week ending May 25

Fed policymakers still cautious on inflation and policy (Reuters) - Federal Reserve officials are not ready to say inflation is heading to the central bank's 2% target after data last week showed a welcome easing in consumer price pressures in April, with several on Monday calling for continued policy caution."It is too early to tell whether the recent slowdown in the disinflationary process will be long lasting," Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson told the Mortgage Bankers Association conference in New York, even as he called the April data "encouraging."Jefferson described current monetary policy as restrictive and declined to say if he expected rate cuts to commence this year, only noting that he will be carefully assessing incoming economic data, the outlook, and balance of risks.Speaking separately at a conference held by the Atlanta Fed, Fed Vice Chair of Supervision Michael Barr, said "disappointing" first-quarter inflation readings were "did not provide me with the increased confidence that I was hoping to find to support easing monetary policy." Like Jefferson, Barr reinforced the Fed's overarching message that rate cuts, highly anticipated by markets, are on hold until it is clear inflation will return to the Fed's 2% target."We will need to allow our restrictive policy some further time to continue its work," Barr said.Consumer prices cooled in April, and retail spending did not increase at all, two welcome signs that the economy may be losing some steam in the face of a policy rate that the Fed has held in the 5.25%-5.5% range since last July. But Fed policymakers, stung by a string of higher-than-expected inflation readings for the three months prior, remain cautious and want to make sure pricing pressures are fully on track back to the Fed's 2% target rate before starting to cut its benchmark interest rate.Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Loretta Mester, speaking to Bloomberg TV on Monday, said she continues to believe that inflation will fall this year, though more slowly than she had expected.But the lack of progress on inflation in the first quarter, along with a stronger-than-expected economy, mean she no longer sees three rate cuts this year as likely, she said.And, she said, if inflation against her expectation does stall out or gain ground, the Fed is well-positioned to respond "either by holding rates at current levels for longer or, if appropriate, raising the rate."San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly, in an interview with Axios published Monday, said she sees no evidence of the need to hike rates, but at the same time is "not confident" that inflation is falling toward 2% and sees no urgency to cut rates.The Fed's next policy meeting is June 11-12 meeting. Traders in contracts tied to the central bank's policy rate currently do not expect an interest rate cut until September.In comments after his formal remarks, Jefferson said, "I am cautiously optimistic that we can continue our battle against inflation" while permitting the economy to continue to grow and create more jobs. He noted growth and job creation have been resilient, which gives him some confidence the Fed can do what it needs to do to get price pressures down.Jefferson also weighed in the state of the Fed's balance sheet drawdown and noted the recently announced plans to slow the pace of the shrinkage comes allows the process to play out with reduced risk of creating financial market stress. He also noted there's little way to know yet how far the Fed needs to contract its holdings.

FOMC Minutes: "Recent increases in inflation had been relatively broad based" From the Fed: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, April 30–May 1, 2024. Excerpt: Participants observed that while inflation had eased over the past year, in recent months there had been a lack of further progress toward the Committee's 2 percent objective. The recent monthly data had showed significant increases in components of both goods and services price inflation. In particular, inflation for core services excluding housing had moved up in the first quarter compared with the fourth quarter of last year, and prices of core goods posted their first three-month increase in several months. In addition, housing services inflation had slowed less than had been anticipated based on the smaller increases in measures of market rents over the past year. A few participants remarked that unusually large seasonal patterns could have contributed to January's large increase in PCE inflation, and several participants noted that some components that typically display volatile price changes had boosted recent readings. However, some participants emphasized that the recent increases in inflation had been relatively broad based and therefore should not be overly discounted. Participants generally commented that they remained highly attentive to inflation risks. They also remained concerned that elevated inflation continued to harm the purchasing power of households, especially those least able to meet the higher costs of essentials like food, housing, and transportation. Participants noted that they continued to expect that inflation would return to 2 percent over the medium term. However, recent data had not increased their confidence in progress toward 2 percent and, accordingly, had suggested that the disinflation process would likely take longer than previously thought.

'Hawkish' FOMC Minutes Show 'Various' Members Willing To Tighten More, Fear Financial Conditions 'Too Easy' - Since the last FOMC statement on May 1st, bonds, stocks, and gold have rallied strongly while crude prices have declined with a small drop in the dollar... Graphics Source: Bloomberg Rate-cut expectations have dovishly increased (but are well off the post-CPI spike highs).. With US Macro data serially surprising to the downside (with both 'hard' and 'soft' data deteriorating rapidly with CPI and Retail Sales printing after the last meeting)... Growth-based macro factors have weakened considerably since the last FOMC meeting while inflation-related factors have increased. So, with stagflationary signals abounding, what will The Fed want us to read into the Minutes today...Expectations were for confirmation that rate-hikes are off the table... The Fed still expects growth without inflation... the Fed remains focused on shelter inflation... Headlines from the Minutes include:

• On Rate-Hikes: Various participants mentioned a willingness to tighten policy further should risks to inflation materialize in a way that such an action became appropriate.
• On Financial Conditions: A number of participants noted uncertainty regarding the degree of restrictiveness of current financial conditions and the associated risk that such conditions were insufficiently restrictive on aggregate demand and inflation. Although monetary policy was seen as restrictive, many participants commented on their uncertainty about the degree of restrictiveness. Who can blame them for worrying...(graph)
• On Growth upside and downside: Several participants commented that increased efficiencies and technological innovations could raise productivity growth on a sustained basis, which might allow the economy to grow faster without raising inflation.Participants also noted downside risks to economic activity, including slowing economic growth in China, a deterioration in conditions in domestic CRE markets, or a sharp tightening in financial conditions
• On disinflation: Participants suggested that the disinflation process would likely take longer than previously thought.
• On tapering QT: Almost all participants supported decision to begin to slow pace of decline of central bank's securities holdings; a few could have supported continuation of current pace.
• On financial stability: Participants who commented noted vulnerabilities to the financial system that they assessed warranted monitoring. On balance, the staff continued to characterize the system's financial vulnerabilities as notable but raised the assessment of vulnerabilities in asset valuations to elevated, as valuations across a range of markets appeared high relative to risk-adjusted cash flows.
• Read the full Minutes below:

Dimon says hard landing still possible -Jamie Dimon, chair and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, said a hard landing is still possible for the United States economy.In an interview at the JPMorgan Global China Summit in Shanghai, Dimon was asked by CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah about the possibility of an economic hard landing and said “of course” the U.S. could see one, “how could anyone … who reads history say there’s no chance?”He said the worst outcome for the U.S. economy would be a “stagflation” scenario, where inflation still rises, but growth slows due to high unemployment.“I look at the range of outcomes and again, the worst outcome for all of us is what you call stagflation, higher rates, recession. That means corporate profits will go down and we’ll get through all of that,” Dimon said. “I mean, the world has survived that, but I just think the odds have been higher than other people think.”Dimon pointed to Americans’ weary attitudes about inflation. He said that even if the country were to go into a recession, most people would be “in pretty good shape.”“However, their confidence levels are low. And that seems to be mostly because of inflation … So, they seem to be okay,” he said, noting that relief money from the COVID-19 pandemic may have helped.“That does not mean that you won’t have issues next year,” he admitted. “It just means like right now, it looks pretty good.”In January, the International Monetary Fund upgraded its outlook for the world economy and said it is likely to escape a hard landing, noting resilient economic growth and slowing inflation since the pandemic.

What Happened to "Paying off the National Debt"? - We are seeing scary articles about the debt again. It is worth remembering that at the turn of the millennium, the concern was that the US was paying off the debt too quickly! Here are a few excerpts from a speech by then Fed Chair Alan Greenspan in April 2001: The paydown of federal debt "Today I want to address a subject in which your group and the Federal Reserve share a keen interest--the paydown of the federal debt and its implications for the economy and financial markets. While the magnitudes of future federal unified budget surpluses are uncertain, they are highly likely to remain sizable for some time. ... [C]urrent forecasts suggest that under a reasonably wide variety of possible tax and spending policies, the resulting surpluses will allow the Treasury debt held by the public to be paid off. Moreover, well before the debt is eliminated--indeed, possibly within a relatively few years--it may become difficult to further reduce outstanding debt to the public because the remaining obligations will mostly consist of savings bonds, well-entrenched holdings of long-term marketable debt, and perhaps other types of debt that could prove difficult to reduce." What went wrong over the last 20+ years? Here is a list of events and policy choices that significantly increased the debt after 2000:
1) The 2000 projections were overly optimistic.
2) The 2001 recession.
3) The 2001 and 2003 Bush Tax Cuts.
4) 9/11, Homeland Security Spending and the War in Afghanistan
5) The War in Iraq
6) The Finacial Crisis and Great Recession
7) The Trump Tax Cuts
8) The Pandemic.
Here is a brief discussion ... (books have been written on each of these topics):

• 1) Overly Optimistic Projections: Here are the CBO projections from July 2000: The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update
  The CBO projections showed an almost $6 Trillion in debt reduction in the 2001 through 2010 period.
  I argued in 2000 that these projections ignored possible negative events such as an investment led recession due to the bursting of stock bubble. These projections were clearly overly optimistic.
• 2) The 2001 Recession: Although Greenspan mentioned "the current slowdown in economic activity" in his April 2001 speech, he didn't realize the economy was already in a recession. From the May 2000 FOMC minutes: "The information reviewed at this meeting suggested that economic growth had remained rapid through early spring."The economy was already in a recession!
• 3) Bush Tax Cuts: These tax cuts were sold as slowing the growth of the surpluses (using Greenspan's speech for cover)! Instead, the tax cuts (mostly for the wealthy) turned the surpluses into deficits and reduced revenue by $1.5 trillion or more over the 2001 - 2010 period.
• 4) 9/11, Homeland Security Spending and the War in Afghanistan: The 9/11/2001 attacks led to a sharp increase in homeland security spending and the War in Afghanistan.
• 5) The War in Iraq: The Bush administration argued the war would cost around $80 billion. VP Dick Cheney said on Meet the Press: "every analysis said this war itself would cost about $80 billion". Instead, the war cost well over $1 trillion (and countless lives were lost). Note: Years ago, I mentioned on this blog that "I opposed the Iraq war and was shouted down and called names like "Saddam lover" for questioning the veracity of the information."
• 6) The Financial Crisis and Great Recession. This was the worst US recession since the Great Depression. This led to the first $1 trillion annual budget deficit in US history and dramatically increased the national debt. The causes of the bubble were rapid changes in the mortgage lending industry, rating agencies that didn't account for those changes, combined with a lack of regulatory oversight. I was talking with field regulators in 2005 and 2006, and they were all terrified. I was told the appointees at the top of the agencies were blocking any effort to tighten standards. There were various Inspector General reports that the Fed and FDIC field examiners were expressing significant concerns in 2003 and 2004, but Greenspan was blocking all efforts to tighten standards - and the Bush Administration was loosening bank regulations!
• 7) The Trump Tax Cuts: These tax cuts - mostly for the wealthy - were sold with several promises - all failed. See: The Failed Promises of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). A couple of quotes: “Not only will this tax plan pay for itself, but it will pay down debt,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Sept 2017 “I think this tax bill is going to reduce the size of our deficits going forward,” Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), November 2017Complete nonsense.
• 8) The Pandemic: Deficit spending increased sharply due to the pandemic. Here is a graph of the actual annual deficits since 2000. Note: This is not adjusted for the growth of the economy.

So, what happened to "paying off the debt"? A series of adverse events (9/11, pandemic), and poor policy choices. Note that all the "poor policy choices" were by Republicans including tax cuts, the Iraq War, and failure to properly regulate prior to the great recession. We cannot always avoid adverse events like 9/11 and the pandemic, but I opposed each of these poor policy choices as they happened - so these are clearly avoidable.Those scary stories? They seem to ignore history.

Mr. Biden, Tear Down This Debt Ceiling! - One of the major themes of the upcoming tax fight is how crammed the time frame is. Between now and the end of 2025, when a number of the Trump tax cuts expire, we have the budget for the next fiscal year (which has only started to get off the ground), the expiration of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the start of a new Congress, the end of the debt ceiling’s suspension, and whatever threshold policies the next president wants to put forward. And by the time things have started settling down, it’ll be time to get going on the next budget for FY2026.Of those many hurdles, the debt ceiling unfreeze this coming January looms larger than the lack of public attention would suggest. The debt ceiling—an arbitrary and arguably unconstitutional cap on the federal government’s ability to borrow—derailed President Biden’s budget proposal wholesale in 2023. If Biden prevails in November, only to have his agenda dashed to pieces on the rocks of one of the worst budgeting self-restrictions in the world again, that could set the tone for a very bitter second term.Naturally, this could be moot depending on electoral outcomes, and some may believe that worrying about the debt ceiling rather than the rise of fascism is missing the forest for the trees. But predicting how people will vote in November is immaterial to the fact that, if Biden prevails, progressives need to get ready for this fight. (For what it’s worth, we think President Biden has an opportunity to pull the election out if he leans into cracking down on corporations and publicly fighting unpopular enemies.)In 2023, there were many proposals about how to deal with the debt ceiling. The trillion-dollar platinum coin was very popular on social media. The past iteration of the fight saw the 14th Amendment gain popularity as a counter to Republicans’ growing reliance on “fiscal obstructionism” by casting doubt on its legality. Since the debt ceiling conflicts with more recently passed appropriations, there’s a colorable argument that the president is duty-bound to ignore it and follow the more recent and explicit legislative direction (this is due to the principle of repeal by implication, which courts are averse to, but which becomes necessary in the case of direct substantive conflicts and no explicit description of the interaction in the newer legislation). There’s also the Dorf-Buchanan line of argument that a de facto line-item veto by the president of some but not all spending is obviously unconstitutional and at odds with explicit Supreme Court precedent.In other words, there was a lively discussion around ways to avoid bumping the government’s head on the ceiling by just refusing to walk into the room in the first place.But then, despite growing dissatisfaction with acquiescence to the norm that the debt ceiling was some sort of coherent constitutional mandate rather than an incoherent statutory oddity of dubious real-world applicability, Biden struck a deal with Kevin McCarthy, and the whole discourse fizzled out. While it will undoubtedly rise to the surface again as January draws nearer, we can’t afford to wait. Progressives and Democrats need to be talking about this now, preparing to write briefs to support a position where the president declines to enforce the debt ceiling, leveraging connections in the administration to get the thoughts percolating in the minds of people the White House listens to, and, most importantly, not accepting the battleground that Republicans are waiting to fight on.

Rep. Elise Stefanik Slams Biden in Speech at Israeli Knesset - Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) delivered a speech at the Israeli Knesset on Sunday where she slammed President Biden and called for unconditional military support for Israel to support the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.Stefanik and other Republicans have been furious with President Biden for putting a pause on one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs and threatening to withhold heavy weapons if Israel launched a major attack on “population centers” in Rafah, although he hasn’t taken any action as Israel continues to escalate in the city.“I have been clear at home and I will be clear here: There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel — aid that was duly passed by the Congress — or to ease sanctions on Iran, paying a $6 billion ransom to the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, or to dither and hide while our friends fight for their lives,” Stefaniktold the Knesset’s Caucus for Jewish and Pro-Israel Students on Campuses Around the World.She was referencing a prisoner swap deal the US made with Iran before October 7, under which Tehran was granted access to $6 billion of its own frozen funds that were transferred from South Korea to Qatar. Republicans claim that President Biden gave $6 billion to Iran, but it’s unclear if Tehran ever had access as the US and Qatar agreed to freeze them again in October 2023, not long after the deal was made.Stefanik declared that the US should provide Israel with “what it needs, when it needs it, without conditions to achieve total victory in the face of evil.” Despite the Republican outrage at President Biden, his administration has promised that Israel will get every penny of the $17 billion in new military aid that was recently authorized by Congress. Stefanik praised former President Donald Trump for his “historic support for Israeli independence and security.” Trump has een running on an extremely pro-Israel platform and claimed President Biden “abandoned” the country by issuing a warning about Rafah.Stefanik also slammed American college students who are protesting the Israeli slaughter in Gaza, as she has been leading the charge in Congress in making accusations of antisemitism despite the fact that many Jewish students are participating in the protests. “I led the charge to expose this moral rot of antisemitism infecting our supposed most elite higher education institutions,” she said.

Biden rejects allegations of genocide against Israel in Gaza --President Biden said what is happening in Gaza is not genocide and reiterated his support for Israel as he hosted a White House celebration for Jewish American Heritage month Monday. Biden addressed dozens of guests gathered in the Rose Garden, where he rejected claims that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza, criticized an International Criminal Court request for a warrant against Israeli leaders for war crimes and pledged support for Israel in its war against Hamas. “I know today’s reception falls on hard times. The trauma of Oct. 7 and its aftermath … is still fresh and ongoing for many of you,” Biden said, referencing the Hamas attacks last year that killed more than 1,000 Israelis. “Let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what’s happening is not genocide. We reject that,” he added. “And we’ll always stand with Israel in the threats against its security.” Other Biden officials have in recent weeks similarly rejected the suggestion that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left scores without access to adequate food, water and medicine, is genocide. Among the guests at Monday’s reception were Attorney General Merrick Garland, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). Biden also recognized the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American who is being held hostage by Hamas. The president has tried to walk a careful line with his approach to Israel in recent weeks, defending its right to respond to Hamas and repeatedly condemning antisemitism in the wake of the attack. But, at the same time, he is also calling for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza and urging the country to do more to protect civilians.The president also condemned instances of antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere, which have sharply risen in the months since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. “In America, we respect and protect fundamental rights of free speech to protest peacefully. That’s America,” Biden said. “But there’s no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind against Jews or anyone else.”

US lashes out after Israeli officials targeted with arrest warrants -- U.S. officials went on the offensive Monday after the International Criminal Court (ICC) filed arrest warrants against two top Israeli leaders over the war in Gaza, a move that Congress and the White House slammed for equating Israel’s conduct with the Palestinian militant group’s Oct. 7 attack. President Biden and moderate Democrats united with Republicans in Congress to criticize the ICC shortly after the Monday notice that arrest warrants had been filed for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with three top Hamas officials. They argued the ICC has no jurisdiction in the case and was undermining its own credibility, while House Republican leaders threatened to sanction the court over the warrants. Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the ICC inserted a “false moral equivalency” for issuing arrest warrants targeting both Hamas and Israel. “Today’s ICC decision is absurd. The ICC, like the rest of the international community, continues to be obsessed with targeting Israel during its time of need,” Risch said in a statement. “Today’s actions have hurt the credibility of the court and seriously harmed legitimate accountability efforts where true war crimes are occurring, like Ukraine, Syria, and across Africa.” The White House also criticized the ICC for the arrest warrants, with Biden calling it “outrageous” in a statement and denouncing the equivalence of Hamas and Israel. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told reporters that while there have been too many casualties in Gaza, the Israeli military is not intentionally targeting civilians. “[Israeli] soldiers are not waking up in the morning putting their boots on the ground with direct orders to go kill innocent civilians in Gaza,” he said.

Blinken Says He Wants To Work With Congress To Punish the ICC - Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said he wanted to work with Congress on legislation to punish the International Criminal Court (ICC) for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.Blinken was asked by Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing if he would support legislation to counter “the ICC sticking its nose in the business of countries that have an independent, legitimate democratic judicial system.”Blinken replied, “Given the events of yesterday, I think we have to look at the appropriate steps to take to deal with again, what is a profoundly wrongheaded decision.”The ICC was previously sanctioned by the US under the Trump administration for its plans to investigate alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan. The Biden administration reversed the sanctions, but the US pressure worked to get the court to announce the focus of its Afghanistan investigation would be on the Taliban and ISIS-K.The ICC’s chief prosecutor announced warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on Monday for their role in the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, which implicates Blinken and other top US officials for supporting the onslaught. The ICC is also seeking warrants for Hamas leaders for the October 7 attack on southern Israel and the taking of hostages.The State Department has said it would rather Israel kill Hamas leadersthan have them face trial in The Hague. “We absolutely believe that Hamas should be held accountable. That could either be through the prosecution of the war effort by Israel. It could be by being killed. It could be by being brought to justice in an Israeli court,” said State Department spokesman Matt Miller.

Sanders: ICC ‘right’ to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israeli defense official - Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) on Monday defended the International Criminal Court (ICC) for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant along with senior Hamas officials, breaking with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the controversial issue. “The ICC prosecutor is right to take these actions. These arrest warrants may or may not be carried out, but it is imperative that the global community uphold international law,” Sanders said in a statement. “Without these standards of decency and morality, this planet may rapidly descend into anarchy, never-ending wars, and barbarism.” Sanders argued that Netanyahu’s regime has “waged an unprecedented war of destruction against the entire Palestinian people, which has killed or injured over 5 percent of the population.” He issued his statement at around the same time that Schumer denounced the ICC for seeking warrants to arrest Netanyahu, Gallant and three senior Hamas officials. “The ICC prosecutor’s decision seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders alongside Hamas terrorists is not only profoundly unfair, but it is reprehensible,” Schumer said. But the Democratic leader said the decision comes as “no surprise” because “for decades and decades the ICC has shown it harbors deep biases against Israel.” “This decision suggesting equivalency between Israel and Hamas is another example of that bias against Israel,” he said.

Gallant Tells Sullivan Israel Will Escalate Military Operations in Rafah - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made clear to US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a meeting in Israel on Monday that Israel will escalate in Rafah despite the White House’s supposed objection to a major military operation in the city.“We are committed to broadening the ground operation in Rafah to the end of dismantling Hamas and recovering the hostages,” Gallant told Sullivan, according to a statement from the Israeli minister’s office.President Biden has threatened consequences for Israel if it launched a major attack on “population centers” in Rafah, but he has not taken action as Israel continues to escalate its operations in the city.The UN estimates that over 800,000 civilians out of the 1.4 million who were sheltering in Rafah have already evacuated, and aid groups are warning that the places they are going lack water supplies and other basic necessities.The US claimed it was opposed to an Israeli plan to attack the city without accounting for the civilians but has continued to back Israel as it’s ordered evacuations with no clear place for civilians to go.The White House said in a statement that Sullivan reiterated to Gallant and Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi the president’s “longstanding position on Rafah.” He also expressed to them and other Israeli officials the US’s “unwavering support for Israel.”

No Gaza aid delivered through US pier has been distributed to Palestinians, Pentagon says - None of the aid that has passed through the pier built by the United States in Gaza has been distributed to Palestinians yet, the Pentagon said Tuesday. According to Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, 569 metric tons of aid from many countries had made it across the temporary pier and there is “more aid on the way.” Ryder said the aid is in Gaza for humanitarian partners to distribute. President Biden announced the floating pier in his State of the Union address in March. It was completed recently, and the military said the first aid shipment was driven across the pier last Friday, ramping up the United States’ response to the conflict. On Saturday, reports of hungry crowds looking for World Food Program trucks transporting aid that came through the pier prompted the organization to stop its deliveries Sunday and Monday, the Associated Press reported. The agency warned that the pier, which cost $320 million, may fail unless Israel starts ensuring the conditions the humanitarian groups need to operate safely.During the press briefing Tuesday, Ryder said moving forward the “safety and security” of the humanitarian aid organization workers is “going to continue to be critical, and we’ll continue to work closely with the international community on that front.”“Ultimately, the goal of course, is to get this … humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people who need it most,” he added.Ryder confirmed that delivery movements have resumed as of Tuesday and the Pentagon anticipates that aid will be distributed to Palestinians in “the coming days here, of course conditions permitting.”

Nearly 70% Of Gaza Aid From US-Built Pier Stolen - Close to three-fourths of the humanitarian aid transported from a new $320 million floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast was stolen on Saturday en route to a U.N. warehouse, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Eleven trucks "were cleaned out by Palestinians" on the journey to the World Food Programme warehouse in Deir El Balah in the central Strip, with only five truckloads making it to the destination."They've not seen trucks for a while," a U.N. official told Reuters."They just basically mounted on the trucks and helped themselves to some of the food parcels."According to the United Nations, no aid was delivered to the warehouse from the U.S. military's pier on Sunday and Monday.The United Nations said that 10 truckloads of food aid from the pier arrived at the warehouse on Friday, its first day of operation. It was transported by U.N. contractors."We need to make sure that the necessary security and logistical arrangements are in place before we proceed," said the U.N. official.According to Israeli estimates, Hamas has been stealing up to 60% of the aid entering the Gaza Strip, and a Channel 12 report last week revealed that the terrorist organization has made at least $500 million in profit off humanitarian aid since the start of the war on Oct. 7.The pier was pre-assembled at the Israeli port of Ashdod before being anchored to a beach in the coastal enclave on Thursday.No American troops went ashore during the installation of the pier, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Some 1,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors helped build the floating pier.

More than 1 million pounds of aid has reached Palestinians in Gaza through coastal pier More than 1 million pounds of aid has reached the people of Gaza through a new U.S. military pier, but incoming assistance across the besieged coastal territory remains far below levels that responders want to see. American troops have helped deliver 1.2 million pounds of aid to Gaza as of Thursday, according to Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. Cooper told reporters the military has brought 820 metric tons of aid through the pier to the shore since it was brought online Friday, with 106 metric tons delivered to Palestinians in Gaza. “We’re currently in a warm start period,” he added, noting there are thousands of tons of aid in the pipeline. “Efforts are underway to scale up in the coming days.” But the amount of aid entering across Gaza has plunged in recent weeks. The United Nations warned earlier this week it would have to halt food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Israeli troops are conducting limited operations against Palestinian militant group Hamas. After taking the Rafah corridor, Israel now controls all of the land crossings into Gaza, and human rights groups have accused Israeli forces of impeding access into the strip. Dan Dieckhaus, response director at the United States Agency for International Development, said only 70 trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday. But Diekchaus said the maritime pier has proved vital, with 27 of those trucks coming through that corridor Wednesday. “In addition to the maritime quarter, every land crossing needs to be open and operate at maximum capacity and efficiency,” he told reporters. “Every moment that a crossing is not open … is a terrible human cost in this conflict.”

Report: Biden Won't Oppose Israel's Plans for Rafah Escalation - Israeli officials have agreed on a more “limited” operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that won’t be opposed by President Biden,Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported on Monday. Ignatius said Israeli officials have reached a “consensus” about a “final assault” against four Hamas battalions Israel believes remain in Rafah.Ignatius wrote: “Instead of the heavy attack with two divisions that Israel contemplated several weeks ago, government and military leaders foresee a more limited assault that US officials think will result in fewer civilian casualties and, for that reason, Biden won’t oppose.”Despite issuing a warning to Israel about its plans for Rafah, Biden has not imposed any consequences as the Israeli military has continued to escalate in the city, and he backed the Israeli capture of the Rafah border crossing, which has halted aid distribution in the city.US officials claimed to oppose an Israeli assault on the city without a clear plan for an evacuation of the 1.4 million civilians who were sheltering there. But Israel never submitted a plan to the US and went ahead with the invasion anyway. Now, over 800,000 civilians have fled Rafah with no clear place for them to go that’s safe or have basic necessities, such as water supplies.Israel has made clear to the US that it will continue t o escalate in Rafah. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday that Israel is “committed to broadening the ground operation in Rafah to the end of dismantling Hamas and recovering the hostages.”

With de facto endorsement from Biden, Israel broadens Rafah onslaught --Israel’s attack on Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, has now displaced nearly 1 million people and massively intensified famine throughout the entire territory. This assault is taking place with the effective endorsement of the Biden administration, despite Biden’s earlier public declarations that a full-scale attack on Rafah would be a “red line” for the White House.On Tuesday, an unnamed senior Biden administration official told reporters, “It’s fair to say that the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed,” giving the administration’s stamp of approval for the widening attack on the city.On Thursday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Israel had not carried out “major maneuvers into dense urban areas.” He added, “What we have seen so far has not been that.”This is an absurd falsehood. Israel has been bombing Rafah non-stop and is pushing armored columns deep into the city, leading to the total suspension of humanitarian operations amid widespread hunger and starvation.As a result of the offensive, only 150 trucks of food have entered Gaza since May 6. “We’re going back to levels of aid that we were getting in October when the war first started,” said Sam Rose, planning director for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.On Monday Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a meeting that Israel intends to broaden its offensive into the city. “We are committed to broadening the ground operation in Rafah to the end of dismantling Hamas and recovering the hostages,” Gallant said. Sullivan posed for a photo shaking the hand of black-shirted Gallant on the day that the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) lead prosecutor brought charges against him.In a column published the same day, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius said that US and Israeli officials had reached an agreement over the plans to attack Rafah. Ignatius wrote, “Israeli leaders have reached a consensus about a final assault on Hamas’s four remaining battalions in Rafah,” in a move that “Biden won’t oppose.”The Times of Israel wrote:[T]he Biden administration appeared to signal its initial approval of the operation launched by Israel early Tuesday morning to take over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.It added, “Spokespeople for the administration said the goals of the operation were legitimate.”In response to the ICC’s charges against Netanyahu, the Biden administration has effectively dropped its earlier token criticisms of the Israeli government, with Biden declaring Tuesday:It is clear that Israel wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection. Contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what’s happening is not genocide.The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate amid ongoing mass starvation imposed by the Israeli blockade.

Joe Biden's Israel approval gets lowest mark yet in new poll - The approval rating for President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war has dropped to its lowest point in a new poll, as the fighting continues in Gaza. The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found Biden with a 36 percent job approval rating on the conflict, down from 39 percent last month and 44 percent back in October, when the question was first posed. “Biden’s ratings have weakened each month in the Israel-Hamas conflict as Biden has shifted his positions and most see his shift as political. Support for Israel remains unchanged,” said Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll. Just over half of respondents, or 53 percent, think Biden’s policy on Israel is being directed in part by “perceived domestic politics” and not merely what’s best for the national interest in a secure Israel. Three-quarters of respondents said Israel should move forward “with an operation in Rafah to finish the war with Hamas, doing its best to avoid casualties even though there will be casualties.” A quarter picked the other option — that Israel should “back off now and allow Hamas to continue running Gaza.” Biden said earlier this month that he will not provide offensive weapons to Israel if it moves forward with a major military operation in Rafah, but 57 percent in the poll said Biden should continue to provide Israel with weapons even if it does so. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that moving into Rafah will aid in getting at Hamas leaders.

Biden risks losing Black voters over Gaza -- Signs are emerging that President Biden may lose the support of Black voters come November over his support for Israel over the war with Hamas in Gaza. A March poll by In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda with PerryUndem, found that 24 percent of Black voters identified the Israel-Hamas war as “extremely important” ahead of the election. One in 6 Black voters in the poll said they’ve considered not voting as a form of protest — with “protecting Palestine” as one of their top reasons. The poll followed calls in February from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest religious and civic institutions for Black Americans, for an end to all financial aid to Israel. Quintin Cross, senior policy adviser at the New York-based racial justice organization Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition, said many Black Americans identify closely with the struggle of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. “This is the subtle life we live with every day,” Cross said. “Whether it’s police violence, government attack or just a general disregard for Black lives, we can relate.” If Black voters stay home, it could hurt not only Biden but Democrats up and down the ballot as the party vies for control of Congress. Concerns are especially high among young voters, many of whom were already disappointed in the administration. A March survey from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found Black Americans are increasingly concerned about the humanitarian crisis of the war. According to the report, 45 percent of Black Americans report feeling connected to the Palestinian plight, while 59 percent said U.S. military aid to Israel should be conditional in order to ensure that American weapons are used for “legitimate self-defense” and in a way that is “consistent with human rights standards.” The Carnegie survey found that people under 30 years old were more likely to report feeling worse about Biden since Oct. 7.

It's Not Unusual That We're Being Lied To, It's Unusual That People Are Noticing - by Caitlin Johnstone - It’s important to understand that there’s nothing unusual about the western empire’s depravity in Gaza or the mass media’s constant lies and distortions about it — they do these things constantly, year after year. What’s unusual is that people are waking up to it. I can’t stop marveling at how Israel apologists keep trying to convince young people that it’s those who are opposing a genocide who need to worry about their future employment prospects. No bitch, the future is coming for YOU. The Wall Street Journal editorial board has penned a furiously biased screed condemning the International Criminal Court’s application for arrest warrants of Israeli officials for war crimes, claiming that “the ICC has lost sight of the crucial distinction between the death squad and the bomber pilot.” The premise of this line being that an IDF pilot who kills people with bombs is noble and righteous in comparison to Hamas.One of the most demented things about western civilization is its completely unquestioned mass delusion that killing people with military explosives dropped from the sky is more moral and righteous than killing people with bullets or blades.On the pro-Israel side you’ve got the entire military-industrial complex, all professional warmongers, all mainstream media and the entire DC swamp, while on the pro-Palestine side you’ve got kids who want a healthy future and Palestinians who don’t want to be killed anymore. Clearly this is a complicated and nuanced issue, with very fine people on both sides.A lot of right wingers genuinely adore Israel and think it’s wonderful to exterminate Palestinians, but you can tell many others don’t know much about the issue and are only jumping on the anti-protester bandwagon because the protesters are leftists. Many in the MAGA crowd even think of themselves as antiwar and anti-neocon, but here they are supporting an act of mass military slaughter that’s endorsed by every neocon swamp monster and professional warmonger in Washington solely because doing so puts them on the opposite side of the lefties.This says so much about how mindless and unprincipled these people are, and how completely empty of meaning their purported values system actually is. If you can be led to support the worst thing in the world alongside all the evil swamp creatures you claim to despise just because the people opposing it are on the left, you can be led to support literally anything.It also says so much about how stupid and shallow mainstream political discourse has become that so many mainstream partisans support or oppose things not based on how good or bad they are from their particular ideological perspective, but based solely upon what the other side supports or opposes. That binary-minded relationship with the world is such a brainless, amoeba-like, stimulus-response way of moving through life. And it’s millions upon millions of people.House GOP Bill Would Give Benefits To Americans in the Israeli Military - A bill introduced in the House by Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Max Miller (R-OH) would extend certain benefits for Americans serving in the US military to American citizens in the Israeli military.The legislation, introduced on May 17, would give Americans in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).The SCRA protects US service members from civil legal action while they’re on active duty and for up to a year after. The USERRA protects the civilian employment of active and reserve military personnel when they’re called to active duty.“Over 20,000 American citizens are currently defending Israel from Hamas terrorists, risking their lives for the betterment of our ally,” Reschenthaler said in a statement on the legislation.The Washington Post reported in February that an estimated 23,380 American citizens are serving in the Israeli military. Many are dual citizens who were already living in Israel, but as of November 2023, about 10,000 people living in the US had traveled to Israel to report for duty with the IDF after receiving draft notices. According toResponsible Statecraft, 21 American citizens serving in the IDF have been killed in Gaza, and one was killed in northern Israel near the Lebanon border.It’s unclear what the chances are for Reschenthaler’s bill to pass Congress and become law, but there is strong support for the Israeli military among House Republicans. For example, Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) is an IDF veteran who recently wore his Israeli uniform on Capitol Hill, and he did not receive any backlash from his colleagues for showing up to work in the House wearing the uniform of a foreign military.

As student protests over Gaza spread, US House Committee demands further crackdown --Some 500 students walked out of the commencement ceremony at Harvard University Thursday, taking up chants of “Free Palestine” and “Let them walk!” This referred to 13 students who were barred from graduation with their class by a vote of the top governing body at the college, the Harvard Corporation. The 13 students were victimized for their actions as part of the protests against the Gaza genocide and Harvard’s continuing ties with the state of Israel and the US war machine. While the university administration did not make public their supposed offenses, one press account said that some of them were involved in cutting a gate lock, a trivial case of property damage. The administration withheld their degrees despite an overwhelming vote by the faculty senate opposing this action and a petition signed by 500 faculty members and 1,500 students. Interim President Alan Garber was loudly booed as he opened the commencement, and he conceded that “some among us may choose to take the liberty of expressing themselves to draw attention to events unfolding in the wider world.” The signal for the walkout was given by one of the three student speakers at the commencement, Shruthi Kumar, who deviated from the text of her address to pull a prepared statement out of the sleeves of her gown and read it. Kumar attacked the administration for its treatment of the anti-genocide protests, saying, “This semester our freedom of speech and our expressions of solidarity became punishable,” as students erupted in applause. She said she wanted to honor “the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 who will not graduate today,” adding, “I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus … this is about civil rights and upholding democratic principles.” Referring to the widespread support for the victimized students, she continued, “The students had spoken. The faculty had spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?” She then said she was walking in support of those denied their degrees. “These are my peers and friends, and I can’t in good conscience celebrate when their families are in pain,” she said. “This is beyond politics—it’s about civil rights and civil disobedience. We’re not intending to be disruptive or violent. But it’s making a statement, as a community, as the class of 2024.” Some of the same democratic sentiments were voiced by the main commencement speaker, Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her exposures of corruption and state killings under the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte. “The campus protests are testing everyone in America,” Ressa said. “Protests give voice; they shouldn’t be silenced.” She also noted that she herself had been falsely accused of antisemitism for her opposition to the Gaza genocide, saying she had been “called antisemitic by power and money because they want power and money.”

Republican congresswoman Stefanik calls for “crushing” protests against Gaza genocide -- Representative Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican, as chair of the Republican Conference, spoke before a committee of the Israeli Knesset Sunday to deliver a strident defense of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. She condemned the Biden administration for its token gestures of restraining the Netanyahu government, including withholding some 2,000-pound bombs which can level an entire city block. Stefanik addressed her remarks to what the Wall Street Journal described as “a handful of lawmakers in the Israeli Parliament’s Caucus for Jewish and Pro-Israel Students on Campuses Around the World.” She presented herself as a front-line defender of Jewish students in the United States, whom she claimed were under constant attack on the campuses. She glorified her own performance as the witch-hunter in chief at several recent hearings of the House Education Committee, where Democrats and Republicans grilled university presidents from Harvard, MIT, Penn and other colleges, as well as a panel of K-12 school system superintendents. They denounced the educators for insufficient efforts to suppress protests against the Gaza genocide, helping spark the current wave of heavy-handed repression, including suspensions, expulsions, and the arrest of more than 3,000 students and supporters. While declaring her support for “wiping those responsible for October 7th off the face of the earth,” she made clear in her remarks that she was really talking about all Palestinians, and perhaps even all Arabs. She denounced “the many times forces of evil have tried to destroy Israel and the Jewish people,” citing “the 1948 Israeli-Arab war, the Fedayeen raids of the 1950s and 60s, in the ’67 war, the ’73 war, the successive wars against Hamas in Gaza, and again, on that dark day, October 7th, 2023.” In order words, all armed resistance to the state of Israel is criminal and those involved should be treated as terrorists and murderers! She contrasted the mass mobilization of Israeli youth into the military—based on compulsory service—with what she called “the pro-Hamas apologists” on US college campuses protesting “in a paroxysm of blood lust” and calling for the destruction of Israel. Denouncing the Biden administration, saying there was no excuse for a policy of “dither and hide,” she called instead for “crushing antisemitism at home, and supplying the State of Israel with what it needs, when it needs it, without conditions, to achieve total victory in the face of evil.” Stefanik’s trip to Jerusalem follows last Thursday’s vote in the House for the Israel Security Act, a purely symbolic bill to countermand Biden’s holding up delivery of the largest bombs to Israel. Sixteen Democrats joined a near-unanimous Republican caucus to pass the bill, which is unlikely to be taken up by the Senate and would certainly not survive a Biden veto. The trip was not only an effort to promote the lying claim that the Republican Party—infested with white supremacists and neo-Nazis—is an adamant opponent of antisemitism. It was also aimed at elevating Stefanik in the eyes of the fascist ex-president Donald Trump, who has put her on the short-list for potential vice-presidential running mate this year. While Stefanik began her fascistic diatribe by claiming to be “a lifelong admirer, supporter, and true friend of Israel and the Jewish people,” her own political record is nothing like that. Two years ago she came under attack from the Anti-Defamation League for echoing the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory, which claims that wealthy Jews are engineering and financing mass migration to the United States from Asia, Africa and Latin America to replace the white American population. This followed the mass shooting at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket by 18-year-old Payton Gendron, who was a reader of the fascist Daily Stormer web site and an admirer of such fascist mass killers as Brenton Tarrant, who murdered more than 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand. Gendron issued a 180-page manifesto on the subject of racist hatred of African Americans and the Great Replacement Theory before heading to Buffalo to carry out the slaughter.

Houthis Say They Downed 4th US MQ-9 Reaper Drone - The Houthis said Friday that Yemeni forces downed another US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen and published footage of air defenses hitting the US aircraft.The US military hasn’t confirmed that it lost an MQ-9 over Yemen and did not respond to a request to comment about the Houthi claim when asked by AP. But video emerged of what appears to be the wreckage of a US MQ-9 in Yemen, and the Houthis have successfully targeted the drones before.The incident would mark the fourth time the Houthis shot down a US MQ-9 since November 2023. Each MQ-9 is estimated to be worth about $30 million, bringing the total costs for the US military in lost MQ-9 drones to about $120 million.The US has also spent over $1 billion in munitions used to bomb Yemen and other operations in the Middle East that started due to Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.The US bombing campaign against the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, has done nothing to deter the group. US Central Command said that a Houthi missile hit a Greek-owned tanker early Saturday morning, although the Yemeni group hasn’t taken credit for the attack.The US was bombing Yemen on a near-daily basis from January 12 until about mid-March, when US and British strikes on the country declined. According to the Yemen Data Project, April marked the least intense month of bombings since they started in January.The Houthis have been clear that they would only stop attacks on Israel-linked shipping if there were a ceasefire in Gaza. Tim Lenderking, President Biden’s Yemen envoy, has acknowledged that he thinks the Houthis would be true to their word, but the US refuses to pressure Israel to agree to end its onslaught in Gaza.

Meet America's newest nuclear stealth bomber - with a cost of $700m per plane - . The Air Force has released new pictures of its B-21 Raider - a nuclear-armed stealth bomber. The aircraft is the first new American bomber in more than 30 years and is one-of-six in production, according to USA Today. The secretive aircraft has taken to the skies over California for testing and sleek new pictures show it in flight. “The flight test program is proceeding well,” Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, said earlier this month, according to USA Today. “It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very, very effective way.”Each new B21 Raider has a cost of roughly $700m, according to the latest estimates. That is up from the initial cost of $500m per plane in 2010.The Air Force contract with Northrop Group calls for at least 100 new bombers. “The B-21 Raider will be a component of a larger family of systems for conventional Long Range Strike, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, electronic attack, communication and other capabilities,” an Air Force briefing reads. “It will be nuclear capable and designed to accommodate manned or unmanned operations. Additionally, it will be able to employ a broad mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions.”The plan is for the newest bombers to replace the B-1 and B-2 models. Stealth bombers are known for their ability to avoid radar detection.

Republican Iran Hawks Celebrate Death of Iranian President - Some Republicans in Congress are celebrating the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and seven others in Iran’s mountainous East Azerbaijan province.When the news first broke that Raisi was missing, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) wrote on X: “If Raisi is dead, the world is now a safer & better place. That evil man was a tyrant & terrorist. He was not loved or respected & he will be missed by no one. If he’s gone, I truly hope the Iranian people have the chance to take their country back from murderous dictators.”After Raisi’s death was confirmed, the State Department offered condolences to Iran, which outraged Scott. “What a disgrace. Since when does the United States issue a statement of condolence for a terrorist?! It should read: The world is a better place with Raisi dead,” he said.Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) made similar comments in response to the news about Raisi. “Good riddance. Raisi was a murderous human rights abuser before and during his Presidency,” he wrote on X. “But look for the Iranian regime to blame Israel and the US for an assassination as another excuse to support terrorism.”Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement where he called Raisi one of Iran’s “bloodiest hard-liners.”So far, Iranian authorities have not offered much detail about the crash, but said it was caused by a “technical failure.” Raisi was traveling in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter. According to The Washington Post, the average age of Iran’s Bell 212 helicopters is 35 years old, and they are difficult for the Islamic Republic to maintain due to US sanctions.

Ukraine Pushes for US To Allow US Weapons To Be Used on Russian Territory - Ukrainian officials have launched a new push to pressure the US into allowing US-provided missile systems to be used in attacks on Russian territory, which would mark a significant escalation in the proxy war.A delegation of Ukrainian lawmakers has been in Washington lobbying for the restriction to be lifted in the wake of Russia’s Kharkiv offensive, which was launched from Russia’s Belgorod oblast. According to The New York Times, they’re also asking for more intelligence on Russian military positions inside Russian territory.David Arakhamia, a senior Ukrainian MP and leader of the ruling Servant of the People party, is leading the delegation and slammed the US for not letting Ukraine use its US-made missiles on Russian territory.“It’s like if somebody were to attack Washington, DC, from the Virginia state, and you say we’re not going to hit Virginia for some reason,” Arakhamia said at a media event in Washington, according to The Hill. “It’s crazy. Military people, like generals, they don’t understand. So they are pushing us as politicians, like stop [the policy] this is insane.”Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on May 16 that the US has not changed its position that Ukraine should only use American-provided weapons to “take back Ukrainian sovereign territory.”A pro-Kyiv neo-Nazi militia has used US armored vehicles in attacks on Russia’s Belgorod oblast, and Ukraine has been using US-provided ATACM missiles to target Crimea, but no US missiles have been used in attacks on the Russian mainland.British Foreign Secretary David Cameron recently said Ukraine has the “right” to use British-provided weapons on Russian territory, prompting a serious warning from Russia. Russia summoned the British ambassador to Moscow and said if Ukraine used British missiles on Russian territory, Russian forces could target UK military sites inside Ukraine and “beyond.”

Blinken Pushing To Let Ukraine Hit Russian Territory With US Weapons - Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leading a push within the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to use US-provided missile systems and other weapons to hit Russian territory, The New York Timesreported on Wednesday.The report said there is a “vigorous debate” within the administration in the wake of Russia’s new offensive in Kharkiv, which was launched from over the border in Russia’s Belgorod oblast.It’s unclear how many other high-level officials agree with Blinken, but the pressure is growing on President Biden to lift the prohibition on Ukraine using US weapons on Russian territory, a ban that, according to the Times, is designed to “avoid World War III.”House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and many other members of Congress are also calling to lift the ban. Ultra-hawk Victoria Nuland, who left the State Department in March, appeared on ABC News this week to make the pitch for Ukraine to extend its use of US weapons to Russian territory.“I think there’s also a question of whether we, the United States and our allies, ought to give them more help in hitting Russian bases, which heretofore we have not been willing to do,” Nuland said.“I think if the attacks are coming directly from over the line in Russia, that those bases ought to be fair game, whether they are where missiles are being launched from or where they are where troops are being supplied from,” she added.Moscow recently warned the UK that if Ukraine used British weapons on Russian territory, Russian forces would target UK military sites in Ukraine “and beyond.” The warning came after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Ukraine had the “right” to use British arms in attacks on Russia.Russia is currently conducting tactical nuclear drills that it launched in response to provocative rhetoric from Western officials about sending troops to Ukraine. The Times report said that the US was also considering deploying troops for training, although Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown said there were “no plans” to do so at the moment.

Zelensky Says NATO Should Shoot Down Russian Missiles Over Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking NATO countries to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory, dismissing concerns of potential nuclear escalation.“So my question is, what’s the problem? Why can’t we shoot them down? Is it defense? Yes. Is it an attack on Russia? No. Are you shooting down Russian planes and killing Russian pilots? No. So, what’s the issue with involving NATO countries in the war? There is no such issue,” Zelensky said in an interview published by The New York Times on Tuesday. “Shoot down what’s in the sky over Ukraine.”Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have expressed envy of Israel after the US and the UK helped intercept Iranian missiles and drones that were fired at Israeli territory. “This is what we saw in Israel. Not even on such a large scale,” Zelensky said.The interview appears to be the first time Zelensky has publicly asked for direct NATO intervention since hepleaded for a no-fly zone over Ukraine in the early days of the war. The Times also recently reported that Ukraine has asked NATO countries to send troops to Ukrainian territory for training. Zelensky also asked for permission from the US and other NATO countries to use their weapons on Russian territory, which also risks a major escalation. Moscow recently warned the UK that if Ukraine used British weapons on Russian territory, Russian forces would target UK military sites in Ukraine “and beyond.”Zelensky said Ukraine’s inability to use US-provided missiles on Russian territory gives Russia a “huge advantage” in fighting near the border, which has increased since Russia launched its new Kharkiv offensive.The Ukrainian leader dismissed concerns about escalation altogether and criticized Western countries for their approach to Russia. “There are no risks of escalation. Escalation has already occurred: Russia’s escalation against Ukraine,” he said.

Yellen Threatens German Banks With Sanctions; EU Approves Using Russian Asset Profits For Ukraine's Defense -- In a rare moment of tensions among allies, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is demanding that German bank executives get serious about complying with anti-Russia sanctions, warning further that German banks could find themselves under sanctions.She warned them of secondary sanctions meant to thwart deals with Russian entities in a meeting among bank leaders in Frankfurt. "Russia continues to procure sensitive goods and to expand its ability to domestically manufacture these goods. We must remain vigilant and be more ambitious," Yellen said. "I urge all institutions here to take heightened compliance measures and to increase your focus on Russian evasion attempts."According to Reuters, "In an unusually direct warning, she told the executives to police sanctions compliance among their banks' foreign branches and subsidiaries and reach out to foreign correspondent banking customers to do the same, especially in high-risk jurisdictions.""Russia is desperate to obtain critical goods from advanced economies like Germany and the United States," Yellen continued. "We must remain vigilant to prevent the Kremlin’s ability to supply its defense industrial base, and to access our financial systems to do so."Washington's pressure campaign to force out Russian interests from Europe appears to be bearing fruit:Earlier this month, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) dropped a bid for a 1.5 billion euro ($1.6 billion) industrial stake linked to Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska after intense U.S. pressure.The deal's collapse was a fresh setback for the lender, which faces criticism for its ties to Moscow more than two years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The pressure also underscored Washington's willingness to take European banks to task over their Russia ties.A spokesman later said, "RBI will continue to work towards the de-consolidation of its Russian subsidiary."Meanwhile the European Union has finally approved a US-backed plan to use seized Russian assets to generate profits which will in turn help arm Ukraine. Associated Press reports that "The 27-nation EU is holding around 210 billion euros ($225 billion) in Russian central bank assets, most of it frozen in Belgium, in retaliation for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. It estimates that the interest on that money could provide around 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) each year." A first tranche of funds could be available as early as July.

Putin Signs Decree Allowing Seizure of US Assets If Russian Funds Are Taken - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday that will allow the seizure of any US assets in Russia to compensate for any Russian assets that are taken by the US.The decree could be applied to any American individuals or companies that have assets in Russia, and it came after President Biden signed a bill into law that gave him the power to confiscate Russian assets and use them to pay for aid to Ukraine.After Russia invaded Ukraine, the US and its allies froze about $300 billion in Russian Central Bank assets. According to The Associated Press, there are about $5 billion in Russian state assets that the US could confiscate to send to Ukraine.Putin’s decree would allow the Russian central bank or any companies that lost assets in the US to apply to Russian courts “with a claim to establish the fact of unjustified deprivation of his rights to property due to a decision by a US state or judicial authority and to receive compensation for said damage.”The US isn’t expected to go ahead with the plan to steal the Russian money unless its allies agree to do so as well since over $200 billion of the Russian Central Bank assets are frozen in Europe.The EU is planning to give Ukraine about $3 billion per year using profits made by Russian assets, and Russia is warning it would retaliate to that move as well. Ukraine has said the $3 billion per yearamounts to “almost nothing” and is demanding the West hand over all the Russian assets.Stealing Russia’s assets would be an unprecedented move and would mark a significant escalation in the economic war against Moscow. Banks are warning that it could undermine trust in the Western banking system.

US To Withdraw All Troops From Niger by September 15 - US troops ordered to leave Niger will complete the withdrawal by mid-September under an agreement reached in talks between US and Nigerien officials.The Pentagon released a joint statement with Niger’s Defense Ministry that said the two nations “have reached a disengagement agreement to effect the withdrawal of US forces, which has already begun. It is therefore agreed that this disengagement will end no later than September 15, 2024.”The statement continued: “Both delegations confirmed the guarantees of protection and security to the American forces during their withdrawal. The delegations also established procedures to facilitate the entry and exit of US personnel, including overflight and landing clearances for military flights.” US officials told the AP that some military personnel and equipment have already been pulled out of Niger, and there are fewer than 1,000 US troops left in the country. Most of them are based at Airbase 201, a major drone base in Agadez that cost over $100 million to build and serves as a drone hub for US operations across the region.Niger initially told the US to leave back in March, but the Biden administration was dragging its feet since it didn’t want to give up its military presence in the country. In April, a whistleblower told Congress that the US refusal to withdraw from Niger was putting US troops in danger.Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, who was appointed by a military junta that took power following a July 2023 coup, told The Washington Post last week that the US was asked to leave due to threats from US officials over Niger’s relationship with Russia and Iran.Zeine pointed to threats made by Molly Phee, the State Department’s top official for African affairs. “When she finished, I said, ‘Madame, I am going to summarize in two points what you have said,’” Zeine said. “First, you have come here to threaten us in our country. That is unacceptable. And you have come here to tell us with whom we can have relationships, which is also unacceptable. And you have done it all with a condescending tone and a lack of respect.”Zeine also said that the US troops in Niger stopped helping with counterterrorism operations following the coup, which ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum. “The Americans stayed on our soil, doing nothing while the terrorists killed people and burned towns,” he said.

Biden says Kenya force can break the back of Haiti’s gangs -- President Biden on Thursday said that a Kenyan-led multinational police force can succeed in overcoming armed gangs that have run amok across Haiti and captured the capital Port-au-Prince. When asked during a press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto at the White House if they can “break the backs” of the armed gangs, Biden responded “yes.” “This is a crisis that will be dealt with,” Biden said. “We think we can deal with this.” Ruto said Kenya and the U.S. were building a coalition of nations to support a mission he said could defeat the armed gangs “that have visited untold suffering” in Haiti. “Gangs and criminals do not have nationalities. They have no religion. They have no language,” he said, vowing to deal with the gangs “firmly, decisively, within the parameters of the law.” An unofficial deadline to begin the deployment of the Kenyan-led international police force on Thursday appears to have been delayed. The deployment would have come as Ruto wraps up a three-day state visit to Washington, D.C., on Friday. The Biden administration is asking Congress for $300 million for the mission, along with $60 million for equipment assistance. Biden on Thursday said deploying U.S. forces to Haiti would have been “easily misrepresented,” expressing his thanks to Kenya for being willing to intervene. “Kenya’s willingness to lead this matter, matters,” Biden said. “Ruto and I agree that Haitian people deserve better. They deserve peace and security.” Ruto said Kenya has participated in peacekeeping missions for the past 40 years across 47 countries and that Nairobi had decided to commit troops out of its own volition. “The responsibility of peace and security anywhere in the world, including in Haiti, is the collective responsibility of all nations and all peoples who believe in freedom, self-determination, democracy and justice,” he said. “And it is the reason why Kenya took up this responsibility.”

Black Caucus condemns Speaker Mike Johnson’s treatment of Kenyan President William RutoThe Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) shared a post online Wednesday condemning Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for refusing to host Kenyan President William Ruto for a joint meeting of Congress, which is typically extended to other international leaders. “While @SpeakerJohnson might not have given the President of Kenya the opportunity to address a Joint Session of Congress, the CBC was proud to welcome President Ruto to the United States Capitol today,” the CBC posted on the social platform X. “We were honored to present President Ruto honorary membership in the CBC.” Ruto is in town for a state dinner Thursday, President Biden’s sixth state dinner since taking office. He posted on X highlighting CBC’s role in “advancing social justice, human rights and economic development across the globe.” “We implore the Congress to take lead in reconfiguring the global financial architecture where power is not in the hands of the few. A bold, robust and targeted approach will free Africa of the debt burden and transform the world,” Ruto said on X.The Hill has reached out to Johnson’s office for comment; it released statement to USA Today that Johnson offered the Kenyan Embassy “over 90 minutes of engagement including a one-on-one visit with Speaker Johnson, bipartisan leadership meeting with Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, and Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members, and a bicameral meeting.” Ruto said he was honored to be recognized as an honorary member of the CBC and shared photos of his visit.

