Fed Chair Powell: Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress --This testimony will be live here at 10:00 AM ET. Report here. From Fed Chair Powell: Testimony: Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress. An excerpt: The Federal Reserve remains squarely focused on our dual mandate to promote maximum employment and stable prices for the benefit of the American people. Over the past two years, the economy has made considerable progress toward the Federal Reserve's 2 percent inflation goal, and labor market conditions have cooled while remaining strong. Reflecting these developments, the risks to achieving our employment and inflation goals are coming into better balance. The Committee has stated that we do not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range for the federal funds rate until we have gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent. Incoming data for the first quarter of this year did not support such greater confidence. The most recent inflation readings, however, have shown some modest further progress, and more good data would strengthen our confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent.
Federal Reserve Chair Testifies on Monetary Policy Report | July 10, 2024 | C-SPAN.org --(3 hour transcript) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified before Congress for a second day in a row, reiterating what he told senators, that more positive economic and inflation data are needed before interest rates can be cut. Chair Powell appeared before the House Financial Services Committee to deliver the Federal Reserve’s semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress. He also engaged with lawmakers on other topics including capital requirements for banks, bank stress testing, housing market challenges, and the Fed’s independence.
US economy no longer overheated, Fed's Powell tells Congress (Reuters) - The U.S. is "no longer an overheated economy" with a job market that has cooled from its pandemic-era extremes and in many ways is back where it was before the health crisis, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in remarks to Congress that suggested the case for interest rate cuts is becoming stronger. "We are well aware that we now face two-sided risks," and can no longer focus solely on inflation, Powell told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. "The labor market appears to be fully back in balance." Powell told lawmakers that he did not want "to be sending any signals about the timing of any future actions" on interest rates, a stance consistent with the chair's recent efforts to focus attention more on the evolution of economic data - and the possible choices the Fed might make in response - and less on firm guidance about what might happen on what timetable. Still, with a Nov. 5 presidential election on the horizon and just two scheduled Fed meetings before it, Powell was quizzed by Democrats about the risks to the job market of not cutting rates soon, and by Republicans about the pain to households of inflation that remains above the central bank's 2% target. "Any move to lower rates before Nov. 5 would be a bad perception," Senator Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota, said to Powell, said in remarks that went on to pledge support for central bank independence. It was one of several moments in the hearing that, explicitly or not, were framed by the presidential vote, the political sensitivity of coming Fed decisions, and suggestions by some close to Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump that the Fed should be brought under tighter political oversight - a counter to widely accepted norms. Powell throughout the hearing emphasized the importance of Fed independence in rate setting, as well as his own intent to stick with data-based decision-making. His views on that front, analysts said, seemed to at least edge the door open to a rate cut as soon as September. "His emphasis has shifted a bit towards a balance of risks within the Fed’s mandate," said Christopher Hodge, chief economist for the U.S. at Natixis in New York. "The Fed needs to get ahead of weakness in the labor market...It appears as if the foundation is being laid for a pivot in September." Powell's semiannual appearance in the Senate will be followed by a hearing in the House set for Wednesday at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT). While Powell's opening remarks focused on a review of the economy and monetary policy, questioning from senators keyed in on housing costs and even more so on proposed changes in bank regulations that the Fed is debating internally. Powell in his prepared remarks told Senators that inflation had been improving in recent months and that "more good data would strengthen" the case for looser monetary policy. The Fed has kept its policy rate in the 5.25% to 5.5% range since July of 2023. His remarks appeared to show increasing faith that inflation will return to the Fed's target, contrasting the lack of progress on inflation in the first months of the year to recent improvement that has helped build confidence that price pressures will continue to diminish. "After a lack of progress toward our 2% inflation objective in the early part of this year, the most recent monthly readings have shown modest further progress," Powell said in remarks to the Senate Banking Committee. "More good data would strengthen our confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%." The Fed receives consumer price information for the month of June on Thursday. The consumer price index did not rise at all in May, and analysts anticipate another weak reading later this week. A jobs report on Friday showed a still-solid 206,000 jobs added in June, but with a slowing monthly trend and a rising unemployment rate now at 4.1%, something Treasury Secretary and former Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Tuesday said should help ease inflation further.. Powell called the unemployment rate "still low," but also noted that "in light of the progress made both in lowering inflation and in cooling the labor market over the past two years, elevated inflation is not the only risk we face."Leaving monetary policy too tight for too long, "could unduly weaken economic activity and employment," Powell said, undermining a period of economic growth that he said "remains solid" with "robust" private demand, improved overall supply conditions, and a "a pickup in residential investment." Following Powell's comments investors continued to put a nearly 70% probability on a Fed rate cut in September, something that would likely require changes to the policy statement to be released after the Fed's July 30-31 meeting.
US Fed chair takes a step towards interest rate cut - The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has given his strongest indication yet that the central bank is set to start lowering its interest rate, if not at its next meeting at the end of July, then in September. In his remarks to the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, which were repeated at the House Financial Services Committee yesterday, Powell said the Fed had made “considerable progress” in bringing down price rises but “more good data would strengthen our confidence that inflation is moving sustainably towards 2 percent”—the Fed’s target rate. The clearest indication of a rate cut was Powell’s references to a “cooling” of the labour market which has seen the unemployment rate rise to 4.1 percent in June, up from 3.7 percent in December. Powell said that “elevated inflation is not the only risk we face” and “reducing policy restraints too late or too little could unduly weaken economic activity.” There have been concerns raised that while it is not a major jump, the increase in the jobless rate could accelerate in coming months. Powell’s testimony made clear that from the very outset the central concern of Fed policy has been to clamp down on the wage demands of the working class in response to the highest inflation in four decades. “We’ve seen that the labour market has cooled really significantly across so many measures … It’s not a source of broad inflationary pressures for the economy now.” In fact, it never was. The source of inflation, and the ongoing price hikes in grocery items and essentials such as gas, was the supply chain crisis set off by the pandemic and then the war in Ukraine, which enabled profit gouging by major global food giants and energy companies. Powell noted that “nominal wage growth has eased over the past year” and the jobs-to-workers gap was well down from its peak and just a bit above its 2019 level. While Powell could not publicly acknowledge it, one of the main reasons for the suppression of wage rises has been the crucial role of the trade union bureaucracy in imposing sub-inflationary wage increases on broad sections of the working class.
Powell says Fed will cut rates when ready, regardless of political calendar (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank will make interest rate decisions "when and as" they are needed, pushing back on a suggestion that a September rate cut could be seen as a political act ahead of the fall presidential election. "Our undertaking is to make decisions when and as they need to be made, based on the data, the incoming data, the evolving outlook and the balance of risks, and not in consideration of other factors, and that would include political factors," Powell said in a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee. "We have a long history of doing that, including during election years...Anything we do will be very well grounded. It's just not appropriate for us to get into the business of thinking about election cycles at all, one way or the other." Powell was responding to a question during a committee hearing from U.S. Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, about whether a September rate cut, currently given a roughly 70% probability by investors, could be seen as trying to tilt the playing field ahead of the Nov. 5 elections. The state of the economy, and particularly the surge in housing, food and other costs in recent years, has been a potent issue for Republicans given public sentiment that remains sour given the high price of many items even as inflation itself has slowed. Rate cuts initially expected early this year were pushed back after inflation proved stickier than expected, with the Fed's monetary policy debate now lined up squarely with the fall campaign. "Since you made mention of the independence of the Fed, and I know you pride yourself on that independence, do you acknowledge or do members of the (Federal Open Market Committee) acknowledge that a rate cut in September could be viewed as political just 30 to 60 days before an election?" Lawler asked. It was the second day in a row that Powell's semiannual round of congressional hearings, ostensibly to discuss the economy and monetary policy, was infused with detailed discussions of Fed independence - a concept Powell often preaches, something members of both parties in both chambers of Congress say they support, yet which still became a central talking point as the Fed nears a rate cut decision. Republicans focused on the conditions that would warrant lower rates and encouraged Powell to not move until inflation was beaten; Democrats tried to draw him out on issues like proposals by a Republican-aligned group, called Project 2025, to overhaul and potentially weaken the Fed, and cited their concerns about rising unemployment. Powell, over his two days of commentary before the Senate and House committees that oversee the central bank, indicated the Fed was edging closer to a rate cut decision, while also insisting that he was not yet ready to declare that inflation had been beaten. Powell and other Fed officials have said they will not cut interest rates until they have gained even greater confidence that inflation is headed back to the central bank's 2% target after a breakout surge during the pandemic. "I do have some confidence of that," Powell said when asked directly if he felt the bar to cutting interest rates had been cleared, but "I am not ready to say that yet." Recent data, however, has been encouraging, Powell told lawmakers, and he emphasized that risks to the job market now stand on about equal footing with the risks of high inflation - with the Fed intent on meeting both its price stability and full employment goals. "There is a path to getting back to full price stability while keeping the unemployment rate low," Powell said. "We're on it. We're very focused on staying on that path." From ongoing growth to a 4.1% unemployment rate and falling inflation, Powell said the U.S. was enjoying "good numbers." After hitting a 40-year high in 2022 the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, was 2.6% as of May. Powell reiterated the central bank will need to cut rates before the figure returns fully to 2%, but after the underlying momentum seems likely to take it there. The Fed next meets on July 30-31. While officials are expected to maintain the benchmark interest rate at the comparatively high 5.25% to 5.5% range approved in July of 2023, further progress on inflation could lead to key changes in their policy statement that pave the way for a September cut. The next inflation report will be issued on Thursday. Powell has more public remarks set for Monday at the Economic Club of Washington. As they did in a Tuesday hearing before the Senate Banking Committee, lawmakers quizzed Powell on a variety of issues beyond monetary policy. Republicans in particular focused on bank regulatory proposals that have drawn opposition from the industry and GOP officials.His other comments on Wednesday largely tracked the Tuesday hearing in the Senate, which analysts feel showed both increased faith in a continued decline in inflation and a growing sensitivity to the risks of keeping monetary policy too tight for too long and slowing the economy more than necessary. As he did on Tuesday, Powell told House members that "more good data" would build the case for the U.S. central bank to cut interest rates.
Era of near-zero interest rates likely over: Powell - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the era of super low interest rates that occurred between the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic is likely over and that the neutral interest rate for hitting 2-percent annual inflation had probably risen. Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, Powell said that despite considerable progress on the fight against inflation, central bank interest rate policy was probably not going to return to the near-zero level that held between 2009 and 2017.“We probably won’t go back to that era between the global financial crisis and the pandemic where rates were very, very low and inflation was very low — like extremely low,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going back to rates that are that low.”Powell said that the baseline Fed interest rate necessary for achieving bothlow unemployment and price stability — the two parts of the central bank’s “dual mandate” — has probably gone up in the wake of the pandemic inflation and subsequent price renormalization.“We think that things like the neutral rate are driven by slow-moving forces, but ultimately you can see the effect. We have our policy rate over 5 percent now and it feels like policy is restrictive but not intensely restrictive. That suggests that the neutral rate of interest, at least as of now, will have risen somewhat, which means rates will get a little higher,” he told the committee.Investors have been eagerly awaiting interest rate cuts by the Fed, which are seen by most market participants as having a stimulative effect on the economy, although there has been some recent speculation that higher rates may actually be boosting economic activity through interest income.Recent upticks in unemployment as well as lower inflation readings in the personal consumption expenditures price index and consumer price index — two key gauges of inflation — suggest that the Fed may soon start cutting rates.“The most recent monthly readings have shown modest further progress. Longer-term inflation expectations appear to remain well anchored,” Powell said, adding later in his testimony that rate cuts should come before inflation descends all the way to 2-percent due to the effects of price momentum.Whether rate cuts come later this month or in September, or even later in the year, Powell’s Wednesday remarks about the longer-term neutral rate suggest that investors should not be expecting a reciprocal drop in rates to offset the rapid tightening cycle that took place starting in March 2022.Fiscal conditions in the economy that may be behind some of the “slow-moving forces” responsible for the potential shift in the neutral rate are significantly different today than they were before the pandemic.
Federal Reserve faces expectations for rate cuts this year — Chair Jerome Powell will enter this week's Federal Reserve meeting in a much more desirable position than he likely ever expected: Inflation is getting close to the Fed's target rate, the economy is still growing at a healthy pace, consumers keep spending and the unemployment rate is near a half-century low. A year ago, most economists envisioned a much darker outlook. As the Fed raised interest rates at the fastest pace in four decades to fight high inflation, most economists warned of a recession, possibly a painful one, with waves of layoffs and rising unemployment. Even the Fed's own economists projected the economy would sink into a recession in 2023. The unexpectedly rosy picture — one that's sure to be subject to heated debate in the 2024 presidential race — may have left some Fed officials saddled by uncertainty. With their frameworks for assessing the economy upended by the pandemic and its aftermath, it's hard to know whether the economy's healthy conditions can endure. "It almost feels like what we saw in the second half of last year was too good to be true," said Nathan Sheets, chief global economist at Citi and a former Fed economist. "When things are too good to be true, you want to try to scratch the surface and say, how durable is this?" Some Fed officials have raised similar questions and expressed caution about their next moves. When they last met in December, the Fed's 19 policymakers who participate in interest-rate decisions said they expected to cut their benchmark rate three times this year. Yet the timing of those rate cuts, which would lead to lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, remains uncertain. Most economists say they expect the first rate cut to occur in May or June, though a cut at the Fed's March meeting is not off the table. The timing of rate cuts will almost certainly be the top issue at the Fed's two-day meeting, which ends Wednesday. The Fed is all but sure to announce after the meeting that it's leaving its key rate unchanged at about 5.4%, where it's stood since July, its highest point in 22 years. The Fed's consideration of rate cuts is taking place against an intensifying presidential campaign as President Joe Biden seeks re-election with the economy a polarizing issue. Rate cuts have the potential to provoke an attack from former President Donald Trump, who nominated Powell to be Fed chair but later publicly assailed him for raising rates during the Trump presidency and demanded that he lower them. Trump might view any Fed rate cuts carried out this year as aiding Biden's prospects in November. At a news conference last month, Powell said: "We don't think about politics. We think about what's the right thing to do for the economy." On Wednesday, the Fed's policymakers could signal that they're close to cutting rates by adjusting the language in the statement they issue after each meeting. In December, the statement still suggested that the officials were willing to consider more rate increases. Removing or altering that language in next week's statement would signal that they're shifting to a new approach, focused on rate cuts.
Fed emphasizes independence, transparency in monetary policy report The Federal Reserve used its semiannual monetary policy report to tout its independence and its record on transparency.The report, released Friday morning, noted that the central bank's ability to conduct monetary policy unilaterally enjoys "broad support," even when such actions come with difficult tradeoffs."It is widely understood that the monetary policy actions that deliver maximum employment and price stability in the longer run may involve restraining measures that entail short-run economic costs, while actions that raise output and employment to unsustainable levels have no long-run real benefits and may lead to elevated inflation rates," the report noted. "These considerations highlight the value of monetary policy being carried out by an independent agency whose decisions are based on the congressionally assigned dual mandate."The Fed also detailed, at length, its efforts to craft its policies in a transparent way and explain them to the public. It notes the initiatives that have expanded the Fed's accountability during the past 30 years, including issuing a joint policy statement and holding a press conference after each Federal Open Market Committee meeting, as well as the agency's various reports and speeches from its officials. "The shift to greater transparency has reflected not only the fact that transparency supports the Federal Reserve's accountability, but also widespread acceptance that transparency can contribute to the effectiveness of monetary policy," the report notes.The report also summarizes the Fed's policy actions from the past few months, including its decisions to hold its benchmark interest rate steady and slow the pace of its balance sheet reduction. Echoing statements from the FOMC and individual Fed officials, the report noted that inflation has slowed considerably and economic conditions should allow for policy rates to be eased in the near future — as soon as the committee feels the slowdown is sustainable.
BankThink: Bidenflation? Trumpflation? No. The real problem is Covidflation. | American Banker - Most polls indicate that inflation "far and away" is the No. 1 issue in the upcoming presidential election, and it was the basis for one of the most heated exchanges in the recent presidentialdebate.Everyone has heard about Bidenflation, but why not Trumpflation?.Both presidential candidates share some blame to different degrees in how inflation was made worse by their actions and how it was managed — actually mismanaged — by the Federal Reserve.Neither person, however, is to be blamed for our current inflation problem, since the underlying cause was COVID-19, so, let's call it what it is: Covidflation.Yes, our inflation problem is bad, but we must never forget that COVID-19 took millions of lives and changed the lives of the rest of us.During my decades of teaching monetary economics at Wharton, I would start my inflation lecture with the basic demand and supply definition: "Too much money chasing too few goods." Too much demand in the first instance, and not enough supply in the second.Worst possible case? Both things happening at the same time and in a very big way. That was COVID-19.The Fed's monetary policy tools and Treasury's fiscal policy tools were immediately put to work to try stabilizing the economy, which went into a sharp but brief recession.The result was a record amount of money, most commonly measured by M2, injected in the economy. Meanwhile, COVID-19 shut down most supply lines causing shortages in virtually every sector of the economy.Either event, too much money or too few goods, is inflationary, but both of these happening overnight in a record way was super-inflationary.The supply shortages were immediately apparent in COVID-19's early months in 2020, and they peaked in 2021 but began to improve in early 2022 as supply channels reopened.When they say, "money is the root of all evil," that also goes for inflation. This is because there is a long and variable inflationary impact lag when a massive amount of M2 is injected in the economy.Yes, massive, as in the three-month annualized M2 growth rate exploding from 5.1% in February 2020 to 77.2% in May 2020, shattering previous records. M2 growth in the 34% to 65% range in the summer of 2020 gradually declined to the 10% to 20% range throughout the remainder of 2020 and 2021, still two to four times the pre-pandemic rate.The biggest evil of too much money is inflation. The late great Nobel laureate Milton Friedmanfamously said that "inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." In other words, money matters. The supply-side problem was improving into 2022. The demand-side problem, with a record amount of money in the system starting in March 2020 and festering throughout late 2020 and into 2021, was ticking like an inflationary bomb about to explode. Just as Professor Friedman predicted, inflation, with its usual 1-2 year or longer lag, reached a 40-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022.A little bit, say 2% to 3%, of inflation is not bad, as long as people are fully employed, and the economy is growing.But, if the Fed is not willing or able to nip inflation in the bud, especially when there is ample evidence of rapid M2 growth, we have a problem … an inflationary problem.This, unfortunately, exactly describes the Fed, based on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's mistakenbelief that "the growth of M2 … doesn't really have important implications for the economic outlook." With all the M2 and inflationary writing on the wall in 2020 and throughout 2021, the Fed chair, who was hoping to get reappointed by President Biden in late 2021, did nothing to combat inflation. In fact, he made matters worse for the public and financial markets throughout 2021 claiming repeatedly that inflation was "transitory."By the time he was reappointed and realized inflation was serious in 2022, it was too late. To combat inflation, he raised rates more quickly than ever before, but the inflation genie was out of the bottle.
US To Resume Shipments of 500-Pound Bombs To Israel - The Biden administration is sending a shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel that it initially delayed as a public relations stunt to make it appear that the US was doing something to rein in Israel’s killing of civilians.The US is still withholding a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, but it has sent 14,000 of them to Israel since October 7, giving the Israeli military plenty to drop on densely populated areas of Gaza.The US announced in May that it was withholding the bomb shipments, claiming it was doing so to pressure Israel not to launch a major assault on Rafah without taking into account the around 1.4 million civilians who were sheltering there.Israel ended up going ahead with the invasion and captured the Rafah border crossing, cutting off a vital channel for aid and strengthening the starvation blockade. The assault on Rafah left the city in rubble, and the majority of the civilians were forced to flee to overcrowded, unsanitary camps, which have been targeted by the Israeli military.Throughout the assault, the US claimed it was a more limited operation than what Israel initially planned. Despite Israel committing massacres in the city using US-provided weapons, the US continued to support the attack. The US is now sending the 500-pound bombs at a time when Israel has escalated operations across Gaza, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to sabotage the chances of a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.
Israel Used US-Provided Bomb on School Sheltering Civilians - Israel used a US-provided bomb in a strike on a school in a town east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis that was sheltering civilians, CNN reported on Wednesday.The airstrike hit tents on the outside of the school in the town of Abassan on Tuesday. Officials at the nearby Nasser Hospital said 31 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli attack, including eight children. Footage from Al Jazeera shows children playing soccer in the schoolyard as the strike hits the school’s entrance. Weapons experts told CNN that a video of the aftermath showed remnants of a US-made GBU-39 small-diameter bomb, a 250-pound munition. (Video shows how an Israeli attack hit a packed school shelter in Gaza while forcibly displaced Palestinians played football in the yard.)GBU-39 bombs have been used in other massacres in Gaza, including aJune strike on a UN school, a May attack on a tent camp in Rafah, and likely many more. The vast majority of the bombs Israel uses in Gaza are provided by the US since Washington is Tel Aviv’s main supplier of weapons.A report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March found that Israel gets 99% of its arms from the US and Germany. From 2019-2023, the report said the “USA accounted for 69% and Germany for 30% of Israeli arms imports.”
US To Permanently Remove Pier Built Off the Coast of Gaza - The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that the pier the US military built off the coast of Gaza will be reattached to the shore on Wednesday and then permanently removed after a few days.The idea is to clear aid that has piled up in Cyprus and on the offshore floating dock before ending the mission, which has not brought any relief to the starving Palestinians in Gaza. Aid groups have criticized the pier as a public relations stunt to make it appear that the US was doing something to get more aid into Gaza while continuing to support the Israeli military’s genocidal war and starvation blockade. President Biden ordered the construction of the pier instead of pressuring Israel to open more land border crossings, which is by far the most efficient way to get aid into the Strip. The Pentagon initially estimated the pier would cost $320 million to build and operate for 90 days but later revised the estimate to $230 million. The Pentagon also had to spend $22 million on repairs after the pier was damaged by heavy seas.The pier was removed from the coast several times due to weather that it could not handle. It was designed to be safely operated in a maximum of 3-foot waves and winds less than approximately 15 miles per hour, and heavier conditions are common in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Aid delivered through the pier also couldn’t be delivered due to the security situation for aid groups. On June 9, the UN’s World Food Programhalted operations in the area after the Israeli military struck its warehouses during the massive assault on Nuiserat that killed over 270 Palestinians and freed four Israeli hostages. AP previously reported that the UN was investigating whether or not the US-built pier was used in the Nuiserat massacre. Video that surfaced online showed an Israeli military helicopter operating near the pier during the operation, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said some of the Israeli troops who carried out the raid arrived in an aid truck.
US, Netherlands, and Denmark Announce F-16 Transfer to Ukraine Now 'Underway' - The leaders of the US, the Netherlands, and Denmark released a joint statement Wednesday during the ongoing NATO summit in Washington, stating that the transfer of US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is underway.“The Danish and Dutch governments are in the process of donating American-made F-16s to Ukraine, with the support of the United States,” the statement reads. “The transfer process for these F-16s is now underway, and Ukraine will be flying operational F-16s this summer.”The three leaders said Belgium and Norway have also pledged to send jets. According to previous reports, the four European nations have pledged to provide Ukraine with about 60 F-16s, but the training process has been slow, and only a few pilots are expected to be ready this summer.Ahead of the long-awaited F-16 transfer, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian airfields, destroying several Soviet-made aircraft. Ukrainian officials have said that to protect their F-16s, they might store some abroad, which could make the NATO bases housing them potential targets for the Russian military.The F-16 transfer marks a significant escalation of NATO involvement in the proxy war since it will be the first time Ukraine receives Western-made fighter jets. Russia has made clear it views the move as a major provocation and has noted the F-16s are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
F-16 Fighter Jets Now On Their Way To Ukraine, White House Says -American-made F-16 fighters jets are currently on their way to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday during a NATO public forum of the alliance's annual summit being hosted in Washington D.C. President Biden confirmed alongside European allies that "The transfer process for these F-16s is now under way."The program has been one year in the making, which has included training Ukrainian pilots at sites on US soil and in Europe. "Those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer, to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression," Blinken said further.Additionally a joint statement from partner countries in the program, Denmark and The Netherlands, said specifics and details are being withheld for "operational security.""The first of more than 60 American-made F-16 jet fighters are on their way to Ukraine and will be flying later this summer," the allies said.It was only in May that the first batch of pilots graduated from a US training program. Earlier reports disclosed that they are being trained at Air Forces bases in San Antonio, TX - and in Arizona.The announcement which comes on the second day of the NATO summit strongly signals the alliance is digging its heels in and looking for a fight.
Russia Steps Up Strikes on Ukrainian Airfields Ahead of F-16 Delivery - Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian airfields as Kyiv is preparing to receive its first batch of long-awaited US-made F-16 fighter jets.Last week, Russia hit three airfields and said it destroyed a total of seven aircraft, including five Soviet-made Su-27 fighter jets, one Mig-29 fighter jet, and a Mi-17 helicopter. In each attack, Russia published videos of the strikes as the airfields were being monitored by Russian drones. The successful Russian attacks are raising concern among Ukrainian officials about securing more Western jets. “If we keep losing aircraft in this way, no one will give us more,” said Ukrainian MP Roman Kostenko, according to AFP. Brig. Gen. Serhiy Holubtsov, the chief of aviation in the Ukrainian Air Force, suggested last month that Ukraine could store some of its F-16s abroad to ensure they’re not destroyed by Russia. That would mean placing them at NATO bases in Europe, making them potential targets for the Russian military.Ukraine is expected to receive its first F-16s from European NATO countries this month. The Netherlands has promised 24 F-16s for Ukraine and said on Saturday they would be delivered “without delay.”The provision of F-16s to Ukraine will mark a significant escalation of NATO’s involvement in the proxy war as it will mark the first time the alliance has sent Western-made jets. The US and several European countries have been training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 since last year.
Oh, Looks Like Bombing Hospitals Is Bad Again --- Caitlin Johnstone -- A missile struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv on Monday during the heaviest Russian bombardment on Ukraine in months, which stretched across five regions and reportedly killed some forty people. Kyiv and its western allies are saying the children’s hospital was hit by Russia, while Moscow says the hospital was hit by a Ukrainian air defense missile during Russia’s attack. All that’s clear as of this writing is that the hospital was bombed either as a direct or indirect result of the Russian missile strikes, and that western leaders are responding very, very differently to this news than they have been to deliberate Israeli attacks on hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip. “Russia’s missile strikes that today killed dozens of Ukrainian civilians and caused damage and casualties at Kyiv’s largest children’s hospital are a horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality,” tweeted whoever runs the US president’s Twitter account, adding, “It is critical that the world continues to stand with Ukraine at this important moment and that we not ignore Russian aggression.” “Attacking innocent children. The most depraved of actions. We stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression — our support won’t falter,” tweeted the UK’s new prime minister Keir Starmer.“This is abhorrent. Striking a children’s hospital — and the innocent children inside — cannot be justified,” tweeted Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, adding, “My heart goes out to the families who are grieving — and Canada’s commitment to Ukraine remains as strong as ever.”“Russia’s missile attacks on several Ukrainian cities, including a Kyiv children’s hospital are abhorrent,” echoed Australian foreign minister Penny Wong as though responding to some kind of memo. “We condemn the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals. Australia continues to support the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal, immoral war.”Contrast this firm and unequivocal statement from Wong with her mealy-mouthed, passive-language statement about Israel’s deliberate systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system: “Hospitals, patients, medical and humanitarian staff must be protected. Australia is deeply concerned by attacks in and around hospitals in Gaza, including an Indonesian-funded hospital in northern Gaza and a Jordanian field hospital.” And that’s about as strong a criticism as you’ll see from western officials regarding Israel’s relentless assault on Palestinian hospitals. Most haven’t had anything to say at all.Since October 7 there have been hundreds of documented IDF attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system, which according to the UN has been mostly destroyed by this onslaught. Oxford University professor Nick Maynard has accused the IDF of “systematically targeting healthcare facilities, healthcare personnel and really dismantling the whole healthcare system” in Gaza after spending time working there during Israel’s bombardment of the enclave.According to a new report published in The Lancet medical journal, indirect deaths ensuing from Israel’s assault on Gaza by things like disease and inability to access healthcare services will likely wind up being many times greater than the direct deaths caused by mass military violence, saying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths for every one reported official death would wind up putting the grand total death toll at around 186,000. And that’s with an official direct death toll that is definitely a huge undercount.Where was all the outrage about all this? Where were all the statements from western officials about how “abhorrent” it is to attack those hospitals? Where were all the western news media headlines explicitly naming Israel as the perpetrator of those attacks, like they’ve been doing with Russia? Nowhere to be found.This is because western empire managers do not actually believe that there is anything “abhorrent” or “horrific” about attacking a hospital — at least not one which provides services to Palestinians or other populations who are not favored by the western empire. This has nothing to do with concern for human lives and wellbeing. They just want to manufacture more consent for continuing their proxy war in Ukraine.
US Announces New Weapons Package for Ukraine After Biden-Zelensky Meeting - On Thursday, the US announced a new weapons package for Ukraine after President Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO summit in Washington.The Pentagon said the new arms package was worth $225 million, but it includes one Patriot missile battery, which typically costs around $1 billionwith all of its related equipment. Antiwar.com asked the Defense Department about the discrepancy but hasn’t received a response at the time this article was published.According to the Pentagon’s press release, the full package includes:
- One Patriot battery
- Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS)
- Stinger anti-aircraft missiles
- Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
- 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds
- Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) equipment and missiles
- Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems
- Small arms ammunition
- Demolitions munitions
- Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment
The package is being provided in the form of the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the Biden administration to send weapons directly from US military stockpiles.The Pentagon also released a fact sheet that said the US has provided Ukraine with more than $53.7 billion in military equipment alone since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.The announcement of the weapons package and new Patriot battery came after the US and several NATO allies announced a plan to provide dozens of new air defense systems in the coming months. The alliance also committed to giving Ukraine $43 billion in military aid in 2025.
US Announces It Will Deploy Previously Banned Nuclear-Capable Missiles To Germany - The deployment of land-based Tomahawk missiles would have violated the INF Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019. The US announced on Wednesday that it will deploy missiles to Germany that would have been banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019.The INF prohibited land-based missile systems with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles. The planned deployment to Germany includes a land-based version of nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of about 1,000 miles and are primarily used by US Navy ships and submarines. “The United States will begin episodic deployments of the long-range fires capabilities of its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany in 2026, as part of planning for enduring stationing of these capabilities in the future,” the US and Germany said in a joint statement released amid the ongoing NATO summit in Washington.“When fully developed, these conventional long-range fires units will include SM-6, Tomahawk, and developmental hypersonic weapons, which have significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe,” the statement added.Based on the statement, the US likely plans to deploy a Typhon launcher, a covert system concealed in a 40-foot shipping container that can fire Tomahawks and SM-6 missiles. The SM-6 can hit targets up to 290 miles away, below the levels previously banned by the INF.The US has previously deployed Typhon launchers for military exercises in the Philippines and Denmark. The announcement of a regular deployment of the missile system to Germany comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow should follow the US in developing weapons previously banned by the INF.
Russian Officials Vow Response to US Missile Deployment to Germany - On Thursday, Russian officials reacted strongly and vowed to respond to the US announcing that it will deploy missile systems to Germany starting in 2026 that were previously banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. “Without nerves, without emotions, we will develop a military response, first of all, to this new game,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. He called the US decision “destructive to regional safety and strategic stability.” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador in Washington, said the deployment could lead to confrontation. “The Americans are increasing the risk of a missile arms race. Here, they forget that going the way of confrontation may set off an uncontrollable escalation amid the dangerous aggravation of tensions along the Russia-NATO track,” he said. Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, warned of a strong response if the US goes through with the deployment. “I hope that it will not happen, because Russia’s response will be harsh and adequate. This is simply unacceptable,” she said. The INF prohibited land-based missile systems with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles. The US and Germany said in a joint statement that the planned deployment includes a land-based version of nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of about 1,000 miles and are primarily used by US Navy ships and submarines. The US and Germany also said that the deployment will include SM-6 missiles, which have a range of about 290 miles, and “developmental hypersonic weapons.” The statement said the missiles have “significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe.” There’s no indication yet that the missiles will be armed with nuclear weapons, but the statement leaves open the possibility. The US already has nuclear bombs stationed in Germany as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing, but they are B61 gravity bombs that need to be dropped from aircraft. Before the INF was signed in 1987, the Soviet Union had land-based nuclear-armed missiles deployed in its western territory that could hit western Europe, and the US had similar systems deployed that could hit Soviet territory. When the US withdrew from the INF treaty, it claimed Russia was violating the agreement by developing the ground-launched 9M729 cruise missile. Russian officials denied the missile was a violation, saying it had a maximum range of 298 miles. Russia also said the US was violating the INF by establishing Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Romania and Poland. The systems use Mk-41 vertical launchers, which can fit Tomahawk missiles. During the NATO summit, the US also announced that its Aegis system in Poland is now operational. The US refused to negotiate with Russia on the INF issues, and the Trump administration tore up the treaty in August 2019 and began testing previously banned missile systems almost immediately after. It was clear the US exited the treaty so it could deploy intermediate-range missiles near China, leading Russia to propose a moratorium on the deployment of INF missiles in Europe. But the US never accepted the offer.
Russia Rules Out All Nuclear Talks With US Until It Adopts A 'Sane' Approach -A top Russian diplomat stressed that the Kremlin is unwilling to engage with the White House on arms control issues due to the Biden administration’s Russophobic stance. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov argued that President Donald Trump left the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) to provoke China. In an interview with The International Affairs published on Monday, Ryabkov explained Moscow’s position on arms control talks with Washington. "We do not have the foundation right now and we are not even close to shaping one in order to launch a tentative dialogue, not talks even, in this field. This is a result of Washington’s destructive policy course," he stated. "Until [the US] clearly show some change for the better in their policy, at the very least, demonstrate that this boundless and unabashed Russophobia has been set aside and is replaced with a slightly more sane approach," he said, adding, "until this happens, there simply can be no dialogue on strategic stability." Since the end of the Cold War, Washington has abandoned a series of agreements that limited the US and Russia’s conventional as well as nuclear arsenals. Additionally, the Kremlin left the New Start Treaty in response to the White House’s support for Kiev. The deterioration of the global arms control agreement has coincided with a rise in spending on nuclear weapons and arms overall. Both Beijing and Moscow view the launchers as highly provocative. Ryabkov argued Trump left the INF Treaty to build intermediate-range missiles to intimidate China. "Americans needed to withdraw from the treaty in order to create such systems to intimidate the People’s Republic of China," Ryabkov said. "And it is no coincidence that we have recently had a sharply intensified discussion about when and where the Americans might begin to deploy their medium-range weapons in the Asia-Pacific region."Recently, Washington and Moscow have taken steps to use arms limited by the INF Treaty. The agreement barred land-based missiles, and launchers, with a range of 300-3,400 miles. The US has deployed a covert launcher for intermediate-range missiles to Denmark and the Philippines for war games. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would begin producing weapons that the INF Treaty outlawed. "We need to start production of these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where — if necessary to ensure our safety — to place them," he stated.
US Rules Out Resuming Nuclear Talks With Iran's New President - On Monday, the White House ruled out the idea of resuming negotiations related to Iran’s civilian nuclear program despite the election of a new president who seeks a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, which the Trump administration tore up in 2018.On the campaign trail, President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, considered a reformist in Iranian politics, vowed to work toward Western sanctions relief and favors the idea of engaging directly with the US. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, has noted that Iran seeking direct negotiations with the US in the context of another Trump presidency is a significant shift in Tehran’s policy. But it’s unlikely Pezeshkian will have a willing partner in negotiations since the White House has ruled out talks and a second Trump administration is not expected to soften its stance on Iran.“We’re not in a position where we’re willing to get back to the negotiating table with Iran just based on the fact that they’ve elected a new president,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Both Kirby and State Department spokesman Matt Miller have said they don’t expect a change in Iran’s policies as a result of the election. “We have no expectation that this election will lead to a fundamental change in Iran’s direction or its policies,” Miller said.
