available refining capacity by 231,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 994,000 bpd in the week ending April 19th.
Oil Futures Up on Geopolitics, Pare Gains on Demand Worry -- Oil futures jumped higher to kick off the last trading day of the week, shaped by the push-and-pull of U.S. macroeconomic indicators on the one side and escalating rhetoric between Israel and Iran on the other.Wednesday's consumer price index showing inflation in the United States remaining stickier than expected in March acted as a deathblow to expectations the Federal Reserve might kick off the rate-cutting cycle in June. The resulting support for the U.S. dollar and prospects of a struggling manufacturing sector exerted downward pressure on oil prices.At the same time, tensions in the Middle East have been ramping up after Iran vowed revenge for an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus which killed high-ranking Iranian officials. U.S. and Israeli intelligence services now expect an attack on an Israeli diplomatic mission or Israeli soil to be imminent. Fears of an armed conflict with the 3.2 million bpd crude oil producing country which could destabilize the entire region acted as a counterweight to monetary policy concerns this week.Friday morning, the International Energy Agency in its latest Oil Market Report once again lowered its demand growth estimates. The Paris-based energy watchdog expects global oil demand to expand by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 and 1.1 million bpd in 2025, citing slower growth and sluggish manufacturing activity in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries as the main reason for the 130,000-bpd downward revision to this year's estimate. This came after the Energy Information Administration on Tuesday also trimmed growth expectations for this year in the latest Short-term Energy Outlook, from 1.43 million bpd to 950,000 bpd following a large upward revision to 2023 estimates. OPEC, in contrast, left demand growth expectations unchanged in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report released Thursday, calling for 2.25 million bpd of global oil demand growth in 2024 and 1.8 million bpd in 2025.Near 7:30 a.m. EDT, West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery were up $1.12 to trade near $86.14 barrel (bbl), and Brent for June delivery gained $1.02 to $90.76 bbl. RBOB for May delivery was up $0.0387 to $2.8128 gallon, while ULSD for May delivery traded near $2.7056 gallon, up $0.0458.
Oil prices spike as markets fear escalation of Middle East conflict amid reports of Israel bracing for attack by Iran -- Oil prices shot up on Friday amid reports Israel is gearing up for an attack by Iran as early as this weekend, an event that would mark the most significant escalation in Middle East tensions since last October's Israel-Hamas conflict. West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose as much as 2% before paring some gains. WTI hovered around $85.88 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Brent surged past $90 a barrel, hitting $91.98. The sudden spike in crude prices came after reports that Israel was bracing for a potential direct attack from Iran on southern or northern territory as soon as Friday or Saturday, though sources close to Iranian leaders told The Wall Street Journal that no final decision had been reached yet. Oil has been on the rise in recent weeks as economic activity in the US remains high and conflict simmers in the Middle East, with some commentators eyeing a rapid ascent to $100 a barrel if war spills out into the greater region. "If push comes to shove between Israel and Iran, $100 or more is likely," Market veteran Ed Yardeni commented on Friday. Iran's potential method of attack on Israel is uncertain, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond directly to any aggression. Earlier this week, US intelligence reports indicated an imminent threat of an attack on Israeli assets by Iran or its proxies, which was confirmed by a knowledgeable US official, specifying that the potential strike could target "possibly on Israeli soil" rather than Israeli interests elsewhere. The killing of seven Iranian military personnel by an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria this week signaled a notable intensification of hostilities. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has pledged to retaliate against Israel. Broader financial markets are on edge over the possibility that the conflict intensifies. Stocks were down on Friday, with the S&P 500 shedding 1.5% by midday and the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling nearly 500 points. "The financial markets are bracing for this calamitous scenario. The S&P 500 has had a nearly vertical ascent of 27.6% from 4117.37 on October 27, 2023 to 5254.35 on March 29. That might be it for a while, especially if push does come to shove between Israel and Iran," Yardeni wrote. "For now, we are sticking with our yearend target of 5400, but we can't rule out a test of the 200-dma under the circumstances." The unease pushed up the price of safe-haven assets, with gold reaching another record high Friday and US government bond yields tumbling.
Oil settles up on Middle East tensions, posts weekly loss -(Reuters) - Oil rose around 1% on Friday on geopolitical tensions in the Middle East but posted a weekly loss on a bearish world oil demand growth forecast from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and worries about slower U.S. interest rate cuts.Brent crude futures settled up 71 cents at $90.45 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 64 cents to $85.66.For the week, Brent declined 0.8%, while WTI fell more than 1%.During the week, oil prices neared a six-month high on concern that Iran, the third-largest OPEC producer, might retaliate for a suspected Israeli warplane attack on Iran's embassy in Damascus on Monday."The market's main focus is on whether Iran will retaliate against Israel," , with the fear of supply disruption associated with the events in the Middle East supporting prices. The U.S. expects an attack by Iran against Israel but one that would not be big enough to draw Washington into war, according to a U.S. official. Iranian sources said Tehran has signaled a response aimed at avoiding major escalation.Supply chain issues still carry the biggest risk premium as Iran maintains its threat to shut the Suez Canal.The International Energy Agency cut its forecast for 2024 world oil demand growth to 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd).OPEC on Thursday said world oil demand will rise by 2.25 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024."For now the market is mostly in the OPEC 2.2 million bpd demand growth camp as opposed to the IEA's reduced 1.2 million bpd forecast," said Saxo Bank's Ole Hansen.Friday's gains erased the previous session's losses, which were dominated by stubborn U.S. inflation that dampened hopes for an interest rate cut as early as June.Higher interest rates can weaken economic growth and depress oil demand. U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil rigs operating for a fourth week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report.The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by three to 617 in the week to April 12, the lowest since November.Money managers raised their net long U.S. crude futures and options positions in the week to April 9, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said.
Here's What Will Push Oil Above $100/Bbl --Back in early December, just after Powell's dovish pivot shocked everyone, many closet oil bulls like BofA's energy strategist Francisco Blanch, predicted that a dovish Fed would send oil back to $100. Unfortunately for him, oil did nothing and just one month later, as no oil buying had materialized, Blanch threw in the bullish towel and cut his oil price forecast by 11%, ironically bottom ticking to the dot oil just as it was about to soar by 20% in the next three months, an ascent which was capped with... Blanch raising his Brent oil price forecast.To be sure, BofA wasn't the only one to predict $100 oil: two weeks ago JPMorgan commodity analyst Natasha Kaneva was looking at Russia's unexpected pivot to producing less oil than it was allowed, and wrote that "the shift in Russia’s oil strategy is surprising" and "at face value, and assuming no policy, supply or demand response, Russia’s actions could push Brent oil price to $90 already in April, reach mid-$90 by May and close to $100 by September, keeping pressure on the US administration in the run-up to elections."In short, the fate of Biden's re-election was now in the hands of Putin if the Russian leader wanted to push up the price of oil back to triple digits by limiting output, and the only recourse Biden has - according to JPMorgan - was releasing another 60 million barrels of oil from the SPR (see full JPM note here).But it increasingly appears that $100+ oil is inevitable, regardless of what Putin does or does not do, and as Bloomberg writes over the weekend, the odds of $100 oil are rapidly rising, because while the recent surge in po; above $90 just days ago was blamed on escalating military tensions between Israel and Iran, "the rally’s foundations went deeper — to global supply shocks that are intensifying fears of a commodity-driven inflation resurgence."Consider: a recent move by Mexico to slash its crude exports is compounding a global squeeze, prompting refiners in the US (the world’s biggest oil producer) to consume more domestic barrels. At the same time, American sanctions have stranded Russian cargoes at sea, with Venezuelan supply a potential next target. Meanwhile, Houthi rebel attacks on tankers in the Red Sea have delayed crude shipments, and despite all the "turmoil", OPEC and its allies are sticking with their production cuts.It all adds up to a magnitude of supply disruption that has taken traders by surprise. The crunch is turbocharging an oil rally ahead of the US summer driving season, threatening to push Brent crude, the global benchmark, to $100 for the first time in almost two years; in fact the last time oil was trading there, Joe Biden was draining the SPR to the tune of several million barrels per week. That’s amplifying the inflation concerns that are clouding US President Joe Biden’s reelection chances and complicating central banks’ rate-cut deliberations.