Blowback In The African Coup Belt - Starting in 2020, things started to get strange in Africa for those who knew what to look for. Normally, coups in Africa are nothing to write about. But starting in 2020, we saw six countries flip into a pro-Russian direction in just three years. Individually, they were a curiosity. Taken together, that rate of turnover outpaced even the most optimistic neoconservative ambitions for pro–United States regime changes in the Middle East. As General Wesley Clark summarized,“We’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.” That fourth country, Libya, is where our story starts. In 2011, the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization destroyed the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. They had wanted to do it for a long time. A true cosmopolitan, Gaddafi had provided lawyers, guns, and money to black nationalists in South Africa, Palestinian Nationalists in Tunisia, Irish Nationalists in the British Isles, White Nationalists in Canada, and Armenian Nationalists in Turkey. The one ideology for which the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution had no patience or tolerance was radical Islamic Salafi jihadism. In March 1998, Libya was the first country to issue an Interpol arrest warrant for Osama bin Laden. The warrant received no attention or action. Five months later, Al-Qaeda bombed the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224. In September 2001, President George W. Bush told Congress that “every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Gaddafi took the US up on the offer, dismantling its weapons of mass destruction program under the United Nations’ supervision. It paid over $1 billion in reparations to victims of terrorism to get removed from the State Sponsor of Terror list. In 2008, future US Ambassador to Libya (and Benghazi embassy casualty) J. Christopher Stephens reported that “Libya has been a strong partner in the war against terrorism and cooperation in liaison channels is excellent.” Gaddafi had been highly suspicious of the citizens who chose to join the brave Mujahideen fighters of Afghanistan and surveilled them extensively, dutifully reporting them to other intelligence agencies whenever possible. In one particularly obscene case, a Guantanamo detainee named Abu Sufian Ibrahim Ahmed Hamuda bin Qumu was on the ground leading the Salafi jihadist group “Supporters of Sharia.” While hundreds are held in Guantanamo, being tortured without trial, the US knowingly released what it deemed a “probable member of al-Qaeda and a member of the African Extremist Network” to tear things up in Libya for them. A United Kingdom Parliamentary retrospective on the Libya overthrow later admitted, “The possibility that militant extremist groups would attempt to benefit from the rebellion should not have been the preserve of hindsight. Libyan connections with transnational militant extremist groups were known before 2011, because many Libyans had participated in the Iraq insurgency and in Afghanistan with al-Qaeda.” Gaddafi made a series of dire warnings of what would happen if he died: “Libya plays a vital role in regional peace and world peace,” he said in an interview with the France 24 television station. “We are an important partner in fighting al Qaeda.” “There are millions of blacks who could come to the Mediterranean to cross to France and Italy, and Libya plays a role in security in the Mediterranean.” Saif Gaddafi likewise warned, “Libya may become the Somalia of North Africa, of the Mediterranean. You will see the pirates in Sicily, in Crete, in Lampedusa. You will see millions of illegal immigrants. The terror will be next door.” While the Mediterranean didn’t see a resurgence of literal piracy, Gaddafi’s predictions were otherwise correct if not conservative.Within five years, US military officials openly conceded that Libya was a failed state. In February 2015, the International Crisis Group warned, “On the current trajectory, the most likely medium-term prospect is not one side’s triumph, but that rival local warlords and radical groups will proliferate, what remains of state institutions will collapse, financial reserves . . . will be depleted, and hardship for ordinary Libyans will increase exponentially.”As predicted, millions of blacks flocked to Libya’s Mediterranean coast to cross into France and Italy. Many were beaten, raped, and starved in what the United Nations Children’s Fund called “living hellholes” or even sold in open-air slave markets. On the Italian island of Lampedusa, it is not unheard of thirteen years later for hundreds or thousands of illegal African migrants to land in a single night. On May 22, 2017, in a manifestation of what former Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigative counsel Jack Blum called a “disposal problem,” a Manchester-born Libyan named Salman Abedi returned from his MI5-sponsored jihad in Libya and blew himself to pieces in the middle of an Ariana Grande concert. He killed himself and twenty-two others in an audience primarily composed of young girls.As the second phase of Hillary Clinton’s “bank shot,” the overthrow of Libya’s government and the looting of its arsenals allowed the Central Intelligence Agency to direct those weapons to jihadis in Syria. The scourges of the Islamic world would also use this windfall of weapons to brutalize populations across Africa’s Sahel region, most notably in Mali. After 2011, countries in the Sahel experienced between a tenfold and twentyfold increase in deadly Islamic terror incidents from groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State following what Vision of Humanity calls a “Jihadization of Banditry.”

Joe Biden speaks with Mike Johnson and Mitch McConnell to push for border bill - President Biden on Monday talked with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the White House pushes for a vote on a bipartisan border security bill in the Senate. The White House in a statement said Biden “reiterated that Congressional Republicans should stop playing politics and act quickly to pass this bipartisan border legislation that would add thousands of Border Patrol agents and personnel, invest in technology to catch fentanyl and combat drug trafficking, and make our country safer.” Biden spoke last week with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Schumer announced Sunday that the Senate will take up the bipartisan border deal as a stand-alone measure this week. The vote is all but certain to fail amid opposition on both sides of the aisle, but it will allow Democratic leaders to flip the messaging switch on Republicans as the border dominates chatter on the campaign trail. The bill was negotiated by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). President Biden previously endorsed the bill, calling it a strong compromise where no side got everything it wanted. A majority of the Republican conference earlier this year voted against advancing the legislation after former President Trump urged GOP lawmakers to oppose the measure, indicating it would give Biden a political win.

Republicans close ranks against Senate border security deal --Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to hold a vote to advance it Thursday, but no Republican senator has yet to say they will vote for it, even though it was endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.McConnell, who helped negotiate the border security package earlier this year when it was attached to $61 billion in Ukraine aid, on Tuesday called the Democrats’ plan to bring it back to the floor “a gimmick.” And he said it has no chance of passing the Senate or the House.McConnell told President Biden in a phone call Monday that Republicans will not vote for the border security deal they hashed out with Democrats earlier this year.He instead urged Biden to address the border crisis through executive actions, even though administration officials have said for months they have limited authority to stop border crossings without congressional action.“I said to him … Mr. President, you caused this problem. There’s no legislation that allows the problem to be fixed. Why don’t you just allow what the previous administration was doing,” McConnell said, recounting his conversation with Biden.Republicans are pointing to Biden’s decision to stop construction of the border wall, expand the parole of migrants into the country, and end the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy.Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), the lead Republican negotiator of the bill, bashed Schumer’s plan to vote on the border security legislation as a piece of political theater intended to protect vulnerable incumbents, such as Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).Lankford said he would vote against advancing the bill, reversing his position from February, when he was one of only four Republicans to vote for it.“This is not trying to accomplish something. This is about messaging now. This is trying to poke Republicans rather than try to actually solve a problem,” Lankford said.Lankford said he hasn’t received any outreach from Democrats to resume negotiation n the legislation, which would reform the nation’s asylum laws and give the president emergency power to shut down the border once migrant crossings average 4,000 per day.Republicans said they will vote to block the bill from coming up for a debate because they don’t expect to get any chances to amend it with proposals to make it stronger.

Senate downs border bill for second time - The Senate voted down the bipartisan border bill Thursday, marking the second time it has been blocked in a matter of months as Democrats look to shore up their political troubles and give President Biden and incumbent senators a boost in the process. In a widely expected outcome, senators voted 43-50 to take down the proposal, which was negotiated over the fall and winter by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). The bill lost support compared to the previous vote in February, which fell in a 49-50 tally. Headlining those who flipped their votes this time around was Lankford, who was the lead GOP member throughout negotiations before the border bill met an unceremonious death. The Oklahoma Republican told The Hill last week that Schumer and Murphy didn’t discuss the renewed border push with him and that he was siding with his GOP colleagues, arguing this current push was inherently political and that Democrats were not interested at this point in getting a legislative result. “Today is not a bill. Today is a prop. Today is a political messaging exercise,” Lankford said ahead of the vote. “That doesn’t help us as a country.” Joining Lankford in flipping their votes to no were Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Sinema. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) voted against the bill in February, but was absent Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said repeatedly in recent weeks that he wanted to put the bill on the floor againto drive home the point that former President Trump and his supporters killed the bill for political purposes, and that Democrats want action at the border. “People want us to get things done. People want us to come together. And when they hear that the only reason Republicans backed away from this bill is not that it wasn’t strong enough, but that Donald Trump said he wanted chaos at the border, they don’t like that,” Schumer said Thursday on the floor.

Biden says GOP doesn’t care about securing border after border bill fails in Senate --President Biden bashed Republicans for blocking the border security legislation in the Senate Thursday, arguing that the GOP doesn’t care about securing the U.S.’s southern border.“Congressional Republicans do not care about securing the border or fixing America’s broken immigration system. If they did, they would have voted for the toughest border enforcement in history. Instead, today, they put partisan politics ahead of our country’s national security,” he said in a statement.Senators voted 43 to 50 to take down the proposal, in a widely expected outcome, which marks the second time the legislation negotiated over the fall and winter by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) has been blocked.Biden, in his statement, noted that the bill would have hired more Border Patrol agents, immigration judges and asylum officers, as well as provided funding for technology to detect and stop fentanyl trafficking.Biden added that Republicans, by voting against the bill, also “rejected an agreement that would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to temporarily shut down the border when the system is overwhelmed.”He said that he’s “committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.” Republicans have called on Biden to use his executive authority to fix the situation at the border.The White House earlier this week focused on fentanyl trafficking at the U.S. southern border to urge Republicans to vote for the bill, calling on lawmakers to choose to save lives over politics.The White House has also hit Republicans for not passing the bipartisan border bill when it was first unveiled, after former President Trump urged them to oppose it so the border would stay a major issue for Election Day.Biden spoke Monday with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to push for passage of the bill.

Judge backtracks ruling that blocked Florida immigration law --Just hours after handing down a ruling confirming that an immigration law in Florida was blocked, a federal judge appeared to issue a reversal of his own ruling. Judge Roy Altman issued an injunction Tuesday, temporarily blocking a key part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) immigration law, which would make it a felony to transport undocumented migrants into the state. Altman agreed with the Farmworker Association of Florida that federal immigration laws would likely preempt the law. In a supplemental order issued Wednesday, Altman wrote he wanted to “clarify the scope of that preliminary injunction.” The judge said there were several reasons why a statewide injunction should be appropriate in the case. Hours later, Altman seemed to backtrack. He issued another order, noting that “on further reflection,” he will be hosting a briefing on “the proper scope of the injunction.” The judge wrote that all parties must submit a brief by June 6 on whether the injunction should apply to the plaintiffs or be a district- or state-wide injunction. In his original order, Altman rejected arguments from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) that an injunction could prevent law enforcement from doing its job, including in their efforts to identify people who are drug traffickers. Florida’s immigration law, SB 1718, was signed by DeSantis last year and led to some migrants being relocated to blue states across the country on buses and planes.Illegals Believe Trump Is Going To Win So They're Surging The Border Now; Report - Illegal immigrants are surging the border now because they believe Donald Trump is going to win the election in November and enforce security, according to a report quoting the illegals themselves.The New York Post reports that the migrants “fear President Biden could lose re-election in November and Donald Trump will shut the border.”Two brothers from Columbia who had crossed into the US and had eventually been put on a flight to New Jersey stated “We think with the elections, it will be harder,” adding “We don’t want Trump.”It’s quite simple. The border is now wide open, and if Trump wins it will be slammed shut.Illegal migrants don’t want Trump to win. Because he’ll enforce the border. https://t.co/KTtPMeL8evNow, a new poll conducted by Reuters/Ispos finds that 56 percent of registered voters feel that most or all illegal aliens in the US should be rounded up and deported.Explosive survey shows how many voters want lockups and deportations to tackle migrant surge https://t.co/08dpZe2KXDpic.twitter.com/CPjmASV0H5— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) May 20, 2024The poll also found that 36 percent of voters support incarcerating illegal aliens in detention camps until they are deported.

Sparks fly over SNAP at partisan markup of House farm bill --Democrats and Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee sparred over food aid on Thursday at the markup of the chamber’s version of the $1.5 trillion omnibus farm bill. The issue set off partisan fireworks at the contentious session, during which representatives from both sides of the aisle took to the dais to extol the virtues of bipartisanship while accusing their opposite numbers of throwing those values in the trash. Lawmakers fiercely debated whether Republican attempts to freeze changes to the U.S. Department of Agriculture food aid programs were “cuts” amid broader tensions over whether the bill as put forward by House Republicans is sufficiently bipartisan to have any hopes of passage. “I served for 26 years in the United States military, oftentimes below the poverty level and using these programs,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said. “So I will not be lectured to by people who are saying that I’m trying to cut these benefits. It’s not true and it’s disingenuous.” But, he added, “speaking about the waste, fraud, abuse that absolutely exists in these programs — every single dollar that goes to waste, fraud, abuse for these SNAP programs is a dollar that cannot go to feed a hungry child.” Republicans “cannot have it both ways,” Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) shot back. ”I have heard my colleagues say that this is not a SNAP cut. But dozens of outside experts disagree.” If the freeze to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, coverage was being used to pay for anything, Carbajal argued, then that money had to constitute a reduction somewhere else. “If the committee’s considering it a paid-for then that is funding you are taking away from hungry families.” The proposed legislation, unveiled by Committee Chair Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-Pa.) last week, would draw on SNAP as a source of funds to direct subsidies to commodity farmers, largely a few thousand growers of rice, cotton and peanuts. The measure would not reduce current SNAP levels. But it would freeze the current list of covered products, and the values allowed to purchase them, at their present levels — though these would still be able to increase with inflation. This would make it far harder for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to add new items, or — as the Biden administration did in 2021 — to offer more support to, for example, buy more fruits and vegetables.

Biden canceling student debt for more than 160,000 borrowers -President Biden announced Wednesday he would be canceling student debt for more than 160,00 borrowers. The new plan forgives $7.7 billion for the latest batch of borrowers, bringing the total relief from Biden’s student debt actions to $167 billion for 4.75 million Americans. The latest loan forgiveness initiative comes through various income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, including the president’s newly established SAVE program. The 160,000 borrowers are people enrolled in the Biden administration’s SAVE Plan, and are public service workers like teachers, nurses, or law enforcement officials, or are borrowers who were approved for relief because of fixes to IDR plans. “The Biden-Harris Administration remains persistent about our efforts to bring student debt relief to millions more across the country, and this announcement proves it,” Education Sec. Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “One out of every 10 federal student loan borrowers approved for debt relief means one out of every 10 borrowers now has financial breathing room and a burden lifted.” Biden made forgiving student debt a campaign promise in 2020 and is stepping up his recent efforts as he works to appeal to young voters ahead of November’s election. Last month, the administration canceled student debt for more than 277,000 borrowers. Those actions targeted public service workers, those on IDR plans, borrowers defrauded by their schools and people with disabilities. Biden last month also announced a plan to give relief to 25 million borrowers, including those on IDR plans, people who participated in low-financial-value education programs, individuals experiencing hardship and borrowers whose debt has grown due to unpaid interest. The plan, if finalized, will almost certainly be challenged in court. The latest plans are part of the president’s efforts to find a workaround after the Supreme Court struck down his student debt relief plan in June.

Biden Cancels Another $7.7 Billion In Student Debt For 160,000 Borrowers - President Joe Biden announced his latest student loan forgiveness plan by canceling $7.7 billion in debts, taking the total amount of such loans canceled under his administration to $167 billion. “Today, my Administration is canceling student debt for 160,000 more people, bringing the total number of Americans who have benefitted from our debt relief actions to 4.75 million,” President Biden said in a May 22 statement. “Each of those borrowers has received an average of over $35,000 in debt cancellation. These 160,000 additional borrowers are people enrolled in my Administration’s SAVE Plan; are public service workers like teachers, nurses, or law enforcement officials; or are borrowers who were approved for relief because of fixes we made to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR).” Out of $7.7 billion, $5.2 billion is relief granted to 66,900 borrowers under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), a program for government and NGO employees. Once a borrower has made 120 qualifying monthly payments on their debt, PSLF can forgive the remaining portion of the dues. In total, the Biden administration has approved $68 billion in forgiveness for over 942,000 borrowers under PSLF. $1.9 billion will go to provide relief to 39,200 borrowers through administrative adjustments made to individuals with IDR plans. The administration has so far approved $51 billion in IDR relief for over one million borrowers. The remaining $613 million in relief will be granted to 54,300 borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan. Enrolled individuals can get relief if they’ve made payments for at least 10 years, provided they borrowed $12,000 or less. Around $5.5 billion in loan forgiveness has been granted to 414,000 borrowers under the SAVE plan by the Biden administration. With the latest announcement, the Biden–Harris administration has approved $167 billion in loan forgiveness to 4.75 million Americans. President Biden’s latest loan forgiveness comes less than six months before the presidential election. The issue of student loans remains high on the agenda of younger voters, many of whom have concerns about Biden’s foreign policy on the war in Gaza and fault him for not achieving greater debt forgiveness. The campaign of former President Donald Trump, Biden’s Republican challenger in the White House race, in March criticized the student loan cancellation as a bailout that was done “without a single act of Congress.” A poll published by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School last month showed that younger voters were not particularly impressed with President Biden’s student debt relief plans—only 39 percent of poll participants approved of the president on the issue.

Long COVID advocates hammer President Biden over 'minimal funding' in budget request - Long COVID research advocates slammed the Biden administration over “minimal funding” for long COVID in its budget request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year 2025. “The Long COVID Campaign, in partnership with Long COVID Moonshot and Patient Led Research Collaborative, has called on Congressional leaders to appropriate at least $1.2 Billion in FY25 funding for Long COVID research, with other patient groups advocating for even higher levels of funding to meet the scale of need,” a Thursday press release reads. “Yet despite increasing impacts to the U.S. healthcare system, workforce and economy, the Biden Administration’s FY25 budget request for the NIH had minimal funding for Long COVID research, treatment or care,” the press release continues. A study from August of last year found that those infected with even mild cases of COVID-19 could stay at a higher risk for heart problems, blood clots, diabetes, neurologic complications and other complications for as long as two years. “In its FY2025 budget request, the Biden Administration failed to ask Congress for the funding or support the 1 in 20 Americans suffering from Long COVID desperately need,” Meighan Stone, executive director of the Long COVID Campaign, said in the press release. “As Senate leaders debate $50 billion in NIH funding, we want to make sure the millions of now-disabled and chronically ill Americans still waiting for any Long COVID tests, [Food and Drug Administration] approved treatments or urgency aren’t forgotten,” Stone continued. According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report from September of last year, around 18 million adults reported dealing with long COVID as of 2022.

Republican probe into EcoHealth gets results, but COVID origin still a mystery - The GOP-controlled subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic appears to be swaying the Biden administration with its exhaustive examinations targeting groups and individuals with links to the unproven COVID-19 lab leak theory. In the past month, the subcommittee has heard testimony from EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak and Lawrence Tabak, principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It also called in David Morens, a top deputy to former COVID czar Anthony Fauci, who was grilled over damning revelations about his conduct. The purpose of these hearings has been to nail down a timeline of what went on betweenfederal officials and EcoHealth before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether any of it may have contributed to the global health crisis. Seemingly coinciding with these hearings, the White House has moved to debar EcoHealth andDaszak from receiving federal funds. And members of the committee believe they’ve had a hand in these decisions. “I think that the subcommittee had influence over EcoHealth by exposing what happened,” Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) told The Hill. “But I don’t think that the subcommittee has used its influence for good in the way that it could. So that was a small positive thing that the committee has done,” Ross added. “But there have been so many missed opportunities for bipartisan work with this committee, that it almost breaks my heart.” Despite a series of reports and hearings, neither the committee nor federal agencies seem to be any closer to nailing down the origins of the virus that had killed nearly 1.2 million Americans and counting. EcoHealth is an infectious disease nonprofit that received federal grants to study emerging viruses. The organization in turn sub-awarded grants to labs including the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) that researched coronaviruses. Critics, including GOP members of the subcommittee, have questioned whether the WIV’s research resulted in a lab leak that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.While this theory hasn’t been proven, federal health officials have repeatedly accused EcoHealth of failing to conduct proper oversight of the WIV and other sub-grant recipients, as well as failing to send in timely progress reports.

Senate Republicans introduce legislation to legalize IVF treatment nationally -- Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Katie Britt (Ala.) announced Monday they are introducing legislation to protect legal access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) nationwide in the wake of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created by the treatment are children. Cruz and Britt said they will unveil the bill to clear up the “confusion and misinformation” spread by the ruling, which has alarmed prospective parents who worry they may lose access to the procedure and the chance to have children. “To address these concerns, we will introduce a bill on Monday to ensure IVF access is legally protected nationwide. The legislation would require, as a condition of receiving federal Medicaid funding, that states don’t prohibit IVF,” Cruz and Britt wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Cruz and Britt added that their goal “is to make sure that any family’s path to bringing a child into the world isn’t compromised by preventable legal confusion.” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a state law in March protecting IVF patients and providers from liability for the loss of embryos, but Cruz and Britt say federal legislation would clear up lingering uncertainty. “Our bill doesn’t impede states from setting up health and safety standards to govern IVF, nor does it compel any individual or organization to provide IVF against its wishes or beliefs. It simply ensures that access to IVF is fully protected by federal law, as there is currently no such federal law in place,” the senators wrote. Cruz and Britt defended IVF treatments as “profoundly pro-family” and pointed out that 2 percent of births in the United States result from the process.

Lawmakers react to react to Louisiana house criminalizing abortion pills --Hours after the Louisiana House voted Tuesday to criminalize the possession of mifepristone and misoprostol without a prescription, lawmakers reacted to the vote, some expressing anger while others celebrated the legislation.The unprecedented legislation is the first time a state has declared abortion drugs as controlled substances. The two drugs are used to induce a medicated abortion.The state House passed the bill by a vote of 64 yeas and 29 nays, and it now heads back to the state Senate for a concurring vote. It would then head to Gov. Jeff Landry’s (R) desk, who is expected to sign it.Vice President Kamala Harris posted on social media platform X responding to the vote, saying it’s “absolutely unconscionable.”“The Louisiana House just passed a bill that would criminalize the possession of medication abortion, with penalties of up to several years of jail time,” she wrote. “Let’s be clear: Donald Trump did this.”State Sen. Thomas Pressly (R), who sponsored the bill, posted in response to Harris’ comment, saying it’s unconscionable for her to lie about his legislation, which began after his sister was unknowingly given the medication.“Leaving out the part about ‘not having a valid prescription’ & our efforts to protect expectant mothers from being slipped abortion meds by diabolical spouses, that’s kind of a big omission. Do better,” Pressly posted.Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.) said he was “disgusted” by the vote. He said he introduced legislation attempting to protect mifepristone and women’s right to choose “across the country, like we do here in NJ.”The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) also released a statement following the vote, admonishing the Republicans who passed it.“If Louisiana is successful in passing this dangerous bill into law, other Republican-led states will follow. The only way to stop this onslaught of Republican attacks in Louisiana and across the country is by making a concerted effort to build Democratic power in state legislatures,” DLCC National Press Secretary Sam Paisely said in a statement.While the measure is unpopular with pro-choice Democrats, pro-life groups celebrated the vote. The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group released a statement saying the legislation should not be controversial.“Like morphine and Valium, the drugs in question will still be available for prescription for legitimate medical reasons – like miscarriage care – but will be harder for abusers to obtain,” the group’s Southern Regional Director Caitlin Connors said in the statement.

Newsom signs bill to let Arizona doctors provide abortions in California - Arizona abortion providers will now be able to temporarily provide their services to patients from Arizona who travel to California, after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a new law on Thursday. The bill, titled Senate Bill 233, allows Arizona abortion providers to be quickly approved for work in California. It was introduced by Newsom last month after the Arizona Supreme Court’s near-total abortion ban, which has since been repealed. Under the new law, licensed Arizona doctors can fill out an application to perform abortions and, if they meet certain requirements, California regulators are obliged to approve their application within five business days. It passed in California’s state Senate in a 30-8 vote on Tuesday, with the backing of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. “Arizona Republicans tried to turn back the clock to 1864 to impose a near-total abortion ban across their state. We refuse to stand by and acquiesce to their oppressive and dangerous attacks on women,” Newsom wrote in a statement Thursday, adding later, “California stands ready to protect reproductive freedom.” When announcing the bill last month, Newsom called it a “valuable stopgap” even in the case that Arizona’s Legislature repealed the ban, which eventually happened. Arizona is the latest state to be faced with the question of abortion access after the state Supreme Court last month upheld the 1864 ban on nearly all abortions in the state, except in instances to save the life of the mother. The law also imposed jail time for physicians who perform abortions. The 160-year-old law was never repealed and remained on the books for decades. The GOP-appointed state Supreme Court ruled 4-2 that the ban could be enforced because Roe v. Wade was overturned. Arizona’s legislature passed a repeal of the ban, which was quickly singed by Gov. Katie Hobbs (D). Once the repeal goes into effect, the state will revert back to the 15-week ban signed into law by former Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in 2022.

Democrats urge Biden administration to investigate data practices of tax prep companies Several Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to investigate the data practices of major tax preparation companies after a recent report found that TurboTax repeatedly pressed filers to share sensitive tax data. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) pointed to a Washington Post report from March highlighting how taxpayers can avoid TurboTax’s numerous efforts to get them to share their data. “TurboTax’s aggressive and potentially misleading tactics to get taxpayers to sign away their privacy and force them to pay for unnecessary services should be scrutinized,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to several administration officials on Tuesday. Congressional staff found that the TurboTax software “asked to track and use taxpayer data a total of 10 times during filing,” according to the letter. The repeated efforts by TurboTax to gain access to taxpayer data comes in the wake of an investigation by lawmakers last year that found that tax preparation companies were sharing millions of taxpayers’ data with Meta, Google and other large tech firms. Specifically, TaxAct, TaxSlayer, and H&R Block were found to have shared “extraordinarily sensitive personal and financial information” with Meta, the letter noted. “These predatory practices and shocking breaches of taxpayer trust only make the recent success of the IRS Direct File pilot – the first free, public, electronic federal tax filing tool in U.S. history – even more notable,” the lawmakers wrote. “As the IRS begins to prepare for the tax filing season in 2025, we urge you to investigate usage and disclosures by major tax preparation companies of legally protected and sensitive taxpayer information, and to prosecute any company or individuals who have violated the law,” they added.

Alarmed Democrats flee President Joe Biden’s ailing brand in battleground states --Vulnerable Senate Democrats are distancing themselves from President Biden’s ailing brand after polls show him trailing former President Trump in several battleground states. Democrats in tough races are breaking with Biden over border security, liquified natural gas exports, the Israel-Hamas war and tariffs on Chinese goods. They’re staying competitive in the polls despite Biden’s low approval ratings and lagging position relative to Trump, but they are worried the president’s political brand will start weighing them down as Election Day nears. “If you go out there and do a focus group, the focus groups all say, ‘He’s 200 years old. You got to be kidding me.’ And the worst part about it is for unaffiliated voters or people that haven’t made up their mind, they look at this and say: ‘You have to be kidding us. These are our choices?’ And they indict us for not taking it seriously,” said a Democratic senator who requested anonymity to discuss the alarm sparked by Biden’s weak poll numbers in battleground states. Polls have shown that 40 percent of registered voters in battleground states were not too satisfied or not at all satisfied with the candidates in the presidential election. The senator said Democratic colleagues “know this is a problem” but also realize it’s too late to do anything about it and that “this is the ticket we have to get behind and we have to win with this ticket.” “We’ll see how much gravity we can defy,” the lawmaker said of senators in tough races who are polling better than Biden. A second Democratic senator, when asked about Biden’s poll numbers, said the president’s age is a persistent concern among voters. “Biden’s showing his age in ways weirdly more than Trump,” said the senator, who noted that Trump, 77, is only four years younger than Biden, 81. “People keep saying, ‘Why didn’t he take a pass, he’s just so tired?’” the senator said of constituents who are baffled over Biden’s decision to run for a second term. “That is such a prevalent feeling.” Biden sometimes appears to walk stiffly or with a shuffling gait, which Republican-aligned critics love to point out in social media posts. The lawmaker also cited the high costs of basic goods and services as another political headwind facing Biden. “People are shocked at the cost of a house and the cost of drugs,” said the senator, who pointed out a can of midgrade paint now costs $55 a gallon.

71 percent in poll want RFK Jr., third parties in debate - Seven in 10 voters in a new poll want to see third-party and independent candidates in presidential debates this cycle, as President Biden and former President Trump prepare to go head-to-head. The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 79 percent of voters want Biden and Trump to debate, while 71 percent think those debates should include candidates from outside the major parties if they clear a viable threshold — with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listed as an example of one such candidate. “Americans always want to hear it all and test their candidates. Voters want to see debates and would welcome Kennedy to the debate as well,” said Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll. After months of speculation about whether a debate would occur, Biden and Trump — who are headed toward a rematch of their 2020 race this fall — agreed last week to two presidential debates, slated for June on CNN and September on ABC. Kennedy railed against being left out of the debate conversation, arguing Trump and Biden are “colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up.” Seventy-three percent in the poll said Trump and Biden should stick to the three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate historically organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, rather than negotiate on their own terms. But Biden last week informed the commission that his campaign would work directly with news outlets to arrange the two summer debates with Trump, calling into question the potency of the long-standing debate organizer. The commission had planned to kick things off with a September debate, followed by two more in October. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they think debates will provide “valuable information” to voters on who to pick on their 2024 ballots, while 37 percent said the debates are unlikely to do so. A little more than half of voters, or 54 percent, think microphones at the debate should automatically cut off when a speaker’s time elapses, rather than be free-flowing and moderated by the members of the press. Back in 2020, the commission adopted new rules muting the microphones as Trump and Biden sparred. Seven in 10 voters in the poll also say they’ve made up their mind about who they’ll vote for in the fall — but half of independents say they’re still undecided, which could have an impact in what’s gearing up to be a competitive race.

Republicans Call For Drug Testing Ahead Of Presidential Debates -Several Republicans are calling for Joe Biden to undergo drug testing before taking part in the presidential debates with Donald Trump scheduled for June and September. South Carolina Senator Tom Scott was asked to comment on the issue on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” and responded “Why not?” when asked if substance tests should be carried out. “The truth of the matter is if you saw the State of the Union and you watched that performance, it was surreal,” Scott noted of Biden’s speech in March.“There was something going on, and if we could find the truth of what it was, we’re all better off,” Scott added.Tim Scott to Maria Bartiromo on Trump: "He doesn't need a teleprompter!" (Complaining about his teleprompter is something Trump does almost every speech ... ) pic.twitter.com/XPy7QgNDGI“If it takes artificial stimulation to make the President of the United States perform, how often can he do that?” The Senator further pondered.Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida also called for Biden to be drug tested, noting “We’re talking about someone who has the ability to launch nukes.” Luna also referred to questions over Biden’s mental competence following the comments of former special counsel Robert Hur who described Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”

Gov. Mike DeWine calls for special session to get Joe Biden on Ohio ballot - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced Thursday he would call the GOP-controlled state Legislature into a special session next week to discuss getting both President Biden and former President Trump on the state’s fall ballot. Democrats have been unable to certify Biden as their nominee in the state — a largely procedural issue where both parties have to certify their presidential candidate with the state ahead of the state’s deadline — because the Democratic National Convention takes place after the Ohio certification deadline. In this case, presidential nominees must be certified 90 days before the election, but the convention happens after that timeline.Normally, one of the solutions would be a legislative fix, such as tweaking the certification deadline, but the state House and Senate have deadlocked on passing legislation this month, which would help create a fix to get Biden on the ballot. DeWine said in a statement that he would be calling lawmakers into session Tuesday to address the issue. “Ohio is running out of time to get the sitting president of the United States on the ballot this fall. Failing to do so is unacceptable,” DeWine said. “The purpose of the session will be for the General Assembly to pass legislation ensuring that both major party presidential candidates will be on the Ohio ballot in November, as well as legislation that would prohibit campaign spending by foreign nationals,” he explained. Ohio Republicans in the General Assembly took different paths toward trying to get Biden on the ballot. Senate Republicans took an existing childcare campaign fund bill to include a one-time legislative fix that would change the timeline in which Democrats needed to certify their candidate from 90 days to 74 days to accommodate the Democrats’ convention.

Jasmine Crockett moves to trademark 'bleach blonde bad built butch body' - Rep. Jasmine Crockett could soon claim ownership of the jab she hurled at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in an epic clash during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing last week, with the Texas Democrat’s campaign filing a trademark application for the phrase. An application for “bleach blonde bad built butch body” was filed by Crockett’s campaign Sunday with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. USA Today was first to report news of the trademark application on Tuesday.According to the application, the phrase is intended to be used for a variety of clothing items and accessories, including hats, hoodies, socks, T-shirts. The move comes after the 43-year-old lawmaker launched what she dubbed a “Crockett Clapback Collection” last week that included a T-shirt bearing the same alliterative insult that she used during her contentious exchange with Greene. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading,” Greene told Crockett during the late-night Oversight Committee hearing.Later in the hearing, Crockett asked what she described as a hypothetical question about what might violate congressional protocol.“I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said, referring to a decision made by Chair James Comer (R-Ky.). “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blonde bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?” Crockett said, in a veiled barb aimed at Greene.

Marjorie Taylor Greene posts workout video after Jasmine Crockett fundraising dig -- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is defending her “built and strong” physique, after Rep.Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) returned a dig at her appearance during an insult-heavy clash in a House Oversight Committee hearing last week.“Yes my body is built and strong NOT with nips, tucks, plastic, or silicone, but through a healthy lifestyle,” the 49-year-old lawmaker wrote on the social platform X on Monday. Alongside a video of herself repeatedly lifting a weight while Sia’s 2016 hit, “Unstoppable,” played, Greene said, “Soon turning 50 years old, God willing, I will continue to lift, run, swim, play sports, surf, ski, climb and LIVE this life to the fullest and enjoy every single moment!”Greene’s response came days after Thursday night’s House Oversight Committee hearing, when she and Crockett engaged in a heated exchange.“I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading,” Greene told Crockett.Later, in an apparent barb at Greene, Crockett asked what she described as a hypothetical question about what might violate congressional protocol. “I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said, referring to a decision made by Chair James Comer (R-Ky.). “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blonde bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?” Crockett later launched a fundraiser with T-shirts bearing the message: “Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Body.”

Sotomayor admits some Supreme court decisions have driven her to tears --Justice Sonia Sotomayor reflected on her time on the Supreme Court Friday, admitting that some of the high court’s decision have driven her to tears.“There are days that I’ve come to my office after an announcement of a case and closed my door and cried,” Sotomayor said Friday at an event honoring her at Harvard University.“There have been those days. And there likely will be more,” she added in the speech, per the The New York Times.

Trump trial devolves into chaos as judge admonishes defense witness — Former President Trump’s hush money trial devolved into chaos as it barreled toward a close on Monday, with the judge clearing his courtroom after admonishing a witness for improper decorum. Earlier, the dramatic day saw prosecutors rest their case after nearly scrambling to fly in a final witness. It concluded with Trump’s lawyers seeking a dismissal of the charges, which was left unresolved by the judge for now. The drama came in the trial’s final moments, its closing now delayed further than expected this week. Testimony is set to conclude on Tuesday — without Trump expected to take the stand — and closing statements are now expected just after the Memorial Day holiday. The most striking moment of the day came after the defense called to the stand Robert Costello, a former legal advisor to ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen, prosecutors’ star witness who made the hush money payment at the center of the case. The defense brought in Costello to rebut Cohen’s testimony about a pressure campaign to not flip when federal investigators closed in on him in 2018. Tensions quickly boiled over after the witness made audible comments and visually reacted to objections, leading Judge Juan Merchan to abruptly clear the press from the courtroom to discuss “decorum,” the first such time during the trial when proceedings were still underway. “When there is an eyewitness on the stand, if you don’t like a ruling, you don’t say ‘Geez,’” Merchan told Costello before removing the press. “You don’t give me a side eye. You don’t roll your eyes. You understand that?” he later said. Merchan then raised his voice before ordering the court to clear the room. “Are you staring me down?” he asked Costello. Reporters shouted questions as security began to clear the room, with some asking a media lawyer present to object. Officers ushered everyone out, saying that they would explain what happened outside. After a few minutes, reporters were allowed back in without reason. Trump’s entourage of allies were allowed to stay in the courtroom. “A totally conflicted judge who just did something that nobody’s ever seen,” Trump told reporters as he left court for the day. “And the press is not happy, I don’t imagine, they just got thrown out of a courthouse. Nobody’s ever seen anything quite like it.” After the judge allowed the press and jurors back inside, Costello’s questioning resumed. He will return to the stand tomorrow, when he is expected to conclude his testimony early in the morning, likely as the defense’s final witness. Prosecutors rested on Monday after putting 20 witnesses on the stand over roughly four weeks, ending with Cohen, who was considered to be their star witness. Briefly, it seemed as if the prosecution’s case in chief would last another day. They began to scramble to fly in a C-SPAN employee from Indiana so he could retake the stand to introduce photos taken from video of Trump and his bodyguard possibly critical to the case. The hiccup was avoided after the parties reached an agreement. To cap the busy day, Trump’s attorneys made a new motion to dismiss his 34 charges of falsifying business records. It’s not unusual for defense attorneys to seek the dismissal of charges against their client when the prosecution rests and has presented all its evidence. Trump attorney Todd Blanche argued that prosecutors failed to prove that the underlying business records the former president is charged over — 11 invoices Cohen filed to Trump, 12 ledger entries and 11 checks Trump signed for Cohen — were false. He also pushed back on the district attorney’s broader theory of the case, that Trump sought to have negative stories about him stifled to clear his path to the White House in 2016. Blanche insisted that the state’s portrayal of several so-called “catch-and-kill schemes” were not illegal. “How is keeping a false story from the voters criminal?” Blanche said.

Who is Robert Costello, the Donald Trump witness accused of staring down Judge Juan Merchan - All eyes turned to Robert Costello on Monday after he was called to the witness stand in former President Trump’s hush money trial and was quickly admonished by the judge for his courtroom behavior.Minutes after Costello, a former legal adviser to ex-Trump fixer Michael Cohen, took the witness stand Monday, Judge Juan Merchan asked the jurors to leave the courtroom so he couldadmonish Costello over his behavior on the stand. Costello and Merchan shared a tense exchange, and reporters were abruptly asked to leave the courtroom. At one point, Merchan demanded to know if he was being stared down by Costello.The jury and reporters were permitted back inside minutes later without explanation, and Trump’s legal team began questioning Costello.Costello is a former federal prosecutor turned defense lawyer who spent decades in New York’s legal sphere. In 2018, Costello briefly served as an adviser to Cohen as federal prosecutors criminally investigated him and his work on Trump’s behalf.Costello allegedly offered to set up a back channel between Trump and Cohen via former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had just joined Trump’s legal team.Taking the stand last week, Cohen told a New York jury that Costello continued to pressure Cohen with “constant calls” and lengthy emails. Costello was apparently angry when Cohen told him he was speaking to a boutique law firm instead, Cohen testified.Cohen referred to this as a “pressure campaign” from Costello and other Trump allies to remain loyal to the former president amid the FBI investigation. “This was part of the pressure campaign,” Cohen said, “that anyone is lying to you, that you are still regarded, the president still supports you, do not speak, do not listen to what any of the journalists” are saying.“Don’t flip. Don’t speak. Don’t cooperate,” Cohen added.Following the back-and-forth between Costello and Cohen, the two had a falling out, partly due to alleged outstanding legal bills. Costello and the law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron also sued Giuliani last year for an outstanding legal bill balance of more than $1.3 million.

Highlights: Witness testimony finished in Trump hush money trial, setting up closing arguments --Trump’s defense argued that, now that it’s clear that the unlawful means through which the alleged conspiracy was carried out should itself be a criminal violation, the word “willfully” is needed in two places.The government said that the language of New York Election Law 17-152, which is apparently the crime the DA will argue Trump intended to conceal, only discusses “unlawful means” and is not limited to criminal violations.Trump lawyer Emil Bove said there has to be intent that reflects the highest level intent of the object conspiracy, meaning criminal conspiracy must have a criminal object.Bove said that they need the assertion of “willfully” to make clear that the object of the unlawful activity features criminal intent.As the judge mulls these highly complex instructions on the law, it’s worth remembering there are two lawyers on the jury.Some former prosecutors say they are loathe to have lawyers as jurors, fearing they’ll hold the state to a higher standard. But these two jurors were nevertheless empaneled and we won’t know their influence on the deliberations for a while, if ever.Judge Merchan has just ruled that if the jurors find that Trump made or caused business records to be made to conceal a conspiracy to promote his election through unlawful means, the jurors can have different ideas about what those unlawful means are. In other words, the jurors don't have to all agree on what unlawful means Trump employed, but have to agree that he did in fact use some kind of unlawful means to promote his election in 2016.Judge Merchan told the parties that they've gone through all of his concerns about the jury instructions and asked prosecutors and Trump's defense team what they'd like to address.Merchan denied the defense’s request for an instruction that NDAs are not inherently illegal, noting that they have plenty of testimony to that point and can argue it on summation.Trump attorney Emil Bove also asked for an instruction about putting any prejudice against Trump out of their minds, which is based on a similar instruction from the Trump Organization trial, where the organization itself was the defendant, but Trump was not.Merchan would have denied the request, but the District Attorney’s Office offered a modified version with what it said included more neutral language, and Merchan agreed.Trump lawyer Emil Bove is now arguing that they need a limiting instruction about the legitimate purpose of testimony about the "Access Hollywood" tape.This testimony was used to show the impact on Trump of the publication of the tape. Judge Merchan asked the defense to direct him to the transcript pages at issue, but said that for now he agrees with the district attorney’s office that such an instruction is not necessary.Defense attorney Emil Bove is urging Judge Merchan to give an instruction about “the involvement” of counsel, despite the judge’s pre-trial rulings that Trump could not argue that he was convinced of the lawfulness of his conduct because lawyers were involved.Bove argued that the evidence at trial makes it appropriate for them to have an instruction that attorneys were involved because it bears directly on Trump’s intent.Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo reminded Merchan that the issue was litigated previously and that the prosecution didn't open the door to such an instruction, in particular because under New York law, one predicate to obtaining such an instruction is that the defendant himself testifies.

Donald Trump's hush money trial: Highlights from day 20 --The jury is scheduled to be off until next Tuesday — the day after Memorial Day. That’s when Judge Merchan said the defense and prosecution will present their closing arguments. Merchan said he expects closings to take a full day, maybe longer. After that, he said, he’ll instruct jurors in the law for about an hour before sending them to deliberate. He said that could happen as early as next Wednesday.Closings, also known as summations, are the last opportunity for each side to go over the case and attempt to persuade the jury to acquit or convict.Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass is slated to give the prosecution’s closing and is likely to highlight portions of the evidence and testimony that it sees as supporting its case. The defense is likely to remind jurors of the inconsistencies and credibility issues it sees in many of the prosecution’s key witnesses, while also underscoring Trump’s insistence that he is innocent.Since the prosecution has the burden of proof, it will deliver its summation last — the reverse order from opening statements where the prosecution went first.In his remarks to reporters after court wrapped for the day, Trump at several points appeared to be criticizing one of the prosecutors, Matthew Colangelo, though did not name him.Trump is under a gag order that bars him from publicly commenting on prosecutors other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, in addition to witnesses, court staff and the family of Judge Merchan.“Look at the person, look at the person who argued almost the entire case. Where did he come from? He came from Biden,” Trump said.Colangelo is a former Justice Department official who was hired by Bragg to lead the Trump investigation.Later referring to “the man who did all the talking” Trump added: “He wasn’t at the DA’s office… He came in for one reason, and where did he come from? He came from Washington, D.C., the White House and the DOJ. And he argued the case. That means it’s Biden, that means it’s election interference.” Before court adjourned, the judge got stern over what he described as a a “disingenuous” defense effort to raise an argument that had been foreclosed months ago. Bove was asking for a jury instruction that would get at, as he put it, “the fact that this entire trial was based on the word of an attorney who worked for President Trump, and he was entitled to draw some inferences from that” about the legality of various things. The problem, as Judge Merchan saw it? The defense said months ago that it wasn’t going to use what’s known as an advice-of-counsel defense — that a defendant’s conduct was guided by a lawyer’s OK. By deciding against it, the defense didn’t have to waive Trump’s attorney-client privilege or turn over various documents, the judge noted. But, he complained, the defense has since tried to invoke the advice-of-counsel concept under different names, such as “presence of counsel” or “involvement of counsel.” “My answer hasn’t changed, and honestly, I find it disingenuous for you to make the argument at this point,” he told Bove, who started to rise to respond. The judge cut him off: “Please don’t get up. I let you speak,” he said, then added that he wouldn’t give the jury instruction, nor let the defense make such an argument in summations. “I’m not being disingenuous, your honor,” Bove said after the judge concluded those remarks. The discussion went back and forth a few more times before Merchan wrapped it up: “It’s not going to happen. And please don’t raise it again.”

Day 20 of Trump New York hush money trial -- Donald Trump's New York criminal hush money trial has adjourned until next Tuesday when closing arguments are expected. The judge and attorneys met Tuesday afternoon to hash out jury instructions after the defense rested its case in the morning after calling just two witnesses. Trump didn't take the stand, despite repeatedly saying he would be willing to do so. Prosecutors called 20 witnesses, including Trump's ex-attorney Michael Cohen, as they tried to convince jurors that Trump falsified business documents to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.Trump has pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts and denied the affair with Daniels. This is only one of four criminal cases Trump faces while being the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee. This may be the only one with a jury before the November presidential election, and the former president could face jail time if convicted.The court will be dark for a week, a scheduling decision Judge Juan Merchan chose so the final stages of the trial weren’t broken up by a four-day Memorial Day weekend.Merchan told jurors they will return next Tuesday for closing arguments, which are expected to take the whole day. Once the jury gets its instructions, Trump’s fate will be in its hands.Here's a look at what happens next in the trial:

• Closing arguments: Attorneys for the prosecution and defense each give a closing argument appealing to the jury that will soon consider the case. Because they have the burden of proof, prosecutors address the jury first but they also get the last word, so the prosecution will give a rebuttal argument after the defense closing argument.
• Jury instruction or jury charge: The judge instructs the jury as to the charges they must consider against the defendant and the laws governing their deliberations.
• Jury deliberation: A panel of 12 jurors considers the evidence presented at trial and charges against the defendant. The jury must be unanimous in its decision. The jury can communicate with the court and ask questions about the case with the court through handwritten notes.
• Verdict: The jury will notify the court that they’ve reached a verdict. The verdict will then be read in court and jurors will be polled to confirm the verdict read in court reflects their own vote.
• Sentencing: If the jury reaches a guilty verdict, the judge sentences the defendant, typically after a sentencing hearing at a later date.

Trump Defense Rests Without Former President Taking The Stand -- The defense in Donald Trump's 'hush money' trial rested their case on Tuesday without the former president taking the stand, as the historic first criminal trial of a former US president enters its final stage.Trump's decision not to testify may have been a smart move, considering the complete debacle we saw over the past two weeks - between Judge Juan Merchan turning Trump into a free speech martyr with multiple gag orders over milquetoast public statements, and star witness Michael Cohen being "dog walked" through his lies - and finally, admitting he stole from the Trump Organization.Trump's defense team rested their case after calling just two witnesses - a paralegal working with the defense counsel, and former Cohen attorney Robert Costello - whose 'courtroom clearing' interactions with Merchan you can read about below. Authored by Jonathan Turley,Below is my column in the New York Post on the meltdown of Michael Cohen on the stand in the Manhattan trial of former President Donald Trump. In a trial careening out of control, Judge Juan Merchan seemed to be furiously working to just get the matter to the jury as fast as possible. Judge Merchan seems in open denial of the legal farce playing out in his courtroom. He is only the latest person pulled into the vortex of the swirling corruption around Michael Cohen.Here is the column:The completion of the testimony of Michael Cohen left the prosecution of Donald Trump, like its star witness, in tatters. In the final day of cross-examination, Cohen admitted to committing larceny in stealing tens of thousands of dollars from his client. Even more notably, he admitted to the larceny on the stand — after the statute of limitations had passed. There will be no dead felony zapped back into life against Cohen, as it was for Trump.Cohen clearly has found a home for his unique skill as a convicted, disbarred serial perjurer. It was not the first time that prosecutors looked the other way as Cohen admitted to major criminal conduct: In a prior hearing, Cohen admitted under oath that he lied in a previous case where he pleaded guilty to lying.If that is a bit confusing, it was just another day in the life of Michael Cohen, who appears only willing to tell the truth if he has no other alternative.The result is truly otherworldly. You have a disbarred lawyer not only casually discussing lies and uncharged crimes, but prosecutors who proceeded to get him to remind the jury that he is not facing any further criminal charges.If any one of those jurors had stolen tens of thousands of dollars, they would be given a fast trip to the hoosegow.Yet Cohen then matter-of-factly said he plans to run for Congress due to his “name recognition” — the ultimate proof that it does not matter whether you are famous or infamous, so long as they spell your name right.As a legislator, Cohen would have the unique ability to say he will not be corrupted by Congress — because he came to Congress corrupted.While most members wait to take office to commit felonies, Rep. Cohen would show up with a self-affirming criminal record.He could then take one of the few oaths that he has not previously violated as the Honorable Rep. Michael Cohen.At the end of the day, Cohen is the ultimate shining object for prosecutors to use as a distraction from the glaring omissions in their case.Prior witnesses testified that Trump’s payments to Cohen were designated as “legal expenses” not by Trump but by his accounting staff.Moreover, Cohen admitted that he worked for Trump for years in his murky capacity as a fixer. References to payments as a retainer were approved by Allen Weisselberg, a retired executive with the Trump Organization.The “legal expense” label was a natural characterization for a lawyer who was paid monthly and was on-call as Trump’s personal counsel.In any other district, this case would never have been allowed in trial. It certainly now should be facing a directed verdict by the court.Indeed, with any other defendant, a New York jury would be giving a Bronx cheer in derision.Even CNN hosts and experts have admitted that this case would never have been brought against another defendant or in another district.That is what Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is counting on.The biggest problem facing the defense is not the evidence, but the judge: Judge Juan Merchan seems to be channeling George Patton’s warning, “May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.”Merchan has not given any indication that he is seriously considering a directed verdict, which he should clearly grant before this goes to the jury. Merchan’s rulings have largely favored the prosecution, including some rulings that left some of us mystified. Judge Merchan continues to allow the jury to hear references to campaign-finance violations that do not exist. After gutting any use of a legal expert to testify on the absence of any such violations, the judge allowed the jury to hear Michael Cohen state that the payments to Stormy Daniels were clearly campaign violations. All that Merchan would offer is a weak instruction telling jurors not to take such statements as proof of a violation.The alleged campaign-finance violations allowed Cohen to try to implicate Trump. However, it is doubtful that Trump could have been convicted on such a charge in any other venue.It is precisely what the Justice Department tried and failed to do with John Edwards, a Democratic candidate.After that unmitigated failure, the Justice Department dropped this theory of hush money as a campaign contribution.Indeed, after reviewing the Trump payments, not only did the Justice Department decline any charges but the Federal Election Commission did not even seek a civil fine.On Monday, Judge Merchan’s orders became even more inexplicable when Cohen’s former attorney Robert Costello took the stand.Merchan immediately started to sustain a flurry of prosecutors’ objections as Costello basically accused Cohen of multiple acts of perjury.At one point, Costello — one of the most experienced lawyers in New York and a former prosecutor — exclaimed that one of the judge’s rulings was “ridiculous.”The judge chastised Costello and even challenged him:“Are you staring me down?”In fact, it was hard not to stare. What is happening in the courtroom of Judge Juan Merchan is anything but ordinary.

Rep. Stefanik Alleges Major Conflict Of Interest In Trump Trial, Calls For Judge's Recusal - Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has submitted a formal complaint to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, alleging a conflict of interest involving the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s ongoing New York City trial. The complaint, sent on May 21, centers on Acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan’s role in the criminal case against President Trump and the professional activities of Justice Merchan’s daughter on behalf of Democratic politicians. Ms. Stefanik publicly chastised the judge before filing the official complaint. Last week in a statement she stated that Justice Merchan “who donated to Biden and whose adult daughter is raising millions” from the trial “knows he must recuse under New York statute.”“[The] New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct just reprimanded Merchan for his inappropriate political donations in 2020,” she said in a May 17 statement. “America is starting to understand Merchan is a corrupt judge, presiding over blatant Biden Democrat lawfare and election interference against Trump—that is lining his family’s pockets. Merchan has disgraced our justice system in New York.” In her letter to the Commission, Ms. Stefanik highlighted that Justice Merchan presides over the case where President Trump faces a potential 136 years’ imprisonment if convicted. Ms. Stefanik argued that this case has far-reaching implications, not just for President Trump, but for the broader political landscape, as President Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential election.Ms. Stefanik raised concerns about Justice Merchan’s impartiality due to his daughter’s position as president of Authentic Campaigns, a firm representing prominent Democrat politicians and political action committees (PACs).According to the complaint, these clients have capitalized on President Trump’s indictment for fundraising purposes.For instance, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a client of Authentic Campaigns, used the indictment to solicit donations of $10, raising approximately $20 million. Similarly, the Senate Majority PAC raised around $73.6 million following the indictment.

Comey: Trump election interference case ‘much stronger than I imagined’ -- Former FBI Director James Comey weighed in on former President Trump’s criminal hush money case Wednesday, saying it was “much stronger” than he thought.“I wasn’t sure that I would have [brought the case] when I read the indictment, but now having seen the case, I’m not sure — after investigating it — how they wouldn’t bring it,” Comey toldNewsNation’s Dan Abrams on Wednesday. “They had a much stronger case than I imagined.”The former Trump official, who was removed from his post in 2017, also suggested there is an “overwhelming chance” his former boss would be convicted in the case.“There’s an overwhelming chance of a conviction, a significant but much smaller chance of a hung jury and zero chance of an acquittal,” Comey said.The Manhattan trial, the first criminal trial of a sitting or former president, began to wrap upearlier this week, as both sides rested their case Tuesday. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, scheduled closing arguments for next week, and the jury deliberations will follow.The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in relation to reimbursements to his former fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid an adult film actor $130,000 prior to the 2016 election to keep quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006, which he has denied.Comey also criticized Trump in an interview on MSNBC on Tuesday, claiming he thinks the former president is “coming for” the FBI and the Justice Department if he returns to the White House.“Serious for the Justice Department and the FBI, because Trump is coming for those institutions. He knows their power, and I think he has regrets that he didn’t work hard enough to corrupt them last time,” the former FBI official said. “So, he’s coming for them, and that’s a danger for all Americans.”