Putin & Erdogan Discuss Syria Rapprochement To Squeeze Out Pentagon Occupation - During the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) annual summit which is being held in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana, Russia's Putin and Turkey's Erdogan publicly broached the subject of a potential Turkey rapprochement with the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The two have been in a de facto state of war for over a decade, with Turkish troops still occupying parts of northern Syrian territory, and after relations were cut in 2011 upon the start of the war. Turkey was foremost among NATO allies pushing regime change in Damascus, which involved covert support to ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other jihadist insurgents.But more recently Ankara's priorities have shifted as it seeks to root out Syrian Kurdish paramilitary groups in north Syria, as well assqueeze out the US troop presence there. The Pentagon has long backed the Kurds and their aspirations for an autonomous region, but both Assad and Erdogan agree that the US occupation must end immediately."We couldn’t meet with my dear friend for a long time,” Erdogan had told Putin at the SCO during introductory remarks. And the Russian leader in turn told a press briefing, "We continue to work actively on a number of the most important lines of international policy. We are in constant contact with you. Our ministries and agencies are constantly exchanging information and coordinating positions on key areas."Regarding Syria, a Turkish readout of the Putin-Erdogan meeting said, "He [Erdogan] stressed the importance of taking concrete steps toend the instabilities that create fertile ground for terrorist organizations, especially in the Syrian civil war... Turkey is ready to cooperate for a solution."This comes one week after Erdogan shocked his own population and officials by saying there's currently no obstacle which would prevent the restoration of official ties with Syria. According to the Associated Press: His comments came just days after Syrian President Bashar Assad made similar remarks, indicating a willingness among the two neighboring countries to end tensions and normalize relations."There is no reason why (diplomatic ties) should not be established," Erdogan told reporters.“In the same way that we kept our relations with Syria alive in the past — we had these meetings with Mr Assad that included family meetings — we cannot say that it will not happen again,” Erdogan said. He was referring to a vacation that the Erdogan and Assad families took in southern Turkey in 2008, before their relationship soured.
US, allies raise concerns over Chinese hackers -A group of eight countries, including the United States and Australia, are raising concerns over Chinese hacking groups and the threat they pose.The advisory, reported first by The Wall Street Journal, marks an unusual move for Western governments, who joined together to target China’s cyber activity, which they claim is led by the country’s intelligence services.Australia led the warning and marks the first time the country has taken such action after being slow to criticize the activity from its largest trading partner, the Journal noted.The U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan alljoined in on the advisory.“In our current strategic circumstances, these attributions are increasingly important tools in deterring malicious cyber activity,” said Richard Marles, Australia’s deputy prime minister, per the Journal.The warning targeted a group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40, or APT40. It works with China’s Ministry of State Security to conduct cybersecurity operations. Rachael Falk, the chief executive officer of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre in Australia, told the outlet this kind of action from all eight countries is “significant.”“You don’t see collective attribution from so many agencies about one malicious cyber threat actor very often,” she said.The group is accused of posing as a normal user and subsequently working to steal valuable data. ATP40 finds loopholes in widely used software and compromises people’s personal devices, Falk said.In its advisory, Australia said the group prefers exploiting “vulnerable, public-facing infrastructure over techniques that require user interaction such as phishing campaigns.”The warning did not list why it was being released now, but the timing suggests that the group is still active, the Journal noted.The concerns about China’s hacking and cybersecurity plans have increased in recent years. It plays a major role in the tensions between the China and the U.S., even as leaders meet to try to repair relationships.In March, the Biden administration sanctioned two Chinese nationals and a company that allegedly targeted critical infrastructure sectors as part of an ongoing hacking effort.
Mike Johnson focuses on threats from China, support for NATO, Taiwan in major speech -Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday outlined his vision for a foreign policy that bridges the historical Republican view of leadership in the world with criticism from former President Trump that allies are exploiting U.S. investments in defense. Johnson, delivering his first comprehensive foreign policy speech at the Hudson Institute, argued for “a U.S.-led, America First coalition that advances the security interest of Americans and engages abroad with the interests of working families and businesses here at home, a coalition that’s good for everybody.” Speaking ahead of the NATO summit that kicks off in Washington this week, Johnson echoed criticisms from Trump focused on the nine NATO allies who had yet to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense spending. He slammed as “shameful” Canada’s new defense policy plan that will increase defense spending to 1.76 percent by 2030. “Talk about riding America’s coattails, they have the safety and security of being on our border,” he said while expressing support for the alliance, which is a frequent target of Trump’s ire. “Republicans celebrate the peace and prosperity NATO has secured, and we’ll continue to stand by our partners as we prevent needless wars,” Johnson said. He also spoke about the importance of defending Taiwan — a departure from Trump’s ambiguity on whether the U.S. would come to the defense of the democratic, self-governing island, which is facing aggression from China. “If for no other reason, semiconductors,” Johnson said in response to a question why it’s important to America that Taiwan remain safe and secure. “Imagine China being in charge of all the semiconductor production in the world, and controlling the trade routes through that part of overseas trade, it’s an unimaginable prospect. We defend freedom of people, we stand for freedom, the nation of Taiwan is important to defend for all of its merits, but it’s also directly in our economic, stability interests.” Still, Johnson cited the influence of former President Reagan’s approach to foreign policy of investing in a strong U.S. military and partnering with allies, to deter threats from adversaries. “Reagan said, ‘We are indeed, and we are today the last best hope of man on Earth,’” Johnson noted. The mention is a call to the wing of Republicans in Congress who were key influencers on Johnson’s decision to move forward with President Biden’s $95 billion national security supplemental in April. Johnson had to overcome opposition from the majority of Republicans to pass a bill that delivered military and economic aid for Ukraine, calling it a “Churchill or Chamberlain moment for our country.”
US Troops Leaving Bases in Niger - On Sunday, the US military finished pulling troops out of Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital Niamey as the US withdrawal from the country is progressing. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman, who is on the ground overseeing the withdrawal, said Friday that less than 500 US troops remain at Air Base 201, a major drone base located in Agadez that cost the US over $100 million to build.The troops based at Air Base 201 are scheduled to complete their exit in August as the US has a deadline of September 15 to get out of the country. Two-thirds of the US troops and equipment must be out of Niger by July 26.Ekman said that a small number of US special operations forces, about 10-20 soldiers, have redeployed elsewhere in Africa. But the bulk of the US troops being pulled out of Niger will be sent to Europe.Air Base 201 served as a major hub for US military operations in the region, so the US tried to stay in Niger after the July 2023 coup that ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum but was forced out after a contentious meeting with the military-led government.Ekman said the US is looking to establish a similar presence elsewhere in West Africa but didn’t specify where. Reuters reported last week that the US has had initial conversations about the possibility with Benin, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.The US tried to stay in Niger following the coup, but Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told The Washington Post 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.”
U.S. troops withdraw from Niger air base following coup -- U.S. troops formally withdrew from a major air base in Niger on Monday, the first of two bases to be evacuated by American forces after Niamey fell to a military coup in 2023 and Nigerien officials ordered Washington to leave. American forces left Air Base 101, near the capital of Niamey, after a ceremony formalizing the departure of the troops, according to U.S. Africa Command (Africom). The last aircraft to leave, an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transportation plane, departed Monday. The U.S. will leave Air Base 201 in the city of Agadez in September. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman, Africom’s director of strategy, engagement and programs, said he was grateful for the orderly and safe withdrawal of American troops. “Today we reflect positively on the past 15 years of security cooperation and shared sacrifice by U.S. forces and Nigerien forces,” Ekman said in a statement. A military junta took control of Niger in July 2023, part of a series of Sahel countries falling to coups in recent years. Niamey has since grown closer to Russia. The transition process to leave Air Base 101 began on May 19 when the U.S. and Niger signed a document stipulating the terms of withdrawal. The U.S. withdrawal from Niger has sparked fears of a resurgence in extremist terrorist activity, including from groups affiliated with ISIS. American forces are in Africa and the Middle East to combat the Islamic State group and conduct counterterrorism operations. Ekman said the U.S. will have to adjust its “presence and activities in West Africa to pursue mutual security objectives.” “United States Africa Command will maintain our focus on building partner capacity and strengthening relationships and trust,” he said. “We are committed to listening to West African militaries to best support their partner-led, U.S. enabled operations to counter violent extremism and improve security and stability.”
The Mainstream Worldview Is A Mass-Produced Artificial Psychosis -- Caitlin Johnstone -- People who still believe that the news media tell them the truth and that their nation and their world work pretty much the way they were taught in school are just as brainwashed and deluded as any QAnon cultist. The only difference is that their delusions are much more widely shared, and that the mechanisms used to brainwash them are much more high-budget and sophisticated. The mainstream worldview is really just a mass-produced artificial psychosis. It’s actually difficult to wrap your mind around the scale and pervasiveness of the mountain of lies upon which this dystopian civilization is built. You think you’re starting to get a read on things, then you gain more knowledge and insight and realize it goes so much further than you thought. You start pulling on one thread, maybe some obvious lie about Iraq or Palestine or whatever, and the whole thing just keeps unraveling and unraveling and unraveling. Before you know it you’re staring at a society that is not just riddled with untruth, but actually woven entirely from the fabric of untruth. Everything. How your nation really works. How the world really works. How capitalism really works. What politics really are. What the media are really used for. What laws are really used for. What wars and militarism are really used for. What ideology is really used for. What religion is really used for. What culture is really used for. What rules and etiquette are really used for. It’s all made-up narrative all the way down, and all of those narratives are made up by the powerful, in the service of the powerful. You can tell someone’s still playing in the shallow end of the pool of political insight based on how much time they spend freaking out about a dark dystopian future, because it shows the extent to which they fail to perceive how profoundly unfree we are right here and now. Right wingers, ideologically prohibited from considering the possibility that what they’re experiencing under capitalism isn’t real freedom, spend their time freaking out about a neo-Marxist future where everyone’s trapped in 15-minute cities and forced to take poisonous vaccines and eat bugs. Western liberals, ideologically prohibited from considering the possibility they live under the world’s most tyrannical power structure and that everything they were taught is a lie, spend their time freaking out about a future under a horrible Trumpian dictatorship. If you’ve really got your eyes open, you understand that as a whole we could not actually be more effectively enslaved to the will of the powerful than we are right now, even if we were all wearing chains around our necks and had mind control computer chips in our brains. As a collective we’re always thinking, speaking, laboring, spending, living, acting and voting exactly as the wealthiest and most powerful people in our society want us to, our entire lives completely dedicated to the service of their continued power and profit while our information systems keep pummeling us with the message that we are free. We are indoctrinated into believing we live in a free country unlike those poor suckers in Iran or North Korea, and we are indoctrinated into believing everything else our tyrannical rulers want us to believe as well. We sing of our freedom while marching in unison to the beat of the imperial drum, our minds so fully subjugated that we don’t even realize that we are marching. “We are free!” we cry. “Free to sell our labor at extortionate rates to the capitalist class. Free to pay rent to professional land-hoarders or mortgage payments to banks for the privilege of having shelter on the planet we were born on. Free to choose between ten thousand different kinds of toothpaste and two warmongering capitalist political parties. Free to vote in fake elections for fake candidates who will never change anything. Free to think however we were trained to think and say anything we’ve been trained to say. Free to live exactly how we’ve been programmed to live by our owners.” And sure there are a few of us who manage get our minds unplugged from the propaganda matrix, but our numbers are kept so few as to be inconsequential. Everyone else is told we are paranoid conspiracy theorists and victims of Russian propaganda and disinformation in order to inoculate the mainstream herd against infection from our wrongthink, while the volume on the imperial indoctrination machine is simply cranked up a notch. The good news is that there’s no way this is sustainable. There’s only so much depravity you can sweep under the carpet with the broom of deception before people start noticing the lumps on the floor. There’s only so far you can stretch and twist the human mind before it snaps. The empire is a house of cards resting on a closed pair of eyelids, and at some point those eyelids are going to flutter open. At some point everyone’s going to start noticing the loose threads in the fabric of all this, and keep pulling and pulling until they see through the entire scam.
"Vast DEI Bureaucracy" Negatively Impacting US Armed Forces; University Study Finds - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in the United States military are ineffective, a new Arizona State University study suggests. The study done by the university's Center for American Institutions argued that there is an emphasis on training new soldiers about social issues like "unconscious bias" and "intersectionality" in a way the center says runs contrary to typical American ideals. The study examined DEI plans in different sectors of the military, including DEI office staffing and education at academies like West Point."The massive DEI bureaucracy, its training and its pseudo-scientific assessments are at best distractions that absorb valuable time and resources," the executive summary states. "At worst they communicate the opposite of the military ethos: e.g. that individual demographic differences come before team and mission."Donald Critchlow, the director of the center, wrote in the studies introduction that it was focused on looking at the influence of Critical Race Theory in the United States Armed Forces training."The Commission on Civic Education in the Military began as a project to review civic education in the military. Our research team did not expect to find Critical Race Theory so embedded and pervasive. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are found throughout the U.S. Armed Forces and our service academies," Critchlow wrote. "This year long study documents just how pervasive these training programs are in our Armed Forces and Service Academies and that DEI extends well beyond just formal training programs in the military and service academies.""The Founders of our nation understood and feared a politicized military. History had shown them that a politicized army easily became the tool of tyranny. The Armed Forces of the United States has proudly upheld this long tradition of separating mission from politics," he continued. In terms of recommendations, the study suggests that DEI office's be completely scrapped, but said it may be politically unlikely for the time being.
Biden signs bipartisan bill to bolster U.S. nuclear power -President Biden signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday aimed at bolstering the nation’s nuclear power in what supporters describe as a historic win for the sector. The nuclear package is expected to speed up the timeline for licensing new nuclear reactors and cut fees that companies have to pay to do so. It also requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to put together a report that considers ways to simplify and shorten the environmental review process for such reactors. Supporters say the legislation is a big deal for the nuclear power sector, and will help bring more of the climate-friendly, albeit controversial, power source online. It was combined with another bill that reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration and grant programs for firefighters, which was also signed into law. Biden, in a social media post, announced he signed the legislation, known as the ADVANCE Act, calling saying it would help provide “clean nuclear power and good union jobs.” Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said in a joint statement that Biden signed the bill into law. “Today is a momentous day for our climate and America’s clean energy future,” said Carper, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a written statement. “This bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source.” However, the bill was not without its critics, who have raised concerns about bolstering nuclear power because of potential safety issues and challenges related to nuclear waste. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) described the legislation as containing “poison pills that undermine nuclear safety” in a statement to The Hill last month. Some critics have also raised concerns about a provision that would change the mission of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prevent it from “unnecessarily” limiting nuclear power.
'Climate smart' label spells trouble for farm bill - Lawmakers looking to use the 2024 farm bill to fight climate change are running into another complication: Not everyone agrees on what makes agriculture “climate smart.”Shifting definitions — and a reluctance from some Republican lawmakers to utter the term at all except in criticizing it — continue to frustrate efforts to reduce greenhouse gases through certain farming practices.Democrats and Republicans disagree about whether Congress should try to tailor the farm bill to climate change through conservation programs. Democrats say they won’t accept a farm bill that doesn’t do that, while Republicans say a bill that does would put those programs out of reach for some producers.Divisions on how to address climate change are one reason the five-year bill may be delayed until after the November elections and possibly into 2025 — two years behind schedule.
House committee approves big cuts to EPA, Interior - The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved its fiscal 2025 spending bill for the Interior Department, EPA and other environmental agencies on a 29-25 vote over fierce Democratic objections. The bill, which would impose steep cuts on those agencies while knocking out dozens of the Biden administration’s climate initiatives, is unlikely to become law but represents the House GOP’s negotiating position with the Senate. In a sign of the spending battles to come, Republicans rejected Democratic efforts to strip the bill of riders. Instead, the GOP added more provisions against administration priorities. Advertisement “I’m pleased the bill will help reduce energy costs, protect American jobs and ensure that we can continue to access our public lands to recreate, hunt and develop our natural resources,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who chairs the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee.
House passes GOP bills aiming to block dishwasher and fridge efficiency standards -The House on Tuesday passed a pair of bills that aim to block efficiency standards for refrigerators and dishwashers — the latest in a series of Republican efforts to hit the administration on household appliance restrictions. The refrigerator bill passed the House 212-192 and the dishwasher bill passed 214-192. The legislation is unlikely to be taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate or signed by President Biden. The otes are instead messaging measures that take aim at the Biden administration, which has issued rules aimed at making the appliances more efficient. The White House argues the increased efficiency will be better for the planet and help consumers save on their energy bills. But Republicans contend that the standards limit consumer choice and may also force higher upfront costs on consumers. The GOP has over the past couple of years hammered Democrats on efforts to shift the nation toward more efficient stoves and other appliances, turning the fight into a culture war issue.
5th Circuit grills Biden admin on ESG rule that Chevron saved - The demise of the Chevron doctrine may have jeopardized one of the Biden administration’s most unusual strategies to curb climate change.During oral arguments Tuesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared prepared to reverse a ruling by a Trump-appointed judge that upheld a Labor Department rule that helps retirement plan sponsors account for climate risks in investing.The lower court judge — Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas — had used Chevron as one basis for his decision in September. The Supreme Court ruled in June to overturn the doctrine, which says judges should generally defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of uncertainty in federal law.“What effect in your mind has the Chevron change — Chevron departure, I guess we’ll say — had in this case?” 5th Circuit Judge Catharina Haynes, a George W. Bush appointee, asked a lawyer for opponents of the Labor Department rule during Tuesday’s arguments.
Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’ halts another EPA rule - The Supreme Court is once again reaching out through its emergency docket to bring environmental protections to a standstill.Last month’s 5-4 ruling that blocked EPA controls on smog-forming pollution that wafts across state lines is the latest in a string of decisions over the last eight years that have expanded the power of the Supreme Court’s emergency — or “shadow” — docket.The emergency docket is traditionally reserved for nondivisive procedural matters that are settled quickly and without explanation.But in 2016, the court — over the objections of four justices — did what a lower bench had refused to do and blocked the Clean Power Plan, a landmark Obama-era rule that sought to push the limits of EPA’s Clean Air Act authority to shift the power sector from coal to renewables.“The issue was, did EPA have any business issuing this rule at all?” Sam Sankar, senior vice president for programs at Earthjustice, said of the Supreme Court’s analysis of the Clean Power Plan in 2016.But conservatives’ claims against the “good neighbor” rule that the court froze in June, he said, focused on whether EPA explained itself well enough on a technical detail of a type of rule the Clean Air Act requires the agency to issue.“If there are these minor technical problems on these rules, and they hold them up while a full lower court proceeding takes place, sometimes that takes years,” said Sankar. “It is fundamentally changing the way EPA authority works,” he added. The Court’s June 27 opinion in Ohio v. EPA is the result of a change in procedure around the emergency docket. In a move that some legal observers say appears to be an attempt to increase transparency, the justices have recently plucked some requests for emergency relief, added them to their oral argument schedule and offered full opinions on the matters, in an expedited fashion.They used that approach to swiftly block Biden administration Covid-19 vaccination and student debt relief policies. Those decisions split the court 6-3 along ideological lines.The justices’ decision in Ohio v. EPA only temporarily stops the good neighbor requirements from taking effect while litigation plays out in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The lower bench, as it did in the case of the Clean Power Plan, had already found that challengers failed to meet the high bar to persuade the court to immediately block the rule, which has been in effect since August.Republican-led states and industry groups had argued that the rule was fatally flawed after its implementation was frozen in more than half of the 23 states that were originally covered under the plan. They made their case to the D.C. Circuit — and later the Supreme Court — that they would be irreparably harmed if the rule stayed in effect.EPA’s latest good neighbor rule is projected to reduce nitrogen oxides by 70,000 tons during the 2026 summertime ozone season, a more modest target than the agency’s 2011 Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which projected annual NOx reductions of 340,000 tons during that period. Unlike that earlier rule, however, the latest version also sets limits on industries other than power plants, including steel makers and natural pipeline operators.Jeff Holmstead, a partner at the law and lobbying firm Bracewell and a former EPA air chief, said the agency’s latest good neighbor rule carries unwieldy compliance costs and imposes requirements too broadly.He said the emergency docket is the only way to stop a rule from taking effect — and that the justices may be signaling frustration that the D.C. Circuit isn’t acting quickly to stop expensive EPA rules.“The message is if it looks like an agency is exceeding its authority, you need to step in and stay the rule before [industry needs] to step in and spend hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.EPA’s supporters say the Supreme Court’s ruling could send a signal to the D.C. Circuit that the justices do not think the rule is legal. They say the stay may lead to yearslong implementation delays that could be detrimental to public health and the Biden administration’s efforts to move the utility sector away from coal-fired power.The stay ruling also sends a message to industry that it can use the Supreme Court’s emergency docket to stop rules it doesn’t like — instead of requiring companies to “put their money where their mouth is” and start finding ways to comply, said Sankar.The Clean Power Plan, for example, never went into effect after the 2016 Supreme Court stay. The justices eventually invalidated the rule in 2022 in West Virginia v. EPA — even though the power sector met its requirement to cut carbon pollution 32 percent from 2005 levels more than a decade in advance of the regulation’s 2030 deadline.“History has shown that industry is usually able to do this — not just usually, almost always able to do this — at far lower cost than it predicts,” Sankar said. “So changing the way these regulations go into effect has impact beyond even just the public health impacts.”
The Nationwide 500,000 EV Charger Charade - The charade I refers to is President Biden’s $7.5 billion dollar investment to install 500,000 electric charging stations along America’s highways by 2030. A reliable and convenient public EV charging infrastructure is critical to achieve the President’s goal of meeting the recent EPA CO2 emission regulation that require nearly 72% of U.S. new light vehicle sales to be fully electric or plug-in hybrid by 2032. Without diving deeper into the announcement, one would likely assume that $7.5 billion is sufficient to construct the 500,000 charging stations, one every 50 miles along the nation’s highways.To identify the charade, one must first, look at the math:
- 500,000 charging stations, each with a minimum of four chargers, accomplished with an investment of $7.5 billion dollars.
- But that is only $15,000 per charging station, installed.
- A single high capacity charger can cost $100,000 or more, and most stations have multiple chargers.
- We are now in the second year of the program and only seven stations have been opened so far.
- At this rate, it will require thousands of years to build all 500,000 charging stations, assuming there are sufficient funds to do so.
Global consulting firm McKinsey and Company estimates that the U.S. will need 28 million charging ports by 2030.There are just two million charging ports today.To meet the goal, about 12,000 new public and private charging ports will need to be added every single day to reach the goal by 2030.It is true that significantly more government funded charging stations are in the works and will be opened.The stations completed so far cost significantly more than what has been promised.With retailers contributing land to the projects opened so far, the cost of each station has averaged one-million dollars, with the government participation of 80% of the cost.Eight-hundred-thousand dollars for each station is significantly more than the 15,000 committed by the administration.At this rate, the 500,000 charging stations will cost the government $400 billion, not the $7.5 billion the President has promised.If the administration is so wrong with this program, one must consider how many government programs designed to bring electric vehicles to the masses are similarly defective.
Business Roundtable targets climate rule supported by its members - A trade association for the nation’s top chief executives is working to kill a Biden administration climate policy supported by some of the group’s biggest members, including Apple.The Business Roundtable last month threw its muscle behind a legal bid to strike down a Securities and Exchange Commission rule that would require standardized corporate climate risk disclosures — a key component of the Biden administration’s plan to slow rising temperatures.But more than a fifth of the group’s 27 board members — including Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins, the chair of the Business Roundtable — run companies that issued comments backing the SEC climate rule, according to an E&E News analysis of regulatory filings.Other companies represented on the group’s board of directors that have supported the regulation are Citi, United Airlines, FedEx and Cummins, an engine maker whose leader chairs the Business Roundtable’s energy and environment committee.
GAO: Congress can use CRA to undo whale drilling safeguards - Congress’ watchdog has concluded that an Interior Department advisory to offshore drillers protecting an endangered whale qualifies as a “rule” and so should have been run by lawmakers.The finding from the Government Accountability Office means a 2023 notice to lessees (NTL) laying out voluntary restrictions on oil companies in the Rice’s whale potential habitat should be submitted for congressional review.GAO’s conclusion opens the door for a Congressional Review Act resolution to undo the guidance, which has been criticized by several prominent Republicans. Congress has passed several resolutions against Biden administration rules, all which President Joe Biden has vetoed.“The NTL is a rule for CRA purposes because it meets the [Administrative Procedure Act] definition of a rule,” said Shirley Jones, a GAO lawyer, in an email. “The NTL is subject to CRA’s requirement that it be submitted to Congress before it can take effect. That also means it could face a CRA resolution of disapproval.”
Natural Resources Democrats join oil collusion probes - House Natural Resources Committee Democrats want the Interior Department to turn over information about potential wrongdoing by U.S. oil companies.A letter Tuesday to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, obtained by POLITICO, stems from price fixing litigation against Pioneer Natural Resources and other firms.The Federal Trade Commission has accused former Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield of colluding with OPEC competitors and barred him from joining the board of Exxon Mobil, which bought Pioneer. Sheffield has denied the claims.Congressional Democrats, who have for years accused the oil and gas industry of working to keep energy prices high, have launched various probes.
Senate hearing to discuss AI privacy concerns --The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing Thursday centered on privacy-related concerns stemming from the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the committee announced Monday. The hearing will examine how AI has “accelerated the need for a federal comprehensive privacy law,” according to the committee announcement. The hearing was scheduled amid mounting pressure for Congress to put AI rules in place, as well as a comprehensive federal privacy law. The U.S. lacks a comprehensive federal privacy law, as states and other countries roll out new standards that regulate the largely U.S.-based tech giants.The American Privacy Rights Act, a bipartisan data privacy bill led by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), was scheduled for a markup in the House last month, but the meeting was pulled shortly before it began after pushback from House GOP leaders. The House pushback threatens the bill’s chances of passage this session, but it is likely to emerge during a Senate hearing on the topic. The bill would give people more control over their data and add requirements such as letting users opt out of targeted advertising and data transfers. It would also create a private right of action that allows consumers to seek financial damages through court and preempt state laws.The Senate hearing will feature testimony from Ryan Calo, a professor at the University of Washington School of Law and co-director of the University of Washington Tech Policy Lab; Amba Kak, co-executive director of the AI Now Institute; and Udbhav Tiwari, director of global product policy at Mozilla. More witnesses will be announced, according to the committee. Congress has also been weighing AI regulations but has yet to pass any laws as the technology advances. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released an AI roadmap for regulation in May, but the document was light on calls for specific regulation.
GAO report critical of FEMA's handling of pandemic - A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has yet to identify lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.The report examined the status of obligations and expenditures related to COVID-19 and how FEMA estimated spending from January 2020 to March 2024. For fiscal years 2020 through 2024, Congress passed both annual and supplemental appropriations for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) totaling $97 billion, the GAO said.The COVID-19 pandemic was the first time a president authorized the use of the DRF, meant to provide aid during natural disasters, to respond to a nationwide public health emergency. Since March 2020, the president has issued 59 major disaster declarations for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five territories, and three Tribes. FEMA manages the DRF.Initially, FEMA officials told GAO officers that $17.6 billion for COVID-19 assistance was allocated for the pandemic response in 2020, but a FEMA official told the GAO that the first few months of the pandemic "blew that [funding] out of the water." “As of March 2024, FEMA had committed to spend $125.3 billion from the fund for COVID-19–related assistance like vaccinations, testing sites, and more—and had spent $103.6 billion of it," the GAO wrote. New York, Texas, and California had been given at least $15 billion each, the report states.The funds have been used for a variety of activities, including reimbursements for funeral expenses, vaccination and testing sites, and personal protective equipment for medical staff. FEMA has said it expects to fulfill funding obligations for the pandemic through August 2026.According to the report, FEMA has estimated that obligations would total $142.2 billion through the end of fiscal year 2024 and $171.6 billion for the entire disaster. The agency, however, has not been within 10% of the annual estimate by the end of any fiscal year since 2021.To remedy this, the GAO recommends more work from FEMA to describe lessons learned during the first 4 years of the pandemic."In the future, FEMA may face challenges responding to a catastrophic event that is similar in scope or duration to COVID-19 and that could increase the risk of exceeding DRF resources," the GAO wrote. "By identifying and documenting lessons learned for estimating obligations based on its experience with COVID-19, FEMA can better position itself to adapt to similar estimation challenges in the future."
Biden outlines regulatory plans for the rest of his term - President Joe Biden shared his road map for upcoming regulations that are under threat by a potential second Trump administration. The White House on Friday released the spring Unified Agenda, showing agencies’ timelines for rules dealing with everything from natural gas power plants to household appliances. The document comes as Biden is in a fierce campaign dogfight with former President Donald Trump, who plans to pull back many of the rules if he wins the race. The regulatory agenda “can usually best be seen as a wish list,” which is particularly tricky during an election year, said Stuart Shapiro, a dean and public policy professor at Rutgers University. “The time frames listed there are usually ambitious, and administrations rarely complete anything near their complete list of intended actions,” Shapiro told POLITICO’s E&E News. “I find it is best seen as signaling to interest groups, ‘This is what we want to do.'” This agenda also arrives after the Biden administration completed a regulatory sprint this spring as energy and environmental agencies finalized significant rules. That push was crucial to the president’s legacy, shielding those regulations from being overturned quickly next year if he loses the White House. Under the Congressional Review Act, lawmakers can offer resolutions to ax rules, including if they were finalized during the law’s “look-back” window of the previous session’s last 60 legislative days. Some experts say that window has already opened, while others believe it could come later this summer. That deadline will be determined by when Congress adjourns later this year. If Trump were to become president again and his GOP allies made gains on Capitol Hill, they could use that part of the law in 2025 to attack Biden’s regulations finalized late in his term. “Now that the Congressional Review Act deadline is nearing, anything not yet issued is at risk of repeal if Trump wins and the GOP takes Congress,” Shapiro said. “If Biden wins, the agenda is a decent list of what he would try to do in a second term.” Sam Berger, associate administrator of the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, touted the proposed rules in a blog post Friday. He said the agenda continues “this Administration’s progress in delivering for the American people, including by investing in America, lowering costs for families, combating climate change, and growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up.” Wayne Crews, a fellow in regulatory studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free market think tank, said the administration has entered a lull as it manages the remainder of Biden’s first term and prepares for his second if the president’s campaign prevails. “There’s no need to rock the boat now during an election year,”
These Biden rules could be trashed by Trump - The Biden administration pushed out a flurry of major environmental rules early this year under a looming threat of rollbacks if former President Donald Trump clinches the White House in November’s election.But some significant rules won’t get out the door in time to shield them from being reversed if Trump wins, a reality that was on stark display last week when the Biden administration released its plans for upcoming regulations.Some priority rules started by the Biden administration — including climate standards for existing gas-fired power plants, a rule to limit lead and copper in drinking water, and an effort to protect workers from extreme heat — could be doomed.“Everything is vulnerable should the administration flip,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity.Regulations completed later this year could be unraveled by Trump and Congress under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers and a sympathetic White House to undo recent rules. And a second Trump administration could freeze pending rules upon taking office.“Anything that’s not finalized, in theory they’ll just withdraw,” Hartl said.Conservatives are feeling hopeful about the prospects of Trump regaining the White House following the recent presidential debate and calls from some Democrats to replace Biden as the nominee. And many are optimistic about the chances for curtailing agencies’ regulatory reach in the aftermath of a major Supreme Court ruling this spring that overturned the so-called Chevron doctrine.Within conservative circles, there are discussions about “if things change and go our way — meaning President Trump gets in — then how can we use this to implement a smaller-government vision,” said Mandy Gunasekara, who served as EPA’s chief of staff during the Trump administration.With the prospect of another Trump administration looming over Biden’s regulatory agencies, executive branch officials have hustled to ensure that some of their top-priority rules were completed by this spring.Earlier this year, Biden’s agencies finished a series of significant regulations, including a high-stakes power plant rule on climate pollution, a policy governing conservation of public lands and drinking water standards for some members of the “forever chemicals” family known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.“A lot of the big rules that we were watching did get out,” said Matthew Davis, vice president of federal policy at the League of Conservation Voters.“They’ve been doing a lot of hard work to clean up our air and our water and our land and clean up our climate, and protect us from toxic chemicals,” Davis said. But “there is still more work to do.”Biden’s regulators aren’t finished.Vicki Arroyo, who leads EPA’s policy shop, said in an interview with E&E News last month before the latest regulatory agenda was released that the agency expected its forthcoming regulations would be picked over by critics.“Obviously, different rules will in various people’s minds be more or less scrutinized. Some of them have not just statutory deadlines, but also court deadlines,” Arroyo said. “The spring agenda will be our statement of when we believe those rules will be coming out.” In 2017, Trump and his allies used the CRA to unwind more than a dozen of the Obama administration’s rules that hadn’t yet been finalized. Moreover, recent decisions from the Supreme Court could now make it even easier for opponents of the Biden administration’s rules to overturn final regulations in court. James Goodwin, policy director for the Center for Progressive Reform, a liberal-leaning regulatory think tank, said while the CRA can speed up the demise of rules, measures under the law still suck up precious floor time that could slow down other Republican efforts, such as the Senate confirming controversial nominees. “It almost becomes our friend,” said Goodwin. Every hour lawmakers spend on CRA resolutions, “They’re not putting Voldemort in to run the Department of Commerce,” he added, referring to the villain from the “Harry Potter” series. Goodwin said he worries that Republicans could win a trifecta by taking control of all three branches of government. That fear has increased, given Biden’s recent debate performance that sparked calls from members of his own party to drop out of the race. “One option is that they just circle the wagons and stop doing everything because they’re terrified,” Goodwin said. “The other option is they come out aggressive and say, ‘Look, we’re going to do good things in the second term.’” Biden’s team hasn’t yet finalized several high-profile rules, including many highly anticipated by allies in the environmental movement. EPA is expected to roll out a revised lead and copper rule for drinking water systems, which would trigger action sooner to reduce lead exposure and require lead pipes to be replaced within 10 years. That rule isn’t expected to be completed until October. A major climate regulation — a draft EPA rule to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions from existing natural gas power plants — is expected in December, according to the regulatory agenda.