With Syria strike, Israel ratchets up its shadow war with Iran --The shadow war between Israel and Iran took a dramatic turn with the recent Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consular building in Syria. This bold and unprecedented attack resulted in significant casualties, including the death of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a high-ranking Iranian military figure. It also marked a pivotal escalation in the complex chess game of regional power dynamics. The United Nations Security Council’s briefing on the incident underscored the grave nature of the situation. Iran’s letter to the UN and the Security Council detailed the missile strikes that obliterated its diplomatic presence in Damascus, killing at least five Iranian personnel and wounding others. Media reports have since adjusted the death toll to 13, encompassing both Iranian and Syrian nationals. The attack constituted a breach of Syrian sovereignty and contravened the Charter of the United Nations, in addition to violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Some governments condemned the airstrike, emphasizing the sacrosanct principle of diplomatic and consular premises’ inviolability under international law. From an analytical perspective, the airstrike is a significant escalation in the shadow war between Israel and Iran, indicating a potential shift towards more overt confrontations. The attack suggests a calculated move by Israel to assert its deterrence capabilities and send a clear message to Iran and the world about its resolve to counter perceived existential threats. Israel’s decision may have been influenced by many factors, including intelligence on imminent threats, the desire to disrupt Iranian military and intelligence operations in Syria or an attempt to forestall Iranian ambitions to further influence in its immediate neighborhood. The timing and nature of the strike reflect a deeper strategic calculus to recalibrate the status quo. Some Iranian officials have questioned the potential role that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s may have played, including a tacit agreement with Israel to restore sovereignty in order to govern Syria free from the control of the Iranian proxies. Others see the attack as a attempt to provoke Iran to take measures that justify significant escalation as a strategy to shift focus away from the crisis in Gaza, leaving the United States with no choice but to support Israel. Whatever the motives, Israel’s bold maneuver serves as a test of the international response to such overt military actions, gauging the limits of global tolerance for interventions deemed necessary for national security.Iran, faced with the loss of a strategic military asset and a blow to its regional prestige, stands at a crossroads. How it responds to this provocation will reveal much about its strategic priorities and capacity to balance regional dominance aspirations with the pragmatic desire to avoid full-scale conflict. The incident may necessitate a reassessment of tactics and strategies within the Axis of Resistance, the coalition Iran has built to counterbalance American and Israeli influence, potentially leading to a more pronounced aggressive posture against Israeli interests. Moreover, the incident underscores the vulnerabilities Iran faces in projecting power through proxies, emphasizing the operational and symbolic significance of targeting a consular facility. This evolving landscape requires a recalibration of Iran’s proxy strategy, highlighting the need for a more nuanced and adaptable approach to safeguard its interests amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
US Thinks Iranian Retaliation Against Israel Is Imminent - The US and its allies believe Iranian retaliation for the Israeli bombing of Iran’s consulate in Syria is imminent, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.Sources told Bloomberg that, based on US and Israeli intelligence, Iran or its allies in the region could launch a major missile and drone attack on military and government targets inside Israel in the coming days.Axios reported something similar, saying Israel is expecting a direct Iranian attack on its territory launched from Iran’s soil. Israeli sources told the outlet that Israel would respond by launching direct attacks on Iran, which would likely require US support. A major Iranian response could be exactly what Israel wants, as it appears to be trying to provoke a wider regional war to get the US to intervene directly.The Axios report said that the top US military commander in the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla, is due to visit Israel on Thursday to coordinate on the potential Iranian attack. President Biden signaled he would directly intervene if Iran attacks Israel in a warning to Tehran he issued on Wednesday.“We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant – they’re threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel,” Biden said. “As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re gonna do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”Israel has a history of covert attacks inside Iran and killing Iranians in airstrikes in Syria. Iran is usually restrained in its responses to Israeli attacks, but the bombing of an Iranian diplomatic facility marked a huge escalation. The airstrikes killed a senior Quds Force commander, another Iranian general, and five other members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian General Warns That No Israeli Embassy Is Safe - An Iranian general warned on Sunday that no Israeli embassy is safe as Israel is preparing for a potential Iranian response to its bombing of Iran’s consulate in Syria.“None of the Zionist regime’s embassies are safe anymore, and therefore, it has so far closed down 28 of its embassies out of fear,”said Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Safavi appeared to be referring to Israeli media reports that said 28 Israeli embassies and consulates have been temporarily closed due to fears of an Iranian attack. “They dream of dying every night and they are the most fearful creatures,” Safavi said. The Israeli bombing of Iran’s consulate killed 13 people, including a senior Iranian general and six other members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran has killed several members of the IRGC in Syria since October 7, but the brazen attack on a diplomatic facility marked a huge escalation in its attacks on Iranians in the region. Iran is usually very restrained in its responses to Israeli attacks, but the consulate bombing could provoke something big, which could be exactly what Israel wants as it appears to be seeking a regional war that would bring direct US intervention. US officials told NBC News that they are concerned Iran might be planning to hit targets inside Israel or an Israeli consulate building in the region. They said the strikes could be launched using a swarm of drones or land-attack cruise missiles.On Friday, Mohammad Jamshidi, an aide to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said Tehran told the US not to get involved if Iran responds. “In a written message, the Islamic Republic of Iran warns US leadership not to get dragged in Netanyahu’s trap for US: Stay away so you won’t get hurt,” he wrote on X. Jamshidi said that in response to the message, the US asked Iran not to target American facilities, but the White House denied his characterization of the exchange of messages, calling it “Iranian spin.”“We received a message from Iran following the strike in Damascus. In response, we made clear that we were not behind the strike. We also warned Iran to not use the strike as a pretext to further escalate in the region or attack US facilities or personnel,” a Biden administration official told NBC.
US Could Launch Joint Retaliatory Strikes With Israel If It Is Attacked By Iran: Official - Upping the ante, a US official has told Al Jazeera that the Pentagon could intervene militarily if there is an Iranian attack launched against Israel.According to a translation from Al Jazeera Arabic, the US source said, "We do not rule out launching joint retaliatory strikes with Israel if it is attacked by Iran or its agents."There was no further elaboration, or an indicator whether a US joint response with Israel would include offensive strikes against Iran, or if this would just be defensive, for example - anti air measures. However, Axios has the following details which appears to confirm the Al Jazeera reporting:The senior U.S. military commander in charge of the Middle East is expected to go to Israel Thursday to coordinate around a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, two Israeli officials said....The commander of the U.S. military central command (CENTCOM) Gen. Erik Kurilla is expected to meet senior Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.Yesterday, Israeli officials threatened that Iranian nuclear sites could be targeted, in one of the biggest strike threats to date. The region is on edge awaiting an 'imminent' response by Iran following the April 1st deadly attack on Iran's embassy in Damascus. US intelligence has said it believes a revenge attack from Tehran is coming soon.