Additional classified records found in Trump’s bedroom after Mar-a-Lago search -- Additional classified records were discovered in former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bedroom after the FBI search of his Florida estate, court records filed Tuesday reveal. The detail is buried in filings stemming from a separate legal battle as Trump asks a judge to toss his indictment for prosecutorial misconduct, unsealing for the first time many of the records at play as prosecutors presented their case to a D.C. grand jury. That includes a decision from Judge Beryl Howell, who oversaw those proceedings, which indicates Trump was subpoenaed again in January of 2023, prompting his attorneys to later turn over a “mostly empty folder marked ‘Classified Evening Summary.’” She expressed disbelief at how Trump could be unaware of classified records still in his home well after the August 2022 search of his property. “Notably, no excuse is provided as to how the former president could miss the classified-marked documents found in his own bedroom at Mar-a-Lago,” Howell wrote. It’s another remarkable detail in a case where classified records were found in numerous locations that alarmed prosecutors, including a ballroom stage and even a bathroom. The newly unsealed opinion follows a push by special counsel Jack Smith to secure further testimony from Trump attorney Evan Corcoran along with 88 pages of his own records he said were protected by attorney-client privilege. Howell spends ample time reviewing Trump’s legal culpability, including the obstruction of justice charges that would accompany those for willfully retaining classified records. She also reflects on his role in concealing information from his attorney and encouraging his now co-defendant Walt Nauta to return to the storage room boxes they moved to hide them from Corcoran without being caught on camera. “The government urged that this scramble to Mar-a-Lago in the wake of the June 24, 2022 phone call reflects the former president’s realization that the removal of the boxes from the storage room before search was captured on camera—and his attempts to ensure that any subsequent movement of the boxes back to the storage room could occur off-camera,” she wrote. “This theory draws support from the curious absence of any video footage showing the return of the remaining boxes to the storage room.” In a superseding indictment, DOJ accused Trump of ordering the footage deleted, one of 41 different counts he faced in the case.

‘I wanted to send a message’: Democrats break with Warren, Biden on crypto - Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s anti-cryptocurrency crusade is facing pressure from her own party. Dozens of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have broken with her in recent days and supported an effort to undo SEC guidelines that critics say discourage banks from holding digital assets. The Democrats defied not only Warren, but also President Joe Biden, who is threatening to veto the rollback. The rift may grow further next week when the House takes up sweeping, industry-backed legislation to incorporate crypto trading into federal financial regulations. The sudden burst of support, following waves of scandals and the skeptical posture generally taken by the Biden administration, is rattling some Democrats who see looming risks to consumers and the financial system. “It scares the dickens out of me,” said Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois, who, with Warren, has tried to warn colleagues about money laundering risks in the industry. The party’s Capitol Hill clash over crypto policy comes as the issue is becoming more prominent in the 2024 campaign. Former President Donald Trump is courting crypto fans, though they may represent a small minority of the electorate, and signaling that he’d rein in the SEC’s crackdown on the industry. Crypto super PACs are poised to spend more than $80 million to influence control of Congress and secure friendlier policy. It’s leaving Democrats at odds over whether to follow Warren’s push to clamp down on crypto firms or to take a friendlier approach. A total of 32 Democrats voted with Republicans in recent days to send the SEC crypto rollback to Biden’s desk. Lawmakers were motivated by a mix of crypto advocacy, bank lobbying and deep frustration with the SEC under Chair Gary Gensler. Schumer said in a statement that he supported undoing the SEC guidance because “New York State already has a strong law on the books, and they weren’t consulted on this regulation.”This month marks the first time the House and Senate have devoted floor time to standalone crypto bills, giving lawmakers a platform to pick a side. “I wanted to send a message,” Sen. Cory Booker, who was one of 11 Senate Democrats who supported the SEC rollback, said in an interview. “I’m frustrated because we haven’t had a chance to debate any of the real [crypto] bills.” Warren said in an interview Thursday that she is “concerned about anyone in Congress who is not worried about the threat posed by Iran and North Korea and their use of crypto,” but declined to address the differences in her party. House members will have to go on the record again next week. Republicans have scheduled a vote on legislation from Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry and Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson that would divide crypto trading oversight between the SEC and the CFTC. Some Democrats expect even greater bipartisan support.

‘This Is A Big Deal’—Congress Suddenly Hurtling Toward A ‘Crucial’ Crypto Vote That Could Blow Up The Price Of Bitcoin, Ethereum And XRP -- Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies—including major coins ethereum and XRP—are braced for a game-changing vote in Washington next week (even as a Wall Street bitcoin storm is brewing).The bitcoin price has rocketed 10% over the last week, climbing back toward $70,000 per bitcoin and boosting the price of ethereum, XRP and other cryptocurrencies as Twitter founder Jack Dorsey unveils his plan to blow up the bitcoin price. Now, after Shark Tank billionaire Mark Cuban issued a sharp warning to president Joe Biden over crypto, U.S. lawmakers are on the brink of a landmark crypto vote that some of the biggest crypto companies have called "crucial" for the future of the U.S. industry.Next week, House lawmakers will vote on the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, known as Fit21, which would promote the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to a major crypto regulator and carve out which areas of the bitcoin and crypto market are overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).It would also set guardrails against risky behavior and establish consumer protections for the custody of cryptocurrencies and how they should be treated in bankruptcy."By passing this legislation, we can accelerate the growth of blockchain technology and digital assets, fostering financial inclusion and protecting national security," the Crypto Council for Innovation, a coalition of crypto companies and organizations that includes major exchanges Coinbase and Kraken, as well as investor Andreessen Horowitz and the sprawling Digital Currency Group crypto empire, wrote in an open letter to lawmakers. "It is crucial for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in financial innovation."Some crypto companies have threatened to abandon the U.S. entirely due to the lack of clear crypto rules and regulations, with industry leaders complaining there is no permitted route to market for crypto financial products.This week, Congress overturned a crypto accounting policy from the SEC that had prevented the likes of Wall Street's biggest banks and similarly tightly regulated financial companies from custodying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, with the resolution winning support from a dozen Democrats despite president Joe Biden's promise to vote it if it reaches his desk."This is a big deal," Noelle Acheson, author of the Crypto is Macro Now newsletter, wrote in a note. "At the risk of buying too much into the crypto echo chamber glee, this does feel like a political signal that suggests a deepening divide in the Democratic party."President Biden now has around ten days to veto the bill or sign it off once it reaches his desk. If he fails to veto it, it would pass into law without his signature.

Coinbase adds former Rep. Kendrick Meek as House tees up crypto vote -Former Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) is joining Coinbase’s global advisory council, the cryptocurrency trading giant first told The Hill. Meek’s addition to the council comes ahead of the House vote on the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21). FIT21 would make major changes to the regulation of digital assets including crypto, notably expanding the jurisdiction of the Commodity Future Trading Commission to regulate most cryptocurrencies as commodities. While the bill received bipartisan support in the House Agriculture and Financial Services committees last summer, it will need Democratic support as it heads to the House floor later this month. Meek represented Florida’s 17th Congressional District from 2003-11 and was a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus. He also served as chair of the board of directors of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Coinbase estimates around 52 million Americans own crypto, with 41 percent identifying as “racially diverse.” “As we work to address the compounding economic stressors of the traditional financial system, digital assets offer new opportunities to address the systemic issues that have plagued our financial system and failed too many Americans. And for Black and Hispanic Americans and other underserved communities, the need for a more equitable and inclusive financial system has never been more urgent,” Meek said. The former congressman joins a star-studded council of Washington insiders. Last November, Coinbase added former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and other policy heavyweights to the global advisory council, which launched last May. Its inaugural members included former Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.) and former Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.). Maloney left the council earlier this year. “I’m looking forward to using my seat on the Council to support American leadership in shaping the future of digital assets and building in protections for vulnerable communities,” Meek said.

House passes bill to create new cryptocurrency framework despite pushback from Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler -The House passed legislation Wednesday laying out a new framework for when cryptocurrencies should be regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The lower chamber voted 279-136 to pass the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT 21), despite opposition from SEC Chair Gary Gensler. Seventy-one Democrats joined 208 Republicans to support the measure. FIT 21 would classify digital assets, like crypto, as commodities regulated by the CFTC if the blockchain on which they run is “functional and decentralized.” If their blockchain is “functional but not decentralized,” they would be considered securities and fall under the purview of the SEC. Gensler argued in a statement Wednesday that the legislation would “create new regulatory gaps and undermine decades of precedent regarding the oversight of investment contracts.” “The crypto industry’s record of failures, frauds, and bankruptcies is not because we don’t have rules or because the rules are unclear,” the SEC chair said ahead of the House vote. “It’s because many players in the crypto industry don’t play by the rules.” “We should make the policy choice to protect the investing public over facilitating business models of noncompliant firms,” he added. Gensler noted that FIT 21 would abandon the Supreme Court’s long-standing test for classifying securities and would allow issuers to self-certify that their products are decentralized, making them digital commodities and removing them from SEC oversight. This would allow much of the crypto industry to operate under “a light touch regulatory regime” with the CFTC, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, argued on the House floor Wednesday. “This is a bill where the crypto companies decided they didn’t like the SEC, they did not want to be regulated, and they were going to come to the Congress of the United States, and they were going to use their power and they were going to use their employees to change the rules of the game,” Waters said. Gensler is an unpopular figure in the industry due to his frequent enforcement actions against crypto companies and his hesitation to approve new crypto-based assets. The SEC ultimately approved several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) holding bitcoin in January, but only after a federal court found that the agency improperly rejected an application for a spot bitcoin ETF

Crypto's 'huge moment' scrambling US politics - Cryptocurrency is used by a fraction of the American electorate. But it’s starting to have an outsize impact on U.S. politics and policy.The crypto industry won several eye-catching victories this month that showcased its growing influence on the levers of power in Washington — something that’s poised to expand as it prepares to spend more than $80 million on the 2024 elections. The wins come as the Federal Reserve saidthis week that only 7 percent of adults held or used crypto last year, a decline of 5 percentage points from 2021.Crypto-friendly legislation moving through Congress in the last two weeks drew a surprising level of bipartisan support, surfacing household names such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House SpeakerNancy Pelosi as unexpected allies, while suggesting that crypto skeptics like Sen. Elizabeth Warren may soon be isolated on the issue. Amid the rift, the Biden administration signaled a new willingness to work on policy that the industry has long sought. Meanwhile, the industry’s super PACs have made progress in boosting allies — including by helping crypto-friendly Democrats win primaries.Republicans who were already aligning themselves with the crypto world are leaning into the embrace even further. Former President Donald Trump is increasingly pledging to support the interests of digital asset traders, and he’s starting to accept campaign contributions in crypto.“It’s a huge moment for the crypto industry in the United States,” said David McIntosh, a former Republican lawmaker who leads the crypto-friendly conservative group Club for Growth.The sudden burst of support for an industry with a relatively small base of users is the culmination of a yearslong effort to win legitimacy — and lighter-touch regulatory treatment — in Washington. The push, which is now backed by tens of millions of dollars in political spending funded by crypto executives and investors, is proving to be resilient in the face of major scandals that have sent industry leaders to prison and highlighted risks in what critics deride as the “Wild West” of finance.It’s all starting to scramble U.S. politics, especially for Democrats.“I feel like I did this before the 2008 crash,” Warren said in an interview. “I kept saying that failure to regulate a multibillion-dollar industry will not end well. I still feel that way.”

Ethereum price rallies above $3.1K after unexpected regulatory victory - Ether price rose by 5.5% on May 17, nearing $3,100 for the first time in 10 days. Analysts attributed this rally to a decrease in demand for fixed-income instruments following stagnant United States retail sales data in April. This data increased the market’s expectation of a potential interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve to boost the economy. Expansionary measures by the central bank are typically seen as bullish for risk-on markets, whether due to an increased monetary supply or reduced credit costs for businesses and individuals. Investors sought exposure to scarce assets, including cryptocurrencies, leading to gold reaching $2,410, just 0.8% below its all-time high. Ether’s surge was also driven by a U.S. Department of Justice indictment unsealed on May 15. The indictment accused two individuals of wire fraud and money laundering by manipulating the Ethereum blockchain. The document stated that “Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain […] without the need for a trusted intermediary” and added, “No central actor runs the Ethereum Network.” Additionally, the court noted that Ethereum smart contracts enable transactions without a trusted intermediary. These statements boosted Ether investors’ confidence, especially after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a Wells notice to the trading platform Robinhood on May 4 over alleged securities violations related to crypto listings and custodian operations.According to Orlando Cosme, founder and CEO of Lexproof, such a verdict contradicts regulators’ classification of ETH as a security, “as there would be no management or entrepreneurial efforts of others.” While this analysis does not change the approval odds of U.S. spot Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs), it certainly lifted investors’ spirits. The U.S. SEC is expected to provide its final ruling on VanEck’s spot Ether ETF request on March 23 and rule on the conversion of Grayscale’s ETHE fund by June 18. Although analysts predict approval odds below 35%, the regulators’ case for classifying Ether as a security instrument has weakened, which might have contributed to the rally above $3,050 on May 17. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko praised Ethereum’s network security, highlighting how coordinating “an invalid state transition or double spend attack” would be nearly impossible. In a May 17 post, Yakovenko added that layer-2 scaling reduced costs without compromising security due to the network’s large number of validators and operators. In short, investors realized that whatever setbacks Ethereum faced, including high transaction fees and its lackluster efforts to increase scalability, were, in fact, decisions that prioritized security and decentralization. Meanwhile, competitors Solana and BNB Chain opted for solutions that allowed a higher processing capacity, regardless of the merits of increasing dependency on fewer entities.

US SEC approves exchange applications to list spot ether ETFs (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday approved applications from Nasdaq, CBOE and NYSE to list exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to the price of ether, potentially paving the way for the products to begin trading later this year. While the ETF issuers also have to get the green light before the products can launch, Thursday's approval is a major surprise win for those firms and the cryptocurrency industry, which until Monday had expected the SEC to reject the filings. Nine issuers including VanEck, ARK Investments/21Shares and BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab hope to launch ETFs tied to the second-largest cryptocurrency after the SEC in January approved bitcoin ETFs in a watershed moment for the industry. “This is an exciting moment for the industry at large," said Andrew Jacobson, vice president and head of legal at 21Shares, noting it was "a significant step" towards getting the products trading. Thursday was the deadline for the SEC to decide on VanEck's filing. Market participants were bracing for the thumbs-down because the SEC had not engaged with them on the applications. But in a surprise move, SEC officials on Monday asked the exchanges to quickly fine-tune the filings, sending the industry scrambling to complete weeks of work in just days, sources said. Reuters could not ascertain why the SEC appeared to have a change of heart. “The introduction of spot bitcoin ETFs has already demonstrated significant benefits for the digital assets and ETF space, and we believe that spot ether ETFs will similarly provide safeguards for U.S. investors," said Rob Marrocco, global head of ETP listings at Cboe Global Markets. Nasdaq and NYSE declined to comment. When asked about the ether ETFs by reporters at an industry event earlier on Thursday, SEC Chair Gary Gensler - a crypto skeptic - declined to comment. An SEC spokesperson said in an email announcing the approval that the agency would not comment further. The exchange applications had sought SEC approval for a rule change required to list new products, but the issuers still need the SEC to approve ETF registration statements detailing investor disclosures before they can start trading. Unlike the exchange filings, there is no set time frame in which the SEC has to decide on those statements. Industry participants said it was unclear how long that would take. Two sources familiar with the process said many issuers are ready to launch, but the corporate finance division of the SEC has indicated it is likely to request changes and updates in the coming days and weeks. The SEC rejected spot bitcoin ETFs for more than a decade over market manipulation worries but was forced to approve them after Grayscale Investments won a court challenge last year.

2 arrested for allegedly laundering over $73 million in cryptocurrency scams - Two people, including a Los Angeles County resident, were arrested for allegedly laundering over $73 million through cryptocurrency scams. The suspects were identified as Yicheng Zhang, 38, from Temple City and Daren Li, 41, a dual citizen of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The pair is accused of playing leading roles in managing an international syndicate that laundered money from cryptocurrency investment scams, also known as “pig butchering.” “Pig-butchering involves scammers establishing trust with a victim before convincing them to invest in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme,” federal officials explained. “Often the victim is enticed to make additional payments before realizing they are a victim of fraud. The ‘butchering’ or ‘slaughtering’ occurs once the victim’s assets, or funds, are stolen by the criminal. Perpetrators behind these schemes are often located overseas.” Victims of Li and Zhang were convinced to transfer millions of dollars into U.S. bank accounts that were opened using the names of shell companies, authorities said. Those companies’ sole purpose was to help launder fraud proceeds. Once the victims sent money to the shell companies, the pair monitored the lower-level co-conspirators who transferred the funds overseas into bank accounts at Deltec Bank in The Bahamas, court documents said. Funds were also transferred to other domestic and foreign accounts along with cryptocurrency platforms to conceal the money’s original source. Through this scheme, the duo allegedly laundered over $73 million. The money was then converted into the cryptocurrency USDT, or Tether and sent to virtual asset wallets. One cryptocurrency wallet involved in the scheme received more than $341 million in virtual assets, investigators said. “Communications revealed extensive coordination to facilitate the international money laundering, including chats discussing the commission structure for the network, the various shell companies used, victim information, and at least one video from a conspirator calling a U.S. financial institution,” court documents added. Both Li and Zhang were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and six counts of international money laundering. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison on each count. On May 17, Zhang pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains in federal custody. A detention hearing is scheduled for May 21 and a trial is scheduled for July 9. Li, who a federal magistrate judge has ordered jailed without bond, is scheduled for arraignment on May 20.

GOP tees up crypto vote with hopes of Democratic support --— The House will vote on one of its signature crypto bills on Wednesday, a significant step forward after months of effort from House Financial Services Committee Republicans who have hoped to make a crypto regulatory structure a hallmark of their time leading the committee. The bill's text, which has been hashed out between the House Financial Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, is largely concerned with delineating authorities between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and establishes a criteria by which the agencies can determine which of them would oversee various digital assets.But importantly for banks, it would prohibit the SEC from regulating crypto custody agreements, as banks have complained the agency effectively prohibited it in its Staff Accounting Bulletin 121. Specifically, the bill would bar the SEC from requiring or taking any supervisory action that would cause a bank to record a crypto asset held in custody on the institution's balance sheet "except that cash held for a third party by such institution that is commingled with the general assets of such institution." It would also prevent the SEC from requiring that banks hold additional regulatory capital against assets in custody or safekeeping. Zachary Zweihorn, a partner with law firm Davis Polk, said the bill would create much-needed legislative certainty around at least some aspects of the cryptocurrency market and would give banks a clear basis for becoming service providers to that industry. "As a supervisory matter, banking regulators have been hesitant about banks engaging in digital asset activities given the regulatory uncertainties and risks inherent in the market," Zweihorn said. "Passage of a comprehensive federal regulatory regime for digital asset activities could reduce the risks that supervisors see as presented by the industry, eventually making them more comfortable with the asset class."Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., one of the lead sponsors of the legislation, said in an interview that banking regulators sought clarity in the legislation after the SEC didn't consult them before releasing the accounting bulletin. "The Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 on custody which was not reviewed with the bank regulators, was not reviewed with Treasury and was not consulted with anybody and actually took custody completely in the wrong direction," Hill said. "Not consistent with custody rules that have been longstanding."The bank regulators have sought clarity here for custody," he added.

Are central banks about to become centers of crypto innovation? The Bank for International Settlements, or BIS, held its fourth innovation summit in Basel Switzerland. An invitation-only audience representing central banks, regulators, policymakersand industry leaders gathered over three days to discuss ways of navigating rapid innovation in the global financial system. BIS General Manager Agustin Carstens, formerly the governor of Mexico's central bank, opened the summit by calling for both measured steps and giant leaps as central banks rise to the occasion of meeting technology risks and opportunities head on — under the long shadow of Big Tech digital currency projects and the ceaseless rise of crypto. Since 2019, the sentiment among central bankers for so-called central bank digital currenciesshifted from negative to positive — spurred in no small measure by the failed Facebook-backed Libra project. Today, more than 134 countries representing 98% of global GDP are in some degree of experimentation with publicly issued digital money. The challenge, however, especially in democratic societies from which central banks derive their trust and authority, is that people are not so quick to sanction potentially privacy-eroding forms of money. There are certainly other considerations in the case against CBDCs, but one thing is often overlooked, which is that CBDC development and sound digital asset policies may advance in lockstep. For example, winning a fierce digital currency space race hinges on unleashing a rules-based free market, rather than constraining it. Indeed, in the U.S., the political fault lines have grown thornier, with a number of anti-CBDC bills making the rounds, and Republican presidential candidates vowing to stop these innovations outright. Central bankers, however, like their banking and payment system peers in the private sector, are adaptive. This adaptation was on display in Basel and includes a broad focus on what Mr. Carstens and Indian tech titan Nandan Nilekani have called a "finternet," which borrows from earlier analogies of an internet of value powered by open blockchain networks.In calling for a "finternet" (a contraction of the words financial and internet), much of the conversation in Basel, along with a round of new BIS Innovation Hub projects, has been about prototyping unified shared ledgers. It is important to note that a blockchain by any other name is still a blockchain and a Google spreadsheet on Amazon's cloud is not the same thing as ethereum-based open networks, which promote universal access, competition, composability, programmability and resilience — presumably all features of said finternet. This idea of financial shareware borrows heavily from existing global scale blockchain-based financial services, which have seen trillions of dollars of economic activity supported around a host of conventional banking, payments and capital markets use cases — many of which have been traditionally enshrined in analog or "brick-and-mortar" systems. In short, the internet of value is already here, even if the transition from dial-up to broadband has not been linear.One of the challenges banks have in particular, hence the notion of a unified shared ledger, is how their primary regulators have forced them to take a permission versus forgiveness approach in leveraging existing open blockchains and related novel technologies. This is a miss for both banks and central banks, who under the guise of prudential risk management have forced banks to refrain from using open technologies that can not only level the competitive field, but are in line with many broad central banking objectives such as open banking, faster payments or cyber resilience. Moreover, unified shared ledgers as a concept labor under two primary risks — namely geopolitics, in which you do not weaponize a currency, but rather the rails upon which it rides, and fierce competition in banking and payments, for which "coopetition" is unlikely to gain scale.Thus, for the finternet to gain any real traction, important policy questions have to be asked and answered. Foremost among them is the question of broadening the definition of what it means to be a bank. Today, it is nearly impossible to discern the boundary where "fin" ends and "tech" begins in modern banking. This is so because consumers, businesses, markets and the economy writ large demand that banks go well beyond their traditional confines. There are few viable ways of modernizing banking unless prudential regulators and ultimately central banks, whose usually steady and invisible hands promote more open, rules-based competition that is truly risk-adjusted, activity-based and technology-neutral. All too often, however, incumbent protection in the spirit of financial stability has the insidious effect of blocking potentially useful challenger innovations, while creating disadvantages for smaller or midsize players — all of whom face the moral hazard in banking that if any bank fails, all banks face an erosion of confidence requiring a taxpayer-borne backstop. Meanwhile, penurious capital charges even related to the cash corresponding to digital assets on a bank's balance sheet, are narrowing the core role for banks to be the underwriters of innovation and critical counterparties to technology competitiveness.The work carried out by the BIS Innovation Hub under the leadership of the stoic pro-innovation Cecilia Skingsley, formerly the deputy governor of the Sveriges Riksbank (the world's oldest continuously running central bank), should be encouraged — especially if banks and nonbanks are invited into the laboratory. Soon there will be seven BIS-sponsored innovation centers around the world, serving as a veritable skunk works for rapid prototyping and analysis of emerging technologies impacting the financial system. From AI to quantum computing to the inevitable rationalization of crypto assets into the regulatory perimeter, evolving the BIS into a center of excellence for responsible innovation may be a tall order, but the commitment to innovation appears sincere. The BIS, perhaps more so than any other global organization, is well placed to mend often acrimonious relationships between banks and nonbanks. After all, completing unfinished work in the financial system is a shared objective.

House passes bill barring Federal Reserve from issuing digital dollar --The House passed a bill Thursday barring the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) unless it has explicit authorization from Congress. The CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act passed the chamber by a 216-192 vote, almost entirely along partisan lines. The move is largely symbolic, as the Fed has not put forward plans to issue a CBDC and has repeatedly emphasized that it would not move forward without congressional approval. Even so, Republicans, including former President Trump, have voiced concerns about potential government misuse of a CBDC. A CBDC is a digital version of a currency issued by a central bank. In the U.S., this would entail the Fed issuing a digital dollar that could be used the same way as a regular dollar. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who introduced the legislation, has argued that a digital dollar “could give the federal government the ability to surveil Americans’ transactions and choke out politically unpopular activity.” Emmer’s views on the issue track closely with those of Trump, who has vowed to block the creation of a CBDC if reelected. “As your president, I will never allow the creation of a central bank digital currency,” Trump, who is now the presumptive GOP nominee, said at a rally in New Hampshire in January. “Such a currency would give a federal government, our federal government, the absolute control over your money,” he added at the time. “They could take your money. You wouldn’t even know it was gone. This would be a dangerous threat to freedom.” However, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, argued on the House floor Thursday that banning CBDCs “directly threatens the primacy of the U.S. dollar.” “There is nothing inherent about a CBDC that would compromise privacy — that is a design feature that is within our control,” she added. “This bill is, instead, an attempt to stifle U.S. innovation and competitiveness abroad, and to undermine the federal agency that is the most critical to fighting inflation.”

Why bankers should be more worried about stablecoin legislation | American Banker — One of the few pieces of legislation that could actually pass through Congress into law poses an existential risk to bankers, experts said. Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate — and on both sides of the aisle — have spent the last several years negotiating legislation that's meant to set up a regulatory framework for stablecoins. Although multiple proposals are floating around Capitol Hill, the most prominent candidate is the yet-unreleased bill from Reps. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., respectively the chairman and the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. The chances of this advancing beyond the House committee stage got an additional boost earlier this month as Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and a longtime skeptic of crypto legislation, signaled some willingness to consider a stablecoin bill if it was packaged together with a cannabis banking bill. There's multiple avenues for that package to be considered, including an upcoming must-pass defense spending bill, according to three committee sources familiar with discussions. Other crypto legislation is scheduled to receive a vote in the House this week. But the proposal, along with another one from Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., could help big tech companies uncomfortably blur the lines between banking and commerce, and pose risk to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s Deposit Insurance Fund, multiple experts said. Concerns about crypto's potential impact to the DIF center around the idea that stablecoin issuers, similar to banks, are essentially taking consumer deposits. Stablecoins, which often hold reserves as collateral in order to maintain a one-to-one peg and keep the value of the digital asset stable, are thus positioned as an alternative to a traditional deposit account and, experts fear they would be treated as such under forthcoming legislation but without the same safety and soundness protections that traditional bank accounts have. "Banks are key parts of the payment system, and stablecoins threaten to undermine that in a frankly less safe manner for depositors," said Todd Phillips, a bank regulation law professor at Georgia State University. "I don't understand why bankers haven't stood up and really started fighting this." A pervasive question that any stablecoin bill, according to multiple experts in banking law, should address what happens if a stablecoin experiences a run and fails. Unlike banks, which pay into the Deposit Insurance Fund so the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. can resolve the institution and insure consumer deposits, stablecoin issuers would have no such obligation under any of the released proposals. "All of these bills in one way, shape or form — explicitly or implicitly — are going to end up providing the stablecoin industry with some kind of support from the government," said Hilary Allen, a bank law professor and associate dean for scholarship at American University. The Lummis-Gillibrand bill directly requires the FDIC to resolve a stablecoin issuer should it experience insolvency, but does not require stablecoin issuers to pay into the Deposit Insurance Fund.

What's holding back cryptocurrency payments? - Cryptocurrency use as a retail payment instrument is still limited, accounting for just 3% of total payments within any country between 2021 and 2023, according to Deutsche Bank Research estimates. However, as a means of improving cross-border transfers, crypto payments use cases are winning favor, particularly for stablecoins, which tie their value to that of a government-issued currency. However, a lack of regulation deters banks from adopting crypto technology for this purpose or any other.Wells Fargo, for example, is evaluating crypto technology for potential transactional, transparency, and settlement innovations, but it doesn't accept crypto assets in deposit, custodial, or other accounts, said Arushi Joshi, Wells Fargo's head of distributed ledger and digital assets center of excellence. "Before we get significantly involved, we need to see a clear, cohesive regulatory framework defining cryptocurrencies as financial instruments," Joshi said.The U.S. currently lacks uniform nationwide licensing requirements for crypto exchanges, which are required to obtain money transmitter licenses in any state where they operate. The U.S. has no equivalent to the European Union's electronic money institution licensing regime, which requires nonbanks to safeguard funds they hold on behalf of customers. Currently, the state with the most stringent crypto regulations is New York, where the New York State Department of Financial Services operates the BitLicense regime."Banks are cracking open the door to the benefits that cryptocurrencies could bring to the industry," said Keith Raymond, principal analyst for insurance at U.S.-based Celent. Examples include processing payments, providing escrow services, facilitating international cash transactions, and making loans in cryptocurrency, he said."However, regulatory concerns, volatility, and the crypto market's evolving nature pose challenges," he said.

Sharing information is the best defense against AI-enabled fraud | American Banker --Recently the Treasury Department issued an ominous report warning banks they are at risk of emerging artificial intelligence fraud threats. The culprit, Treasury says, is a failure to collaborate. The report warns that lenders are not sharing "fraud data with each other to the extent that would be needed to train anti-fraud AI models."This report should be a wake-up call. As any fraud-fighting veteran knows, combating fraud is a perpetual arms race, and generative AI has destabilized the status quo. The same technology that helps people write song lyrics, plan vacations, draw pictures or improve their software coding is now being used to commit financial fraud. An aspiring fraudster can now purchase an AI chatbot on the dark web, called Fraud GPT, to create phishing emails and phony landing pages.According to the Treasury report, new AI technologies are "lowering the barrier to entry for attackers, increasing the sophistication and automation of attacks, and decreasing time-to-exploit." And Treasury is right to point out that lenders need to collaborate to ward off these attacks. While they offer few solutions on how lenders should collaborate, the logical place to look is fintechs.Despite advancements in AI for transaction monitoring, financial institutions share little in the way of fraud data, undermining efforts to combat crimes including check fraud. B2B fintechs are already building platforms that allow lenders to see emerging patterns as well as fraud threats outside their portfolio. It took companies like FICO and its Falcon software to corral transaction fraud. I worked at ID Analytics in the early 2000s when we created a consortium of identity information with major lenders to turn the tide on identity fraud. Today's fintechs hope to repeat these successes.Just in the past few years, several fintechs including Experian, Early Warning, InformedIQ andSardine have constructed fraud consortia. So, how can lenders help these efforts and benefit? Partner with these fintechs where it makes the most sense to your business.Collaboration is critical to building datasets large enough to see emerging AI-generated fraud trends, to identify the subtle anomalies in financial data and documents that indicate manipulation and to have a global view of applicant behavior.Bankers should look for a consortium partner who has a solution relevant to your fraud risk that is built on data that you can't easily acquire elsewhere. If you're a large bank, you want to share data with your peers, and also at credit unions, and small-dollar lenders. If you're a smaller player, you definitely want to tap into broader industry sources. Fraudsters tend to rinse and repeat. Fraud tools come in a variety of guises such as identity fraud, account takeover, insider fraud, first party fraud, document fraud and income fraud. So, also think about your business priorities and which fraud prevention solution closes needed gaps.Is the consortium sufficiently large to solve a piece of your problem? If a fintech doesn't have sufficient volume to justify your participation, what is their pathway to get there?How does it stack up against competitors in the same space? If a company's data mirrors another's solution, you should assess whether there is value to participating in both groups. To some degree, this is less important because it's OK to layer fraud solutions on top of each other.How good are the technical chops of the organization you are working with? Take a hard look at its tech stack. Fraud is constantly dynamic. You want a team that can react as emergent AI fraud risks branch off into new directions.And finally, carefully review the compliance controls the fintech has in place to manage the consortia. Just as lenders are stewards of customer data, fintechs are the stewards of your data. Make sure the fintech has adequate controls in place, is trustworthy and understands its obligations.

Big banks face intensifying political pressure over Zelle fraud - Executives from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo are expected to testify this summer before a U.S. Senate panel that has spent much of the last year examining fraud on the Zelle payments network. At the upcoming hearing, the big banks are likely to face one key question: To what extent, if at all, should banks be financially responsible in situations where consumers authorize Zelle payments to fraudsters?Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. In 2022, customers of JPMorgan, BofA and Wells submitted claims reflecting a combined total of $456 million lost to scams and fraud on Zelle, according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who chairs the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.Nearly three-quarters of those losses were never repaid by the three banks, Blumenthal said during a hearing Tuesday, though he did not provide a breakdown of the share of losses that were authorized by the victim. Blumenthal is focusing on JPMorgan, Wells and BofA because they accounted for 73% of all Zelle transactions last year.During Tuesday's hearing, which featured the testimony of consumers who were fraud victims, Blumenthal argued that the big banks are not doing enough to protect their customers."Time and again, Zelle and the big banks have said that they couldn't help. What they mean is they wouldn't help," he said.The subcommittee opened its inquiry into Early Warning Services, the bank-owned company that operates the Zelle network, in June 2023. JPMorgan, BofA and Wells are the largest of the seven banks that own Early Warning. Altogether, roughly 2,100 banks and credit unions offer Zelle to their customers.On Tuesday, Blumenthal described the subcommittee's inquiry as bipartisan, and the panel's top Republican, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, voiced his support for holding a hearing with executives from the banks.But Johnson also expressed skepticism that banks should be held responsible for losses in situations where their customers get tricked into sending money to fraudsters. He noted that Zelle payments — unlike credit card transactions, which offer greater fraud protection — do not generate revenue. "This is a different system. Again, we need to be concerned about scams and fraud. But there's a fair amount of responsibility on the part of the users to try to prevent that," Johnson said.

Flash-Crash Backlash: Citi Fined $79 Million For London Trader's 2022 European Market 'Fat Finger' While much of the world was still snoring in the post-labor day hangover on May 2nd of 2022 - and markets were even more devoid of liquidity than usual - early in the morning Europe's stock market suddenly puked following a flash-crash in Stockholm, which as we reported at the time was sparked by some shitty math by a London-based Citi index trader. The flash-crash was caused by "an inputting error", according to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - or what most of us call a 'fat finger' - which at the time reportedly cost the bank around $50 million.The trader had intended to sell a basket of equities valued at $58 million but made an error while inputting the order that resulted in a basket valued at $444 billion being created instead, according to the FCA.Today, the costs of 'fat fingers' increased further as Citigroup was fined £61.6 million ($79 million) (the FCA fined Citigroup £27.77 million for the blunder, while the Prudential Regulatory Authority saddled the bank with a £33.88 million penalty), stating that the bank's systems were poorly designed and its real-time monitoring was "ineffective."“Some primary controls were absent or deficient,” the FCA said in its statement.“In particular, there was no hard block that would have rejected this large erroneous basket of equities in its entirety and prevented any of it reaching the market.”"Due to poor design, the trader was also able to manually override a pop-up alert, without being required to scroll down and read all the alerts within it," the FCA added. "These failings led to over a billion pounds of erroneous orders being executed and risked creating a disorderly market," said Steve Smart, the FCA's co-head of enforcement and market oversight.

TD's U.S. expansion plans called into question amid regulatory troubles -TD Bank Group executives are struggling to answer questions from Wall Street about whether the company's ambitious growth plans in the United States will be thwarted by its sizable anti-money-laundering troubles.In a quarterly earnings call with analysts on Thursday, TD executives vowed to overhaul safeguards against money laundering in the bank's U.S. division. But they couldn't give firm guidance on whether the Canadian company's U.S. branch expansion plans, announced last year, are now mostly off the table."I know that there's a lot of questions about what we can and cannot do," Leo Salom, who heads TD's U.S. retail bank, said on the company's earnings call. "The one thing that I will commit to this group is as soon as we're in a position to provide greater clarity on those, we will certainly do that."The comments highlight the massive regulatory uncertainty facing the Toronto-based bank, whose U.S. arm bills itself as America's most convenient bank. The bank has set aside $450 million to begin covering its legal tab and spent $500 million to overhaul systems that proved convenient to money launderers.Executives did not say Thursday how much the bank expects to spend in connection with its regulatory woes, but outside estimates have ranged as high as $2 billion.Investors are also concerned about a "stagnation of the U.S. franchise" as TD works out of its regulatory troubles, Bank of America analyst Ebrahim Poonawala said during the earnings call.

RESPA, HMDA violation fines hit Arkansas' Bank of England - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ordered the bank to pay a $1.5 million civil money penalty, and its ex-workers to pay a combined $263,500, it announced Friday. Among numerous infractions, originators in one office misled Department of Veterans Affairs refinance loan applicants to believe they could skip two months of mortgage payments. "Veterans and their families who were deceived into refinancing their VA loans were overcharged and did not receive the loan products promised, resulting in significant consumer harm," said Mark Pearce, the FDIC's division of depositor and consumer protection director, in a press release. The lender also lured borrowers with low loan prices that were raised prior to closing, according to the FDIC. The bank has made $1.9 million in remediation payments to over 900 consumers. A representative for the Bank of England didn't respond to a request for comment Monday. The sizable retail lender headquartered southeast of Little Rock offers conventional, government-sponsored, jumbo and home equity loans. It reported 324 registered mortgage loan originators at the end of 2023, according to consumer Nationwide Multistate Licensing System records, and lists 13 branches.The Bank of England violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act by entering paid co-marketing arrangements and desk rental agreements with real estate brokers, the regulator said. It also had RESPA violations with brokers in an undisclosed number of reverse mortgage transactions. In addition, the depository also didn't provide consumers with firm offers of credit in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and failed to report accurate data on its 2021 loan application in violation of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. Employees including former branch and sales managers were hit with various fines, with two branch managers paying $110,000 and $100,000 civil money penalties, respectively. The lender also agreed to a consent order last August with the FDIC, in which it must implement compliance controls, training guidelines and audit practices and submit quarterly reports to the FDIC.

Comerica reaches governance agreement with OCC over compliance issues | American Banker— Dallas-based Comerica Bank & Trust Thursday entered into an enforcement action with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency following the agency's findings of unsafe and unsound practices at the bank, particularly in its risk governance framework and internal controls. As part of this agreement, Comerica's board will establish a compliance committee and demonstrate to the OCC that it has implemented an adequate board oversight and corporate governance program as well as a comprehensive data management plan to ensure accurate reporting of financial transactions.The bank is required to establish plans to enhance financial data collection and regulatory reporting, with independent reviews to ensure accuracy and compliance. Comerica must also develop an effective program managing third-party risks, strengthen its internal controls, revise its internal audit program to ensure comprehensive, independent evaluations of its operations and provide the board and management with insights into the sufficiency of its internal control systems. Additionally, Comerica will implement a program to mitigate risks associated with end-of-life IT assets, which includes policies for managing existing and new technology assets, conducting risk assessments and planning for upgrading or replacing outdated systems.This agreement comes as Comerica was reportedly under investigation by the OCC late last year after it overdrew its own accounts by millions of dollars due to a technological update gone awry. The incident triggered significant disruptions and highlighted deficiencies in the bank's technology management, an episode the agreement mentions as illustrative of the challenges at the bank.

Uninsured bank on track for Fed master account approval — A Connecticut de novo bank focused on banknote distribution is on track to become the first uninsured institution to secure direct access to Federal Reserve financial services since the central bank revamped its approval process two years ago.Greenwich-based Numisma Bank received conditional approval for a so-called master account and cash services through the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in March, a company spokesman confirmed Thursday. Once the conditions are met, it would become the first "Tier 3" applicant to secure a master account under the Fed's three-tiered evaluation framework, a development that has frustrated other de novo applicants and drawn questions from others in the industry.Michele Alt, a partner at the consulting firm Klaros Group, said the public is owed an explanation about how the New York Fed arrived at its decision. She added that Numisma's affiliation with former Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles — whose private equity firm Cynosure Group owns a share of the bank — is further cause for transparency. "This is a bad look for the Fed," Alt said. "I think there is pressure to share the distinguishing features of the Numisma application and I also think there will be significant pressure on the Fed to approve other Tier 3s that meet whatever criteria the Fed found persuasive about Numisma's applications."

BankThink: The NYCB-Signature deal was a spectacular regulatory failure | American Banker -- The decision to allow New York Community Bancorp's Flagstar Bank to buy Signature Bank spectacularly failed the American people for many reasons. Although much of the reporting to date has focused on NYCB's commercial real estate loan exposures, which certainly increased the bank's risk, there are deeper and far more dangerous risks. Flagstar's growth over the course of just two quarters in 2022 far exceeded what was reported by all three regional banks that failed in 2023 in the years leading up to their demise. With its acquisition of New York Community Bank, Flagstar grew from $25 billion in assets as of September 2022, to $90 billion in assets as of December 2022. Then, with its acquisition of Signature, Flagstar grew to $123 billion in assets as of March 2023. The complexity of merging and integrating operations of previously separate entities is time consuming and often arduous, even under the best of circumstances. That's why it was no surprise that the federal banking regulators highlighted the problems of rapid substantial growth leading to inadequate internal controls as one of the key drivers of the 2023 regional bank failures. Similarly, given two major mergers within a matter of months, it's no surprise that Flagstar's internal control failures were severe and required financial restatements and a board and senior management shakeup. The broader consequences of Flagstar's recent mergers are that the bank now represents a real systemic threat to our financial system. At its current asset size, if the bank were to fail, it is reasonable to expect that another systemic risk exception would be used, like what we saw in 2023 for Silicon Valley Bank and Signature. This would likely result in significant cost and damage to taxpayers, Main Street and the American public. As bad as it was to allow back-to-back mergers, it's equally inexplicable that regulators apparently ignored or disregarded the banks' history of illegal and discriminatory conduct. The regulators are specifically mandated to be on watch for such behavior and act decisively to stop it. Back in 2021, when NYCB announced its initial plan to acquire Flagstar, it followed the regular process by requesting permission from federal and state regulators. However, the application process did not go smoothly. The New York state regulator granted approval but the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was "so concerned about fair lending failings at Flagstar" that it would not support the merger, according to one news report. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had also taken action against Flagstar for discriminatory practices related to its mortgage business, and the bank has been the subject of a private lawsuit claiming discriminatory practices that hurt African American borrowers. With only the state regulators approving the merger, NYCB engaged in what looks like blatant regulatory arbitrage. In April 2022, NYCB dropped its pending merger proposal and began the process to become a national bank. This required the banks to restructure the merger so that Flagstar would be acquiring NYCB, not the other way around as before. The regulator switch also meant that the OCC would now make the decision on the merger application. The agency inexplicably approved the merger, which was finalized in December 2022. That the OCC would allow these banks to engage in what seemed to be blatant regulatory arbitrage, moving from one regulator to another, to get a different outcome, is unbelievable. It is reminiscent of the disreputable and discredited "charter shopping" that occurred before the 2008 crash and was a primary driver for eliminating the Office of Thrift Supervision in the Dodd-Frank Act. The apparent willingness of the OCC to do this and ignore a pattern of racial discriminatory conduct by merger participants adds insult to injury. As the 2023 regional banking crisis unfolded, less than 100 days had passed since the merger with NYCB had been approved. The many complicated aspects of merging those two banks were in the very earliest stages. Nevertheless, regulators allowed Flagstar to become an approved bidder in the auction for the then-failing banks. What's worse, regulators selected it to be the winning bidder for Signature. Given the recent ongoing merger and the discrimination, it is shocking that Flagstar was even approved as a qualified bidder. It is even less understandable how regulators could possibly have chosen it as the winning bidder. Executing a merger and integrating banks successfully are exceedingly challenging, even under the best of circumstances. Here, the regulators' approval required these banks to do all of that simultaneously under what was probably the worst of circumstances. The American people deserve better from their financial regulators, and they deserve to know how this could have happened. A thorough, but independent investigation of the regulators' conduct in connection with the mergers leading to NYCB's problems must be conducted.

Fed's Barr renews focus on liquidity, long-term debt amidst slate of pending reforms — The Federal Reserve's Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr Monday said that regulators are focused on enhancing banks' liquidity and long-term debt requirements in order to make them more resilient, but said little regarding the Basel III endgame proposal's stipulations that would hike big banks' capital requirements. Speaking at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's 28th Annual Financial Markets Conference, Barr highlighted these three targeted adjustments to the liquidity framework as well as other measures underway at the Fed to ensure a robust banking supervision structure. In order to bolster banks' liquidity positions, he says the Fed is considering requiring large banks to maintain a minimum amount of readily available liquidity based on their reliance on uninsured deposits. "Uninsured deposits often represent cash needed to meet near-term needs — like paying bills or making payroll — and we have seen depositors act quickly to withdraw these funds if their availability is in doubt," he said. "It is vital that uninsured depositors have confidence that their funds will be readily available, if needed, and this confidence would be enhanced by a requirement that large banks have readily available liquidity to meet requests for these deposits." Barr also added that as part of this measure, the Fed is considering incorporating some compulsory discount window usage. "Incorporating the discount window into a readiness requirement would also reemphasize that supervisors and examiners view use of the discount window as appropriate and unexceptional," he said. "We are seeking feedback from banks, and this feedback will help us to further prioritize operational improvements." Drawing on lessons from bank failures in March 2023, the regulator also floated the idea of restricting banks' reliance on held-to-maturity assets as part of their liquidity buffers — like the liquidity coverage ratio and the internal liquidity stress test requirements. He says this could improve stability during stress conditions. Held-to-maturity assets are often not easily convertible to cash without significant losses. Such a firesale prompted depositor unease that ultimately led to the unraveling of SVB and Signature bank last year.

BankThink:: Regulators thought too narrowly in OK of NYCB-Signature deal | American Banker - In today's regulatory environment, mergers and acquisitions can be beneficial for regional banks; but as seen with New York Community Bancorp, they're rarely a silver bullet. In March 2023, NYCB's acquisition of Signature Bank made sense for two key reasons. One, it addressed the bank's high loan-to-deposit ratio, reducing it from 118% to 88%, a move likely welcomed by regulators. Two, it improved NYCB's customer acquisition strategy. Before the acquisition, NYCB focused mainly on "mass" banking. Signature's wealth management practice provided access to "affluent" and "high net worth" products, expertise and clientele. In that regard, the Signature buy seemed like a logical move with relatively low regulatory risk. So, where did things go wrong? NYCB (and regulators) were focused on solving a problem, but other factors were at play. An LDR exceeding 100% suggests a bank has lent out more money than it holds in deposits. This signals potential issues, including liquidity risk, heavy dependence on alternative funding sources, financial instability, imprudent lending practices and credit risk. Therefore, the deal presented an opportunity for NYCB to strengthen its position and contribute to financial stability while expanding its reach. All of that resonated positively. However, other factors, compounded by a prolonged high interest rate environment, caused a dramatic turn of events when NYCB held its fourth-quarter earnings call. One was commercial real estate conditions. The Signature acquisition left NYCB with a $34 billion CRE loan portfolio, mainly in New York City. This portfolio faced pandemic-induced challenges of remote and hybrid work, including increased risk of office loan defaults, reduced rental income and property valuation challenges. This led to an unexpected $260 million loss in Q4, primarily due to anticipated loan losses from office building loans. There have also been execution and integration risks. Before acquiring Signature, NYCB had already absorbed Flagstar Bank. The acquisitions of Flagstar and Signature elevated NYCB into a higher asset category, pushing the bank over the $100 billion threshold and triggering stricter capital and liquidity requirements and additional expenses, which impacted profits. Additionally, the operational system conversion with Flagstar didn't finish until almost a year after NYCB acquired Signature. Simultaneously integrating NYCB, Flagstar and Signature — each with its own unique systems, processes and culture — presented substantial execution risks. One of the biggest challenges banks face is managing data and analytics. The root of the problem often lies in outdated systems and incompatible data, hindering integration. The compatibility issue could have also impacted NYCB's ability to properly assess execution and integration risks, even if they had all the required financial statements and reports. NYCB's announcement in January revealed delays in Signature's integration that could potentially stretch into next year. Analysts subsequently expressed waning confidence in NYCB's integration capabilities. Finally, internal controls and governance played a role. M&A requires robust internal controls and governance. Did NYCB use adequate risk models? Did the risk committee have access to Signature's real estate exposure? What financial ratios were considered and assessed beyond LDR? Including dissenting voices would have helped. Also, compliance alone isn't enough; transparency is crucial. NYCB's delay in disclosing key executive exits raised "governance concerns" among analysts.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Martin Gruenberg announces plans to resign once successor is nominated, confirmed -- Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) Chair Martin Gruenberg announced Monday he will resign once his successor is confirmed by the Senate after several reports documented a culture of sexual harassment, misconduct and retaliation at the agency under his leadership. Gruenberg’s announcement followed months of pressure from lawmakers and mounting allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct against him and other senior FDIC officials. “It has been my honor to serve at the FDIC as Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Director since August of 2005. Throughout that time I have faithfully carried out the critically important mission of the FDIC to maintain public confidence and stability in the banking system,” Gruenberg said in a statement. “In light of recent events, I am prepared to step down from my responsibilities once a successor is confirmed. Until that time, I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities as Chairman of the FDIC, including the transformation of the FDIC’s workplace culture.” The White House said Monday that Biden will “soon” put forward a new nominee for FDIC chair, adding that it expects the Senate to confirm the nominee “quickly.” “In his long tenure of service at the FDIC, Chairman Gruenberg has helped protect the economy from financial instability and worked to ensure the banking system serves more Americans fairly,” deputy press secretary Sam Michel said in a statement. “We thank him for both his commitment to swiftly implement the recommendations made in the recent report and his willingness to stay at FDIC until his successor is confirmed in order to continue to safeguard our nation’s financial stability during this time of transition,” Michel added. The Wall Street Journal released a series of bombshell reports last year documenting a long a record of misogynistic and abusive behavior at the agency under Gruenberg. A investigative report from law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton confirmed the Journal’s findings, prompting an apology from Gruenberg. Gruenberg, a Democrat, had served on the FDIC board since 2005. He served several stints as chair, vice chair and acting chair of the agency before President Biden appointed him to be chair in 2023. Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) urged President Biden earlier Monday to nominate a new FDIC chair to replace Gruenberg. Following the announcement Brown said Gruenberg’s resignation would “of course” have implications for the implementation of Basel III, the sweeping set of international banking regulations that require banks to hold more capital. “The White House needs to move quickly and nominate somebody and move forward,” he said Monday afternoon. Brown is the highest-ranking Democratic lawmaker to call for Gruenberg’s replacement or resignation so far. Like many of his fellow Democrats, the Senate Banking chair had previously called on the FDIC chair to make changes to the agency but did not urge him to step down.

UPDATE: FDIC's Gruenberg to resign once successor is named — Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg said Monday evening he will resign once the Senate confirms a new agency head."In light of recent events, I am prepared to step down from my responsibilities once a successor is confirmed," Gruenberg said in a statement. "Until that time, I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities as Chairman of the FDIC, including the transformation of the FDIC's workplace culture."The White House said that President Joe Biden will "soon" put forward a new nominee to lead the FDIC. "While the FDIC is an independent agency, as we have said, the President of course expects the Administration to reflect the values of decency and integrity and to protect the rights and dignity of all employees," a White House spokesperson said in a statement. "We expect the Senate to confirm the nominee quickly," the spokesperson continued. Earlier in the day, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, urged the White House to replace Gruenberg, an important development in the saga that's plagued the agency since the release of a report that detailed serious workplace misbehavior. Brown, a progressive Democrat running for reelection this year, was a key voice informing Gruenberg's ability to continue to lead the agency. Brown controls the scheduling for the committee, which holds confirmation hearings for the FDIC chair, that Brown would hold the power to block such a nomination from the White House in the Senate. "There must be fundamental changes at the FDIC," Brown said in a statement. "Those changes begin with new leadership, who must fix the agency's toxic culture and put the women and men who work there — and their mission — first." Most Democratic lawmakers, including Brown, stopped short of calling for Gruenberg's resignation at hearings last week following a critically damaging report from the law firm Clearly Gottlieb that detailed multiple workplace misbehavior issues, including sexual harassment, at the agency. While the Cleary Gottlieb report didn't find that Gruenberg was a key instigator of the misbehavior, it did point out temperament issues, including verbally berating FDIC employees, that the report said could make it difficult for him to institute the reforms necessary to make the agency a safe place to work.

McHenry demands Gruenberg testify on FDIC toxic culture — Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has set a date for a hearing that specifically examines the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s workplace culture on June 12. FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg has already testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee as part of a previously scheduled oversight of the prudential banking regulators. It was his first time taking questions since the release of a report from the law firm Cleary Gottlieb that outlined a pervasively toxic culture at the agency. Although that report didn't find that Gruenberg was a main instigator of the worst problems in the report, it did raise questions about his temperament and his ability to lead the agency through its next phase.McHenry, in the letter, demanded that Gruenberg testify at the second of two panels on June 12, to understand how Gruenberg "will address the FDIC's workplace culture as chairman." Gruenberg said he would resign from the agency, at which he has served for roughly two decades, including nearly a decade as chairman, once the Biden administration has a new chairman confirmed by the Senate. Given the limited number of legislative days left before the 2024 elections in November, Gruenberg could continue to lead the agency for months to come.

Gruenberg's departure weakens the administration's regulatory hand — Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg's announcement that he will step down when a successor is confirmed will likely weaken regulators' hands in pushing for capital hikes in the Basel III endgame proposal, and may also give the Federal Reserve a stronger hand in influencing other joint rulemakings, experts say. Only hours after Senate Banking Committee chair Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called for new leadership at the FDIC, Gruenberg signaled he would leave the agency once his successor is confirmed — a heavy lift for an almost evenly split and preoccupied Senate to accomplish in an election year. While the beltway has already begun to game out who might replace Gruenberg, Brian Gardner, chief Washington policy strategist for Stifel, said one need only look at the legislative calendar to see that confirming a new FDIC chair before the election is a tall task — if it is even possible."For all intents and purposes, we're in June," Gardner said. "We're going into Memorial Day weekend and [Congressional] recesses. So the best you can do over the next couple of weeks is an announcement of a nominee. They'll have to go through [Federal Bureau of Investigation] vetting, get a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing … You're gonna have another recess around July 4 — so that'll be out. You have a further recess in July for the Republican National Convention and August is off, now we're into September, and Senate floor time is very valuable."Gardner added that there is also a very real chance that a potential Gruenberg successor would be ousted within months of confirmation if Trump wins. Gruenberg's predecessor as chair, Jelena McWilliams, resigned from her position in February 2022 after Democratic board members used their power to set the regulatory agenda without her approval."If you're [Senate Majority Leader] Schumer and if you're the White House, are you prioritizing floor time for judicial appointments that get lifetime appointments, or the FDIC chairman — who could be undercut in January?" Gardner said. "The Republicans — if they take over in January 2025 — they can do exactly to Marty Gruenberg what Democrats did to McWilliams."Isaac Boltansky, an analyst with BTIG, said that while the political spotlight has been on Gruenberg's political future and eventual exit, his role atop the agency is mostly noise for bankers and financial markets, who are fixated on one rule in particular: the Basel endgame capital proposal."That's the main thing for bankers and markets," he said. "I don't think they're following the drama around Gruenberg as closely as everyone inside the beltway, because they have confidence now that the rule is going to be dramatically softened."