Anxious Senate Democrats warn time running short for answers on Joe Biden's future - Senate Democrats returned to Washington on Monday voicing concerns about President Biden’s future as the Democratic presidential nominee, setting up high-stakes talks in the coming days about a path forward for the party. While no Senate Democrat has gone as far as at least six of their House counterparts in calling for Biden to step aside following his disastrous debate performance, questions swirled among anxious lawmakers about whether Biden would cost them in November — and they want an answer in short order. “I have a lot of concerns,” Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said. “And I’m not the only one.” “I’ve been hearing a lot of concerns from folks back home in Minnesota. I mean, I think right now, our party is having a big robust discussion about what comes next and what we should do. And I actually think that that’s healthy,” said Smith, a vice chair of the Senate Democratic campaign arm. “There’s no simple path here. There’s no simple path forward.” Senators’ return to Capitol Hill coincided with a more concerted effort by Biden to assuage the fears of top Democrats, including him making clear to supporters, donors and reporters in interviews that he isn’t going anywhere and bristling at suggestions that he should. But whether he’s able to sooth Senate Democrats’ jangled nerves remains unclear. Multiple Senate Democrats on Monday declined to fully throw their weight behind him, and called for a series of conversations aimed at answering whether he should be atop the ticket in November. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) had been planning a Monday meeting with members to discuss potentially replacing Biden on the ticket, but dropped that plan as the Senate Democratic Conference is set to talk at length about the subject during lunch Tuesday. In a statement, the Virginia senator said that “now is the time for conversations about the strongest path forward” for the party, and a number of his colleagues agreed. “They’re worried,” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said when asked what he’s heard from constituents back home since the debate. “They want to know this wasn’t a reflection of a serious condition, but just was a bad night … If the American people reach the conclusion that it was a bad night, we’re going to be fine, and the president’s going to be fine. If they reach the conclusion that it’s something else, that’s going to be difficult.” Bennet, a former Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair, also noted that the party has down-ballot candidates “who are killing themselves in battleground states and in swing districts” — a top concern of many members as the party can ill afford mistakes in their struggle to keep the majority. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), one of two red-state Democrats up for reelection this year, made his concern clear in a statement Monday, saying that Biden “has got to prove to the American people — including me — that he’s up to the job for another four years.”
"Classic Features Of Neurodegeneration": NBC Parkinson's Expert Says Biden Has "Hallmarks" --Corporate media's marching orders to help oust President Joe Biden have intensified - as NBC News just interviewed Parkinson's expert Dr. Tom Pitts, who says that Biden has several "hallmarks" of the disease, after news broke in the last few days that a Parkinson's specialist has visited the White House at least 8 times in the past year. "Do you notice anything that gives you a red flag, as a doctor?" asked host Tom Llamas."Oh yeah, I see him 20 times a day in the clinic, I mean, it's ironic because he has the classic features of neurodegeneration - I mean, word-finding difficulties..." Pitts replied.Llamas asked if Biden overcoming a stutter could account for the affects - to which Pitts, a Democrat, replied, "no, this is not a palatal issue, or a speech discrepancy," adding that Biden has issues with "actual word retrieval," not to mention "rigidity" issues such as "loss of arm swing," adding "you notice when he turns it's sort of end-block turning, it's not a quick turn.""That's one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's," he continued. "I could diagnose him from across the mall." Watch:
White House spars with reporters over Joe Biden's health --The White House on Monday tangled with reporters during heated exchanges over whether the administration had been forthcoming about President Biden’s health in the wake of a disastrous debate performance that has sparked calls from some Democrats for Biden to end his reelection bid.Reporters grilled press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press briefing over reports that indicated visitor logs showed a neurologist specializing in Parkinson’s disease was at the White House eight times over an eight month period, including for a meeting with presidential physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor.They also took issue with Jean-Pierre’s evolving explanation around whether Biden met with a doctor before and after his debate on June 27, when the president frequently struggled to complete his thoughts and looked on with his mouth agape as former President Trump spoke. Aides at the time blamed Biden’s raspy voice on a cold.Monday’s briefing was dominated by questions sparked by the report on the Parkinson’s doctor’s visit and whether it involved consultations with or about the president. In response, Jean-Pierre was adamant about not naming the specialist, Dr. Kevin Cannard, even though his name was on a public log of visitors to the White House, citing privacy and security questions.While answering one of the questions, Jean-Pierre was met with a chorus of reporters who pushed back on her response.“We’re miffed around here about how information has been shared with the press corps around here,” CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe said, pressing Jean-Pierre about whether Biden was seen by the expert in Parkinson’s disease.“It doesn’t matter how hard you push me, it doesn’t matter how angry you get with me, I’m not going to confirm a name,” Jean-Pierre said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s even in the log. I’m not going to do that from here. What I can share with you is the president has seen a neurologist for his physical three times.”She told reporters Biden is not being treated for Parkinson’s and is not taking medication for the disease. She also cited his February physical, during which his personal physician found Biden was fit for duty and wrote that a neurological exam found no evidence of Parkinson’s, stroke, or other condition.Reporters also expressed frustration over the lack of clarity in the days after the June 27 debate as to whether Biden had seen a doctor for the cold he had during his halting performance either before or after the debate.Last Wednesday, Jean-Pierre responded “no” when asked if Biden had any kind of medical exam. She also said “no” when asked if the president had any medical exams since his last annual physical in February.
Letter from Biden’s doctor seeks to dispel questions about Parkinson’s specialist visits --The White House late Monday released a letter from President Biden’s physician seeking to clear up why a neurologist with an expertise in Parkinson’s disease had visited the White House several times.The letter came after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had several heated exchanges with reporters earlier in the day about whether the administration has been transparent about Biden’s health.Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the physician to the president, wrote that Dr. Kevin Cannard was the specialist who performed Biden’s neurological exam during each of his three annual physicals, including the one that took place in February. He added that Biden “has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.”“The results of this year’s exam were detailed in my February 28th letter,” O’Connor said, citing the letter following the exam that said “an extremely detailed neurologic exam was again reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy.”O’Connor, in the letter, stressed that Cannard’s overall medical and military background, not his expertise in movement disorders, is why he saw Biden.“Seeing patients at the White House is something that Dr. Cannard has been doing for a dozen years,” O’Connor said. “Dr. Cannard was chosen for this responsibility not because he is a movement disorder specialist, but because he is a highly trained and highly regarded neurologist here at Walter Reed and across the Military Health System, with a very wide expertise which makes him flexible to see a variety of patients and problems.”The letter was released hours after Jean-Pierre was bombarded with questions about why visitor logs showed Cannard had been at the White House eight times over an eight-month span from last summer into this spring.Jean-Pierre repeatedly refused to go into detail about the visits or whether Cannard was there to see the president, citing security and privacy concerns because more than 1,000 military members receive treatment from the White House medical unit.
CNN’s Tapper picks apart Biden’s ‘Morning Joe’ interview --CNN’s Jake Tapper suggested that President Biden’s interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” did little to ease voters’ worries.Biden called into “Morning Joe” on Monday to go on the offense against those who are calling on him to step down from the race. While the president maintained that he was not dropping out and even dared others to challenge him at the Democratic National Convention, Tapper suggested that it was not enough to quell the worries of Democratic voters.Tapper played a clip from the MSNBC morning show on CNN’s “The Lead.”“I’m getting frustrated by the elites in the party, ‘Oh, they know so much more,’” Biden said Monday.Tapper then commented on the clip, saying Biden is “trying to frame what’s going on right now as the average voters who want him versus the elites of the Democratic Party donors and lawmakers and opinion makers.”“The reality is that the Democratic elites are mostly late to acknowledge these age and ability issues compared to the rest of the public. The elites have been forced to reckon with it after the debate just 11 days ago,” Tapper said.Tapper went on to directly quote Biden from the interview Monday morning before suggesting that Biden’s comments may not have been reassuring to his supporters.“‘The fact of the matter is how can you assure you’re going to be on — on, you know — on your way to go to, you know, work tomorrow? Age — age wasn’t, you know, the idea that I’m too old,’” Tapper said on “The Lead,” quoting Biden from Monday morning.“Keep in mind, that sound bite is supposed to be reassuring to those Democratic supporters who have gone wobbly,” Tapper continued. “Many Democratic officials with whom I’ve spoken are worried that President Biden and his family and his inner circle appear to be in complete denial, not just about whatever might be wrong with him, but the state of his candidacy right now.”Tapper, who co-moderated the first presidential debate between former President Trump and Biden last month, then called out Biden’s team for not hosting a press conference following the lackluster debate performance.“After facing increasing pressure to demonstrate in public an ability to take questions and respond cogently for a lengthy period of time live about what he wants to do with the United States, his message his plans, his policies, the President and his team have not held a press conference to demonstrate just that,” he said.
Jon Stewart criticizes Joe Biden's team for debate performance spin -Comedian Jon Stewart took aim at President Biden’s team for its “bulls‑‑‑” spin on the president’s poor debate performance last month, as calls for him to withdraw from the race continue to mount.Stewart criticized Biden and his allies over how they have been spinning the postdebate coverage during Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show.” He played some clips of Biden’s verbal gaffes in recent months, with Stewart noting there’s been “some troubling moments of disconnect” for Biden even before the debate.“Then of course, to be fair, State of the Union — concern dropped a little bit at the State of the Union. He kind of nailed it. But then the debate happened, and we kind of, what the f‑‑‑?,” he said.“Now to my mind, the debate was a shocking display of cognitive difficulty recognizable to, unfortunately, anybody who’s dealt with aging parents, and it’s a hard watch,” he added, before noting that some viewers felt Biden’s performance “was not as noteworthy as Biden’s opponent in the debate.”He then played clips of Democrats who pointed out that former President Trump made numerous false claims during the debate. He then noted that there was difference between Trump’s and Biden’s performances.“I will tell you the difference. The difference is Trump delivered at the debate to expectation. We expect him to be f‑‑‑ing crazy. But Biden’s performance and inability to articulate at times was stunning. Like, I could not believe what I was watching,” he said.He then said things “got worse” after the debate, pointing to some excuses Democrats, Biden and the White House made for the president’s rocky showing. This included White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explaining that Biden had a cold that night and was jet-lagged from his recent foreign travel. “He’d been home for almost two weeks. He was jet-lagged? How big is that f‑‑‑ing jet? The point is, for a campaign based on honesty and decency, the spin about the debate appears to be blatant bulls‑‑‑. And the redemption tour hasn’t gotten that much better,” Stewart said.
Michael Moore says it's "elder abuse" to push Joe Biden to stay in race vs. Donald Trump Michael Moore is blasting President Biden’s allies, accusing them of “elder abuse” for “pushing” the commander in chief to stay in the race against former President Trump.“The problem here is that I think there’s a form of elder abuse going on here, where the Democratic Party and the people that are part of the apparatus are pushing and pushing and pushing him to stay,” the “Fahrenheit 9/11” director told MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin in an interview Sunday.“In spite of my criticisms about Gaza with Biden, watching the debate a week ago was heartbreaking,” Moore said of the president’s performance late last month against former President Trump in Atlanta. The debate — which 81-year-old Biden has called a “bad episode” and not indicative of a larger condition after he struggled to complete some sentences and spoke in a raspy voice — ignited calls for him to exit the 2024 presidential race.“Imagine that was your father up there. … Why isn’t anybody doing anything? Why did they do it? Why did they even let him go out on the stage in this condition? Who was looking out for him? Who’s looking out for him right now?” Moore exclaimed.Anyone with older family members, he said, has “seen the decline of the people we love as they get older. It’s normal. It happens.” “That’s not to say that somebody shouldn’t be able to be president at 81 — I don’t believe that,” he continued.“This is not an ageist attitude here,” the 70-year-old Academy Award winner said. “Something was wrong that night. We all saw it. We can’t unsee it. And as Richard Pryor and before that, Chico Marx said, ‘Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?'”
Et Tu, Zelensky? Ukrainian Leader 'Concerned' About Biden's Health --The White House is likely asking: Et tu, Zelensky?... after the Ukrainian leader has belatedly voiced concerns over Biden's health in the wake of his disastrous presidential debate with Trump.While in Washington D.C. for the big NATO summit, which is heavily focused on the war in Ukraine, Axios writes that "President Volodymyr Zelensky is among the leaders who watched the presidential debate and is concerned about the situation, according to a Ukrainian source."Zelensky, who has been given tens of billions by the Biden administration to help fight off the Russians, didn't shy away from telling a press conference in Washington, "Let's be candid and frank: Everyone is waiting for November.""The whole world is looking to November, and truly speaking, Putin awaits November too." Zelensky is set to meet with President Biden on Thursday, even as the whole world begins preparing for a likely Trump presidency after the election.An unnamed European diplomat voiced the same sentiment, telling Axios, "People are coming [to the NATO summit in Washington] to witness whether Biden is or is no longer [in charge]."This as the White House continues to give mixed signals, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre having openly admitted that a "team" is actually in charge and not the elected Commander-in-Chief...
Axelrod: Biden's odds slim for 2024 presidential race -- Democratic strategist David Axelrod in a post after President Biden’s Thursday night press conference said his odds of winning the presidential race this fall are “very very slim.”Axelrod said Biden’s team “has not been very candid” with the president after Biden at the presser said no poll or person is telling him he cannot win in November.“If what he said at the end of his presser is true, it sounds like Biden’s team has not been very candid with him about what the data is showing: the age issue is a huge and potentially insurmountable concern and his odds of victory are very, very slim,” Axelrod wrote on X Thursday.Axelrod and other ex-aides to former President Obama have been very critical of Biden since his debate pereformance at the end of June. The Obama strategist has repeatedly signaled he believes Democrats would have a better chance of defeating Trump without Biden at the top of the ticket.The latest coments from Axelrod came moments after Biden concluded a press conference following the NATO Summit in Washington. At one point, the president was pressed on whether he would drop out if he saw data that Vice President Kamala Harris would do better in the election than him.A poll from Bendixen & Amandi Inc., a top Democratic pollster, this week showed Harris beat Trump by 1 point, 42 percent to 41 percent, while Biden fell 1 point behind him.“Not unless they came back and said there’s no way you can win,” he said. “Me — no one’s saying it, no poll says that.”Biden’s team argued to Democratic senators on Thursday that his path to winning reelection runs through Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin and that he can beat Trump in those states while holding on to most of the other states he won in 2020.But Biden has been trailing Trump in the trio of states, and other polls have shown Biden falling behind Trump in battlegrounds since the debate.Biden spent much of the press conference defending his viability to remain the party’s nominee and remained adamant he was the best man to go against Trump.“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern,” Biden said “And I think I’m the best qualified to win. But there are other people who could beat Trump too. But it’s all start from scratch. And you know, we talk about money raised. We’re not doing bad.”
James Carville calls for Bill Clinton, Barack Obama to help select fresh options to replace Joe Biden -- Democratic strategist James Carville is arguing that former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama should play roles in selecting choices to replace President Biden as the party’s nominee if the incumbent ends his reelection bid. Carville said in an op-ed in The New York Times on Monday that he expects Biden will drop out of the 2024 race, saying it will only take time before the president will bow to pressure from Democrats and public and private polling. He also wrote that the sooner this happens, the better. But Carville said the Democratic Party should not choose to automatically nominate Vice President Harris or another prominent Democrat to replace him. “We’ve got to do it out in the open — the exact opposite of what Donald Trump wants us to do,” Carville said. “For the first time in his life, Mr. Trump is praying. To win the White House and increase his chances of avoiding an orange jumpsuit, he needs Democrats to make the wrong moves in the coming days — namely, to appear to rig the nomination for a fading president or the sitting vice president or some other heir apparent.” Biden has remained adamant that he does not plan to drop out despite public and private calls for him to do so following last month’s debate with former President Trump. The public calls have come from a handful of Democratic officeholders so far. The former head of Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential run, Carville said he wants to build on the “mini primary” that Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Times opinion columnist Ezra Klein have called for. He said Democrats should hold four town halls, one in each region of the country, between now and the start of the Democratic National Convention in mid-August.
Harris, Clinton lead Trump in new poll, Biden trails slightly --Both Vice President Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran ahead of former President Trump in a new survey from a Democratic pollster, while President Biden trailed slightly behind the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. According to the poll from Bendixen & Amandi Inc., a top Democratic pollster, Harris edged out Trump by 1 point, 42 percent to 41 percent, while 5 percent of voters picked a third-party candidate and 12 percent were undecided. Biden, meanwhile, fell 1 point behind the former president, 43 percent to 42 percent, according to the poll, obtained Tuesday by The Hill, with 5 percent of voters chose a third-party candidate and 10 percent said they were undecided. The finding is the latest sign of concern for Biden, who is facing increased pressure within his own party to step aside from the 2024 race following a disastrous debate showing last month. Biden has maintained he intends to stay in the race; on Monday, he again rejected calls to drop out in a letter to congressional Democrats, urging them to unite behind his candidacy. Harris’s name has been repeatedly floated as a potential replacement for Biden should he choose to exit the race, though she made clear last week she supports Biden’s continued bid for a second term. Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 election, polled 2 points ahead of the former president, while 6 percent of votes went to a third-party candidate and 10 percent were undecided, Bendixen & Amandi Inc noted. Other Democrats whose names have been floated as potential replacements for Biden fared worse than Trump in hypothetical match-ups, pollsters found. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer trailed Trump by 4 points, 40 percent to 36 percent, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom fell behind by 3 points, 40 percent to 37 percent. More voters were undecided in these two match-up scenarios; 17 percent were undecided in Whitmer’s, while 15 percent were undecided in Newsom’s.
Joe Biden holds press conference at NATO summit (full video) President Biden held a highly anticipated press conference in Washington on Thursday in which he faced nearly an hour of questions from reporters about the calamity now surrounding his 2024 reelection campaign. The event closed this week’s NATO summit during which the president hosted foreign leaders. But world events did little to quell the panic among Democrats back home who are increasingly losing confidence in their party leader. Biden at the press conference once again rejected calls to drop out of the race, but pushes for him to step aside have increased in recent days and resumed following his Q&A with the media. Follow below for a recap.
Biden proclaims AFL-CIO union bureaucrats as “my domestic NATO” before attending second day of summitOn Wednesday morning, President Biden visited the headquarters of the AFL-CIO trade union federation in Washington D.C. for 45 minutes, before departing for the NATO summit. His meeting with the Executive Council, including the heads of unions with over 12 million members, was preceded by brief public remarks. The corporate media reported on the event primarily from the standpoint of Biden’s efforts to shore up his flagging election campaign by appealing to his base in “organized labor,” in reality, the trade union bureaucracy. But the fact that the visit took place only minutes before the second day of the NATO summit underscores the role of the unions as critical in preparing the “home front” for war. In his opening remarks, Biden said perhaps more than he intended in drawing the connection between imperialist war abroad and the use of the AFL-CIO to suppress the class struggle at home. “We have two strong, strong organizations in America that I look to for our security. One is NATO, a joint assembly of democracies to make sure that we’re keeping the peace, and that no one is going to screw around with us, is a strong as it’s ever been. And I look at you as my domestic NATO,” he told the assembled AFL-CIO bureaucrats. While NATO is used for American imperialism’s wars in the Middle East and against Russia and China, the president did not say who the enemy he needed the labor bureaucracy to wage domestic warfare against. But it is the American working class. Biden gave a public speech apparently intended to show his “vigor” and dispel concerns about his age and mental fitness. But he stammered and tripped over his words while delivering a speech on the US economy that bore no relation to reality. “We’re going to build this country from the bottom-up and the middle-out, not the top-down,” he claimed, immediately contradicting himself by pointing to the support for his economic platform by Wall Street. He then claimed that the US was the “fastest-growing economy in the world.” Whether this is what he meant to say or not, it is an absurd falsehood. According to the latest International Monetary Fund figures, annual GDP growth in the US is 2.7 percent. This is below Egypt, Albania and Ukraine. However, under Biden corporate profits have surged past already-record levels. Far from building the economy from the “bottom up,” the basis of this “success” has been massive attacks on the working class. A central plank of his domestic economic policy is curbing wage growth through higher interest rates, austerity measures and by working with the union bureaucracy to block or limit strikes. The result is that since the start of 2023, US companies have announced more than 1 million layoffs. The aim of this policy is to both smash resistance in the working class to poverty wages and terrible working conditions and to free up resources for war. In the latest federal budget, military spending reached $850 billion dollars.
Joe Biden Calls Zelensky 'Putin' Right Before Huge Press Conference - President Joe Biden accidentally called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "Putin," during a speech about the United States supporting Ukraine on Thursday.Biden's comment comes less than an hour before a press conference that Democrats consider pivotal to his ability to remain the nominee. He's faced increasing pressure from Democrats, donors and famous supporters to step down from the presidential campaign since the June presidential debate. Some Democrats have called for withholding judgment until his NATO summit press conference on Thursday evening.Less than an hour before the press conference, Biden attended an event to celebrate the Ukraine Compact, a bilateral agreement unifying countries in their support of Ukraine. He praised Zelensky for his determination and courage, but, as he was introducing him to speak, the president made a mistake."And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin," Biden said.As people started to applaud, Biden repeated "President Putin," and then said, "he's going to beat President Putin." Biden added that he was "so focused on beating Putin we gotta worry about it." When Zelensky took the microphone, he made light of the mistake, saying, "I'm better." Biden responded, "You're a hell of a lot better." Biden laughed off the mistake when asked about the gaffe during his press conference. He called it a successful conference and challenged the reporter to find him a "world leader who didn't think it was."It's not the first time that Biden has made a mistake when referencing Zelensky. He's previously mistakenly called him Vladimir and while vocalizing support for Ukraine, accidentally said supplies being sent were intended to counter "Ukraine's brutal aggression that's happening because of Russia." Biden likely meant Russia's "brutal aggression."However, Thursday's gaffe comes at a critical time for Biden. Less than an hour after making the gaffe, Biden will deliver his first solo press conference this year and face questions from reporters. It's likely the questions will center on the revolt going on in the Democratic Party and concerns about his ability to win the election and even lead the country.
Biden corrects himself after calling Zelensky ‘President Putin’ -- President Biden on Thursday mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as President Putin — the president of Russia — when introducing him at a NATO event, a gaffe that came shortly before a high-stakes press conference where his every word will be closely scrutinized. “Now, I want to hand it over the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentleman, President Putin,” Biden said. “He’s going to beat President Putin. President Zelensky,” Biden said, quickly correcting himself. “I’m so focused on beating Putin, we’ve got to worry about it.” “I’m better,” Zelensky quipped. “You are, a hell of a lot better,” Biden added. Support for Ukraine has been a cornerstone of Biden’s foreign policy, and it has been central to discussions during this week’s NATO summit. The White House has announced additional military support for Ukraine in its war against invading Russian forces as part of the summit. But Biden’s stumble will garner significant attention as he fends off calls from some Democrats to step aside as the party’s nominee in November following his disastrous debate performance last month. Democrats have expressed concerns Biden lacks the mental sharpness and stamina to vigorously campaign against former President Trump and make a successful case to the American public. Democrats will be closely monitoring Biden’s press conference on Thursday evening to see if he shows he is up to the job of coherently and sharply answering questions from reporters. But some have suggested one good performance will not be enough to quell voters’ concerns.
Biden mistakenly calls Harris 'Vice President Trump' - President Biden stumbled over his words during his response to the opening question of a high-stakes press conference on Thursday, mistakenly referring to Vice President Harris as “Vice President Trump.” Biden, who is facing calls from some Democrats to step aside as the party’s nominee, fielded a question at the outset of his NATO summit press conference about the concerns around his viability atop the ticket. “Separately, what concerns do you have about Vice President Harris’s ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket?” Reuters reporter Jeff Mason asked. “Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president [if I didn’t] think she was not qualified to be president,” Biden said, confusing his running mate with his opponent. “So let’s start there, number one,” he continued. “The fact is the consideration is that I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once, and I will beat him again.” In a later question, Biden praised Harris for her handling of reproductive rights and her ability to “handle almost any issue on the board.” The mix-up came shortly after Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” — the leader of Russia — before correcting himself. A reporter referenced the mistake during a question at the press conference, which Biden laughed off. “Have you seen a more successful conference? What do you think?” Biden responded.
Donald Trump mocks Joe Biden for ‘Vice President Trump’ flub -- Former President Trump mocked President Biden in a post online after the president accidentally said his vice president was Trump in his press conference Thursday.In response to the first question in his solo, high stakes press conference after the NATO summit, Biden mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as Trump.“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president [if I didn’t] think she was not qualified to be president,” Biden said.In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump mocked the president’s gaffe.“Crooked Joe begins his ‘Big Boy’ Press Conference with, ‘I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, though I think she was not qualified to be president,” Trump posted.“Great job, Joe!” he said. Biden’s flub was in response to a question from Reuter reporter Jeff Mason, who asked the president about what concerns he has about Harris’ ability to beat Trump if she were at the top of the ticket this fall.The president is facing increasing calls from Democrats to step aside and allow someone else to run after his poor debate performance sparked concern within the party.Biden has insisted that he is staying in the race and will not step aside until his team tells him he absolutely cannot beat Trump.Later in the press conference, he applauded Harris on her handling of reproductive rights and her ability to handle “almost any issue.” Still, Biden said no one is more fit to take on Trump than him.The president responded to Trump in a post on social media platform X.“By the way: Yes, I know the difference,” Biden posted. “One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon.” The Trump-Harris comment came shortly after Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as President Putin when introducing him at a NATO event.
Nancy Pelosi moving behind the scenes to get Joe Biden to reconsider presidential bid Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is working furiously behind the scenes to put pressure on President Biden to reconsider his place at the top of the 2024 ticket, according to a number of Democratic lawmakers familiar with her efforts. The Speaker emerita is talking to a broad swath of House Democrats — from front-liners in tough districts to hardened veterans with institutional clout — to pump the brakes on the notion that Biden should definitively be the party’s nominee heading into November, these lawmakers said. Pelosi has not said Biden should exit the race, but the lawmakers said she harbors deep concerns about Biden’s ability to defeat former President Trump, and she’s fighting to prevent the party from rubber-stamping Biden’s candidacy before there’s a broader discussion about the potentially damaging consequences of that decision. “I did have a conversation with her. She is very concerned,” said a House Democratic lawmaker who spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive topic. “It’s not like she’s like, ‘We’re sticking with this guy.'” A number of other lawmakers have had similar discussions. “I’ve had my own conversations with her,” a second Democrat said. “It’s just an obvious concern. The stakes are so high. We can’t afford to do anything but have our best possible opportunity to win,” the lawmaker said, relaying Pelosi’s message. Pelosi’s push for a deeper assessment of Biden’s candidacy, sources say, is rooted in concerns that the president’s campaign has responded to his disastrous June 27 debate performance with emotional appeals to staunch allies and a show of forceful defiance — but not an honest reckoning with underlying image problems or an objective analysis of the political fallout. “Team Biden made it clear what their strategy was: Ignore the problem, run out the clock and force the rest of us to live with it,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), who has publicly called on Biden to step aside. “I felt a certain urgency to upset that strategy.” To stem the debate backlash, Biden quickly staged a phone call with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), perhaps his strongest support base in the Capitol, but not other groups or the full Democratic caucus. Pelosi, some Democrats said, is giving voice to other lawmakers who felt the decision regarding Biden’s future was being rammed down their throats without a chance to weigh in. “Pelosi speaks for the sense that, if you’re going to circle the wagons, you need a lot more wagons in the circle,” said a third Democratic lawmaker familiar with her efforts. “You have to have a real conversation with people to decide it all together. And you can’t present people with a judgment.” Pelosi is encouraging front-line lawmakers to do whatever it takes to keep their seats, even if it means public calls for Biden to bow out, while telling safe-seat Democrats to take their concerns directly to the White House. Pelosi declined to comment when asked about those efforts, but her spokesperson issued a statement saying she’s committed to whatever course Biden takes. “Speaker Pelosi fully supports whatever President Biden decides to do. We must turn our attention to why this race is so important: Donald Trump would be a disaster for our country and our democracy,” spokesperson Ian Krager said. Pelosi is a longtime Biden ally. As Speaker during the first two years of Biden’s presidency, the pair worked together to pass major legislation to combat COVID-19, rein in health care costs and boost funding for infrastructure projects. But Pelosi is also a pragmatist, with a keen eye on political trends and a killer instinct for winning. Like many Democrats, she has warned that Trump poses an existential threat to the national well-being, and the party’s primary goal is to prevent him from winning a second term — whatever it takes.
Biden defends candidacy amid calls to step aside --President Biden on Thursday defended his viability atop the Democratic ticket amid growing calls from lawmakers for him to step aside, laying out the case for his candidacy, even as he made a high-profile gaffe at a closely watched press conference.The president was adamant he was the best man to take on former President Trump in November, despite others in the party openly questioning whether that was the case, as he held court with reporters for nearly an hour “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president did I think she was not qualified to be president,” Biden said, confusing his running mate with his opponent in response to the first question of the night. Biden’s high-profile gaffe, confusing Vice President Harris with former President Trump shortly after he mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin,” threatened to overshadow what was otherwise a relatively strong showing in which the president fielded questions about foreign policy, confronting Russia and China, and the risks for the U.S. if his successor pulls back from the world stage.“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern,” he added later. “And I think I’m the best qualified to win. But there are other people who could beat Trump too. But it’s all start from scratch. And you know, we talk about money raised. We’re not doing bad. “So let’s start there, number one,” he continued. “The fact is, the consideration is, that I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once, and I will beat him again.”The president later said he’s “determined on running” and said that he thinks it’s important for Americans to “see me out there” to ease concerns. “We can’t afford to lose what we’ve done or backslide on civil rights, civil liberties, women’s rights,” he added, raising his voice to say he’s determined to curb gun violence and deal with the conservative-leaning Supreme Court. “I gotta finish this job, because there’s so much at stake,” he said. Biden fielded questions for nearly an hour from 10 different reporters at a press conference that wrapped up the NATO summit. Much of the focus was on the state of his struggling campaign and whether he would remain in the race, even as Biden and his aides touted the success of the week’s summit and his foreign policy credentials. Polls have shown Biden trailing Trump in battleground states in the wake of a disastrous June 27 debate in which he struggled to complete sentences and stood with his mouth agape as his opponent spoke.
President Biden takes swipes at staff over schedule and leaks --President Biden took a couple swipes at his staff during his highly anticipated press conferenceon Thursday, complaining they were always adding events to his schedule and suggesting they were leaking to the press. Biden denied reporting that suggested he acknowledged needing to adjust his schedule to end his day earlier, but said he did need to pace himself — comments that came in light of a disastrous performance at a debate two weeks ago, which underscored concerns over his age and mental fitness. “I always have an inclination — whether I was playing sports or doing politics — just to keep going nonstop…. I just gotta — just pace myself a little more, pace myself,” the president said.“The next debate I’m not going to be traveling in 15 time zones a week before. Anyway, that’s what it was about. That’s what it was about — and by the way, even with that, I love my staff, but they add things. They add things all the time. I’m catching hell from my wife,” he added. The New York Times reported last week that Biden had told Democratic governors during a meeting he needed to curb events after 8 p.m., get more sleep and work fewer hours.During the press conference, Biden also made a jab at members of his administration who he suggested were leaking to the press.“You talk to my staff. All of you talk to my staff. Sometimes my staff talks a lot. But the fact of the matter is, I don’t think you have them telling you that all the major ideas we’ve undertaken haven’t been in part initiated by me,” Biden said.Earlier on Thursday, both the New York Times and NBC News released reports that people close to Biden are discussing how to get him to reconsider his decision to stay in the presidential race.
Biden says no poll or person is telling him he can't win -- President Biden said on Thursday that no poll or person has told him that he cannot win the November general election after his debate performance last month. Biden said at a solo press conference following the NATO Summit that seeing polling information that showed Vice President Harris would perform better against former President Trump than him would not cause him to step aside on its own. When asked if he would step aside if his team showed him polls suggesting that, Biden said, “No, unless they came back and said there’s no way you can win. They’re not saying that. No poll says that.” He said he believes he would have an easier time winning than another candidate who would have to start from “scratch.” “I believe I’m the best qualified to govern, and I think I’m the best qualified to win,” he said. Biden is trying to assure Democrats following his dismal debate with Trump that he is up to the job of defeating the former president for reelection in November and serving another term as president himself. Since the debate, more than a dozen congressional Democrats have called on him to step aside as the party’s nominee. Polling has not shown a total collapse for Biden in the past couple of weeks, and he has stayed within a few points of Trump in most surveys of the national polling and key battleground states. But Trump has slightly expanded his lead according to most of the polls that have come out recently, and the data has also shown significant doubts in Biden’s ability to continue in the race, including from members of his own party. Biden questioned how much the polls can be trusted to be accurate and argued that while some polls show Trump ahead, others have shown him ahead. He added that he believes the polling is premature as the campaign will not truly heat up until after Labor Day, as it has in past elections. “The campaign really hadn’t even started. I mean it hasn’t started in earnest yet. Most of the time it doesn’t start till after September, after Labor Day,” he said. “So a lot can happen.” Democratic strategist David Axelrod said in response to Biden’s comments that if he is to be believed, that means his staff are not being honest with him. “If what he said at the end of his presser is true, it sounds like Biden’s team has not been very candid with him about what the data is showing: the age issue is a huge and potentially insurmountable concern and his odds of victory are very, very slim,” he said in a post on X.
Bodyguard For Anti-Gun Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Shoots At Would-Be Carjacker - Bodyguards for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor fired shots at an attempted carjacker on Friday outside her northwest DC home, according to a spokesperson for the US Marshals Service.The perp, 18-year-old Kentrell Flowers, suffered non-fatal injuries and was taken to a local hospital following the incident."The Deputy U.S. Marshals involved in the shooting incident were part of the unit protecting the residences of U.S. Supreme Court justices. As a general practice, the U.S. Marshals don’t discuss specifics of protective details," said US Marshals Service spokeswoman Abigail Meyer in a statement.As the Daily Caller reports:Kentrell Flowers allegedly approached and pointed a handgun at a car belonging to one of two deputy U.S. Marshals in separate vehicles protecting Sotomayor’s residence around 1:15 a.m., according to a press release from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).Flowers first exited a vehicle before threatening the U.S. Marshal at the 2100 block of 11th Street, the press release stated. The U.S. Marshal fired several shots at the 18-year-old suspect with the help of his U.S. Marshal colleague,who also drew and fired his service weapon from a separate vehicle. Flowers was arrested and charged with armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license and possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, according to the press release.
Dem senators ask DOJ to investigate Clarence Thomas for tax law violations --Two Democratic senators are asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for possible tax law violations. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent the letter to Garland last week asking him to appoint a special counsel “to investigate possible violations of federal ethics and tax laws.” The two lawmakers pointed to public reporting over the last year which found Thomasfailed to disclose multiple luxury trips and gifts from billionaire friends.“The breadth of the omissions uncovered to date, and the serious possibility of additional tax fraud and false statement violations by Justice Thomas and his associates, warrant the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate this misconduct,” the lawmakers wrote.The lawmakers noted the Senate cannot prosecute Thomas and the Supreme Court “has no fact-finding function of its own.” They said the failure to disclose outside income and the luxury gifts warrants a criminal investigation.They referenced an investigation by Wyden’s office last year which found Thomas did not pay the principal of a $267,230 loan he used to purchase a recreational vehicle.The investigation suggested the loan was forgiven, but Thomas’s attorney disputed that at the time, saying Thomas satisfied the terms of the agreement. The lawmakers raised questions in the letter over whether Thomas reported the apparent forgiveness of the loan on his tax returns.“Justice Thomas failed to clarify whether or why he failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in forgiven debt on his federal income tax returns and pay the income taxes owed. We submit that the facts we have developed, combined with strategically evasive answers, creates predication for further investigation by relevant authorities,” the letter said.Whitehouse and Wyden noted they did “not make this request lightly.”“The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations of federal ethics and false-statement laws and raises significant questions about whether he and his wealthy benefactors have complied with their federal tax obligations,” they wrote.“Presented with opportunities to resolve questions about his conduct, Justice Thomas has maintained a suspicious silence,” they continued.
EPA administrator Regan clashes with Rep. Boebert on Chevron ruling --Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan clashed with conservative firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) during a tense House hearing — asking her if she understood the Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned a legal precedent known as the Chevron deference.Boebert, during an Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing Wednesday, asked Regan whether the EPA would repeal any “unconstitutional regulations” enacted by “rogue bureaucrats” because of the decision. In response, Regan asked her, “Do you understand the ruling?”Boebert asked him the same question: “Do you understand the ruling of the Supreme Court?”Regan said that he did, and told Boebert her question was “ill-formed.” The Chevron deference had instructed courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretation of the law in cases where it is ambiguous. In practice, this gave agencies, including the EPA, some latitude to issue federal regulations based on their understanding of statutes. The decision to overturn the doctrine tells judges to instead abide by their own interpretation of the law when assessing legal challenges to an agency action.The decision does not block any specific rules or explicitly prevent any agency actions. The Supreme Court’s opinion also said that rules previously upheld based on the Chevron deference should still stand.