US Says It Conducted 94 Missions Against ISIS in Iraq and Syria This Year - According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the US and its partner forces in Iraq and Syria conducted 94 operations against ISIS in the first three months of this year.CENTCOM said it was involved in 66 operations with Iraqi government forces in Iraq and 28 operations with the Kurdish-led SDF in Syria. The missions resulted in the killing of 18 alleged ISIS operatives and the detainment of 63.ISIS holds no significant territory in either Iraq or Syria, and remnants of the group operate in rural areas. The fight against ISIS is what the US uses as its excuse to stay in both countries, but the presence is more about countering Iran and its allies.According to the latest numbers, the US has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.The update on US operations against ISIS comes after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called for the US to leave his country and said Iraqi security forces can handle ISIS remnants on their own. The US entered talks with al-Sudani’s government about a potential withdrawal but appears determined to stay in the country.In Syria, the government is opposed to the US presence, making it an illegal military occupation. By backing the SDF, the US is able to control about one-third of Syria’s territory, an area where most of the country’s vital oil and gas fields are located. The US also maintains crippling economic sanctions on Syria specifically designed to prevent reconstruction.
CNN Finally Tells The Truth About The Flour Massacre After Previously Shilling For Israel - by Caitlin Johnstone< -- CNN has a new report out showing that (surprise!) Israel lied about the Flour Massacre in which IDF troops fired machine guns into a crowd of starving Gazans waiting for food this past February, killing over a hundred people. CNN found that Israel’s timeline and version of events doesn’t line up with video footage, witness testimony, and forensic evidence.Which of course was obvious from the beginning to anyone who isn’t deeply invested in pretending Israel ever tells the truth about these things. Within hours of the massacre Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor had a preliminary report up saying that video, audio and material evidence shows that the IDF had been firing into the crowd in contradiction of Israel’s claims that the injuries and deaths sustained on the scene were mostly due to Gazans trampling on each other in a mad rush upon the convoy of aid trucks. Now here’s CNN, a month and a half later, telling us essentially the same thing.This is the same CNN who at the time reported on the Flour Massacre in ways that advanced Israel’s information interests with headlines completely exonerating Israel of any wrongdoing like “At least 100 killed and 700 injured in chaotic incident” and “Carnage at Gaza food aid site amid Israeli gunfire”. CNN also repeatedly refers to the killings as “food aid deaths”, as though it’s the food aid that killed them and not the military of a very specific state power.I don’t know if there’s a word for when a government does something evil and then churns out a bunch of easily disprovable lies with the understanding that by the time those lies are debunked public attention will have moved on from the controversy, but there should be. Over and over again we’ve seen the Israeli regime do just enough lying to dampen the initial burst of attention and outrage and get people doubting themselves, only to discover far too late that it was all a bunch of crap after the initial crime has been forgotten.This is exactly what happened with Israel’s initial assault on al-Shifa Hospital back in November, when Israel was cranking out propaganda claiming the hospital was being used as a command center for Hamas. Not until the end of December did The Washington Post show up to acknowledge the abundantly obvious fact that there was no evidence for Israel’s claims, which independent outlets like Consortium News had been reporting since mid-November. Now al-Shifa Hospital — the largest hospital in Gaza — has been completely destroyed.Back in October Israel and its apologists were shrieking with outrage that anyone would dare suggest that Israel would ever attack a hospital at all, saturating the media with bogus evidence that it falsely claimed proved its innocence. Since that time Israel has launched hundreds of attacks on Gaza’s healthcare services and has destroyed most of its healthcare system.
Hamas, Israel Say No Progress Made in Ceasefire Talks - Both Hamas officials and Israeli officials said on Monday that no progress was made toward a hostage deal in Egyptian and Qatari-mediated ceasefire negotiations that are taking place in Cairo. Ali Barakam, a senior Hamas official based in Lebanon, said the Palestinian group had rejected the latest proposal from Israel. “We reject the latest Israeli proposals that the Egyptian side informed us of. The politburo met today and decided this,” he told Reuters.Another unnamed Hamas official said Israel had not changed its position. “There is no change in the position of the occupation (Israel), and therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks,” the official said.An Israeli official told Ynet that they “still don’t see a deal on the horizon” and that the two sides are still far apart.A Hamas official told CNN that Israel’s latest proposal did not address Hamas’s key demands, which include a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. “The [Israeli] proposal does not respond to the questions that [Hamas] has asked in its original proposal, and that is that any agreement should clearly include a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of [Israeli] troops – even if it happens through stages – and the return of the displaced in complete freedom to their homes,” the official said.The CNN report said CIA Director William Burns had presented a deal to bridge the gaps between the two sides. The proposal involves the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for about 900 Palestinian prisoners. The US would also like Israel to allow Palestinians who fled from northern Gaza to be able to return to the north.Pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a hostage deal, and Israeli officials have accused him of intentionally sabotaging the talks. Haaretz recently reported that Israeli intelligence believes only 60-70 hostages in Gaza are still alive.Netanyahu has made clear that any ceasefire he agrees to would only be temporary as he is vowing to launch an invasion of Rafah and said Monday that he set a date to attack the city.
Israel Kills Hezbollah Commander, Three Others in Airstrike on Southern Lebanon House - At least four people were killed and an unspecified number of others wounded when Israel carried out an airstrike against an occupied house in Sultaniyeh, in southern Lebanon. Among those killed was a leader in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.The commander was identified as Ali Ahmad Hassin and Hezbollah said he was “carrying out his jihadist duties” at the time of his death. The Radwan Force is Hezbollah’s elite commando unit.A second Hezbollah man was slain, identified as local figure Abbas Jaafar, and a third Hezbollah figure remains unidentified. A fourth victim remains unidentified.The airstrike targeted an occupied house in a residential community, badly damaging many surrounding homes. More than a dozen families were said to have lost their homes in the incident.In addition to Sultaniyeh, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft were reported to target Ramia and Aita ash-Shaab with machine gun fire. No casualties have been reported as of now.Israeli has been escalating attacks in recent weeks, with casualties nearly a daily occurrence and airstrikes almost always hitting and badly damaging residential areas. Some thousand homes are reported to have been damaged so far.The UN issued a statement today warning about the continued escalation. It urges the two sides to step back and find a way to cease hostilities before the situation becomes more catastrophic.