CFPB to classify BNPL loans as credit cards under consumer laws - — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Tuesday announced buy now/pay later lenders will be classified as credit card providers for consumer protection purposes under a new interpretive agency rule. Under the 1968 Truth in Lending Act, credit card providers are required to adhere to certain standards, including disclosing lending terms and offering consumers the right to dispute charges and receive refund credits to their balances. CFPB director Rohit Chopra said the proposal would require buy now/pay later, or BNPL, offerings to adhere to those same standards. "When Congress defined credit cards under the Truth in Lending Act decades ago, it deliberately defined the term to include devices both known and unknown," he said. "Essentially, any mechanism, tool or procedure that consumers can use from time to time to buy goods or services on credit, gets the protections that consumers have come to know and expect with credit cards." The agency indicated that BNPL customers should receive clear disclosures detailing fees, pricing structures, and their rights when issuing billing disputes and requesting refunds on purchases. When facing a billing dispute, CFPB said consumers should also be able to escalate the issue to the buy now/pay later lender, who must then investigate and issue a credit if necessary. Like with credit cards, Chopra added that consumers should not be required to make payments on the loan in question until the dispute is resolved. Chopra has long been interested in the credit implications of BNPL firms. In 2021 — within months of being sworn in — the CFPB issued a request for information from BNPL giants Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal and Zip to determine the consumer impact of rising debt and use of consumer data in the BNPL industry. "Buy now, pay later is the new version of the old layaway plan, but with modern, faster twists where the consumer gets the product immediately but gets the debt immediately too," Chopra said when the RFI was issued. Buy now/pay later loans, which surged in popularity during the pandemic, have increasingly drawn the interest of regulators. The CFPB's own analysis revealed BNPL lending increased tenfold just between 2019 to 2021, while the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued guidelines in December to help banks understand potential risks associated with servicing BNPL firms. The agency released a report in March 2023 highlighting concerns that BNPL users were more likely to rely on high-interest financing tools such as payday lending, suggesting frequent buy now/pay later users are more financially strained. A Federal Reserve Board of New York study in February 2024 found that less financially stable consumers are more likely to utilize such products. "Given the growth in outstanding consumer credit and the rise in new forms of credit," Chopra said, "We're going to continue to carefully monitor these markets and take action to ensure that consumers are being treated fairly." The CFPB said while it is taking comment on what requirements ought to apply to BNPL firms, it is not putting forward any specific regulatory requirements with Tuesday's interpretive rule. The agency is taking comments through August 1.

CFPB calls out "price gouging" in credit reporting -- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra called out the credit reporting industry and the strain their recent fee hikes have placed on home affordability in an already difficult lending environment. Speaking at the Mortgage Bankers Association Secondary and Capital Markets Conference in New York City, Chopra criticized the steep increases in charges from score provider FICO, or the Fair Isaac Corp., the three credit reporting agencies and resellers.Calling for more accountability, he invited comments from lenders as the bureau looks for solutions to address the "price gouging" in the market. "We are eager to hear from lenders and will look at possible rulemaking and guidance to improve competition, choice and affordability," he said.The reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and Transunion, typically set wholesale prices resellers pay, which is then passed on to their lenders and consumers. With reports required for sale to the government-sponsored enterprises, mortgage businesses often have little choice but to pay."With a captive customer base, vendors have implemented annual price increases that far outpace inflation," Chopra said. "And in order to get the credit and credit reports, mortgage lenders generally must pay twice, once to confirm eligibility, and once just before the loan closes."During a talk that was sandwiched by sessions sponsored by FICO, Chopra called out the significantchange in pricing structure for credit scoring at the end of last year, resembling a flat fee rather than volume-based model. Among the changes was a hike to soft-credit pulls that put them at the same level as hard pulls, despite differences in the information provided. Fees multiply when multiple applicants are on the mortgage and investors also require reports, meaning lenders often pay for the same information six or 12 times, Chopra said. Compounding costs, credit reporting agencies have found a way to profit from inaccuracies mortgage lenders find in a report, thanks to a rapid rescoring program, which Chopra referred to as a "pay-to-play" service. “A report full of bad data is another opportunity for these companies to leverage their position as indispensable market utilities and extract yet more money from consumers and lenders who have no other options," he said. Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson on Housing Dynamics - From Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson: U.S. Economic Outlook and Housing Price Dynamics. An excerpt on housing: The Fed sets policy to promote its dual-mandate objectives of maximum employment and price stability, and employment and inflation depend on conditions in the entire economy. Still, given our gathering today, I thought it would be appropriate to dive a bit deeper into the housing and home finance markets. As I said earlier, the housing sector is one of the most interest rate–sensitive parts of the economy. We have seen that sensitivity in mortgage rates and mortgage originations. As shown in figure 4, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates were close to 3 percent when the federal funds rate was near the zero lower bound in 2020 and 2021. Rates surged in 2022 as the federal funds rate increased. Consistent with the increase in mortgage rates, mortgage origination volume has fallen significantly. The current restrictive stance of monetary policy has weighed on the housing market. That is helping to bring supply and demand into better balance and put downward pressure on inflation. One aspect of inflation that has gotten a fair amount of attention is housing and rental costs. This is because housing costs make up such a large share of household budgets. To calculate housing services inflation, government statistics don't use home prices because a home is partly an investment. Instead, housing services inflation is computed using monthly rents that capture what tenants pay to rent a house or apartment and what homeowners would, in theory, pay to rent their own home. The way this calculation is derived means changes in market rents—or what a new tenant pays to rent—take a long time to pass through to PCE housing services prices, as shown in figure 5. In this figure, notice that increases in market rents, the blue and red lines, peaked in 2022, and PCE housing services inflation, the black line, lagged market rents and peaked in 2023.The primary reason for this lag is that market rents adjust more quickly to economic conditions than what landlords charge their existing tenants. This lag suggests that the large increase in market rents during the pandemic is still being passed through to existing rents and may keep housing services inflation elevated for a while longer. This observation is important because it is an example of one of the underlying sources of lags with which monetary policy affects inflation.Another factor affecting pass-through of restrictive monetary policy is that fixed-rate mortgages are common in the U.S. It is often argued that this loan structure dampens the effect of monetary policy. Figure 6 shows that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is about 7 percent, while the average outstanding mortgage rate is about 4 percent. This lower outstanding mortgage rate is due to households who locked in rates during lower-interest periods, including when the Fed cut the target range for the federal funds rate to near zero shortly after the pandemic took hold. Fixed-rate mortgages do dampen the effect of monetary policy, but, according to recent research, not as much as previously thought.There is a delay between when mortgage rates go up and when household mortgage payments go up, as shown in figure 7. Board staff research documents that mortgage payments go up over time because many households continue to refinance their mortgage or move. Despite higher rates, households in the U.S. borrowed over $1.5 trillion in new mortgage loans in 2023. These borrowers include first-time homebuyers, existing homeowners moving between homes, and homeowners obtaining cash-out refinances. The payment they owe on that recently obtained mortgage is higher than it would have been had lower rates been maintained, and their consumption may be correspondingly lower. The cumulative effect of a higher interest rate on aggregate mortgage payments grows over time as more new loans are originated at the higher rate. The staff's research documents that, historically, borrowers like these who are not deterred by higher rates are responsible for a little over half of the pass-through of interest rates to mortgage payments.In closing, let me reiterate why we care about housing. The housing sector is where many households have made, or will make, their largest investment. Therefore, the prices that families pay for that housing can affect their overall well-being. The work you do to make housing accessible is an important part of the economy. The housing sector is also a key part of the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. That is one reason why policymakers will continue to pay close attention to this vital sector.As Jefferson notes, rents for existing tenants are still increasing, even while new leases are mostly flat year-over-year. A key point is that Fed policy can not change what happened a year or two ago, and that is why we need to look at inflation ex-housing.

MBA Survey: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Remains at 0.22% in April --From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Remains at 0.22% in April - The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance remained unchanged at 0.22% as of April 30, 2024. According to MBA’s estimate, 110,000 homeowners are in forbearance plans. Mortgage servicers have provided forbearance to approximately 8.1 million borrowers since March 2020. In April 2024, the share of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance declined 1 basis point to 0.11%. Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance dropped 1 basis point to 0.39%, and the forbearance share for portfolio loans and private-label securities (PLS) stayed the same at 0.31%.“The number of loans in forbearance has remained stagnant for the first four months of 2024,”. “While forbearance is still a viable option for homeowners needing temporary mortgage payment relief, its usage has diminished without a major natural disaster or labor market downturn. Moreover, the performance of servicing portfolios and post-forbearance workouts remains strong, despite some fluctuations from month-to-month.” At the end of April, there were about 110,000 homeowners in forbearance plans.

Hell Is an Underwater Landlord - by Maureen Tkacik --When Aundra McMullen-Clarke, a middle school teacher and sometime beautician, moved to Houston about a month before Hurricane Harvey in 2017, she was overjoyed to find a two-bedroom apartment in a gated compound with a luminous pool in the city’s Westchase district for just under $1,000 a month. Things started to fall apart, though, sometime after the first months of the pandemic. Tenants moved out in the dead of night as if they didn’t want anyone to see them; eviction notices would show up on their doors long after they’d left. The gym and pool shut down for “safety” reasons; when the building was sold the summer after COVID hit, the latter turned green. According to McMullen-Clarke, phantom surcharges began showing up on every rent bill, but when she called the front office to discuss them the phone would ring and ring; she later learned they’d stopped paying the phone bill. The new management charged $40 a month for “valet” trash service, but canceled its contract with the company retained to pick up trash every evening, so the same overworked maintenance guy who did everything else on the property had to pick up trash as well, and only when he got around to it. “There was garbage everywhere, it was really tragic,” McMullen-Clarke says. Then last summer, she was undergoing chemo treatments for breast cancer when her air conditioner gave out. Weeds grew, in which new tenants would let their dogs shit without picking it up. Management would shut the water off throughout the entire complex for hours constantly; once a week at first, then just about every other day. But when the water was on, it would leak from 100 different spots and attract ever more pestilence. The rat population exploded, eventually taking up residence in the ceiling above McMullen-Clarke’s bedroom, where they scratched and fought and made it hard to fall asleep. One day as she was ascending the stairway, she noticed a rat sitting contentedly on the handrail for which she’d been reaching. “I took a deep breath and said to myself, OK, one of us is leaving.” WHEN MCMULLEN-CLARKE HAD MOVED into the Estates at Westchase four years earlier, Matt Picheny had been an internet advertising consultant in Brooklyn, Brent Ritchie was selling industrial motors in Canada, and Koteswar “Jay” Gajavelli had been running an IT consultancy in Irving, Texas, that claimed Qualcomm and ESPN as clients. But by the start of the pandemic, all three men had begun rebranding themselves as “finfluencers,” social media mavens who promised their growing audience of upper-middle-class telecommuters whose savings had been temporarily inflated by stimulus checks emancipation from wage slavery through the magic of “passive income” generated by apartment complexes. Like a lot of their peers, they immediately set their sights on Houston, which had topped the national population growth charts for decades and boasted such lax tenant protections that two law professors at the University of Texas at Austin wrote a study in 2018 on the city’s “epidemic of dangerous apartments.”Gajavelli, Ritchie, Picheny, and friends bought the Estates in a package deal with three other buildings in Houston’s Westchase neighborhood, through Gajavelli’s company Applesway Investment Group. The 1,330 apartments in all sold for $119 million, or just under $90,000 a unit, a steep price for buildings that currently advertise one-bedroom apartments starting at $699 a month. But within a few months, Gajavelli would pay $56 million for a massive but severely dilapidated apartment complex across town in East Houston, where apolice officer had just been killed trying to arrest a suspect on drug charges, in a transaction that would fail so spectacularly it would become the subject of city council sessions, newspaper editorials, and a tour from the lame-duck mayor.As a syndicator of other people’s money, Gajavelli had a strong incentive to overpay for properties. His take of every deal, according to a lawsuit filed by 123 of his investors, was calculated as a fixed percentage of the acquisition price, plus a percentage of the monthly rental revenue, and then a percentage of the resale price. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that syndicators like Gajavelli raised $111 billion for real estate investments during the pandemic, and generally collected commissions of between 2 and 5 percent of each deal. In Houston, valuations surged to more than $150,000 per unit, from about $90,000 pre-pandemic, as transaction volume exploded to nearly $10 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021 alone.The overheated multifamily market would take a devastating toll on apartment dwellers like McMullen-Clarke and her neighbors when the Federal Reserve began to hike interest rates in early 2022, quickly doubling and then tripling the interest payments on Gajavelli’s floating-rate loans. Sidney Beaty, a researcher with the Austin-based low-income housing information resource Texas Housers who previously worked for the state housing department, says it felt like the state was suddenly awash in squalid, barely inhabitable apartment buildings. “You just had a lot of buildings that maybe had decent inspection scores a couple years ago, that were suddenly so deplorable they’re making the evening news,” Beaty said.

"Mortgage Rates Close Enough to Unchanged Over The Weekend" - From Matthew Graham at Mortgage News Daily: Mortgage Rates Close Enough to Unchanged Over The Weekend Technically, today's average mortgage rates are higher for a third straight business day, but most prospective borrowers won't even notice. For many lenders, the changes are so small that the average borrower won't see any change from scenarios quoted on Friday afternoon. In cases where there is a difference, that difference would be very small. [30 year fixed 7.10%]

NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.14 million SAAR in April -- From the NAR: Existing-Home Sales Retreated 1.9% in April -- Existing-home sales receded in April, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. All four major U.S. regions posted month-over-month declines. Year-over-year, sales decreased in the Northeast, Midwest and South but increased in the West. Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – slid 1.9% from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.14 million in April. Year-over-year, sales fell 1.9% (down from 4.22 million in April 2023)....Total housing inventory registered at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from March and 16.3% from one year ago (1.04 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 3.2 months in March and 3.0 months in April 2023.This graph shows existing home sales, on a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) basis since 1994.Sales in April (4.14 million SAAR) were down 1.9% from the previous month and were 1.9% below the April 2023 sales rate. The second graph shows nationwide inventory for existing homes.According to the NAR, inventory increased to 1.21 million in April from 1.11 million the previous month. Headline inventory is not seasonally adjusted, and inventory usually decreases to the seasonal lows in December and January, and peaks in mid-to-late summer.The last graph shows the year-over-year (YoY) change in reported existing home inventory and months-of-supply. Since inventory is not seasonally adjusted, it really helps to look at the YoY change. Note: Months-of-supply is based on the seasonally adjusted sales and not seasonally adjusted inventory. Inventory was up 16.3% year-over-year (blue) in April compared to April 2023.Months of supply (red) increased to 3.5 months in April from 3.2 months the previous month.This was below the consensus forecast.

NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.14 million SAAR in April; Median House Prices Increased 5.7% Year-over-Year --Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.14 million SAAR in April Excerpt: Sales Year-over-Year and Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA) The fourth graph shows existing home sales by month for 2023 and 2024. Sales declined 1.9% year-over-year compared to March 2023. This was the thirty-second consecutive month with sales down year-over-year.

Housing May 20th Weekly Update: Inventory up 1.7% Week-over-week, Up 36.0% Year-over-year --Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.7% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 17.0% from the February bottom, and above the maximum for inventory last year! This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of May 17th, inventory was at 578 thousand (7-day average), compared to 568 thousand the prior week. Inventory is still far below pre-pandemic levels. The second graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015.The red line is for 2024. The black line is for 2019. Note that inventory is up 84% from the record low for the same week in 2021, but still well below normal levels.Inventory was up 36.0% compared to the same week in 2023 (last week it was up 35.0%), and down 36.4% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 36.6%). Back in June 2023, inventory was down almost 54% compared to 2019, so the gap to more normal inventory levels is slowly closing. Mike Simonsen discusses this data regularly on Youtube.

Realtor.com Reports Active Inventory Up 35.5% YoY; Most Homes For Sale Since July 2020 - On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active i nventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For April, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 30.4% YoY, but still down almost 36% compared to April 2017 to 2019 levels. Now - on a weekly basis - inventory is up 35.5% YoY. Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market. Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends View—Data for Week Ending May 18, 2024 Active inventory increased, with for-sale homes 35.5% above year-ago levels For the 28th straight week, there were more homes listed for sale versus the prior year, giving homebuyers more options. This past week, the inventory of homes for sale grew by 35.5% compared with last year, and it was the highest since July 2020 in the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This growth in inventory is primarily driven by housing markets in the South, which saw a 43.0% year-over-year increase in inventory in April. New listings–a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale–were up this week, by 8.1% from one year ago. Seller activity continued to climb annually last week and accelerated relative to the previous week’s growth. Newly listed homes grew by 8.1% compared with a year ago, an acceleration from the 6.6% growth rate in the previous week.Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in inventory according to realtor.com. Inventory was up year-over-year for the 28th consecutive week. However, inventory is still historically very low.New listings remain below typical pre-pandemic levels although up year-over-year.

New Home Sales Decrease to 634,000 Annual Rate in April --The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 634 thousand. The previous three months were revised down.Sales of new single‐family houses in April 2024 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 634,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 4.7 percent below the revised March rate of 665,000 and is 7.7 percent below the April 2023 estimate of 687,000. The first graph shows New Home Sales vs. recessions since 1963. The dashed line is the current sales rate. New home sales were close to pre-pandemic levels. The second graph shows New Home Months of Supply. The months of supply increased in April to 9.1 months from 8.5 months in March. The all-time record high was 12.2 months of supply in January 2009. The all-time record low was 3.3 months in August 2020. This is well above the top of the normal range (about 4 to 6 months of supply is normal). "The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of April was 480,000. This represents a supply of 9.1 months at the current sales rate."Sales were well below expectations of 680 thousand SAAR, and sales for the three previous months were revised down. I'll have more later today.

New Home Sales Decrease to 634,000 Annual Rate in April -- Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: New Home Sales Decrease to 634,000 Annual Rate in April Brief excerpt: Note: there were some seasonal revisions back to 2019, and significant changes to house prices and price distribution in this release. The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 634 thousand. The previous three months were revised down. ... The next graph shows new home sales for 2023 and 2024 by month (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate). Sales in April 2024 were down 6.6% from April 2023.There is much more in the article. Posted by Calculated Risk on 5/23/2024 01:55:00 PM

Single Family Built-for-Rent Up 20% Year-over-year in Q1 --Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Single Family Built-for-Rent Up 20% Year-over-year in Q1A brief excerpt: Along with the monthly housing starts report for April released last week, the Census Bureau also released Housing Units Started by Purpose and Design through Q1 2024.The first graph shows the number of single family and multi-family units started with the intent to rent. This data is quarterly and Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA). Although the majority of units built-for-rent’ are still multi-family (blue), there has been a significant pickup in single family units started built-for-rent (red).In 2020, there were 44,000 single family units started with the intent to rent. In 2023, that number almost doubled to 85,000 units. There were 18,000 single family units started in Q1 2024 built-for-rent, up 20% from 15,000 in Q1 2023. For multi-family, there were 56,000 units started to rent in Q1 2024, down almost 50% from 108,000 in Q1 2023. There is much more in the article.

Census Bureau Revises Away 25% of Pandemic-Era Price Spike of New Single-Family Houses - by Wolf Richter - The Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly produce the data on new single-family houses: permits, construction starts and completions, inventories at all stages of construction, sales at all stages of construction, median and average contract sales prices, and related data. Whatever happened during the pandemic in collecting and processing the data, the Census Bureau and HUD decided that the pricing data was totally screwed up and needed to be fixed, and they dramatically revised the sales prices that had been collected during the pandemic. And today, as part of this, they announced huge revisions to the pricing data going back through 2020. For example, they chopped off $36,000 from the median price at the peak in October 2022, taking it from the old $496,800 to the new-and-improved $460,300. We look at the three-month moving average because it irons out much of the month-to-month squiggling. The revisions chopped off $38,000 from the three-month moving average of the median price at the peak, taking it from $480,000 to $442,000. In other words, the revisions unwound $38,000, or 25%, of that $150,000 pandemic-era spike. The spike, based on the old prices went from $330,000 in April 2020, to $480,000 in October 2022. There were three phases of these revisions:

• April 2020 through January 2023: All median prices were revised down.
• February 2023 through December 2023: Median prices were not revised at all.
• January 2024 through March 2024: All median prices were revised up.

This chart shows the old median prices through March (blue line) and the revised median prices through April (red line), as a three-month moving average.

AIA: Architecture Billings Decline in April; Multi-family Billings Decline for 21st Consecutive Month Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From the AIA: ABI April 2024: Pace of billings decline at architecture firms slows slightly While the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for the month rose from 43.6 in March to48.3 in April, it indicates thatbillings continued to decline at the majority of firms (a score below 50 indicates declining billings). Inquiries into new projects continued to increase, as there remains interest in starting new projects. However, the value of newly signed design contracts dipped slightly in April, as clients remain hesitant to commit to new work. Firms had hoped that the Federal Reserve would start lowering interest rates this spring and that would open new work, but with that decrease now likely on hold until late summer or early fall, firms may have some more slow months ahead of them.Architecture firm billings continued to decline at firms in all regions of the country in April as well, with firms located in the Midwest and South reporting the largest declines. The current longest duration of decline is found at firms located in the West, where billings have now declined for the last 19 consecutive months. Business conditions also remain soft at firms of all specializations, with the weakest conditions continuing at firms with a multifamily residential specialization, followed by those with an institutional specialization, and then those with a commercial/industrial specialization....The ABI score is derived from a monthly survey of architecture firms that measures the change in the number of services provided to clients.

• Northeast (56.9); Midwest (44.2); South (44.6); West (47.8)
• Sector index breakdown: commercial/industrial (47.4); institutional (46.1);multifamily residential (45.6) This graph shows the Architecture Billings Index since 1996. The index was at 48.3 in April, up from 43.6 in March. Anything below 50 indicates a decrease in demand for architects' services.
Note: This includes commercial and industrial facilities like hotels and office buildings, multi-family residential, as well as schools, hospitals and other institutions.
This index usually leads CRE investment by 9 to 12 months, so this index suggests a slowdown in CRE investment in 2024.Note that multi-family billing turned down in August 2022 and has been negative for twenty one consecutive months (with revisions). This suggests we will see a further weakness in multi-family starts.

Hotels: Occupancy Rate Increased 0.2% Year-over-year - From STR: U.S. hotel results for week ending 18 May - The U.S. hotel industry reported higher performance from the previous week and positive comparisons year over year, according to CoStar’s latest data through 18 May. ...
12-18 May 2024 (percentage change from comparable week in 2023):
• Occupancy: 67.4% (+0.2%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): US$163.11 (+2.6%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$109.93 (+2.8%)
The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average. The red line is for 2024, black is 2020, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2023. Dashed purple is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is tracking last year, and slightly above the median rate for the period 2000 through 2023 (Blue).The 4-week average of the occupancy rate will increase seasonally when the summer travel season begins.

May Vehicle Sales Forecast: 15.8 million SAAR, Up 2% YoY --From WardsAuto: May U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales Tracking to Annualized Rate Flat with April (pay content). Brief excerpt: There is a good possibility sales end May above expectations, depending on much holiday marketing pulls in additional buyers. Second-quarter sales are pegged at a 15.9 million-unit SAAR, with volume rising 1% from the year-ago period. This graph shows actual sales from the BEA (Blue), and Wards forecast for May (Red). On a seasonally adjusted annual rate basis, the Wards forecast of 15.8 million SAAR, would be up 0.4% from last month, and up 1.8% from a year ago.

LA Port Traffic Increased Year-over-year in April -Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic. The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container). To remove the strong seasonal component for inbound traffic, the first graph shows the rolling 12-month average. On a rolling 12-month basis, inbound traffic increased 1.4% in April compared to the rolling 12 months ending in March. Outbound traffic increased 0.8% compared to the rolling 12 months ending the previous month. The 2nd graph is the monthly data (with a strong seasonal pattern for imports).Usually imports peak in the July to October period as retailers import goods for the Christmas holiday, and then decline sharply and bottom in the Winter depending on the timing of the Chinese New Year. Imports were up 16% YoY in April, and exports were up 10% YoY. In general, it appears port traffic is returning to the pre-pandemic patterns.

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 215,000 --The DOL reported:In the week ending May 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 215,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 222,000 to 223,000. The 4-week moving average was 219,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 217,750 to 218,000. The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971. The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims increased to 219,750. The previous week was revised up. Weekly claims were lower than the consensus forecast.

New York City begins evicting migrants from shelters --On Wednesday, the Democratic Party administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched an assault on migrants, evicting adults from city shelters who have been denied extensions to stay beyond 30 days based on new rules announced in March.According to news reports, the first series of evictions are impacting adult migrants without children who were notified one month ago that the city will no longer pay to house them in hotels, tent dormitories and other buildings maintained under the city’s right-to-shelter mandate. Those being evicted by the city have been denied requests for an extension of their shelter stays to 60 days because they do not qualify for any of the “extenuating circumstances” enumerated by the city.Among the requirements to be granted an extension are showing documentation to city officials that “significant efforts” have been made to leave the shelter system such as meeting with legal providers or city case workers, applying for asylum, searching for a job or obtaining a government ID.A report in the New York Times on Wednesday said:The new policy, which goes into effect on a rolling basis, will initially apply to about 250 migrants this week. City officials said on Wednesday that they had denied extension requests to 74 migrants and had granted 118 extensions so far. Those denied extensions will be forced to leave the shelters.The Times report says that the plan is being phased in and will eventually cover all 15,000 adult migrants in the city shelter system. In all, there are 65,000 people housed in shelters in New York City, most of whom are families with children.The housing crisis in the nation’s largest city of 8.3 million people has become the focus of the Adams administration’s right-wing attack on migrants, which is designed to blame exorbitant rents and a lack of affordable housing—longstanding problems—on the arrival of 200,000 migrants in the city since the spring of 2022.In a characteristically reactionary manner, Mayor Adams responded to criticism of his cruel attack on a most vulnerable section of the population by saying, “People said it’s inhumane to put people out during the wintertime, so now they say it’s inhumane to do it in the summertime. There’s no good time.”Adams made his comment knowing full well that he had argued in court last October that the city’s right-to-shelter requirement, which has been on the books since 1981, should be suspended entirely. At that time, Adams said that removing the guarantee of shelter for migrants would send a message “to those seeking to come to the United States, to be upfront that New York City cannot single-handedly provide care to everyone crossing our border.”New York City is not the only US city evicting migrants from shelters. As reported by the WSWS in February, hundreds of migrants were discharged in Denver under new regulations adopted by the Democratic Party administration of Mayor Mike Johnston that allow families up to a maximum of six weeks and migrants without children just 14 days to stay in a shelter in the city. Of the 40,000 migrants, many of them from Venezuela, who have arrived over the past two years, 3,800 are living in shelters.The draconian evictions in New York City have been condemned by immigrant rights organizations. Speaking on a panel earlier this month, Deborah Berkman, a project director at the New York Legal Assistance Group, said, “[I]t seems extremely likely that we will see an increase in street homelessness.”

Commissioners disappointed county projects overlooked for ACG funds - — Columbiana County commissioners expressed disappointment Wednesday about the fact that none of the county’s proposed projects received funding from the Appalachian Community Grant.No downtown building rehabs throughout the county, no Willow Grove Park bridge in Lisbon, no county Career and Technical Center EV building in Lisbon, no Salem City Center rehab in Salem, no River Town Center addiction recovery center in East Liverpool and no countywide streetscapes, wayfinding and trails projects.There were some projects in the county that were not part of the package, but did receive funding, with the Utica Shale Academy awarded $2.3 million for workforce training for Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson and Mahoning counties, East Palestine schools awarded $251,528 for a school-based health center, Crestview school awarded $238,668 to share with school districts in Holmes, Mahoning and Trumbull counties for mobile in-person medical providers and Telehealth, and Campbell city schools awarded $10.5 million for a health and community development center and workforce and educational programming, including for Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.“I’m very upset,” Commissioner Mike Halleck said when asked for comment.He questioned the awarding of more than $10.5 million to Campbell city schools and how that helps Columbiana County.

‘Queer Planet’ NBC Series to Teach Children About Transgender Animal Fornication - Pride™ month being just around the corner, it’s time for the corporate state media to lay the anal propaganda on extra-thick. One of the social engineers’ ongoing projects in the furtherance of transing the world is to convince the public, and particularly children, that animals, like humans, are rampantly pansexual or whatever, with the intended conclusion that abnormal human sexual behavior produced by chemical castration and gender ideology is actually a feature of the natural world and a product of evolution. “Queerness has always existed,” the softball-catcher-Rosie-O’Donnell-archetypical dyke explains. “It’s only in humans that we have such a stigma about it,” her blue-haired comrade then elaborates in the trailer. (Of course, humans are the only animals, except perhaps other higher-order primates, that are known to have stigma about anything at all as a useful tool of social regulation, but whatever.)NBC is marketing “Queer Planet” thusly:“Take a worldwide journey exploring the rich diversity of animal sexuality — from flamboyant flamingos to pansexual primates, sex-changing clownfish, multi-gendered mushrooms and everything in between. This documentary looks at extraordinary creatures, witnesses amazing behaviors, and introduces the scientists who are questioning the traditional concept of what’s natural when it comes to sex and gender.”Via Natural News: “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently confirmed via the release of his "Canada's 2024 Budget" that his government will be allocating CA$150 million ($110 million) of taxpayer dollars to promote LGBT ideology at home and abroad and to expand equity groups in the workforce to include people who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ or "two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex,” as well as “additional so-called sexually and gender diverse people." "Following the recommendations of the Task Force, Budget 2024 announces the government’s intention to propose legislative amendments to modernize the Employment Equity Act, including by expanding designated equity groups," the budget stated, adding that Trudeau intends to spend the $110 million over the next 10 years, with the possibility of allocating even more taxpayer dollars should his government remain in power.” “Two-spirit,” for the record, which I have debunked at length before, is an entirely synthetic marriage of pseudo-Native American culture and transgenderism, invented in the 1990s by a Canadian academic that in no way accurately reflects Native American culture. In other contexts, this cynical bastardization of a culture would be called “cultural appropriation,” but because it’s in the service of gender ideology it gets a pass.

Akron school board approves $24 million in budget cuts | wkyc.com including elimination of 285 jobs — The Board of Education for Akron Public Schools on Monday approved a restructuring plan that includes $24 million in budget cuts, including the elimination of 285 temporary and vacant jobs from the district. Members voted to pass two of the three resolutions involving a reduction of force by a tally of 5-1, the third resolution of a reduction of force to teachers passed 6-1, with Bruce Alexander approving cuts to the number of teachers but abstaining on cuts to other employees. Rene Molenaur was the only member to vote no on all three resolutions.The final vote came after more than three hours of discussion plus protests from employees and members of the community earlier in the day. The Akron Education Association held a rally near APS headquarters to speak out against the cuts, with union leader Patricia Shipe releasing the following statement to 3News: "It has been a difficult and shocking week at Akron Public Schools. During a time when we should be celebrating the success of our students, instead we are surrounded by chaos and uncertainty. All the more intensified by the complete lack of transparency and communication on the part of Superintendent Robinson and his Administration as they target educator jobs. It is the Association’s belief that recent moves by this Administration have been directly aimed at eliminating professional educator jobs held by union members."District leaders, however, say the cuts are necessary due to declining enrollment, staffing increases, increased operational costs, and labor expenditures that have led to a budget deficit. Of the 285 positions that will be eliminated, just over 200 involve the teachers union, with 65 of those coming through retirements or jobs that are currently unfilled. A total of 52 teachers will be laid off, to be replaced in the classroom by teachers being transferred from APS' administrative headquarters. Those coming into schools have more seniority than the ones being laid off.

Akron school board approves cutting 285 positions despite protest from teachers - Despite teachers protesting outside Akron Public Schools’ headquarters earlier in the day, the Akron Board of Education signed off Monday night on a budget reduction plan that will mean 285 positions will be cut, and 52 teachers will lose their jobs.District officials said the cuts are needed to help the district face a looming budget deficit and to “right-size” the school district after years of enrollment declines.Leaders with the Akron Education Association, which represents teachers and other staff at Akron Public Schools, during the protest alleged the district and Superintendent Michael Robinson are engaged in "union busting" tactics. AEA President Pat Shipe alleged Robinson has moved to discipline teachers critical of the administration, while being critical himself of the union's contract and arguing it's the source of the district's problems. "We have a good idea of how labor unions are treated in Louisiana," Shipe said, referring to Robinson's former school district. "But we are in Akron, Ohio. We're in northeastern Ohio. We have a rich history of labor in this town. Labor that built the city. Labor that moved the city forward. Labor that continues to play a vital role in our community, labor, and a community that supports all of you: parents, families, students, your neighbors, corporate partners, politicians, and even many of the superintendents own staff, support you." Spokesperson Mark Williamson said the allegation of union-busting is news to him. "This allegation has not been brought to the district's attention," Williamson said. "That would be the appropriate way to address such concerns. Therefore, we will not respond to assertions based on speculation." Janell Brown, second vice president (elementary) with the Akron Education Association, alleged the superintendent compared the union to "the devil" in remarks to a local church over the weekend. "We are told that the superintendent recently stated, 'This is my house. I want the union people out of my house,'" Brown said. Robinson spoke to the Second Baptist Church in Akron on Sunday, the day before the meeting. (Robinson takes the pulpit around 28 minutes into the video.) He spoke at length about the district's financial health and the plan for cuts, but he did not directly reference the union. He described the cuts as tough, but necessary. At one point, however, he did refer to the Monday meeting and said "you're going to hear the ugly all tomorrow, because that's what the devil does, the devil is coming to seek who he can devour and destroy, but I am telling you that we're going to walk out of 10 North Main on tomorrow night as victors." After the meeting Monday, Robinson denied that the passage was referring to the union and said that generally speaking, he was talking about challenges facing the district as a whole. Chase Belmont, a student at North High School, urged the district not to cut the position of so many "beloved" teachers. He noted a teacher he considers a role model will be cut."During my two years as his student, his encouragement has motivated me to take school more seriously and has offered unwavering support, has supported us as students," he said. "We deserve a thorough explanation before losing these invaluable role models."

Ann Arbor school board votes for draconian budget cuts - On Tuesday evening, the Ann Arbor, Michigan Board of Education voted to cut $20 million from its school budget next year by eliminating 141 staffing positions, including 91 teachers, and gutting elementary school world languages, music and other critical programs. Ann Arbor educators march before May 20 school board meeting. The 6-1 vote by the Democratic Party-controlled school board followed weeks of angry public meetings and protests by hundreds of educators, parents and students against the planned cuts. Layoff notices are expected to go out as early as this week. The district blames the cuts on falling enrollment and a supposed “accounting error,” which allegedly counted a one-time infusion of state pension funding as future revenue. Over the last few years, however, the loss of per pupil state funding and higher expenses due to inflation have been largely covered over by tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief money. The Biden administration’s decision to allow the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program to expire—despite the ongoing pandemic and continued impact on public schools—has created a “fiscal cliff” for school districts around the country. A recent CNN report stated the ending of the program could lead to the elimination of the jobs of 384,000 educators over the next two years in the US, with estimates of 5,100 job cuts in Michigan alone. Far from organizing opposition to the brutal cuts, the Ann Arbor Education Association agreed to voluntary buyouts that would pay teachers with 10 years or more experience up to $25,000 to resign. From the beginning, officials from the AAEA and its parent organization, the Michigan Education Association, have offered their collaboration “in using attrition and retirements to continue reducing staff and right-size the district,” as AAEA President Fred Klein declared outside an earlier school board meeting. The publication Bridge Michigan reports that the Ann Arbor cuts include:

• $14.7 million through reducing total staff by 6 percent, including teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff and others.
• $1.2 million by shifting a science, technology, engineering, arts and math elementary program into the specials schedule
• $400,000 by eliminating world language programs in elementary schools that are not connected to an International Baccalaureate program
• $224,000 by reducing co-teachers in middle and high school band and orchestra programs
• $525,000 annually by reducing substitute costs and two coordinator positions in two elementary International Baccalaureate programs
• $150,000 by eliminating a virtual elementary school that has eight students
• $520,000 a year plus repair costs by closing middle school pools except for a city-run pool inside a middle school

The district is looking for additional cuts through further talks with the AAEA. It is not clear whether paraprofessionals, also members of the AAEA, will be subject to a pay cut of as much as $3 an hour, a proposal that has been previously floated.

Uvalde families sue tech and arms companies -- Families of the victims of the Uvalde, Texas, shooting sued tech and arms companies Friday, accusing them of “wrongful death.”In two separate complaints in California and Texas, the families accused companies including Meta, Activision — the publisher of the video game Call of Duty — and arms manufacturer Daniel Defense of grooming “a generation of young men who are socially vulnerable, insecure about their masculinity, and eager to show strength and assert dominance” and “indoctrinating a particular demographic: adolescents who are vulnerable to marketing that stokes their sense of aggrievement and desire for power.”“To put a finer point on it: Defendants are chewing up alienated teenage boys and spitting out mass shooters,” reads the California complaint.“Before the Uvalde school shooter, there was the Parkland school shooter, and before him, the Sandy Hook school shooter,” the complaint continues. “These were the three most deadly K-12 school shootings in American history. In each one, the shooter was between the ages of 18 and 21 years old; in each one, the shooter was a devoted player of Call of Duty; and in each one, the shooter committed their attack in tactical gear, wielding an assault rifle.”The twin Friday complaints follow the announcement of another suit by Uvalde families against more than 90 Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers earlier this week over their response to the deadly shooting two years ago. “There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” an attorney for the families, Josh Koskoff, said in a Friday press release on the suits against the companies. “Just 23 minutes after midnight on his 18th birthday, the Uvalde shooter bought an AR-15 made by a company with a market share of less than one percent.”In an emailed statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Activision said that “the Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way, and we express our deepest sympathies to the families and communities who remain impacted by this senseless act of violence.”“Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts,” the spokesperson added.

University of California files for injunction against academic worker strike over Gaza protest crackdowns -- The University of California system has filed an injunction to ban a strike by academic workers opposing the police crackdown on campus protests against the genocide in Gaza. On Monday, 2,000 workers at University of California Santa Cruz walked out, but the United Auto Workers has left 46,000 of its members on the job at the system’s nine other campuses.A press release by UC employed sweeping authoritarian language, declaring the strike is illegal because its “goal is to pressure the University to concede to a list of politically motivated demands closely linked to the protests occurring across California and the nation.”Adding insult to injury, the press release ends: “The University has allowed—and will continue to allow—lawful protesting activities surrounding the conflict in the Middle East.” In fact, students have been beaten and arrested across California and the United States. Only last week, police smashed up an encampment at UC Irvine while the academic workers’ strike voting process was ending.This is a major escalation of the assault on the right to free speech, including the right to protest a genocide. This has already been ripped up de facto through weeks of police raids that have led to over 3,000 arrests nationwide. But the court filing amounts to a demand that all strike activity of a political character be banned in the United States.As a matter of fact, the ruling class long ago passed a ban on political strikes in the Taft Hartley Act of 1947, widely denounced as the “slave-labor bill.” However, the claim that the UC strike is illegal is factually absurd.An Unfair Labor Practice complaint filed with the state employee relations board Friday used similar language. “Particularly in today’s climate, if [the] UAW can disregard no-strike clauses, the University—and every other public agency in California—would face constant strikes advancing political and/or social viewpoints,” the complaint warned.In other words, a precedent must be set that workers and youth can not only be prevented from exercising their right to free speech, but are banned from active opposition when their rights are violated. The only form of political activity which is acceptable to the ruling class is voting for one of the two official pro-war parties in elections—and even this is under threat, as shown by the January 6 coup attempt. The very forces seeking to have opposition declared “illegal” are themselves criminals. At the same time that the UC files for an injunction, prosecutors with the International Criminal Court are seeking arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials for genocide.

UAW forced by growing anger to expand University of California anti-genocide strike to UCLA, UC Davis On Thursday, United Auto Workers Local 4811 declared it would expand a strike by academic workers against the police crackdown on campuses at the University of California to UCLA (Los Angeles) and UC Davis. Around 2,000 workers have been on strike at UC Santa Cruz since Monday. Action at the two additional campuses is scheduled for next Tuesday. The UAW announcement is in reaction to massive rank-and-file anger over the bureaucracy’s deliberate isolation of the strike to only one out of the 10 campuses, even as the police crackdown continues to build. On Tuesday, the UC administration filed for an injunction against the strike, claiming it was illegal because its “goal is to pressure the University to concede to a list of politically motivated demands.” However, a court rejected the application on Thursday. On Thursday morning, students launched a second encampment at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Three weeks ago, the previous one was shut down by a combined assault of police and right-wing Zionists. Protesters barricaded themselves around UCLA’s Kerckhoff Hall, which was quickly surrounded by police. In a short time, the number of police arrayed against the protest grew to the hundreds, with cops from the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) arriving in riot gear, as well as third-party security services, including Covered Six, Apex and CSC. Officers with zip ties surrounded the area, and the campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin, reported the presence of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department prisoner transport bus. The encampment was then abandoned by students and turned into a march and a series of temporary occupations of buildings around campus. At the time of this writing, no arrests had been made. As today’s protest took place, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block was testifying before Congress, with Democrats and Republicans alike slandering the protests on campus as being motivated by “antisemitism.” UCLA Professor Marco Velli, Astrophysics UC Los Angeles Professor Marco Velli told the WSWS: I teach astrophysics, space science. And I’m also Jewish. I mean, clearly the way they handled the whole issue here in UCLA was wrong. It was obviously wrong. And what was done as a remedial was too little, way too little, way too late. They should not have had the encampment thrown out the day after they allowed it to be attacked essentially. It became increasingly clear in the hours before the UAW’s announcement that workers at the two campuses were prepared to walk out with or without the official sanction of the union. The group “UC Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine” called for a strike starting Tuesday, with or without sanction from the UAW. A group at UCLA called “Rank-and-File for a Democratic Union” has also called for mass sickouts and demanded that UAW officials “Stop using the violence we endured at UCLA as a prop and call on us to go on strike already!”

Harvard graduates walk out of commencement after weeks of protests --Hundreds of graduates at Harvard University walked out of their commencement Thursday after the school announced 13 students who participated in the recent pro-Palestinian protests on campus would not be allowed to receive their diplomas with fellow students.Groups of graduates walked out chanting “Free, Free Palestine” and “Let them walk, let them walk” in reference to the students barred from walking at the ceremony, The Associated Press reported. A total of more than 1,000 students participated in the walkout, according to the school’s protest groups.. Harvard’s administrative board determined the 13 students in question were not in “good standing” after they violated university policies through their involvement in the recent protest encampment on campus, the Harvard Corp. said in a written statement. “In coming to this determination, we note that the express provisions of the Harvard College Student Handbook state that students who are not in good standing are not eligible for degrees,” according to the statement. “We understand that the inability to graduate is consequential for students and their families.” Student speaker Shruthi Kumar touched upon the decision during Thursday’s ceremony, telling her fellow graduates, “This semester our freedom of speech and our expressions of solidarity became punishable,” per the AP. Kumar said she felt she had to recognize the 13 undergraduates who did not get to receive their degrees, adding she is “deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus.” More than 1,500 students petitioned and nearly 500 staff and faculty spoke up over Harvard’s decision, Kumar said. “This is about civil rights and upholding democratic principles,” she reportedly said. “The students had spoken. The faculty had spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?”

As student protests over Gaza spread, US House Committee demands further crackdown --Some 500 students walked out of the commencement ceremony at Harvard University Thursday, taking up chants of “Free Palestine” and “Let them walk!” This referred to 13 students who were barred from graduation with their class by a vote of the top governing body at the college, the Harvard Corporation. The 13 students were victimized for their actions as part of the protests against the Gaza genocide and Harvard’s continuing ties with the state of Israel and the US war machine. While the university administration did not make public their supposed offenses, one press account said that some of them were involved in cutting a gate lock, a trivial case of property damage. The administration withheld their degrees despite an overwhelming vote by the faculty senate opposing this action and a petition signed by 500 faculty members and 1,500 students. Interim President Alan Garber was loudly booed as he opened the commencement, and he conceded that “some among us may choose to take the liberty of expressing themselves to draw attention to events unfolding in the wider world.” The signal for the walkout was given by one of the three student speakers at the commencement, Shruthi Kumar, who deviated from the text of her address to pull a prepared statement out of the sleeves of her gown and read it. Kumar attacked the administration for its treatment of the anti-genocide protests, saying, “This semester our freedom of speech and our expressions of solidarity became punishable,” as students erupted in applause. She said she wanted to honor “the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 who will not graduate today,” adding, “I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus … this is about civil rights and upholding democratic principles.” Referring to the widespread support for the victimized students, she continued, “The students had spoken. The faculty had spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?” She then said she was walking in support of those denied their degrees. “These are my peers and friends, and I can’t in good conscience celebrate when their families are in pain,” she said. “This is beyond politics—it’s about civil rights and civil disobedience. We’re not intending to be disruptive or violent. But it’s making a statement, as a community, as the class of 2024.” Some of the same democratic sentiments were voiced by the main commencement speaker, Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her exposures of corruption and state killings under the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte. “The campus protests are testing everyone in America,” Ressa said. “Protests give voice; they shouldn’t be silenced.” She also noted that she herself had been falsely accused of antisemitism for her opposition to the Gaza genocide, saying she had been “called antisemitic by power and money because they want power and money.”

Biden urges West Point cadets to ‘hold fast’ to the oath amid global turmoil --President Biden told graduates of the U.S. Military Academy Saturday to stay true to their values as they face threats and turmoil across the globe.“Hold fast to your values that you learned here at West Point,” Biden told the graduates.He said they will have to uphold the oath they took on their first day at West Point. An oath taken to “not a political party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”Biden said the class motto was fitting for the kinds of challenges they will face as new members of the Army, including supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia to facilitating the humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza and defending Israel from Iran, The Associated Press reported.“There’s never been a time in history when we’ve asked our military to do so many different things in some many different places around the world, all at the same time,” he said.

Biden canceling student debt for more than 160,000 borrowers -President Biden announced Wednesday he would be canceling student debt for more than 160,00 borrowers. The new plan forgives $7.7 billion for the latest batch of borrowers, bringing the total relief from Biden’s student debt actions to $167 billion for 4.75 million Americans. The latest loan forgiveness initiative comes through various income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, including the president’s newly established SAVE program. The 160,000 borrowers are people enrolled in the Biden administration’s SAVE Plan, and are public service workers like teachers, nurses, or law enforcement officials, or are borrowers who were approved for relief because of fixes to IDR plans. “The Biden-Harris Administration remains persistent about our efforts to bring student debt relief to millions more across the country, and this announcement proves it,” Education Sec. Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “One out of every 10 federal student loan borrowers approved for debt relief means one out of every 10 borrowers now has financial breathing room and a burden lifted.” Biden made forgiving student debt a campaign promise in 2020 and is stepping up his recent efforts as he works to appeal to young voters ahead of November’s election. Last month, the administration canceled student debt for more than 277,000 borrowers. Those actions targeted public service workers, those on IDR plans, borrowers defrauded by their schools and people with disabilities. Biden last month also announced a plan to give relief to 25 million borrowers, including those on IDR plans, people who participated in low-financial-value education programs, individuals experiencing hardship and borrowers whose debt has grown due to unpaid interest. The plan, if finalized, will almost certainly be challenged in court. The latest plans are part of the president’s efforts to find a workaround after the Supreme Court struck down his student debt relief plan in June.

Biden Cancels Another $7.7 Billion In Student Debt For 160,000 Borrowers - President Joe Biden announced his latest student loan forgiveness plan by canceling $7.7 billion in debts, taking the total amount of such loans canceled under his administration to $167 billion. “Today, my Administration is canceling student debt for 160,000 more people, bringing the total number of Americans who have benefitted from our debt relief actions to 4.75 million,” President Biden said in a May 22 statement. “Each of those borrowers has received an average of over $35,000 in debt cancellation. These 160,000 additional borrowers are people enrolled in my Administration’s SAVE Plan; are public service workers like teachers, nurses, or law enforcement officials; or are borrowers who were approved for relief because of fixes we made to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR).” Out of $7.7 billion, $5.2 billion is relief granted to 66,900 borrowers under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), a program for government and NGO employees. Once a borrower has made 120 qualifying monthly payments on their debt, PSLF can forgive the remaining portion of the dues. In total, the Biden administration has approved $68 billion in forgiveness for over 942,000 borrowers under PSLF. $1.9 billion will go to provide relief to 39,200 borrowers through administrative adjustments made to individuals with IDR plans. The administration has so far approved $51 billion in IDR relief for over one million borrowers. The remaining $613 million in relief will be granted to 54,300 borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan. Enrolled individuals can get relief if they’ve made payments for at least 10 years, provided they borrowed $12,000 or less. Around $5.5 billion in loan forgiveness has been granted to 414,000 borrowers under the SAVE plan by the Biden administration. With the latest announcement, the Biden–Harris administration has approved $167 billion in loan forgiveness to 4.75 million Americans. President Biden’s latest loan forgiveness comes less than six months before the presidential election. The issue of student loans remains high on the agenda of younger voters, many of whom have concerns about Biden’s foreign policy on the war in Gaza and fault him for not achieving greater debt forgiveness. The campaign of former President Donald Trump, Biden’s Republican challenger in the White House race, in March criticized the student loan cancellation as a bailout that was done “without a single act of Congress.” A poll published by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School last month showed that younger voters were not particularly impressed with President Biden’s student debt relief plans—only 39 percent of poll participants approved of the president on the issue.

GLAAD gives failing grades to major social media platforms on LGBTQ safety: Report -- The LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD gave failing grades to several major social media platforms for how well they protect the safety, privacy and expression of the LGBTQ community online.As part of the fourth annual Social Media Safety Index, GLAAD examined hate, disinformation, predominant anti-LGBTQ tropes, best policy practices, the suppression of LGBTQ content, artificial intelligence and data protection, regulation and the connections between “online hate and offline harm.”The organization gave five of the six leading social media platforms a failing grade. Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter; YouTube; Meta’s Facebook; Instagram; and Threads all received a failing F grade on the index’s score card for the third consecutive year.TikTok, an app that could eventually be banned in the United States, was the only major social platform to not receive an F, earning a D+ rating.TikTok’s score improved from last year, GLAAD said, because the company made several improvements to its “Anti-Discrimination Ad Policy,” which means advertisers can’t wrongfully target or exclude users from seeing content, among other improvements.The organization said it aims to analyze social media platforms and index them so advocates can call on the leaders of social media companies who fail to make safe products for the LGBTQ community.“When it comes to anti-LGBTQ hate and disinformation, the industry is dangerously lacking on enforcement of current policies,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “There is a direct relationship between online harms and the hundreds of anti-LGBTQ legislative attacks, rising rates of real-world anti-LGBTQ violence and threats of violence, that social media platforms are responsible for and should act with urgency to address.”Threads received its first F rating since it was launched in the summer of 2023. Meta’s other platforms, Facebook and Instagram, were the only other platforms to receive worse ratings than the year prior. Facebook dropped 3 points and Instagram dropped 5 points from 2023.TikTok increased 10 points over the last year. YouTube increased 4 points, and X increased 8 points.

Republican probe into EcoHealth gets results, but COVID origin still a mystery - The GOP-controlled subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic appears to be swaying the Biden administration with its exhaustive examinations targeting groups and individuals with links to the unproven COVID-19 lab leak theory. In the past month, the subcommittee has heard testimony from EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak and Lawrence Tabak, principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It also called in David Morens, a top deputy to former COVID czar Anthony Fauci, who was grilled over damning revelations about his conduct. The purpose of these hearings has been to nail down a timeline of what went on betweenfederal officials and EcoHealth before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether any of it may have contributed to the global health crisis. Seemingly coinciding with these hearings, the White House has moved to debar EcoHealth andDaszak from receiving federal funds. And members of the committee believe they’ve had a hand in these decisions. “I think that the subcommittee had influence over EcoHealth by exposing what happened,” Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) told The Hill. “But I don’t think that the subcommittee has used its influence for good in the way that it could. So that was a small positive thing that the committee has done,” Ross added. “But there have been so many missed opportunities for bipartisan work with this committee, that it almost breaks my heart.” Despite a series of reports and hearings, neither the committee nor federal agencies seem to be any closer to nailing down the origins of the virus that had killed nearly 1.2 million Americans and counting. EcoHealth is an infectious disease nonprofit that received federal grants to study emerging viruses. The organization in turn sub-awarded grants to labs including the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) that researched coronaviruses. Critics, including GOP members of the subcommittee, have questioned whether the WIV’s research resulted in a lab leak that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.While this theory hasn’t been proven, federal health officials have repeatedly accused EcoHealth of failing to conduct proper oversight of the WIV and other sub-grant recipients, as well as failing to send in timely progress reports.

Long COVID advocates hammer President Biden over 'minimal funding' in budget request - Long COVID research advocates slammed the Biden administration over “minimal funding” for long COVID in its budget request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for fiscal year 2025. “The Long COVID Campaign, in partnership with Long COVID Moonshot and Patient Led Research Collaborative, has called on Congressional leaders to appropriate at least $1.2 Billion in FY25 funding for Long COVID research, with other patient groups advocating for even higher levels of funding to meet the scale of need,” a Thursday press release reads. “Yet despite increasing impacts to the U.S. healthcare system, workforce and economy, the Biden Administration’s FY25 budget request for the NIH had minimal funding for Long COVID research, treatment or care,” the press release continues. A study from August of last year found that those infected with even mild cases of COVID-19 could stay at a higher risk for heart problems, blood clots, diabetes, neurologic complications and other complications for as long as two years. “In its FY2025 budget request, the Biden Administration failed to ask Congress for the funding or support the 1 in 20 Americans suffering from Long COVID desperately need,” Meighan Stone, executive director of the Long COVID Campaign, said in the press release. “As Senate leaders debate $50 billion in NIH funding, we want to make sure the millions of now-disabled and chronically ill Americans still waiting for any Long COVID tests, [Food and Drug Administration] approved treatments or urgency aren’t forgotten,” Stone continued. According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report from September of last year, around 18 million adults reported dealing with long COVID as of 2022.

Long-COVID codes in health record may dramatically underestimate its prevalence Long COVID is likely much more prevalent than indicated in electronic health record (EHR) diagnostic or referral codes, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researchers report in eClinicalMedicine.The investigators analyzed National Health Service clinical data from more than 19 million adults in England on COVID-19 test results, hospitalizations, and vaccinations from November 2020 to January 2023. The aim was to detail trends in the documentation of 16 clinical codes tied to long COVID. Median follow-up was 2.2 years.A total of 55,465 patients were flagged for long COVID, with 20,025 diagnostic codes and 35,440 referral codes. The incidence of new long COVID rose steadily in the records during 2021, peaking in January 2022 and then declining. "The pattern of long COVID recording over time did peak at the same time as SARS-COV-2 infections at a national level, but did not reflect the decline in infections in early 2021 or the waves of infections in 2022," the study authors wrote.In comparison, 2.1 million people self-reported having long COVID in the proactively sampled Office for National Statistics community infection survey in January 2023"If we assume a crude 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infections result in long COVID, as elsewhere, and with approximately 20 million recorded infections in England the number of recorded long COVID cases in primary care is an order of magnitude below the estimated incidence of long COVID in England given the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections," the researchers wrote, meaning the true prevalence is 10 times higher.The rate of long COVID per 100,000 person-years was 177.5 in women and 100.5 in men. Most patients with a long-COVID code (59%) didn't have documentation of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test in the previous 12 weeks or more, and 6.5% were hospitalized.