Freedom Caucus votes to remove Warren Davidson after he endorsed Bob Good challenger - The hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus voted to remove Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) from its ranks Monday night after the Ohio Republican endorsed the primary challenger to the group’s chairman, Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.). A member of the group and a source familiar with the matter told The Hill that the conservative coalition voted 16-13 to boot Davidson from the group during their closed-door meeting. The caucus is comprised of roughly three dozen hardline Republicans. Davidson told reporters “I have no comments on this subject” when asked about his ouster after the huddle. Davidson drew the ire of several conservatives when he endorsed John McGuire, Good’s challenger in the GOP primary for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, an extraordinary move for a Freedom Caucus member to take against a colleague in the group. McGuire won the race by 0.6 percentage points, but Good has vowed to force a recount. Monday night’s vote had immediate repercussions within the Freedom Caucus. Shortly after the meeting broke, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) announced that he would resign from the group because of Davidson’s ouster. “I respect the HFC and have been aligned with their conservative positions. I want to grow the organization and encourage more members to join. With tonight’s vote it was clear that is not their objective. I value what the HFC brings to the table and I can assure them I will continue to support their conservative agenda I just won’t be a member,” Davidson told The Hill in a statement. A second source familiar told The Hill that Nehls has rarely attended meetings in the past year. Reached for comment on Monday night’s membership news, a Freedom Caucus spokesperson said “HFC does not comment on membership or internal processes.” Davidson’s ouster from the group came nearly two weeks after members of the caucus voted to open a review into the Ohio Republican’s standing in the group following his endorsement of McGuire. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) made a motion for the Freedom Caucus board to determine whether Davidson is a member in good standing, which the group voted to send to the board.
Democratic Socialists of America withdraws full endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez - The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) group withdrew its conditional endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) after it said she is not supportive enough of the Palestinian efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war. In a memo Wednesday, the DSA credited Ocasio-Cortez for her “courageous positions on Palestine,” but took issue with some of her recent moves, including her Ocasio-Cortez’s panel with leaders from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, who the group said are lobbyists for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. “This sponsorship is a deep betrayal to all those who’ve risked their welfare to fight Israeli apartheid and genocide through political and direct action in recent months, and in decades past,” DSA said in its statement. Ocasio-Cortez, once seen as one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken progressives, has now been criticized by those who want the war in Gaza to end over her support for President Biden and his funding for Israel. In June, DSA’s National Political Committee voted to endorse Ocasio-Cortez so long as she publicly opposed all funding to Israel, participated in the DSA committee, publicly opposed criminalization of Anti-Zionism and publicly supported efforts to end Israeli settler-colonialism. The group said thousands of its members have provided input about the prospect of a national endorsement of the New York congresswoman. DSA said its members supported endorsing her because of her “many courageous positions on Palestine,” but also wish Ocasio-Cortez would demonstrate a “higher level of commitment to Palestinian liberation” and the more than 38,000 Palestinians killed by the ongoing war in Gaza. “A national DSA endorsement comes with a serious commitment to the movement for Palestine and our collective socialist project,” DSA said, adding “To build a socialist movement that’s capable of defeating capitalism, we must demand more from leaders in our movement.” “Because we have not seen evidence of AOC meeting these conditions, and at the request of the NYC-DSA SC, the NPC is withdrawing our conditional endorsement of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, although she will remain endorsed by our New York City chapter,” the group wrote.
Jake Tapper slams RFK Jr. over misleading campaign ad -- CNN anchor Jake Tapper is demanding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign remove an ad from social media that manipulates footage from news broadcasts falsely portraying them boosting his candidacy.The ad, published Wednesday evening, is deceptively edited to show leading cable news hosts such as Tapper, Dana Bash, MSNBC’s Joy Reid and others saying Democrats are “rallying” around Kennedy and lauding him as someone who knows how to “root out corruption” and “lead.”“This is so misleading and deceptive it should be taken down at once,” Tapper wrote Thursday on social platform X. “The quotes are falsely clipped together.”Kennedy’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.Kennedy is running as an independent for president but has failed to gain traction, currently polling at 8 percent in a three-way race according to an aggregate of polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ.
Haley Releases Delegates, Urges Them To Back Trump Ahead Of RNC Convention -- Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley announced on July 9 that she is releasing her 97 delegates and urging them to support former President Donald Trump. The move comes days before the Republican National Convention when the 45th president is set to be nominated as the party’s 2024 presidential candidate.In a statement, Ms. Haley called for the GOP to come together as President Joe Biden is incompetent to have four more years in the Oval Office and Vice President Kamala Harris “would be a disaster for America.”“The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity,” said Ms. Haley in a statement.“We need a president who will hold our enemies to account, secure our border, cut our debt, and get our economy back on track,” said the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.Ms. Haley went on to call on her delegates to back former President Trump at the Republican National Convention, which will be held July 15–18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Politico first reported the news.The former candidate will not be attending the convention.“She was not invited, and she’s fine with that,” Ms. Haley’s spokesperson, Chaney Denton, told The Epoch Times.
Meet the Christian oil mogul spending big to elect Trump -Donald Trump has a new friend in the oil industry, but billionaire Tim Dunn probably has a lot more in mind than “drill, baby, drill.”The CEO of CrownRock is an evangelical Christian from Midland who pulled an oil fortune from the plains of West Texas. He remains largely unknown outside of the Lone Star State, where he has spent more than $30 million to push state politics and policy far to the right.Now, he’s going national with his efforts. Late last year, the Texas oilman ensconced himself among Trump’s top donors with a $5 million contribution.“It’s not too much to say he has reshaped Texas politics,” University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said. “Dunn hopes that what is working in Texas will work across the country. The time is good. The ground is soft.”Dunn did his reshaping not by fighting Democrats so much as financing primary challenges to Republicans who don’t conform to his religious-right orthodoxy. Now, he is harnessing his petrodollars to gravitate into Trump’s orbit.He joined the board of directors of the America First Policy Institute, considered a policy and personnel incubator for a potential second Trump administration. He’s gone into business with Brad Parscale, the pollster who’s back helping Trump’s 2024 effort. And he is the longtime vice chair of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which supplied some of Trump’s most controversial nominees and is now contributing to a policy road map for Trump called Project 2025.Dunn’s national debut has led to new scrutiny, with profiles in The Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone. He is now one of the top 10 contributors to Trump’s campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org, ranking fifth until a recent update.Dunn will soon have more money to pour into his causes. In December, he agreed to sell his company to Occidental Petroleum. Bloomberg reported Dunn is set to collect about $2.2 billion.He’s part of a constellation of oil moguls feeding Trump’s campaign. Oil production and natural gas exports have reached record levels during the Biden administration, but the industry is seeking a more favorable regulatory environment. Its lawyers are drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders for Trump to roll back pollution limits, boost natural gas exports and increase offshore leases.
Supreme Court immunity ruling raises questions about military orders -The Supreme Court’s stunning ruling giving presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts raises serious questions about orders issued by the commander in chief to the military, especially if those commands clearly violate U.S. or international law. A commander in chief with broad immunity from criminal prosecution would have more power and leeway in issuing controversial orders that the military is in most cases obligated to carry out, according to the chain of command. The Supreme Court ruling, which came in a case related to former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, has sparked general fears about an abuse of power using the military, but also particular concerns about Trump, who has promised to exact revenge if he retakes the White House. While there may be legal challenges down the line, experts say the ruling does not extend immunity protections for commanders and enlisted service members who carry out the president’s orders. Victor Hansen, professor of law at the New England School of Law in Boston, explained that service members still have to adhere to legal standards even if the president does not, and said the Supreme Court ruling “flips the dynamic on its head.” “Now you have the subordinates who have not all of the authority but all of the responsibility,” said Hansen, who served a 20-year career as a military lawyer in the U.S. Army. “And you have a guy at the top who has all the authority and none of the responsibility.” “It is, in my humble opinion, an absurd and damaging ruling,” he added. The ruling decided a challenge from Trump’s legal team to a case in Washington, D.C., courts related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and other efforts by Trump and his allies to keep power after the 2020 election. His lawyers are now arguing the ruling should apply to a separate case in Florida, where he is charged with illegally keeping classified records, including national security documents. During legal arguments in January, Trump’s lawyers made the case that a president should enjoy broad immunity from criminal prosecution as a former executive, even if he were to order the assassination of a political rival using the elite SEAL Team 6. Trump attorney John Sauer told a three-judge panel at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that a former president can only be criminally prosecuted if he has been tried and convicted by the Senate. The argument at the time was widely panned as ridiculous; James Pearce, an attorney with special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the Trump federal convictions, told the judges that Sauer had outlined a “frightening future.” “What kind of world are we living in … if a president orders his SEAL team to murder a political rival and then resigns or is not impeached — that is not a crime?“ Pearce said at the time.
Chuck Schumer pushing bill to strip Donald Trump of court-granted immunitySenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that he and other Senate Democrats will work to advance legislation to strip former President Trump of the immunity he was granted under a recent Supreme Court ruling protecting a president’s official acts from criminal prosecution. Schumer, invoking Congress’s powers to regulate the courts, said Democrats are working on legislation to classify Trump’s efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election as “unofficial acts” so they do not merit immunity from criminal prosecution under the high court’s recent 6-3 decision. “They incorrectly declared that former President Trump enjoys broad immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took while in office. They incorrectly declared that all future presidents are entitled to a breathtaking level of immunity so long as their conduct is ostensibly carried out in their official capacity as president,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. Schumer said the court’s conservative justices had “effectively placed a crown on Donald Trump’s head,” putting him above the law and making him “in many ways untouchable.” “I will work with my colleagues on legislation classifying Trump’s election subversion acts as unofficial acts not subject to immunity,” he announced. “We’re doing this because we believe that in America no president should be free to overturn an election against the will of the people, no matter what the conservative justices may believe.” Schumer said senators will keep on working on other proposals to “rein in the abuse of our federal judiciary.” Some Democrats, including Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), have expressed support for adding language to the Supreme Court’s annual funding bill that would require it to adopt an enforceable code of ethics. Government watchdog groups, Democratic lawmakers and media pundits have criticized conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in free travel and other gifts from wealthy benefactors. The Supreme Court granted Trump substantial immunity when it ruled on July 1 that Trump and future presidents could not be prosecuted for crimes related to official acts but left it to lower courts to determine whether Trump’s actions to overturn the results of the 2020 election fell under the category of official acts. Some legal analysts, however, think the ruling may protect Trump entirely from being prosecuted for the attempts to overturn the election results, which resulted in a mob storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, because it would bar prosecutors from presenting actions related to official conduct to a jury as evidence.
Gunshots reportedly fired at Donald Trump rally - as former president rushed off stage - Gunshots have reportedly been fired at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania, with the former president rushed off-stage by security staff. Trump appeared to fall to the ground as he was giving a speech. He was quickly surrounded by armed security and stayed down for around a minute. He then rose to his feet and put his fist in the air, before being escorted off stage and into a vehicle, and then driven away from the scene. Video appeared to show blood on his ear as he was taken away.
- Former President Donald Trump was injured in a shooting Saturday evening during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A gunman and at least one audience member are dead, the Secret Service said, and two other attendees are critically injured.
- Trump said on social media that he was shot and hit by a bullet in the “upper part of my right ear.” The Secret Service said the former president is safe after he was rushed off the rally stage with blood on his face. A spokesperson said Trump is “fine” after the “heinous act.”
- The Secret Service said the shooter fired multiple shots from an “elevated position” outside of the Trump rally before he was killed by agents. The shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination, according to law enforcement officials.
- President Joe Biden denounced the violence in remarks Saturday night and said in a statement earlier that he’s “grateful” Trump is safe.
Boeing accepts DOJ’s “sweetheart deal” and pleads guilty to felony fraud conspiracy -- On Sunday, airline manufacturer Boeing agreed to accept the deal offered by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) one week ago and pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to defraud the federal government. Families of the company’s hundreds of victims have denounced the maneuver as a “sweetheart deal” and slap on the wrist for Boeing and its executives. The company pled guilty to the felony in connection with its violation of a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ negotiated three years ago for two crashes of its 737 MAX jets in 2018 and 2019 which killed 346 people. A Boeing representative acknowledged that the company reached the agreement with the DOJ but declined to comment on it. The plea deal must still be approved by US District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas. In a separate filing, the families said they will object to the deal and “intend to argue that the plea deal with Boeing unfairly makes concessions to Boeing that other criminal defendants would never receive and fails to hold Boeing accountable for the deaths of 346 persons.” Paul G. Cassell, a lawyer for more than a dozen of the families said the government’s agreement with Boeing is “clearly not in the public interest.” He continued, “This sweetheart deal fails to recognize that because of Boeing’s conspiracy, 346 people died. Through crafty lawyering between Boeing and DOJ, the deadly consequences of Boeing’s crime are being hidden.” As part of the deal, Boeing agreed to pay a $243.6 million fine, operate under an independent monitor who will oversee the company’s safety and quality procedures for three years and invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs. Boeing will also be on probation for three years and its board of directors will be required to meet with the crash victim’s families. Boeing’s acceptance of the agreement was widely anticipated since prosecutors gave the company one week to do so. Most significant for the DOJ, airline industry regulators and the $115 billion corporation, the acceptance of the plea means that Boeing will avoid a criminal trial. All those involved want to prevent further details of the criminality of the giant corporation—as well as the complicity of government oversight bodies—which has repeatedly placed profits above the safety of the air traveling public from being discussed in court.
The War On Free Speech: Biden Adds Another Advocate For Censorship To White House by Jonathan Turley, -- I have previously written how President Joe Biden is the most anti-free speech president since John Adams. For his part, Biden has continued to double down on his anti-free speech policies with the appointment of figures who have long supported bans and other speech controls. The latest such appointment is Andy Volosky, who was made deputy director of platforms for the White House’s Office of Digital Strategy.Volosky has been outspoken in support of banning former president Donald Trump from social media platforms.In my new book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage, I lay out the chilling comparisons between the Adams and Biden Administrations in the crackdown of free speech. For Adams, that led to defeat in 1800 when Jefferson ran in part on restoring free speech. To my surprise, Trump and his fellow challengers in this election have not made free speech a central issue to force Biden to defend the massive censorship system supported by his Administration.The public does not support censorship.This is a movement that originated in higher education and has been pushed by the political and media establishment, not the voters.Volosky will now help direct digital strategies for the White House.He previously praised the banning of Trump, asking “What took them so long?” in a 2021 blog post.
Supreme Court Won't Hear Online Commentator's Censorship Suit Against California -The Supreme Court denied commentator Rogan O’Handley’s bid last week to appeal a lower court’s decision dismissing his lawsuit that claimed California pressured Twitter to censor his election-related posts. Mr. O’Handley’s account on Twitter, now called X, had been suspended after he claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged.California officials flagged his posts as election misinformation. He sued the social media platform and the state in federal court and lost.The new action by the Supreme Court came after it ruled on June 26 in Murthy v. Missouri that individuals challenging the federal government’s efforts to influence social media platforms lacked legal standing to do so. The court found the individuals couldn’t show they were directly harmed by the government’s outreach to the platforms.Standing refers to the right of someone to sue in court. The parties must show a strong enough connection to the action to justify their participation in a lawsuit.After the events that gave rise to Mr. O’Handley’s lawsuit, Elon Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022 and began reforming its moderation policies. The social media platform rebranded as X in July 2023.Mr. O’Handley, a conservative, is active on X under the handle @DC_Draino. He has 1.5 million followers.The Supreme Court denied the petition for certiorari, or review, in O’Handley v. Weber in an unsigned order on July 2. Shirley Weber, a Democrat, is California’s secretary of state.No justices dissented and the court did not explain its decision. At least four of the nine justices must vote to grant a petition for it to advance.According to Mr. O’Handley’s petition, California’s secretary of state established the Office of Election Cybersecurity (OEC) in 2018 “to monitor and counteract false or misleading information regarding the electoral process that is published online or on other platforms and that may suppress voter participation or cause confusion and disruption of the orderly and secure administration of elections,” in the words of the California Elections Code.The state law empowered the OEC to evaluate and “mitigate” information viewed as false or misleading and to work with federal, state, and local agencies, and private organizations to develop recommendations “for changes to state laws, regulations, and policies[.]” During the 2020 election cycle, the Office of Election Cybersecurity signed a $35 million contract with political consultants hired to identify supposed misinformation, which the OEC then raised with the platforms, the petition stated.After that election, Ms. Weber’s office issued a report stating that “misinformation identified by our office or voters was promptly reviewed and, in most cases, removed by the social media platforms.”In the petition, Mr. O’Handley said he had written posts on Twitter “without interference” but things changed when the OEC got involved and “targeted” him, starting in November 2020.Mr. O’Handley said the OEC first noticed him when he wrote on the platform that every ballot in California should be audited because “election fraud is rampant nationwide and we all know California is one of the culprits.”Soon after, Twitter labeled the post “disputed,” lowered its visibility, and applied a strike to his account after the OEC designated the post as an “orange level” threat in internal documents and expressed its objection to the post to Twitter, according to the petition. Before this incident, Mr. O’Handley said Twitter had never disciplined him, but added the OEC’s flagging of his account opened the door to continuing censorship. His account was flagged repeatedly and was suspended indefinitely in February 2021. It took the platform nearly two years to restore his account. He sued California officials and the platform, claiming they violated his First Amendment rights by censoring him. A federal district court dismissed the legal complaint, finding he lacked standing to sue. The court also determined that the platform acted independently against Mr. O’Handley in accordance with its own rules, the petition stated. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal. At the same time that court found that Mr. O’Handley had standing to sue because it was “possible to draw a causal line” from the OEC’s action to the suspension of Mr. O’Handley, especially given that he had never been disciplined before the OEC “placed his account on the company’s radar.”
Meta's updates policy on posts targeting 'Zionists' -- Meta expanded its policy around posts that target “Zionists” to ban speech that uses the term in a way that uses antisemitic tropes or other threatening language against Jews or Israelis, the company said Tuesday. The policy expands which posts targeting “Zionists” will be removed based on how the term is treated, compared to Meta’s previous hate speech policy that more narrowly banned the term when it was used as a stand-in proxy term for Jewish or Israeli people. “Going forward, we will remove content attacking ‘Zionists’ when it is not explicitly about the political movement, but instead uses antisemitic stereotypes, or threatens other types of harm through intimidation, or violence directed against Jews or Israelis under the guise of attacking Zionists,” the company said in a blog post. For example, posts attacking Zionists with dehumanizing comparisons, denials of existence, or “claims about running the world or controlling the media” will be removed under the updated policy, Meta said. Meta said it revisited use of the term at various times in recent years, including in a March 2024 policy forum, given a lack of “global consensus on what people mean when they use the term ‘Zionist.’”
AT&T's massive data breach deepens crisis for Snowflake seven weeks after hack was disclosed - Snowflake has spent the past seven weeks dealing with the fallout of a major cyberattack that compromised sensitive customer data at several of its clients. The software company's problems just got a whole lot worse. Telecommunications giant AT&T said in a regulatory filing on Friday that hackers tapped into a cloud platform housing customer data, gaining access to records of subscribers' calls and text messages during a six-month period in 2022. The data includes phone numbers, aggregate call duration and some cell site details, AT&T said in the filing. An AT&T spokesperson told CNBC that the cloud service was owned by Snowflake. Shares of Snowflake fell 1.8% on Friday, while the Nasdaq rose 0.6%. It is the most severe incident since Snowflake disclosed the breach on May 30, writing in a blog post at the time, "We became aware of potentially unauthorized access to certain customer accounts on May 23, 2024." Snowflake enlisted the help of cybersecurity software vendor CrowdStrike and Alphabet's Mandiant to investigate. Mandiant wrote in a blog post last month that, through its "Victim Notification Program," the company and Snowflake have alerted 165 "potentially exposed organizations" of the incident. Mandiant blamed the hack on a financially motivated group it calls UNC5537, with members in North America and Turkey. UNC5537 drew on login credentials that had been available online after they had been stolen separately using malware. Prior to Friday, the most notable companies connected to the Snowflake breach were Advance Auto Parts, LendingTree, Ticketmaster operator Live Nationand Santander Bank, which said in mid-May, prior to Snowflake's disclosure, "We recently became aware of an unauthorized access to a Santander database hosted by a third-party provider." AT&T is much bigger. The company had 242 million customers for its U.S. wireless mobility services at the end of last year, with 128 million connected devices.The carrier said data in the breach involves "nearly all of AT&T's wireless customers and customers of mobile virtual network operators" using its wireless network."While the data does not include customer names, there are often ways, using publicly available online tools, to find the name associated with a specific telephone number," AT&T wrote. Attackers did not get access to the content of calls or texts.A Snowflake spokesperson did not provide a comment when asked about the AT&T hack. The spokesperson pointed to the company's prior statements about the attack.Mandiant said in its blog post that some of the malware infections in Snowflake's systems date to 2020, and the credentials were, in some cases, still valid years after being stolen. In certain instances, the credentials had been taken on PCs used by contractors for Snowflake customers — devices that were also used for personal activities, including downloading pirated software.The usernames and passwords were sufficient for UNC5537 to enter customers' Snowflake environments because they had not turned on multi-factor authentication, Mandiant said. From there, the hackers exported "a significant volume of customer data." UNC5537 has since started extorting victims and trying to sell customer data online, Mandiant added. AT&T said Friday that it does not believe the attack will have a material effect on its finances.But Snowflake has warned investors that it might face reputational harm and "significant liabilities" if the company were to "experience an actual or perceived security breach or unauthorized parties otherwise obtain access to our customers' data, our data, or our platform."Earlier this week, Snowflake published a blog post saying administrators can enforce the mandatory use of multi-factor authentication.The deepening saga represents a growing challenge for Sridhar Ramaswamy, a former Google executive who in February replaced Frank Slootman as Snowflake's CEO. Days before the hacking disclosure, Snowflake stock declined 5% after management reduced the company's full-year adjusted operating income forecast. Snowflake, founded in 2012, went public in 2020, raising more than $3 billion in the biggest initial public offering ever for a software company. Since a big first-day pop that lifted its market cap past $70 billion, Snowflake has slid in value, with its stock closing at $134.73 on Friday for a valuation of about $45 billion.
Study explores the link between stock market fluctuations and emergency room visits in China -The advent of computerized trading and fintech platforms has made investing in stocks easier and more accessible to individuals worldwide. This has led to an increase in stock market participation in many countries, including China. From 2000 to 2022, the number of people investing in stocks in China rose from 29.3 million to a staggering 322.6 million. As a result of this spike in investments, fluctuations in the stock market can have a significant effect on the finances of numerous individuals and their families. Drastic changes in wealth or financial difficulties resulting from these stock market fluctuations could potentially also affect the mental and physical health of investors. In fact, some recent reports have found a correlation between stock market fluctuations and specific physical and psychological issues. Researchers at the National University of Singapore, Jinan University, Peking University and Sun Yat-sen University recently explored this potential link further, focusing on the relationship between stock market fluctuations and stress-related emergency room visits in China. Their findings, published in Nature Mental Health, unveiled a trend marked by greater visits to emergency rooms by individuals experiencing stress-related mental health issues during periods of stock market volatility. To study the relationship between stock market fluctuations and emergency room visits in China, this team of researchers statistically analyzed data collected at the largest hospitals in Beijing over the course of three years, spanning from 2009 to 2012. This data, which was specific to emergency room visits for reasons potentially related to stress, was analyzed in conjunction with stock market trends in China during the same period.
A firm linked to Cambodia’s ruling family is running an $11b crypto scam operation – The Cambodian government says it wants to stop the rampant surge in crypto romance scams and shut down the compounds in the country that perpetrate such online fraud. But evidence has emerged implicating the prime minister’s own family in crypto-connected scams. That’s according to a DL News investigation and new report from blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, which found that a Cambodian online marketplace called Huione Guarantee has become widely used by scam operators in Southeast Asia. Crypto wallets used by Huione Guarantee and merchants who do business on the site have received more than $11 billion since 2021, according to Elliptic’s analysis. A DL News review of Huione Guarantee’s site found merchants openly offering money laundering services, and others selling software and web development tools to build schemes to swindle victims, dubbed “pig butchering” scams. Hun To, the cousin of Prime Minister Hun Manet, is a director in one of the units comprising a Cambodian conglomerate called Huione Group that has been linked to crypto fraud, Elliptic said. While not all $11 billion in transactions cited by Elliptic can be traced to illegal transactions, the researchers said the evidence provides “very strong indications” that the majority of payments stem from illicit activity. “Many of the merchants explicitly offer money laundering services,” Elliptic said, “including accepting payments from victims around the world, transferring it across borders and converting it to other assets including cash, stablecoins, and to Chinese payment apps.” Huione’s media representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Hun To could not be reached for comment. The development is the latest sign that crypto-fueled fraud has reached industrial-scale proportions in Southeast Asia. In January, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said more than $17 billion in USDT, the stablecoin issued by Tether, was connected to underground crypto exchanges, illegal trades, and criminal activities. DL News has reported how crime groups are operating facilities in special economic zones in Cambodia and Myanmar where thousands of people are coerced into running crypto fraud on the internet. The emergence of online bazaars brazenly offering illicit services takes crypto fraud to a new level. Huione Guarantee acts as a kind of clearing house for thousands of instant messaging app channels in Chinese, with each operated by a different merchant. The company maintains the platform and acts as a guarantor or escrow provider for all transactions, ostensibly to prevent fraud, Elliptic said in its report. The site says payments are primarily accepted in USDT, but payment apps and bank transfers may also be used. Browsing through its groups, DL News found one ad on a Telegram channel searching for fleets of trucks. Typically, this is code for money laundering “motorcades’' that seek to obscure the origin of illicit transactions by washing them through different accounts. The entity behind the ad said it is looking to deposit 1,500 to 50,000 USDT a day. “No registration required, cryptocurrency exchange is completed in 1 minute, no fund custody is required, security, privacy and reliability support U-to-anonymous currency exchange, cross-chain exchange,” said the ad. Huione Pay's headquarters in Phnom Penh. Photocredit: Callan Quinn/ DL News In January, Slowmist, a blockchain analytics firm, also identified Huione as an intermediary to collect ransom payments from the families of people forced to labour in scam compounds by the Northern Myanmar Alliance Army. Huione started in 2014 as a company providing luxury services to wealthy Chinese and Cambodians, including helicopter leasing and five star hotel reservations, according to its website. It wasn’t long before it started a payments app enterprise called Huione Pay. The company and its various subsidiaries have become a fixture in Cambodia’s financial industry. From the outside, the Huione Pay headquarters in Phnom Penh looks like just another bank in the financial district. Two giant black-and-gold panda statues flank the entrance. And as with most official buildings in the city, there are signs on the walls saying you’re not allowed to bring guns inside. Hun To, the Cambodian prime minister’s cousin, is a director for one of the payments units connected to Huione Guarantee, according to business filings reviewed by DL News. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors at another connected company, Huione Life Insurance. Hun To’s late father is the brother of Cambodia’s longtime former dictator Hun Sen, who stepped down in 2023 in favour of his son, Hun Manet.
The $11 Billion Marketplace Enabling the Crypto Scam Economy | WIRED -- As the crypto scam commonly known as “pig butchering” has exploded into a full-blown criminal industry that steals tens of billions of dollars a year, an entire ecosystem has formed around it. That sub-industry offers tools and data for finding and tricking targets, money laundering services to help liquidate stolen funds—even detention tools to imprison and coerce the human trafficking victims enslaved to work in scam operations.New research now shows how all of those secondary services enabling the global scourge of pig butchering can be found on a single Cambodian online platform—part of a company linked to the Cambodian ruling family—known as Huione Guarantee.On Wednesday, crypto-tracing firm Elliptic published a report that delves into crypto scammers’ extensive use of Huione Guarantee, a deposit and escrow service for peer-to-peer transactions that lets users buy and sell over the Telegram messaging service with the cryptocurrency Tether while preventing them from defrauding each other. By analyzing listings on the platform, engaging with sellers—sometimes undercover—and following funds across Tether’s blockchain sent to those sellers’ addresses, Elliptic was able to trace $11 billion in total transactions in just the three years since Huione Guarantee launched, including $3.4 billion so far this year.Elliptic estimates, based largely on public Chinese-language advertisements for the products and services available on Huione Guarantee, that the majority of those transactions were in service of pig butchering. “I’m not sure whether Huione Guarantee was originally established with this in mind, but it’s certainly become primarily a marketplace for online scammers,” says Tom Robinson, Elliptic’s cofounder and chief scientist. Robinson says Elliptic knows of around 10 platforms like Huione Guarantee that are used by crypto scammers, but none that are nearly so big. “This is the largest public guarantee platform for illicit crypto transactions that we’re aware of,” he says.By some estimates, pig butchering scams have netted a whopping $75 billion from the start of 2020 to February of this year. The FBI said in April that reported crypto-investment fraud losses for the US hit $3.94 billion in 2023. In addition to scam victims, who are tricked into buying cryptocurrency and transferring it to criminals, the scammers on the other end are often victims of elaborate forced-labor schemes. Compounds where people are forced to live and work generating content to target scam victims have been reported in Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, and other countries in Southeast Asia.
Scam Watcher Sends Urgent Warning To Shiba Inu Community -- Shibarmy Scam Alerts has issued a critical warning to the Shiba Inu community, declaring the increasing threat of Telegram scam attacks aimed at deceiving and defrauding unsuspecting SHIB investors On June 8, the Shiba Inu scam tracker, Shibarmy Scam Alerts unveiled a new scam attack targeting the Shiba Inu community. According to its post on X (formerly Twitter), there has been a surge in fake Telegram channels promoting airdrops, token migration and other enticing offers which require users to connect their cryptocurrency wallets to gain free assets. As a social media account dedicated to exposing scams and protecting the SHIB community, Shibarmy Scam Alerts has urged investors and traders to remain cautious of the ongoing scam attacks. The scam tracker disclosed that these Telegram schemes are malicious attacks designed to drain investors’ crypto assets, leaving them with severe financial losses. In an effort to safeguard Shiba Inu’s community members, Shibarmy Scam Alerts has outlined strategic means to identify potential scam attempts. Usually, there are several red flags investors can look out for to recognize scam sites. Shibarmy Scam Alerts has revealed that fraudulent sites often employ distinctive scam tactics to create a sense of urgency that pushes investors to engage with their sites. Sites that display a countdown timer aim to pressure unsuspecting investors into acting quickly to claim assets without verifying the legitimacy of the offer. This pressure endangers investors’ assets as they make the hasty decision to connect their wallet addresses to unverified sources. Including countdown timers, most of these fake Telegram channels may impersonate legitimate Shiba Inu officials or accounts, offering large attractive rewards to tempt users and lure them into engaging their deceptive sites. In its post, Shibarmy Scam Alerts outlined ways Shiba Inu community members can verify a crypto offer’s authenticity and protect themselves from the ongoing fake Telegram scams. Thescam tracker urged investors and community members to always investigate and verify the authenticity of a Telegram channel and any offers they promote.This can be done by watching out for verified badges and cross-referencing any information with official Shiba Inu websites and social media accounts. Typically, social media sites that offer free tokens and airdrops should always be approached with caution to avoid financial loss. Shibarmy Scam Alerts has also stressed the importance of engaging with trusted individuals within the Shiba Inu community to confirm the validity of any suspicious websites and crypto offers. The scam tracker remains steadfast in its commitment tosafeguarding Shiba Inu investors by diligently keeping them up to date on any suspicious scam activities. Including the recent fake Telegram channel scam, the Shib scam tracker has also issued multiple warnings about malicious scams involving phishing, impersonation, fake giveaways, tokens and endorsements.
Cryptocurrency scam bilks $300K in retirement savings — A new wave of cryptocurrency scams targets victims through social media pages, robocalls and even referrals. Scammers stole more than $3.4 billion last year alone, according to the FBI. Leonid Shteyn told FOX31 that after 30 years in business, he has never seen anyone operate as smoothly as the scammers who robbed him of his retirement savings. “They took close to $300,000,” he said. Shteyn was approached by a man who offered him a chance to make big money investing in cryptocurrency. He said he did not suspect anything because a friend referred him, and the scammer’s payment account was at Bank of America. The scammers confiscated his funds. “I couldn’t withdraw my money,” he said. Can you get your money back after a crypto scam? The FOX31 Problem Solvers asked tech security expert Donald McLaughlin of CP Cyber about whether losses can be recovered. He warned that, unlike regular transactions, cryptocurrency deals are not insured or regulated. “If you are scammed and they take the money, it’s gone. There’s nothing the bank can do about it,” he said. Most victims are targeted by robocalls and email, but right now social media is turning into a scammer’s playground. “They will do email, but the biggest push right now is social media. So TikTok, Facebook, Instagram,” McLaughlin said. Shteyn said he would continue to fight to have his money recovered. “I lost all of this money. It was devastating,” he said.
Three Ontario men lose $373,000 to crypto investment fraud - Three men across Ontario are speaking out after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars to a cryptocurrency investment scam, including one man in Brampton who lost $226,000. “I started with $1,200 and within two weeks I was at like $3,000,” said Mohammad Haque. Haque told CTV News Toronto he came across a video on social media which appeared to show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explaining how Canadians could make good money investing in cryptocurrency. However, the video he saw was a deepfake and had been manipulated by artificial intelligence (AI). “Justin Trudeau and the Finance Minister gave key opportunities to invest a little and make big money,” Haque explained. “At the last moment, I asked my daughter, and she said, ‘Dad, this is a scam. You’re losing all your money.’” While Haque thought he had amassed US$424,775 in his account, he discovered it was empty and was defrauded out of $226,000. Darrell Budnick of Mississauga had a similar experience when he saw a video claiming he could make money in cryptocurrency. While it appeared his investments were going up, when he tried to withdraw the funds, he couldn’t. “Boy I got scammed good and really hard,” said Budnick. He was duped out of $130,000. “Right now I’m panicking. I have a heart condition that’s getting worse. It hurts. It’s scary. I thought I was secure, and now I’m not,” said Budnick. Mewanhile, Giovanni Pugliano of Hamilton came across a deepfake video featuring Elon Musk on YouTube that claimed he could start investing in cryptocurrencies with just a few hundred dollars and eventually become rich. “I ended up putting in a lot more than I expected and all of a sudden, I was broke,” Pugliano told CTV News Toronto, who said his losses totalled $17,000. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, between Jan. 1 and Jun 30 of this year there have been $148 million in fraudulent investment losses reported across the county. The majority of the investment frauds were in cryptocurrency. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) released a public warning about the scam, saying investors are getting caught in the ruse in record numbers and that victims are losing their homes and life savings. “We are seeing suicides. We are seeing the elderly having to move in with their children, and we are seeing more people lining up at food banks,” said Acting Det. –Sgt. John Armit of the OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch. The OPP also said for Ontarians who are interested in investing in crypto, they can educate themselves through the Ontario Securities Commission website. According to the OPP, there are also secure crypto trading platformswhich have been authorized by the Canadian Securities Administrators to do business with Canadians. As for the three victims who contacted CTV News Toronto, they wanted to share their story to warn others. “I ruined my life, and my family’s life,” said Haque, who added “I’m in a dangerous situation. I don’t know how to recover from this, but I am trying.” When people are scammed, they are often contacted by companies that claim they can get their investments back for a fee. However, that is also a scam run by the same criminals who took the victims money in the first place.