Gallant: Israel Withdrawing From Southern Gaza to Prepare for Rafah Invasion - The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it was withdrawing troops from parts of southern Gaza, a step Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said was being taken to prepare for an assault on Rafah, the southern city on the Egyptian border that’s packed with 1.5 million Palestinians.“The withdrawal of the troops from Khan Yunis was carried out after Hamas ceased to function as a military organization in the city, the forces left to prepare for the operation in Rafah,” Gallant said.Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the head of the Israeli military, said the withdrawal does not mean the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians would end anytime soon. “The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping. Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later,” he said.According to The Jerusalem Post, the withdrawal means Palestinians can move freely in southern Gaza and in the city of Khan Younis. But the Israeli military is still keeping northern Gaza cut off from the south.The White House said the Israeli announcement was likely about restfor the Israeli troops, who have been in southern Gaza for four months. “As we understand it, and through their public announcements, it is really just about rest and refit for these troops that have been on the ground for four months and not necessarily, that we can tell, indicative of some coming new operation for these troops,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
Hamas Leader's Sons & Grandchildren Killed In Single Israeli Airstrike The leader of Hamas has had much of his family wiped out in a new Israeli airstrike. Hamas has confirmed that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, received word that three of his sons and grandchildren were killed in an Israeli assault Wednesday. International reports say a drone strike targeted a car that his three sons, Hazem, Amir and Mohammed, were driving in. There were traveling with other family members in the car through a refugee camp northwest of Gaza City. While one young girl reportedly survived the strike, three of Haniyeh's grandchildren did not. The group was reportedly traveling within Gaza to attend an Eid al-Fitr holiday celebration with relatives."All our people and all the families of Gaza's residents have paid a heavy price with the blood of their children, and I am one of them," Haniyeh said in a statement to Al Jazeera soon after learning of their deaths."Through the blood of the martyrs and the pain of the wounded, we create hope, we create the future, we create independence and freedom for our people and our nation," he added.This has resulted in some speculation or expectation that ongoing truce talks could be called off on Haniyeh's order; however, he has sought to personally assure that his family members' deaths will not impact ceasefire negotiations.The Israeli side appears to have confirmed that the car was targeted in a drone strike, in the following somewhat strange orunexpected statement: Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari says fighter jets attacked “three military operatives” in central Gaza, referring to a car carrying Haniyeh’s children, who were killed earlier today.He identified the three as Amir, Hazem and Mohammad Haniyeh.The Israeli army “confirms” that they are “the children of Ismail Haniyeh”, Hagari said.Thus it's clear that Israel had categorized the Hamas political chief's sons as "militants" in the organization. They were all adults. It remains unclear whether the IDF is categorizing the young grandchildren in the same way.
Erez Border Crossing Into Northern Gaza Still Not Open for Aid Despite Israeli Commitment - Israel’s Erez border crossing into northern Gaza has still not been opened for aid deliveries despite a commitment Israel made last week to do so following a call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, El Pais reported on Tuesday.Biden told Netanyahu to take more action to allow aid into Gaza following the Israeli killing of seven workers for the World Central Kitchen, who were hit by several Israeli missiles while traveling along a pre-approved route.After the Biden-Netanyahu call, the Israeli cabinet approved the opening of Erez and the use of the Israeli port of Ashdod as a hub for humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. But, according to the El Paisreport, Israel has yet to fulfill either commitment.The Israeli government said 468 aid trucks were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday, the highest number since October 7, and 419 entered the Strip on Monday. But UN officials are disputing the numbers and say most of the trucks being counted are only half full when they are inspected by Israel.The aid is only being allowed in mainly through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing and, to a lesser extent, the Kerem Shalom crossing. Both connect to southern Gaza, and it’s unclear how much food aid is getting into the north, where Palestinians are facing the worst food shortages.Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN’s humanitarian agency, said food aid has been subject to the most restrictions, demonstrating that Israel is purposely starving civilians. “Food convoys that should be going particularly to the north, where 70 percent of people face famine conditions, are … three times more likely to be denied than any other humanitarian convoys with other kinds of material,” Laerke said.
Ismail Haniyeh: Israeli airstrike kills three sons of Hamas political leader in Gaza as ceasefire talks stutter | CNN — Three sons of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza Wednesday, with Haniyeh insisting their deaths would not affect ongoing ceasefire and hostage talks. Four of Haniyeh’s grandchildren were also killed in the attack, according to Hamas, which comes amid fresh efforts in Cairo to bring a temporary halt to months of fighting. Haniyeh in a statement said killing the sons of leaders would only make Hamas “more steadfast in our principles and adherence to our land.” “Whoever thinks that by targeting my kids during the negotiation talks and before a deal is agreed upon that it will force Hamas to back down on its demands, is delusional,” he added. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the attack, describing the men as “three Hamas military operatives that conducted terrorist activity in the central Gaza Strip.” According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA), those killed were Amir Haniyeh, a cell commander in Hamas’ military wing, and Hamas military operatives Mohammad Haniyeh and Hazem Haniyeh. The three were killed when the vehicle they were driving in was bombed in the Al Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, Hamas political leader Haniyeh told Al Jazeera. The IDF told CNN it is aware of claims that other relatives of Haniyeh were harmed, among them a minor. The IDF added it had not verified this information. Hamas named the four grandchildren as Mona, Amal, Khalid and Razan, calling them “martyrs.” The Hamas-run government media office (GMO) said Wednesday that the Haniyeh family had been “carrying out social and family visits on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr,” before the vehicle was struck. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is one of the most important holidays on the Islamic calendar.
Gaza Asks Us A Question About What Kind Of Future We Want To Have by Caitlin Johnstone -- A live-streamed genocide happening right out in the open forces a civilization to start asking questions about itself. If something like this can happen in plain view of everyone, and the people in charge not only do nothing but actively facilitate it, then you have to start wondering if everything about your entire nation is deranged, and if everything you’ve been told about the world is a lie. If something so nakedly evil — undisguised by anything besides a thin veneer of Zionist gaslighting telling us we’re not seeing what we’re seeing — can be allowed to stand by those we’ve entrusted to run things, then it means our entire society is diseased. Our government. Our political systems. Our media. Our education systems. Our worldviews. Our culture. It’s all rotted and corrupted, right down to the core. The future we are being shown through the window of Gaza is dark. Dark, dark, dark, dark. They’re currently using artificial intelligence to create kill lists and to determine when its targets will be at home with their families to ensure maximum civilian deaths. We used to worry about a dark future where humans send machines to go kill people indiscriminately, but it turns out it’s actually happening the other way around — we’re programming machines to tell us who to kill. The horror in our present dystopia isn’t so much autonomous murderbots as ethical decisions about killing being outsourced to AI. We’re being asked to accept this and move forward in this direction into the future. We’re being asked to walk into the future holding the assumption that it’s fine and normal for our governments to knowingly support an unforgivable act of mass slaughter upon the inhabitants of a giant concentration camp. We’re being asked to walk into the future holding the assumption that it’s fine and normal for the mass media to lie and distort and misinform the public about a matter of such urgent importance day after day, month after month. We’re being asked to walk into the future holding the assumption that it’s fine and normal for a blatant genocide to take place right in front of our faces, and then move on as though nothing happened. And right now we’re collectively ruminating on the question of whether we’re going to decide to do those things, or if we’re going to decide to do something else instead. The Gaza genocide is such a massive thing in and of itself — the injustice, the murder, the loss, the unfathomable suffering. But what’s happening in Gaza is also about so much more than Gaza. It’s a moment in history where humanity is thinking seriously about real revolutionary change, and weighing the options between that and continuing along this tired old blood-soaked path we’ve been travelling on for millennia. Gaza proves that our entire civilization is cancerous, and that everything we’ve been doing has failed. When you come across information which blows apart your worldview in your personal life, you can either collapse under the weight of cognitive dissonance until you find some way to plug yourself back into the comforting lies, or you can set about the hard work of forming a new way of looking at things. That’s the sort of moment we’re being collectively offered with Gaza. We’ll either accept the invitation, or continue our slide into darkness.