Study shows vaccination lowers risk of long COVID --COVID-19 patients vaccinated against the novel coronavirus were less likely to have symptoms of post-COVID condition (PCC), or long COVID, according to a new study in Nature Communications.The study was based on outcomes seen among patients in eight large healthcare systems in the United States who had positive SARS-CoV-2 tests between March 2021 and February 2022.The authors of the study defined PCC as a new diagnosis in one of 13 PCC categories 30 days to 6 months following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test.The authors matched 161,531 vaccinated COVID-19 patients to unvaccinated patients using electronic health records. Of the vaccinated patients, 96.7% had two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and among both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, less than 1% of included COVID-19 cases had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 re-infection."Most patients with SARS-CoV-2 were identified in December 2021 and January 2022, approximately reflecting the time period during which Omicron was the dominant circulating variant and COVID-19 vaccination coverage was high in the US," the authors said.The average age of COVID-19 patients was 37.1 years, and 37.1% were White, while 36.2% were Hispanic.During an average 151-day follow-up period, the authors found the risk of PCC was significantly lower for vaccinated than for unvaccinated patients for 9 of the 13 outcomes studied.Vaccination was associated with a greater than 10% lower risk of sensory (relative risk [RR], 0.90), circulatory (RR, 0.88), blood and hematologic (RR, 0.79), skin and subcutaneous (RR, 0.69), and non-specific COVID-related disorders (RR, 0.53).Vaccinated patients, however, were at a slightly increased risk of mental illness compared with unvaccinated patients over the study period (RR, 1.06).

Quick takes: US FLiRT variant proportions rise, Angola reports first polio case, FDA norovirus warning for imported raw oysters | CIDRAP

• In updated variant proportion estimates today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported steady rises in SARS-CoV-2 variants that have the FLiRT mutation, which may give them more immune-evasive properties but aren't known to cause more severe COVID illness. KP.2 and KP.3, which are offshoots of JN.1, currently make up 41.2% of sequenced viruses. (FLiRT stands for F for L at position 456 and R for T at position 346.) FLiRT viruses are fueling rises in cases in some countries such as Singapore. In the United States, the main COVID markers show no sign of a wave, but early indictors are up very slightly from very low levels, including test positivity and emergency department visits. Wastewater levels, another early indicator, remain at the minimal level.
• Angola has reported its first infection from circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), which involved a patient from Lunda Norte province, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),Reliefweb reported today, citing a situation report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In late February, Angola's government had declared an outbreak after the detection of environmental samples in two other provinces, Luanda and Huambo. In other polio developments, three African countries reported more polio cases, all involving cVDPV2, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said in its latest weekly update. They include Ethiopia, Guinea, and Nigeria.
• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned consumers, retailers, and restaurants not to eat or serve certain raw, half-shell oysters sourced from South Korea due to potential norovirus contamination and illness reports in people from Utah. JBR, based in Tongyeong, recalled oysters with the lot number B231227, which were distributed by a California company to restaurants and retailers in California, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, and Utah. Investigators are still working to determine other locations that received the products. In April, the FDA issued a similar warning after products from the same company were linked to norovirus illnesses in California.

Analysis: In-hospital heart failure and hip fracture deaths rose over 20% amid COVID patient surges An analysis of more than 19 million hospital discharges in 36 US states suggests that the quality of nonsurgical care for non-COVID patients declined significantly during 2020 COVID-19 case surges. For the study, published today in JAMA Network Open, researchers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) evaluated care-quality indicators of 19,111,629 releases from 3,283 hospitals in 2019 and 2020. The team mined AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases on hospital admissions in 2019 and 2020 and patients without a diagnosis of COVID-19 or pneumonia who were at risk for pressure ulcers and death due to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, hip fracture, and coronary-artery stent placement. High COVID-19 admission was considered 15 or more per 100 beds, while low was considered less than 1. The average patient age was 63 years, and half were women. "The COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous challenges to maintaining care quality in US hospitals," the researchers wrote. "During surges, hospitals experienced unprecedented strain, with increased volumes of patients with severe illness and shortages of staff, beds, and supplies. However, hospitals often experienced few or no COVID-19 admissions, and during these periods occupancy levels were lower than in 2019." From weeks 18 to 48 of 2020, 35,851 hospital-weeks (36.7%) had low COVID-19 patient admission rates, and 8,094 (8.3%) had high rates. Quality indicators for non-COVID patients worsened significantly during weeks with high COVID-19 patient hospitalizations. Rates rose for pressure ulcers (0.09 per 1,000 admissions; relative change, 24.3%), heart failure death (0.40 per 100 admissions; relative change, 21.1%), and hip fracture death (0.40 per 100 admissions; relative change, 29.4%). Likewise, the weighted average of mortality for the care indicators climbed 0.30 per 100 admissions (relative change, 10.6%). "Increases were statistically significant and clinically meaningful; for example, pressure ulcer, heart failure mortality, and hip fracture mortality rates all increased by at least 20% during weeks with high compared with low COVID-19 admissions," the authors wrote.

Chinese study finds association between viral persistence and Long COVID - A study by Chinese researchers has found the strongest evidence yet of an association between persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and Long COVID. Not only was the presence of virus in tissues associated with the development of Long COVID, but the risk of Long COVID increased with greater quantities of the virus present. Significantly, the study collected multiple, serial specimens from adult patients after a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. This feature differentiates the study from prior work, providing the advantage of tracking viral presence and symptoms in individual patients over time. Prior studies were limited to assessing patients at a single point in time. The study collected tissue specimens and data from 225 patients treated at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing between January and April of 2023. Notably, this study occurred when the Omicron BA.5 variant was overwhelmingly predominant in China. The patients all met the criteria for mild COVID and were seen at the hospital for other reasons besides COVID. Many patients were additionally scheduled for various procedures that either involved tissue sampling or provided easy ability to collect samples, including gastroscopy (examination of the stomach through a fiberoptic endoscope) and surgery. The tissue specimens came from known sites of SARS-CoV-2 persistence based on prior studies. They included gastric mucosa samples and residual surgical samples from the lung, skin, intestine, blood vessels, kidney, breast, thyroid, liver, brain, pancreas, gall bladder, and appendix. Initial collection occurred one month after infection as determined by a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or lateral flow test. Subsequent collection of the same tissues occurred at two months and four months after infection. Notably, the researchers excluded patients whose SARS-CoV-2 test remained positive at the time of first tissue collection at one month. This feature of the study ensured that symptoms were due to Long COVID and not an ongoing or repeat infection. The World Health Organization defines Long COVID symptoms as new symptoms beginning three months after infection or later, or symptoms associated with the infection that increase in severity and persist for two months with no other explanation. Accordingly, the researchers assessed patients’ symptoms at four months post-infection by telephone. Of the 225 patients initially enrolled, 213 (95 percent) participated in the four-month follow-up telephone survey and thus were included in the analysis. Of the 213, 72 (34 percent) had at least one Long COVID symptom. Of the 177 patients who received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 56 (32 percent) had at least one Long COVID symptom at four months. Of the other 36 patients, 16 (44 percent) developed Long COVID. Consistent with previous research, fatigue was the most common symptom, afflicting 21 percent of patients with Long COVID. The percentage of tissue specimens testing positive for the virus progressively declined over time. At one month post-infection, 30 percent of specimens were positive, at two months 27 percent were positive, and at four months 11 percent were positive. The five tissues with the highest percentage of specimens testing positive, in decreasing order, were liver, stomach, intestine, brain, and kidney. The study also quantified the amount of virus, or viral load, in tissues. Since many of the patients were cancer patients, the researchers compared the quantity of virus in tumor tissue and tissue surrounding the tumor or “paratumor” tissue. The hypothesis was that immune dysregulation in tumor tissues might result in higher viral load. However, the study found no difference in viral load between tumor and paratumor tissues. Similarly, the researchers hypothesized that the quantity of ACE2 receptors in tissues—known to be significant binding sites on cells for viral entry—might be associated with viral load. And again, they found no significant differences. The researchers were able to fully sequence the viral genome for a single specimen from the lung of a single participant. This result showed the virus to be SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.5.2, consistent with the vast predominance of Omicron BA.5 in China at the time.

New data shows rising infection and death rates from COVID contracted in Australian hospitals - Documents recently obtained by an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) journalist Hayley Gleeson under Freedom of Information laws reveal that alarming numbers of patients admitted to hospitals for medical care in Victoria are being infected with COVID and dying from the virus. The data, which was published by the state-funded news outlet but largely ignored by the corporate media, shows that 6,212 patients caught COVID in the state’s public hospitals in the past 24 months, and that 586 patients—approximately 1 in 10—died from the hospital acquired infections or at the rate of six deaths per week. COVID data is difficult to access because Australian health departments do not publish incidences of COVID being caught in hospital. The latest revelations came amid a recent 30 percent surge in COVID hospitalisations in Victoria, Australia’s second most populated state. The latest COVID surveillance report released May 17 showed a weekly average of 284 coronavirus hospital admissions per day, compared with 208 up to May 10 and 160 a week prior to that. Previous reports have indicated substantial transmission within the hospitals, as well as a mortality rate of around ten percent for hospital-acquired infections. The significance of the latest data is that they confirm this trend is continuing. That is nothing short of criminal on the part of the state and federal Labor governments and the health authorities, which are implementing policies that they know will claim hundreds of lives among this vulnerable cohort. The high level of hospital-acquired COVID infections and deaths is a direct result of the bipartisan “let it rip” policies adopted in December 2021, which overturned successful mitigation measures that had initially been implemented under popular demand. That “reopening” has been followed by the successive removal of even the most basic safety precautions, such that virtually none remain. Basic protective measures, availability of free COVID testing across the country, systematic tracking of the virus, isolation of those infected, and compulsory mask-wearing by medical professionals in health facilities have been systematically removed. These “let it rip” policies, has seen over 24,400 COVID deaths in Australia, more than half of these under the Albanese government, and with the global death toll now over 30 million. Significantly the federal Labor government, acting in tandem with state Labor administrations in office across the country, have gone further than the widely-despised Liberal-National Coalition government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison could.

WHO: COVID-19 pandemic reversed decade of life expectancy gains - The World Health Organization (WHO) published a new report suggesting the COVID-19 pandemic undid a decade of life expectancy at birth and healthy life expectancy gains (HALE), with global expectancy levels now matching those last seen in 2012. "Not only has the pandemic set back healthy longevity worldwide by years, it also reversed the previous trends of shifting disease burden to noncommunicable diseases," the report said. The Americas and South-East Asia regions each lost about 3 years of life expectancy at birth between 2019 and 2021, the report said, as SARS-CoV-2 caused communicable diseases to be the cause of 23.0% of all deaths in 2020 and 28.1% in 2021 – a return to 2005 levels. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 was the top cause of death for the region of the Americas. In 2019, communicable diseases only accounted for three of the top ten causes of death worldwide, a trend swiftly reversed by the novel coronavirus. Between 2000 and 2019, steady gains were made with life expectancy. In 2000, life expectancy was 66.8 years (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 66.2 to 67.3 years) and rose to 73.1 (UI, 72.6 to 73.7) years in 2019. Women gained an average of 6.5 years from 2000 to 2019, and men 6.2 years. When the pandemic began in 2020, expectancy rates began to drop almost immediately. Global life expectancy at birth dropped by 0.7 years to 72.5 (UI, 71.9 to 73.1) years in 2020 (back to the 2016 level), and by a further 1.1 years to 71.4 (UI, 70.8 to 72.0) years in 2021 (the 2012 level). The effects of the pandemic were seen most strongly in middle and high-income countries. "By World Bank income groups, life expectancy was cut by 0.6 years in low-income countries and by 2.4 years in lower-middle-income countries, and HALE cut by 0.6 years and 2.0 years, respectively, between 2019 and 2021," the authors said. In 2019, seven of the 10 leading causes of death were non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and in upper-middle-income and high-income countries, NCDs accounted for nine out of 10 top causes of death, with only lower respiratory infections ranking. By 2021, however, COVID-19 became the third and second leading causes, respectively, claiming 4.1 million and 8.8 million lives globally "In all but two WHO regions (the African and Western Pacific regions), COVID-19 ranked among the top five causes of deaths in 2020 and 2021, responsible for the largest number of deaths in both years in the Region of the Americas, in 2021 in the South-East Asia Region and the second largest number of deaths in both years in the European and the Eastern Mediterranean regions," the WHO said.

Singapore reports rise in COVID activity Singapore's health ministry recently announced that its closely monitoring a recent rise in COVID-19 infections, noting cases were up sharply for the week ending May 11, with a rise in hospitalizations, but intensive care unit (ICU) admissions remaining low.Two JN.1 variants, KP.1 and KP.2, make up more than two-thirds of Singapore's COVID cases. The ministry said JN.1 and its sublineages remain dominant globally and that KP.2 is one of the variants that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently added to its list of variants under monitoring.The ministry said there's no sign that illnesses involving circulating variants are more severe or transmissible, but it said population immunity has likely waned over time. It urged people to stay updated with their COVID vaccines, especially those at greatest risk for severe disease.Scientists have been tracking a steady rise in JN.1 offshoots that have two added spike mutations, nicknamed the FLiRT (F for L at position 456 and R for T at position 346), which may give them more immune-evasive properties. KP.2 has the FLiRT mutations, and over the past few weeks in the United States it topped JN.1 to become the dominant variant.The United Kingdom has reported a modest rises in cases and hospitalizations, up from very low levels. The UK's Health Security Agency is urging eligible people, including nursing home residents, to book their spring COVID vaccine boosters.

Surveillance study describes incidence of multidrug-resistant infections in US children --A surveillance study found that carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections occur less frequently than extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) infections in US children, researchers reported today in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Led by researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infections Program (EIP), the surveillance study analyzed CRE incidence in children in 10 states from 2016 through 2020 and ESBL-E incidence in children in six states from 2019 through 2020. While most US studies have focused on the prevalence and epidemiology of these multidrug-resistant pathogens in adults, nationwide data on children are lacking.From 2016 through 2020, a total of 159 incident CRE cases were identified in 142 children (median age, 5 years). Most CRE isolates were from urine (82.4%), and the most commonly reported infection type was lower urinary tract infection (UTI, 56.3%). The overall annual CRE incidence rate across the 10 EIP sites was 0.70 cases per 100,000 children.From 2019 through 2020, 207 incident ESBL-E cases were identified in 184 children, with 94.7% of isolates found in urine and UTIs accounting for 74% of cases. The overall annual ESBL-E incidence rate was 23.08. CRE and ESBL-E incidence rates were more than two-fold higher in infants than in other age-groups and were nearly always higher for girls than boys, except in the youngest age-group.

High-dose influenza vaccines outperform standard-dose in preventing hospitalization - A new study from Danish researchers finds that high-dose flu vaccines reduced the incidence of pneumonia- and influenza-related hospitalization (P&I), but there was no difference in death rates between recipients of high-dose and standard-dose vaccines. The study is published in the Journal of Infection.High-dose influenza vaccine (HD-IV), which contains four times as much hemagglutinin as standard-dose influenza vaccine (SD-IV), was designed to address lower protection from SD-IV in adults 65 and older.Older adults are the most at risk for flu-related complications, and HD-IV has been demonstrated to induce higher antibody responses and significantly reduce the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza among older adults in multiple randomized trials, the authors said.In the current study, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of all studies reporting outcomes of HD-IV compared to SD-IV regarding P&I hospitalization, all-cause hospitalization, and all-cause death in adults 65 and older over at least one flu season since 2009. Overall, their analysis included 105,685 participants with a mean age of 66 to 85 years.HD-IV recipients demonstrated a P&I hospitalization rate of 0.8%, compared to 1.1% in the SD-IV group, for an overall vaccine efficacy of 23.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.3% to 33.2%). For all-cause hospitalization, 14.1% of HD-IV recipients experienced hospitalization during the follow-up period, compared with 15.2% of SD-IV recipients, resulting in a vaccine efficacy of 7.3%.“The fixed-effects model indicated no difference in overall treatment effect between HD-IV and SD-IV regarding all-cause death,” the authors said.

CDC urges travelers to Saudi Arabia to be current with meningococcal vaccines The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued a health alert and a level 1 travel alert about meningococcal disease in travelers to Saudi Arabia, especially those taking part in pilgrimage activities. The alerts follow a recent notificationfrom the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Of 12 recent cases in the United States and Europe due to Saudi Arabia travel, 10 were in people who traveled to Saudi Arabia and 2 were close contacts, the CDC said in its Health Advisory Network notice.Most cases were caused by serogroup W, but one US case was due to serogroup C and another involved an unknown serotype. Most patients were unvaccinated, and isolates from three patients suggest resistance to ciprofloxacin. Also, the CDC today posted a level 1 travel notice, the lowest designation that urges travelers to practice usual precautions. It urged people traveling to the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for June 14 to June 19, or the Umrah pilgrimage, to ensure that they are up to date with all routine and travel-related vaccines, including meningococcal disease. The agency added that Saudi Arabia requires all travelers 1 year and older arriving for pilgrimages to show proof that they have received quadrivalent (four-strain) vaccine at least 10 days prior to travel.

WHO report shows sexually transmitted infections are climbing - A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 2 years into a global effort to tackle the problem, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise around the world.Data in the report show that case notifications for STIs are increasing in many WHO regions, with four curable STIs—syphilis (Treponema pallidum), gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae), chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis), and trichomoniasis (Trichomonas vaginalis)—causing more than 1 million infections each day. In particular, cases of adult and maternal syphilis and associated congenital syphilis have been surging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. And multidrug-resistant gonorrhea is on the rise.Furthermore, the WHO said the increases come amid signs that new HIV and viral hepatitis infections are not declining as fast as they need to be to achieve the related goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report estimates that the combined death toll from HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs is 2.5 million people a year.

DR Congo mpox outbreak poses global threat of deadlier clade - An ongoing outbreak of the clade 1 mpox virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) poses a threat to the United States, authors write in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Clade 1 is more deadly and severe than the clade 2 virus that caused a global outbreak among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 2022.Both clades of the virus are endemic in the DRC, but the country noted an uptick in clade 1 cases in 2023 and 2024, with 19,919 suspected cases reported and 975 (4.9%) deaths. Cases are spreading both among traditional household transmission routes, and among sexual networks, including MSM and sex workers.Of note, a large proportion of the current outbreak is among children ages 15 and under, representing 67% of suspected cases and 78% of suspected deaths. Children aged 12 to 59 months accounted for 28% of all suspected cases.Beginning December 7, 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged clinicians to consider clade 1 infections in persons with mpox signs and symptoms who had recently been in DRC, and conduct clade-specific testing for those patients."To date, no cases of clade I mpox have been reported in the United States or in any countries where the virus is not endemic. However, given the documented sexual transmission of clade I MPXV in DRC, persons engaging in certain sexual behaviors (e.g., MSM with multiple sexual partners and sex workers) might be at increased risk if clade I mpox is introduced into the United States," said authors.The authors warned that 19 recent cases of clade 1 detected in DRC's neighboring Republic of the Congo suggests the cases in the DRC, "pose a new risk for global spread if the virus is not urgently contained.

Data show rising antibiotic resistance with repeat urinary tract infections -Over half (57%) of index urinary tract infections (UTIs) treated at a California healthcare system were caused by bacteria resistant to at least one antibiotic class, while 13% were resistant to three or more classes, with respective proportions rising to 65% and 20% with subsequent infections.These findings, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, show the importance of continually monitoring UTI recurrences and antibiotic susceptibility patterns to guide treatment decisions, the Kaiser Permanente Southern California–led research team said.The researchers assessed the number of characteristics of subsequent UTIs in a patient cohort diagnosed as having an uncomplicated UTI (uUTI) from January 2016 to December 2020, with follow-up through 2021.Of 148,994 patients diagnosed as having a uUTI, 19% had a subsequent culture-confirmed infection after a median of 300 days. Most index UTIs (79%) were caused by Escherichia coli, decreasing to 73% for the sixth UTI, while Klebsiella species rose from 7% of index UTIs to 11% for the sixth infection.In total, 57% of index UTIs weren't susceptible to one or more antibiotic classes, and 13% of were resistant to at least three classes, climbing to 65% and 20%, respectively, by the sixth UTI. The most commonly resistant antibiotics were penicillins alone (12%) and a combination of penicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and at least one more antibiotic class (9%).

Michigan reports 3 more H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds | The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDRAD) today reported three more H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in dairy herds, noting that it will send results to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) for confirmation.Also, H5N1 has been detected in two domestic cats in South Dakota, neither of them from affected poultry farms or dairy farms, according to a notification from US government officials to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). In other developments, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently detailed its next steps for monitoring the virus in that nation's milk supply and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted an update on its response steps, which includes an evaluation of the dairy outbreak virus with its Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT).In a statement, the MDARD said the three newly affected dairy herds are in Clinton, Gratiot, and Ionia counties, all of which were affected in recent outbreaks. Samples from the farms were positive in tests at Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and samples have been sent to the NVSL for further confirmation.According to the MDARD's line list, Michigan has now reported 18 outbreaks in dairy cows in nine counties, the most of any state. In a May 16 update, the USDA reported 51 dairy herd outbreaks in nine states, which included 2 newly affected herds, one in Michigan and one in Idaho. A few H5N1 detections in cats were reported earlier in the US dairy farm outbreaks, and some of the animals were known to have consumed raw milk from infected cows. However, officials have now reported two infections in domestic cats without links to poultry or dairy cow outbreak farms. The two cats are from South Dakota's Campbell County, which is in the northern part of the state on the border with North Dakota. South Dakota has one outbreak in dairy cattle, which occurred in Brown County, which is also on the North Dakota border.The WOAH report didn't say if the domestic cats in South Dakota showed clinical symptoms. Earlier reports on H5N1 in cats, both in the United States and abroad, described respiratory and neurologic symptoms in infected animals, which were often fatal.Since the Eurasian H5N1 strain was first detected in the United States in early 2022, the virus has been detected several times in mammals, mostly wildlife including bobcats and mountain lions—species known to feed on infected wild birds.The FDA today in an update outlined its next scientific studies to validate the impact of pasteurization on H5N1, which will include tests using the same pasteurization equipment that milk processors use. The agency noted that follow-up inoculation tests on 297 retail milk samples that had fragments of virus on PCR resting were all negative for live virus. Testing is under way on pooled raw milk slated for shipment for commercial processing, with the goal of characterizing virus levels before pasteurization. The FDA said the study will better replicate real-world conditions and more clearly gauge how effective pasteurization is at inactivating H5N1 in milk and other dairy products.Also, the FDA announced an additional $8 million to bolster ongoing work to ensure the safety of the milk supply, which will support the studies to validate pasteurization criteria, conduct surveillance at different points in the milk production system, boost lab capacity, and train staff on biosecurity procedures. Meanwhile, in its latest update on its response to the H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds, the CDC said it is developing a plan for enhanced surveillance over the summer, which will include increasing the number of flu specimens tested and subtyped at public health laboratories."While influenza testing typically declines over the summer, this approach would maintain an increased level of testing," it said.The CDC also said it has started the process of conducting a pandemic risk assessment of the H5N1 virus linked to the outbreak in dairy cattle using IRAT. CDC scientists measure 10 risk elements, which can take months to complete.The CDC's last IRAT assessment was posted in July 2023 and involved the H5N1 virus that triggered an outbreak at a Spanish mink farm. Though that virus scored higher on some of the CDC's risk measures, the overall threat is moderate and similar to the earlier version of the virus.Regarding wastewater monitoring for influenza A, the CDC said it compares the most recent weekly levels with those reported from the same site the previous season. Sites in the "high" category prompt CDC outreach to local jurisdictions and intensive surveillance review.In the most recent week, there were four locations in the high category: two in California (San Francisco/San Mateo and Sonoma), and one each in Kansas (Saline County) and Texas (Dallas) The CDC said so far there are no unusual flu indicators in people, including for H5N1.

Survey: States and territories able to test for highly pathogenic H5N1 Today JAMA published a research letter noting that public health authorities in nearly all states and territories surveyed (50 of 55) said they had the ability to monitor and test people exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) H5N1.Jurisdictions varied, however, in their capacity to monitor exposed people, in their recommendations for when to use antivirals, and in their potential use of H5N1 vaccines, if available, among first responders.Also today, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) published anew report on the current demographics of farm employees, finding that a significant number are uninsured and live in lower-income households.H5N1 was first identified in wild birds in North America in late 2021 and has since been detected in wild birds in 49 states, in mammals in 27 states, and in livestock in a small number of states. It has caused outbreaks in commercial poultry or backyard bird flocks in 48 states, the authors said.In recent weeks, detections in dairy cattle and one farm worker in Texas have sounded the alarm for public health officials across the country. In the JAMA survey, respondents answered an online questionnaire about preparedness distributed from January 10 to March 6, 2024, before H5N1 was identified in cattle."Since January 2022, persons exposed to A(H5N1) virus–infected animals and monitored for symptoms were reported in 50 (91%) jurisdictions," said the authors of the JAMA study. Human exposure occurred 88% of the time due to backyard flocks, commercial poultry (82%), wild birds (54%), and sick or dead mammals (18%).Among 49 jurisdictions with H5 virus testing capacity, 29 (59%) reported testing respiratory specimens from symptomatic people since January 2022. But in 66% of jurisdictions, public health authorities reported difficulties in monitoring H5N1-exposed people due to personnel shortages or lack of funding.One-third of jurisdictions said they would recommend postexposure antiviral prevention for close contacts of anyone with laboratory-confirmed H5N1, and 67% said they would offer a vaccine to veterinary personnel responding to infected animals if it were available.

Wastewater testing for H5 avian flu virus could provide early warning, outbreak insights - Amid uncertainty about the extent of H5N1 avian flu spread in dairy cattle and spillover to people, wastewater testing has emerged as an important tool for surveillance. In new results published yesterday, scientists from Wastewater SCAN detected significant levels of H5 influenza in three treatment plants in communities where H5N1 has been detected in cattle.In other developments, a dairy specialist from Michigan State University Extension posted a case report on an outbreak at a Michigan dairy farm, which suggests that the symptoms in cows were more profound than previously described and outlines the challenges farmers have in containing the virus.Scientists from WastewaterSCAN, a national wastewater monitoring system based at Stanford University in partnership with Emory University, published their findings yesterday in Environmental Science and Technology Letters.The group's findings come amid other efforts to track the spread of the virus through wastewater. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week launched its own wastewater surveillance dashboard, which tracks influenza A, including H5N1. Also, researchers from Texas recently found H5N1 virus sequences in wastewater 9 of 10 Texas cities they sampled.Using an H5 probe they developed, the WastewaterSCAN team found significant H5 and influenza A levels in retrospective wastewater solids samples from four wastewater treatment plants in communities near H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle, three in Texas (two in Amarillo and one in Dallas) and one in Forsyth County, North Carolina. For comparison, they examined samples from the same period from Honolulu, Hawaii. The spikes in H5 and influenza A levels occurred right before and during the confirmed H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cows in the Texas panhandle. For example, they said retrospective testing from Amarillo showed that H5 was present on February 25—a week before an unspecified disease was reported in Texas cows. "This work shows that wastewater monitoring can provide an early warning for outbreaks likely to produce contributions to the sewershed outside of the expected human-associated inputs, including for animal outbreaks of diseases with zoonotic potential," the team wrote.They hypothesized that dairy-processing discharge into the sewage system is driving the detection of H5 identified in wastewater solids, but they also said the detections could also be coming from other animals and humans.The researchers emphasized that the test can't identify the species that shed the H5 virus. They added, however, that emergency room data from Texas suggest that the virus wasn't from a human source.Also, the authors said the probe detects H5 broadly and isn't specific to H5N1, meaning it may pick up low-pathogenic H5 influenza viruses. The group said they will use the H5 probe to test samples from all 190 WastewaterSCAN sites and will share the information with local public health officials and on its dashboard.The MSU Extension report, by field-based educator Phil Durst, said a farmer willingly shared the information and agreed to testing to help other farmers. Michigan has reported 18 outbreaks over nine counties, the most of any state.The event began on May 1, and the report details what unfolded over the next 15 days. The herd has 500 cows, and the outbreak began in a barn that had two pens with three water fountains, including a shared one at the center. The first symptoms were spikes in body temperature, which lasted about 2 days and resulted in severe dehydration. Some cows aborted their calves, likely due to high body temperatures.Farm workers, who have remained healthy so far, tried to contain the outbreak to the barn and changed the wash cycle after milking the affected group, but the virus spread to all lactating cattle on the farm.Handling the sick cows was very labor-intensive and also took time away from breeding activities. The farmer estimated that the outbreak has cost $30,000 to $40,000 so far, when factoring in medical care, labor, loss of milk, and loss of pregnancies.

H5N1 avian flu viruses can persist on milking equipment surfaces -In experiments designed to help flesh out the risk to dairy workers, they examined the persistence of H5N1 in unpasteurized milk on surfaces found in milking equipment, including the inflation rubber liners and stainless steel, which make up the "claws" in milking machines that attach to udders.The group noted steps involved in attaching the milking machine to the udders can spread contaminated milk to the workers at several points, including when the milk is stripped by hand—producing spatters and aerosols — before the machine is attached. Release of the machine at the end of milking can spray workers, and surrounding equipment can also release aerosols. "Milking often takes place at human eye level, with the human workspace physically lower than the cows, which increases the potential for contact of infectious milk with mucus membranes. Currently, no eye or respiratory protection is required for dairy farm workers," they wrote. They found that H5N1 remained infectious in unpasteurized milk on rubber liners and stainless steel for more than an hour. They also conducted similar tests using the 2009 H1N1 virus and found that it was a good surrogate virus for further tests, and found the virus persists on the rubber surface for at least 3 hours and at least 1 hour.The team said the findings underscore the risk of contaminated surfaces to dairy workers and suggest that contaminated milking equipment may be partly responsible for cattle-to-cattle spread on affected dairy farms.

H5N1 traces found in muscle from culled dairy cow, Michigan reports 3 more affected herds -As part of its food safety testing in the wake of H5N1 avian flu circulation in dairy herds, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today that viral particles were detected in tissue samples, including muscle, from 1 of 96 cows that were tested. Meat from the culled dairy cows did not enter the food supply. At select FSIS-inspected facilities, the agency collected multiple tissues from the culled animals, including muscle samples from the diaphragm. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which can detect virus fragments but not live virus, on the sample was done by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).Postmortem examination of the animal that tested positive revealed signs of illness, and traceback activities are under way, along with notification of the producer to get further information.USDA said the actions are part of its routine operations and provide further confidence in the US food safety system.The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today announced that H5N1 has been detected in three more dairy herds, including the first from Calhoun County. The other two farms are in Clinton and Ionia counties.Samples from the cows tested positive for the virus at the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. MDARD said the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) has already confirmed findings from the outbreak in the Ionia County herd and that the NVSL's confirmation tests are still pending on samples from the Calhoun and Clinton county herds. MDARD's line list for the outbreak now reflects 21 affected dairy herds from 10 counties, the most of any state.

Study confirms infection in mice fed H5N1-contaminated raw milk -- Experiments with raw milk from cows infected with H5N1 avian influenza found that mice fed droplets quickly became ill, with high virus levels in their respiratory tissues, researchers reported today. In other tests, the group also used the raw milk samples to examine how heat inactivation and cold storage affect virus levels. A team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory published their findings today in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine. In the mouse challenge experiments, researchers fed five mice about 20 drops of contaminated milk from an affected herd in New Mexico. The animals showed illness signs on day 1, which included ruffled fur and lethargy. The mice survived until day 4, when scientists euthanized them to examine virus levels in various organs. They found high levels in the nasal passages, trachea, and lungs, with low-to-moderate levels in other organs, similar to findings in other mammals. The team wrote that infection may have occurred through the pharynx, and they also detected H5N1 in the mammary glands of two mice—similar to findings in cows—even though the mice weren't lactating. In other experiments on contaminated raw milk samples, researchers looked at temperatures and time to inactivate the H5N1 virus. Heating the samples to 145°F killed the virus at four different timing intervals: 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes. Heating the milk at a higher temperature (161.6°F) but a much shorter time (15 and 20 seconds) diminished, but did not completely inactivate, the virus. "We emphasize that the conditions used in our laboratory study are not identical to the large-scale industrial treatment of raw milk," they wrote. In another experiment with the contaminated milk, they stored it at 39.2°F for 5 weeks and found only a small decline in virus levels, suggesting that the virus in raw milk can remain infectious when kept at refrigerated temperatures.

Michigan reports H5 avian flu in dairy farm worker -- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) today announced an H5 avian flu case in a Michigan farm worker who had regular exposure to infected livestock, marking the third human case in the United States and the second related to the H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle. In a statement, MDHHS said the identification of the case came after the state's ongoing public health actions allowed farm workers to monitor and notify health officials if they develop symptoms.Officials didn't detail the patient's symptoms, but said they were mild and that the farm worker has recovered. The earlier patient from a Texas farm also had a mild illness, which consisted of conjunctivitis.Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, chief medical executive at the MDHHS, said, "Michigan has led a swift public health response, and we have been tracking this situation closely since influenza A (H5N1) was detected in poultry and dairy herds in Michigan. Farmworkers who have been exposed to impacted animals have been asked to report even mild symptoms, and testing for the virus has been made available." Also in a statement today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a nasal swab for the worker tested negative for H5 influenza at the state lab in Michigan, but an eye swab shipped to the CDC for testing was positive, suggesting an eye infection, a symptom similar to the Texas patient. The CDC's lab is one of a few where can eye specimens can be used with the CDC's H5 test. The CDC also retested the nasal specimen, which was negative for the virus. Further subtyping is underway pending genetic sequencing.Sequencing of the virus from the clinical specimen is underway and will be made available within 1 to 2 days if successful. Additional genetic analysis will look for any changes to the virus that could alter the agency’s risk assessment. For now, the CDC said the identification of a second case doesn't change its assessment that the risk to humans remains low. At a media briefing today, Nirav Shah, JD, MD, the CDC's principal deputy director, praised Michigan's health department for its active monitoring of farm workers and its ability to work with and connect with farms. "They've led the way in helping us understand what's going on."Michigan's agriculture department today reported another H5N1 avian flu outbreak in a dairy herd, bringing the number of affected farms in the state to 19.In a statement, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) said the newly detected outbreak in in Gratiot County. Samples tested positive for H5N1 at the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and will be sent to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory for further confirmation.The latest outbreak struck a facility in Gratiot County, where the virus was found at three other dairy farms earlier this week. Michigan has reported the most outbreaks of any state, with nine counties affected among 19 outbreaks. Five occurred in Gratiot County. In other developments, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported one more dairy herd outbreak, which involves a farm in Texas, raising the national total to 52.

A second US farmworker infected with the bird flu virus -- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued an alert on Wednesday stating they had identified a farmworker infected with the same bird flu virus that has been infecting livestock across several states in the US. This is the second confirmed case related to the H5N1 outbreak among dairy cows and the second known mammal to human transmission. Health authorities indicated that the infected person has since made a full recovery. The MDHHS added, “To protect farm and farmworker privacy, additional details are not being provided.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued a report noting that the swab from the Michigan patient’s eyes confirmed the presence of the virus. Like the Texas animal handler, his only symptoms consisted of conjunctivitis or inflammation of the eyes. Although the swab from the Michigan farmworker was negative, it was positive in the case from Texas. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan and board certified in infectious disease, explained the case was detected in part from state efforts to monitor workers from farms that have infected herds. She noted, “Michigan has really been one of the states leading in terms of testing. So, it’s not surprising that we have picked up on this sporadic case.” Bagdasarian reiterated the assurances that have been made since late March when the outbreak among dairy cows had been detected: “The current health risk to the general public remains low. This virus is being closely monitored, and we have not seen signs of sustained human-to-human transmission at this point. This is exactly how public health is meant to work, in early detection and monitoring of new and emerging illnesses.” At Wednesday’s news briefing, Dr. Nirav Shah, the CDC’s principal deputy director, conveyed that the negative nasal swab is reassuring: “It reduced the likelihood—it does not eliminate, but it reduces the likelihood—of a respiratory route of transmission.” The leading hypothesis for these two infections is thought to be direct transmission. Given the high viral load in infected dairy cow milk, handling of the animals and the equipment used can have easily contaminated the hands and clothes of workers and transferred the particles directly into their eyes and nostrils. Other considerations include cleaning with sprays that cause the virus to aerosolize and then seed on the faces of workers.

USDA expands support for H5N1 response to more dairy producers | After hearing from state partners and the dairy industry, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced more support for dairy farms, which now includes those that haven't been affected by H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in cattle.Also today, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported two more outbreaks in Idaho dairy herds, as well as four that were initially reported by Michigan, raising the national total to 58 farms across nine states.And in poultry H5N1 developments, APHIS reported five more outbreaks from Minnesota, which includes four commercial turkey farms as well as a layer farm that has 1.36 million birds. In a package of new support steps spelled out today, the USDA said it will provide financial support, up to $1,500 per farm, for producers to develop and implement a biosecurity plan. Also, the agency said it will provide $100 for producers to buy and use an in-line sample for their milk system.Regarding animal testing, the USDA said it would reimburse producers for up to $2,000 in veterinary costs related to collecting samples for H5N1 testing. Costs will be covered from April 29, 2024, the day the federal order went into effect requiring tests for lactating dairy cows before movement between states.The USDA also said it would help offset the cost of shipping samples to labs for testing, up to $50 per shipment as many as two times per month for each farm. Testing is already provided at no cost.For affected farms, the USDA said it will soon issue a rule that will make funding available from the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to compensate eligible producers with H5N1-positive herds."USDA anticipates that its forthcoming rule will specify that farmers will receive payments at 90 percent of lost production per cow, for a set period of time retroactive to the date of the confirmation of their positive herd status, starting with the first herd that tested positive in March 2024," it said.A recent case report on a Michigan outbreak farm estimated that the outbreak has cost the facility $30,000 to $40,000 so far, which includes medical care, labor, loss of milk, and loss of cow pregnancies.

HHS advances plan to produce 4.8 million H5N1 vaccine doses --Response (ASPR) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said officials are moving forward with a plan to produce 4.8 million doses of H5N1 avian flu vaccine for pandemic preparedness.Dawn O'Connell, JD, said health officials have identified a manufacturing line at one of its manufacturing partners for fill-and-finish steps, without disrupting production of seasonal flu vaccine. Currently, the vaccine is in bulk form and will be produced in multidose vials.She said it takes a couple months to fill and finish the vaccine doses, which would save time in case a vaccine is needed. Federal health officials have said one of two H5N1 candidate vaccine viruses is well matched to the circulating strain.O'Connell added that active discussions are under way across federal agencies about what the key triggers would be for deploying H5N1 vaccine doses. She also said discussions are still under way with mRNA vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna, with an announcement expected soon on how the companies might be involved in vaccine development.Nirav Shah, MD, JD, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said potential trigger factors might include a change in transmission propensity, such as human-to-human in addition to animal-to-human spread, and any sign of increased illness severity.He also said a change in the complexion of the cases might be a trigger, such as H5N1 infections cropping up in people who have no epidemiologic links to affected dairy farms. "And we're always looking for mutations," Shah said. "We're in rich discussions across federal agencies."

Australia's imported H5N1 case linked to South Asian clade --An imported avian flu case involving an Australian child who contracted the virus in India involves the South Asian 2.3.2.1a clade that is known to circulate in birds in India and Bangladesh, two researchers from the University of New South Wales reported today, based on data from GISAID, the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data.The clade is different than the 2.3.4.4b clade spreading globally in birds, with occasional spillovers into animals and humans. The South Asian clade is also distinct from an older clade known as 2.3.2.1c that is circulating in poultry Cambodia and Vietnam, also with rare jumps to humans.In another Australian avian influenza development, Agriculture Victoria said today that it has confirmed highly pathogenic H7N3 as the cause of poultry deaths in an outbreak at a layer farm near Meredith. Officials said illnesses in humans who have contact with sick animals are possible, but the overall threat is low.The department has imposed poultry movement restrictions in the area near the outbreak farm, and it urged bird owners to double down on their biosecurity measures.

Multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry flocks - An outbreak of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry flocks has sickened 109 people in 29 states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said yesterday. While no deaths have been reported, the CDC said 33 people have been hospitalized. The median age of case-patients is 10 years, with 43% of those sickened under 5 years. Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 24 to April 30. Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory indicate backyard poultry is the source. Of the 70 people interviewed by state and local public health officials, 51 reported contact with backyard poultry in the week before they got sick. Of the 28 people with information available, 18 reported buying poultry from multiple retail stores and a hatchery. No common poultry supplier has been identified. The outbreak involves multiple Salmonella serovars, including Altona, Indiana, Infantis, Mbandaka, and Typhimurium. Whole-genome sequencing conducted by CDC PulseNet—the national subtyping network for foodborne bacterial disease surveillance—on isolates from case-patients shows they are closely related genetically. In addition, sequencing of samples collected from boxes used to ship poultry from hatcheries to retail stores in Indiana and Utah found that the Salmonella Altona and Salmonella Mbandaka isolates were the same strain as those found in case-patients. Further testing of isolates from 101 case-patients and 4 environmental samples found no predicted antibiotic resistance, but seven people's samples predicted resistance to one or more of the following antibiotics: amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline. While most people recover from Salmonella infections without antibiotics, the CDC says some illnesses in the outbreak may be difficult to treat with commonly recommended antibiotics. Young children, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of becoming severely ill. The CDC advises people to wash their hands after touching backyard poultry and their eggs, supervise children around flocks, and to refrain from kissing or snuggling backyard poultry.

Moose kills Alaska man attempting to take photos of her newborn calves — A 70-year-old man was killed by a cow moose after he tried to take photos of the animal and its newborn calves near his home in southern Alaska on Sunday, authorities said.The man, Dale Chorman, was with a friend when the pair spotted a female moose and her two newborn calves in the city of Homer, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said.“Dale was with another adult male and they were attempting to take photos of two newborn moose calves when the cow moose attacked Dale,” agency spokesperson Austin McDaniel told CNN in an email Tuesday.An initial report says the moose charged the two men and kicked one of them. The other man was not injured, McDaniel said.Chorman’s body was sent to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. CNN has sought more information from the medical examiner.Chorman’s relatives are now remembering him as a loving father, husband and friend. However, they also are urging people to not blame the moose for his death.“ The moose, obviously, is not at fault. To the concerned neighbors, I say — quell your primate spear rattling. The ungulate mother need not die. She was just protecting her offspring,” Dale’s son, Nathan Chorman, wrote in a statement, according to CNN affiliate KTUU. Dale was experienced around wildlife, according to his family. He’d said the previous day that the brush was thick enough to come across a wild animal by accident, Nathan wrote.“I’m sure Dale was surprised too. On a given day, nobody expects to die on their own property doing something routine, even when the routine is fairly dangerous. But he would have accepted this outcome,” Nathan’s statement reads.“This was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger — this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks, and got caught in a dangerous moment,” the son wrote. A small adult female moose can weigh up to 800 pounds and be up to 6 feet tall, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.While in the company of her calves, a female moose will not hesitate to attack should a person come near them, McDaniel said.“Cow moose with calves are known to be relentless in their efforts to defend their calves from perceived threats,” McDaniel said. “The Alaska wildlife troopers encourage Alaskans to not approach moose calves to take photos or attempt to pet them as there is likely a cow moose nearby.”

Wildfire smoke has covered up to 70 percent of California in recent years, affecting land and water: Study Wildfire smoke covered as much as 70 percent of California in recent years — wreaking havoc not only on land, but also in the state’s vast freshwater ecosystems, a new study has found. In the past 18 years alone, maximum smoke cover over the state has increased by about 116,000 square miles — equivalent to about 74.4 percent of California’s entire land area, according to the study, published on Wednesday in Communications: Earth & Environment. The authors came upon these dramatic percentages while researching how smoke has specifically affected the Golden State’s lakes. Although wildfire smoke regularly deposits aerosols and reduces sunlight in freshwater ecosystems, there is little data available about the overall impacts on these basins, the scientists noted. Focusing on California’s three largest wildfire seasons on record — 2018, 2020 and 2021 — the researchers found that lakes endured an average of 33 days of high-density smoke between July and October. “We’re looking at a scenario where for the next 100 years or longer, smoke will be a feature on the landscape,” senior author Steven Sadro, an associate professor in environmental science at the University of California, Davis, said in a statement. In two of the main study years, 2020 and 2021, medium- to high-density smoke surpassed 70 percent of the entire state in September and October, according to the study. “What does that mean for fundamental ecology? What are the implications of those changes?” Sadro asked. “Those are the big questions we’re focused on in aquatic systems.” To try to answer some of these questions, the scientists monitored sensors as smoke settled during the three main study years, in 10 lakes across a wide range of coastal, mountain and inland environments. They measured ecosystem health indicators, such as temperature, light and oxygen in the water, to determine how such characteristics change under smoky conditions, explained lead author Adrianne Smits, a UC Davis research scientist. The authors hypothesized that smoke and ash would “dim the lights” and thereby affect rates of photosynthesis and respiration in aquatic life. What they found was that while wildfire smoke does change light, water temperature and oxygen levels, it does so to a different extent — depending on lake size, depth, smoke cover and nutrient levels. Subsequent decreases in photosynthesis and respiration rates can then influence everything else, Smits noted.

Wildfire smoke is back — fires burning across Canada trigger air quality alerts in Midwest | Guest Commentaries - Dozens of wildfires are burning across Canada this month and sending unhealthy smoke blowing into the northern U.S. At the same time, the southeastern U.S. is getting smoke from Mexico, where drought conditions have been fueling fires. Last year, Canada’s record 2023 wildfire season introduced millions of Americans across the Midwest and northeastern states to the health hazards of wildfire smoke, with air quality alerts that reached levels never seen there before.

The Midwest Could Be in for Another Smoke-Filled Summer. Here’s How States Are Preparing - As hazy summer skies become more common in the Midwest thanks to drought-fueled blazes in the West and all across Canada, many Great Lakes states are adjusting the way they monitor wildfire hazards and issue air quality alerts to the public. Air quality was exceptionally poor in the Midwest last summer, as more than 400 blazes raged from British Columbia to Quebec and common weather patterns moved the smoke south into the U.S. Minnesota issued a record 21 air quality alerts in 2023, breaking the previous high of 16 set in 2021. Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana also issued notably more air quality alerts in 2023 than on an average year, with Michigan issuing its very first public health alert for particulate matter pollution, known as PM2.5. Parts of Indiana last summer experienced levels of PM2.5 on certain days that were five times higher than what the federal government considers safe over a 24-hour period. “Daily PM2.5 concentrations were among the highest we have measured,” Barry Sneed, a public information officer for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, said in an email. PM2.5 is a category of microscopic particles, more commonly known as soot, that can enter the human bloodstream through the lungs and cause a host of serious health problems, including lung disease, heart disease, asthma and premature death. Recent studies estimated that as many as 283,000 Americans died prematurely in 2015 from exposure to particulate matter pollution. In Wisconsin, which also measured some of its worst air quality days on record last summer, state officials were forced to update how frequently they change the filters in their air monitors, which quickly became clogged by the wildfire smoke. Katie Praedel, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ air monitoring section chief, said the agency typically changes those filters once every 90 days, but was forced to swap them out every single month last summer. “Oh, at least 100,” she replied, when asked how many monitors across the state required early maintenance that summer. Last year’s extreme smoke levels prompted Michigan officials to add a second and more severe tier to their notification system. Now the state issues air quality advisories, as well as air quality alerts, the latter of which signals that the pollution levels are especially high that day and most people should take precautions. “With last summer having some very high pollution concentrations, we wanted to create a higher tier to raise the awareness for high concentrations of ozone and PM2.5,” said Alec Kownacki, a meteorologist with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.Changes to public messaging about wildfire smoke risks was the most common adjustment that state agencies made. Many began coordinating with state health departments to better unify their messages, while some, such as Minnesota and Michigan, also streamlined their coordination with federal agencies to more quickly exchange information such as forecast data. Wisconsin created a web page last year explicitly dedicated to warning the public about how to best protect themselves from the hazards of wildfire smoke exposure. It’s good that states are improving their public alerts as more people experience higher levels of pollution from wildfires, said Paul Billings, senior vice president for public policy at the American Lung Association. “When we see these smoke events, it’s important for the public to be informed about the health risks and [health officials] encourage people to take steps to protect themselves,” he said. That could mean limiting time spent outside, he said, retreating to buildings with central air or donning N95 masks to help keep harmful particles out of your lungs. Employers should consider providing more frequent breaks, or canceling work for the day entirely, he said, and parents and caretakers should consider limiting children’s outdoor activities, including sports.

Derecho winds hit Houston, Texas leaving 5 dead and 740,000 without power Houston, Texas, saw 100 mile per hour winds (161 km/h) from a straight-ahead wind storm known as a derecho on Thursday which left five dead and one million customers without power as of late that night, mostly in Harris County, where the city proper is located and is home to more than 4.7 million people. Transmission towers carrying high voltage lines were crumpled, while skyscrapers in the city suffered destroyed windows littering the streets with glass. One tornado, an EF1, was confirmed near Cypress just outside of Houston. This follows a previous tornado just six weeks ago that hit the suburb of Katy in Houston. At least two of the recorded deaths were from falling trees, with one death being attributed to a crane collapsing. A nightclub partially collapsed, and a roof was stripped off a Hyatt Regency in downtown, according to eyewitness video. In neighboring Louisiana, where the hurricane-force winds left a swath of damage, 215,000 households were without power as of Friday morning. While the strongest gusts recorded by a wind gauge were 78 mph (125 km/h), survey teams estimated thunderstorm winds around 90-100 mph (145-160 km/h) in Baytown, while downtown Houston suffered straight-line winds peaking at 100 mph (160 km/h), which by the Fujita scale would put the winds at EF1 force, or at Category 2 hurricane. Houston Mayor John Whitmire advised residents to stay at home and off the roads. “Many roads are impassable due to downed power lines, debris and fallen trees,” Whitmire stated. Additionally, many traffic lights were damaged. In Bryan, Texas, about 100 miles to the northwest, 20 people were rescued after driving into flood waters. CenterPoint Energy, a privately owned for-profit power and gas company which operates the city’s power infrastructure, confirmed to local news that its skyscraper downtown and systems had been damaged as a result of the storms. According to a CenterPoint spokesperson in a Q&A with local news, it is “too early” to know when the power will be restored for all of those impacted. According to the company, 2,000 employees and contractors are performing damage assessment and restoration. An additional 4,000 line workers and 1,000 vegetation professionals have been requested. The company confirmed 920,000 customers were without power. Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s chief executive, said in a press conference that it is possible that residents in the area could be without power for weeks, testifying to the incompatibility of private property and profit with the interests of the vast majority of society. Hundreds of deaths are recorded from hot weather in Southwestern states like Texas every year. Houston is particularly problematic given its high humidity. With temperatures expected to be in the 90s Fahrenheit (32+ degrees Celsius) for the coming days, it is likely that many will suffer heat stroke or even death as a result of the loss of air conditioning due to the continuing outages. Hidalgo said that such high winds were not experienced in the Houston area since Hurricane Alicia in 1983. Officials apparently were not expecting strong gusts, with meteorologists saying the storm was at “the peak end of an unlikely scenario to happen.” Because of this, many were only aware of the storm once it was basically on top of them. Derechos are hard to predict, partially owing to the character of the storms themselves but also because of the lack of data on the storms from high altitude sources. While the National Weather Service (NWS) maintains more than 1,000 monitoring locations, only around 92 weather balloons are launched every day in the US and its territories. Many of the initial features, which would aid in predicting derechos, are only visible from the altitude at which these balloons (or high altitude drones) fly.

Over 2,500 windows in Downtown Houston damaged in Thursday’s storm -- The Houston Downtown Management District says over 2,500 windows were damaged in Thursday’s storm. The district shared the information on Monday and provided more information related to storm recovery in downtown. Several roadways and areas remain closed including:
Louisiana – from Polk to McKinney
Lamar - from Travis to Smith
Dallas - from Milam to Smith
Milam - from Mckinney to Polk
In addition, Travis heading north between Franklin and Commerce will be closed for the next few days and traffic is being routed around that block. “Property owners concerned about falling glass from windows that have not been boarded up are encouraged to do so with the City of Houston Department of Public Work’s full cooperation to accomplish any remaining work and secure shattered windows quickly,” the management district said. A survey of downtown property owners and building managers showed over 2,500 windows and dozens of skylights were damaged in the storm. Most of the windows have either been boarded up or will be within the next 48 hours. The management district said replacement windows were reported to take “months” by property owners and managers. People are urged to avoid walking the area where HPD has closed streets until it is secured from danger of falling glass.

Death toll grows to 8 in severe Houston-area storms --An eighth person has died in the Houston area following severe weather that lashed the city and surrounding Harris County with 100 mph winds, officials said Monday, and more than 192,000 customers remained without power.The eighth person died in Houston as the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, Houston Fire Department spokesperson Martee Black said.Fire Chief Samuel Peña on social media Monday called carbon monoxide a silent killer that follows storms, and he warned people to use power generators safely.The fire department has responded to around 80 carbon monoxide incidents since Thursday’s storms, which tore down trees and power lines and smashed windows in downtown Houston, Peña said, including one call in which four children were hospitalized by the gas given off by a generator.Five people have died in Houston and three in unincorporated Harris County, where Houston sits, officials said.Harris County Precinct 4, on the western side of the county, was one of the areas hardest hit by Thursday’s storm, Precinct Commissioner Lesley Briones said. Hundreds of workers have been toiling to clear roads of debris, but much remains to be done, she said.“The truth is it will take many more days,” she said at a news conference Monday at the opening of a distribution center that, once power is restored, will also serve as a cooling center.It is hot and humid in the Houston area, with highs near or above 90 degrees forecast for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.CenterPoint Energy said Monday that more than 192,000 customers were still without power, although that is an improvement from the over 922,000 customers that lost power at the peak of the outage.The city of Houston has opened cooling centers and told residents to call 311 if they need rides to them. Ice and water distribution centers were also set up after the storm and the extended outages.“Heat index values will be approaching/exceeding 100 degrees throughout the week, so make sure you take the necessary precautions to stay safe," the weather service for Houston said Monday on X.

Houston destructive storm: Crane collapse survivor Crosby Ware alleges failures in disaster that killed Juan Francisco Hernandez - ABC13 Houston - A man who survived a crane collapse that killed another man has filed the first lawsuit following last week's deadly storm. Crosby Ware, 66, suffered severe head, neck, and back injuries, according to attorney Kevin Haynes of Kherkher Garcia, LLP. Ware is suing Sesco Cement, ASI Industrial, Lampson International, and McRay Crane & Rigging, all of which operate in the 7300 block of Wingate along the Houston Ship Channel. The high winds toppled two cranes at the job site on the evening of May 16 as the storm was rolling through Houston. A video circulating on social media shows the unsteady and chaotic moments. Workers ran for their lives. One crane hit two occupied cement trucks. Juan Francisco Hernandez, 72, was killed by a direct hit. What appears to be cabling from the crane hit Ware's cab. "It just threw his body around violently and severely hurt him," Haynes said. "He is lucky to be alive." According to the lawsuit, the companies' "gross negligence and conscious decision to value profits over safety" resulted in "catastrophic" injuries. Winds are believed to have been between 90 and 100 mph. "Our position is, at the minimum, the crane should have been cradled, and the guys should have been in a muster area to render them safe if not completely shut down," Haynes said. The location where the incident happened is Sesco's national headquarters, according to its website. Online Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) records show Sesco was fined nearly $100,000 in 2021 for various health and safety violations at the location. Sesco did not respond to a request for comment.