UK regulator alerts public to fake solicitor Bitcoin scam -- The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the United Kingdom has issued a warning about a new scam involving emails from fake lawyers demanding Bitcoin payments. According to an update on its website, an email from the address “joyti.henchie@attwaters.co” claims to have copied all of the recipient’s personal data and threatens to release damaging videos unless a Bitcoin (BTC) payment is made. The scam email includes a link to a Bitcoin wallet, which may contain malware. It falsely uses the name “Patrice Joyce” and claims to be associated with the legitimate firms Attwaters Solicitors and Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors. However, the SRA confirmed that it does not authorize or regulate a lawyer named Patrice Joyce. The SRA emphasizes that any business or transaction through the email domain “@attwaters.co” is not associated with the genuine firms or individuals it regulates. The genuine firm’s email domains end in “@attwaters.co.uk” or “@attwatersjamesonhill.co.uk.” Manjot Kaur Henchie, known as Joyti, the bearer of the name used in the email address, is a genuine solicitor working at the legitimate firm Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors. Both the firm and Henchie have confirmed they have no connection to the scam email. The SRA advises individuals to conduct due diligence if they receive suspicious correspondence. This includes verifying the email’s authenticity by contacting the law firm directly through reliable means and checking the SRA’s records to confirm the individual or firm’s authorization. The alert by the UK regulator is another case highlighting the importance of being vigilant against email scams and ensuring any demands for payment, particularly in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, are thoroughly investigated before action is taken. A similar email extortion scam emerged in 2019, targeting website owners using Google’s AdSense program. Scammers demanded Bitcoin in exchange for supposedly protecting against an attack that would allegedly result in AdSense account suspension.In 2020, New Zealand law enforcement warned about a cryptocurrency scam where fraudsters blackmail victims by claiming to possess information about their online pornographic activities. The scammers demand a Bitcoin ransom, threatening to expose the victims’ alleged porn use if they don’t pay up.
Effort to overturn Biden veto on crypto banking rule SAB 121 fails — The House failed to overturn President Joe Biden's veto of a measure that would have nullified the Securities and Exchange Commission's guidance curtailing banks from offering crypto custody services. SEC accounting bulletin 121 requires that companies, including banks, hold crypto assets for their clients on their balance sheets as a liability. For the largest banks, it means that it's not efficient to open or to scale a crypto custodying business. Both the House and the Senate — with some bipartisan support — passed a Congressional Review Act resolution that would have nullified the guidance. Biden then vetoed the resolution. On Thursday, the House wasn't able to overturn that veto. The House, which needed a two-thirds majority, voted 228-184. Twenty-one Democratic lawmakers voted in favor of overturning the veto, breaking with Biden. It's the same number that voted in favor of originally overturning the guidance. "A bipartisan CRA that passes both chambers?" queried Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee on the House floor on Wednesday. "That is a mandate from the Americans we represent. Despite all of the recent progress and bipartisan agreement, President Biden vetoed the first digital-asset-specific legislation to ever pass the House and Senate." The measure continued to face opposition from most Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, argued on the House floor that the CRA approach is overly broad because it would prevent the SEC from making another rule on the same topic in the future.
'It's always a black box': One fintech's ordeal working with Synapse -- Turmoil in the banking-as-a-service space is spurring banks, fintechs and middleware providersto rigorously consider which clients or partners they choose.Artem Fedyaev, the CEO and co-founder of challenger bank GrabrFi, experienced this turmoil firsthand. In 2021 he tried to launch GrabrFi as an offshoot of Grabr, the peer-to-peer marketplace he built in 2015. GrabrFi is meant for freelancers and remote workers who live outside of the U.S. but receive income from U.S.-based companies. It lets users from 28 countries open checking accounts in the U.S., where they can receive their salaries in U.S. dollars.In the three years since, he has integrated with three different middleware providers, including Synapse, and rotated between several prospective sponsor banks in his quest to bring his idea to market.Fedyaev's account of his experience highlights both the flaws of and the opportunities in the banking-as-a-service, or BaaS, middleware space. On one hand, handing over some control to middleware firms brought complications and opacity. Middleware providers are, broadly speaking, vendors that connect banks to fintechs and provide matchmaking services and technology. It often took months longer than expected for GrabrFi to integrate with a new provider.On the other hand, the company's current provider, Synctera, was instrumental in linking GrabrFi to a partner bank relationship that has thus far proceeded smoothly. In theory, middleware firms that have multiple partner banks can help fintech clients secure more than one BaaS sponsor. This was once viewed as a luxury but may be an existential necessity as more BaaS banks run into trouble with regulators and their partners risk serious disruptions. GrabrFi's story also represents an evolving mindset among financial services startups."It used to be that fintechs looking for a bank partner prioritized speed and flexibility, where the faster they could go to market the better, and the more flexibility the bank had on terms the better," said Jonah Crane, partner at Klaros Group. Now, "people are being choosy about which banks they work with."When conceiving GrabrFi, Fedyaev and his team estimated there were 120 million people in other countries working across borders for U.S. companies and potentially receiving their salaries in U.S. dollars. Through his network of investors, Fedyaev spoke with several potential partner banks in 2021 about his idea for a challenger bank."They all said the same thing — this was a huge use case and a big market, but it was too risky on the KYC [know-your-customer] side because it is international and digitized," he said.Their confirmation that the market was there encouraged him to keep going. The next step was speaking with BaaS middleware providers, most of whom echoed the banks' worries about the potential for fraud, money laundering and other risks."I understand now, but back then I was arguing with them," said Fedyaev.
This fintech launched weeks after Synapse failed. Its CEO is undaunted. -The messy bankruptcy of the middleware provider Synapse Financial is affecting consumers who've been unable to access the funds they'd deposited at certain fintechs. It's also impacting banks that specialize in fintech partnerships and were facing more regulatory scrutiny even prior to the Synapse fiasco.But new fintech ventures continue to launch. Last month saw the rollout of Liquid Treasuries, a consumer fintech product that combines aspects of checking, savings and investment accounts, and is targeted at affluent Americans.The product is the latest brainchild of Bill Harris, the onetime CEO of Intuit and PayPal who's since become a serial entrepreneur. In a recent interview, Harris seemed undaunted by the rapidly evolving landscape for fintechs that rely on bank partnerships."There is increased regulatory scrutiny. There should be increased regulatory scrutiny," said Harris, the founder and CEO of Evergreen Money, the digital wealth advisor that started offering Liquid Treasuries on June 25.Evergreen Money's product launch is timed to take advantage of high interest rates in the United States. It allows consumers to put their money in relatively high-yielding U.S. Treasury bills while maintaining the ready access to their funds that checking accounts provide."People have a lot of money in checking accounts earning nothing," said Harris. "The problem is not that complicated."He added: "If you took all of the checking accounts in the country and paid 5% on them, that would be another $103 billion of earnings in people's pockets."What's more complicated than the problem Harris is trying to address is the mechanism that Evergreen Money and its partners have devised to unlock additional earnings for consumers.Evergreen Money's account comes with a debit card issued by Everett, Washington-based Coastal Community Bank. Customers also have access to ATMs, the ability to make wire transfers and payments on the automated clearing house, or ACH, network and the opportunity to set up direct deposits of their paychecks. Indeed, Harris is advising consumers to use Liquid Treasuries as a replacement for their checking accounts — in order to earn yields of 5.31%, as of late June, on as much of their wealth as possible. "It's as easy as a checking account," he said. "It's as accessible as a checking account."Here's the complicated part: The bulk of customers' funds will not be held at Coastal in Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.-insured deposit accounts. Instead, the money will largely be invested in Treasury bills housed in brokerage accounts that are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corp.Those brokerage accounts are held with Jiko Securities, another key partner for Evergreen Money. Jiko, which has its own banking arm, has built technology that is designed to make Treasury bills bankable.The idea is to automatically sweep customers' deposits into Treasury bills, and to create an environment where the money can also be swept back out, Harris said. When a customer makes a debit-card purchase, funds from a settlement account are used to provide immediate access to the customer's money, he said.Consumers can buy Treasury bills directly from the U.S. government, but Harris said the process is fairly complicated, and that Liquid Treasuries makes owning T-bills simple. Some high-yield savings accounts offer similar returns to those available from the Liquid Treasuries product, but residents of certain states can get substantial tax savings by investing in Treasury bills. The interest paid on T-bills is exempt from state and local taxes, which comes in handy in states like California, where the top tax rate is more than 13%.Evergreen Money Advisors is a registered investment advisor, and the startup earns money by charging a fee based on the size of the assets the customer has under management. The minimum investment size is $10,000, and customers pay a monthly fee of 0.03%.In light of the Synapse failure, the operational aspects of bank-fintech partnerships are currently getting more attention, and the Liquid Treasuries product is operationally complex, said Jonah Crane, a partner at the advisory firm Klaros Group.As a middleware provider, Synapse stood between fintechs and banks, and its collapse left tens of millions of dollars in unaccounted-for customer funds. The funds that Synapse held were not insured by the FDIC. Last month, regulators hit former Synapse partner Evolve Bank & Trust with a cease-and-desist order for issues that included shortcomings in consumer protection.Crane, whose areas of focus include banking as a service and embedded finance, predicted that in the wake of Synapse's bankruptcy, fintechs will have a harder time finding partner banks, since those banks with the best reputations will be in high demand.
McKernan and Chopra want clearer bank-fintech guidance | — Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Board Member Jonathan McKernan Wednesday suggested regulators consider making their third-party risk guidance more specific in order to foster innovation and competition in the financial services sector. "That guidance, at least as I read it, it's really tailored most to the services that a bank obtains as opposed to working through a service provider, or having a service provider that works on behalf of a bank," McKernan said, "There may be opportunities for us to think about activity specific guidance under this framework of third-party risk management that articulates with maybe greater clarity[,] ideally even some black and white rules of the road — how we think about certain sorts of big partnerships. … I think that's a promising thing to explore."The remarks, delivered to an audience at Semafor's Banking on the Future: The Next Era of Fintech conference, highlight the growing involvement of regulators in scrutinizing the increasing dependence of banks on partnerships with fintech companies. In June 2023, federal bank regulators the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency — along with the FDIC — provided a set of risk-based principles banks should use as they develop third-party relationships. The guidance lays out the importance of thorough risk management practices tailored to the risk and complexity of each third-party relationship. The agency's recommendations to banks include developing contingency plans for navigating or terminating relationships with third parties as well as monitoring such partners for safety and soundness or legal adherence. McKernan's plea for clearer activities-based guidance echoed a statement earlier in the day by his fellow FDIC board member, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, whose agency regulates fintechs for compliance with consumer protection laws. At the conference, Chopra endorsed examining current rules to ensure they enable new entrants in the fintech space to compete with established participants. He noted that the current complexity of the rules makes it difficult for smaller entrants to make decisions."One of the things we try and do is we have tried to answer the call of making sure that fintech companies, startups, and future firms that don't exist, don't have to deal with the shakedown of lawyers that are circling them trying to get money from them by waving this flag of uncertainty," he said. "The rules need to have brighter lines, they need to be simpler, and they don't need to be designed just for the very biggest incumbents, which I think is a little bit of a system that we have."McKernan later seconded the spirit of Chopra's call to lower the barriers for companies looking to break into the bank-fintech space."It's important that we make sure that this regulatory framework does not entrench the incumbents," he said. "Does not pose undue barriers to entry, unduly impose an impediment to innovation."Much of the bank regulatory action over the last year at the FDIC has come amid the backdrop of scandal after a series of stories from The Wall Street Journal detailed serious workplace misconduct issues at the agency spanning decades.
Yellen resists calls to punt Fincen deadline -— Republican lawmakers raised concerns about the onerousness of a new rule requiring U.S. legal entities to submit beneficial ownership information to the Treasury'sFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network, quizzing Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a House Financial Services Committee hearing. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the committee chair, pressed the cabinet official to do more to alert small businesses of their new obligations and eliminate any reporting redundancies. "Because of rules one and two going live, every small business in America has a new reporting requirement that they are most likely unaware of," McHenry said. "And this needs to be cleared up."The bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act, which passed Congress as part of a defense spending bill in 2021, mandated the beneficial ownership registry. The database officially opened even as Fincen continues to iron out some of the details regarding implementation of the CTA and amid political pushback. According to Yellen's update at the hearing, the database has received only about 2.7 million filings so far, only a fraction of the estimated 31 million businesses that must file by the deadline of January 1, 2025. The agency previously announced it would release a trio of rules governing businesses' reporting requirements; access by law enforcement and financial entities to the database as well as a revised customer due diligence rule on how financial firms can use the data for anti-money-laundering compliance. The first of these — known as the "reporting rule," finalized September 2022 — mandates which entities, such as corporations and limited liability companies operating in the U.S., would need to report their beneficial owners. The second "access rule," released in December, detailed the conditions under which this data may be disclosed to law enforcement, financial institutions and regulators.
TD Bank, facing AML scrutiny replaces its chief compliance officer -TD Bank Group has replaced its chief compliance officer amid ongoing investigations into deficiencies in its anti-money laundering program.Erin Morrow began in the role last week after Monica Kowal stepped down from the position on July 2. Morrow previously worked in compliance roles at Citigroup for over a decade and had served as TD's deputy chief compliance officer since January.The moves were announced by Chief Risk Officer Ajai Bambawale in a June 28 internal memo."A seasoned and respected leader, Erin has more than twenty years of experience in compliance, audit, and risk management," Babawale said in the memo, which was obtained by American Banker. "She has extensive experience working in complex organizations with a global footprint, which will serve her well in this role."The shakeup comes as TD faces a major AML system overhaul. The Canadian bank disclosed last fall that it was under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with money laundering schemes. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Chinese crime groups funneled at least $653 million in fentanyl and other illicit narcotics sales through the Toronto-based lender.
Chevron reversal could factor into Custodia appeal - Last month's Supreme Court ruling overturning a 40-year-old legal precedent for interpreting administrative law could factor into the Federal Reserve's ongoing legal battle over payment system access.The decision — Loper Bright Enterprises vs. Raimondo — was cited in two amicus briefs filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit last week regarding Custodia Bank's lawsuit against the Fed, including one written by the lead attorney for Loper Bright from the precedent-setting case. Custodia, a Cheyenne, Wyoming-based digital asset bank, was denied a so-called master account with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City last year. It sued the reserve bank and the Fed Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., arguing it was legally entitled to the account, which would have granted it access to the federal payments systems. The lawsuit largely hinged on whether a provision of the Monetary Control Act of 1980 — which states that "all Federal Reserve bank services covered by the fee schedule shall be available to nonmember depository institutions" — dictates that the Fed must grant these services or that it simply may. The Fed asserted that it was the latter and the court agreed.The Loper case marked the end of a concept known as Chevron deference. The doctrine — which derives its name from a 1984 Supreme Court ruling in a case involving the energy conglomerate — held that agencies had the ability to interpret ambiguous authorities granted to them by Congress. Such interpretations now must be made by courts.
BankThink: Congress should restore market-driven debit-interchange pricing | American Banker --Debit network price controls have been in effect since 2011 and credit network price controls may soon be introduced by the settlement of a longstanding lawsuit. Republican Sens. Ted Budd, Thom Tillis, Steve Daines, Bill Hagerty and Katie Britt last month introduced the Secure Payments Act, which would temporarily pause the Fed's proposed 28% reduction in the debit-interchange price cap. They're engaging in political theater rather than seriously trying to put an end to harmful payment-card-network price controls.Interchange fees are used by two-sided payment networks like Mastercard and Visa to balance participation on both sides of the network to maximize total value. They fund cardholder rewards and benefits, free bank accounts and card issuer innovation and are the principal revenue source for many fintechs and neobanks. They enable greater financial inclusion and incentivize electronic payments over cash.Interchange prices set by statute, regulatory diktat or lawsuit settlements cannot match the market's massive, distributed intelligence. Prices freely set in competitive markets dynamically allocate resources to optimize holistic value.The Secure Payments Act would require the Fed to stay its proposal to slash Congress' debit-interchange price cap until it completes a study of the cut's effects on consumer costs and the wider economy and considers the results. The senators have lost sight of the fact that Congress, not the Fed, makes policy. In the Dodd-Frank Act's Durbin Amendment, Congress instructed the Fed to establish an interchange ceiling permitting debit issuers to recover fraud-prevention and incremental processing costs. Issuers' processing costs have fallen roughly 50% since the cap was implemented in 2011, so the Fed's proposed cut is, if anything, generous to banks.
Fed's Barr warns of third-party risks in financial inclusion efforts - The Federal Reserve's chief regulator praised industry efforts to expand access to financial services but cautioned that such initiatives can present financial stability risks.While banks have played a "pivotal role" in improving financial inclusion, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr said their reliance on financial technology, or fintech, partners to do so creates risks that must be carefully managed."Innovations in banking services are important to improving financial inclusion," Barr said. "But to have a durable impact on society, innovations must be adopted responsibly."Barr's comments came on Tuesday during the Federal Reserve Board's Financial Inclusion Practices and Innovations Conference in Washington, D.C. He highlighted expanded offerings of small-dollar loans, the inclusion of alternative data to assess creditworthiness and the creation of new consumer-facing tools as key developments in recent years.Yet Barr urged banks to also ensure their risk management and legal compliance functions are keeping pace with their product and service innovations, especially when third parties are involved. He noted that when banks failed to manage these risks, customers have been harmed. "In communities where people are living on tight budgets or with limited access to financial services, disruptions of this kind can be catastrophic," he said.Third-party risks have been a focal point for the Fed and other regulators in Washington. The central bank joined the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in issuing guidance on the matter last year and again in May, with an emphasis onrisks posed to community banks.
Fed's Powell says new proposal for Basel III endgame is "essential" -Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell favors issuing a new capital proposal in response to the broad concerns raised about the reform package put forth by bank regulators last year. But it is unclear if other Washington regulators feel the same.During testimony in front of the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, Powell said the Fed has made significant progress in absorbing the various comments it received about the so-called Basel III endgame proposal and is "close" to agreeing with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on a path forward. Powell declined to discuss specific changes to the proposal, but said an additional round of public commentary is "essential," given the degree of modification."My view, the strongly held view of the board, is that we do need to put a revised proposal out for comment for some period, and the reason is when there are broad and material changes, that has been our practice," he said. "We don't see a reason to deviate from that practice, it seems to be consistent with past practice and with the Administrative Procedure Act, so that's very much what we think."FDIC board member Jonathan McKernan — a Republican and frequent dissenter to the agency's regulatory policies — expressed support for opening the amended proposal to another round of public commentary."Count me in agreement with the strongly held view of others that we need to repropose the Endgame proposal with broad and material changes," McKernan posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon.
BankThink: Basel endgame supporters need a litigation strategy of their own | American Banker --In July 2023, three federal banking agencies proposed a long-awaited Basel III endgame rulethat would strengthen the U.S. financial system by increasing capital requirements for the country's 37 largest banks. The rule marks the culmination of the United States' implementation of an international framework for safeguarding the banking system in response to the 2008 financial crisis, and it begins to correct the regulatory weaknesses exposed in 2023 by three of the four largest bank failures in U.S. history. Unfortunately, megabanks and their allies have responded to the Basel III endgame proposal by threatening to sue the banking agencies if they adopt a final rule. Most notably, the Bank Policy Institute has retained conservative litigator Eugene Scalia to prepare a lawsuit seeking to overturn a final rule. Consistent with industry-led legal challenges to other Biden administration initiatives, the banks appear poised to allege that the Basel III endgame proposal is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act, or APA, because it lacks a sufficient evidentiary basis and the agencies did not conduct a quantitative cost-benefit analysis. The banks also contend that a Basel III endgame final rule would violate the major questions doctrine and the non-delegation doctrine, among other purported legal deficiencies.The banks' legal arguments against Basel III endgame are wholly without merit. Indeed, the federal banking agencies provided ample support for the Basel III endgame proposal in a detailed, 155-page preamble in the Federal Register. The proposal did not include a quantitative cost-benefit analysis because it did not have to: the APA does not require an agency to quantify costs and benefits, and Congress has not otherwise imposed a cost-benefit requirement on the federal banking agencies. The major questions doctrine and other conservative legal theories are inapplicable to Basel III endgame because Congress has clearly established the federal banking agencies' authority to prescribe bank capital standards.The banks' legal claims are especially galling because the Basel III endgame proposal contains more evidentiary support than many of the Trump-era deregulatory rules adopted just a few years ago with the banking sector's full-throated support. For example, the Federal Reserve's 2019 "tailoring" rule that rolled back Dodd-Frank Act safeguards and hastened Silicon Valley Bank's collapse contained only a one-page "impact assessment." Likewise, the banking agencies justified their 2019 weakening of the Volcker Rule by invoking "supervisory experience" or "experience" almost 50 times — a practice they now insist violates the APA. If the Basel III endgame proposal is legally deficient, so too are the vast majority of deregulatory banking rules adopted under the Trump administration with far less analytical support.Despite the baselessness of their claims, the banks' legal saber-rattling about Basel III endgameappears to have swayed the federal banking agencies. Notoriously concerned about legal risk, the federal banking agencies have signaled that they plan to significantly water down the Basel III endgame proposal — if they finalize it at all. Testifying before Congress this spring, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr both said that they expect to make "broad and material changes" to the proposal in response to public comments. Press reports suggest that agency officials are considering dialing back the proposed capital increases by 50% or more. In a nod to the banks' legal arguments, Powell has suggested that he "won't hesitate" to withdraw the Basel III endgame proposal and restart from scratch if "that turns out to be the appropriate thing." Thus, simply by raising the prospect of potential litigation, the banking sector appears to have convinced the banking agencies to significantly weaken the proposed rule — and potentially scrap it altogether.
Powell says Fed can't muscle FDIC, OCC on new capital proposal --The Federal Reserve is "ready to go" forward with a new capital proposal for banks, but it cannot force other regulators to move on the issue, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress on Wednesday.In his second appearance on Capitol Hill this week, Powell told the House Financial Services Committee that the Fed does not have supremacy over the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on regulatory matters and it will not attempt to strong-arm the other two agencies on revisions to their joint Basel III endgame proposal. "I would say it's strictly collaborative," he said. "And I would say that our discussions with the FDIC, which [Fed] Vice Chair [Michael] Barr has actually been conducting, and the OCC, they've been very productive so far. So … we've continued to work our way through this, and I believe we will get, fairly soon, to a resolution of the remaining process issue."
FDIC nominee Goldsmith Romero: Basel reproposal 'on the table' — Christy Goldsmith Romero, President Joe Biden's latest pick to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., dropped details on how she would handle some of the agency's most contentious rulemakings during a hearing in front of the Senate Banking Committee to consider her nomination.Biden tapped Goldsmith Romero last month to chair the FDIC in the wake of the agency's workplace misbehavior scandals. Current FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg, who has faced concerns over his temperament and ability to lead the agency through necessary reforms, has said he will resign his post once the Senate confirms a successor.Goldsmith Romero's nomination's biggest hurdle remains the legislative calendar. There are few legislative days left, and while no Democratic senators hinted at breaking ranks and opposing her nomination, Republicans could still make the confirmation process drag. Critics spotlighted what they call Goldsmith Romero's relative inexperience in bank regulation. Although Goldsmith Romero, who is currently a commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, oversaw banks during her time at the Troubled Asset Relief Program, several Republicans said that she lacks bank supervisory experience at an actual prudential regulator. "The next chair needs to be prepared to lead," said Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the panel's ranking member. "Correcting the culture at the FDIC is so important, and makes it challenging to have on-the-job training."
US regulators fine Citi $136 million for failing to fix longstanding data issues (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators fined Citigroup $136 million for making "insufficient progress" fixing data management issues identified in 2020 and required the bank to demonstrate it was putting enough resources toward those efforts.The joint enforcement action from the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) concerns Citi's efforts to repair data management problems and implement controls to manage ongoing risks, the Fed said on Wednesday.The fines are the latest blows for CEO Jane Fraser as she tackles the bank's regulatory failings and streamlines its structure after laying off thousands of employees.The regulators fined Citi $400 million in 2020 after identifying "ongoing deficiencies" in its handling of various areas of risk management and internal controls, including data quality management.The bank agreed a sweeping plan to fix its data faults, but a Fed exam last year found the lender still had deficiencies and had not made adequate progress, the Fed said."Citigroup violated the 2020 order through delays in completing milestones included in its approved plan," the Fed said on Wednesday.The OCC is also requiring the bank to enact a new quarterly process to ensure it is devoting enough resources to meeting its milestones, Fraser said in a memo to employees seen by Reuters."Setbacks like this one today are visible and I know they can be disappointing," Fraser wrote. "But they absolutely cannot distract us from the work we're doing in every corner of the bank...Efforts of this scale and importance are undeniably hard."A Citigroup spokesperson confirmed the contents of the memo, but declined to comment further on it.Fraser's sweeping reorganization included layoffs of employees working on the regulatory orders, according to two sources familiar with the situation who declined to be identified discussing personnel matters.A company spokesperson declined to comment when asked about the job cuts.The bank has intensified its focus and increased its investment in its transformation efforts over the last several months, Fraser said in a separate statement."Despite making good progress in simplifying our firm and addressing our consent orders, there are areas where we have not made progress quickly enough, such as in our data quality management," she said.Citi will spend what is necessary to address the regulatory issues, Fraser said, adding "we've always said that progress wouldn't be linear."
How much damage will Citi incur from its 'bad report card'? -- Citigroup is contending with the fallout from $136 million in surprise fines by regulators who are faulting the megabank for failing to clean up its compliance risk management and internal controls systems.The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Wednesday that Citi hasn't moved fast enough to correct certain deficiencies in its risk management programs or to meet certain milestones in a years-old remediation plan.As a result of the alleged violations of the October 2020 consent orders, the Fed and the OCC assessed civil money penalties of $60.6 million and $75 million, respectively.The OCC is also requiring Citi to file a board-approved plan within 30 days that outlines a process by which the bank will determine if "sufficient resources" are being directed toward "achieving timely and sustainable compliance," the agency said in an amendment to its original order.In a separate order, the Fed warned that Citi could face "additional penalties or additional affirmative corrective actions" if there is a "material failure to remediate the violations."In a research note published Thursday, analyst Vivek Juneja at JPMorgan Securities wrote that the latest round of fines "raises the question whether the team responsible for this fix needs a change."Anand Selva, Citi's chief operating officer, has been in charge of managing the enterprisewide risk management overhaul since March 2023. Selva reports to CEO Jane Fraser."This is a negative indictment of management," Juneja wrote. "There is clearly frustration on the part of regulators, given that these issues have been under work for many years."Shares in Citi, which is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on Friday, closed down 1.9% on Thursday.The regulatory fines should not impact Citigroup's ability to pay dividends or buybacks, analysts say. The company announced last month that it plans to hike its quarterly dividend from 53 cents to 56 cents. It did not commit to restarting share buybacks, saying that it would assess that decision on a quarter-by-quarter basis.The joint enforcement actions mark the latest round of regulatory trouble for Citi, which has long struggled with risk management and internal controls. In connection with the OCC's 2020 consent order with Citi, the agency assessed a $400 million civil money penalty against the bank.That fine followed a mistaken $900 million payment that Citi made to lenders of the cosmetics company Revlon. Citi's CEO at the time, Michael Corbat, announced his plan to retire about a month after the accidental payment came to light, and Fraser was named as his successor.
Citi sticks to expense forecast as it prepares key plan for OCC | American Banker - Two days after regulators levied more fines against Citigroup for poor data quality management, the megabank said that it's not changing its expense guidance for 2024, and it will aim to absorb any additional remediation-related costs into the firm's existing spending plan.Citi also said it will adhere to its previously released capital distribution plan, which includes an increase to its common dividend, and it plans to repurchase $1 billion of common stock in the third quarter. In the first quarter of this year, Citi bought back $500 million of common stock.The updates came during Citi's second-quarter earnings call, less than 48 hours after the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency assessed a total of $136 million in civil money penalties against the bank for violating a pair of 2020 consent ordersrelated to its risk management and internal controls systems.Citi, which is engaged in a multiyear risk-management overhaul to correct and enhance those systems, even as CEO Jane Fraser tries to simplify the company and drive higher returns, has 30 days to submit a "resource review plan" to the OCC. The plan is supposed to show that the bank has enough resources allocated to the overhaul to achieve compliance in a timely and sustainable manner.Citi's plan, which executives say is already being drafted, will also help determine if additional resources, including more spending, are necessary to finish what the $2.4 trillion-asset company has called a "transformation" of its risk-management programs.
Senators accuse Jamie Dimon of backing off his climate commitments - Six Democratic senators sent a letter Wednesday to Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, criticizing him and his company for "backsliding" on the climate and environmental commitments the bank has made. The senators who signed the letter were Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). While the senators often speak about and campaign on environmental and climate issues, even specifically calling for financial regulations to require climate risks disclosure rules, it is the first time they have called out JPMorgan Chase or Dimon by name for failing to address climate change.The letter comes after the release of a May report created by a consortium of environmentalist and corporate accountability groups including the Sierra Club, Rainforest Action Network and BankTrack. JPMorgan Chase has financed more than $430 billion in fossil fuel projects since 2016, more than any other financial institution in the world, according to the report."Your recent statements and actions indicate a retreat by JPM from the firm's earlier pledges to help mitigate climate change. This is disappointing, raising questions about the impact of these policy changes moving forward, and about whether JPM misled investors and the public when you made these commitments," the senators wrote to Dimon.A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase declined to comment on the senators' letter.Regarding the report from the Rainforest Action Network and other groups, a JPMorgan Chase spokesperson said the bank is the world's largest financier of both traditional and clean energy companies."We believe our data reflects our activities more comprehensively and accurately than estimates by third parties," the spokesperson said.Key among the criticisms the senators made in their letter is that JPMorgan Chase recently exited the Climate Action 100+ and Equator Principles, two climate action coalitions the bank had previously joined. The bank was among the first two institutions to exit Climate Action 100+ after facing growing pressure from Republican politicians who say institutions' memberships in such groups breach antitrust laws.The senators also criticized recent Dimon statements made in the company's most recent letter to shareholders.In his letter, Dimon talked about the need for "proper government action" in conquering climate change and lamented the lack of any technology that can "fill the gap between our 'aspirations' and the current trajectory of the world." Dimon concluded the thought by saying the bank would move away from using the word "commitment" with respect to climate goals."We are going to use the word 'commitment' much more reservedly in the future, clearly differentiating between aspirations we are actively striving toward and binding commitments," Dimon said in JPMorgan Chase's annual report.
How Project 2025 would affect bankers | American Banker — A powerful conservative organization with advisors close to former President Donald Trump is proposing a full-scale overhaul of the federal government, including the role it plays in the banking system, upping the stakes for bankers in the 2024 presidential election. In 2016, Trump won the presidency as a relative unknown in banking policy circles, said Ed Mills, managing director and Washington policy analyst at Raymond James. "And the banks woke up the day after the election without knowing virtually anyone in the Trump orbit, and they didn't have a plan about what they wanted to ask for from the Trump administration," he said. "Neither Trump nor the banks are going to make the same mistake this time." This time, a blueprint for federal change laid out by the conservative group the Heritage Foundation titled Project 2025, written by some of Trump's closest policy advisors, illuminates some of the most influential views behind a potential new Trump presidency when it comes to economic and banking policy. While the results of the 2024 presidential election are far from assured, either for Trump or President Joe Biden, Project 2025 represents one of the most comprehensive blueprints for Republican and conservative policy going forward. It's also increasingly a topic of consternation among Democratic politicians, for example, including Rep. Maxine Water, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. "Project 2025 promotes radical ideas to materially undermine the Federal Reserve if not effectively abolish it," Waters said in a hearing Wednesday with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. "MAGA wants to put you out of a job, Chairman Powell." Project 2025, a nearly 1,000 page document released by the Heritage Foundation, describes a conservative overhaul of the federal government. As far as bank regulation and financial policy — which, to be sure, represents a small part of the overall document — goes, the plan would rewrite some of the basic tenets of the Federal Reserve, and would streamline bank oversight. Project 2025 would "restructure the outdated and cumbersome financial regulatory system" by supporting legislation to merge prudential bank regulators including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Fed's bank regulation arm. "Banking law remains stuck in the 1930s regarding which functions financial companies should perform," according to the policy document, in a section attributed in part to Stephen Moore, Trump's former nominee for the Fed Board, who's now a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "It was never a good idea either to restrict banks to taking deposits and making loans or to prevent investment banks from taking deposits." Policymakers should also create new charters for financial companies "that eliminate activity restrictions and reduce regulations in return for straightforward higher equity risk-retention standards," according to the document. Congress should also repeal the parts of Dodd-Frank that created and empowered the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and return Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government conservatorship, the policy blueprint says. Some of the plan's most systemic changes would happen at the Fed. Project 2025 would severely curtail the power of the Fed by restricting the central bank's mandate to exclude full employment. Any bank policy at the Fed would focus on "maintaining bank capital adequacy," and elected officials should "clamp down on the Fed's incorporation" of environmental, social and governance policies, "including by amending its financial stability mandate." The policy statement also proposes limiting the Fed's function as a lender of last resort, and directing the Fed to wind down its balance sheet and stop paying interest on reserve balances "so that banks instead lend the money."
Fifth Third settles with CFPB over fake accounts, insurance violations --Fifth Third Bancorp has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over fake checking accounts, plus $5 million to resolve new revelations about customers who were overcharged for force-placed auto insurance over nearly a decade.The CFPB said Tuesday that the $214 billion-asset Cincinnati bank force-placed or maintained unnecessary duplicative insurance over 37,000 times, resulting in 1,000 borrowers having their vehicles illegally repossessed. The insurance violations occurred during a nine-year period that ended in 2019, the bureau said.The settlements also bring an end to contentious litigation that Fifth Third vigorously fought after the CFPB filed suit in 2020, alleging that the bank opened fake accounts that were not authorized by its customers. The CFPB began that investigation in the aftermath of revelations about widespread problems with unauthorized accounts at Wells Fargo.In a press release Tuesday, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra threatened further action against Fifth Third's top executives."The CFPB has caught Fifth Third Bank illegally loading up auto loan bills with excessive charges, with almost 1,000 families losing their cars to repossession," Chopra said. "We are ordering the senior executives and board of directors at Fifth Third to clean up these broken business practices or else face further consequences."Fifth Third said in a statement that the $15 million fine over sales practices "related to a limited number of accounts opened beginning in 2010 and ending in 2016."The bank said it waived charges or reimbursed customers years ago and that the fake accounts involved less than $30,000 in improper charges. Fifth Third also said that it will work with the CFPB to remediate customers to whom the bank has not already provided compensation.