Threat of war between Israel and Iran grows as new offensives launched in Gaza - Tensions between Israel and Iran reached new heights Thursday after the United States warned of an “imminent” attack being planned by Tehran. The Iranian regime has said since Israel’s bombing of its Syrian embassy at the start of this month, killing senior members of Iran’s military, that it would retaliate. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened Thursday, “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran.” Speaking at the Tel Nof Air Base, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told air force personnel: “We are in challenging times. We are in the midst of a war in Gaza that is continuing with full force. In addition, we are continuing with ceaseless efforts to return our hostages, but we are also preparing for challenges from other fronts. “We set a simple principle: Anyone who hits us, we hit them. We are ready to fulfil our responsibilities to Israel’s security, in defence and attack.” According to Israeli news stations, the country’s air force recently conducted joint exercises with Cyprus to “simulate an attack in Iran.” The Israel Defense Forces are on high alert, with weekend leave cancelled and the army calling up extra reservists to the Aerial Defence Array. A top US general, Erik Kurilla, head of the US Central Command, landed in Israel for talks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was assured by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a call Wednesday evening that Washington would back Israel fully in any conflict with Iran. President Joe Biden had said in a press conference earlier that day, “As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad, ironclad.” Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the Intelligence Committee, described the situation as “the most dangerous Middle East moment since 1973,” warning, “Iran wants to launch a large-scale attack from their own territory against Israel. Israel will respond instantly with an even more severe counterattack inside of Iran.” Even as they push Iran to respond to such provocations, the US and European powers have demanded Tehran show a “restraint” never expected of their ally Israel. American Middle East envoy Brett McGurk directed the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iraq to speak with Tehran and urge its government to back down. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock urged “maximum restraint” in the name of “avoiding further regional escalation.” But it is the imperialist powers who have constantly and deliberately driven the escalation, providing Israel with weapons and diplomatic and military support to carry out a genocide in Gaza and brazenly attack its opponents in Lebanon and Syria. Last December, Gallant described Israel as being engaged in a “multi-front war” across “seven theatres.” At the very start of Israel’s war, the United States dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean to insure the country against retaliation. These forces intercepted 11 drones launched by the Iran and Palestine-aligned Houthis in Yemen on Wednesday. The most unashamedly hawkish voices in Israel and the imperialist centres have been urging Israel to attack Iran directly.
Iran launches Israel attack that risks sparking regional war in the Middle East -- Iran launched a retaliatory attack against Israel on Saturday that risks sparking a regional conflict involving U.S. military forces. The attack marked the first time that Iran has launched a direct military attack on the Jewish state. Several hours after the attack began, U.S. officials said that American forces in the region had shot down several Iranian drones and were also trying to shoot down Iranian missiles bound for Israel. "US forces in the region continue to shoot down Iranian-launched drones targeting Israel," a U.S. official said. "Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect US forces operating in the region." Iranian state television said that “in response to crimes by the Zionist Regime,” Iran had launched “missiles and drones on specific locations in the occupied lands.” The attack came weeks after a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria’s capital, Damascus, killed two generals and five officers in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. Israel did not take responsibility for that strike, but Tehran vowed revenge. White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that president Joe Biden was being updated about the situation by his national security team. Additionally, the statement said Biden’s team is in “constant contact” with Israeli officials, partners and allies. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as American warships in the region, are part of the effort to thwart the Iranian attack, U.S. officials said. They include the USS Carney, a destroyer that has been involved in knocking out missiles and drones in the Red Sea fired by Iranian-backed Houthi forces from Yemen. The U.S. has signaled its support for Israel and worked to persuade Iran to stop short of a significant escalation that could spiral into a full-blown war between Iran and Israel. Through decades of tensions with Israel, Iran has previously avoided a direct conflict with the Jewish state, instead opting to damage its adversary through armed proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and elsewhere. In back-channel communications with the U.S. over the past two weeks, Iran indicated it would retaliate against Israel but wanted to avoid a massive escalation that would lead to all-out war, U.S. officials told NBC News. The question now is whether Iran’s attack will be interpreted in the way Tehran has planned, or trigger an unintended reaction from Israel that could escalate into an uncontrollable cycle of violence, analysts said.
A “war against humanity”: Six months of the Gaza genocide * The death toll currently stands at 33,137. Once the missing are added, the true toll is likely over 44,000. A further 75,815 people have been wounded. Over the course of just six months, 5.45 percent of Gaza’s population has been killed, wounded or is missing. A comparable percentage of the American population would be more than 18 million people. Most shocking of all is the fact that two-thirds of those killed are women and children. Israel has deliberately targeted medical workers, humanitarian workers, journalists and artists. It is waging, as World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres said Sunday, a “war against humanity.” In the course of the past six months, every element of the US-Israeli justification for bombing, invading and blockading Gaza has been exposed as a lie. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Israel was in possession of Hamas’s entire operational plan for the October 7 attack that served as the pretext for the war. Despite this knowledge, Israeli intelligence and military forces were ordered to stand down and redeploy from the Gaza border immediately ahead of the attack. In a matter of days, the Israeli military put into effect long-held plans for a genocidal war against the population of Gaza. “We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly,” declared Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 9. “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel.” Just four days later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared, “It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved… we will fight until we break their backbone.” Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter declared, “We’re rolling out the Gaza Nakba.” Having made these statements of genocidal intent, the Netanyahu government systematically targeted all aspects of social, economic and cultural life in Gaza, working to level every hospital, school and home, and kill as many men, women and children as possible. The genocide has undeniably shown that the perspective of Zionism is bankrupt and reactionary. Israel will forever be marked by its association with mass murder. It is the end product of decades of brutal oppression of the Palestinians, and the false identification of the interests of the Jewish people as a whole with the Israeli state. Beyond Israel, the genocide stands as a condemnation of the entire imperialist order. The capitalist powers in the US-NATO axis have supported, armed, funded and politically justified one of the greatest crimes of the modern era. As the Israeli government was publicly stating its intent to massacre and expel the population of Gaza, the Biden administration declared over and over its opposition to any negotiated settlement of the conflict. There is “no possibility” of a ceasefire, Biden said on November 9. Just days later, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer addressed a pro-genocide rally in Washington, in which he bellowed, “We stand with you ... . We will not rest until you get the assistance you need.” Over the course of six months, the Biden administration has made more than 100 separate arms transfers to Israel, making it clear that the Netanyahu government has a green light to starve, kill and torture the population of Gaza at will. This reality stands as an unanswerable rebuttal to the claims by the Biden administration and US media that the White House has sought to “pressure” the Netanyahu government to protect civilians. In fact, the administration’s policy has amounted to a massive blank check for Israel, a policy that continues to this day despite the purely verbal criticism of Netanyahu by the White House. The Biden administration’s categorical support for the Israeli genocide is part of an eruption of US militarism throughout the Middle East, including Iran, as part of a broader struggle for global domination targeting Russia and China. The Gaza genocide will have vast and far-reaching social and political consequences. Already, the mass murder in Gaza has sparked the largest global mass demonstrations since the Iraq war. It has shown the imperialist powers, who endlessly invoke “human rights” to justify their wars, as enablers and accomplices of genocide. Most of all, the Gaza genocide is a crime of capitalism. The capitalist social order is legitimizing every form of social barbarism: from nuclear war to perpetual mass death in a preventable pandemic to genocide. Future generations will see the Gaza genocide as an inflection point, propelling the growth of powerful currents in opposition to the capitalist social order.