Houston heats up as 130K-plus still without power Tuesday after storm that caused at least eight deaths – It's starting to feel like summer in Houston as hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and schools remain without electricity – and air conditioning – in the aftermath of last Thursday's deadly spring storm.At least eight Houston-area residents have died as a result of the derecho – a long-lived wind storm that swept across the region from west to east and produced two tornadoes while causing widespread power outages and significant damage to trees, buildings and infrastructure.More than 130,000 customers were still without electricity as of midday Tuesday, according to CenterPoint Energy, which supplies power to the Houston region. Of the approximately 922,000 customers who lost power in the immediate aftermath of Thursday's storm, the company said Tuesday that electricity had been restored to about 85% of those customers and power restorations were expected to be "substantially complete" by Wednesday evening.Meanwhile, high temperatures of about 90 degrees or more are expected every day this week in Houston, where the heat index Tuesday is forecasted to be as high as 102, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to continue climbing throughout the weekend, with a high of 94 predicted for Memorial Day on Monday."If they can get pretty much everyone back online by the middle of the week, that would be great," Eric Berger, the editor of Space City Weather, said Tuesday on Houston Matters with Craig Cohen. "Certainly the power needs to be restored by this weekend. There will be no relief during the daytime, and even the nights are going to be really warm."An interactive map on the CenterPoint website Tuesday showed that the northwest part of Houston is most significantly impacted by ongoing power outages, with extensive outages also along the U.S. 290 corridor extending northwest as well as north and east of downtown. A large area west of Houston, between Katy and Waller, also is without electricity.A Texas Department of Transportation crew removes fallen tree limbs from power lines near the intersection of North Loop 610 and Ella Boulevard in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.CenterPoint said its workers are "encountering areas of significant system damage and large downed trees accompanied by difficult restorations" in areas such as Bellaire, Cottage Grove, the Heights, Lazybrook/Timbergrove and Spring Branch."While we have made good progress, we will not be satisfied until every last storm-impacted customer has their service safely restored," Lynnae Wilson, a senior vice president at CenterPoint, said in a statement.Regarding the online interactive map CenterPoint created in the aftermath of the storm, the company said Tuesday "there may be some inaccuracies at the individual address level where the customer is shown as being restored even though they are without power." CenterPoint added that it is aware of those outages even if they are not reflected on the map.The map is color-coded to show which areas are estimated to have power restored on Tuesday (in green) and which are expected to have electricity by Wednesday (in purple).

Sweltering Heat, Falling Glass: Houston's Storm Recovery - Videos from The Weather Channel -- Storm Aftermath: Glass Still Raining Down

Severe thunderstorms hit Kansas and Oklahoma with strong winds, baseball-sized hail and tornadoes - 7 YouTube videos - Severe thunderstorms swept through the central U.S. on Sunday, May 19, 2024, producing strong winds and heavy rains, baseball-sized hail, and several tornadoes in Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Severe thunderstorms will continue to be likely across the Central Plains into the Midwest on Monday, May 20, NWS warns. Thunderstorm development is also possible in portions of the Middle Mississippi Valley to Lower Michigan on Monday afternoon (LT). Severe thunderstorms battered the central United States on Sunday, May 19, 2024, resulting in significant damage across several states. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued multiple Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, and Flash Flood warnings as the storms brought strong winds, heavy rains, and large hail, as well as multiple tornadoes. The NWS Storm Prediction Center reported 13 tornadoes in Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma on Sunday. One tornado crossed Interstate 70 west of Russell, Kansas, causing substantial damage to the electric distribution system, homes, businesses, and vehicles, with at least three structures leveled. Widespread damage was also reported around Wichita, Kansas, where winds reached 120 km/h (75 mph), FOX Weather reported. The town of Newton, north of Wichita, was hit particularly hard, and winds up to 130 km/h (80 mph) were reported in Whitewater, northeast of Wichita. A wind gust of 160 km/h (100 mph) was reported at the airport in Salina, Kansas, on Sunday evening, and a gust of 145 km/h (90 mph) near Fowler, Kansas. Hail between 6.4 cm and 7.6 cm (tennis ball- and baseball-sized) was reported with several storms. The largest hail reported to the NWS on Sunday evening was 7.6 cm (3 inches) in Ellis, Kansas. The NWS warned that severe thunderstorms are likely to continue across the Central Plains into the Midwest on Monday, May 20. Thunderstorm development is expected in parts of the Middle Mississippi Valley to Lower Michigan on Monday afternoon. NWS forecaster Putnam noted at 04:00 EDT on May 20 that an energetic upper-level pattern with multiple shortwaves from a broader long-wave trough over the western U.S. would continue to bring active weather to the central U.S. throughout the week. On Monday, showers and thunderstorms are expected in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Region, with a Slight Risk of severe weather (level 2/5) for northeastern Illinois and adjacent Wisconsin and Indiana. There is also a risk of locally heavy downpours and isolated flash flooding. Further west, lee cyclogenesis is anticipated over the central High Plains, with an Enhanced Risk of severe weather (level 3/5) over northeastern Colorado and southwestern Nebraska. Some robust storms may produce very large hail, significant damaging winds, and a few tornadoes. A broader Slight Risk extends northeastward along the front through the central Plains into the Upper Midwest. Increasing storm coverage on Monday evening could bring isolated flash flooding from northeastern Colorado to northwestern Iowa. Moisture spreading into the northern High Plains and Rockies may result in moderate precipitation, with heavy snowfall possible at higher elevations. On Tuesday, May 21, another shortwave from the western trough will bring a greater chance of severe weather and flash flooding to the Midwest. The surface low pressure system will deepen and move northeast from the Plains into the Upper Midwest, with a broad warm sector from the Southern Plains to the Upper Mississippi Valley. The Enhanced Risk of severe weather includes the potential for tornadoes, significant damaging winds, and large hail. Heavy downpours and isolated flash flooding are also possible in central and southern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Violent tornadoes cause multiple deaths, EF3 twister tears path through Greenfield, Iowa -- Several tornadoes ripped a path of destruction across Iowa Tuesday afternoon and evening, leaving several people dead before tearing into parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.“Sadly, we can confirm that there have been fatalities with this tornado,” Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Alex Dinkla said during a news conference later Tuesday evening. He did not provide additional details on the deaths, according to CNN.A storm chaser was pronounced dead after her car was blown off the road in Corning, the Des Moines Register said.Drone video showed massive destruction in Greenfield, about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines, on Tuesday evening.“There is basically nothing left,” Clel Baudler, a former Iowa state representative who lives a half mile from Greenfield, told CNN. “It went right through Greenfield.”The Greenfield tornado has initially been rated EF3 strength by the National Weather Service. This rating could change.Rogue Paxton told WOI-TV he sheltered in the basement of his home when the storm moved through, and although the house was lost, his family got lucky.“But everyone else is not so much, like my brother Cody, his house just got wiped,” Paxton said. “Then you see all these people out here helping each other. ... Everything’s going to be fine because we have each other, but it’s just going to be really, really rough. It is a mess.”At least one other storm-related death occurred in Adams County, Iowa, about 90 miles southwest of Des Moines.In addition to a possible tornado tearing into the town of Red Oak, Iowa, another suspected tornado was captured on camera just before 5:00 p.m. as it moved across a highway and ripped through farmland in Stanton, Iowa.AccuWeather meteorologist Tony Laubach was on the scene as the tornado crossed US-34 near Stanton. He also shot a video of the Stanton twister and the damage it caused to at least one home.Storm chaser Brandon Clement captured this video of a tornado spinning into Red Oak, Iowa, on the afternoon of May 21.Several wind turbines were destroyed by a tornado near Prescott, Iowa, on Tuesday afternoon, with one storm chaser showing the destruction live. One turbine fell to the ground on fire.According to poweroutage.us, as of Wednesday afternoon, at least 24,000 people were without power in Wisconsin and down to 11,000 in Iowa and Illinois.A strong tornado turned part of an Iowa wind farm into flaming piles of debris, as this drone video from storm chaser Brandon Clement captures.

26 tornadoes in 6 states wreak havoc, kill multiple people in Iowa - For the fourth straight day, residents in the Midwest and the Great Plains were bracing for dangerous tornado weather, as at least 26 twisters tore through six states, killing multiple people in Iowa, officials said. Over the past 24 hours, tornadoes have been reported in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Minnesota -- with a majority of the reports stemming from Iowa. As severe weather is forecast to move into the south and east and stretch from New York state to Texas on Wednesday, the town of Greenfield, Iowa, was left ripped to shreds with about half the town destroyed, officials said. A "devastating" tornado hit Greenfield, southwest of Des Moines, causing fatalities and injuries in the area, Sgt. Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Patrol said at a news conference Tuesday night. According to the National Weather Service, at least 21 of the 26 reported tornadoes spawned by severe weather on Tuesday struck Iowa between 5:44 p.m. and 11 p.m. CT. "It's just gut-wrenching. It's horrific. It's hard to describe until you can actually see it, the devastation," Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a news conference in Greenfield Wednesday morning. Reynolds said search-and-rescue crews are continuing to look for victims. The number of people killed and injured and the amount of damage were still being tallied Wednesday. "This is a search-and-rescue mission and it will continue to be throughout the day," said Reynolds, adding that officials don't want to give out any misinformation. She said, however, that much of the town of Greenfield was flattened. The tornado that struck Greenfield was preliminaryly confirmed by the National Weather Service as an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum wind speeds reaching 135 mph. Asked if dozens of homes were damaged in Greenfield and throughout the state, Reynolds said, "That would be way underestimating." The Adair County Memorial Hospital, which serves Greenfield, sustained tornado damage, Dinkla said, but still managed to treat patients and transport some to nearby hospitals for further care. State Rep. Ray Sorensen, who represents Greenfield, said he was painting at a church when the tornado struck around 3 p.m. Tuesday and rushed into town to find numerous homes damaged or completely demolished and nearly all the historic trees in Greenfield uprooted and stripped of limbs. "It's a completely different town now," Sorensen said. But he said that when he arrived at the scene of the devastation, people were already clearing the streets of debris to make way for emergency vehicles and helping those injured get medical attention at a makeshift triage center established at a lumber yard. "Everybody became little makeshift ambulances," Sorensen said. "We pulled a guy from the rubble and put him on a little makeshift stretcher that we made, threw him in the back of a truck of a guy that isn’t even from Iowa and we just made our way to the lumber yard, which was the makeshift hospital." At least 329 severe storms were reported Tuesday through the nation's midsection from Texas to Michigan, even up in New England.

Massive tornadoes strike Iowa, including Greenfield and Carbon, causing major damage and casualties - (10 YouTube videos) A series of powerful tornadoes struck Iowa on May 21, 2024, with a significant impact on Greenfield, killing at least three people and injuring a dozen others. Severe weather also affected Nebraska, Illinois, and other regions, with tornadoes, high winds, and hail causing widespread damage. A series of powerful tornadoes struck Iowa on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, resulting in significant destruction across several towns. The most severe impact was in Greenfield, where several people were killed, and a dozen were injured when a tornado hit the town around 15:30 local time. Greenfield, located approximately 88 km (55 miles) southwest of Des Moines, has a population of 2 057. The tornado caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, and cars, as well as the Adair County Health System hospital. Windows at the hospital and on nearby cars were shattered, prompting an evacuation. “We do have confirmed fatalities,” said Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla during a news conference, adding that authorities were still determining the exact number of victims. The tornado flattened much of Greenfield’s central area. According to the Des Moines Register, “What’s left of homes are piles of rubble. Trees are stripped of their bark, while some are uprooted. Dozens of emergency vehicles line streets that are no longer walkable. Power lines are down.” Authorities restricted entry to the town until Wednesday morning and instructed media to leave by Tuesday night. In addition to Greenfield, suspected tornadoes caused damage in other Iowa towns such as Red Oak, Carbon and Corning. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued multiple tornado warnings for areas near Griswold, Corning, Fontanelle, and Guthrie Center. One tornado damaged several 76 m (250 foot) wind turbines in Prescott, southwest Iowa, some of which caught fire and smoldered for hours. Omaha, Nebraska, also experienced severe weather on Tuesday, with sirens blaring and power outages due to heavy rain, high winds, and large hail. The storms flooded basements and submerged cars. In Illinois, dust storms forced the closure of two interstate highways due to low visibility, with wind gusts between 56 km/h (35 mph) and 74 km/h (45 mph). The recent storms are part of a broader pattern of extreme weather affecting the central United States. Over the past few days, strong winds, large hail, and tornadoes have impacted Oklahoma and Kansas, causing injuries and property damage. Colorado and western Nebraska saw severe storms Monday night, with Yuma, Colorado, experiencing hail the size of baseballs and golf balls.Last week’s deadly storms in the Houston area of Texas resulted in at least eight fatalities and widespread power outages. The most recent casualty, a man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while using a generator, was added to the total on Tuesday, May 21.

Terrifying video: Tanker truck drives directly into tornado while winds knock over another in Iowa – An Iowa Department of Transportation camera caught terrifying moments Tuesday for two truck drivers near Nevada, Iowa, when both were swallowed by a tornado. The first tractor-trailer appears to have seen the tornado heading across the highway, and had pulled over. As the traffic cam starts shaking from the strong wind and rain blurs the image, a tanker truck sails past the stopped tractor-trailer.Ahead of it is the opaque gray swirling mass of the tornado. The tanker driver slams on the brakes. But the solid clouds take over the tanker, and soon its red taillights are gone. The first semi holds on for a bit before it is pushed over and also swallowed by the tornado.Other drivers passed by both trucks once the tornado cleared. They say there were emergency crews on the scene. The Iowa State Patrol said there were no reports of injuries from either driver.The tanker survived the storm upright but was blown into some trees along the side of the road.The tractor-trailer was also pushed off the highway. The overturned truck. A tornado outbreak ravaged Iowa on Tuesday, resulting in several deaths and the decimation of the town of Greenfield.

Wisconsin hit by severe storm: Wind gusts cause damage & power outages— Severe thunderstorm and tornado watches for Wisconsin were extended for several counties until the early hours of Wednesday, but the severe threat was over by 1 a.m. The region was mostly affected by severe wind gusts that left thousands of residents without power.Radar imagery confirmed active storms with wind gusts exceeding 70 mph in some areas, particularly near Belleville.Any reports of confirmed tornadoes will most likely be announced Wednesday by the National Weather Service, which conducts in-person surveys and assessments conducted by meteorologists and damage assessment teams from the NWS. These are some of the pictures and videos of the damages reported. 1:30 a.m.: We Energies reports 434 outages. A total of 36,719 customers are out of service. Below is the list of counties mostly affected. Waukesha, Outagamie, and Milwaukee counties are the most affected.

2 tornadoes confirmed in Wisconsin from Tuesday night's storms (WLUK) -- Two tornadoes have been confirmed in central Wisconsin fromTuesday night's storms.The National Weather Service says an EF1 tornado touched down near Edgar in western Marathon County. It was on the ground for three minutes beginning at 7:51 p.m., with a path 3.57 miles long and 60 yards wide.The NWS says a barn collapsed and there was scattered damage to other buildings as well as trees.The NWS also preliminarily confirmed a tornado in Unity, also in western Marathon County. More information was expected to be compiled Wednesday afternoon.The NWS does not plan to send crews to Kaukauna, where significant damage was reported, to determine whether a tornado touched down. The storms that moved across Wisconsin were the same that ripped through Greenfield, Iowa, killing multiple people.

Greenfield, Iowa tornado rated EF-4 — strongest U.S. tornado of 2024 - (2 videos) On May 21, 2024, a powerful EF-4 tornado with winds reaching up to 298 km/h (185 mph) devastated Greenfield, Iowa, resulting in at least five fatalities and significant property damage. In terms of wind speed, this is now the strongest tornado in the U.S. this year. It is also the third EF-4 tornado reported in 2024, with the other two occurring in Oklahoma during the spring. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall, damaging winds, hail, and destructive tornadoes to Iowa on May 21. These thunderstorms were the result of a low pressure system that lifted north into the area on the night of May 20 (LT), producing slow-moving storms that dropped 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inches) of rainfall, which resulted in flash flooding over portions of northern and central Iowa through the morning of May 21. Following the heavy rainfall through the morning, skies cleared out ahead of an approaching cold front. By the afternoon hours of May 21, this cold front produced a line of strong thunderstorms which produced multiple strong tornadoes throughout the state, including one that led to significant damage in the town of Greenfield, IA, among other locations. This line of storms also produced damaging winds, leading to widespread tree damage and power outages throughout the forecast area. Initial storm surveys have confirmed EF-4 damage in Greenfield, Iowa, EF-3 Damage in NW Adams County, and EF-2 damage in Polk into Story County. Additional damage assessment evaluation will continue over the next several days and results are subject to change. The Greenfield tornado caused significant devastation during its 71 km (44 miles) path through southwestern and central Iowa. At least five people were killed, and dozens of homes were destroyed. It was initially rated as EF-3 but later bumped up to EF-4. “We got together with the structural engineers and experts in the field and discussed the damage that occurred within Greenfield and along the entire path,” NWS said. “Some of the significant damage that occurred in Greenfield after further evaluation of structures, we decided to bump the rating.” An EF-4 tornado features wind speeds of 267 – 322 km/h (166 – 200 mph), meaning the Greenfield tornado was close to the threshold for an EF-5. The last EF-5 tornado in the United States struck Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20, 2013, causing 24 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Before the Greenfield tornado, the strongest tornado in 2024 was an EF-4 that hit Barnsdall, Oklahoma, on May 6. This tornado had wind speeds exceeding 290 km/h (180 mph) and resulted in two fatalities. Barnsdall, located approximately 64 km (40 miles) from Tulsa, has about half the population of Greenfield. Tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale, which ranges from EF-0 to EF-5 based on wind speeds and the resulting damage. Most tornadoes in the United States are rated as EF-0 or EF-1, accounting for the majority of the approximately 1 300 tornadoes recorded annually.

Extreme hailstorm hits Yuma, Colorado - 3 YouTube videos - An extreme hailstorm hit Yuma, Colorado on Monday, May 20, 2024, causing massive damage to homes and cars. Hail accumulation was so thick that some cars ended up stuck in hail drifts. An unusually intense hailstorm with hail stones the size of a softball hit the town of Yuma (population 3 500) on Monday, May 20, 2024, wreaking havoc on homes, cars, and power lines, and plunging the area into chaos. Yuma was already on edge with tornado and flash flood warnings in place when the storm struck. The intensity of the storm was so severe that some vehicles became trapped in thick drifts of hail. YouTube video Firefighter JJ Unger, recalling the mayhem to FOX31, described the situation as chaotic as he and fellow firefighters were called into action amidst the worsening conditions. Unger painted a stark picture of the havoc unleashed by the hail, with visibility reduced to almost zero as crews struggled to navigate through the deluge. His own truck, a Ford F-150, took a beating, its windshield battered by the relentless onslaught. In the aftermath, shattered windows and debris littered the streets, with vehicles skidding off roads and even livestock caught in the storm’s path.

Violent hailstorm paralyzes the city of Gniezno, Poland - A severe hailstorm caused significant flooding in the western Polish city of Gniezno on Monday, May 20, 2024. The storm, part of a series of violent weather events sweeping across the country, left streets inundated and disrupted daily activities. Footage captured residents depicted chaotic scenes of vehicles and pedestrians navigating through the flooded streets, with massive hail accumulations visible across the city. The storm’s intensity overwhelmed local drainage systems, leading to widespread water accumulation. Private meteorological stations measured rainfall accumulations between 60 and 80 mm (2.3 – 3.1 inches) within 2 hours, according to Skywarn Poland. Poland’s weather agency has issued warnings that the severe weather conditions will persist into Tuesday, May 21. The western and southeastern regions are expected to experience further hail, heavy rain, and strong winds. Residents in these areas are advised to remain cautious and prepare for potential disruptions.

Delhi under Red alert as extreme temperatures strike northwest India - Parts of northwest India are experiencing severe heatwave conditions on Saturday, May 18, 2024, with the capital New Delhi under a Red alert as very high temperatures strike parts of the country. The India Meteorological Department has issued warnings for several states, anticipating persistent heat wave conditions over the next 5 days. The forecast calls for a gradual rise in temperatures over the next few days in Central India, East India, and Maharashtra, with heatwave conditions expected to persist in specific pockets across different states.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for several states, urging residents in affected regions to remain cautious and apply preventive measures to combat the heat. The Red alert areas, encompassing West Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi, are facing a very high risk of heat-related illnesses and heat strokes in the days ahead, particularly posing a threat to vulnerable individuals. Extreme care and precautionary measures are strongly advised in these regions. Orange alert areas, including East Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, are experiencing high temperatures and an increased likelihood of heat-related symptoms. Recommendations urge individuals to stay cool, avoid dehydration, and take necessary precautions, especially for vulnerable groups. In regions under the Yellow alert, such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat State, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, and Uttarakhand, moderate temperatures prevail with a moderate health concern for vulnerable populations. Guidelines suggest wearing appropriate clothing and staying hydrated to mitigate potential risks. On May 17, New Delhi reported temperatures reaching up to a scorching 47.4 °C (117.3 °F) — the highest of the season. Other areas in the capital experienced similarly high temperatures: Mungeshpur at 46.5 °C (115.7 °F), Aya Nagar at 46.2 °C (115.2 °F), and Jafarpur at 45.9 °C (114.6 °F). Nearby areas such as Noida and Gurugram reported temperatures of 45.2 °C (113.4 °F) and 44.6 °C (112.3 °F), respectively. Forecasts indicate that maximum temperatures will continue to rise by 2 – 4 °C (3.6 – 7.2 °F) in central India over the next five days, and by 2 – 3 °C (3.6 – 5.4 °F) in East India and Maharashtra over the next three days. Heat wave conditions are expected to persist in many parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi until May 22. West Uttar Pradesh will experience severe heat wave conditions on May 18 and 19, while East Uttar Pradesh will face similar conditions until May 22. Isolated pockets in Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha will also experience heat wave conditions. Amidst the heatwave, several states have announced summer vacations. Delhi, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh are among the states implementing summer breaks to mitigate the impact of the extreme temperatures. Government and government-aided schools in Delhi will have summer vacations from May 11 to June 30. Private schools are expected to follow similar schedules, with most announcing holidays by May 20 or 21.

Above-normal hurricane season expected --A higher-than-normal number of hurricanes are expected to hit the Gulf Coast this summer and fall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted Thursday. The leading federal weather organization said there is an 85 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season — which runs from June 1 through the end of November — caused by high sea temperatures in the Atlantic and La Niña conditions in the Pacific. “Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks said in a statement. “Already, we are seeing storms move across the country that can bring additional hazards like tornadoes, flooding and hail. Taking a proactive approach to our increasingly challenging climate landscape today can make a difference in how people can recover tomorrow.” NOAA predicted between 17 and 25 named storms for the 2024 hurricane season, with 8 to 13 of those becoming hurricanes and four and seven being major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or more.This year saw one of the strongest El Niño climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean, leading to a likely quick transition to La Niña conditions, which can encourage hurricane development due to wind patterns.Light trade winds and high wind shear in the Atlantic also encourages large circulating storm cells to form, creating tropical storms and hurricanes. Climate change also worsens potential storm impacts through rising sea levels and temperature, NOAA said.The NOAA prediction comes after two of the largest academic hurricane predictors, the University of Pennsylvania and Colorado State University (CSU), both similarly predicted active hurricane seasons.The Penn forecast predicted between 27 and 39 named tropical storms, with the best estimate at 33 storms — the most of any forecast in the 15-year history of the project. An average season usually has about half that number.

Record ocean temperatures and La Nina signal ‘extraordinary’ Atlantic hurricane season - The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be significantly more active than usual, with NOAA predicting 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 major hurricanes. The North Atlantic hurricane season runs from early June to late November. This is NOAA’s highest prediction for Atlantic hurricane season since federal hurricane outlooks began in 1999. La Nina will likely develop between July and September 2024 and persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter. NOAA’s 2024 Atlantic hurricane season forecast — released Thursday, May 23, highlights several contributing factors to the expected increased activity. Near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, the development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific, reduced Atlantic trade winds, and less wind shear all favor the formation of tropical storms. The forecast follows one of the strongest El Ninos ever observed, with a predicted transition to La Nina conditions, which are conducive to Atlantic hurricane activity due to reduced wind shear. At the same time, high sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea will provide more energy for storm development. Additionally, an above-normal west African monsoon also has the potential to generate African easterly waves, seeding strong and long-lived Atlantic storms. Regarding La Nina prediction, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) reported below-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean in April 2024, while the rest of the equatorial Pacific experienced above-average SSTs. The latest weekly Niño index values remained between +0.5°C and +0.8°C in all regions, except for Niño-3 which was +0.3°C. Below-average subsurface temperatures held steady during the month, with negative anomalies extending from the Date Line to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Low-level wind anomalies were easterly over the western equatorial Pacific, while upper-level winds were near average. Convection was near average overall across the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Indonesia. This pattern reflects the ongoing weakening of El Niño and a transition toward ENSO-neutral conditions. Forecast models predict an imminent transition to ENSO-neutral, with La Nina likely developing between July and September 2024 and persisting through the Northern Hemisphere winter. CPC forecast team favors model guidance suggesting La Nina could form as early as June-August 2024, with a 49% chance in June-August and a 69% chance in July-September. “NOAA’s forecast comes as tropical Atlantic waters reach all-time records for the time of year,” said Michael Lowry of Eye on the Tropics. “As of this week, 92% of the Main Development Region of the Atlantic – where 85% of Category 3, 4, and 5 hurricanes form – is at record or near-record seasonal warmth.” “This season is looking to be an extraordinary one in a number of ways,” NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad said. “The forecast for named storms — hurricanes and major hurricanes — is the highest NOAA has ever issued for the May outlook.” “Severe weather and emergencies can happen at any moment, which is why individuals and communities need to be prepared today,” FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks said. National Weather Service (NWS) Director Ken Graham noted that the seasonal outlook is a reason for concern but not alarm. He reminded coastal residents that hurricane preparedness is crucial, as even tropical storms can intensify rapidly before landfall.

Massive landslide devastates Papua New Guinea village, killing over 100 - video - Early Friday morning, May 24, 2024, a devastating landslide struck Kaokalam village in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province, possibly claiming more than 100 lives. Rescue and relief efforts are currently underway in the affected remote, mountainous region. The landslide occurred at approximately 03:00 local time, in a remote area about 600 km (370 miles) northwest of the capital, Port Moresby.Prime Minister James Marape confirmed that an emergency response is underway. “I am yet to be fully briefed on the situation. However, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the landslide disaster in the early hours of this morning,” Marape said in a statement. He added that disaster officials, the PNG Defense Force, and the Department of Works and Highways are being deployed to commence relief work, recover bodies, and reconstruct infrastructure. A resident told Reuters more than 50 homes were buried under the landslide while people were still sleeping inside. Locals told ABC the death toll is likely higher than 100, while the villager who spoke to Reuters believed it is close to 300. Elizabeth Laruma, who leads a women’s business association in Porgera, a town near the Porgera Gold Mine in the same province, described the destruction. “It has occurred when people were still asleep in the early hours, and the entire village has gone down,” Laruma told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “From what I can presume, it’s about 100-plus people who are buried beneath the ground.” The landslide has also blocked the road between Porgera and Kaokalam village, raising concerns about the supply of fuel and goods to the town. Belinda Kora, a reporter based in Port Moresby, noted that helicopters are currently the only means of accessing the village due to the road closure. The region is part of Papua New Guinea’s mountainous Highlands, which are notoriously difficult to traverse.

Bright green fireball over Montana, U.S. - video - A bright green fireball illuminated the night sky over Montana, U.S., at approximately 05:45 UTC on May 21, 2024 (23:45 LT, May 20). The American Meteor Society (AMS) received 65 reports from users in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, U.S., as well as in Alberta, Canada.

The U.S. Has Gotten 3 Direct Air Capture Plants in 13 Months - - A new direct air capture facility built by the Alphabet-backed 280 Earth is officially plucking carbon dioxide from the surrounding air along the Columbia River in Oregon, the company announced on Monday. It’s the third-largest “direct air capture” plant operating in the United States and the latest entrant in the race to design the cheapest, most efficient machine to strip the heat-trapping gas from the atmosphere.The small-scale demonstration project, which neighbors a Google data center in a city called The Dalles, is expected eventually to capture carbon at a rate of 500 tons per year. The two other U.S. facilities — Global Thermostat’s plant in Commerce City, Colorado, and Heirloom’s plant in Tracy, California — are both designed to capture 1,000 tons per year. All three came online in just the past 13 months. (There are also a handful of smaller facilities operating in the U.S. that capture 100 tons per year or less.)The team that is now 280 Earth first began working on their direct air capture system inside X, the tech incubator at Google also known as the “Moonshot Factory.” They spun out into their own company in 2022, after four-and-a-half years of research and development. The name comes from 280 parts per million, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere before industrialization. Today we’ve reached nearly 420 parts per million. But if the world manages to reduce emissions nearly to zero, it may be possible to pull enough carbon out of the air to restore the atmosphere to levels closer to pre-industrial times. In general, direct air capture technologies suck in ambient air and pass it through a special material called a sorbent that attracts CO2 molecules. They then use heat to remove the carbon from the sorbent so that it can be transported and safely stored underground. 280 Earth’s approach is unique in a few ways. To begin with, the company is using a “pelletized” sorbent — CEO John Pimental described it to me as a “half a piece of uncooked rice,” or the innards of a bean bag chair. The tiny pellets of sorbent flow through the system almost like water, resulting in some operational efficiency gains. For the second step, the company plans to use waste heat from other industrial facilities like data centers to remove the captured carbon from the sorbent. Many data centers circulate cold water through their facilities for cooling, then send the hot water to a cooling tower where the heat is released into the atmosphere. 280 Earth can instead take that hot water and run it through a heat exchanger, sending the now-cooled water back to the data center. “It means their cooling tower needs to work less hard, it has less load on it,” said Pimental. “So it's an additional revenue source for our company to provide those cooling services to a neighbor.” This waste heat can meet up to 80% of 280 Earth’s operational needs, reducing the amount of electricity the company buys. It’s also a win-win for the data center — 280 Earth’s process pulls water from the air in addition to carbon, and can supply that water to the data center, which in turn doesn’t have to rely as much on natural sources. Direct air capture technology is often called “speculative” and “unproven.” But with an increasing number of deployments in the real world, it’s worth being more specific. These machines have proven to be able to separate carbon out of the air. The question is whether they can do so permanently, economically, and at a scale that will actually make a difference for climate change.

Louisiana's abandoned wells could threaten carbon injection safety - Oil and gas companies spent more than a century pumping carbon out of Louisiana, leaving a landscape pockmarked with thousands of abandoned wells. Now there are ambitious plans to do the opposite: inject vast quantities of carbon back into the ground in an effort to curb climate change.But many of the new wells will sit near the old ones, raising concerns that harmful levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and tainted well water may escape from the increasingly porous ground. CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas that displaces air and can make breathing difficult. At high concentrations, it can cause suffocation. “It’s not a question of whether these things are going to leak,” said Abel Russ, an attorney with the Environmental Integrity Project, a watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C. “It’s a question of how much is acceptable and how much is going to be happening.”Louisiana has the highest number of planned carbon storage wells in the country. About one-third of the nearly 200 wells undergoing permit approval across the country would be located in the state, Verite News found in a review of federal and state well applications. While carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, has never been tested at scale and some leakage is unavoidable, risks can be minimized by carefully selecting injection sites and designing and operating wells appropriately, many scientists who study CCS say.Ensuring that CCS projects are safe is “baked into the approval process,” said Patrick Courreges, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources. The federal government recently handed the department authority over CO2 wells in the state, a move that’s expected to trim the permitting process from about two years to 18 months. Louisiana isn’t trading quality for speed, Courreges said. “If you want a permit, you still have to show us you can do it safely,” he said. Only two other states – Wyoming and North Dakota – have been granted permit authority over CO2 injection sites, also known as “Class VI” wells. Carbon dioxide wells in all other states must undergo review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Capturing CO2 emitted from refineries and other heavy industries is a key facet of the Biden administration’s efforts to cut greenhouse gases. Billions of dollars in federal grants and tax breaks have sparked a boom in CCS projects, especially along the Gulf Coast, where a large share of the nation’s oil and gas is extracted and processed. The region also has a massive CO2 storage capacity. According to research by the University of Texas at Austin, the sponge-like rock formations under the Gulf Coast could hold hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide, “representing the largest national resources for CO2 storage and a resource capable of receiving decades of annual regional emissions, and likely national emissions,” UT Austin geologists said in a 2021 report. Squeezing these new CO2 wells among Louisiana’s old oil and gas wells may be challenging. The state has at least 186,000 abandoned oil and gas wells. Louisiana classifies about 4,500 of these wells as “orphaned” because their operators have gone bankrupt, can’t be located or are unwilling to maintain their sites. Responsibility for cleaning up these orphan wells falls on taxpayers.

Louisiana's abandoned wells could threaten carbon injection safety - Oil and gas companies spent more than a century pumping carbon out of Louisiana, leaving a landscape pockmarked with thousands of abandoned wells. Now there are ambitious plans to do the opposite: inject vast quantities of carbon back into the ground in an effort to curb climate change.But many of the new wells will sit near the old ones, raising concerns that harmful levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and tainted well water may escape from the increasingly porous ground. CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas that displaces air and can make breathing difficult. At high concentrations, it can cause suffocation. “It’s not a question of whether these things are going to leak,” said Abel Russ, an attorney with the Environmental Integrity Project, a watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C. “It’s a question of how much is acceptable and how much is going to be happening.”Louisiana has the highest number of planned carbon storage wells in the country. About one-third of the nearly 200 wells undergoing permit approval across the country would be located in the state, Verite News found in a review of federal and state well applications. While carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, has never been tested at scale and some leakage is unavoidable, risks can be minimized by carefully selecting injection sites and designing and operating wells appropriately, many scientists who study CCS say.Ensuring that CCS projects are safe is “baked into the approval process,” said Patrick Courreges, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources. The federal government recently handed the department authority over CO2 wells in the state, a move that’s expected to trim the permitting process from about two years to 18 months. Louisiana isn’t trading quality for speed, Courreges said. “If you want a permit, you still have to show us you can do it safely,” he said. Only two other states – Wyoming and North Dakota – have been granted permit authority over CO2 injection sites, also known as “Class VI” wells. Carbon dioxide wells in all other states must undergo review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Capturing CO2 emitted from refineries and other heavy industries is a key facet of the Biden administration’s efforts to cut greenhouse gases. Billions of dollars in federal grants and tax breaks have sparked a boom in CCS projects, especially along the Gulf Coast, where a large share of the nation’s oil and gas is extracted and processed. The region also has a massive CO2 storage capacity. According to research by the University of Texas at Austin, the sponge-like rock formations under the Gulf Coast could hold hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide, “representing the largest national resources for CO2 storage and a resource capable of receiving decades of annual regional emissions, and likely national emissions,” UT Austin geologists said in a 2021 report. Squeezing these new CO2 wells among Louisiana’s old oil and gas wells may be challenging. The state has at least 186,000 abandoned oil and gas wells. Louisiana classifies about 4,500 of these wells as “orphaned” because their operators have gone bankrupt, can’t be located or are unwilling to maintain their sites. Responsibility for cleaning up these orphan wells falls on taxpayers.

States Set for Solar Cash Infusion Aim to Build Worker Pipeline -States set to receive slices of $7 billion to bring solar power to low-income communities are confronting the construction industry’s nationwide skilled labor shortage.The Environmental Protection Agency in late April selected 60 applicants, many of them state energy departments, to deliver residential solar to disadvantaged populations. The money is expected to be delivered this summer, though states will have a planning period that extends farther out.The Solar for All program, part of the EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, is billed as an environmental justice measure to tackle climate change in communities excluded from the energy transition.But awardees are facing a 500,000-person-and-growing skilled labor shortage in the construction industry fueled by early retirements and recruiting problems, said Ben Brubeck, vice president of regulatory, labor, and state affairs at the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).“There is already a skilled labor shortage, and now because of the incentives and discussions in the grants, it’s curious and unclear whether a lot of non-union workers and contractors will be pursuing this type of work,” he said.Ninety-seven percent of construction employers surveyed in the Department of Energy’s 2023 US Energy and Employment Report reported difficulty finding qualified solar workers, with 52% saying it was “very difficult.”The Solar for All’s notice of funding opportunity language entices recipients to require project labor agreements, which discourages non-union contractors from pursuing the projects, Brubeck said. About 11% of solar energy workers are represented by a union or covered under a project labor or collective bargaining agreement, according to the DOE report.When there’s a lack of skilled workers, safe and high-quality infrastructure is at risk, Brubeck said. Brent Booker, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, classifies the problem as more to do with wages than worker numbers.The solar industry has grown since 2022’s federal climate law was passed, he said. Plus, labor requirements like the ones outlined in Solar for All ensure that the existing pool of skilled contractors are paid a wage that more closely resembles their normal one when installing solar, which could entice workers. But the lack of inclusion of solar in recent plans to overhaul apprenticeship programs could also be a culprit for labor shortages. Some construction sectors have government-registered apprenticeship programs to strengthen the workforce, while solar doesn’t. ABC advocated for a solar-specific program in March comments to the US Department of Labor regarding a proposed apprenticeship rule. “The proposed rule will cause more specialized workers like solar installers to receive no apprenticeship training at all,” the comments said.The Department of Labor said in a statement that its apprenticeship office wasn’t able to conclude that solar panel installation occupations are distinctive occupations because the processes involved in those jobs often replicate those of other existing “apprenticeable occupations,” like electricians and carpenters. For its part, the EPA said workforce development is integral to Solar for All’s success. “Many applications included proposed partnerships with key stakeholders in the workforce development ecosystem needed to execute on this vision for a robust and inclusive clean energy workforce,” the agency said in a statement.

Shedding some light on Fox Squirrel Solar in Ohio - Enbridge Inc --Enbridge, project partner EDF Renewables in North America and guests are celebrating today in Madison County, Ohio, with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the recently completed first phase of Fox Squirrel Solar.It’s one of the largest utility-scale solar developments east of the Mississippi—1.4 million panels and 159 inverters; and peak construction that required 650 workers safely installing 10,000 panels a day.During the event, Amazon announced it has entered into power purchase agreements for the full generation capacity, which will help contribute to Amazon’s commitment to match all of the electricity used by its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030. The company is currently on a path to meet its goal by 2025.As renewable energy commitments are increasingly embraced by corporations, solar projects like Fox Squirrel will help the state of Ohio realize its continuing commitment to attract business and nurture economic growth in the state.Thomas Carbone, Enbridge’s vice president of power business development, told the crowd that Enbridge is pleased and grateful to grow its presence in the Buckeye State, amid an ongoing expansion of our renewables business.“Fox Squirrel is a key part of our commitment to the energy transition and our plans to continue to invest in these types of projects,” Carbone said. “We look forward to working closely with all of you as we advance construction on Phases 2 and 3.” Enbridge is firmly planted in Ohio, with operations now representing every part of our business in the state—renewable power (Fox Squirrel and the Wheelersburg Solar project), liquids pipelines (Line 17, a.k.a. the Toledo Pipeline), natural gas transmission pipelines (Texas Eastern, NEXUS and Generation), and gas utilities (Enbridge Gas Ohio).

A caution from Florida about Ohio's state laws Some Ohioans may migrate to or visit Florida, but I would not advise educating children there. Their legislature and governor have just effectively approved the deletion of climate responsibility from its laws. (per a Washington Post article, May 15, 2024).Some details:

• * Florida's government does not have to prioritize climate responsibility in its energy policy.
• * State officials have no authority to set goals for renewable energy.
• * Florida offshore waters may not use wind turbines.
• * Grants are repealed that encourage energy conservation and renewable energy.
• * State agencies will no longer be required to use fuel-thrifty vehicles and environmentally friendly products.
• * Municipalities cannot dictate which fuels should be used in appliances like gas stoves.
• *Regulations for gas pipelines are compromised, and gas use is expanded.

The legislature and governor of Florida thus defy the will of many of its citizens who are concerned about its deadly heat waves, coastal erosion from rising sea levels, and much stronger and more frequent storms that batter the Sunshine State. Ohioans need to firmly resist such legislative madness here. Apart from laws and codes, we need to make environmentally responsible choices in our daily lives, and not just for our children.

How much clean energy does it take to make green steel? | Canary Media - When the Biden administration pledged up to $1 billion in awards for two ​“green steel” projects earlier this year, it signaled an important step in the emerging effort to decarbonize one of the world’s dirtiest industries. Before the announcement, the United States was largely seen as a laggard globally, with steelmakers in Europe and China already pursuing green steel projects of their own. Initially, many of the finer details about the new U.S. projects were unclear. Since then, however, more information has emerged, allowing analysts to start assessing the outsize energy needs of the facilities, which will be built in Ohio and Mississippi. Both are eventually expected to run on clean hydrogen, which requires copious amounts of renewable electricity and water to make. In Ohio, the manufacturer Cleveland-Cliffs is planning a hydrogen-based ironmaking facility at its existing steel complex in Middletown, just north of Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Swedish steelmaker SSAB is developing a facility at a new site in Perry County, Mississippi. Thesecommercial demonstration projects are intended to significantly reduce the planet-warming emissions that come from making steel — not just at the two individual facilities but also at future sites that replicate their pioneering approaches. “We’re talking about gigawatts of hydrogen and gigawatts of renewables” for the facilities, said Nick Yavorsky, a senior associate in the climate-aligned industries program at RMI, who led a recent analysis of the Cleveland-Cliffs project’s energy requirements. (Canary Media is anindependent affiliate of RMI.) Fully running Cleveland-Cliff’s plant with clean hydrogen could mean doubling the amount of wind and solar power installed in Ohio. Mississippi would potentially need the equivalent of a five-fold increase in renewables for SSAB’s plant. That’s on top of the additional capacity that will be needed to meet rising electricity demand from new data centers, semiconductor factories, electric cars, and electrified buildings — all of which, as it happens, require steel to make. Many other details aren’t yet decided or publicly known, given that Cleveland-Cliffs and SSABare both still negotiating award contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy. Still, the outcome is likely to remain unchanged: The U.S. steel industry will need dramatically more renewable energy capacity, and soon. Cleveland-Cliffs said it plans to build a ​“hydrogen-ready” ironmaking plant at its existing steel complex in southwest Ohio. The company will replace an older, coal-fueled blast furnace with a new facility that’s capable of making 2.5 million metric tons of iron per year. The entire project could cost around $1.3 billion and be completed by 2029. Blast furnaces are responsible for the lion’s share of steel-related emissions. The scorching-hot vessels use iron ore, purified coal, and limestone to produce molten lava — a step that creates carbon dioxide. A separate furnace later turns iron into steel, which is used in everything from construction beams and cargo ships to car frames, solar-panel racks, and kitchen appliances. All told, steel production generates as much as 9 percent of global CO₂ emissions every year, more than any other industrial sector.

Column on ‘green steel’ showed how climate-change policy is too easily hijacked – LTE Cleveland Plain Dealer - - The recent guest column by Dr. Randi Pokladnik was very informative and timely (”'Green steel’ is a good goal. This isn’t how to get there,” May 8).Pollution, climate change and declining ocean health are very serious global problems to both humans and animals. Fossil fuels need to be rapidly replaced with cleaner sources of energy like wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and nuclear. Some industrial sectors (e.g. petroleum, chemical, plastics, steel, cement) need to emit far less greenhouse gases and other pollutants. We already have much of the needed technology, but the world needs to implement it more quickly. Delays are compounding the human and financial burdens of our escalating weather, food, health, migration and conflict problems.Solving our shared environmental problems should unite the entire world. Instead, vested “big money” interests have often used shady tactics to falsely sway public opinion, influence government officials and stifle direly needed progress.The world’s growing environmental problems and growing population are both unsustainable. We can and must do better for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren because there is no Planet B. Supporting eco-friendly leaders and organizations is a worthy start! Don Albertson, Cambridge

A new project promised low-income families ‘zero net energy homes’ – but they still rely on gas - US gas utilities are partnering with one of the nation’s most trusted non-profits as part of a “cynical PR stunt” to combat efforts to curb fossil fuel usage, a Guardian investigation has found.Local Habitat for Humanity affiliates have teamed up with at least four utilities across 10 states to build “zero-net energy homes”, which are meant to produce more energy than they use.The houses, which are sold at affordable rates to low-income families, are weatherized and meticulously insulated to boost efficiency and equipped with rooftop solar panels. But they also come withappliances powered by gas, a planet-heating fossil fuel that has been shown to degrade indoor air quality.The utilities say the homes provide lower electricity bills and affordable mortgages for vulnerable families.“It’s part of our culture to really give back to the communities that we serve,” Jennifer Altieri, vice-president of public affairs for Atmos Energy’s Colorado-Kansas division, said in a video announcing the utility’s first Habitat home in Evans, Colorado, in September 2021, which was provided to a single mother and her children.Yet Atmos has privately described the project as something closer to a public relations tactic, intentionally launched in a state that is “on the frontlines” of attempts to quell reliance on gas.Atmos has since expanded the Habitat partnerships to seven communities, with plans to launch similar initiatives in at least two more. National Fuel in the north-east, SoCal Gas in southern California, and Nicor in Illinois have also partnered with Habitat on zero-net energy (ZNE) projects. Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity International work on a house in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2019. Photograph: Jason Asteros/APThe moves by utilities to attach themselves to social justice causes come as the US is embroiled in a broader political culture war over federal, state and local attempts to phase out gas and make new buildings electric.The projects by Atmos and others have won widespread praise from gas interest groups. An autumn 2022 feature in Southeast Gas’s magazine Natural Living says the Atmos-Habitat partnerships promote “healthy living”, and that same year, its Evans, Colorado, home was a finalist for an ESG award from the Southern Gas Association.“These ZNE homes demonstrate that natural gas is a part of the solution to achieve our low-carbon energy future,” the award submission says.Habitat for Humanity International has participated in international climate negotiations and says it prioritizes climate safety. In a statement, the non-profit said: “We know that innovation is required so future construction doesn’t exacerbate the climate crisis.”Habitat for Humanity says it helps millions of people access affordable homes each year who are often “among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change”. But to do so, it relies on independent, locally run affiliates, which can decide how houses are built and funded.Asked about the perceived conflict between the gas utility partnerships and its climate-related statements, a spokesperson for the organization said the group’s affiliates “engage a wide range of partners”. The world is “facing a growing crisis in affordable, adequate housing” which requires “a multi-faceted challenge that demands non-profit organizations, individuals, corporate partners, elected officials and more to work alongside one another”, he said.

EPA announces $300M to revitalize polluted sites -The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced it would dole out $300 million to revitalize contaminated sites. That money is part of a larger $1.5 billion tranche that was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funds will go to 178 communities for new cleanup grants and an additional 31 communities to supplement existing projects. The polluted sites in question are known as Brownfield sites. EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the funds during a trip to Philadelphia at the site of a former oil terminal that later became a community area for hiking and biking. “Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,”

Acting Deputy Secretary Daniel-Davis Announces $25 Million from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to Clean Up Legacy Pollution in New Mexico | U.S. Department of the Interior

Norfolk Southern agrees to $310M settlement over Ohio train derailment - The Washington Post -The Justice Department announced Thursday that Norfolk Southern has agreed to a settlement of about $310 million to resolve a lawsuit over the railroad’s discharge of toxic substances following last year’s fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.Under the agreement, Norfolk Southern will pay an estimated $235 million to cover the costs of the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to clean up contaminated air, water and soil in and around where the train derailed and where toxic fumes were later vented. In addition, the railroad will pay a $15 million civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.

Norfolk Southern gets smacked by US DOJ, EPA for East Palestine train derailment (WOIO) -The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 23 the conditions of a consent decree with Norfolk Southern for last year’s toxic train derailment in East Palestine. This follows Wednesday’s announcement a federal judge signed off on the $600 million class action lawsuit filed against Norfolk Southern by the people of East Palestine.Thursday’s announcement will end up costing the major train company nearly $1 billion in penalties, past and future cleanup, and health an monitoring programs for the people who live in East Palestine.First, Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay the DOJ and the EPA $310 million for the derailment.Next, they must pay $235 million for all past and future cleanup to recover any taxpayer money spend by the government in this disaster.There is also a $15 million penalty for violating the EPA’s Clean Water Protection Act, which is the largest fine the EPA is allowed to levy.There are also a number of programs Norfolk Southern is required to pay, for services for the people of East Palestine:

• Pay $25 million for a 20-year community health program that includes medical monitoring for qualified individuals, mental health services for individuals residing in affected counties as well as first responders who worked at the site, and a community facilitation plan to assist community members in using the benefits of the program.
• Spend approximately $15 million to implement long-term monitoring of groundwater and surface water for a period of 10 years.
• Pay $15 million for a private drinking water monitoring fund that will continue the existing private drinking water well monitoring program for 10 years.
• Implement a “waterways remediation plan,” with an estimated budget of $6 million, for projects in Leslie Run and Sulphur Run that will prioritize addressing historical pollution, reducing non-point source pollution through infrastructure upgrades and storm water management projects, and restoring aquatic and riparian habitat; and
• Pay $175,000 for natural resource damages, to be used by the United States to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of the natural resources injured as a result of the derailment.

In a statement from Norfolk Southern CEP Alan Shaw he said, “From day one, it was important for Norfolk Southern to make things right for the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding areas. We are pleased we were able to reach a timely resolution of these investigations that recognizes our comprehensive response to the community’s needs and our mission to be the gold standard of safety in the rail industry. We will continue keeping our promises and are invested in the community’s future for the long-haul.”

Judge signs off on $600 million Ohio train derailment settlement but residents still have questions -A federal judge has signed off on the $600 million class action settlement over last year’s disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio, but many people who live near East Palestine are still wondering how much they will end up with out of the deal.Preliminary approval for the settlement came late Tuesday, so now lawyers involved in the case will return to the community to answer more questions about the deal Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern agreed to this spring.“Our pitch to the community is please give us time to explain why we think this is fair,” said Mike Morgan, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs.Morgan said the settlement will resolve claims against the railroad and other defendants in the lawsuit, such as the rail car owners and chemical manufacturer that made the vinyl chloride released and burned after the derailment.Neither the Environmental Protection Agency, which is overseeing the cleanup, nor any other government entity was a defendant, but there has been significant confusion about whether possible future lawsuits against them could be affected because broad language in the fine print of the agreement mentions that “governmental agencies, entities, and authorities, whether federal, state, county, or local, their employees, officers, agents, members, and volunteers” are among the released parties.Morgan said that language isn’t designed to prevent all lawsuits against the government, which might be difficult to pursue anyway because of limits on government liability.“I just don’t understand why they’re trying to make us sign away rights that we have,” said Jami Wallace, who left her home after the derailment. The agreement is designed to address all damage claims against the companies within a 20-mile (32-kilometer) radius of the derailment and, for residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius of the derailment.But the lawyers involved say there is no way at this point to address potential future health costs if someone were to develop cancer down the road under appellate court rulings in the region. Residents can decide to accept money for property damage without taking the personal injury payment.Fears about the potential long-term health implications of the chemical exposure after the crash are a major concern for the community. Many people are still reporting respiratory problems, unexplained rashes and other symptoms more than a year after the derailment while others have no health complaints.The amount people receive from the settlement will vary based on how close they lived to the derailment and how it affected them. Documents filed in court suggests that a family living within 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the derailment might receive only $70,000 for property damage and another $10,000 for injuries. Someone who lived farther away will get considerably less — maybe only $250 for families more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) away.Many residents question whether the deal will provide enough compensation once the money is divided up.The attorneys are expected to receive up to $162 million in legal fees out of the settlement if the judge approves.The final amount residents receive will be affected by how much assistance they took from Norfolk Southern, which provided $21.4 million in direct assistance to families who had to temporarily relocate after the derailment. The amount families received from the railroad will be deducted from the settlement they get, but that money won’t be refunded to Norfolk Southern. Instead, the money will be returned to the settlement fund to be distributed to the community.

Ohio approves two more bids to drill on state-owned lands, advances five other proposals - An Ohio commission approved two bids by out-of-state companies to drill for oil and gas under state-owned lands (Monday. Colorado-based Antero Resources was the sole bidder to drill under a Department of Transportation property in Noble County. SWN Production LLC of Texas won its bid to drill the DOT land in Monroe County along the Ohio River.The Oil and Gas Land Management Commission also advanced five other nominations to drill under state-owned properties to the bidding process. One approved nomination is to drill under the 84-acre Keen Wildlife Area in Harrison County. Citizens opposed to selling state lands for drilling yelled, “Listen to the people!” during the meeting as the four commission members voted. The state received numerous public comments against the nomination.The commission also disapproved five drilling nominations at the meeting, including four under DOT properties and one under the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area, which covers 14,300 acres in Belmont and Guernsey counties. “Much of the land in Egypt Valley is encumbered by federal funding, and so there is a federal process that would have to be gone through and ultimately federal approval obtained,” explained Commission Chair Ryan Richardson before the vote. “And there’s a question really about who bears the responsibility for paying for that.” But she recommended that the commission deny the drilling nomination at Egypt Valley for a different reason: the economics of the proposal. “A provision in this nomination that essentially would significantly reduce the bonus that would be supplied [to the state] if a particular time frame it’s not satisfied,” Richardson said. In total, the commission has advanced 14 drilling nominationson Ohio state-owned lands, since it began this process last fall. Once approved, the nominations are put up for public bid. The process is confidential until a bid is approved. Keen is the third wildlife area where a drilling bid has been approved so far.

Two companies selected by Ohio commission to lease parts of Noble and Monroe counties for fracking - The “highest and best bidders” were selected to lease parts of Noble and Monroe counties for fracking during Monday’s Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission meeting. Colorado-based company Antero Resources Corporation was the sole bidder to lease eight parcels for drilling in Noble County for $4,713.60, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Antero has previously leased land in Noble County and other Eastern Ohio counties including Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont, Monroe and Washington. Texas-based company Southwestern Energy was the only bidder for eight parcels of land in Monroe County for $3,378, according to ODNR.Each lease agreement includes a 12.5% royalty paid to the state for production. The commission posted the nominated leasing parcels to bid on March 4 and May 4 was the deadline to submit bids.Fracking is the process of injecting liquid into the ground at a high pressure to extract oil or gas and it has been documented in over 30 states, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Anti-fracking advocates tried to raise their concerns to the commissioners throughout the meeting. “I’d like to say that we have people who are very concerned about the water in that area. The water is not tested. We don’t know what it’s going to be like,” one advocate said. She tried bringing up a basket of water samples during the meeting, but a Ohio State Highway patrol officer stopped her from approaching the commissioners and intercepted the basket. Another advocate held up a sign during the meeting that said “commissioners or gas and oil puppets?”There were more than 1,400 fracking incidents associated with oil and gas wells in Ohio between 2018 and September 2023, according toFracTracker Alliance — a nonprofit that collects data on fracking pipelines. About 10% of those incidents were reported as fires or explosions.Of those, there were 71 total incidents in Noble County and 59 total incidents in Monroe County during that time period, according to FracTracker.Nominations for land in Egypt Valley Wildlife Area in Belmont County, Guernsey and Noble counties were not approved during Monday’s meeting and won’t move forward to the bidding process at this time. The Guernsey and Noble county nominations were denied because “ODOT indicated it lacks the ability to enter into a lease at this time,” according to ODNR.The Egypt Valley Wildlife Area nomination was denied “due to a condition in the nomination that could render the economic benefits too low to warrant approval pursuant to Ohio Revised Code,” according to ODNR.“ODOT submitted a comment indicating that due to their stewardship and oversight agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, they are not legally authorized to enter into mineral basis for these parcels without express pre-approval from the FHWA,” Richardson said about the nomination for land in Wills Township in Guernsey County. Lorraine McCosker, steering committee member of Save Ohio Parks, said this shows the importance of federal laws with the FHWA. “ODNR needs to address certain things that they rejected,” she said. “They disapproved Egypt Valley so I think that that’s really important.”