Treasury may expand its oversight of land deals near military sites | American Banker— An interagency national security committee led by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Monday proposed a rule expanding the committee's authority to review real estate transactions located near dozens of military installations across 30 states."The changes we're proposing are a result of a recent comprehensive assessment by the Department of Defense regarding its military installations," said a Treasury spokesperson. The assessment included "coordination across all military services to make sure the installations listed in [The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States] regulations are appropriate and current based on the operations, assets, missions and training at each installation."This expansion announced by the Treasury — in its role acting as chair of CFIUS — taps authority Congress gave the committee in 2018 to review and intervene in real estate transactions that could pose national security risks. The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 allows the committee to review real estate transactions — including the purchases of agricultural land near military bases — that could enable foreign actors to spy on U.S. military operations or otherwise pose national security risks.The proposal also comes on the heels of a recent action blocking crypto mining company MineOne Cloud Computing Investment I L.P. — which the Treasury says has financial ties to Chinese nationals — from purchasing real estate near the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, citing national security concerns. The order mandated the company divest from the land and remove the foreign-sourced cryptocurrency mining equipment the company had installed.CFIUS jurisdiction, as updated in 2018, covers three main types of transactions. It includes control investments where a foreign entity gains control of a U.S. business, certain noncontrolling investments in sensitive technologies and sectors and a broader range of real estate transactions, including some outside the purview of the first two categories.In 2020, CFIUS added 163 military installations to its jurisdiction. These regulations allowed CFIUS to review real estate purchases, leases or concessions by foreign entities around each site. Last year, the Department of Defense — another key CFIUS member — took the lead in compiling and updating this list, adding eight additional military installations in 2023. The proposed rule aims to add over 50 military installations across 30 states to the list of areas under CFIUS's purview, significantly broadening the scope of its jurisdiction. The new additions include transactions within a one-mile radius of 40 new military installations and those within a 100-mile radius of 19 additional installations. Under the proposal, the total number of covered military installations would increase to 227.Additionally, a Treasury spokesperson noted it would move eight installations already on the one-mile list to the 100-mile list. The proposal also reconciles duplicative coverage by removing three military bases already covered by new sites being added, updating the names of military installations and providing specific location information to better demarcate each area for the public.
Appeals court delivers big win to CFPB in Townstone redlining case - A federal appeals court ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has broad authority to discourage discrimination to combat redlining, delivering a major victory to the bureau in a contentious case, CFPB v. Townstone Financial, against a Chicago mortgage lender.A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act applies not just to credit applicants but also to prospective applicants.The CFPB filed a redlining lawsuit against Townstone Financial in 2020 alleging that the company's CEO Barry Sturner made disparaging remarks about Blacks on a talk-radio infomercial that discouraged minorities from applying for home loans. At issue in the case was whether Sturner had discouraged Black prospective applicants from applying for mortgage loans with Townstone, in violation of ECOA and Regulation B — which prohibits creditors from discriminating on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age or marital status.Congress had indicated that the law must be construed broadly to serve the purpose of ending discrimination in credit applications, the judges said. "An analysis of the text of the ECOA as a whole makes clear that the text prohibits not only outright discrimination against applicants for credit, but also the discouragement of prospective applicants for credit," the judges wrote in a 15-page opinion. "When the text of the ECOA is read as a whole, it is clear that Congress authorized the imposition of liability for the discouragement of prospective applicants. Regulation B's prohibition on discouraging prospective applicants is therefore consistent with the ECOA's text and purpose."The CFPB had cited as evidence of discrimination comments that Sturner made on the radio commercial in which he described a Jewel-Osco grocery store as "Jungle Jewel," and claimed the South Side of Chicago between Friday and Monday was "hoodlum weekend."The CFPB had identified five instances in which Sturner and other hosts made statements that would discourage Black prospective applicants from applying for mortgage loans. In addition, the bureau alleged that from 2014 to 2017, Townstone received fewer mortgage applications from Black applicants, fewer mortgage applications for properties in neighborhoods with a high-Black population and fewer mortgage applications for properties in neighborhoods with a majority of Black residents.
HUD fair housing complaint against Appraisal Foundation settled -- The Appraisal Foundation has settled the "secretary-initiated" complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development over fair lending practices, including creating a $1.22 million scholarship fund.HUD's press release describes the conciliation agreement as historic, resolving a complaint "alleging discriminatory barriers preventing qualified Black people and other persons of color from entering the appraisal profession on the basis of race in violation of the Fair Housing Act."The Appraisal Foundation's announcement about the settlement emphasized that the investigation process started in December 2021 did not result in any findings."We are pleased to have reached this conciliation agreement," recently appointed Appraisal Foundation President Kelly Davids said in the group's press release. "We appreciate HUD's recognition of our proactive efforts to lead the appraisal profession to welcome a new, diverse generation of appraisers and their support of our forthcoming scholarship program to aid new entrants to the field."HUD's comments focused on the lack of diversity in the appraisal profession and the Foundation's role in that, namely its experience requirement, where a friend or family member who is already a licensed appraiser has to be willing to supervise as the applicant gains on-the-job experience."The lack of diversity within the appraiser workforce can contribute to patterns of mis-valuation in communities of color," HUD press release quotes the Interagency Task Force onProperty Appraisal and Valuation Equity as commenting. It cites Bureau of Labor Statistics data that states the industry is 94.7% white.Yet the agreement declares "Respondent denies that the Appraiser Qualification Criteria has caused or resulted in any violation of the Fair Housing Act, but agrees to enter into this Conciliation Agreement to conclude the Investigation."It has a three-year term, set to expire on July 9, 2027.
BankThink: The Federal Home Loan banks can — and must — invest more in housing | American Banker -- Change is on the horizon for the Federal Home Loan Bank System, a government-sponsored enterprise, or GSE, that offers subsidized loans to its member banks and insurance companies. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, is leading the system's first reform efforts in decades and recently asked the public for input on the mission of the Home Loan Bank System. I lead the Coalition for Federal Home Loan Bank Reform, a group of 14 national advocacy organizations. We believe that the current system has become too focused on maximizing profits. Much-needed Federal Home Loan bank reform can help the system retake its place as a powerful GSE that spurs housing supply, supports affordability and drives investments in underserved communities nationwide.The Home Loan banks are a system of 11 regional banks that serve 6,500 members, including commercial banks, insurance companies, credit unions, community banks and a small number of community development financial institutions, or CDFIs. As "banks for bankers," the Home Loan banks offer below-market-rate loans, known as "advances," to it members, in exchange for collateral such as mortgages and commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities. Back in 1932, this system spurred mortgage lenders to make mortgages funded by these advances.Since then, the origination and funding of mortgages has totally changed, but the Home Loan Bank System remains stuck in its 92-year-old business model. A 2023 Bloomberg investigationfound that 42% of the banks' members had not originated a single mortgage over the previous five years. The rise of securitization also radically changed the liquidity needs that inspired the original Home Loan bank model. Around 65% of mortgage debt in the United States is securitized into mortgage-backed securities today. A diminishing share of mortgages are held in portfolio.As a GSE, the Home Loan Bank System enjoys significant public subsidies: around $7.3 billion in 2024 according to the Congressional Budget Office. Most of this subsidy comes from the way that system's GSE status lowers borrowing costs. GSE status confers an "implied federal guarantee" on Federal Home Loan Banks' debt: the perception that the federal government will never let them fail. These government subsidies do not show up as congressional appropriations but do rely on implied taxpayer guarantees, including the high costs of public bailout were the Home Loan banks to fail.Right now, the public gets very little in return for $7.3 billion in public subsidies. In 2023, statutory and voluntary Affordable Housing Program, or AHP, funding combined to $390 million in spending toward affordable housing, while the system spent more than eight times as much that year on paying out $3.4 billion in dividends to its members. During our severe housing crisis, the Federal Home Loan banks remain content to do the bare minimum.The Coalition proposes several measures to forge a robust, housing-focused Federal Home Loan Bank System. The FHFA should clarify the mission of banks as providing liquidity for fair and affordable housing and community development rather than merely subsidizing liquidity for financial institutions. This mission should exclude activities like disbursing dividends or investing in the highly liquid mortgage-backed securities market, which do not directly support housing.The FHFA must also refine what it considers mission-supportive, placing greater emphasis on investments that aid lower-income families, rural areas, Native American communities and communities of color, and consistently assess how well the Home Loan banks meet these criteria. Since 2008, they have amassed significant profits, much of which has been funneled into dividends and retained earnings — the system currently has $23 billion above FHFA's required capital standards. This shows that the Home Loan banks had plenty of capacity to fund more affordable housing initiatives if they had wished to do so.The Coalition suggests using this surplus capital for mission-aligned purposes, such as a credit-enhancement program to ease CDFIs' access to affordable advances by offsetting the risks associated with their unique collateral types and small scales. Additionally, this capital could support a loan fund at each regional bank to facilitate equitable lending, such as small-dollar mortgages and special purpose credit programs.Access to Home Loan bank advances for larger members should be conditional upon their contribution to the banks' housing mission, with a new requirement that these members maintain at least 10% of their assets in residential housing annually. FHFA could utilize Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, ratings for commercial banks and set expectations for insurance companies to allocate a portion of their investments to social equity initiatives.Smaller members like CDFIs and community banks, already aligned with these goals, should be rewarded rather than punished.We also need Congress to act. Congress should align Home Loan bank executive compensation and board governance with mission advancement rather than profit maximization. Most urgently, Congress needs to increase the mandatory contribution to the Affordable Housing Program from 10% to at least 30% of net annual income. Such an increase would have directed an additional $1.4 billion to housing in 2024.
CFPB proposes new mortgage servicing rule to aid struggling borrowers -The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proposing a new mortgage servicing rule to help struggling borrowers avoid foreclosure by adopting protections that it made available during the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes call for more detailed personalized notices to the borrower, and the elimination of dual tracking, which allowed servicers to begin the foreclosure process while considering loan modification solutions for the distressed borrower.On Wednesday, the CFPB put forward changes that would require mortgage servicers to provide assistance immediately after a borrower asks for help. Servicers would only be allowed to move ahead with a foreclosure after exhausting all efforts — unless the borrower has stopped communicating with the servicer, the CFPB said. The proposal also would limit the fees a servicer can charge a borrower while reviewing possible options such as forbearance, deferrals and loan modifications. The proposal is a major shift from the highly prescriptive, document-intensive approach that the CFPB took after the 2008 mortgage crisis. It relies heavily on changes made during the pandemic when the CFPB adjusted its rules temporarily to permit servicers to provideforbearances, deferrals and loan modifications. The proposal is intended to create strong incentives for servicers to act quickly and fairly when borrowers request help. The American Bankers Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Housing Policy Council praised the changes."We support updates that inform borrowers of all their options in a clear and timely manner, remove unnecessary barriers, better prepare for future national emergencies, and ultimately facilitate seamless resolutions for those who need it," the ABA and MBA said in a joint statement.
Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Serious Delinquency Rate Decreased in May, Multi-family Increased Slightly -- Single-family serious delinquencies decreased in May, and multi-family serious delinquencies increased slightly.Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate in May was 0.49%, down from 0.51% April. Freddie's rate is down year-over-year from 0.58% in May 2023. This is below the pre-pandemic lows.Freddie's serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 4.20% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.17% in August 2020 during the pandemic. Fannie Mae reported that the Single-Family Serious Delinquency decreased to 0.48% in May from 0.49% in April. The serious delinquency rate is down year-over-year from 0.56% in May 2023. This is also below the pre-pandemic lows, and this is the lowest level since November 2002.The Fannie Mae serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 5.59% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.32% in August 2020 during the pandemic.These are mortgage loans that are "three monthly payments or more past due or in foreclosure". Mortgages in forbearance are being counted as delinquent in this monthly report but are not reported to the credit bureaus. For Fannie, by vintage, for loans made in 2004 or earlier (1% of portfolio), 1.42% are seriously delinquent (down from 1.47% the previous month). For loans made in 2005 through 2008 (1% of portfolio), 2.06% are seriously delinquent (down from 2.13%).For recent loans, originated in 2009 through 2023 (98% of portfolio), 0.42% are seriously delinquent (down from 0.43%). So, Fannie is still working through a handful of poor performing loans from the bubble years.Freddie Mac reports that the multi-family delinquencies rate increased to 0.36% in May, up from 0.35% in April, but down from the recent peak of 0.44% in January.This graph shows the Freddie multi-family serious delinquency rate since 2012. Rates were still high in 2012 following the housing bust and financial crisis. The multi-family rate increased following the pandemic and has increased recently as rent growth has slowed, vacancy rates have increased, and borrowing rates have increased sharply. The rate surged higher in January but declined in February and March. This will be something to watch as more apartments come on the market.
MBA: Mortgage Applications Decreased in Weekly Survey -- From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey - Mortgage applications decreased 0.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending July 5, 2024. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the July 4th holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 20 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 2 percent from the previous week and was 28 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 19 percent compared with the previous week and was 13 percent lower than the same week one year ago. “The recent uptick in mortgage rates has slowed demand. Mortgage applications were essentially flat last week, as mortgage rates remained around 7 percent,” “Purchase activity picked up slightly, driven primarily by increases in FHA and VA applications. Refinance applications decreased for the fourth consecutive week, in line with higher rates. Although home equity gains have been significant in recent years, most borrowers do not have much of an incentive to refinance at current rates.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($766,550 or less) decreased to 7.00 percent from 7.03 percent, with points decreasing to 0.60 from 0.62 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index. According to the MBA, purchase activity is down 13% year-over-year unadjusted. Purchase application activity is up slightly from the lows in late October 2023, but still below the lowest levels during the housing bust. The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.With higher mortgage rates, the refinance index declined sharply in 2022, and mostly flat lined since then with a slight increase recently.Housing July 8th Weekly Update: Inventory up 1.1% Week-over-week, Up 40.0% Year-over-year --Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.1% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 32.1% from the February seasonal bottom, and at the highest level since July 2020. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of July 5th, inventory was at 653 thousand (7-day average), compared to 646 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 75% from the record low for the same week in 2021, but still well below normal levels.Inventory was up 40.0% compared to the same week in 2023 (last week it was up 38.4%), and down 31.2% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 33.2%). Inventory should be above 2020 levels for the same week next week.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 34.5% YoY --On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For June, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 36.7% YoY, but still down 32.4% compared to April 2017 to 2019 levels. Now - on a weekly basis - inventory is up 34.5% 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 July 6, 2024 Active inventory increased, with for-sale homes 34.5% above year-ago levels. For the 35th week in a row, the number of for-sale homes grew compared with one year ago. This past week, the inventory of homes for sale grew by 34.5% compared with last year, slightly slower than the rate observed in the previous week. Despite nearly 8 months of building inventory, buyers still see more than 30% fewer homes for sale compared with pre-pandemic. New listings–a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale–were down this week due to the Independence holiday, by -4.9% from one year ago After 13 consecutive weeks of growing new listings, newly listed homes fell below the previous year’s level. However, this decline is in part due to how July 4th fell this year compared to last year. Even without the holiday impact, the annual growth rate of new listings has slowed over the past couple of months. While newly listed homes increased by 6.3% annually in June, this rate is only half of what it was two months ago. Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in inventory according to realtor.com. Inventory was up year-over-year for the 35th consecutive week. However, inventory is still historically low.New listings remain below typical pre-pandemic levels.
Leading Index for Commercial Real Estate Increased 10% in June --From Dodge Data Analytics: Dodge Momentum Index Gained 10% in June: The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, increased 10.4% in June to 198.6 (2000=100) from the revised May reading of 179.9. Over the month, commercial planning increased 14.5% and institutional planning ticked up 0.2%. “Data centers continued to dominate planning projects in June – fueling another strong month for commercial planning,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network. “More momentum in planning, while not as strong as data centers, was seen across most segments and indicates confidence in 2025 market conditions. The DMI is up 43% from June 2019 levels, signaling strong construction spending in 2025.” Data center planning continued to be the primary driver of commercial growth in June, alongside moderate growth in retail, hotels and warehouse projects. On the institutional side, weaker healthcare planning was offset by an improvement in education activity. Additionally, a large detention facility entered the queue last month and bolstered public planning as well. In June, the DMI was 7% higher than in June of 2023. The commercial segment was up 25% from year-ago levels, while the institutional segment was down 25% over the same period. ... The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning,shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. This graph shows the Dodge Momentum Index since 2002. The index was at 198.6 in June, up from 1179.9 the previous month. According to Dodge, this index leads "construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year". This index suggests a slowdown in 2024 and early 2025, but perhaps a pickup in mid-2025.. Commercial construction is typically a lagging economic indicator.
Update: Lumber Prices Down 20% YoY - Here is another monthly update on lumber prices. NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumber Futures contract on May 16, 2023. I switched to a physically-delivered Lumber Futures contract that was started in August 2022. Unfortunately, this impacts long term price comparisons since the new contract was priced about 24% higher than the old random length contract for the period when both contracts were available. This graph shows CME random length framing futures through last August (blue), and the new physically-delivered Lumber Futures (LBR) contract starting in August 2022 (Red). LBR is currently at $446.00 per 1000 board feet, down 20% from a year ago.There is somewhat of a seasonal demand for lumber, and lumber prices frequently peak in the first half of the year.We didn't see a significant runup in the Spring period of 2023 or 2024 due to the housing slowdown. LBR is now at the lowest level since the futures contract was started
BLS: CPI Decreased 0.1% in June; Core CPI increased 0.1% -- From the BLS: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, after being unchanged in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment.The index for gasoline fell 3.8 percent in June, after declining 3.6 percent in May, more than offsetting an increase in shelter. The energy index fell 2.0 percent over the month, as it did the preceding month. The index for food increased 0.2 percent in June. The food away from home index rose 0.4 percent over the month, while the food at home index increased 0.1 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in June, after rising 0.2 percent the preceding month. Indexes which increased in June include shelter, motor vehicle insurance, household furnishings and operations, medical care, and personal care. The indexes for airline fares, used cars and trucks, and communication were among those that decreased over the month. The all items index rose 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending June, a smaller increase than the 3.3-percent increase for the 12 months ending May. The all items less food and energy index rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months and was the smallest 12-month increase in that index since April 2021. The energy index increased 1.0 percent for the 12 months ending June. The food index increased 2.2 percent over the last year. The change in both CPI and core CPI were lower than expected. I'll post a graph later today after the Cleveland Fed releases the median and trimmed-mean CPI.
Cleveland Fed: Median CPI increased 0.2% and Trimmed-mean CPI increased 0.2% in June --The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in May. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index increased 0.2%. "The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report".This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 4.2% (down from 4.3% in May), the trimmed-mean CPI rose 3.3% (down from 3.4%), and the CPI less food and energy rose 3.3% (down from 3.4%). Core PCE is for May was up 2.6% YoY, down from 2.8% in April.Note: The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI details. Motor fuel decreased at a 36% annual rate in June. Rent and Owner's equivalent rent are still high, and if we exclude rent, median CPI would be around 2.0% month-over-month, annualized.
YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter --Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but has turned up recently, and is now up 4.8% YoY. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through May 2024. Services were up 5.0% YoY as of June 2024, down from 5.2% YoY in May. Services less rent of shelter was up 4.8% YoY in June, down from 5.0% YoY in May.The second graph shows that goods prices started to increase year-over-year (YoY) in 2020 and accelerated in 2021 due to both strong demand and supply chain disruptions.Durables were at -4.1% YoY as of June 2024, down from -3.7% YoY in May. Commodities less food and energy commodities were at -1.7% YoY in June, unchanged from -1.7% YoY in May.Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in shelter from the CPI report (through June) and housing from the PCE report (through May) Shelter was up 5.1% year-over-year in June, down from 5.4% in May. Housing (PCE) was up 5.5% YoY in May, down slightly from 5.6% in March.This is still catching up with private data.Core CPI ex-shelter was up 1.8% YoY in June, down from 1.9% in May.
Beneath the Skin of CPI Inflation: Historic Plunge in Durable Goods Prices, Plunge in Gasoline, and Outliers in Services by Wolf Richter The Consumer Price Index for June, on a month-to-month basis, was pushed down by plunging gasoline prices, the continued historic plunge in prices of durable goods, led by used vehicles, nearly-flat food-at-home prices, and “core services” prices that rose at the smallest pace since the summer of 2021 in what looks like an outlier move of which we have seen already many in both directions. On a year-over-year basis, in summary: Core services CPI (red line in the chart above) increased by 5.0% year-over-year in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics today. It has been just above 5% since December 2023 (5.3%) and accounts for nearly 65% of total CPI. It includes all services except energy services. Durable goods CPI (green) has been falling since mid-2022, led by the plunge in used-vehicle prices, and now the decline in new vehicle prices, along with price drops across other durable goods, such as consumer electronics and furniture. In June, durable goods CPI fell by 4.1% year-over-year, the biggest drop since 2003 – unwinding part of the massive spike during the pandemic. Core CPI (blue), which excludes food and energy, rose by 3.3% year-over-year, continuing its deceleration, slowed by the historic plunge in durable goods prices. Overall CPI (yellow) rose by 3.0% year-over-year. It has been in the same narrow range since June 2023 when it also rose by 3.0%. (On a month-to-month basis, CPI dipped 0.06%.) Core CPI rose by 0.06% (= 0.8% annualized) in June from May, the smallest increase since January 2021 (blue line in the chart below). The month-to-month squiggles can be wild, as we can see in the blue line. The June and May values were driven down by the plunge in durable goods and the outlier in services that we’ll get to in a moment. The six-month core CPI, which irons out most of the month-to-month zigzags, rose by 3.3% annualized, the second deceleration in a row, after five months of accelerations in a row. Core services CPI increased by 1.6% annualized in June from May (0.13% not annualized), the smallest increase since August 2021, and the second outlier in a row (blue line). These two big outliers in May and June decelerated the six-month core services CPI to 4.9% annualized, the smallest increase since October 2023 (red). When do outliers become new trends? If there are three “outliers” in a row, they’re not outliers anymore, and if they’re followed by a fourth, then they make a new trend. But in the time span of this chart, there haven’t been more than two outliers in a row, before reverting to trend – in both directions. By themselves, one or two outliers don’t make a trend. August 2021 was also an outlier, followed by another outlier in September 2021, and then Core services CPI reverted back to trend. But those big outliers in August and September 2021 also decelerated the 6-month reading for a few months. And there were outliers in the opposite direction, such as in July 2020 and in January 2024. Rent of Primary Residence CPI rose by 3.2% annualized in June from May, the slowest increase since July 2021, following the acceleration in the prior month (blue). The three-month reading rose by 4.1%, the smallest increase since September 2021. The Rent CPI accounts for 7.6% of overall CPI. It is based on rents that tenants actually paid, not on asking rents of advertised units for rent. The survey follows the same large group of rental houses and apartments over time and tracks the rents that the current tenants, who come and go, actually paid in these units. The Owners’ Equivalent of Rent CPI rose by 3.4% annualized in June from May, a big deceleration after the acceleration in the prior month (blue in the chart below). The three-month OER CPI rose by 4.6% annualized, the smallest increase since September 2021 (red). The OER index accounts for 26.7% of overall CPI. It estimates inflation of “shelter” as a service for homeowners – as a stand-in for the services that homeowners pay for, such as interest, homeowner’s insurance, HOA fees, maintenance, and property taxes. As an approximation, it is based on what a large group of homeowners estimates their home would rent for, the assumption being that a homeowner would want to recoup their cost increases by raising the rent.
Services PPI Inflation Dishes Up Another Nasty Surprise, 6th Month in a Row. Bottom of U-Turn was in December by Wolf Richter • The Producer Price Index, which tracks the costs of goods and services that companies buy, dished up another nasty surprise today, but it wasn’t that much of a surprise, but the continuation of a trend of nasty surprises that started in January. It was in a benign downward trend for all of 2023, and it has been in an increasingly nasty uptrend for the past six months. And it’s all driven by services. Prices of core goods are well behaved. The PPI tracks costs that companies will try to pass on to their customers – consumers, other businesses, and governments. And the part that they’re able to pass on to consumers filters into consumer price inflation. And what it shows is that inflation is now re-gaining momentum beneath the surface of consumer prices. Because the heat is in services, and because services are huge and account for 62% of overall CPI, we’ll start with services. Services PPI spiked by 7.0% annualized in June from May, after the 3.8% jump in May, and the 7.2% spike in April, seasonally adjusted (blue in the chart below). These are services that producers use. And producers will try to pass those cost increases on to their customers. The 3-month rate spiked by 6.0% annualized, the highest since May 2022 (not shown in the chart below). The 6-month rate, which is slower in picking up the recent moves but irons out the whiplash volatility and shows the trends better, spiked by 4.8%, the highest since August 2022 (red). The 6-month rate has been increasing in a straight line since January, after hitting a low point in June 2023. So here is a scary thought: March 2021. The six-month rate has now shot past where it had been in March 2021 (+4.3%), when consumer price inflation was still benign (CPI at +1.6% year-over-year but rising), though underlying pressures were building. We were screaming about it in February and March 2021 because we saw the stunning price spikes in used vehicle auction prices and the big auto dealers bragging about their massive per-vehicle gross profits due to much higher selling prices, which made zero sense and shouldn’t be possible except in an environment where the inflationary mindset suddenly kicks in and inflation goes haywire. And it did. And the services PPI had warned about it months ahead of time. And now the services PPI is turning nasty again. Year-over-year, the services PPI jumped by 3.5% in June, the worst since February 2023, and up from 3.0% in May. It has been heading higher every month since December, which is now visible at the bottom of the U-turn. It’s now ahead of where it had been on the way up in March 2021 when all this started. “Finished core goods” PPI is well-behaved. In the consumer price indices, many goods prices have fallen since mid-2022, and the CPI yesterday documented the steepest year-over-year drop in durable goods prices in over 20 years. Inflation is no longer in goods. The PPI for “finished core goods” includes finished goods that companies buy except foods and energy. Prices have continued to rise, but at a slow pace. In June, the finished core goods PPI rose by 0.8% annualized. The six-month rate, in June at 2.6% annualized, has been roughly unchanged for the fourth month in a row. There are no major inflation pressures building up in core goods at this point: “Core” PPI spiked by 5.5% annualized in June from May, seasonally adjusted, after the 3.4% increase in May and the 6.0% increase in April, driven by the spike in services (blue in the chart below). Services dominate the core PPI, which excludes the food and energy components. The 3-month core PPI spiked by 5.0%, the worst since June 2022 (not shown in the chart below). The 6-month rate, which lags more but smoothens out the month-to-month squiggles and shows the trends better, spiked by 4.2%, the highest since September 2022. After spending much of 2023 super-well-behaved near the 2% line, the 6-month rate started taking off in February (red).
Wholesale Used Car Prices Declined in June; Down 8.9% Year-over-year -- From Manheim Consulting today: Wholesale Used-Vehicle Prices Declined in June Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis) were down in June compared to May. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) fell to 196.1, a decline of 8.9% from a year ago. The seasonal adjustment to the index mitigated the impact on the month, resulting in values that declined 0.6% month over month for the second time in a row. The non-adjusted price in June decreased by 2.2% compared to May, moving the unadjusted average price down 10.0% year over year. This index from Manheim Consulting is based on all completed sales transactions at Manheim’s U.S. auctions. The Manheim index suggests used car prices declined in June (seasonally adjusted) and were down 8.9% year-over-year (YoY).
3 million travelers screened by TSA in record-breaking day --More than 3 million travelers were screened at airports across the country Sunday, marking the highest number ever for one day, the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) announced.TSA agents screened 3,013,413 people Sunday in a post-Fourth of July travel blitz, surpassing the all-time high on June 23, when about 2.99 million people were screened, the agency said Monday.“It was an extraordinary achievement: TSA fully, unerringly, and efficiently checked 35 passengers every second, along with all their luggage and carry-on baggage, while demonstrating unwavering professionalism and respect for travelers during the intensely busy holiday weekend,” Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.The heavy travel was widely expected around the Fourth of July holiday, and eight of the 10 busiest days in TSA’s history have been this year as travel surges above prepandemic levels,The Associated Press reported.The record falls in line with the travel forecast from AAA, which projected a record number of Americans traveling for the holiday. AAA predicted that 70.9 million people would travel 50 miles or more the week of July 4. The company has not yet released final numbers for the week.As travel increases following the ebbing of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are still facing inflated travel costs, though airline ticket and hotel prices have significantly cooled from a year ago. Hotel rooms were 1.2 percent cheaper in May than a year ago, the AP reported, citing government inflation data. As more Americans are hopping on planes, complaints have also increased. The Transportation Department said last Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. This was the highest number since 2020, when complaints increased after airlines were slow to give customer refunds when the pandemic shut down air travel.
AAR: Rail Carloads Down YoY in June due to Decrease in Coal, Intermodal Up -- From the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Rail Time Indicators. In terms of total carloads, we’re in a period when the changes are not positive. Total originated carloads on U.S. railroads in the second quarter of 2024 were down 4.8%, or 140,915 carloads, from the second quarter of 2023. That was the biggest year-over-year quarterly percentage decline for total carloads since Q4 2020. ... Total carloads are down due to a decrease in coal carloads. ... Excluding coal, carloads were much better: up 1.7% (11,254 carloads) in Q2 2024 over Q2 2023 and up 0.6% (26,398 carloads) in the first six months of this year over last year. This graph from the Rail Time Indicators report shows year-over-year change for Carloads and Intermodal: U.S. intermodal volume had another good month in June — volume was up 8.7% over last year, the 10th straight year-over-year gain for intermodal. Note that rail traffic was weak even before the pandemic. As AAR noted: "Trade tensions and declining mfrg. output lead to lower rail volumes".
Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 222,000 The DOL reported: In the week ending July 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 222,000, a decrease of 17,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 238,000 to 239,000. The 4-week moving average was 233,500, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 238,500 to 238,750. 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 decreased to 233,500. The previous week was revised up.
Amid record temperatures, UPS delivery drivers still without air conditioning --Tens of thousands of UPS delivery drivers in the United States are being left to face record summer temperatures without air conditioning in their vehicles. This comes months after a new sellout contract at the company, which the Teamsters bureaucrats misleadingly claimed provided air conditioning for drivers. The contract is also being used to lay off thousands and close or automated hundreds of the company’s warehouses. A report last month on CNN’s website carried the headline, “UPS promised new delivery vans with AC. It hasn’t bought any... Almost none of the nearly 100,000 brown package vans have AC. Temperatures inside the trucks, both the cab and especially the cargo space where drivers need to go to fetch and drop off packages, can regularly get well over 120 degrees [49 degrees Celsius], according to the Teamsters union.”So far, only about two-thirds of UPS’s 100,000 delivery vans have been retrofitted with fans, heat shields and scoop air intakes, which can reduce the temperature of the cargo area by about 17 degrees.This underscores the fact that the new contract was pushed through with lies by the Teamsters bureaucracy, which violated a strike mandate and its own insincere pledge to call a national strike by July 31 without a new deal.The supposed addition of air conditioning was one of the Teamsters’ main selling points for the contract. But as the UPS Workers Rank-and-File Committee explained last year, “the deal on vehicle air conditioning applies only to new vehicles, meaning drivers on older trucks will be without AC for decades.” This is exactly what is happening.The contract does not even claim to provide air conditioning for workers in UPS warehouses, which are also sweltering during the summer months.UPS has stated that, “We will continue to purchase and deploy new vehicles with AC as quickly as possible.” However, out of 100,000 delivery vehicles at their disposal, roughly 6,000 of them are currently equipped with AC. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “When the HI [Heat Index] is 80°F [27 degrees Celsius] or higher, serious occupational heat-related illnesses and injuries become more frequent, especially in workplaces where unacclimatized workers are performing strenuous work. When the heat index reaches 95 degrees or higher, the risks associated with heat-related illnesses and injuries become even more profound.”
Pennsylvania middle-schoolers impersonate teachers on TikTok - A group of middle schoolers in Pennsylvania created numerous fake TikTok accounts, impersonating teachers with captions that show the adults making inappropriate comments. A group of eighth graders in the Great Valley School District (GVSD) in Chester County made around 20 fake TikTok accounts of teachers filled with pedophilic and homophobic remarks, racist memes and rumors about sexual hookups between the staff, according to The New York Times, which first reported the fake profiles. “I reiterate my disappointment and sadness that our students’ behavior has caused such duress for our staff. Seeing GVSD in such a prominent place in the news for behavior like this is also disheartening,” said Daniel Goffredo, the district’s superintendent. One teacher from the school told the Times seeing the accounts was “so deflating” and that she “can’t believe I still get up and do this every day.” The outlet found a video on TikTok of two of the middle schoolers claiming the teachers were overreacting about the situation. “Move on. Learn to joke,” one student said about a teacher. “I am 13 years old, and you’re like 40 going on 50.” The district has suspended numerous students but emphasized in its statement there is not much more administrators can do. “While it may be easy to react in a way that suggests that students should have been more heavily disciplined in school, some, but not all, of their behavior is protected by the right of free speech and expression,” Goffredo said. “After consulting with our legal counsel, and based on each unique posting, the district enacted whatever discipline it could, communicated with families, and implemented measures in an effort to prevent future behavior like this,” he added.
Youngkin orders Virginia schools to go cellphone-free -Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Tuesday ordered schools in his state to go cellphone-free, as similar bans on technology take hold in schools across the country. Youngkin issued the executive order directing the Virginia Department of Education to draft guidance for public schools to adopt cellphone-free policies. The department will also work with teachers, parents, students and other leaders to create procedures “that establish the age-appropriate restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time.”The goal of the order is to limit the amount of time students are “exposed to addictive cell phones and social media” and to reduce distractions in the classroom, Youngkin said in a statement.“This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn. Creating cell phone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia’s K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators,” Youngkin said.“It also kicks off the robust conversations among parents, students, teachers, and school and community leaders necessary to design and implement these policies and procedures at the local level,” he added.The Virginia Department of Education has until Aug. 15 to publish their draft guidance and will issue its final guidance in September. School districts will need to adopt the cellphone-free policies by Jan. 1, 2025.Youngkin’s order comes weeks after Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sounded the alarm again on the risks social media can pose to adolescents. Murthy warned in a separate advisory last year that social media is contributing to the youth mental health crisis.Virginia is just the latest to implement a cellphone ban in schools. New York City is looking to ban cellphones in schools, while the Los Angeles school district approved a cellphone measurelast month. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) also said last month that he supported restricting cellphone use in schools.
Satanists in Florida offer to fill school counselor roles after Ron DeSantis law --Florida Satanists are volunteering to fill school counselor roles after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a law allowing religious chaplains into public schools amid staffing shortages.“Nothing in the text of the bill serves to exclude us, and no credible interpretation of the First Amendment could. Should a school district now choose to have chaplains, they should expect Satanists to participate as well,” Lucien Greaves, cofounder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, said in a statement to The Hill on Monday.Back when DeSantis signed the bill in April, he described Satanism as “not a religion” and said its members would not be allowed to participate in the program. But Greaves said the governor “openly lied to the public” regarding the situation.“Either entirely ignorant of the most basic fundamentals of constitutional law, or too incompetent to care, DeSantis fails to recognize that it is not the place of the government to confer unique rights to one religious identity while denying them to another,” he said. The Florida move allowing chaplains to serve as public school counselors comes as more states are aiming to inject Christianity into public school environments, including by mandating that the Bible or Ten Commandments be taught in classrooms.The Satanic Temple has increasingly leaned into the fight over freedom of religion in public schools, including through the establishment of After School Satan clubs.