Australian Military Refuses To Disclose Arms Deal With Israel To Protect Its 'Reputation' by Caitlin Johnstone -- Australia’s Defence Department has refused a Freedom of Information request about the details of an arms deal with Israel on the grounds that such information “could harm Australia’s international standing and reputation,” which suggests the details must be pretty damning. Equally as scandalous, this refusal was reportedly made in consultation with the Israeli government. In an article titled “Details of defence deal with Israel kept under wraps to protect Australia’s ‘reputation’,” the ABC’s Andrew Greene details how the Australian military snubbed a Freedom of Information request by the Australian Greens regarding a “Memorandum of Understanding” between Australia and Israel that was signed in 2017. “The document within the scope of this request contains information which, if released, could reasonably be expected to damage the international relations of the Commonwealth,” the Defence Department said in a letter explaining its rejection.“A summary provided by the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to the Greens reveals that the Israeli government was also consulted about releasing the document before Defence ultimately rejected the FOI request,” the ABC reports.“The document contains information communicated to Australia by a foreign government and its officials under the expectation that it would not be disclosed,” a Defence official wrote in justification of its decision.Greens senator David Shoebridge objected, saying “There is no place for secret arms treaties and secret arms deals between countries, and there is certainly no place for giving other countries veto power over what the Australian government tells the public about our government’s defence and arms deals.”“Over 30,000 people have been killed by the State of Israel in Gaza in the past six months. In this context, the Australian public has a right to know about the military trade relationship with the State of Israel,” added Shoebridge.
Ukraine strikes at Russian oil as battlefield desperation mounts --Ukraine is ramping up attacks on Russian oil refineries in a campaign that has damaged Moscow’s most important source of revenue. Ukraine’s forces have struck oil refineries deep inside Russia at least 12 times during the war, disrupting at least 10 percent of Russian refining capacity, according to the British Defense Ministry. In March alone, Ukraine carried out five successful reported strikes on several oil refineries. The attacks underscore how Ukraine is continuing to wield relatively cheap technology to conduct savvy strikes that damage Russia — as it has also done with naval drones against Russia’s Black Sea fleet. But experts say the oil refinery attacks would need to ramp up to change the calculus on the battlefield, where Russia has seized the upper hand in recent months, thanks in part to Republicans in U.S. Congress refusing to pass new aid for Ukraine. John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said if Ukraine is “able to scale this up in a big way, it could be a way to gain leverage over Russia.” “To the extent it affects the war, it would probably be more in finances,” he said. “For every dollar that Moscow doesn’t generate through taxes on industry, that’s a dollar that it can’t put into soldiers or producing weapons.”The attacks so far have penetrated up to 800 miles into Russia from Ukraine, but they appear to have only caused moderate damage to the Russian oil refineries, allowing Moscow to repair the targeted facilities. A March intelligence update from the British Defense Ministry said the Ukrainian strikes have forced Russia to do “major repairs,” which “could take considerable time and expense.” “Sanctions are highly likely increasing the time and cost of sourcing replacement equipment,”British intelligence officials wrote. “These strikes are imposing a financial cost on Russia, impacting the domestic fuel market.”
'Dangerous Provocation': Kremlin Blasts Ukraine For Drone Strike On Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant -- The International Atomic Energy Agency is once again sounding the alarm over the potential that disaster could strike the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, which is the largest in Europe.On Sunday, for the first time since 2022, Ukraine apparently sent a drone against the facility and it struck one of the plant's six nuclear reactors. While Kiev has firmly denied it was behind the attack, Moscow has denounced it as a "very dangerous provocation" from Ukraine forces. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced it as "a very dangerous practice with very bad negative consequences." He said it's but the latest example of Kiev's "terrorist activity.""IAEA staff who are on site have had the opportunity to witness these attacks," Peskov added. Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom reported casualties as a result of the strike, detailing that three people were wounded in the "unprecedented series of drone attacks."IAEA head Rafael Grossi warned that if this continues, a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences could occur. "This cannot happen," Grossi wrote on X Sunday. He urged both warring sides to avoid any aggression which violates fundamental principles meant to safeguard nuclear facilities. Russia has long occupied the facility and overseen its operations, utilizing local Ukrainian engineers, and through the course of the war there have been sporadic Ukrainian assaults on the plant."Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine integrity of the reactor’s containment system," Grossi described. The IAEA said that a drone strike resulted in a "detonation" which was "consistent with IAEA observations." EuroNews further reports that "According to plant authorities, there was no critical damage... Radiation levels at the plant were also normal after the strikes."Additionally, state-run TASS has confirmed the following details of the plant's current status: The radiation level at the plant and the adjacent territory has not changed. It corresponds to the normal operation of power units and does not exceed the natural background values. The power unit that was hit is currently in the "cold shutdown" mode. Before that, the Ukrainian military carried out an attack on the ZNPP premises on April 5. Drone attacks were recorded in the area of the cargo port and the nitrogen-oxygen station.
China's Xi Meets With Russian Foreign Minister In Show Of Solidarity Against West - Chinese communist regime leader Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Tuesday, reaffirming solidarity amid growing pressure from the West. Mr. Lavrov arrived in China on April 8 for a two-day visit. His trip, according to the Kremlin, could be seen as laying the groundwork for upcoming contacts between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.Ahead of the meeting with Xi, Mr. Lavrov held talks with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) top diplomat, Wang Yi. The two countries agreed to discuss ways to deepen security cooperation across Europe and Asia to counter the pressure imposed by the United States and its allies in the region, Mr. Lavrov told reporters after the meeting.“We have a common focus on strengthening security in Eurasia,” Mr. Lavrov said at a press conference in Beijing. China and Russia had agreed to “start a dialogue with the involvement of our other like-minded people on this issue.”The Russian top diplomat’s visit to China came amid renewed concerns in the United States that Chinese companies were bolstering Russia’s defense capacity.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who was in China for economic talks this week, issued a blunt warning about Beijing’s support for Moscow. She emphasized that any companies, including those in China, would face “significant consequences” if they provided aid to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“We’ve been clear with China that we see Russia as gaining support from goods that China, Chinese firms are supplying to Russia,” she told reporters in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on April 6. She said that her Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, had told her, “It is their policy not to provide Russia with military support.”She added, “Neither of us want[s] this to be an issue with our bilateral relationship, so we’re working together.”Her message followed a similar warning from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. After meeting with NATO foreign ministers at the alliance headquarters in Brussels on April 4, Mr. Blinken told reporters, “China continues to provide materials to support Russia’s defense industrial base.”