Current and former Ohio politicians from both parties bow at the alter of fossil fuels by Randi Pokladnik -- Ohio’s Republican politicians will do anything to promote fracking in Ohio. They’ve passed legislation that outlaws protests against oil and gas infrastructure (SB 33); forces Ohio landowners into fracking leases (Ohio Revised Code § 1509.27); restricts solar arrays and wind turbine projects (HB52); eviscerates the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency standards (HB6); and sacrifices Ohio State Parks (HB 507). Now former Ohio Democratic politicians Tim Ryan and John Bocierri appear to have become shills for the fossil fuel industry. Both Ryan and Bocierri have cherry picked data that is misleading and scientifically inaccurate. The real threat to national security is climate change, not pausing LNG exports. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “There is little about what the Department does to defend the American people that is not affected by climate change, it is a national security issue, and we must treat it as such.”Peer-reviewed studies show that increased fracking has led to increased emissions of methane; a potent greenhouse gas.Tim Ryan said when he passed the plastics-making Shell Cracker in Monaca, Pennsylvania: “ I looked on with hope and pride: Our region was creating well-paying union jobs in an industry that was fighting climate change”. Plastics contribute to climate change and escalating plastics production will make it impossible to keep global temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Our planet is drowning in plastics that are toxic and pervasive in our bodies. The Shell cracker has been fined over $10 million for air pollution violations, and recently the “Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Section filed 13 misdemeanor charges against Shell Falcon Pipeline LP for violating the state’s Clean Streams Law during the construction phase.” John Bocierri relies on pro-fossil fuel organizations for his employment data. For example, he references a PricewaterhouseCoopers report, commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute as well as theConsumer Energy Alliance, the organization responsible for submittingfraudulent comments to the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission to advocate for fracking Ohio State Parks. Research reveals that the industry’s jobs claims are inaccurate. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the industry employs far fewer workers than it claims: about 541,000 nationwide, or less than 0.4 percent of all jobs.” Mike Chadsey, spokesperson for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association admitted that “crews move from one well pad to the next” following the rigs and pipelines. Ryan touts using new technologies like carbon capture sequestration (CCS)to get us out of this climate disaster. CCS will be funded with taxpayer dollars in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It has not been proven to work at scale; must be heavily subsidized; props up fossil fuels; takes dollars away from real solutions; and does not address the increasing methane emissions from fracking. Additionally, it will negatively affect frontline communities that are already being sacrificed at the altar of fossil fuels. The 9th Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking, a compilation of years of scientific research on fracking said, “Our examination uncovered no evidence that fracking can be practiced in a manner that does not threaten human health directly or without imperiling climate stability upon which human health depends”.We can meet the climate challenge by building grid resilience, adopting renewable energy, and investing in energy efficiency. The Big Wires Actpromotes more interregional transmission from areas with available energy to areas that need energy. The Big Wires Act ensures “utilities and other transmission developers would be responsible for upgrading the grid.” Technological improvements have now made renewable green energy cheaper than fossil fuels. Energy efficiency tax credits in the IRA support projects which will help citizens and the planet. Ryan speaks about “shrill and impractical voices”; those voices are Ohio citizens crying out for environmental justice. They are not misinformed; they understand exactly what is happening to the planet and their communities.

Ohio Landowners Seek Class Action Against Rice/EQT re Royalties - Marcellus Drilling News -- A group of landowners in Belmont County, OH, filed a lawsuit against Rice Drilling (now EQT Corporation) in July 2021, alleging the company had shorted them on royalty payments by (a) selling the gas extracted to an affiliated (instead of unaffiliated) third party, and (b) deducting post-production costs specifically disallowed under the signed contract. Several landowners who are part of what was originally known as the Smith-Goshen Landowners Group have requested a federal court in Ohio to elevate the lawsuit to class-action status.

Ohio Utica Shale Drilling Dispute Remanded to Lower Court - Bloomberg Law News - An Ohio oil drilling contract was ambiguous about whether the Utica Shale formation includes the Point Pleasant formation below Utica’s base, the state’s high court ruled Thursday, sending the dispute back to a lower court. “We are not persuaded that the lease language clearly established that the Point Pleasant was or was not to be considered part of the Utica Shale,” the Ohio Supreme Court held in a 4-3 ruling. It’s up to a fact-finder to resolve the ambiguity in the contract, the opinion said.

OH Supreme Court Reverses “Drilled Too Deep” Decision TERA v Rice --Marcellus Drilling News -- Back in the summer of 2020, MDN told you about a lawsuit brought by an Ohio rights owner called TERA, an organization that owns the royalty rights for a number of leases with wells in Belmont County, OH, drilled by different producers, suing the producers for drilling into the Point Pleasant shale layer when the lease only mentions the Utica layer (see OH Landowners Sue Rice, Ascent, XTO, Gulfport for Drilling Too Deep). We have an important update on that lawsuit which potentially affects all Ohio landowners and drillers.Yesterday, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a ruling that overturns a Seventh District Court of Appeals decision upholding a lower court’s ruling in favor of the rights owner. The Ohio Supremes reversed the judgment of the Seventh District and remanded the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.

Tera, L.L.C. v. Rice Drilling D, L.L.C. - Supreme Court of Ohio - 22 page document [ Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as Tera, L.L.C. v. Rice Drilling D, L.L.C. , Slip Opinion No. 202 4 - Ohio - 1945 .] NOTICE: This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in an advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports. Readers are requested to promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 , of any typographical or other formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be made before the opinion is published.

Ohio O&G Commission Blames Unplugged Well for Injection Well Leak - Two weeks ago, MDN told you about an odd situation in Ohio. DeepRock Disposal, an injection well company owned by a former member of the Ohio Oil & Gas Commission and current State Senator, Brian Chavez, leaked injected wastewater beyond its permitted boundary of a half mile into a non-functioning conventional well “miles away” (in Noble County) where the water came to the surface (see Plain Dealer Alleges Political Strings at ODNR re Injection Wells). The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) had to plug the non-functioning conventional well (owned by a different company, Genesis) in an emergency action. ODNR then sent a bill for $1.3 million for the cleanup to Genesis, the victim of DeepRock’s water migration!

ODNR Selects Contractor to Conduct Well Water Testing in Athens - Marcellus Drilling News --One month ago, the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission upheld a regulatory order from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) suspending the operation of three wastewater injection wells located in Torch (Athens County), OH, owned by K&H Partners, a subsidiary of Tallgrass Energy (see Ohio O&G Commission Votes to Shut Down 3 Athens Injection Wells). ODNR has hired an outside third party to conduct well water testing in the area to gauge whether or not the injection wells have leaked into and contaminated local water supplies.

Austin Master Services Responds to AG Lawsuit; Court Hearing Today -- Marcellus Drilling News -- American Environmental Partners (AEP) and its owner, Brad Domitrovitsch, are due in court today in Belmont County, OH, to address a motion by Ohio’s Attorney General, David Yost, to hold the company and Domitrovitsch in contempt for not complying with an order to clean up the Austin Master Services (AMS) facility owned by AEP. AMS is a radiological waste management solutions company in Martins Ferry ( in Belmont County) close to the Ohio River. Media accounts report that AMS has stored at least 10,000 tons of fracking waste (drill cuttings with low radioactivity) at the facility. The facility is rated and permitted to hold 600 tons. In March, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked the Belmont County Common Pleas Court to block AMS from receiving more waste and order it to clean up and comply with its rating. The court granted both requests with a deadline of April 17 to comply. The deadline came and went without compliance.

Austin Master Services Court Hearing Day One: Single Witness --Marcellus Drilling News --American Environmental Partners (AEP) and its owner, Brad Domitrovitsch, had their first day in court yesterday in Belmont County, OH, to address a motion by Ohio’s Attorney General, David Yost, to hold the company and Domitrovitsch in contempt for not complying with an order to clean up the Austin Master Services (AMS) facility owned by AEP. Although the hearing was scheduled to begin at 10 am, it didn’t actually start until 11:10 am. The judge gave the attorneys for the parties involved time to talk in an effort to arrive at a resolution. Which obviously didn’t happen as the hearing went forward. There was just one witness for the day yesterday.

AMS Court Hearing Day Two: Comply by July 22 or Jail Time for CEO -Marcellus Drilling News --Yesterday was the second and final day of a hearing begun on Monday in Belmont County, OH, Common Pleas Court to determine whether or not Austin Master Services (AMS) and its parent company American Environmental Partners (AEP), along with the owner of both companies, Brad Domitrovitsch, has failed to comply with an order from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) to clean up and clear out a facility in Martins Ferry that currently holds too much frack waste. The hearing concluded with the judge’s finding that AMS, AEP, and Domitrovitsch are in “contempt” of a previous court directive to get the facility cleaned by April 17. Beginning yesterday, AMS will be fined $200 per day. If the facility is not cleaned up and in compliance by July 22, the judge has ordered Domitrovitsch (who does not live in Ohio) to report to Belmont County jail to serve a 30-day sentence.

16 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 13 – 19 | Marcellus Drilling News Permits issued in the Marcellus/Utica continue to bounce up and down. One month ago, there were 26 new permits in the M-U for a one-week period. Three weeks ago, 16 new permits were issued. Two weeks ago, just ten new permits were issued. And last week, May 13-19, the number increased to 16, but only because of Pennsylvania. Range Resources scored seven new permits in PA last week, all in Washington County. EQT (and its subsidiary Rice Drilling) received six new permits last week, mostly in Fayette County, PA (with one in Washington County, PA). Southwestern Energy received three permits to drill in Brooke County, WV. Ohio issued no new permits last week. Brooke County | EQT Corp | Fayette County | | Range Resources Corp | Southwestern Energy | Washington County

Smart Sand Reports Strong Q1 Results Amid Rising Demand - — Smart Sand, Inc. has announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2024, highlighting a significant increase in sales and revenue driven by rising demand in major basins.The company sold approximately 1.3 million tons of sand during the quarter. This led to a revenue of $83.1 million. Despite these gains, Smart Sand reported a modest net loss of $0.2 million, while adjusted EBITDA—a measure of operational performance—reached $9.3 million. Charles Young, Smart Sand’s CEO, pointed out the robust performance compared to the previous quarter. “Sales volumes increased by over 30%, contribution margin doubled, and Adjusted EBITDA increased by almost $9 million,” stated Young.A key factor in this growth was the heightened demand for Smart Sand’s product across various basins, coupled with increased utilization of the company’s SmartSystems fleet. The company also invested in new terminals in northeast Ohio, now operational and serving the Utica shale formation, which contributed to the improved sales volumes. However, the company faced challenges with free cash flow, which was negatively impacted due to an increase in working capital needed to support higher sales levels. Young expects this issue to stabilize starting in the second quarter, projecting positive free cash flow for the rest of 2024. “We are focused on being more efficient in our operations and in the utilization of our combined assets to improve our cost structure,” he added. Smart Sand’s liquidity remains stable, with primary sources including cash on hand, cash flow from operations, and available borrowings under its ABL Credit Facility. As of March 31, 2024, the company had $4.6 million in cash and $6.0 million in undrawn availability on the credit facility. This strong performance in the first quarter reflects Smart Sand’s ability to adapt to market demands and effectively manage its operational assets. The increased sales volumes and improved margins suggest a positive trajectory for the company, particularly in addressing the growing needs of the energy sector.

Haynesville Activity ‘Soft’ as Permian Associated Natural Gas Supply Competes, Says Patterson-UTI CEO - Mergers by exploration customers and low natural gas prices continue to be a headwind in the Lower 48 for the oilfield services sector, but impacts may begin to ease later this year, according to completions expert Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. U.S. land activity “continues to be cautious and reflects slightly lower activity than we saw to start the year,” CEO Andy Hendricks said during the recent first quarter conference call. “So far, activity in natural gas basins has held up better than we had anticipated, particularly in the Northeast. But we are seeing more natural gas activity reductions continuing in the second quarter.”

U.S. Southeast Manufacturing, Industrial Growth Driving Billions in New Natural Gas Infrastructure - While data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) may dominate the news, investments by large load industrial and manufacturing sectors, particularly in the U.S. Southeast, are driving a significant portion of an expected rise in natural gas consumption. Southeast utility Santee Cooper is looking to add more than 1,000 MW of natural gas-fired electric generation to help meet expected industrial growth and continued economic development across the state. The state-owned utility currently serves 27 large customers whose operations involve industrial, manufacturing and other energy-intensive economic activities. Its industrial customers represent about 17% of the utility’s total energy sales. The Moncks Corner, SC-based utility provides gas and electric services to about 2 million people in South Carolina

How Much Natural Gas Could Data Centers Consume? – Listen Now to NGI’s Hub & Flow - Natural Gas Intelligence --Click here to listen to the latest episode of NGI’s Hub and Flow, as Enverus senior energy transition analyst Carson Kearl joins NGI’s Carolyn Davis, managing editor of News, to break through the hype about power generation needs as more hyperscale data centers come online. A race is underway by big and small operators as the world is transformed by the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The data centers to store and process AI run 24-7. They are likely to pull generation from a variety of sources, including alternative resources and from natural gas. And power generation consumption also could evolve as evolving technology improves efficiencies.

US to close Northeast gasoline reserve with 1 million-barrel sale (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration will sell nearly 1 million barrels of gasoline in the U.S.-managed stockpile in northeastern states as required by law, the Department of Energy said on Tuesday, effectively closing the near decade-old reserve.The department created the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve in 2014 after Superstorm Sandy left motorists scrambling for fuel. But storing refined fuel is costlier than storing crude oil, so closing the reserve was included in U.S funding legislation signed in March by Biden, a Democrat. Bids are due on May 28 and the Treasury Department's general funds gets proceeds from the sale, the department said. The volumes will be allocated in quantities of 100,000 barrels with each barrel containing 42 gallons, the department said. The gasoline should flow into local retailers ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, it said. While the sale was mandated by bipartisan legislation, both the Biden administration and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tried to score points from it. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the Department of Energy had timed the sale to coincide with the runup to peak summer driving demand. “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the ... northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Granholm said in a release. U.S. gasoline prices have fallen for four weeks in a row to $3.58 a gallon amid plentiful supplies but remain about a nickel above year-ago levels, according to the Energy Information Administration. Trump said Biden was using the reserve to push down retail gasoline prices for political reasons. "And so he's trying to stop that because high gasoline prices are not good for elections," Trump said outside the New York courtroom where his hush-money trial is taking place. U.S. gasoline prices are about 30% cheaper now than in June 2022 when they hit a record above $5.00 a gallon. Prices have fallen as U.S. crude oil output has hit a record under Biden.

Biden Drains Entire Northeast Gasoline Reserve In Bid To Lower Gas Prices As He Trails Trump By Double Digits - Back in March, when reading the mammoth, 1050-page bill that was meant to avert government shutdown, but was yet another pork filled free-for-all bonanza authorizing $1.7 trillion in in discretionary spending, we stumbled upon something that was truly shocking: after Biden singlehandedly drained half of the US strategic petroleum reserve to avoid obliteration for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, Congress has snuck in a provision that would sell off and shutter the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve, a move that while perhaps keeps gas prices lower for a day or two, would also leave the entire continental northeast defenseless to any true environmental catastrophe or shock. We were so dismayed by the inclusion of this particular text, we wondered if it hadn't been put there solely for the benefit of America's enemies... The entire US 1 million barrel Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve will be required to be sold and closed in fiscal 2024, according to bill text of government funding legislation unveiled Sunday https://t.co/d8qLXZ5Gi6pic.twitter.com/8B2flG0CZw ... because surely nobody in their right mind, not even the illegitimate senile occupant of the White House, would ever pursue such short-term gains at the expense of potentially disastrous long-term consequences to the entire nation. We were wrong: earlier today, just two months after the bill was signed by Biden into law, the panicking administration announced that it would sell the nearly 1 million barrels of gasoline in the US managed stockpile in northeastern states, the Department of Energy said, effectively closing the reserve. The department created the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR) in 2014 after Superstorm Sandy left motorists scrambling for fuel. But, according to some megabrains hoping to justify the dumping of gas so its price drops for a few weeks ahead of the summer and avoid even more anger aimed at the president, storing refined fuel is costlier than storing crude oil, so closing the reserve was included in U.S funding legislation signed by President Joe Biden in March. Bids to buy the gasoline located at the two NGSR storage sites in Port Reading, NJ (900,000 bbl) and South Portland, ME (98,824 bbl), are due on May 28 and the Treasury Department's general funds gets proceeds from the sale. Incidentally, the proceeds from the reserve liquidation - which will amount to roughly $125 million gross (and far less net) - is roughly how much the government spends every 15 minutes! So is it better to have a gasoline reserve for unexpected events, or to fund a quarter hour of US government's spending? Don't answer that. Of course, the answer is neither - the whole point of selling the gasoline is to depress prices at the pump if only for a few days to help Americans forget about the great inflationary nightmare they have been in for the past 3 years. The volumes will be allocated in quantities of 100,000 barrels with each barrel containing 42 gallons, the department said and said it would require that fuel is transferred or delivered no later than June 30. That will ensure the gasoline can flow into local retailers ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and that it will be sold at competitive prices. Translation: Biden just drained the Northeast strategic gasoline reserve to push gas lower by a few cents on July 4. “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the ... northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a release. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said release of gas from the Northeast reserve builds on actions by President Joe Biden, a Democrat, “to lower gas and energy costs — including historic releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the largest-ever investment in clean energy.″ Biden significantly drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, dropping the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s after selling about 280 million barrels to keep prices low. The election year move helped stabilize gasoline prices that had been rising in the wake of the war in Europe but drew complaints from Republicans, and frankly anyone with half a brain, that the Democratic president was playing politics with a reserve meant for national emergencies. The Biden administration has since very theatrically begun refilling the oil reserve, which had more than 364 million barrels of crude oil as of last month, by purchasing a couple million barrels every other month or so, setting it on pace for refilling some time in the 2100s. “While congressional Republicans fight to preserve tax breaks for Big Oil at the expense of hardworking families, President Biden is advancing a more secure, affordable, and clean energy future to lower utility bills while record American energy production helps meet our immediate needs,” Jean-Pierre said.

US LNG exports climb to 28 shipments - LNG Prime US liquefied natural gas exports rose in the week ending May 15 compared to the week before, with the Freeport LNG terminal shipping four cargoes during the period, according to the Energy Information Administration.The agency said in its weekly report that 28 LNG carriers departed the US plants between May 9 and May 15, six shipments more compared to the week before. This is also the highest weekly number of cargoes since January this year, the data shows.Citing shipping data provided by Bloomberg Finance, the EIA said the total capacity of these 28 LNG vessels is 102 Bcf. Average natural gas deliveries to US LNG export terminals increased by 3.5 percent (0.4 Bcf/d) week over week, averaging 12.7 Bcf/d, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights.Natural gas deliveries to terminals in South Louisiana decreased by 4.7 percent (0.4 Bcf/d) to 7.4 Bcf/d, while natural gas deliveries to terminals in South Texas increased 23.5 percent (0.8 Bcf/d) to 4.1 Bcf/d.The agency said that scheduled volumes of natural gas at the Stratton Ridge delivery location for Freeport LNG in South Texas on the Gulf South Pipeline increased 48.7 percent this report week from an average of 0.9 Bcf/d last week to 1.3 Bcf/d this week.Natural gas deliveries to terminals outside the Gulf Coast were essentially unchanged at 1.2 Bcf/d.Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant shipped ten cargoes and the company’s Corpus Christi facility sent three shipments during the week under review.Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass facility and the Freeport LNG terminal each shipped four cargoes while Sempra Infrastructure’s Cameron LNG terminal shipped three cargoes during the period.Also, the Elba Island and the Cove Point facility each sent two cargoes during the week under review.Freeport LNG, the operator of the 15 mtpa liquefaction plant in Texas, told LNG Prime on Wednesday it has resumed operations at all of its three liquefaction trains.The LNG terminal operator said on March 20 that only the third liquefaction train was operating.Since then, the plant has been shipping about one LNG cargo per week, and increased its shipments in the week ending May 8 to three. This report week, the Henry Hub spot price rose 14 cents from $2.01 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) last Wednesday to $2.15/MMBtu this Wednesday.The agency said the price of the June 2024 NYMEX contract increased 22.9 cents, from $2.187/MMBtu last Wednesday to $2.416/MMBtu this Wednesday.According to the agency, the price of the 12-month strip averaging June 2024 through May 2025 futures contracts climbed 8.2 cents to $3.049/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 were the same week over week at a weekly average of $10.46/MMBtu.Natural gas futures for delivery at the Dutch TTF decreased 27 cents to a weekly average of $9.50/MMBtu.In the same week last year (week ending May 17, 2023), the prices were $10.44/MMBtu at TTF and $10.62/MMBtu in East Asia, the agency said.

Golden Pass LNG EPC Firm Exiting Project, Files Bankruptcy - Zachry Group, one of the construction firms working on the Golden Pass LNG terminal, disclosed it will eventually exit the project and has filed for bankruptcy amid reported financial and labor issues. The San Antonio-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm is the lead contractor in charge of staffing construction activities for the 18 million metric tons/year (mmty) Golden Pass liquefied natural gas export project. Earlier in the month, a Golden Pass LNG spokesperson told NGI that the EPC joint venture partners, which include Chiyoda Corp. and McDermott, were in “ongoing discussions regarding the role of Zachry” after reported furloughs of workers from the site southeast of Houston.

Golden Pass LNG contractor Zachry files for bankruptcy - US construction company Zachry said on Tuesday it has filed for bankruptcy, initiating a structured exit from the Golden Pass LNG export project in Texas due to “financial challenges” related to the construction of the facility owned by QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil.ZHI and certain of its subsidiaries have filed to start the Chapter 11 process in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas that “provides them with time and flexibility to resolve issues related to the Golden Pass LNG (GPX) export terminal project in Sabine Pass,” the firm said on Tuesday.This restructuring is intended to strengthen the company’s overall financial position, while work at all remaining jobsites is continuing without interruption, it said.The company expects that its cash on hand, along with cash generated from operations, will provide “sufficient liquidity for the company to meet its ongoing business obligations during the court-supervised process.” A joint venture of Chiyoda, McDermott, and Zachry named CCZJV is building the three Golden Pass LNG trains worth more than $10 billion next to the existing LNG import terminal.State-owned QatarEnergy owns a 70 percent stake in the Golden Pass project with a capacity of more than 18 mtpa and will offtake 70 percent of the capacity, while US energy firm ExxonMobil has a 30 percent share.ExxonMobil said earlier this year that the partners were expecting to start LNG production at their Golden Pass LNG export terminal in the first half of 2025.LNG Prime invited Golden Pass LNG to provide a comment on the matter.John B. Zachry, chairman and CEO of ZHI said in the statement that, “as the project’s lead contractor, we have navigated significant challenges and disruptions stemming first from the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, international geopolitical issues.”He said these “unforeseen disruptions have resulted in significant financial strain while meeting targets and keeping the project appropriately staffed.”“We have been transparent with GPX and its shareholders as we have attempted to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to these issues. Because we have been unable to find a path forward, we have been forced to take action to protect our business,” he said.“The process we are starting today provides us mechanisms to initiate a structured exit from the GPX project. It also enables us to take certain actions that will improve our performance and better position our business for the future,” Zachry said.According to a court filling, estimated assets are between $1 billion and $10 billion, and estimated liabilities are between $1 billion and $10 billion.The company said it has filed a number of customary motions seeking court authorization to continue to support its ongoing operations during the court-supervised process.Subject to approval of these motions, the company does not expect this process to impact employee wages, health and welfare benefits plans, or qualified retirement savings plans.The company expects to receive court approval for these requests. ZHI also intends to “pay vendors and suppliers in full under normal terms for goods and services provided during the bankruptcy case,” it said.

Lawsuit slams DOE’s LNG pause as unconstitutional - A Louisiana think tank and a nonprofit law firm have sued the Department of Energy over its pause on liquefied natural gas export approvals, saying the move is unconstitutional and hurts the economy.The Pelican Institute for Public Policy and the Liberty Justice Center filed suit Thursday — more than three months after the Biden administration announced DOE’s freeze. The pause has been met with cheers from some environmental groups and widespread disapproval from the U.S. oil and gas industry.In their filing, the Pelican Institute and the Liberty Justice Center asked the court to set aside DOE’s proclamation pausing U.S. LNG export approvals as unlawful.“Nothing in the Natural Gas Act grants any federal officer, even the President, the authority to halt the approval process, and yet the Biden Administration has tried just that,” Loren Seehase, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, said in a news release last week.

FERC Chairman Attributes CP2 LNG Delays to Project’s Potential Emissions - FERC Chairman Willie Phillips recently told lawmakers that an extended analysis of the proposed CP2 LNG facility’s air emissions was prolonging the regulatory review of the project. Phillips said Venture Global LNG Inc.’s Calcasieu Pass terminal, which entered service in 2022, is releasing more emissions than previously expected, which would add to the nearby CP2 project’s cumulative impact. Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent a request asking the company for updated cumulative impact analysis using revised emission rates, to which Phillips told lawmakers the company has responded.

Adnoc Lands 1.9 MMty Offtake Agreement, Equity in Rio Grande LNG - Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (Adnoc) has invested in the first phase of Rio Grande LNG and secured offtake from a future expansion as it looks to boost its international natural gas portfolio. Adnoc disclosed Monday it has acquired an 11.7% stake in the first three trains of NextDecade Corp.’s 17.6 million metric tons/year (mmty) export terminal currently under construction in South Texas. It also signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas supply agreement for 1.9 mmty from the proposed Train 4 project on a free-on-board basis indexed to Henry Hub. “As global energy demand continues to increase, Adnoc is growing our diversified energy portfolio to ensure a secure, reliable and responsible supply of energy to our customers while driving innovation and greater value,”

Adnoc buys stake in NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG project -- UAE’s Adnoc has purchased an 11.7 percent stake in the first phase of NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export terminal in Texas from Global Infrastructure Partners. Adnoc and NextDecade also entered into a 20-year LNG offtake agreement for the fourth Rio Grande LNG train.According to a joint statement issued on Monday, the Phase 1 RGLNG equity stake has been acquired through an investment vehicle of GIP.State-owned Adnoc acquired a portion of GIP’s existing equity interest in Phase 1 while NextDecade retains its previously announced expected economic interest in Phase 1 as well as its interests in the train 4 and train 5 expansion capacity.Also, Adnoc’s acquisition of the equity stake secures the option from GIP for equity participation in the future trains 4 and 5 of the project.The acquisition marks Adnoc’s first strategic investment in the US as it continues to deliver on its international growth strategy and complements its efforts to expand its lower-carbon LNG portfolio to meet growing gas demand, the statement said.Adnoc owns a 70 percent stake in Adnoc LNG, that currently produces about 6 mtpa of LNG from its facilities on Das Island. The firm also plans to take a final investment decision on its Ruwais LNG export projectthis year. The 20-year LNG offtake agreement between Adnoc and NextDecade is for 1.9 million tons per annum (mtpa) from RGLNG train 4, on a free on board (FOB) basis at a price indexed to Henry Hub. The deal remains subject to a final investment decision (FID). NextDecade is currently targeting FID on the fourth train at the Rio Grande LNG facility in the second half of 2024. This remains subject to, among other things, finalizing and entering into an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, entering into commercial arrangements, and obtaining adequate financing to construct the train 4 and related infrastructure, it said. NextDecade’s partner TotalEnergies has LNG purchase options of 1.5 mtpa for each of train 4 and train 5.

Pilot LNG, Seapath Seek Approval for Galveston LNG Bunkering Project - Pilot LNG LLC and maritime infrastructure firm Seapath are seeking approval to build their proposed liquefied natural gas bunkering project near Galveston, TX, to meet expected rising demand for low-carbon marine fuel on the Gulf Coast. Galveston LNG Bunker Port LLC, a joint venture formed last year between Pilot LNG and Seapath, has filed an application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build a 600,000 gallon/day LNG fueling terminal. It also has filed applications with the Railroad Commission of Texas and U.S. Coast Guard. “We are confident that we will meet the rigorous requirements of state and local permitting authorities to ensure that the project is delivered on time and will meet the ever-growing demand for clean fuel supply in the Galveston Bay and Gulf Coast...

APA Selling Bundle of Natural Gas-Weighted Properties in Upper Eagle Ford, Permian - Houston-based APA Corp. has clinched agreements to sell some natural gas-weighted assets across Texas for more than $700 million. Subsidiary Apache Corp., which oversees exploration and production activity, is divesting properties in the Upper Eagle Ford Shale, which is generally in East Texas. It also is selling properties in West Texas within the Permian Basin’s Midland formation. Combined, average production was 13,000 boe/d during the first quarter. “Slightly more” than 33% of the overall output mix was petroleum-weighted, Apache noted.

Phillips 66 Pursues $550M Acquisition to Expand Natural Gas Operations in Permian Midland - Phillips 66 agreed to acquire Pinnacle Midland Parent LLC in an all-cash deal that would expand its natural gas gathering and processing operations in West Texas. The Houston-based company agreed to pay $550 million to acquire Pinnacle from private equity firm Energy Spectrum Capital in a deal expected to close around mid-year. The acquisition would expand Phillips 66’s footprint in the Permian Basin’s prolific Midland sub-basin ahead of an anticipated surge in natural gas demand from export facilities along the Gulf Coast. Five LNG projects are under construction along the Gulf Coast to increase U.S. export capacity from 14 Bcf/d to nearly 25 Bcf/d by the end of the decade.

US natgas prices jump 5% to 4-month high on lower output and rising LNG feedgas (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 5% to a four-month highon Monday on a decline in output and a rise in the amount of feedgas flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants. Energy traders said prices would be even higher but for bearish forecasts for less demand over the next two weeks than previously expected and the tremendous amount of surplus gas still in storage. Analysts projected there was currently about 29% more gas in storage than usual for this time of year. EIA/GAS NGAS/POLL Front-month gas futures NGc1 for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 12.5 cents, or 4.8%, to settle at $2.751 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest price since Jan. 17. Looking ahead, the premium of futures for November over October NGV24-X24, which traders use to bet on winter weather and future demand, fell to 29cents per mmBtu, its lowest level since December 2022 for a second day in a row. With gas prices up about 62% over the past three weeks, speculators last week boosted their net long futures and options positions on the New York Mercantile and Intercontinental Exchanges to their highest since November 2023, In other news, more than 223,000 homes and businesses in Texas were still without power on Monday after severe storms battered the region last week and over the weekend. Those outages and forecasts for less heat than previously expected have reduced power use in Texas. The state's power grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), now projects power use will break records for the month of May on Friday and Saturday as homes and businesses crank up air conditioners to escape rising heat. Last week, ERCOT forecast demand would break the May record on Monday. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to an average of 97.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in May, down from 98.2 bcfd in April. That compares with a monthly record high of 105.5 bcfd in December 2023. On a daily basis, output was on track to drop by around 1.3 bcfd over the past three days to a preliminary one-week low of 96.5 bcfd on Monday. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would remain warmer than normal through May 29 before turning mostly near normal from May 30-June 4. LSEG forecast gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would rise from 91.6 bcfd this week to 92.2 bcfd over the next two weeks. Those forecasts were lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants rose from an average of 11.9 bcfd in April to 12.7 bcfd so far in May with the return of Freeport LNG's 2.1-bcfd plant in Texas. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December. On a daily basis, however, LNG feedgas was on track to slide to 12.5 bcfd on Monday from 13.5 bcfd on Friday due mostly to a reduction in flows to Cheniere Energy's 2.4-bcfd Corpus Christi plant in Texas to 1.7 bcfd on Monday from 2.3 bcfd on Friday.

US natgas prices slide 3% on signs of rising output, Golden Pass LNG worries (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures slid about 3% on Tuesday on signs producers were no longer cutting output and worries the bankruptcy of a contractor working on Exxon Mobil/QatarEnergies' Golden Pass LNG export plant in Texas could delay the project and reduce expected demand for gas next year. Zachry Holdings, one of the companies building Golden Pass, filed for bankruptcy citing challenges at the project. Even before the bankruptcy some analysts had alreadyshifted their expected startup of the project from the first half of 2025 to the second half of 2025. In addition, traders said gas futures were down as speculators cash in their long bets after prices soared about 63% over the prior three weeks to a four-month high in the prior session. Front-month gas futures NGc1 for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 8.0 cents, or 2.9%, to settle at $2.671 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).On Monday, the contract closed at its highest since Jan. 17. Despite the small price decline, the front-month remained in technically overbought territory for a 13th day in a row for the first time since April 2022. In other news, more than 146,000 homes and businesses in Texas were still without power on Tuesday after severe storms battered the region last week and over the weekend. Power demand in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region, meanwhile, hit a preliminary record high for the month of May on Monday and will likely keep breaking that high over the next week as homes and businesses keep their air conditioners cranked up to escape a spring heat wave. In Massachusetts, utility regulators last week approved a deal between U.S. energy company Constellation Energy CEG.O and some New England gas utilities that will keep the Everett LNG import plant in service through 2030 to help keep the regional gas system reliable and meet growing demand, especially during the peak winter heating seasons. In the spot market, next-day gas prices at the Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana rose to their highest since January due to rising air conditioning use. That left prices at the PG&E Citygate in Northern California this week less expensive than the Henry Hub for the first time since March 2022. Energy traders said that was because demand for gas was low in California, while melting snow in the West was resulting in lots of cheap hydropower. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would be warmer than normal from May 21-27 and then again from June 2-5 with a near normal stretch in the middle from May 28-June 1. LSEG forecast gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would rise from 91.5 bcfd this week to 92.3 next week.

U.S. natgas prices jump 6% to 4-month high as rising LNG feedgas boosts demand (Reuters)—U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 6% to a four-month high on Wednesday on lifted forecasts for weekly demand and as more gas was flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants with flows to Freeport LNG’s plant in Texas up to an 11-month high. Prices were also supported by analyst forecasts that utilities injected a smaller-than-usual amount of gas into storage for a fourth week in a row. Analysts estimated there was about 29% more gas in storage than usual for this time of year. Front-month gasd futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 17.1 cents, or 6.4%, to settle at $2.842/MMBtu, their highest close since Jan. 17. That kept the front-month in technically overbought territory for a 14th day in a row for the first time since June 2016. In other news, U.S. gas pipeline venture Mountain Valley Pipeline pushed back the target in-service date of its long-delayed pipe from West Virginia to Virginia to early June from the prior target of "prior to June 1." Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to an average of 97.3 Bft3d so far in May, down from 98.2 Bft3d in April. That compares with a monthly record of 105.5 Bft3d in December 2023. On a daily basis, output was up about 0.7 Bft3d since hitting a 15-week low of 96.2 Bft3d on May 1. Energy traders said that increase was a sign the 63% gain in futures prices over the past three weeks likely prompted some drillers to start producing more gas. U.S. gas production was still down by around 9% so far in 2024 after several energy firms, including EQT and Chesapeake Energy, delayed well completions and cut back on other drilling activities after prices fell to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would be warmer than normal from May 22–27 and then again from June 2–6 with a near normal stretch in the middle from May 28–June 1. LSEG forecast gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would ease from 92.6 Bft3d this week to 91.8 Bft3d next week. The forecast for this week was higher than LSEG forecast on Tuesday, while its forecast for next week was lower. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants rose from an average of 11.9 Bft3d in April to 12.7 Bft3d so far in May with the return of Freeport LNG’s 2.1- Bft3d plant in Texas. That compares with a monthly record of 14.7 Bft3d in December. With no new plants expected to enter service until later in 2024, average LNG feedgas was 13.1 Bft3d so far this year, the same as in 2023. On a daily basis, flows to Freeport were on track to reach an 11-month high of 2.2 Bft3d on Wednesday, up from 2.1 Bft3d on Tuesday, while flows to U.S. energy company Kinder Morgan's Elba Island in Georgia were on track to slide to a four-month low of 0.3 Bft3d on Wednesday from a four-month high of 0.4 Bft3d on Tuesday.

US natgas prices fall 5% to one-week low on rising output (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures dropped about 5% on Friday to a one-week low on forecasts for lower demand in two weeks, an ongoing oversupply of gas in storage and signs that recent high prices have prompted drillers to stop cutting output and start pulling more gas out of the ground. Prices dropped despite forecasts for more demand next week than previously expected and a demand-boosting heat wave expected to blanket Texas over the long Memorial Day weekend. Analysts forecast gas stockpiles were about 27% above normal levels for this time of year. Front-month gas futures NGc1 for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 13.7 cents, or 5.2%, to settle at $2.520 per million British thermal units, their lowest close since May 16. For the week, the front-month fell about 4% after it soared about 63% over the prior three weeks. In the spot market, power prices in Texas soared for Friday with electric demand expected to break the record for the month of May for a second time this week ahead of the long weekend as homes and businesses crank up air conditioners to escape a heat wave. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to an average of 97.5 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in May, down from 98.2 bcfd in April. That compares with a monthly record of 105.5 bcfd in December 2023. On a daily basis, however, output was up about 1.5 bcfd since hitting a 15-week low of 96.2 bcfd on May 1. Energy traders said that increase was a sign that the 63% gain in futures prices over the past three weeks prompted some drillers to start producing more gas. Overall, U.S. gas production was still down around 8% so far in 2024 after several energy firms, including EQT EQT.N and Chesapeake Energy CHK.O, delayed well completions and cut back on other drilling activities after prices fell to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March. U.S. energy firms this week actually cut the number of gas rigs operating to just 99, the lowest since October 2021, according to data from U.S. energy services company Baker Hughes. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would be warmer than normal from May 24-28 and then again from June 3-8 with a near normal stretch in the middle from May 29-June 2. LSEG forecast gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would hold near 92.7 bcfd this week and next before easing to 92.2 bcfd in two weeks. The forecast for next week was higher than LSEG forecast on Thursday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants rose from an average of 11.9 bcfd in April to 12.7 bcfd so far in May with the return of Freeport LNG's 2.1-bcfd plant in Texas. That LNG feedgas, however, was still down from the monthly record of 14.7 bcfd in December due to ongoing spring maintenance at Kinder Morgan's KMI.N Elba Island in Georgia and several plants in Louisiana, including Cameron LNG, Cheniere Energy's LNG.N Sabine Pass and Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass.

Exxon Joliet, Illinois refinery reports fire on May 18 (Reuters) -Exxon Mobil reported a fire at the 250,000-barrel-per-day Joliet refinery in Illinois on Saturday, as per a regulatory filing. According to the filing from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the in-house fire brigade was contacted and there were no evacuations following the incident. Last week, a company spokesperson confirmed that the refinery completed planned maintenance and was in the process of restarting operations. The Joliet refinery mainly processes Canadian crude oil.

US Coast Guard says Texas barge collision may have spilled up to 2,000 gallons of oil - - Early estimates indicate up to 2,000 gallons of oil may have spilled into surrounding waters when a barge carrying fuel broke free from a tugboat and slammed into a bridge near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday. The barge crashed into a pillar supporting the Pelican Island Causeway span on Wednesday. The impact caused the bridge to partially collapse and cut off the only road connecting Galveston to Pelican Island, the Coast Guard said. Video shows splotches of oil had spilled from the barge into Galveston Bay. Jeff Davis of the Texas General Land Office said during a news conference Thursday that early cleanup efforts have not identified any impacted wildlife. The barge has the capacity to hold 30,000 barrels, but was holding 23,000 barrels — approximately 966,000 gallons — when it struck the bridge, Rick Freed, the vice president of barge operator Martin Marine, said at the news conference. Freed said the only tank that was compromised in the crash was holding approximately 160,000 gallons, which is the “complete risk.” “We’re pretty confident there was much less oil introduced to the water than we initially estimated,” Coast Guard Capt. Keith Donohue said. “We’ve recovered over 605 gallons of oily water mixture from the environment, as well as an additional 5,640 gallons of oil product from the top of the barge that did not go into the water,” Donohue said.. The Coast Guard said earlier that it had deployed a boom, or barrier, to contain the spill, which forced the closure of about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) of the waterway. A tugboat lost control of the 321-foot barge “due to a break in the coupling” that had connected the two vessels, the Coast Guard said.

Texas bridge damaged by barge reopens after giant oil spill -- A Texas bridge damaged when it was struck by a massive oil barge has reopened to vehicle traffic.The Pelican Island Causeway, the only connection between Pelican Island and the city of Galveston, was hit by the vessel last Wednesday.Due to concerns about the bridge’s stability, it was closed to all vehicles for several days. It reopened Saturday night with new weight limits for vehicles. “The Galveston County Navigation District, which owns the bridge, signed off on its opening,” the city of Galveston said in a Facebook post.A tugboat was towing the oil barge through the lightly used Galveston Channel between Pelican Island and Galveston Island when a coupling broke loose and the barge was carried by the current toward the bridge. The 321-foot barge, loaded with tens of thousands of gallons of oil, struck a support pillar and caused a chunk of the bridge to fall. The barge began spilling oil into the waterway. Officials initially estimated 2,000 gallons spilled, but the Coast Guard on Sunday updated that figure to 20,000 gallons. At least three birds — two brown pelicans and a laughing gull — were killed by the oil spill, and the Coast Guard spotted at least nine other birds clearly suffering from the spill. Officials placed “acoustic cannons” to scare off other birds.Texas A&M University shut down its Galveston campus, which sits on Pelican Island, following the crash. The campus resumed normal operations on Monday. The Pelican Island Causeway was already 64 years old, and construction on a new span was scheduled to start in 2025.

Endangered listing for lizard could slow oil, gas drilling in New Mexico, West Texas - Federal wildlife officials declared a rare lizard in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas an endangered species Friday, citing future energy development, sand mining and climate change as the biggest threats to its survival in one of the world’s most lucrative oil and natural gas basins.“We have determined that the dunes sagebrush lizard is in danger of extinction throughout all of its range,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. It concluded that the lizard already is “functionally extinct” across 47% of its range.Much of the the 2.5-inch-long (6.5-centimeter), spiny, light brown lizard’s remaining habitat has been fragmented, preventing the species from finding mates beyond those already living close by, according to biologists.“Even if there were no further expansion of the oil and gas or sand mining industry, the existing footprint of these operations will continue to negatively affect the dunes sagebrush lizard into the future,” the service said in its final determination, published in the Federal Register.The decision caps two decades of legal and regulatory skirmishes between the U.S. government, conservationists and the oil and gas industry. Environmentalists cheered the move, while industry leaders condemned it as a threat to future production of the fossil fuels.

Secretary Haaland Announces $35 Million from President Biden's Investing in America Agenda to Clean Up Orphaned Wells in California, New Guidance for Next Phase of the Program | U.S. Department of the Interior

Ship in the Delta is leaking fuel, oil — A ship sinking in the Delta leaked fuel and oil Wednesday after a hole caused it to take on water.The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office says the ship, called the Aurora, is docked near Empire Tract and Eight Mile Road outside Stockton. It's in the waters of the Little Potato Slough. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Office of Emergency Services and the US Coast Guard were a few of the agencies that responded to the scene in a rural part of San Joaquin County."It's under investigation as far as who owns the ship. We do believe it's a private owner," said Sheriff's Office spokesperson Heather Brent. "Right now, the biggest thing is containing that gasoline leak."The gasoline leak is not as large as first responders once feared, an officer with the U.S. Coast Guard said, but the majority of Wednesday for law enforcement was spent placing floating barriers to slow the spread of any oil."There is minimal petroleum remaining on board on the aurora, so it shouldn't take too long to remove the pollution," said Petty Officer Stephen McConnell. "There's white absorbent boom already out there, which is meant to absorb any sheen that's in the water but we're putting in that hard boom."First responders and state agencies got to work quickly, partly because Wednesday's ship sinking marked the second in recent months in the same area. In September, a tugboat called the Mazapeta sunk beside the Aurora carrying 1,600 gallons of diesel and engine oil at the time. The cleanup took months and cost millions of dollars. It's unclear how much Wednesday's cleanup will cost and who will pay for it.

Youth climate-change lawsuit targets Alaska LNG project (Reuters)—Eight young Alaska residents sued the state on Wednesday seeking to block a major natural gas project, the latest in a string of climate-change related lawsuits by youths arguing that government policies promoting fossil fuels violate their rights. The Anchorage state court lawsuit, brought by a group of plaintiffs ranging in age from 11 to 22, alleges that an Alaska law mandating the project's development infringes on their due process rights and other constitutional protections by causing the release of greenhouse gases that harm their health and livelihood. Several other youth climate-change lawsuits have recently been dismissed, including two lawsuits against the federal government and two previous cases in Alaska. A similar case involving young Hawaiian plaintiffs is expected to head to trial next month, and the plaintiffs have amended one of the dismissed federal cases as well. The Alaska Supreme Court said in the most recent case before it, which was dismissed in 2022, that courts cannot mandate broad policy changes. The latest lawsuit is narrower than the earlier Alaska cases, which challenged broad state policies that support fossil fuels. By focusing on a specific project, the plaintiffs said the newest suit complies with the earlier court decisions. "Alaska's youth are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and their futures depend on a swift transition away from fossil fuels," Andrew Welle, an attorney at the non-profit law firm Our Children's Trust, which represents the plaintiffs, said in a statement. Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor called the lawsuit "misguided" in an email, and said liquefied natural gas development in the state "is subject to the most stringent environmental standards in the world." Taylor said he is confident the courts will uphold the law. The corporation's Alaska LNG project includes an over 800-mi pipeline that will bisect the state, carrying up to 3.3 Bft3d of gas from the state's petroleum rich North Slope to Alaska communities and an export terminal south of Juneau. The development agency has said the roughly $39-B project is expected to be operational by 2030. The young plaintiffs said in the lawsuit that climate change is already causing them breathing problems due to wildfire smoke and is diminishing their ability to hunt and fish for subsistence, among other alleged harms. They said the Alaska LNG project will make climate change worse. The lawsuit asks the court to block the Alaska LNG project from proceeding, and to declare that a law mandating its development is unconstitutional. They also asked the court for a declaration that the Alaska constitution includes a right to a life-sustaining climate system.

Canadian Fires Present Wildcard for Natural Gas Production, Imports to Western U.S. and Prices - Following a record-setting outbreak in 2023, a fast start to the wildfire season is already threatening interruptions to Canada’s largest crude oil production region. Blazes in the western reaches of the country, if not contained, could also hamper natural gas output in a potential replay of last summer. Impacts to either would present possible implications for supply and prices in Canada and the United States. Nearly 20,000 acres were burning and out of control as of late last week near Canada’s oilsands epicenter in Alberta (AB). The fires forced the evacuation of several thousand people from Fort McMurray, AB, and thousands more were told to prepare to leave at any moment. Rainy conditions over the weekend temporarily slowed the outbreaks and allowed residents to return...

Canadian Natural Gas E&Ps, Midstreamers Focus on Demand Catalysts - -Natural gas exploration and production (E&P) firms and midstream companies in Canada expect to continue driving and delivering strong volumes of output. Their high expectations for demand growth outshined weak prices to begin 2024. Such was a prevailing theme of companies active in Western Canada’s natural gas complex during first quarter earnings season. The demand outlook – bolstered by LNG expansions and rising data center demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) – largely mirrors the collective view of E&Ps in the United States. But, unlike the Lower 48, Canadian production remained on track for a record year in 2024 coming out of the first quarter. E&Ps are holding steady at elevated levels as the Shell plc-led liquefied natural gas export project in British Columbia...

Mexico Planning Natural Gas Infrastructure Amid Rising Nearshoring, Power Demand – Spotlight - North American natural gas futures have been on a hot streak these past two weeks as warmer temperatures and tighter supplies provided market bulls with some optimism. Bucking the trend on Thursday, the New York Mercantile Exchange June contract settled at $2.657/MMBtu, down 18.5 cents day/day. Mexico imports of U.S. gas have, meanwhile, continued to be strong, averaging 7.28 Bcf/d over the past 10 days, according to NGI calculations. So far in May, Mexico has imported 7.27 Bcf/d via pipeline, a full 1 Bcf/d higher than during the month of May 2023. “The hot weather in Mexico is pushing the Mexico electrical grid to the limit, which runs mostly on natural gas power plants, which without the increased demand from cooling systems throughout the country, already runs under..

Developers Ask DOE to Approve 4 MMty Gato Negro LNG Project in Mexico - Mexican developers backed by Big River Energy LLC are seeking approval from the Department of Energy (DOE) for a 4 million metric ton/year (mmty) LNG export project in Manzanillo that would be fed by U.S. natural gas. Gato Negro Permitium Uno SAPI de CV filed a request with the DOE to import up to 0.647 Bcf/d of natural gas from the Waha hub in West Texas that would be delivered to the terminal for up to 20 years. It also requested approval to re-export up to 0.556 Bcf/d of liquified natural gas to free trade agreement (FTA) countries for 20 years, starting in 2027. “Applicant plans on exporting natural gas to FTA countries through the duration of the 20-year term of the authorization requested herein, by negotiating and entering into one or more supply agreements of various...

Mexico Natural Gas Potential Said ‘Massive’ with Right Policy Changes - Mexico’s recent widespread blackouts serve as a warning in failed policies for the current and incoming governments, but solutions are available, experts said Thursday. Speaking in San Antonio, TX, at the 10th Mexico Gas Summit organized by Industry Exchange, Grupo Alfa’s Rodolfo Gamboa, vice president for Energy said, “The impending energy crisis that we are only seeing the beginnings of…is coming if real problems are not solved.” Gamboa stressed that the frailties exposed by recent power outages were solvable.

Southeastern Mexico Lacks Natural Gas Access Despite Producing Most of it, Says Report - -Mexico’s next government must improve access to natural gas in the country’s south-southeastern region, according to the Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (IMCO) think tank. Although the region accounts for most of Mexico’s domestic gas production, homes and businesses there lack access to the fuel, leading to higher electricity costs and fewer development opportunities than in the industrialized north, researchers said in a new report. “The inequalities that permeate south-southeastern Mexico will not be resolved if the energy poverty in the region is not addressed first,” the IMCO team said. “Natural gas has the potential to reduce it by two routes: from less polluting and more accessible electricity, to its incorporation as a fuel for domestic use in the region...

Trinidad and Tobago to claim compensation for February oil spill - Trinidad and Tobago may soon get international compensation for its oil-spill response after the February 7 oil spill incident off Tobago. Energy Minister Stuart Young met with representatives of the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund on May 20 to discuss the next steps in the claims process for compensation for the oil spill.The meeting took place at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, Port of Spain. At the meeting were representatives of the Coast Guard, the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Institute of Marine Affairs.Fifteen kilometres of Tobago's coast was polluted after the overturned barge Gulfstream was found leaking an oily substance near Cove.In a response to questions in Parliament about the spill, the Prime Minister said 50,000 barrels of oil were subsequently removed.A media release from the Energy Ministry quoted the IOPC as saying the next step would be evaluating the claims for economic losses due to the spill. This would include a thorough and transparent process to ensure all claims are validated and considered for compensation. Both parties reportedly committed to maintaining communication and co-operation to ensure the claims process is seamless.At the meeting, Young said the government intends to take legal action against the owners of the vessels involved in the accident: the barge, Gulfstream, and the tug, Solo Creed. Though the owners have not yet been identified, he told the IOPC TT continues to aggressively pursue leads to identify them using all available resources.In April, Young led a high-level delegation to London to champion Trinidad and Tobago’s case for compensation for its oil-spill response to the IOPC. After Young’s presentation, the IOPC agreed to pay compensation for claims arising from the incident.

Spot LNG shipping rates nearly flat, European prices drop - Spot charter rates for the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier fleet remained steady this week, while European prices dropped compared to the previous week.Last week, charter rates were also almost flat compared to the last week.“Freight rates in the Atlantic and Pacific basins stayed steady this week, with the Spark30S Atlantic spot rate increasing by $750 per day to $42,750 per day, and the Spark25S Pacific rate stayed unchanged at $45,750 per day,” Qasim Afghan, Spark’s commercial analyst told LNG Prime on Friday.“Freight rates have remained within an extremely tight range over the last few weeks, staying within a $2,000 per day spread since the beginning of April for both Atlantic and Pacific basins,” he said.In Europe, the SparkNWE DES LNG front month dropped compared to the last week.“The SparkNWE DES LNG front month price for June delivery is assessed at $9.451/MMBtu and at a $0.185/MMBtu discount to the TTF,” Afghan said.He said this is a $0.097/MMBtu decrease in DES LNG price, and a $0.015/MMBtu narrowing of the discount to the Dutch TTF.“The discount has narrowed 35c in the last 3 months as demand for European regasification, which this spread is driven by, has waned as US cargos are pulled to Asia on higher Northeast Asian prices,” Afghan said.

European Natural Gas Prices at Five-Month Highs – Three Things to Know About the LNG Market - European natural gas prices continued to climb on Thursday, hitting a five-month high after Austria’s OMV AG warned earlier in the week of potential disruptions to Russian gas supplies. The company, one of the few in Europe still importing Russian volumes, said an undisclosed company won a favorable court ruling that could potentially impact its payments to an affiliate of Gazprom PJSC. The development could eventually halt supplies from Russia if the foreign court ruling is enforced in Austria – and if OMV is forced to pay the undisclosed company instead of Gazprom. Despite ample storage stocks and steady injections, the market remains on edge about supply disruptions. The Title Transfer Facility contract on Wednesday climbed above $11/MMBtu for the first time since...

Asian Spot Buying Increases Amid Hot Weather, Supply Disruptions – LNG Recap - Hot weather, maintenance at power generation facilities and LNG production outages have combined to push Asian natural gas prices higher. The July Japan-Korea Marker futures contract was trading above $11/MMBtu after climbing 7% last week. One of three trains at Chevron Corp.’s Gorgon liquefied natural gas export facility in Western Australia, which mainly serves Asia, remains offline and is expected to be out of service until early next month.

EU Adopts Regulations to Help Limit Russian LNG Imports - The European Union (EU) this week adopted new market rules for natural gas and hydrogen that allow member countries to essentially ban the import of Russian LNG. The EU Council adopted the package of regulations to aid decarbonization efforts by helping the bloc shift to renewable and low-carbon gasses in the energy system. It sets out rules for the organization of the natural gas market and establishes a framework for the development of a future hydrogen market with regulations for the transport, supply and storage of the fuels. Under the rules, which would become effective in about six months, member states could temporarily limit bidding for import capacity at any pipeline entry point or liquefied natural gas terminal for delivery from Russia and its ally Belarus.

Deltamarin, EcoLog develop LNG-fueled LCO2 carrier - LNG Prime -Finland-based Deltamarin, a unit of China Merchants Group, and Greece-based EcoLog have developed a new LNG-powered LCO2 carrier design.According to a statement by Deltamarin, the partners have collaborated to design an intra-EU, short-range, low-pressure, shallow-draft LCO2 carrier for the “purpose of tendering at shipyards worldwide”.During the initial design, various solutions have been studied in order to optimize the vessel for LCO2 transportation.This includes different configurations of the cargo containment and handling system, considering the effect of the wide variety of CO2 compositions, Deltamarin said.Also, the design features LNG dual-fuel propulsion, shore power (AMP), and wind assistance to minimize the environmental footprint, it said.EcoLog, a sister company of Peter Livanos-led LNG shipper GasLog, plans to build and own a fleet of LCO2 carriers to serve the emerging carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS) sector.The company’s strategy revolves around connecting hard-to-abate emitters with sequestration sites and re-use facilities, utilizing its midstream infrastructure, including ships and terminals.