New York City teachers union abandons plan for retiree healthcare reform, but educators still face union complicity in attacks on education - Following mass opposition and legal challenges, the bureaucracy of New York City’s teachers union has withdrawn its support for a plan for sweeping attacks on healthcare. For the past three years, the city government, with the support of the United Federation of Teachers and the majority of 101 other public sector unions in the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC), has sought to privatize the healthcare of around 250,000 retired city employees. The move would push them onto an inferior Medicare Advantage plan (MAP) managed by a private insurer, Aetna. The move was first floated in July of 2021, claiming it would save the city, the center of world finance with the most billionaires in the world, hundreds of millions of dollars per year. After facing widespread opposition, an alternate plan was discussed which would also gut the healthcare of active city workers, which was also met with overwhelming hostility by workers. The move would inevitably increase pre-authorization requirements for essential medical services. Many healthcare providers also do not accept Medicare Advantage plans. From the beginning, the austerity measure hinged on key support from the city’s union bureaucracy in the UFT, AFSCME District 37, Sanitation Workers Teamsters Local 831 and other major city unions. The UFT’s official withdrawal of support was announced last month by president Michael Mulgrew, who is also executive co-chair of the MLC. The union no doubt intends it to be received among workers as their having listened to rank-and-file opposition. In a letter dated June 23, Mulgrew said of the city’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, “It has become apparent that this administration is more interested in cutting its costs than honestly working with us to provide high-quality health care to city workers.” This is staggering hypocrisy, given the fact that Mulgrew and the MLC have been leading advocates of the healthcare austerity plan from the beginning, working with both the ex-cop Adams and his predecessor Bill de Blasio. In fact, the withdrawal of support commits the union to little. The MAP proposal was already on life support, following a series of lawsuits brought by retiree organizations, which are currently being appealed by the Adams administration. While the measures were supported by the overwhelming majority of the city’s union bureaucrats, they were deeply unpopular among retirees and active workers. Tens of thousands of retirees within the MLC donated money to lawsuits against the move.
Harvard Class On Byzantine Empire To Study "Trans Monks" And "Genderless Angels" - A Harvard University course this fall semester will study “trans monks,” cross-dressing, “genderless angels,” and intersectionality in the Byzantine Empire (also known as the Eastern Roman Empire). The course, “Gender in Byzantium,” focuses “on the entire spectrum of binary and non-binary conceptualizations, representations and performances of gender in Byzantium by exploring textual and visual material alongside recent scholarship on gender and sexuality.”“Topics for discussion include: normative concepts and representations of masculinity and femininity; asceticism and the gendered body; emotions and gender; same-sex desire and relationships (homosociality); cross-dressing (trans monks?); intersectionality (gender, race and class); authorial (cis- and trans-) gender performance; eunuchs (a ‘third gender’?); incorporeal/genderless angels,” the course description continues. One course text, “Byzantine Intersectionality,” labels the terms “transvestite” and “cross-dressing” as “problematic.” Referring to women who pretended to be male eunuchs in order to live as monks, the text adds: “[S]cholars repeatedly have shied away from referring to these figures as ‘transgender,’ instead calling them ‘transvestite nuns,’ ‘cross-dressing’ saints, or women in ‘disguise.’ These pejorative terms, which are pervasive throughout the historiography, negate these subjects’ identification as transgender persons.”
How a payments startup eases college students into credit --A financial services startup is vying to build relationships with college students who may have difficulty qualifying for a traditional credit card. Fizz offers a debit card with credit card-like features that generally targets students between the ages of 18 and 24, building credit over time based on healthy payment habits. Fizz's card is competing in an environment where the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has placed increased pressure on how financial services firms sell credit cards and other financial services to college students. And financial institutions cannot directly market credit cards on campus.The Fizz card links to an existing bank account with a balance of at least $150. Unlike a credit card, however, it gives users a daily recommended spending limit of up to $1,000. That limit is based on the user's balance, earned income, incoming cash flow and other factors. Users are extended a set interest-free line of credit when they apply, and they may be offered increases over time as the consumer demonstrates an ability to make timely payments on the credit line. Fizz reports to Experian and TransUnion and plans to add Equifax in the future.The Fizz card became available in January 2023 and is being used by students at more than 300 schools across the U.S., according to Scott Smith, co-founder and chief operating officer of the New York-based Fizz. In June, the company closed a $14.4 million seed funding round from Kleiner Perkins and other venture capital funds and angel investors.A daily autopay feature enables purchases to be paid off automatically every night from a user's connected bank account. Fizz automatically bundles all the day's purchases and deducts the total amount in one payment to simplify the payment process and encourage on-time payments."We started this company because we saw our friends, regardless of their economic background, not being able to be approved for traditional credit cards or falling into debt," Smith said. "For too long, students have had adversarial relationships with their credit card companies. We wondered what it would be like if we could rebuild that relationship from scratch." There are other credit builder accounts on the market such as Self's Credit Builder card and the Chime Credit Builder Visa. "Credit builder products are becoming increasingly popular and can be a good alternative to some traditional debit and credit cards," Jennifer Doss, executive editor of CardRatings.com, which educates consumers about credit cards, wrote in an email.
Universities Should Promote Rigorous Discourse, Not Stifle It The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an advocacy article that attacks academic freedom and urges stifling contentious campus debates. Specifically, Evan Mullen, Eric J. Topol, and Abraham Verghese urge universities to “speak out publicly” and issue official institutional opinions about public controversies involving its professors “when it concludes that a faculty member’s opinion could cause public harm.” The NEJM authors write in the context of Stanford University refusing to institutionally condemn the arguments made by one of its scholars, Dr. Scott Atlas, when he advised the Trump administration on COVID policies in the early days of the pandemic. The authors, one of whom is a physician trainee (Mullen) and another the former vice chair of education (Verghese) at Stanford, are university colleagues of Atlas, as is one of the authors of this essay (Bhattacharya). They claim that Atlas’ publicly expressed skepticism of masking as an effective prophylactic against infection and his belief that lockdowns and school closures would cause more harm than good were so potentially harmful that Stanford itself – as an institution – should have condemned Atlas’ opinions.Why? It wasn’t as if some of his colleagues didn’t criticize Atlas. Indeed, more than a hundred Stanford professors and physicians wrote publicly opposing his advice. The letter’s signatories also pushed a vote through the Stanford Faculty Senate in November 2020condemning Dr. Atlas, using quasi-religious language to declare his positions “anathema.” But that wasn’t enough, apparently, because “institutional silence may be interpreted as tacit approval.”Controversy between professors is the norm at the frontiers of science. It is utterly unsurprising that there would be discord over the proper policy to follow in the wake of a pandemic featuring a new virus, with great uncertainty about its epidemiological and biological aspects. In the intervening years, Dr. Atlas’ positions in 2020 on school closures and mask mandates have been proven legitimate, demonstrating the wisdom of Stanford not taking a position as an institution. Meanwhile, in another attack on academic freedom, Harvard’s Dean of Social Science issued a call in the Daily Crimson to punish professors who criticize the university, “A faculty member’s right to free speech does not amount to a blank check to engage in behaviors that plainly incite external actors,” wrote Lawrence D. Bobo, “be it the media, alumni, donors, federal agencies, or the government to intervene in Harvard’s affairs.” In other words, what happens at Harvard should stay at Harvard.We believe these efforts to stifle heterodox thinking are not only wrong from an academic freedom perspective but harmful to the open and even raucous discourse required for the healthy functioning of a democratic society.
$1 billion gift to make medical school free for most Johns Hopkins students --A $1 billion donation from Michael Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins University will make medical school free for nearly all students at his alma mater.The donation, which Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Monday, will cover 100 percent of tuition for medical students whose families earn less than $300,000. The gift will also cover living expenses and fees for students whose families earn up to $175,000.The gift also increases financial aid for students at its schools of nursing, public health and other graduate schools, according to a press release.Bloomberg, the billionaire philanthropist and politician, said he hopes the gift will help address the decline in U.S. life expectancy – which has not seen the same return to pre-pandemic levels as other countries have.“As the U.S. struggles to recover from a disturbing decline in life expectancy, our country faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals – and yet, the high cost of medical, nursing, and graduate school too often bars students from enrolling,” Bloomberg said in a press release.“By reducing the financial barriers to these essential fields, we can free more students to pursue careers they’re passionate about – and enable them to serve more of the families and communities who need them the most,” he added.Johns Hopkins said two-thirds of current or incoming medical students will be eligible for free tuition. They will receive updated financial aid packages soon.The announcement follows a handful of other medical schools taking a similar approach. A $1billion donation to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine from Ruth Gottesman, a longtime professor there, made medical school free there earlier this year. Kenneth and Elaine Langone’s $200 million gift last year to NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine made medical school tuition free last year.Bloomberg in 2018 made a $1.8 billion donation to Johns Hopkins to make undergraduate admissions need-blind – so family’s income cannot factor into admissions decisions.
Study explores the link between stock market fluctuations and emergency room visits in China -The advent of computerized trading and fintech platforms has made investing in stocks easier and more accessible to individuals worldwide. This has led to an increase in stock market participation in many countries, including China. From 2000 to 2022, the number of people investing in stocks in China rose from 29.3 million to a staggering 322.6 million. As a result of this spike in investments, fluctuations in the stock market can have a significant effect on the finances of numerous individuals and their families. Drastic changes in wealth or financial difficulties resulting from these stock market fluctuations could potentially also affect the mental and physical health of investors. In fact, some recent reports have found a correlation between stock market fluctuations and specific physical and psychological issues. Researchers at the National University of Singapore, Jinan University, Peking University and Sun Yat-sen University recently explored this potential link further, focusing on the relationship between stock market fluctuations and stress-related emergency room visits in China. Their findings, published in Nature Mental Health, unveiled a trend marked by greater visits to emergency rooms by individuals experiencing stress-related mental health issues during periods of stock market volatility. To study the relationship between stock market fluctuations and emergency room visits in China, this team of researchers statistically analyzed data collected at the largest hospitals in Beijing over the course of three years, spanning from 2009 to 2012. This data, which was specific to emergency room visits for reasons potentially related to stress, was analyzed in conjunction with stock market trends in China during the same period.
Young people's mental health suffered amid COVID pandemic, 3 new studies suggest --The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns harmed the mental health of Canadian and US youth, exacerbating depression, anxiety, and eating disorders among certain groups, according to a trio of new studies published in JAMA journals. One of two studies from the Pediatric Outcome Improvement through Coordination of Research Networks (POPCORN) published today found that the rate of hospitalizations for mood disorders and substance use declined among male and females aged 6 to 20 years from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. But admissions for eating disorders rose for both sexes, and admissions for anxiety, personality disorders, suicide, and self-harm increased significantly among females.For the study, published in JAMA Network Open, the researchers analyzed public health administrative data on all Canadians aged 6 to 20 years and from April 2016 to March 2023. Of 6.3 million Canadian youths, there were 218,101 hospitalizations for mental illness (ages 6 to 11 years, 5.8%; 12 to 17, 66.9%; and 18 to 20, 27.3%; 66.0% female). Overall, hospitalizations for mental disorders fell from 51.6 to 47.9 per 10,000 person-years from before the pandemic to the pandemic among both males and females. But hospitalizations rose among both sexes for anxiety (11%), personality disorders (21%), suicide or self-harm (10%), and eating disorders in females (66%) and males (47%). For both sexes, hospitalizations declined for mood disorders (-16%), substance use (-17%), and other mental disorders (-22%).The proportion of hospitalizations for mental conditions climbed in the 12- to 17-years-old age-group, from 65.8% before the pandemic to 68.4% during the pandemic. During the same periods, hospitalizations decreased from 6.2% to 5.3% for participants aged 6 to 11 years and 18 to 20 (28.0% to 26.3%). Females made up 63.8% of hospitalizations for mental disorders before COVID-19, increasing to 69.0% during the pandemic. Prepandemic, hospitalizations of patients in the most materially deprived quintile accounted for a larger share of hospitalizations (24.4%) than the least deprived (16.9%). During the pandemic, this difference narrowed to 21.9% and 18.6%, respectively. Residence in a rural area was linked to a higher rate of mental disorder hospitalizations for all conditions but eating disorders.In JAMA Pediatrics, POPCORN researchers conducting a separate study of 8,726 hospitalizations for eating disorders among Canadian youths of the same age over the same period found that, among girls 12 to 17 years old, a 10% jump in pandemic-lockdown stringency was tied to significant rises in hospitalizations for eating disorders that varied by region.To measure lockdown stringency, the researchers used 12 indicators, such as office and school closures, public-event cancellations, travel restrictions, and stay-at-home orders.During the study period, there were 11,289 eating-disorder hospitalizations in Canada, 90.4% of them among girls, of which 77% were for 12- to 17-year-olds. A 10% increase in lockdown stringency was linked to a significant climb in hospitalization rates in Quebec and Ontario (5%), the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba; 8%), and British Columbia (11%). Excess hospitalizations were highest at the 1-year pandemic mark, with increases in Quebec (117%), Ontario (144%), the Prairies (139%), and British Columbia (102%).A total of 58.6% of hospitalizations before and during the pandemic were for youths without a history of an eating-disorder hospitalizations. The increase in such hospitalizations likely had multiple causes, including more social isolation, loss of routines and extracurricular activities, more disordered eating, and increased compensatory physical exercise, the researchers said. Late last week in JAMA Network Open, researchers from Children's Hospital Los Angeles who hypothesized that COVID-19 lockdown-related mental health would be worse among US youth living in lower-income households instead found that children from wealthier families reported more depression and anxiety.The research team used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Family Environmental Scale (FES), and the income-to-needs ratio (INR) to assess mental health before and during the pandemic among 10,399 children aged 10 to 12 years participating in the multisite, 10-year Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.The prepandemic group had a 2-year follow-up visit before COVID-19 lockdowns (before March 2020), and the pandemic group had a 2-year follow-up visit after that date. The final sample was made up of 10,171 youths with 1-year-follow-up data (prepandemic, 7,343 youth; pandemic, 2,828) and 10,399 with 2-year follow-up data (prepandemic, 7,493; pandemic, 2,906. A total of 52.3% of participants were boys, 66.0% were White, 20.3% were Hispanic, 14.5% were Black, 12.2% were multiracial, 44.2% reported caregiver education levels below a 4-year college degree, and 26.2% had INR either below 100% (poverty) or 100% to less than 200% (near poverty). There were no significant differences in average number of total problems on the CBCL between participants in the prepandemic and pandemic groups over time, and an increase of one unit in the INR corresponded to a reduction in the average rate of change in total problems.
Study: American diets got briefly healthier, more diverse during COVID-19 pandemic - American diets may have gotten healthier and more diverse in the months following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The study—published in PLOS ONE—found that as states responded to the pandemic with school closures and other lockdown measures, citizens' diet quality improved by up to 8.5% and food diversity improved by up to 2.6%. Co-author Edward Jaenicke, professor of agricultural economics in the College of Agricultural Sciences, said the findings provide a snapshot of what Americans' diet and eating habits might look like in the nearly complete absence of restaurant and cafeteria eating. "When dine-in restaurants closed, our diets got a little more diverse and a little healthier," Jaenicke said. "One post-pandemic lesson is that we now have some evidence that any future shifts away from restaurant expenditures, even those not caused by the pandemic, could improve Americans' food diversity and healthfulness." For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the NielsenIQ Homescan Consumer Panel on grocery purchases, which includes 41,570 nationally representative U.S. households. Data consisted of the quantity and price paid for every universal product code each family purchased during the study period. Data was gathered from both before the pandemic hit and after the pandemic led to schools, restaurants and other establishments temporarily closing. Because states did not respond to the pandemic simultaneously, the researchers designated each household's post-pandemic period as the weeks following the date that their county of residence closed schools in 2020. Jaenicke noted that this allowed the team to show a true causal effect of the pandemic school closures, which generally occurred around the same time that restaurants and other eateries also closed. "To establish causality, an individual household's pre- and post-pandemic food purchases were first compared to the same household's food purchases from one year earlier," Jaenicke said. "This way, we controlled for the food-purchasing habits, preferences and idiosyncrasies of individual households." The researchers found that in the two to three months following pandemic-based school closures—spanning March to June 2020, depending on the specific U.S. state—there were modest increases in Americans' food diversity, defined as how many different categories of food a person eats over a period of time. They also found larger, temporary increases in diet quality, meaning the foods purchased were healthier. This was measured by how closely a household's purchases adhered to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Thrifty Food Plan, which was designed to meet the requirements of the recommended healthy diet according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These patterns were found across households with many different demographics; however, those households with young children, lower incomes and without a car exhibited smaller increases in these measures. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, dine-in restaurants closed, schools and school cafeterias closed, and many supermarket shelves were empty," Jaenicke said. "Since about 50% of Americans' food dollars are spent on 'away from home' food from restaurants and cafeterias, the pandemic was a major shock to the food system."
Less wheezing for kids born amid COVID lockdowns, study suggests -- Children born during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns had fewer wheezing episodes and used less respiratory medication than those born before 2020, according to a research letterposted today in JAMA Network Open.A University of Padua-led research team in Italy led a retrospective study comparing rates of wheezing and use of respiratory medicines in children born from February to April 2020 (lockdown cohort) with those in peers born during the same months in 2016 and 2017 (historical cohort). The children were enrolled in Pedianet, a database of 150 family pediatricians in Italy, and followed for 30 months."During the COVID-19 lockdown, bronchiolitis nearly disappeared," the study authors noted. "Bronchiolitis, caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 50% to 80% of cases, is a recognized risk factor for wheezing illnesses and asthma." In total, 2,192 and 3,889 babies were born during the lockdown and historical periods, respectively. There were no differences in sex, area deprivation index score, gestational age, or family history of atopic (allergic) disease. During the follow-up period, 9.4% of children in the lockdown cohort had at least 1 wheezing episode, compared with 15.0% in the historical cohort. Rates of wheezing episodes were 67.6 per 10,000 person-months during lockdowns and 110.0 per 10,000 during the historical period. The lockdown cohort had few (6.6 per 10,000 person-months) bronchiolitis cases, versus 82.4 per 10,000 before the pandemic. Thirty-month cumulative wheezing incidence curves revealed a significant difference between cohorts, which was confirmed at 45 months with a cumulative wheezing risk of 16% prepandemic and 13% during lockdowns. The risk of wheezing fell 44% in children amid lockdowns, with an estimated 30% of episodes eliminated by COVID-19 public health measures alone, assuming bronchiolitis had no other positive link to wheezing risk (hazard ratio [HR], 4.43), the authors said.
Sleep disturbances linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes -A new meta-analysis of 48 observational studies that included 8,664,026 people reveals that pre-existing sleep disturbances are tied to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and worse outcomes if infected. The study is published ineClinicalMedicine. Previous studies have shown that up to 50% of COVID-19 patients experience sleep disturbances, and sleep disturbances are linked to "daytime drowsiness, work burnout, and low spirits but also induce immune deficiency and systematic inflammation," the authors note.For the purposes of this study, sleep disturbances included obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, abnormal sleep duration (less than 6 hours or more than 9), night-shift work, and restless legs syndrome already documented before infection with COVID-19. The studies analyzed had sample sizes ranging from 118 to 4.9 million and were conducted in 15 countries, including 19 studies based on US patients.Pre-existing sleep disturbances were tied to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection of 12% (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 1.18), hospitalization of 25% (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.36), death of 45% (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.78), and long COVID of 36% (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.57).Age and gender played a role in the findings, with men with sleep disturbances more likely to die from COVID than women with sleep disturbances. "Young individuals with pre-existing sleep disturbances had a higher susceptibility and hospitalization for COVID-19 than those without. This finding further confirmed the compromised immune function induced by sleep disturbances," the authors wrote. "In old individuals, those with pre-existing sleep disturbances elevated the hospitalization and mortality of COVID-19 but did not increase the susceptibility compared with those without."
Study: Initial COVID-19 infection severity predicts reinfection severity --A new study that used health data from 212,984 Americans who experienced COVID-19 reinfections found that severe SARS-CoV-2 infections tended to foreshadow similar severity of subsequent infections. The researchers also found that long COVID was more likely to occur after a first infection compared to a reinfection.The findings were published today in Communications Medicine. "More than three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are frequently reporting multiple COVID-19 infections. However, these reinfections remain poorly understood," the authors write.The study was part of the National Institutes of Health's Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, and used the electronic health records of 3.1 million Americans. The researchers looked at records from more than 200,000 who reported original infections from March 1, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2022, and experienced a second infection by March 2023.Overall, 6.9% of people in the study had a documented reinfection, which is likely an underestimate in the wake of home testing, the authors said.Most people in the study had COVID twice, but 478 reported three or more infections. The authors included reinfections only if they occurred 60 or more days after an earlier COVID-19 infection.Fewer reinfected patients (14.3%) had a documented vaccination prior to their COVID index date than patients who did not have reinfection (25.0%), the authors said, and those with reinfections were almost 5 years younger than those without reinfection.The authors note, "Women make up nearly two-thirds of the study cohort and a larger proportion of those with a documented reinfection."The Omicron variant period saw the most reinfections, with reinfection spikes documented near winter holidays and in the early summer."The large number of reinfections during Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 makes it challenging to draw conclusions about comparing reinfections between variants because there may be other factors, such as adherence to masking or social distance policies, that impacted the likelihood of exposure and subsequent reinfections," the authors said.The authors found that the vast majority of people (87.5%) had a mild initial infection without an emergency department (ED) visit. Of those with a mild initial infection without an ED visit, a similar rate of first reinfections, 87.4%, were also mild.One third of those with an initial infection requiring an ED visit also required an ED visit for a reinfection. And 27% of those with severe cases, defined as being hospitalized for their initial infections, also received hospital care for a reinfection.In fact, only 45.3% of first reinfections among those who experienced a severe initial infection were mild; 8.3% were severe, and 6.1% occurred within 60 days of death.Long-COVID diagnoses were most common among those with a first reinfection in the Delta period, but the authors warned that diagnostic coding and clinician understanding of long COVID shifted significantly during the study period.Finally, in looking at biomarkers, the authors noted that reinfected people had lower levels of albumin, a liver protein. Low albumin could be a possible risk factor for reinfection with COVID, and albumin has also been shown to be a biomarker for long COVID, the authors said, and needs further investigation.
Study Finds That 10% Of Pregnant Women Infected By Covid Develop Long Covid- A recent study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed that around 10% of pregnant women who contract COVID may experience long-term symptoms, known as long covid. This study highlights the significant impact of the virus on pregnant women, indicating a higher prevalence of long covid among those infected during pregnancy compared to the general population. The persistence of long covid has been a perplexing issue for researchers since the onset of the pandemic. This condition is associated with a variety of lingering symptoms that can differ among different groups of patients, posing a particular risk to pregnant women who are already considered vulnerable. Part of the National Institutes of Health's RECOVER initiative, the study emphasizes the need for further research, serving as a significant reminder of the impact of pregnancy on the immune system and overall health. Lead author Torri Metz, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Utah Health, emphasized the importance of vigilance in patient care. Researchers examined 1,500 women infected with COVID during pregnancy and assessed their long covid symptoms ten months post-infection. The most commonly reported symptoms included malaise, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues, which resembled typical pregnancy signs. However, researchers were able to differentiate symptoms related to covid from those linked to pregnancy or the postpartum period, highlighting the necessity for ongoing specialized care for patients with chronic conditions post-pregnancy. According to The Washington Post, investment in studying long covid has increased, with the Biden administration allocating additional funds for research. The RECOVER initiative, which has already enrolled over 30,000 participants, including pregnant women and children, aims to explore the impact of the virus. Experts stress the importance of understanding how COVID affects pregnancy and its potential consequences on fetal development. Future studies may delve into the virus's effects on fetuses and explore post-birth implications, particularly regarding developmental outcomes.
1 in 10 pregnant women with COVID-19 go on to develop long COVID, study finds -A new study suggests that almost 1 in 10 women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy will go on to develop long COVID. The study was published yesterday in Obstetrics & Gynecology and adds to evidence showing COVID-19 infection posing unique risks to pregnant women.Prior research has shown that pregnant women infected with the virus are more likely to suffer hospitalization and death compared to non-pregnant controls. COVID in pregnancy also leads to a higher risk of stillbirth and preterm birth.The authors say this is the first study to look at the relationship between prenatal infection and long COVID, conducted as part of the National Institutes for Health RECOVER project, the largest US-based study on long COVID.The study looked at outcomes among 1,502 US women in the United States from December 2021 to September 2023 who had been sick with COVID for the first time while pregnant, and assessed self-reported long COVID symptoms at least 6 months after infection.Over half, 61% of participants, had their first infection after December 2021, when the Omicron variant was dominant, and 51.4% were fully vaccinated before infection. The prevalence of long COVID was 9.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.9% to 10.9%) at a median of 10 months after first infection. According to the study authors, the most common long-COVID symptoms reported were postexertional malaise (77.7%), fatigue (76.3%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (61.2%).Several factors before pregnancy were linked to an increased likelihood of developing long COVID, most notably obesity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.65; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.43), a history of anxiety or depression (aOR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.79 to 3.88), and treatment with oxygen during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (aOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.00 to 3.44). "It was surprising to me that the prevalence was that high," said Tori Metz, MD, vice chair of research of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Utah Health, who co-led the nationwide study in a press release from the University of Utah. "This is something that does continue to affect otherwise reasonably healthy and young populations." Many otherwise healthy women experience a host of symptoms that can mimic long COVID in pregnancy and early postpartum, making diagnosis difficult, Metz said. "We need to have this on our radar as we're seeing patients. It's something we really don't want to miss. And we want to get people referred to appropriate specialists who treat long COVID," she said.
Study: Long-term post-COVID altered sense of smell in healthcare workers common - A new study based on 2,149 healthcare workers (HCWs) employed at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, shows that a significant proportion of those who contracted COVID-19 experienced lasting changes to taste and smell, with 45% reporting olfactory disorders 15 months after infection, and 24% still experiencing symptoms 2.5 years after infection.The study began in April 2020 and involved testing the HCWs for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies every 4 months. HCWs infected during the first wave of the pandemic were compared to healthy controls. All participants were asked "How has your sense of smell been during the last three days?" and to respond "always," "often," or "rarely" to the statement, "The biggest problem is not that I do not or weakly perceive odors, but that they smell different than they should," which assesses for the presence of parosmia, or altered sense of smell. The authors found that 37% of the COVID-positive group suffered quantitative olfactory dysfunction, with 4 people exhibiting anosmia (loss of sense of smell), and 32 people exhibiting hyposmia, or decreased sense of smell. In the COVID-negative group, 20% showed quantitative olfactory dysfunction, all of whom had hyposmia.Overall, first-wave infections nearly doubled the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in the study population, from 20% to 36%, and increased the prevalence of any form of olfactory dysfunction by a full 41 percentage points compared to those without COVID. "Perhaps even more striking, 24% of all tested COVID-19 survivors still experience parosmia 2.6 years after COVID-19 diagnosis, nearly half of which experience medium to severe symptoms," the authors concluded. "Given the length of time, it is possible that these olfactory problems may not be fully reversible in a plurality of individuals."
Long COVID uncharacteristic immune cell activity and SARS-CoV-2 RNA found in the gut two years after infection - A large team of medical researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and CellSight Technologies has found that some patients who develop long COVID show signs of uncharacteristic immune cell activity in many of their organs and some have traces of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in their guts for up to two years after their initial infection. In their study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group analyzed PET scans of 24 people who had recovered from at least one COVID-19 infection. Over the past several years, medical researchers have found that long COVID is a true biological condition with a variety of symptoms including brain fog and heart, lung and kidney problems. There is currently no treatment beyond symptom management. Scientists are still trying to understand its nature, hoping to prevent the disease in new patients and to treat it in those already infected. In this new effort, the research team conducted full-body PET scans of 24 people who had survived a SARS-CoV-2 viral infection—such scans highlight metabolic or biochemical function in tissues and organs, helping to diagnose problems. Long COVID uncharacteristic immune cell activity and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the gut seen two years after infection Immune imaging via PET tracer shows increased T cell activation in a variety of tissues across the body following COVID-19 infection. Whole-body maximum intensity projections (MIPs) of PET data are shown for four representative participants at various times following SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to pre-pandemic controls. Axial PET/CT overlay images demonstrate increased tracer uptake in tissues such as the nasal turbinates, lung parenchyma, and lumbar bone marrow post-COVID-19 infection. Credit: Henrich Laboratory, UCSF Division of Experimental Medicine The scans were conducted 27 to 910 days after initial infection. Among those scanned, 18 had been diagnosed with long COVID. The researchers also used a radioactive tracer drug to highlight immune cell activity throughout the body. In analyzing the scans, the research team found abnormal T cell activity in the same parts of the body that the patients with long COVID had identified as problematic—in the brain stem, for example, in the patients experiencing brain fog. Surprisingly, the researchers also found abnormal immune cell activity in some organs in those people who did not have long COVID, though to a lesser degree. The researchers also collected stool samples from five patients diagnosed with long COVID and found traces of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA that had persisted in their guts for up to two years after the initial infection. The research team suggests long COVID is a real biological illness and that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can persist in the body much longer than has been thought.
Colorado Sees Spike In COVID-19 Cases; CDC - The latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment indicates a worrisome surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. Between April 20 and June 22, there has been a staggering 127% increase in reported cases, with the number of COVID cases rising from 491 to 1,115. Moreover, emergency department visits have spiked by over 23%, and the rate of positive COVID tests has gone up by 1.4% nationwide. Tragically, deaths have surged by approximately 14.3% in the most recent reporting period. Notably, the landscape of COVID variants is evolving, with the JN.1 variant, previously predominant, now accounting for only 16.71% of specimens, while the KP.3 variant has surpassed it at over 20%. Wastewater testing has emerged as a crucial tool for early detection, with 45 out of 54 facilities in the state reporting a consistent increase in COVID-19 presence. Despite this concerning trend, data suggests a lack of diligence among Coloradans in completing their COVID-19 immunizations, including obtaining the crucial Omicron dose. The CDC recommends the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for all individuals over 6 months old, highlighting the critical role of vaccination in safeguarding against respiratory illnesses. Dr. Mandy Cohen, CDC Director, has underlined the necessity of vaccination for protecting individuals and their families. Dr. Michelle Barron, UCHealth's Senior Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control, stated, "COVID-19 is behaving a lot like the flu now. We're witnessing increases in cases during the fall and winter months. The severity is typically worse in older individuals and those with underlying immune system issues, echoing the pattern of flu. All of these individuals can become very ill."
US COVID-19 activity rising steadily -- Respiratory illness viruses as a whole remain at low levels, but many parts of the countries are experiencing consistent increases in COVID-19 activity, which has been trending upward from very low levels, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. Test positivity, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations—the main markers the CDC uses to gauge virus activity—are all rising, especially in seniors and especially in western states.Earlier this week, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said on X that COVID-19 infections are increasing in the city, and it urged people—especially seniors and people with underlying medical conditions—to consider wearing masks in crowded indoor settings. The percentage of ED visits for COVID, considered an early indicator, rose 23.5% last week compared to the week before. Levels were higher in the West and the South than in the rest of the country. Meanwhile, test positivity at the national level rose slightly, to 11%, with levels higher in the West and South.Wastewater detections of SARS-CoV-2, considered another early indicator, have risen from low to high, according to a CDC update this week. Levels in the West are highest, but appear to be flattening out. The South is also experiencing a sharp rise in detections, with smaller rises seen in the Midwest and Northeast. The dashboard at WastewaterSCAN a national wastewater monitoring system based at Stanford University in partnership with Emory University, shows SARS-CoV-2 detections at the high level, especially in the West, South, and East, with an upward trend over the past 21 days. In its latest variant update, posted on July 6, the CDC said the proportion of KP.3 detections continues to rise, up from 31.3% to 36.9% over the 2-week monitoring period. KP.3 is one of the JN.1 offshoots with mutations that allow it to better evade immunity from earlier infection or vaccination. Another variant that expanded its proportion is LB.1, up slightly, from 13.0% to 14.9%.
Doctors urge vigilance as COVID-19 surges in Colorado — COVID-19 cases are slowly creeping up again across the U.S. and in Colorado.Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows emergency room visits because of COVID were up more than 18% nationwide last week. Doctors in Colorado say there is no need to panic, but be mindful of the rising cases amid the surge.“We’re definitely seeing a lot more positive cases for COVID right now than you would expect for a summer-cold kind of time period,” said Dr. Carrie Horn, chief medical officer for National Jewish Health. Horn said the crud going around could be COVID-19, and people with it may not know it. “I would say, though, with positives — that’s only what gets reported to the state. There are still a lot of home tests that are out, so the true number of people that are positive for COVID or have COVID is going to be higher than what the numbers show on the dashboards, unlike in the past when everything was tested,” Horn said. Doctors say they are catching most cases through people who are coming in to get medical care and through wastewater surveillance. Data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment showed about 95 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Colorado as of last week. “We’re certainly not hitting numbers like we did in 2020 and 2021,” Horn said. “And I think the biggest concern is around people who are going to get severe illness or potentially die, right? That’s really always been the concern. We really don’t want people to the point where they have long-term consequences.” Even with vaccines and medications for treating COVID-19, there is still a possibility that people can have long-term effects after being infected. Horn said it’s critical to look out for one another by remembering the practices learned during the height of the pandemic to reduce the spread. “Really, you just don’t want to feel sick and you don’t want to get anyone else sick, so good hand-washing, staying home if you can if you are ill, wearing a mask so you don’t spread things if you don’t feel well but you have to go out. Or if you are at risk, wearing a mask in public is still OK,” Horn said. Coming off the heels of a big holiday weekend with travel and gatherings, doctors said to expect an uptick in cases.
COVID-19 hits migrants, refugees especially hard, review shows - Migrants, refugees, and internally displaced people have an 84% higher COVID-19 infection rate and a 46% higher COVID death rate than the general population, a new systematic review and meta-analysis in EClinicalMedicine reveals."Even in the advanced stages of the pandemic, migrants faced higher infection risks and disproportionately suffered from the consequences of COVID-19 disease, including deaths," the study authors wrote. For the analysis, researchers from Germany, Sweden, and the Philippines combined data from 65 studies published by September 2023 that included more than 53 million people in 22 nations.They found that, compared to non-migrants, migrants have an 84% higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (relative risk [RR], 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.44 to 2.35), about the same risk for hospitalization (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.33), a 23% higher risk of intensive care unit admission (RR = 1.23; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.52), and a 46% higher risk of COVID-related death overall (RR = 1.46; 95% CI, 0.95 to 2.26). In contrast, once hospitalized, their risk of death is 44% lower (RR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.76). Although only 8% of the included studies reported data on vaccination coverage in migrant groups, two thirds of these studies found lower immunization rates among migrants. The investigators also performed a "qualitative" review of 75 papers to determine compounding factors. It showed that migrants often live in crowded housing, work in essential and high-risk jobs, and lack support from the government. Also, social norms can increase the risk, such as expectations to attend community events. "At the individual level," the authors wrote, "the included studies identified unaffordability of personal protective equipment, low health literacy, and language barriers." Studies also reported insufficient health information in the appropriate language and distrust in institutions, including public health services. "Several studies described discrepancies between the official health information provided and the actual living conditions of some migrant populations as a source of frustration and alienation, which, in turn, could lead to an overall rejection of pandemic measures," the authors noted. "Migrants have been at an increased risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 not only in the early phases, but throughout the entire pandemic," said principal investigator Professor Kayvan Bozorgmehr, MD, from Bielefeld University in Bielefeld, Germany, in a university news release. "Migrants infected with SARS-CoV-2 were not hospitalized more often; but they more often experienced severe course of disease, which resulted in a higher number of admissions to intensive care units. While clinical deaths were lower among migrants—probably due to their younger average age—population-based mortality tended to be higher, especially in high-income countries."
Latest US data show increased detections of foodborne pathogens -- A new report of foodborne illness surveillance in the United States shows the country is not meeting disease-reduction goals. That may be, however, because of increased use of culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs), which allow for diagnoses of infections that previously would not have been reported.A summary of the 2023 Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network report was recently published inMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and the authors said continued surveillance is needed to monitor the impact of changing diagnostic practices on disease trend.The report is meant to compare 2023 incidences of foodborne illnesses with an annual baseline in 2016 through 2018 as part of the Healthy People 2030 initiative, which outlines disease reduction goals forCampylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections. In 2023, FoodNet identified 29,607 infections, 7,234 hospitalizations, and 177 deaths overall related to foodborne pathogens.During 2023, the incidence of domestically acquired campylobacteriosis, STEC infection, yersiniosis, vibriosis, and cyclosporiasis increased, whereas those of listeriosis, salmonellosis, and shigellosis remained stable."Increased use of CIDTs facilitates prompt clinical diagnosis and treatment but also complicates the interpretation of surveillance data and trends because CIDT adoption has varied over time, among clinical labs, and by pathogen," the authors wrote.