NATO: It's Time To Cull The Snake In America's Garden --This week’s brouhaha in Brussels saw the Foreign Ministers of NATO emerge from their holes in the ground looking for food now that things are finally warming up for Spring.And they had a message for us: more for them and less for us. They were ready to steal the food from our mouths, our children from our homes, to give Ukraine the aid it needs to beat Russia in a war only they seem to want.They would strangle the political process at home to make this so. They would betray their basic roles as diplomats, speaking with forked tongues, to confound the conditions for dialogue with Russia and end the fighting.In fact, with all the war mongering going on you would have thought this was a convocation of military commanders, not diplomats. But that’s where we are in this process.The message of NATO’s foreign policy is simple, “War first. Talk later.” Facts on the ground don’t matter. Budget deficits don’t matter. Plunging public support for Ukraine doesn’t matter. All that matters is what these people want.And they want war. But at the same time, they won’t admit that that is exactly what they are waging.The doublespeak has gotten to the point where even Pinocchio is looking at outgoing General-Secretary Jens Stoltenberg going, “Dood. Your schnoze!”Then again, Stoltenberg is a year past his ‘use-by’ date. He’s even more a lame duck than French President Emmanuel Macron at this point. The problem for those who actually run NATO, they can’t agree on who to replace him with… a British Neoconservative or a Dutch Neoliberal? In the same week where the French and Russian Defense Ministers had a frank conversation about Ukraine, the attack in Moscow on civilians, and how quickly Russia will vaporize French troops sent into the fighting, we’re treated to the complete abandonment of all diplomatic pretense.
Escobar: How The "Order" Based On Made-Up Rules Is Descending Into Savagery -Authored by Pepe Escobar, As the de facto North Atlantic Terror Organization celebrates its 75th birthday, taking Lord Ismay’s motto to ever soaring heights (“keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down”), that thick slab of Norwegian wood posing as Secretary-General came up with a merry “initiative” to create a 100 billion euro fund to weaponize Ukraine for the next five years.Translation, regarding the crucial money front in the NATO-Russia clash: partial exit of the Hegemon – already obsessing with The Next Forever War, against China; enter the motley crew of ragged, de-industrialized European chihuahuas, all in deep debt and most mired in recession.A few IQs over average room temperature at NATO’s HQ in Haren, in Brussels, had the temerity to wonder how to come up with such a fortune, as NATO has zero leverage to raise money among member states.After all, the Europeans will never be able to replicate the time-tested Hegemon money laundering machine. For instance, assuming the White House-proposed $60 billion package to Ukraine would be approved by the U.S. Congress – and it won’t – no less than 64% of the total will never reach Kiev: it will be laundered within the industrial-military complex.Yet it gets even more dystopic: Norwegian Wood, robotic stare, arms flailing, actually believes his proposed move will not imply a direct NATO military presence in Ukraine – or country 404; something that is already a fact on the ground for quite a while, irrespective of the warmongering hissy fits by Le Petit Roi in Paris (Peskov: “Russia-NATO relations have descended into direct confrontation”).Now couple the Lethal Looney Tunes spectacle along the NATOstan front with the Hegemon’s aircraft carrier performance in West Asia, consistently taking its industrial-scale slaughter/starvation Genocide Project in Gaza to indescribable heights – the meticulously documented holocaust watched in contorted silence by the “leaders” of the Global North.UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese correctly summed it all up: the biblical psychopathology entity “intentionally killed the WCK workers so that donors would pull out and civilians in Gaza could continue to be starved quietly. Israel knows Western countries and most Arab countries won’t move a finger for the Palestinians.”The “logic” behind the deliberate three tap strike on the clearly signed humanitarian convoy of famine-alleviating workers in Gaza was to eviscerate from the news an even more horrendous episode: the genocide-within-a-genocide of al-Shifa hospital, responsible for at least 30% of all health services in Gaza. Al-Shifa was bombed, incinerated and had over 400 civilians killed in cold blood, in several cases literally smashed by bulldozers, including medical doctors, patients and dozens of children.Nearly simultaneously, the biblical psychopathology gang completely eviscerated the Vienna convention – something that even the historical Nazis never did – striking Iran’s consular mission/ambassador’s residence in Damascus.This was a missile attack on a diplomatic mission, enjoying immunity, on the territory of a third country, against which the gang is not at war. And on top of it, killing General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, his deputy Mohammad Hadi Hajizadeh, another five officers, and a total of 10 people.Translation: an act of terror, against two sovereign states, Syria and Iran. Equivalent to the recent terror attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow.The inevitable question rings around all corners of the lands of the Global Majority: how can these de facto terrorists possibly get away with all this, over and over again?
German government slashes support for children to fund its war drive --Two decisions taken in the last few days highlight the political direction in which the German government is marching. Germany is permanently stationing 5,000 heavily armed soldiers and their families on the Russian border in Lithuania. At the same time, it has declared that the creation of 5,000 jobs to combat child poverty would be too costly. The funds would go to the Kindergrundsicherung (Basic Child Protection program), i.e., government support to protect children in Germany’s poorest families. According to Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus (Greens), administering the program would require the hiring of some 5,000 people to staff a “family service.” Although the plan had been approved as part of the coalition agreement between the Social Democrats (SPD), Liberal Democrats (FDP) and Greens, the FDP and to some extent the SPD and sections of the Greens are now up in arms against it. In the most recent budget, Paus had already agreed to reduce the 12 billion euros originally budgeted for Kindergrundsicherung to two billion. When she raised the need to create 5,000 new jobs, which would cost an estimated 250 million euros a year, the proposal sparked a storm of indignation. Politicians who have never had to suffer a day’s hardship in their lives are raising a hue and cry. “Monster bureaucracy!” rants the FDP. The plan is “absurd,” says Johannes Vogel, parliamentary secretary of the FDP. In response to the uproar, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) convened the cabinet for an internal discussion on Wednesday. The majority of the Christian Democratic (CDU-CSU) opposition parliamentary group opposes Kindergrundsicherung, and CDU (Christian Democratic Union) leader Friedrich Merz wants to abolish the Citizen’s Allowance, another form of support for the poor. “We can no longer afford 40 billion euros for the so-called Citizen’s Allowance at a time like this,” Merz said in the Bundestag (parliament). Nor is Lisa Paus insisting on the additional jobs. She and the Greens have once again retreated. “There won’t be 5,000 new jobs,” the co-chair of the Greens, Ricarda Lang, told broadcaster ARD. Meanwhile, child poverty is rampant. It is a consequence of social cuts to finance the government’s pro-war policies. The war offensive against Russia stands at the centre of the coalition government’s policies. After the US, Germany is the next largest funder of both the war in Ukraine and the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Over the past two years, Berlin has provided Ukraine with 32 billion euros in financial and military aid, according to the German government’s own figures. The total value of authorised German arms exports to Israel has increased tenfold in the past year, making Germany responsible for 47 percent of all Israeli arms imports. The working class pays the bill in the form of social cuts, wage-cutting, increased exploitation, unemployment and poverty. The rise in child poverty is the inevitable consequence of this.
Swiss-Hosted Ukraine Peace Summit To Include 100 Countries, But Not Russia -- The much anticipated Switzerland-hosted international Ukraine peace conference is finally coming together, the Swiss government announced Wednesday; however, it will not include Russian representation."Switzerland’s government said Wednesday it will host a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after more than two years of war, in hopes that Russia might join in the peace process one day," The Associated Press reports of the announcement.The conference is set for June 15-16 at the lakeside Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne. The Swiss are expected to invite the participation of more than 100 countries, in accord with a plan proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, which has been worked on for months.President Joe Biden might actually attend in person, given he's expected to already be in Italy just days before attending a G7 summit set for June 13-15.The Swiss government confirmed Wednesday, "At its meeting today, the Federal Council took note of the results to date and discussed the next steps. There is currently sufficient international support for a high-level conference to launch the peace process."While admitting that there remain "some unknowns" ahead of the conference, the statement said "in view of Switzerland’s long-standing diplomatic tradition and the encouraging feedback received during the exploratory phase, it considers it its responsibility to contribute to the peace process in Ukraine."One thing is certain — if the Swiss hope to actually produced peace negotiations, this remains an impossibility without the other participant in the war. Moscow's absence sets the stage for a mere empty exercise is affirming Zelensky's own vision for what an end to the war would look like.