India boosts LNG imports in April - India’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports rose in April this year compared to the same month last year, according to the preliminary data from the oil ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell.The country imported about 2.60 billion cubic meters, or about 1.9 million tonnes of LNG, in April via long-term contracts and spot purchases, a rise of 3.7 percent compared to the same month in 2023, PPAC said.In March this year, LNG imports dropped slightly following a year-on-year rise in January and February, PPAC’s data previously showed.During the April 2023-March 2024 financial year, India took some 23.3 million tonnes, up by 17.5 percent.India paid $1.1 billion for April LNG imports, the same as in April last year, and $13.3 billion in the April-March period, down from $17.1 billion in the year before, PPAC said.As per India’s natural gas production, it reached 2.95 bcm in April, up by 7.8 percent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.At the moment, India imports LNG via seven facilities with a combined capacity of about 47.7 million tonnes.These include Petronet LNG’s Dahej and Kochi terminals, Shell’s Hazira terminal, and the Dabhol LNG, Ennore LNG, Mundra LNG, and Dhamra LNG terminal.The Chhara LNG import terminal in Gujarat should also received its commissioning cargo later this year after it recently failed to unload the cargo from the 2015-built 159,800-cbm, Maran Gas Mystras.India’s Hindustan Petroleum, a unit of state-owned ONGC, aims to launch its delayed Chhara LNG import terminal by October this year, according to its management.During April 2023-March 2024, the 17.5 mtpa Dahej terminal operated at 95.1 percent capacity, while the 5.2 mtpa Hazira terminal operated at 30.3 percent capacity, PPAC said.The 5 mtpa Dhamra LNG terminal operated at 27.4 percent capacity, the 5 mtpa Dabhol LNG terminal operated at 42.7 percent capacity, the 5 mtpa Kochi LNG terminal operated at 20.6 percent capacity, and the 5 mtpa Ennore LNG terminal operated at 18.3 percent capacity, it said.

Asian spot LNG prices at five-month high on firm demand, geopolitical risks - Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices surged to a five-month high, marking the fourth consecutive week of gains. This increase, fueled by robust demand and mirroring European gas market trends, underscores concerns over potential disruptions to Russian gas supply. Strong demand, unexpected outages, and geopolitical tensions continue to buoy prices.Asian buyers, including China and Thailand, are capitalizing on comparatively lower prices this year, driving record import levels. Hot weather in key Asian markets boosts power demand, further stimulating LNG purchasing. Meanwhile, in Europe, maintenance outages and apprehensions over Russian pipeline supply tighten discounts to the Asian market. Geopolitical uncertainties, such as potential disruptions to Russian exports, prompt market scrutiny. In the US, LNG production remains steady, while Atlantic freight rates witness a notable uptick, contrasting with a slight decline in Pacific rates.

Nagapattinam oil spill: NGT orders CPCL to pay penalty of Rs 5 crore, Chennai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday penalised CPCL over an oil spill in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam last year, and levied a penalty of Rs five crore on the IOCL group company. "Whether the damage is man-made or natural, the hazards of it are known in crude oil transportation and such incidents underscore the justification for imposing no-fault liability," the NGT's Southern Zone Bench of Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial Member Dr Satyagopal Korlapati, an expert member, said. The bench had taken up the matter on its own, based a media report."The leak was from a 9km-long 20-inch diameter pipeline from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) Cauvery Basin Refinery (CBR) crude storage tanks at Nagapattinam to Karaikal Port," it was reported.The NGT said that though it noted the stand of the Indian Coast Guard and the CPCL that there was not much damage to seawater due to the oil spillage, the bench felt it appropriate to direct an investigation to ascertain whether any remedial measures were required. Therefore, a joint committee comprising the Central Pollution Control Board, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, District Magistrate of Nagapattinam, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) was constituted. Based on the reports of the various experts, the committee noted that no crude oil spill was observed, the visual observation of the shoreline was clean and no fish deaths were reported due to the incident, the NGT bench said. The counsel appearing for TNPCB stated that as per the spill pattern, 10,000 litres of oil had leaked, whereas only 9,000 litres were removed or recovered. "The CPCL has not accounted for 1,200 litres which has either mixed with the seawater or sand. These kinds of incidents/accidents are prone to occur in future also.

Nigeria Seeks UAE Investment to Modernize Aging Oil Pipelines - Nigeria's government is seeking investment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to renew its aging network of oil pipelines, some of which are over 50 years old, Investorsking reported on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri met with a delegation from the UAE, led by Ambassador Salem Al Shamsi, in Abuja this week. Discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration in Nigeria's energy sector, particularly oil exploration and infrastructure development.Lokpobiri stressed the importance of pipelines in transporting crude oil to export terminals, despite advancements in alternative methods. He noted that most of Nigeria's pipelines were built in the late 1950s, around the time the country first discovered oil.Acknowledging the significant investment needed, Lokpobiri proposed a model where investors could recoup their costs as crude oil is transported through the pipelines. This proposal aims to incentivize participation in the modernization efforts.Nigeria holds vast natural gas reserves, estimated at over 208 trillion cubic feet, solidifying its position as a major player in the global energy market. In an effort to woe investors, Lokpobiri highlighted the potential for further exploration and development in both the gas and oil sectors, underscoring Nigeria's commitment to maximizing its energy resources.The meeting also addressed the balance between oil exploration and climate concerns. Lokpobiri reaffirmed Nigeria's commitment to the Paris Agreement while advocating for a measured approach to energy production and transition. He emphasized the need for strategic partnerships to finance Nigeria's energy transition, highlighting the UAE's potential role.Ambassador Al Shamsi expressed the UAE's willingness to collaborate with Nigeria to address challenges in the oil and gas sector. He emphasized the long-standing relationship between the two countries and the UAE's commitment to supporting Nigeria's development goals.

EIA: Guyana becomes key contributor to global crude oil supply growth -- The EIA reports that Guyana, situated on South America's northern coast neighbouring Venezuela, Suriname, and Brazil, has emerged as a significant contributor to growth in the global supply of crude oil.Since starting production in 2019, Guyana has increased its crude oil production to 645 000 bpd as of early 2024, all from the Stabroek block.Guyana increased crude oil production by an annual average of 98 000 bpd from 2020 to 2023, making it the third-fastest growing non-OPEC producing country during this period. Crude oil production has been the largest contributor to Guyana’s economic growth in recent years. In 2022, Guyana’s GDP grew by 62.3%, the highest real GDP growth in the world that year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).Guyana's most recent estimate of recoverable oil and natural gas resources is more than 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels, and developers are still exploring the country’s offshore waters. Guyana's discovered oil and natural gas resources are currently located offshore within the Guyana-Suriname Basin of the Atlantic Ocean.The first significant oil discovery in offshore Guyana was made by ExxonMobil in 2015 at what is now the Liza project in the Stabroek block. Since then, ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), have made more than 30 additional offshore oil and natural gas discoveries within the Stabroek block.Guyana's oil production comes from three floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels: Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity. These vessels produce oil and natural gas from the Liza and Payara projects. All associated natural gas is reinjected into wells to support its production and used as on-site fuel. A proposed project would bring associated natural gas onshore to processing facilities via pipeline.Currently, the block’s partners plan for the combined production capacity to reach approximately 1.3 million bpd by the end of 2027, with plans to develop three additional projects: Yellowtail, Uaru, and Whiptail. If realised, the increased production would make Guyana the second-largest crude oil producer in Central America and South America behind Brazil.The future of the corporate partnership at the Stabroek block is uncertain. Chevron's acquisition of Hess, which holds a 30% stake in the Stabroek block, may face delays due to arbitration filings by existing block partners ExxonMobil and CNOOC, which claim preemption rights over Hess’s stake in the block. ExxonMobil holds a 45% interest in the Stabroek block, and CNOOC holds a 25% stake.Exploration operations in the Stabroek block and nearby offshore blocks may be affected by Venezuela’s claim of sovereignty over the Essequibo region, which accounts for more than two-thirds of Guyana’s land area. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in December that Venezuela should not take any action to interrupt the status quo while the ICJ hears the case.

Oil prices increase following Iranian president's tragic death -- Strong economic activity in China and growing expectations that Fed will decrease interest rates continue to influence prices Oil prices spiked on Monday after Tehran confirmed the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash in the country's northwestern province. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $84.24 per barrel at 10.44 a.m. local time (0744 GMT), a rise of 0.31% from the closing price of $83.98 per barrel in the previous trading session. American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $79.81 per barrel at the same time, a 0.29% increase from the previous session that closed at $79.58 per barrel. The helicopter carrying the Iranian president, the country's foreign minister, and their entourage crashed in the East Azerbaijan region of northwest Iran on Sunday afternoon. After a night-long search operation hampered by bad weather, Iranian Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri said in a statement on X that all onboard, including the president, foreign minister, accompanying delegation, and helicopter crew, had died. Supply fears in favor of higher oil prices were stoked by worries about the political fallout in the oil-producing country and how it might affect decisions to be made at the June 1 meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+. According to the latest OPEC report, over 3 million barrels of oil are produced daily in Iran. Meanwhile, hope of the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) starting interest rate cuts this year continues to influence oil prices. With a current 65% probability rating for a Fed interest rate decrease in September, financial markets are beginning to reflect this forecast in pricing, while bolstering trade and prices as a weak US dollar rate makes oil trade cheaper for other currency holders. Furthermore, robust economic data from China, signaling high oil demand, is supporting price increases. The world's second-largest oil consumer and largest importer announced plans to start issuing subsidized bonds worth 1 trillion yuan last week.

Oil Searches for Direction, RBOB Slides on Inflation Worry -- New York Mercantile Exchange West Texas Intermediate futures edged lower Monday, ULSD firmed while the RBOB contract slumped, as inflationary pressure is seen blunting demand for gasoline despite the unofficial kickoff to the summer U.S. driving season this weekend. A handful of Federal Reserve officials speaking Monday suggested recent data showing inflation slowed in April was not enough to sway their opinion to begin reducing interest rates at their June meeting. Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Raphael Bostic continues to believe the central bank might cut the federal funds rate only once in 2024, with the market currently eyeing two 25-basis point reductions in the policy rate this year. April's Consumer Price Index for April released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics unexpectedly ticked down to a 3.4% annual increase, with BLS also reporting separately that real average hourly earnings declined. The Census Bureau said retail sales in April showed no growth, which followed weakening consumer sentiment and confidence in early May. The Federal Open Market Committee is still expected to reduce the federal funds rate 25-basis points in September from a 5.25% to 5.5% target range and by another 25-basis points in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool. A second cut in December on Monday had a probability of 54%, down from 57.3% on Friday, according to the tool. After pushing up to a $2.5830 two-week high overnight, June RBOB futures settled $0.0343 lower at $2.5399 gallon, as consumer pessimism and a pullback in discretionary spending is deleterious for driving demand with no help soon in the form of easing interest rates. The falloff in the gasoline contract is realized despite AAA projecting a record 38.4 million Americans will travel by road over this weekend's Memorial Day holiday, up 4% from a year ago. Gasoline inventory in the United States on May 10 was 9.437 million bbl or 4.3% above year ago, data from the Energy Information Administration shows. June ULSD futures notched its fourth straight advance, albeit settling Monday's session a fractional eight points higher at $2.4871 gallon, after holding above key trendline technical support last week. It was the first settlement above the 20-day moving average since April 10. The weekend deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had a negligible impact on the crude contracts on Monday, with both the international and U.S. benchmarks down $0.26 and $0.27 bbl, respectively. July Brent settled at $83.71 bbl, and June WTI futures at $79.80 bbl ahead of expiration Tuesday afternoon. July WTI settled at a $0.50 bbl discount to the expiring contract.

Oil eases on worries about US inflation, interest rates (Reuters) - Oil prices eased less than 1% on Monday as U.S. Federal Reserve officials said they were awaiting more signs that inflation was declining before the central bank starts cutting interest rates. Two top Fed officials said they're not yet ready to say inflation trends are again moving sustainably back to the central bank's 2% target, weighing in after data last week showed a welcome easing in consumer price pressures in April. Lower interest rates would reduce borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, which could boost economic growth and demand for oil. Brent futures fell 27 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $83.71 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 26 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $79.80. That kept the premium of Brent over WTI near its lowest level since March for a third day in a row. A narrower premium makes it less profitable for energy companies to send vessels to the U.S. to pick up crude cargoes for export. That leaves more oil in the U.S. that must be consumed or stored. The premium of the Brent front-month over the second month, known in the industry as backwardation, fell to its lowest since January. When a market is in backwardation, energy firms are more likely to pull oil out of storage and use it now rather than wait for prices to decline in the future. If the market switches to contango, with future contracts worth more than the front-month, energy firms could start storing oil for the future, which could depress prices. The market, however, appeared unfazed by political uncertainty in two major oil-producing countries after Iran's president died in a helicopter crash and Saudi Arabia's crown prince deferred a trip to Japan because of the health of his father, the king. Iranian oil policy should be unaffected by the president's sudden death because Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds ultimate power with the final say on all state matters. In Saudi Arabia, the market is already accustomed to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's leadership in the energy sector, said Saul Kavonic, an energy analyst at MST Marquee. "Continuity in Saudi strategy is expected regardless of this health issue," he said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, together known as OPEC+, are scheduled to meet on June 1. Data showed that Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports rose for a second consecutive month in March, reaching their highest in nine months. Russia remained China's top oil supplier in April for a 12th month, with volumes rising 30% from a year earlier as refiners continued to cash in discounted shipments, while supplies from Saudi Arabia fell a quarter on higher prices. Russian President Vladimir Putin said gas output rose by 8% in the first four months of the year but oil output declined by 1.8%, a dip largely due to production cuts under OPEC+ agreements. Even though the Slavyansk oil refinery in the Krasnodar region of Russia was damaged by a drone attack over the weekend, Russia said it suspended a ban on gasoline exports until June 30. The country, however, said it would put the ban back in place July 1 to Aug. 31.

Oil prices drop over $1 after US inflation, Fed outlook hurts consumer demand; Brent at $82/bbl - International crude oil prices declined by more than one per cent on Tuesday, May 21, with lingering US inflation poised to keep interest rates higher for longer, potentially dampening consumer demand. Higher borrowing costs tie up funds in a blow to the economic growth and demand for crude oil and pressures consumer demand at the pump.Brent crude futures fell by $1.21, or 1.45 per cent, to $82.50 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures for June, slipped by $1.26, or 1.58 per cent, to $78.54. The more active July contract lost $1.09, or 1.37 per cent, to $78.21. The structure of the Brent contract is weakening in an indication of a softer market and strong supply.The front-month Brent contract's premium to the second-month contract narrowed to 10 cents, its weakest since January 2024, according to news agency Reuters. On the domestic front, crude oil futures last traded 0.02 per cent higher at ₹6,569 per barrel on the multi-commodity exchange (MCX). -Analysts said that the market is very focused on gasoline demand in the US because there are signs that consumers are cutting back due to inflation. Unless that turns around, the market suggests things could be a little bleak.-Despite the run up to this weekend's Memorial Day holiday, which kicks off the US peak summer driving season, the retail gasoline prices fell for the fourth consecutive week to $3.58 per gallon on Monday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its gasoline and diesel fuel update.-However, in a bid to ensure sufficient supply flows to the northeast, the US will sell the nearly one million barrels of gasoline in a reserve in northeastern states, with bids due on May 28, the Department of Energy said on Tuesday.-Investors are awaiting minutes from the US Federal Reserve's last policy meeting due on Wednesday, as well as weekly US oil inventory data. Analysts say nothing in the market right now that is pushing prices higher. -Meanwhile, Fed officials' comments pointed to interest rates staying higher for longer than markets previously expected. Two Federal Reserve policymakers said it was prudent for the US central bank to wait several more months to ensure that inflation is back on a path to the two per cent target before commencing interest rate cuts.-"In the absence of a significant weakening in the labor market, I need to see several more months of good inflation data before I would be comfortable supporting an easing in the stance of monetary policy," said Fed Governor Christopher Waller.-On the supply side, a fading geopolitical risk premium from the ongoing war in Gaza failed to provide much support. The market also appeared largely unaffected by the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner and potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a helicopter crash on Sunday.-The market has taken away some of the risk premium because it seems even though Israel is continuing in Rafah, this is not impacting supply or demand. Crude prices may not change majorly over Iranian oil policy after the president’s death.-Investors are focusing on supply from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies (OPEC+). They are scheduled to meet on June 1 to set output policy, including whether to extend some members' voluntary supply cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day. OPEC could extend some voluntary cuts if demand fails to pick up. Analysts said that WTI crude oil futures came under pressure as investors weighed weak demand prospects against a lack of supply disruptions. Hawkish comments from Fed officials improved the conviction that rates might stay higher for longer and the quantum of cuts might be less than market anticipations, which might weigh on the oil demand going forward.At the same time, recent events such as Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries and a Houthi missile strike in the Red Sea continued to pose risks to global supply. Fed officials' comments led to profit-taking from higher levels and a rebound in the dollar index.

The Oil Market Traded Lower on Tuesday Ahead of the June Contract's Expiration at the Close -- The oil market traded lower on Tuesday ahead of the June contract’s expiration at the close. The market continued to trade below its downward trending resistance line as the market remained concerned that U.S. interest rates could remain higher for longer. Fed officials remain reluctant to declare victory over inflation following the recent easing of inflation, signaling a need for restrictive policy to continue for some time. The market was focused on the economic news ahead of the release of the Fed minutes on Wednesday afternoon. The crude market posted a high of $79.72 in overnight trading before it sold off to a low of $78.08 early in the morning. The market later retraced some of its losses and traded between $78.50 and $79.50 in afternoon trading. The June WTI contract went off the board down 54 cents at $79.26, while the July WTI contract settled down 64 cents at $78.66 and the July Brent contract settled down 83 cents at $82.88. The product market also ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 2.48 cents at $2.4623 and the RB market settling down 2.99 cents at $2.51. The Department of Energy said the U.S. will sell the nearly 1 million barrels of gasoline in a reserve in northeastern states with bids due on May 28th. The volumes will be allocated in quantities of 100,000 barrels with each barrel containing 42 gallons. That will ensure the gasoline can flow into local retailers ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and that it will be sold at competitive prices. The companies buying the gasoline, likely retailers and fuel terminals, will have the fuel transferred or delivered no later than June 30th. Some 900,000 barrels will be sold from the reserve's Port Reading, New Jersey site and nearly 99,000 barrels from the South Portland, Maine site. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made reassuring comments about King Salman's health during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday after the royal court said on Sunday the monarch will undergo treatment for a lung inflammation. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman promised stable oil supplies to Japan in a video conference with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. Ship tracking data showed that crude oil tanker Dubai Angel moored at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Vancouver, preparing to load the first cargo of crude oil from the recently expanded Trans Mountain pipeline. Chartered by Canadian oil producer Suncor Energy, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was expected to load about 550,000 barrels of Access Western Blend for delivery to China. The expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, which will ship an additional 590,000 bpd to Canada's Pacific coast from Alberta, began commercial operations this month after years of regulatory delays and construction setbacks. The structure of the benchmark Brent crude oil futures market fell on Tuesday to its weakest level since February, another indication that concern about tight supply for prompt delivery is easing.

WTI Extends Losses After API Reports Unexpected Crude Build - Oil (and gasoline) prices were lower today (WTI sliding back near two-month lows) as the Biden administration said Tuesday it is releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in a bid to lower prices at the pump this summer.However, the main driver for oil prices right now is "worry about the economy, and the potential that [interest] rates will remain elevated," Michael Lynch, president at Strategic Energy & Economic Research (SEER), told MarketWatch. Additionally, the market appears to have quickly shrugged off the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.Will a third weekly crude draw in a row be enough to re-energize prices ahead of OPEC+'s meetings, where members will "almost certainly roll over" its current quotas when it meets on June 1, "keeping a floor on prices for now," according to SEER's Lynch.

• Crude +2.49mm (-3.1mm exp)
• Cushing +1.77mm
• Gasoline +2.09mm
• Distillates -320k

Crude and Gasoline stock piles grew last week (more than expected) along with inventories at the Cushing hub while Distillates saw a small draw...WTI was trading around $78.60 ahead of the API print and slipped lower after...

WTI Rallies After Crude Inventory Build, Another Large SPR Addition - Oil prices edges lower again this morning (for the third straight day) after API reported crude and gasoline builds overnight in the US, and on the other side of the Atlantic, Genscape data showed expanded inventories in Europe’s oil trading hub.Additionally, Bloomberg reports that signs of physical market weakness have been signaled by multiple market gauges.Brent’s prompt spread remains close to flipping into a bearish contango structure for the first time since January - an indication of plentiful supply relative to demand.Meanwhile the Brent DFL - a measure of Dated Brent relative to futures - also recently turned negative. Will the official data provide any support for crude prices?

• Crude +1.825mm (-3.1mm exp)
• Cushing +1.325mm
• Gasoline -945k
• Distillates +379k

The official data confirmed a crude inventory build (vs an expected draw) and stocks at the Cushing Hub also rose. Gasoline and Distillates inventories were mixed... While the Biden administration drained its gasoline reserve, it added to the SPR once again last week (+993k barrels - the most since Dec 2023)... US Crude production continued to chug along near record highs at 13.1mm b/d...WTI was trading around $77.60 ahead of the official data and rallied up to $78 shortly after...OPEC and its allies, led by Russia, will hold a crucial meeting to review production policy next weekend. A coalition of nations in the broader OPEC+ grouping are cutting 2.2 million barrels per day, which has supported oil prices this year. The group is likely to extend those production cuts as prices soften, according to analysts.

Oil slides for third straight session on high US Fed rate outlook, weaker demand; Brent sticks to $82/bbl -- Crude oil prices declined nearly one per cent on Wednesday, May 22, retreating for a third straight day on expectations that US interest rate cuts might be delayed due to sustained inflation, a move that could weaken the oil demand. Brent crude futures were down 78 cents, or 0.94 per cent, at $82.10 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was down 74 cents, or 0.94 per cent, to $78.92. Both benchmarks settled about one per cent lower on Tuesday. On the domestic front, crude oil futures declined 1.28 per cent to₹6,484 per barrel on the multi-commodity exchange (MCX).

• -US Fed policymakers said on Tuesday the US central bank should wait several more months to ensure that inflation is back on track toward its two per cent target before cutting rates. Investors are awaiting minutes from the Fed's last policy meeting later on Wednesday.
• -The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes will be scrutinized for the Fed's assessment of the high Q1 inflation and clues on the timing and extent of potential interest rate cuts in 2024. Lower interest rates reduce borrowing costs, freeing up funds that could boost economic growth and the demand for oil.
• -The US Energy Information Administration on Wednesday said that US crude stocks rose by 1.8 million barrels during the week ended May 17. However, gasoline stocks, which fell more than expected, signaled strong implied demand and pared back some losses earlier in the day.
• -Analysts said that crude markets have been pressured by weakening fundamentals, with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) likely extending production cuts at their June meeting to support prices
• -Physical crude markets have been weakening. In another sign that concern of tight prompt supply is easing, the premium of Brent's first-month contract over the second, known as backwardation, is close to its lowest since January.

Pranav Mer said that oil prices failed to sustain above $80 per barrel earlier in the week. In the session ahead, focus will be on the beginning of pick summer driving season in US next week. ‘’Technically, trend remains down till below 6,600/ 6,700, downside prices may test 6,420-6,350,'' said Mer.Analysts said that the premium on prompt Brent contracts has narrowed to a marginal 10 cents per barrels. ‘’The loosening of the physical markets might encourage the OPEC+ to extend the 2 mbpd of supply cuts into 2H 2024, when they meet on 1st June,'' ‘’The risk premium associated with Middle East tensions has also decreased, as oil supplies have remained undisrupted. All eyes are now focused on the upcoming OPEC+ meeting on June 1, where key oil producers are expected to extend output curbs to avoid a worldwide glut and boost prices,''

Oil slips for a third straight day on prospect of US rates staying high | (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than 1% on Wednesday, retreating for a third straight day, as Fed officials rekindled worries about oil demand when they indicated interest rate cuts might be deferred due to sustained inflation.Brent crude futures settled 98 cents lower, or 1.18%, at $81.90 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was down $1.09, or 1.39%, to $77.57. Both benchmarks settled about 1% lower on Tuesday.Federal Reserve officials at their last policy meeting indicated inflation could take longer to ease than previously thought, minutes of the Federal Reserve's May policy setting meeting, released on Wednesday, showed.Lower interest rates reduce borrowing costs, freeing up funds that could boost economic growth and demand for oil."I wouldn't expect rate cuts to come before one of the fall meetings," Also in the U.S., Energy Information Administration said crude stocks rose by 1.8 million barrels during the week ended May 17. That compares with a 2.5-million-barrel draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and a 2.48-million-barrel rise shown in the data from the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group. ,"There was strong demand from refiners for crude oil and the gasoline demand was one of the highest we've seen in quite some time," Part of that demand increase was due to pre-Memorial Day weekend stockpiling by suppliers, he noted.Crude markets have been pressured by weakening fundamentals, such as falling spot Brent over futures and softer refinery margins. This will likely force OPEC+ to extend production cuts at its June meeting to support prices, according to Ole Hansen, Saxo Bank's head of commodity strategy.Physical crude markets have been weakening. In another sign that concern of tight prompt supply is easing, the premium of Brent's first-month contract over the second , known as backwardation, is close to its lowest since January.

Oil Prices Rebound After Three Days of Losses | OilPrice.com Oil prices rose early on Thursday, recouping some losses of the previous three days, after Russia said it would present a plan to compensate for exceeding its OPEC+ oil production quota in April. Following three consecutive trading days of losses, Brent Crude prices were rising by 0.88% at $82.62 as of 9:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, and the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, was trading 0.93% higher at $78.29. Oil prices still look rangebound in the low $80s, at least until next week’s OPEC+ meeting on June 1, which is expected to decide how to proceed with the current cuts of around 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second half of the year. The recent move lower in prices prompted analysts to bet that the OPEC+ group would fully roll over the current cuts. Oil has been capped by concerns about demand and the fact that the Fed is still unconvinced that the fight against inflation is over, while a Russian pledge to compensate for overproduction supported prices early on Thursday. On Wednesday, Russia’s Energy Ministry said “In April, as part of voluntary cuts, Russian oil production was slightly above target levels.” “Overproduction was due to the technical features of reducing production by a significant amount. Russia is fully committed to the OPEC+ agreements, plans to compensate for shortfalls in production plans and will soon submit to the OPEC Secretariat its plan to cover small deviations from voluntary production levels,” the ministry added. While lower production from Russia could support prices, the market has been fretting about oil demand this week, amid signs of weakening physical crude prices across the board. In addition, the Fed’s minutes from its meeting early this month, released on Wednesday, showed that officials have become more concerned about inflation. “Various participants mentioned a willingness to tighten policy further should risks to inflation materialize in a way that such an action became appropriate,” the Fed said.

Oil falls for fourth straight session on US inflation jitters - Oil prices fell for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday and settled at multi-month lows as the prospect of higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates raised worries around demand growth in the world's biggest oil market.Brent crude futures settled lower by 54 cents, or 0.7 per cent, at $81.36 a barrel, the lowest since January. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 70 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to $76.87 a barrel, a three-month low.S&P Global data showed accelerating U.S. business activity this month, but manufacturers also reported a surge in prices for a range of inputs, suggesting a pickup in goods inflation in the months ahead.On Wednesday, minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting showed policymakers remain doubtful if current interest rates are high enough to tame stubborn inflation.High interest rates increase the cost of borrowing, which can slow down economic activity and dampen demand for oil. Also weighing on the market, U.S. crude stocks rose by 1.8 million barrels last week, according to the Energy Information Administration, compared with an estimated draw of 2.5 million barrels.However, the EIA reported U.S. gasoline demand at its highest since November, providing some support for energy markets ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, which is considered the start of the U.S. summer driving season. U.S. gasoline consumption makes up around 9 per cent of global oil demand."It was a pretty good report for gasoline, everything pretty much hit the positive side of the ledger,". "However, one report does not make a trend, so everyone will be watching if it can continue to perform going forward."Investors are also looking ahead to the June 1 meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, together called OPEC+, where the group will decide its output policy.Russia said it exceeded its OPEC+ production quota in April for "technical reasons" and will soon present to the OPEC Secretariat its plan to compensate for the error, the Russian Energy Ministry said late on Wednesday.Recent weakness in crude oil prices raises the likelihood that OPEC+ will maintain its existing production curbs at least through the end of September

Oil Futures Continue Lower as Inflation Pressure Persists -- Oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent on the Intercontinental Exchange extended losses early Friday in front of the Memorial Day weekend, with West Texas Intermediate and Brent down for a fifth consecutive session, falling to 13- and 15-week lows, respectively. The market is adjusting to the likelihood interest rates will remain higher for longer as inflation pressure prevails, with central bank officials expressing patience before easing monetary policy through a reduction in the federal funds rate. The federal funds rate is now in a 5.25% by 5.5% target range. Charlie Bilello with Creative Planning noted the continued fight against inflation, quoting a recent comment from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who said, "we'll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work. I do think it's really a question of keeping policy rates at the current rate for longer than had been thought." "This is a big shift from his dovish rhetoric late last year. And as a result, we've seen a huge shift in markets," said Bilello. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the year-on-year change in the U.S. Consumer Price Index has been above 3% for 37 consecutive months through April, with CPI in April up 3.4% annually. The Fed's inflation target is 2%. While down from the 40-year highs experienced in June 2022, inflation is stubbornly holding at a more than 30-year high. Minutes released Wednesday for the Federal Open Market Committee's April 30-May 1 meeting noted progress in lowering inflation slowed in the first quarter, and the recent increases in inflation pressure were broad based. Fed officials also highlighted the "harm" high inflation has caused to households by reducing their purchasing power. Market expectations for multiple rate cuts this year have vanished. Based on CME's FedWatch Tool, the market expects one 25-basis point cut in the federal funds rate this year, with confidence in that rate reduction low. Coming into 2024, the high end of expectations suggested as many as six 25-basis point cuts in the key overnight bank borrowing rate. The combination of high interest rates and persistent inflation will slow economic growth, which has been apparent in U.S. manufacturing activity, which remains in contraction. Pressure on consumer purchasing power also weighs on economic growth, as well as driving demand. The market will get the latest read on consumer psychology at 10 AM ET, when the University of Michigan releases their closely watched Consumer Sentiment Index for May. The preliminary reading for May was at a 67.4 six-month low. Weakness in consumer sentiment is not seen deterring Americans from hitting the highways this weekend, with today marking the second day for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. AAA expects a record number of people to travel more than 50 miles over the holiday weekend, projecting 38.4 million holiday travelers, up 4% from year ago and 1.9% above the pre-COVID Memorial Day weekend in 2019. Near 8 AM ET, July WTI futures were down $0.22 at $76.65 barrel (bbl), trimming an overnight decline to $76.15 bbl -- the lowest print on the spot continuation chart since late February. July Brent futures were $0.26 lower at $81.10 bbl, edging off an overnight print at $80.65 -- the lowest trade since early February. Oil product futures are trading near one-week lows, with the June RBOB contract down $0.0154 at $2.4540 gallon, and June ULSD futures $0.0047 lower at $2.4071 gallon.

Oil prices end higher, but fall more than 2% for the week -- Oil futures finished higher on Friday, but notched losses for the week as traders noted concerns that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates elevated for longer than previously anticipated, posing a threat to demand if that causes a sharp economic slowdown. West Texas Intermediate crude CL00 for July delivery CL.1 CLN24 climbed by 85 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $77.72 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, for a 2.3% weekly fall, according to Dow Jones Market Data. July Brent crude, the global benchmark, tacked on 76 cents, or 0.9%, to $82.12 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe, for a 2.2% decline on the week.June gasoline RBM24 rose 0.6% to $2.48 a gallon, ending 3.5% lower for the week, while June heating oil HOM24 added nearly 0.1% to $2.41 a gallon, for a loss weekly loss of 2.9%.Natural gas for June delivery NGM24 settled at $2.52 per million British thermal units, down 5.2% for the session to lift its loss to 4%. It settled at its lowest since May 16.Losses for oil this week seem to be "coming from a lack of conviction among traders based on a lack of clear signals," Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management, told MarketWatch.With traders headed into the three-day holiday weekend in the U.S., it seems like "neither bulls nor bears want to make any kind of a commitment at this point, leaving the market adrift," he said."Some of the political risk premium may still be coming out [of prices], but that could flare up again at any time," said Cieszynski.WTI ended at its lowest since Feb. 23 on Thursday, while Brent saw its lowest finish since Feb. 7 as uncertainty over the outlook for monetary policy and jitters over the global demand picture kept pressure on crude."The North Sea market is currently awash with light, sweet barrels, which has led the entire complex lower. We see a potential path for the light grades to clean up by midsummer coming out of refinery turnarounds in Europe," Brian Leisen, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note. "Until then, we find it hard to get more constructive until we see evidence that cargoes are starting to clear."Attention is turning to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies - known as OPEC+. The group said Thursday that it will hold a ministerial meeting via videoconference on Sunday, June 2.Traders are waiting to see if the group will move to extend a full suite of production cuts due to end at the end of June.After the OPEC+ meeting, the market is likely to renew its focus on demand, Barbara Lambrecht, commodity analyst at Commerzbank, said in a note.While U.S. gasoline demand had shown some uncharacteristic weakness, it rebounded last week, according to government data, just ahead of the kickoff of summer driving season on Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. "If this trend continues in the world's leading oil consumer country, it should support the medium-term recovery in oil prices that we expect," Lambrecht wrote. 'Until sentiment and price action changes in crude, it is hard to get bulled up quite yet. In a Friday newsletter, the Kansas City energy team at StoneX, led by Alex Hodes, said a lot of managed money has left WTI, which is a common theme before the summer. With PMI's [purchasing managers' index data] improving and record-level equities, "there is an expectation that a turn up in economic activity is expected," they said. However, "until sentiment and price action changes in crude, it is hard to get bulled up quite yet."

Houthis Say They Downed 4th US MQ-9 Reaper Drone - The Houthis said Friday that Yemeni forces downed another US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen and published footage of air defenses hitting the US aircraft.The US military hasn’t confirmed that it lost an MQ-9 over Yemen and did not respond to a request to comment about the Houthi claim when asked by AP. But video emerged of what appears to be the wreckage of a US MQ-9 in Yemen, and the Houthis have successfully targeted the drones before.The incident would mark the fourth time the Houthis shot down a US MQ-9 since November 2023. Each MQ-9 is estimated to be worth about $30 million, bringing the total costs for the US military in lost MQ-9 drones to about $120 million.The US has also spent over $1 billion in munitions used to bomb Yemen and other operations in the Middle East that started due to Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.The US bombing campaign against the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, has done nothing to deter the group. US Central Command said that a Houthi missile hit a Greek-owned tanker early Saturday morning, although the Yemeni group hasn’t taken credit for the attack.The US was bombing Yemen on a near-daily basis from January 12 until about mid-March, when US and British strikes on the country declined. According to the Yemen Data Project, April marked the least intense month of bombings since they started in January.The Houthis have been clear that they would only stop attacks on Israel-linked shipping if there were a ceasefire in Gaza. Tim Lenderking, President Biden’s Yemen envoy, has acknowledged that he thinks the Houthis would be true to their word, but the US refuses to pressure Israel to agree to end its onslaught in Gaza.

ISIS Claims Friday Attack on Tourists in Central Afghanistan - On Sunday, ISIS issued a statement taking credit for Friday’s attack on a group that included foreign tourists in the central Afghan province of Bamyan. The attacks killed at least six people and wounded eight others.ISIS said the fighters “shot at Christian tourists and their Shi’ite companions” when they were visiting a marketplace in Bamyan. This is the first example of foreign tourists being killed since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.ISIS explained the attacks by saying they went after a “bus of tourists who are citizens of coalition countries.” They cited orders from ISIS leadership in Iraq and Syria to go after coalition citizens when possible.Bamyan Province is a popular tourist area, the site of two ancient Buddhist statues destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Tourism was seen as more or less safe in the area, though the local ISIS affiliate often carries out attacks of opportunity on Shi’ites as well as on Christians.The three foreign tourists who were killed were from Spain. Among the eight wounded were citizens from Spain, Norway, Australia, and conflicting reports that a fourth was either from Latvia or Lithuania.Seven suspects had been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the attacks, according to the Taliban’s Interior Ministry. The wounded were said to be in relatively good condition, and at least one underwent a successful surgery.

Gantz Threatens To Quit Israeli Government If Netanyahu Doesn't Approve Long-Term Gaza Plan - Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz has threatened that his party will leave the government if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t approve a long-term plan for Gaza.In a speech on Saturday, Gantz made a list of demands that he wants Netanyahu to approve, including the establishment of a US-European-Arab-Palestinian administration to manage civilian affairs in the Strip alongside Israeli security control.Gantz said if his conditions aren’t met by June 8, his National Unity party will leave the government. If they quit, Netanyahu’s coalition will still have a majority of seats in the Knesset (64 out of 120), so it wouldn’t force elections.“Prime Minister Netanyahu, I look you in the eye tonight and tell you: The choice is in your hands. The Netanyahu of a decade ago would have done the right thing. Are you willing to do the right and patriotic thing today?” Gantz said in his speech.“The people of Israel are watching you. You must choose between Zionism and cynicism, between unity and factionalism, between responsibility and lawlessness – and between victory and disaster,” he added. According to The Times of Israel, Gantz’s full list of demands includes:

1. “Bring the hostages home.”
2. “Topple Hamas rule, demilitarize the Gaza Strip and gain Israeli security control [over Gaza].”
3. Alongside that Israeli security control, “create an international civilian governance mechanism for Gaza, including American, European, Arab and Palestinian elements — which will also serve as a basis for a future alternative that is not Hamas and is not [Palestinian Authority President] Abbas.”
4. “Return residents of the north [who were evacuated due to Hezbollah attacks] to their homes by September 1, and rehabilitate the western Negev [adjacent to Gaza, targeted by Hamas on October 7].”
5. “Advance normalization with Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive process to create an alliance with the free world and the West against Iran and its allies.”
6. “Adopt a framework for [military/national] service under which all Israelis will serve the state and contribute to the national effort.”

Realistically, Netanyahu couldn’t agree to Gantz’s demands since they would go against the vision of the far-right and ultra-Orthodox members of his coalition, who could force elections if they quit. In response to Gantz’s demands, Netanyahu’s office rejected the conditions. “The conditions set by Benny Gantz are laundered words whose meaning is clear: the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandonment of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas-rule intact and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Our soldiers did not fall in vain and certainly not for the sake of replacing Hamastan with Fatahstan,” the office said.

Smotrich Calls for Israel To Take Over Southern Lebanon If Hezbollah Doesn't Withdraw from Border - On Sunday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the Israeli military to invade and take over southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not withdraw from the border. Smotrich called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue an ultimatum to Hezbollah. “A public ultimatum must be issued to Hezbollah that they completely stop firing and withdraw all forces to beyond the Litani River,” he said at a faction meeting of his Religious Zionism party.“If the ultimatum is not fully met, the IDF will launch an assault deep in Lebanese territory to defend the northern communities, including ground entry and Israeli military takeover of the southern Lebanese area,” Smotrich added.He said the only way to return Israelis to northern areas that have been evacuated is “through a military decision with a devastating assault on Hezbollah, its infrastructure, and the destruction of its power.”Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes across the border since October 7. Over 300 people have been killed on the Lebanon side of the border, and dozens have been killed in southern Israel. Tensions show no sign of easing, and Israeli officials have frequently threatened a full-scale invasion, although such an operation would stretch Israel’s military thin amid its onslaught in Gaza.Concerning Gaza, Smotrich said permanent Israeli military control was needed and that military outposts should be built “in the north, center and south of the Gaza Strip, to prevent a situation in which Hamas rebuilds its military infrastructure and [reasserts] civilian control.” He has repeatedly called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the re-establishment of Jewish settlements.Smotrich is a settler himself and holds a minister position in the Defense Ministry that gives him the power to expand settlements in the West Bank. He has also signaled support for Israeli expansion beyond the occupied Palestinian territories.Last year, Smotrich spoke at a conference that displayed a map of “Greater Israel,” which showed Jordan as part of Israeli territory. In the speech, Smotrich said the Palestinian people were “an invention.”

ICC seeks arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh - The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday issued arrest warrants for the Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister as the court’s prosecutor said he found evidence of war crimes committed in the ongoing war between the militant group and the state of Israel. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement that Sinwar, the head of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Haniyeh, the top political leader for Hamas, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, the commander of the Hamas military wing, “bear criminal responsibility” for war crimes committed against Israel, including the taking of hostages, sexual violence, extermination and torture. “We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Israel by Hamas and other armed groups pursuant to organisational policies,” Khan wrote. Khan also said Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant bear criminal responsibility for starvation as a method of war, the intentional targeting of civilians, extermination and persecution, among other war crimes. The arrest warrants had been expected after they were leaked in the press last month, drawing backlash from Israel and from GOP congressional leaders in the U.S. who are strong Israeli supporters. The Republican lawmakers warned the ICC against the move and reportedly drafted legislation to sanction the court if it went ahead with the warrants. The ICC, founded in 2002, is seated in The Hague, Netherlands, and tries individuals for specific crimes. The court previously issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his alleged crimes in abducting children from Ukraine. The ICC is independent from the United Nations, unlike the International Court of Justice, which hears disputes between nations and is hearing a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide over its war in Gaza. The U.S. and Israel have never ratified the Rome Statute that established the ICC and thus are not parties to the court. Still, if Netanyahu or Gallant were to travel to a country that is a party to it, officials there would be obligated to arrest them. Khan’s official move Wednesday likely will draw immediate backlash from Israeli officials, who charge that they are defending the nation against a legitimate threat after Hamas invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,100 people and taking around 250 hostages. In Gaza, around 130 hostages are still being held, but it’s not clear how many of them are alive.

EU Members Will Have To Arrest Netanyahu After ICC Warrant: Borrell -- Will Israel eventually come up with its own Hague Invasion Act? EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday commented on the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for top Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in Gaza. He stressed in the statement that all European Union member countries will be legally required to oblige.He explained that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Defense Minister Yoav Gallant travel to a European country, they would face arrest. He said the same for those Hamas leaders listed alongside Netanyahu: "I take note of the decision of the ICC Prosecutor to apply for warrants of arrest before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant," Borrell sated."The mandate of the ICC, as an independent international institution, is to prosecute the most serious crimes under international law," Borrell wrote on X. He emphasized "All States that have ratified the ICC statutes are bound to execute the Court’s decisions." He said the EU has taken "note" of the world court's action.With the exception of Ukraine and Turkey, all of Europe is a signatory to the Rome Statue, requiring them to apprehend those individuals 'wanted' by the ICC.The ICC has described:The ICC can prosecute crimes against humanity, which are serious violations committed as part of a large-scale attack against any civilian population. The 15 forms of crimes against humanity listed in the Rome Statute include offences such as murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, enslavement – particularly of women and children, sexual slavery, torture, apartheid and deportation.This could impact Israeli leaders' travel to certain places in the world. It most certainly creates diplomatic pressure to not do so in the case of destination countries which are required to make an arrest under the Rome Statute.

Outraged Israel Recalls Ambassadors From Spain, Norway, & Ireland Over Recognition Of Palestinian State -- The decades-long cause to push toward establishing a state of Palestine has just gotten a big boost out of Europe, as the countries of Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state.They are the latest to join some 140 countries globally, which constitute more than two-thirds of the United Nations, who recognize a Palestinian state. The formal recognition will take place May 28, and comes as the official Palestinian death toll put out by Gaza's Health Ministry approaches 36,000 since Oct.7.This is also yet another blow to Israel's reputation on the world stage coming the very same week the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his defense chief.Norway led the announcement among the three countries, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre saying, "In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike." He declared this means "Two states, living side by side, in peace and security."Shortly following this Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said from Dublin that this move will "offer hope and encouragement to the people of Palestine at one of their darkest hours."And Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in an address to parliament sought to emphasize that "This recognition is not against anyone, it is not against the Israeli people." He characterized that it is "an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency."Israel's reaction has been fierce and swift, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz confirming he immediately recalled Israel's ambassadors to Oslo, Dublin and Madrid while ordering a "severe Démarche" all of their envoys in Israel."History will remember that Spain, Norway, and Ireland decided to award a gold medal to Hamas murderers and rapists," Katz said.

Israeli Hostage Families Release Shocking Clip Of Female Troops' Abduction "The world must look at this cruel atrocity. Those who care about women’s rights must speak out. All those who believe in freedom must speak out, and do everything possible to bring all of the hostages home now," Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said in a statement, reacting to the Wednesday release of footage showing the abduction of five female IDF soldiers by Hamas terrorists on October 7. The women are still being held captive somewhere in the Gaza Strip.The families of the hostages agreed to release the raw, shocking clip with an aim to revive efforts to free them. It also comes as the European nations of Spain, Norway, and Ireland earlier the same day declared they are formally recognizing a Palestinian state. Watch the video published by Israeli sources below:The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has released footage obtained by the IDF, showing the abduction of five female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base on October 7 by Hamas terrorists.The clip shows Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy. It has… pic.twitter.com/xcls0UGq3FPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move by the three nations a "prize for terrorism" and that any future Palestinian state "would try to carry out the October 7 massacre again and again – and that, we shall not agree to.""We will continue to do everything to bring them home. The brutality of the Hamas terrorists only strengthens my determination to fight with all my might until Hamas is eliminated and to ensure that what we saw tonight will never happen again." In the newly released footage, some of the girls are clearly battered and blood-soaked, and look terrified as they plead with their armed captors in English. They have been identified as Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Agam Berger and Liri Albag."Take their pictures," one of the militants is heard saying. "I want you quiet! Quiet! Sit down," another shouts at one point. "We will shoot you all." One girl tries to reason with one of the men by saying that she has friends in Gaza."These are the Zionists. You are so beautiful," one terrorist is also heard saying.And in another moment, one says according to an Israeli media translation: "Our brothers died because of you, we will kill you." Then the video shows the captors sitting next to girls with machine guns on their chests, while others are on the floor praying. One of the terrorists says, "Here are the girls," using a term in Arabic that implies they can be impregnated [many Arabic speakers have since disputed the accuracy of the translations coming from Israeli official sources, however]... Parts of the video which featured dead bodies and other of the more shocking scenes were edited for public release. A father of one of the kidnap victims said: "What else can we do to wake the nation up?" Israel's military has said the number of hostages held in Gaza is 128, but dozens are believed to possibly be deceased.

Israel Allows Settlers To Return to West Bank Settlements That Were Evacuated in 2005 'Disengagement' - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Wednesday the broadening of a law that will allow Israelis to return to three settlements in the occupied West Bank that were dismantled in 2005.In 2005, four settlements were dismantled in the West Bank and 21 in Gaza, a move known as the “disengagement.” Last year, the Israeli Knesset passed an amendment to the disengagement law allowing the return to one West Bank settlement, and Gallant’s moves allow settlers to return to the entire area, which is located in the northern West Bank between the Palestinian cities of Nablus and Jenin.Announcing the move, Gallant vowed to do what he could to continue expanding West Bank settlements. “Just as I have done in every position I’ve held in government, I will continue to foster the settlement of Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the biblical name for the West Bank.Gallant’s announcement came on the same day Spain, Norway, and Ireland said they would recognize Palestine as a state. The over 500,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and the expansion of settlements are some of the main impediments to a two-state solution.When the current Israeli government coalition was formed in December 2022, it released a statement vowing to prioritize the expansion of West Bank settlements with the ultimate goal of annexing the territory. Settlers have very influential positions in the government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also has a position as a minister in the Defense Ministry that gives him power to expand settlements.

World Court Orders Israel To Halt Military Operations in Rafah - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must halt military operations in Rafah. The court made the ruling after South Africa appealed to the court to take action as Israeli military operation in the southern region of Gaza has displaced nearly a million people and prevented aid deliveries. Tel Aviv said the court’s decision will not stop Israeli forces from achieving their objectives in Gaza.On Friday, ICJ President Nawaf Salam announced the court had ruled 13-2 that Israel must halt military operations in Rafah, open border crossings to aid deliveries, and allow investigators into Gaza. The ruling came after oral argument from South Africa, who requested the ICJ order Tel Aviv to halt the offensive, and Israel.Late last year, Pretoria initially filed accusations of genocide against Israel at the World Court. In January, the ICJ issued a preliminary ruling that it was plausible that Israel was committing a genocide against the people of Gaza but stopped short of ordering Israel to halt military operations in the Strip.After Israel launched an assault on Rafah earlier this month, South Africa asked the court to issue an explicit ruling ordering Israel to halt the offensive. Prior to the court issuing the ruling, Israeli officials said they would not comply with any demand to halt the offensive.The ICJ is the court for the UN. All members of the UN, including the US and Israel, are subject to its rulings. However, a government spokesperson told Reuters that “no power on earth” can stop the Israeli onslaught.American officials also targeted the ICJ for its ruling. “As far as I’m concerned, the ICJ can go to hell. The ICJ’s ruling that Israel should stop operations that are necessary to destroy four battalions of Hamas killers and terrorists – who use Palestinians as human shields – is ridiculous. Senator Lindsey Graham posted on X. “This will and should be ignored by Israel.”

A quarter of a million march in London to oppose Gaza genocide and mark Palestinian Nakba - London again saw a massive solidarity march in opposition to Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. - Saturday’s march marked the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, the brutal ethnic cleansing of three quarters of a million Palestinians from the newly founded state of Israel. A leaflet issued by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), “Ending second Nakba means mobilising workers against the Tories and Labour!” explained: “The mass expulsion was achieved through systematic terror involving at least 31 massacres. Those Palestinians driven out, along with their descendants, were banned from returning to Israel and their homes and property seized. “Today a second Nakba is being carried out by Israel, with yet more destructive weapons of mass murder and terror—aimed at the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, to be followed by the West Bank. And the horrors have vastly multiplied, with 800,000 trapped in Rafah and half a million forced to flee back to the ruined land they so recently left behind. The toll of more than 35,000 killed and 80,000 wounded grows by the day.” Leading the demonstration were Palestinians holding keys as a symbol of intent to return to their stolen land. The protest included a large contingent of students involved in some of the 25 campus occupations taking place nationally. There was a confrontation at Piccadilly Circus with a group of Zionists, waving Israeli flags and seeking to block the route of the march, with demonstrators chanting “Shame” including Jews marching in defence of the Palestinians. The SEP’s leaflet advanced a programme on which the anti-genocide protests can achieve their aims. It explained that in the US, Britain and other imperialist powers: “Every major party, in government or opposition, backs Israel’s genocide to the hilt, arms the Israel Defense Forces, slanders demonstrators demanding a ceasefire as antisemites, brutally represses campus and street protests and, as in the UK, prepares legislation criminalising them. “After seven months of this horror, it is time for the Gaza protest to strike out on a new course. It is not enough to keep demanding a ceasefire, as if anyone in ruling circles is listening. The imperialist powers view the Gaza genocide as one front in a global war for the redivision of the world and its resources, encompassing the proxy war by NATO against Russia in Ukraine, plans for a Middle East regional war against Iran and ramping up tensions with China. “What is required is a systematic political turn to mobilise the entire working class against these war criminals.” The leaflet stated that millions of workers and young who have taken to the streets to oppose the Gaza genocide know “There is no real difference between the Tories and Labour on anything that matters” and “hate Starmer and his MPs for backing mass murder citing Israel’s ‘right to self-defence’ and refusal to even call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. “But this groundswell of opposition is being confined to various ineffectual protests—above all threatening to support any pro-ceasefire candidates in the general election in the hope that Starmer will be forced to change course by some Labour MPs wanting to save their own skins. Nothing will change on this basis."“A turn must be made to factories and workplaces to mobilise the working class to mount blockades and organise industrial action to make it impossible for the government to supply weapons and other assistance to Israel. This will not happen without rank-and-file workers organising to politically challenge the trade union leaders, including the left-talking ‘friends of Palestine’, who have done nothing to mobilise their members since October.

Putin Says Russia Creating 'Buffer Zone' in Kharkiv in Response to Ukrainian Attacks on Belgorod - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the purpose of Russia’s offensive in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv was to create a “buffer zone” in response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s Belgorod Oblast.“Now, about what is happening in the Kharkiv direction. They [the Ukrainian authorities] are also to blame for that because they shelled and continue shelling, unfortunately, residential areas of borderline territories, including Belgorod,” Putin said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.“I have said publicly that if this continues, we’ll have to create a security buffer zone. This is what we are doing,” he added. Belgorod has been targeted by Ukrainian forces throughout the war, and those attacks have ramped up in recent months.Also on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the Kharkiv offensive could just be the “first wave” of a wider Russian assault. Ukrainian officials have previously said that Ukraine’s lines risk collapsing wherever Russia focuses its offensive.Ukraine has been asking the US to allow the use of US-provided weapons on Russian territory. The US has been vague on the issue, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the US doesn’t “encourage or enable”Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory but adding that it’s “ultimately Ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it’s going to conduct this war,” and the State Department has refused to elaborate on his comments.

Russia begins exercises for battlefield nuclear weapons, pointing to Western ‘threats’ - Russian troops began practicing major exercises to ensure troops’ readiness for the potential deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, as Moscow warned against an encroaching threat from Western allies. The Russian Ministry of Defense published a video Tuesday of troops practicing affixing missiles and warheads onto fighter jets on the backs of armored trucks equipped with missile-firing systems. The ministry said in a Telegram post that Russian troops had launched the first stage of “practical testing” of tactical nuclear weapons in the southern military district, which includes Russia’s southwestern regions, including those that border Ukraine. Troops are training in missile formations to load vehicles with Iskander ballistic missiles and then drive them to designated areas in a mock test. Aviation personnel practiced equipping Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and special warheads onto fighter jets and flying them to designated zones. “The ongoing exercise is aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to respond and in order to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in the release on Telegram. The exercises are likely to exacerbate tensions with the U.S. and renew fears that Russia is prepared to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine. Tactical nuclear weapons typically have a smaller yield than larger, strategic nuclear weapons, but they still can carry up to 100 kilotons of yield, much higher than the U.S. bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened the West with nuclear weapons amid the war in Ukraine and last year began moving tactical nuclear weapons to ally Belarus, inching them closer to NATO territory. Earlier this year, Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons if Western allies came to the aid of Ukraine. The exercises help troops prepare for the potential future deployment of nuclear weapons but do not involve actually testing nuclear bombs. Those are prohibited under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, though Russia last year for the first time rescinded its signature to that accord. The U.S. never ratified the treaty, but hasn’t tested a nuclear bomb since the early 1990s. The last known nuclear bomb test was by North Korea in 2017.

Zelensky Remains in Power Despite Presidential Term Expiring - Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenky’s term expired on Monday, but he will remain in power since presidential elections scheduled in March were canceled due to martial law imposed since Russia invaded in February 2022.While framing the proxy war in Ukraine as a battle for democracy, the US has backed Zelensky’s decision not to hold elections. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine last week and claimed the US helped build “democratic pillars,” including “free and fair elections,” but said a vote could only happen once “conditions” are right.Zelensky also canceled parliamentary elections that were supposed to be held last October. To justify the decision, Ukrainian officials have pointed to Ukraine’s constitution, which says elections can’t be held under martial law. But Zelensky previously made it clear that he could have held elections if he wanted.Last year, Zelensky told Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that he was willing to hold a vote if the West paid for it and if legislators agreed to amend the constitution. “I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections,” he said.But Zelensky later ruled out the idea and was not put under pressure by the US or other NATO countries to hold a vote. The Ukrainian leader is determined to continue the war and has rejected the idea of diplomacy with Russia despite not having a chance at victory and growing war fatigue among Ukrainians.