Jamie Dimon Warns World Faces "Risks That Eclipse Anything Since World War II" |--Perhaps the world's most influential banker - JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon - warned the world in his annual letter to shareholders that while he expects US economic resilience (and higher inflation and interest rates), and is optimistic about transformational opportunities from AI, he worries geopolitical events including the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, as well as U.S. political polarization, might be creating an environment that “may very well be creating risks that could eclipse anything since World War II.”He begins with an ominous overview of the geopolitical chaos the world faces. Across the globe, 2023 was yet another year of significant challenges, from the terrible ongoing war and violence in the Middle East and Ukraine to mounting terrorist activity and growing geopolitical tensions, importantly with China. Almost all nations felt the effects last year of global economic uncertainty, including higher energy and food prices, inflation rates and volatile markets. While all these events and associated instability have serious ramifications on our company, colleagues, clients and countries where we do business, their consequences on the world at large — with the extreme suffering of the Ukrainian people, escalating tragedy in the Middle East and the potential restructuring of the global order — are far more important.As these events unfold, America’s global leadership role is being challenged outside by other nations and inside by our polarized electorate. We need to find ways to put aside our differences and work in partnership with other Western nations in the name of democracy. During this time of great crises, uniting to protect our essential freedoms, including free enterprise, is paramount. We should remember that America, “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” still remains a shining beacon of hope to citizens around the world. JPMorgan Chase, a company that historically has worked across borders and boundaries, will do its part to ensure that the global economy is safe and secure.In spite of the unsettling landscape, including last year’s regional bank turmoil, the U.S. economy continues to be resilient, with consumers still spending, and the markets currently expect a soft landing. It is important to note that the economy is being fueled by large amounts of government deficit spending and past stimulus. There is also a growing need for increased spending as we continue transitioning to a greener economy, restructuring global supply chains, boosting military expenditure and battling rising healthcare costs. This may lead to stickier inflation and higher rates than markets expect. Furthermore, there are downside risks to watch.Quantitative tightening is draining more than $900 billion in liquidity from the system annually — and we have never truly experienced the full effect of quantitative tightening on this scale. Plus the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to have the potential to disrupt energy and food markets, migration, and military and economic relationships, in addition to their dreadful human cost.These significant and somewhat unprecedented forces cause us to remain cautious.And he warns that investors seem too complacent about these geopolitical risks when it comes to markets.Geopolitical and economic forces have an unpredictable timetable - they may unfold over months, or years, and are nearly impossible to put into a one-year forecast. They also have an unpredictable interplay: For example, the geopolitical situation may end up having virtually no effect on the world’s economy or it could potentially be its determinative factor.We have ongoing concerns about persistent inflationary pressures and consider a wide range of outcomes to manage interest rate exposure and other business risks.Many key economic indicators today continue to be good and possibly improving, including inflation. But when looking ahead to tomorrow, conditions that will affect the future should be considered. For example, there seems to be a large number of persistent inflationary pressures, which may likely continue.All of the following factors appear to be inflationary:
Xi's Production Push Set To Fan Renewed Trade War - US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen implored Beijing’s top leaders during her four-day visit to refrain from boosting the country’s already vast manufacturing capacity and to focus on lifting domestic demand instead. That push, however, is in stark contrast to the priorities of President Xi Jinping, whose “new productive forces” slogan is now dominating the economic policy discourse. His push suggests the country’s expansion of its production capacity will likely persist and contribute to increasing tensions with the nation’s major trading partners. While its not entirely clear how Xi’s policy will play out on the ground, equity investors have already picked winners since the phrase was listed as the government’s top task in early March. Market reactions seem to imply that Beijing will double down on state spending to strengthen China’s transition toward high-tech, value-added production and advanced manufacturing. There is also a perception that “Made in China 2025” - a government plan to groom 10 globally competitive industries, and one that drew the ire of former President Trump - is making a comeback. The push for greater investments in manufacturing will likely reinforce China’s role as the world’s factory and fuel already-tense trade relationships with the US and other major economies, both in the developed and developing worlds. Over the past few months, the European Union, for one, has pushed back hard against a glut of Chinese products flooding the bloc’s market, including EVs, semi-conductors and solar and wind equipment. Frictions have also been on the rise with countries including Chile, Turkey and India in recent years. Beijing has also attempted to reorient its economy toward one driven by consumption, but it’s had little success. Back in 2020, Xi advocated “dual circulation,” a catchphrase calling for a greater push on reforms to build an economy with stronger local catalysts and a pivot away from export-led growth. That vision never materialized and the term has subsequently fallen into disuse, like other popular slogans during the pandemic era such as curbing “disorderly capital.” Tasked with delivering 5% growth yet unable to either engineer a major housing stimulus or lend a strong helping hand to consumers, policymakers can only resort to increased manufacturing investments, Michael Pettis, professor of finance at Peking University and senior associate at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in a tweet on Friday. With Xi’s motto “housing is for living in, not for speculation” surfacing from time to time in policy discourse and calls for direct cash transfer to consumers falling on deaf ears, re-balancing toward a consumer-driven economy looks like a tall order. As production exceeds consumption, Pettis says “trade conflict is only likely to get worse.” That probably won’t change no matter who wins the White House in November.
Vietnamese real estate tycoon sentenced to death in fraud case - The Vietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan was sentenced to death on Thursday for her involvement in the country’s biggest financial fraud case, state media outlet Thanh Nien reported. Lan was found guilty of embezzlement, bribery and violating banking rules around lending. She was sentenced to death for the embezzlement charges and to 20 years in prison for each of the other two accusations, according to state media.Lan, who is the chairwoman of real estate development firm Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, was accused of appropriating assets from Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank by taking out unlawful loans to Van Thinh Phat and shell companies.Much of Lan’s defense was based on her lawyers arguing that she only controlled about 15% of the bank and did not have an official position in the bank, suggesting that embezzlement charges were not appropriate, local media reported.However, witnesses who held large stakes themselves told the court that they were instructed to act on Lan’s behalf. Judges therefore found that Lan holds a controlling stake of more than 90% in SCB through proxies and was the de facto owner of the bank, local media reported.The loans were reportedly worth a total of $44 billion and accounted for more than 90% of SCB’s lending between 2012 and 2022. An estimated $12.3 billion was allegedly funneled to Van Thinh Phat while other funds were used privately. Some of the over 1,000 loans had been settled by Lan, judges found, but the court said she would have to compensate the bank fully.Lan was first arrested in 2022, with allegations dating back around 10 years. Alongside Lan, more than 80 other people including central bank officials have been charged in the case for damaging SCB, state media reported.Reuters reported on Thursday that a family member confirmed that Lan would appeal the sentence.CNBC was not able to independently verify the report.The case against Lan is part of a wider crackdown on corruption that has been spearheaded by Vietnam’s ruling Communist party and has been dubbed “blazing furnace.” High-level politicians including former Vietnamese presidents have been forced to resign in connection with the campaign and hundreds of officials and businesspeople have been sentenced.
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