Canadian Chicken recalled in U.S. due to Listeria | Food Poison Journal -Al-Safa US LLC, the importer of record located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, is recalling approximately 2,010 pounds of imported frozen ready-to-eat chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.The frozen ready-to-eat chicken products were produced on June 5, 2024, in Canada and imported to the U.S. on June 13, 2024, and June 21, 2024. The following products are subject to recall [view labels]: The products subject to recall bear establishment number “866” inside the Canadian mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide. The problem was discovered after FSIS performed routine product testing and the results indicated the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.Michigan confirms sixth measles case of the year -- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) today reported the state's sixth measles case of the year, which involves a child from Macomb County whose illness was diagnosed on July 3.In a statement, the MDHHS said an investigation is still under way into the source of the child's infection and that no known international travel is linked to the case.After a spike in cases earlier this year, much of it linked to a Chicago migrant shelter, states continue to report sporadic cases, including recently. New Hampshire recently reported a cluster of three cases, and health officials in Seattle and Ohio are also investigating cases, which were linked to international travel.Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned about possible travel-related measles cases amid a global rise in cases. US cases this year have far outpaced the 58 measles illnesses reported in 2023. In its latest update yesterday, the CDC said that, as of July 11, 167 cases have been reported from 24 jurisdictions. There have been 13 outbreaks involving 110 cases, or about two thirds of the total. Among the confirmed case-patients, 84% were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, and 53% were hospitalized for measles complications.
UK urges vaccination amid steady rise in pertussis activity -- The United Kingdom this year is reporting its highest pertussis (whooping cough) level in decades, the country's Health Security Agency (HSA) said today. Monthly cases have been rising since January, with nearly 2,600 in May alone, with the year's total at nearly 7,600 cases. Though about 53% were in people ages 15 and older ,who usually experience mild disease, high numbers have also been reported in babies younger than 3 months—the group at highest risk for complications. So far, nine infant deaths have been reported since pertussis activity began rising in November 2023.Pertussis activity is rising in the United Kingdom and other countries due to multiple factors, the HSA said. They include the cyclical nature of the disease, which peaks every 3 to 5 years, and low levels when pandemic measures were in place. The last cyclical rise occurred in 2016. A peak year is overdue, and the impact of the pandemic also means there is reduced immunity in the population, the group said.The HSA said timely vaccination in pregnancy and childhood is crucial for protecting vulnerable infants. However, the latest update data show declining pertussis vaccination levels in pregnant women. Coverage in March 2024 was 58.9%, down from a peak of 72.6% in March 2017.
Experts choose target pathogens for Olympic wastewater monitoring --Experts from the French national public health agency have developed a model framework to identify priority pathogens for wastewater surveillance (WWS) at the upcoming summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, expected to draw 16 million visitors from around the world.Viruses that cause polio and flu topped the list.The researchers used peer-reviewed publications and expert opinion to identify six target pathogens suitable for WWS at mass gatherings, where it can monitor disease levels and guide public health decisions. "Wastewater acts as a 'mirror' of population health," the researchers wrote. "Through the analysis of sewage samples, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides information on substance consumption (licit and illicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol), chemical exposure and the circulation of certain pathogens within a population."The results were posted today in Eurosurveillance.To identify target pathogens, the researchers used criteria informed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the World Health Organization, arriving at 60 pathogens. They then linked those pathogens to those the Games by France's national public health agency included on a risk map for the event, including notifiable diseases, those associated with foodborne illnesses, acute respiratory infections, emerging infectious diseases, and zoonotic diseases, plus six other infectious diseases considered for WWS.Next, they narrowed the list based on pathogen analytical feasibility, relevance to the event and pathogen characteristics, and value in guiding public-health decision making (eg, allocation of hospital beds, physical distancing)."To be monitored in wastewater, pathogens must be excreted in the urine and/or faeces of infected individuals or introduced into sewage via greywater, i.e. from showers and other hygiene activities," the researchers said. "Pathogens must also persist in the environment long enough to be detectable by existing analytical methods."Pathogens that failed to reach the 70% consensus threshold in questionnaires completed by 32 experts were reevaluated by France public health epidemiologists in charge of the country's national wastewater monitoring system using specific criteria, leaving a list of 25 pathogens of interest.The team eventually arrived at six target pathogens: the viruses that cause polio, influenza A, influenza B, mpox, COVID-19, and measles.
STD cases rose 5% from 2020 to 2023, with biggest jumps among older adults, data show --A new Fair Health study shows that sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnoses in the United States climbed 4.8% from 2020 to 2023, with a 23.8% surge in people aged 65 and older.Fair Health researchers analyzed data from the nonprofit's repository of more than 47 billion commercial health insurance claims over the 3-year period. The results, released as an infographic, also describe a rise of 16.2% among Americans aged 55 to 64, 8.6% among 35- to 44-year-olds, 7.6% for those aged 45 to 54, and decreases of 6.6% for 19- to 24-year-olds and 3.8% for the 18-and-younger group. The fastest-growing STD diagnoses were syphilis (29.4%), gonorrhea (16.8%), and HIV/AIDS (14.1%). Among people aged 65 and older and 55 to 64, the largest increases (32.2% and 21.9%, respectively) were for human papillomavirus (HPV). Diagnoses of HPV also rose for those 45 to 54 (11.3%) and 35 to 44 (3.6%) but declined for those aged 19 to 24 (18.2%) and 25 to 34 (0.9%). Diagnoses of gonorrhea grew 59.2% among male patients and fell 19.3% among females. Syphilis diagnoses rose among both sexes (22.9% among males and 46.5% among females).
Canada reports rise in resistant gonorrhea - The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) last week reported an increase in antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal (AMR-GC) infections, including a near doubling of cases showing resistance or decreased susceptibility to two different antimicrobials. The Enhanced Surveillance of Antimicrobial-Resistant Gonorrhea (ESAG) report summarizes data on 3,377 gonorrhea cases submitted for analysis in four Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Novia Scotia, and the Northwest Territories) from 2018 through 2021. Most patients (80.2%) were male, of which an average of 55.5% were among men who have sex with men (MSM). From 2018 through 2020, the prevalence of AMR-GC (as indicated by resistance to at least one antibiotic) was stable, but it increased from 69.3% in 2020 to 77.4% in 2021, while GC cultures demonstrating resistance or decreased susceptibility to two different antimicrobials rose from 24.8% to 44.5%. In 2021, the AMR-GC burden was highest among MSM (85.2% of isolated cultures were resistant to at least one antimicrobial), followed by heterosexual men (73.5%) and women (66.7%). Of tested antimicrobials, resistance to ciprofloxacin was most prevalent, rising from 46.6% of cases in 2020 to 63.1% in 2021. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was high among all sexual behavior groups but highest among MSM. But no cases demonstrating combined resistance to azithromycin and ceftriaxone or cefixime (the gonorrhea treatment regimens recommended by PHAC) were reported. Decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone or cefixime was detected in one case each in 2018, 2020, and 2021, and in three cases in 2019.Fourteen cases were reported by public health authorities as treatment failures, but none demonstrated resistance or decreased susceptibility to prescribed treatment regimens.PHAC says that, as gonorrhea cases rise across Canada and resistance continues to evolve, it's hoping to recruit additional ESAG sites to collect more representative data.
Seven countries report more polio cases, including wild-type in Afghanistan --Three more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported from Afghanistan, all in Kandahar, raising the country's total for the year to nine, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative said in its latest weekly update. The new cases put the country over its total for 2023, which was six. Afghanistan is among the few countries where WPV1 is still endemic. Last week Pakistan, which also continues to battle the virus, reported more cases, also topping its number for the previous year. The country reported eight new WPV1 environmental detections this week.Elsewhere, six countries—mostly in Africa—reported more polio cases involving two different vaccine-derived types. Angola reported two circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases in two provinces, bringing its total for the year to five.Chad reported one more case, lifting its total for 2024 to five. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reported two more cVDPV2 cases, as well as its fifth infection involving circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1). Guinea reported its fourth cVDPV2 case of the year, and Mozambique reported its first cVDPV1 case of 2024. In the Middle East, Yemen reported 6 more cVDPV2 cases, 5 in Alhudaidah and 1 in Saadah, boosting its total to 21.
Diversity in typhoid bacteria linked to higher mortality rates --Worldwide, 20% of the bacterial strains that cause typhoid fever have genetic variations in their external layer, called Vi capsule, that provide higher virulence, higher infectivity and high antibiotic resistance, Cornell researchers have discovered, possibly impacting the disease's propagation and vaccine efficacy. The study, published June 19 in Nature Communications, marks the first time these variants of Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) have been described by science. "By combining epidemiology, genomics and molecular investigation, we were able to provide much-needed insights into the various types and consequences of the Vi capsule variants of S. Typhi," said Jeongmin Song, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, who led the study. S. Typhi is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and causes 200,000 deaths per year. To thrive in a host, S. Typhi relies on a structure called the Vi capsule, a layer that covers the exterior of the bacteria and serves as a protective cloak against the host's immune system. The molecules that form the Vi capsule, called capsular polysaccharides (CPS), are used to create typhoid vaccines. Despite the importance of the Vi capsule, its genetic diversity and how it may affect virulence had not been documented until now. "Before, we thought there was only one type," Song said. "We were curious to know whether there are Vi capsule variations among S. Typhi clinical strains found at various times and locations." To investigate the potential variability in Vi capsules, Lee and Song analyzed the whole genome of 5,379 strains collected worldwide. Two particular enzymes involved in Vi capsule synthesis carried a lot of genetic variation. Focusing on 21 of the most common mutations found in these enzymes, Lee and Song established how this genetic variation affected the composition of the CPS forming the Vi capsule. "We made an intriguing finding," Song said. "Each of these specific point mutations leads to a distinct variant form of Vi." Based on these structural properties, Lee and Song categorized S. Typhi variants into two main groups, hypo and hyper Vi capsule variants, referring to the amount, length or chemical properties of the CPS. Compared to the only known type of Vi capsules, S. Typhi with hypo Vi capsules have a higher ability to infect a host. S. Typhi with hyper Vi capsules, in turn, make infected mice sicker and have a higher mortality rate. In addition, bacteria with hyper Vi capsules have an enhanced ability to colonize the gallbladder. Importantly, between 2% to 6% of recovered patients with S. Typhi in the gallbladder become asymptomatic chronic carriers, and can shed S. Typhi for months or years, contributing to the persistence of the disease. "It's like the story of Typhoid Mary," Song said.Also concerning is Lee and Song's finding that hyper Vi strains are more geographically distributed than hypo Vi and show more antibiotic resistance. "It is alarming that all instances of a specific hyper Vi capsule variant have demonstrated resistance to ciprofloxacin, a commonly used treatment for typhoid patients in clinical settings," Song said.
J&J agrees to lower price of TB drug bedaquiline, allow production in South Africa -- South Africa's anti-trust regulator announced last week that drugmaker Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceutica, have agreed to withdraw a secondary patent on the tuberculosis (TB) drug bedaquiline.The move opens the market in South Africa for generic suppliers to produce lower-cost versions of the drug, South Africa's Competition Commission said in a statement. The companies also agreed to lower the price charged for bedaquiline to South Africa's National Department of Health by 40%, which will bring it in line with what other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are paying. Bedaquiline is a key component of the shorter, all-oral, less toxic, and more effective treatment regimens endorsed by the World Health Organization for treating drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). South Africa has one of the highest TB burdens in the world, with an estimated 304,000 cases and 55,000 deaths in 2021. In return, the Competition Commission said it has decided to end its investigation into the two companies for alleged anti-competitive conduct. The Commission issued its complaint against J&J in September 2023 after the company filed for a secondary patent, which would have restricted the entry of generic bedaquiline alternatives into the country until 2027.
Health Officials Confirm Human Case Of Plague In Colorado --Health officials in Colorado are investigating a human case of the plague in a resident who contracted the infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) confirmed the case in a statement on July 5, saying it is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to investigate the case.The public health agency did not disclose details about the individual who contracted the plague—a potentially deadly disease known as the “Black Death” in the Middle Ages. How the individual became infected, or which specific form of plague the case was, is also unclear. NTD has contacted the PDPHE via email for further comment but did not hear back before publication.“We advise all individuals to protect themselves and their pets from plague,” Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at PDPHE, said in the statement.“If you develop symptoms of plague, see a health care provider immediately. Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death,” Ms. Solis added.The case comes 10 months after a resident in Archuleta County in southwest Colorado died of plague in September.The plague is typically transmitted to humans or animals through a bite from an infected flea. It can spread by touching infected animals, or inhaling droplets from the cough of an infected person or animal.Typical plague symptoms include sudden fever and chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and a feeling of illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A common symptom of plague is also swollen lymph nodes with pain.
- In an annual update on Haemophilus influenzae released today, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that the invasive form of the bacterial disease rose sharply in 2022 compared to the previous 2 years, which coincided with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and measures. It said 3,967 confirmed cases of invasive H influenzae disease were reported in 2022, up from 1,694 in 2021 and 1,849 in 2020. Easing COVID measures likely came with microbe-causing diseases returning to circulation, suggesting a correlation between the two events, the ECDC said. Babies younger than 1 year old were most affected, followed by seniors. H influenzae type b (Hib) made up a slightly greater percentage of cases in 2022 compared to recent years. Infection can range from mild to severe, with meningitis and septicemia seen in invasive infections. In most countries, children receive the Hib vaccine before they are 6 months old and a booster dose when they are 1 year old.
- Cambodia's agriculture ministry has reported a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu outbreak in village birds from the same location where two human cases were recently reported, according to a notificationfrom the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). The virus killed 474 of 1,168 susceptible birds, and the remaining ones were culled to curb the spread of the virus. The outbreak began on July 5, and the H5N1 findings were confirmed on July 7. The location of the poultry outbreak and the patients is Preah Bat Choan Chum commune in Takeo province. The clade wasn't noted WOAH report, but an older 2.3.2.1c clade is known to circulate in Cambodia and has been implicated in other recent human infections in the country.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that it has prequalified the first self-test for hepatitis C, which it said will help expand diagnosis and treatment, thus speeding global efforts to eliminate the disease. The OraQuick HCV self-test, made by OraSure Technologies, is an extension of the OraQuick HCV rapid antibody test that the WHO prequalified in 2017. The agency recommended hepatitis C self-testing in 2021 to complement existing diagnostic testing. WHO prequalification paves the way for low- and middle-income countries to receive the products.
Salmonella outbreak tied to raw milk products from often-implicated firm may have sickened 165 --A four-state Salmonella outbreak linked to raw (unpasteurized) milk products has infected at least 165 people—many of them children—from fall 2023 to June 2024, Food Safety News (FSN) reported today based on data it obtained from the California Division of Communicable Disease Control (CDCDC) and the California Department of Health.The median age of patients is 7 years.Raw Farm (formerly Organic Pastures) of Fresno, California, has been linked to the outbreak, with 93% of those sickened reporting that they consumed the company's products. Raw Farm recalled the implicated products in October 2023 but resumed sales a week later. Raw Farm has been tied to a series of outbreaks or recalls related to Salmonella, Campylobacter and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli bacteria, FSN noted. In May 2023, the California Department of Food and Agriculture recalled Raw Farm milk after routine sampling detected C jejuni, and in August of that year, it announced a statewide recall of Salmonella-contaminated cheddar cheese from the company. In February 2024, the CDC reported 11 E coli cases in five states, including five hospitalizations, linked to Raw Farm cheddar cheese.FSN noted that when Raw Milk operated under the name Organic Pastures, its milk and cream products were associated with eight outbreaks of E coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter from 2006 to 2016. While the most recent California public health report from the current outbreak was released in February, the latest outbreak case was recorded in June, according to FSN. The two reports obtained by FSN were partially redacted, the publication said. "It is beyond me to comprehend why public health would remain mute in the face of at least 165 sick, 20 hospitalized, and 40 percent of the ill five years or younger—especially raw milk—a risky elixir," Bill Marler, JD, a Seattle food safety attorney and FSN publisher, said in the article.
H5N1 avian flu infects 2 children in Cambodia -Over the past 3 days, Cambodia has reported two more human H5N1 avian flu infections, raising it total for the year to seven cases, according to health ministry statements translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog.On July 6, the ministry reported thefirst new case, which involves a 3-year-old boy from Takeo province in the southern part of the country. Initial symptoms included fever, cough, and breathing difficulty. The boy was hospitalized, and his condition is improving. An investigation found that 10 days earlier he had touched and held a chicken that had died in the village.Today the ministry reported a second case, involving a 5-year-old girl who is a cousin of the first patient and lived in the same home. The girl had a fever and is receiving treatment. Officials said her illness is mild. Investigators found that she had also touched the dead chicken.So far, the clade isn't known, but other recent H5N1 illnesses in Cambodia were linked to the older 2.3.2.1c clade that circulates in poultry in some Asian countries, including Cambodia. It is different from the 2.3.4.4b clade affecting wild birds, poultry, and some mammals across several world regions. Cambodia has reported an uptick in human infections, with 13 reported since February 2023. The infections are often serious or fatal.
H5N1 strikes dairy herd in Michigan, large poultry farm in Colorado -The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development today announced that tests have identified H5N1 avian flu in a dairy herd in Gratiot County, the state's first outbreak since June 7.In other H5N1 developments, the Colorado Department of Agriculture today said the virus struck a large commercial layer farm in Weld County/ The outbreak in Gratiot County brings the number of H5N1 outbreaks in Michigan dairy herds to 26. In a statement, MDARD Director Tim Boring, PhD, said tests at the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory initially detected the event and that samples will be sent to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory for additional confirmation.Gratiot County has been one of Michigan's hot spots for both dairy herd and poultry farm outbreaks involving the virus.The number of dairy herd H5N1 outbreaks confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) stands at 140 from 12 states, of which 25 are from Michigan. Colorado, another state hit hard by H5N1 in dairy herds, has recently reported a few outbreaks in backyard birds, but has now reported its second-largest outbreak in commercial poultry since the virus emerged in US birds in 2022. The facility is a layer farm housing more than 1.7 million birds, according to a Colorado media report. Weld County, where the farm is located, has also been heavily affected by H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds. On July 5, Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency due to the poultry outbreak, which ensures that the state can provide support and resources for the agriculture industry, according to an announcement yesterday.
H5N1 confirmed in 5 more US dairy herds, more cats - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today added five more dairy herds in three states to its list of H5N1 avian flu outbreak confirmations.Also, APHIS confirmed the virus in three more cats from two states, both of which are experiencing H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows and poultry.Most of the APHIS confirmations involve detections initially announced by states. The newly added outbreaks include 3 in Colorado, 1 in Michigan, and 1 in Texas, boosting the USDA's total to 145 in 12 states.Separately, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported another new outbreak in a dairy herd, which involves cows from Benton County in the central part of the state. Minnesota has now reported eight H5N1 outbreaks at dairy farms.In related developments, APHIS confirmed H5N1 detections in three more domestic cats, two from Minnesota and one from Michigan, raising the total since 2022 to 33.A notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said the cats from Minnesota were feral barn cats on an affected dairy farm in Sibley County in south central Minnesota. Samples were collected on June 10.Meanwhile, APHIS said samples from the Michigan cat were collected on April 18 and that the cat was from Ottawa County, one of 10 Michigan counties affected by outbreaks in dairy cows. Also, APHIS reported an H5N1 detection in a raccoon from Ottawa County, with samples collected on the same date as the cat.Additionally, APHIS reported four more H5N1 detections in wild birds from two Iowa counties, all agency-harvested birds that were sampled in mid to late June. The birds that tested positive were from Plymouth and Sioux counties and included a red-winged blackbird, robin, turkey vulture, and barn swallow.
More H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry -- The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) added 6 more dairy herds to its list of confirmed H5N1 avian flu outbreaks, bringing the national total since the end of March to 152.Five of the latest confirmations were from Colorado and one was from Minnesota, which state officials had announced earlier.Meanwhile, APHIS reported three more H5N1 outbreaks in poultry, all involving commercial turkey farms in west central Minnesota. Two are breeding farms in Kandiyohi County, one housing 4,300 toms and the other 21,900 hens. The third is a breeding facility in neighboring Renville County that has 15,400 birds.
Animal experiments shed more light on behavior of H5N1 from dairy cows -- In scientific experiments designed to assess the threat from H5N1 avian flu in the milk of infected cows, researchers today reported that the virus can bind to both avian and human-type cell receptors but doesn't easily spread through respiratory routes.The research team, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, two universities in Japan, and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, detailed its findings today in Nature.So far, H5N1 has been confirmed on at least 140 dairy farms since March, with infections identified in four dairy workers. Since the virus first emerged in dairy cattle, scientists have been closely watching for changes in the virus that would signal a greater pandemic threat and conducting experiments to gauge infectivity and transmission. In one set of experiments, researchers dripped milk from infected cows into the noses of mice and ferrets, which caused severe disease in the animals. Ferrets are often used to examine potential influenza A transmission patterns in people, because the animals show similar clinical symptoms and immune responses. In the intranasal experiments, researchers compared the infectivity of three different viruses: H5N1 from cows, a Vietnamese H5N1 strain, and seasonal H1N1. Mice receiving the H5N1 viruses had high virus levels in respiratory and non-respiratory organs, including mammary tissues and muscles, but H1N1 was found only in respiratory tissues. The group also found that the virus can spread from mice mothers to their pups, likely via infected milk.In ferrets, H5N1 was found only in the respiratory system."Together, our pathogenicity studies in mice and ferrets revealed that HPAI H5N1 derived from lactating dairy cattle may induce severe disease after oral ingestion or respiratory infection, and infection by either the oral or respiratory route can lead to systemic spread of virus to non-respiratory tissues including the eye, mammary gland, teat and/or muscle," the group wrote.The group also found that mice can become sick after drinking even a small amount of raw milk from an infected cow, a finding that some of the same researchers had reported in a May research letter to the New England Journal of Medicine.In yet another set of experiments, researchers mixed the H5N1 virus from cows with different types of receptors, which the virus uses to enter cells. They found that the virus can bind to receptors that can recognize both avian and human influenza viruses, which adds more evidence that the virus may be adapting to human hosts and that it may have the ability to bind to cells in the human upper respiratory tract.The team wrote, "Collectively, our study demonstrates that bovine H5N1 viruses may differ from previously circulating HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] H5N1 viruses by possessing dual human/avian-type receptor-binding specificity with limited respiratory droplet transmission in ferrets."
Sen Booker takes aim at proposed FDA guidance on agricultural antibiotics -- US Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that highlights concerns about revisions to FDA guidance on duration limits for antibiotic use in farm animals.Booker is concerned about revisions to Guidance for Industry #152 (GFI#152) and draft Guidance for Industry #273 (draft GFI#273), which would eliminate a 21-day limit for medically important antimicrobials and instead allow the duration of use to be set on a case-by-case basis. Booker said that policy would contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)."A primary driver of the spread of antibiotic resistance is the misuse of antibiotics in industrial animal agriculture," Booker wrote in the letter. "Concentrated animal feeding operations create a breeding ground for AMR, due to their crowded conditions and the overreliance on antibiotics to keep animals healthy in an unsanitary and disease-promoting environment.”Booker requested answers to six questions from the FDA by September 1, 2024, on its efforts to manage the growing crisis of AMR. In his final question, Booker asked, "What is the FDA doing to measure its progress on combating antibiotic resistance? Has the FDA adopted any indicators of success such as a [sic] reductions in antibiotic use by livestock sectors and reductions in antibiotic resistance in food animal isolates?"
New insights into urban life's impact on squirrels' cognitive abilities - The impact of the urban environment on squirrels' problem-solving, learning and memory has been highlighted in new research from the UK's University of Chester and Hokkaido University in Japan. In one of the few studies that joins ecology and psychology to look at the animal mind in the wild, researchers have examined how stressful urban environmental characteristics are for squirrels and discovered they have a greater effect on cognitive performance than previously shown. The research, "Ripple effects of urban environmental characteristics on cognitive performance in Eurasian red squirrels," is published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. They explored how much urban areas—with their buildings, traffic, less greenery, and, most prominently, more humans—cause a disturbance to squirrels by setting them challenges testing their cognitive skills—how they acquire, store and use information to react to the environment. The team observed Eurasian red squirrels—a species that thrives in urban environments—in 11 urban areas in Obihiro, Japan, and the impact of: direct human disturbance—measured by the average number of humans present per day; indirect human disturbance—the number of buildings; squirrel population size and extent of green coverage. The research built on a previous study which found that some of these characteristics of the urban environment affect squirrels' ability to solve problems, with them either not solving problems at all or showing an enhanced ability to find the solution. In this study, they wanted to discover if there was a 'ripple effect' beyond problem-solving performance by exploring if urban settings would also affect other related cognitive traits such as generalization—the ability to solve a similar but different problem—or memory—the ability to recall the same information after an extended period of time. A total of 38 red squirrels who had previously solved a novel problem—extracting food from a transparent box by pushing and pulling levers—the 'innovators' of the original task—were studied to see if they could solve a similar problem and also recall the solution after time. The researchers found that urban characteristics, in many cases, affected squirrels' performance in the generalization and memory tasks at both population and individual levels—either decreasing or increasing performance, depending on the combination of characteristics. For example, increased direct and indirect human disturbance, led to less success in the generalization or memory task at the population level. Increased direct human disturbance and less green coverage resulted in quicker problem solving at individual levels. Dr. Pizza Ka Yee Chow outlined that a possible explanation for this could be how squirrels perceive humans, and likely their dogs, as a threat. She said, "Such a threat is often unpredictable and may cause frequent interruptions when they are solving the task, causing some squirrels to give up and forage elsewhere or others to quickly solve the task and retreat to a tree for safety or to minimize their exposure to threats."
Feds put five turtle species on the ESA map - The Fish and Wildlife Service extended Endangered Species Act protections Wednesday to the Pearl River map turtle and four other map turtles found in Southern states.Citing threats that range from poaching to reservoir operations, the federal agency published the announcement that the turtles will be designated as threatened.“The science that the Service has gathered on the Pearl River map turtle indicates it could become endangered in the near future,” acting FWS biologist Luke Pearson said in a statement, adding that “these native freshwater map turtles are at risk and need our help.” The FWS estimates that about 21,000 Pearl River map turtles remain in the wild.
Disease has killed most of UK's elm trees since the 1960s—but there are signs they may be making a comeback - Elm trees were once stalwarts of the UK countryside that towered out of hedgerows, lined fields and woodlands. Glance at the landscape paintings of John Constable for a vague idea of what has been lost. Elm timber made ships, chairs and even water pipes until the 19th century.These trees, and the world they held up, came crashing down when Dutch elm disease caused what is arguably the worst change to the UK's countryside in living memory. The fungal disease carried by the elm bark beetle arrived on UK shores early in the 20th century and killed some elmsbut left the majority standing. Elm trees were not out of the woods though—a more virulent strain arrived in the 1960s and destroyed most of the UK's 30 million elms.Since the near total loss of elm save for ahandful of trees that avoided the disease, generations have grown up without seeing a mature elm in the landscape. This has entrenched the public perception of elm as a lost species. It turns out that millions of elms still exist across the UK, particularly in southern England, as small hedgerow shrubs. In fact, these stunted relics are, according to one government plant pathologist, more numerous than the pre-epidemic elm population.Elms have persisted by producing suckers: new stems that the trees send out from their roots. The tree may succumb to disease and die but new stems appear and take its place. These suckers allow the tree to regenerate until they are caught by the disease again, allowing elm to exist today in a cycle of life and death or what a former ecologist described to me as a perpetual adolescence.While these "adolescent" elms demonstrate an amazing ability to persist, work is underway to restore elms to the landscape in their majestic adult form. Breeding programs in the US, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain have yielded several varieties that can withstand even the more virulent form of Dutch elm disease. These are the result of one of two methods: hybridizing European elms with naturally resistant Asian species such as Siberian elm or Himalayan elm, or finding and cloning naturally resistant European elm trees.At sites across the UK, elm enthusiasts import and care for new varieties of disease-resistant elm. These citizen scientists monitor their suitability for thelocal environment, how the new trees compare with elms of the past and their ability to attract and host species traditionally associated with elms, such as the white-letter hairstreak butterfly.A few disease-resistant elm varieties can now be bought in the UK and many have since been planted in parks and on streets. But their wider introduction is hampered by their cost. While most large-scale planting projects will buy trees for less than a pound a sapling, disease-resistant elms are only available as larger trees and come with a larger price tag; in some cases, there are additional costs for navigating post-Brexit import laws.
Study reveals impact of postharvest treatments on tomato ripening - Tomato fruit ripening, a process initiated by key gene demethylation, is significantly influenced by postharvest handling practices. These practices, while extending shelf life, can alter ripening dynamics and affect fruit quality. A study published in Horticulture Research explores the impact of various postharvest treatments on the fruit's methylome and transcriptome, shedding light on how physiological and molecular changes interplay to determine the final quality of tomatoes. Postharvest handling practices, such as refrigeration and modified atmosphere storage, are commonly used to extend the shelf life of tomatoes. However, these methods can negatively impact fruit quality, affecting texture, flavor, and nutritional content. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these changes is crucial for improving postharvest management. Given these challenges, there is a pressing need to explore how postharvest conditions influence the epigenetic and transcriptional landscape of tomato fruit to develop strategies that enhance quality and reduce postharvest losses. A research team from the University of California, Davis, explored how different postharvest storage conditions affect the epigenetic and transcriptional landscape of tomato fruit, providing insights into improving postharvest fruit quality. The study investigated the effects of different postharvest temperatures (20°C, 12.5°C, and 5°C followed by rewarming to 20°C) on the ripening of tomato fruit, comparing these with freshly harvested tomatoes. The findings revealed that storage at 12.5°C led to the most significant changes in DNA methylation and gene expression, especially in photosynthetic genes. These tomatoes also took the longest to ripen and had higher levels of abscisic acid, indicating a non-climacteric ripening pattern. The study identified several differentially methylated and expressed genes as potential biomarkers for assessing postharvest quality. These results suggest that modifying postharvest conditions can significantly impact the quality and shelf life of tomatoes. By understanding these molecular changes, strategies can be developed to optimize storage conditions, ultimately improving fruit quality and reducing postharvest losses.
EPA helping Warren replace lead water pipes - WKBN.com - Warren city officials are looking for ways to replace lead water service lines as part of a nationwide initiative with the Environmental Protection Agency. Warren is one of 200 communities across the country that’s been selected to be part of the EPA’s “Get the Lead Out” initiative. That means the EPA will help the city identify lead water lines, come up with a plan to replace them and help them apply for funding to remove the lead lines. “In order to get the funding, we have to have as much information and as much accurate information as possible,” said Franco Lucarelli, director of utility services. For the first part of the initiative, surveys were sent out earlier this year to everyone who gets water from the City of Warren. “This is really just an initial snapshot of where lead pipes are, where they’re not and where a community may need to investigate,” said Wendi Wilkes, with the EPA. Lucarelli says a majority of their accounts have already filled out the survey and they’ve identified about 1,100 homes with lead pipes that need to be replaced. Once they get everyone to complete the survey, they will report it to the EPA in mid-October. Then the city will apply for the funding through the Ohio EPA. That could come in the form of a loan or grant. “Some communities might get all grant, some communities might get all loan, some communities might get a combination,” Wilkes said. None of Warren’s main water lines are lead. This initiative only applies to lead service lines running on private property to homes and businesses. “Even though you may have a lead line, the concern of having lead in your drinking water is very minimal because of the treatment process that we go through,” Lucarelli said. People who get water from the City of Warren are asked to fill out the lead line survey online or by mail by October.
Researchers identify multiple 'forever chemical' contamination hot spots in US - Harmful chemicals that don't break down are present in public water systems nationwide, and West Virginia University economists have found that densely populated, higher-income areas and those that use groundwater tend to have the highest contamination levels.Levan Elbakidze, professor of resource economics and management at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Division for Land-Grant Engagement, and doctoral student Nabin Khanal identified at least four "forever chemical" contamination hot spots in the eastern United States.The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.By correlating this data with socioeconomic attributes like housing density, income and raw water intake sources, they discovered that heavily populated, higher income communities with industries like manufacturing, health care, aviation and defense show concerning levels. Lower income, non-white populations and larger agricultural regions had lower levels of contamination. Additionally, communities that draw drinking water from aquifers were more likely to be contaminated than those that utilize rivers and reservoirs.The researchers also said that mitigating contamination will require addressing both industrial emissions and consumer products.Forever chemicals are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and there are more than 14,000 different ones. They're found in many products and can cause serious health problems like heart disease, cancer and infertility. Originally developed for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, PFAS are now widely used in industrial processes for their resistance to water, heat, stains and grease, as well as in manufacturing household products like nonstick cookware."They're called 'forever chemicals' because once they are made, they don't biodegrade," Elbakidze said.The hot spots identified cover 10 states and 149 counties. The hot spot with the greatest number of counties spans across Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. A second spans New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and Connecticut. The third largest hot spot sits on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina, and the smallest is in Colorado."The regional hot spots have PFAS manufacturing plants, industrial sites that utilize PFAS, and/or densely populated communities, while the Colorado hotspot encompasses counties with the U.S. Space Command, an Air Force Base and an Air Force Academy that uses PFAS as part of their operations," according to Elbakidze. Until recently, the extent of the damaging health effects of PFAS wasn't realized, but even small amounts can be harmful. In 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency significantly lowered the PFAS levels considered safe in drinking water. As many as 270 million Americans rely on drinking water contaminated with these chemicals.While the Safe Drinking Water Act does regulate water contaminants like E. coli, it does not regulate PFAS. Thus, sources of PFAS contamination are not well understood, and it's a challenge to prevent future hot spots, Elbakidze said. Moreover, the EPA cannot enforce monitoring in public water systems, but it does collect data on PFAS in the water. "If we have some data on this, we can see what the concentration is," Elbakidze said. "Where does this happen? Which U.S. regions have concentrations? And what are some of the factors that go along with it?"In addition to EPA data, Elbakidze and Khanal collected data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau to better understand the spatial distribution of contaminant concentrations. Historically, testing has been focused on areas near PFAS manufacturing, defense and aviation facilities. However, the WVU study also indicates that contamination can arise from everyday consumer products, affecting communities far from industrial sites."Given the diverse sources of contamination, any water system—whether a public water system or a private well—could potentially be affected," Khanal said. "Therefore, it is crucial to test your water for PFAS and take necessary measures to avoid using contaminated water for drinking or food preparation.
Lake and river foams study reveals high PFAS levels, even though underlying water may be less contaminated -According to a new study of rivers and lakes in Wisconsin, natural foams from these bodies of water contain much higher concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) than the water below them.Thirty-six different kinds of PFAS compounds were analyzed in samples of both the foams and water surface microlayers of 43 Wisconsin rivers and lakes. The study, which is published inEnvironmental Science & Technology, also revealed that foams, generally off-white and found along shorelines, are not necessarily an indicator of elevated contamination levels in the entire water body."We studied many different lakes and found PFAS in all of them. The PFAS concentrations were high in the foams even if the concentrations in the water were relatively low," said Christy Remucal, a professor with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and interim director of the University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center.Remucal stressed the need to avoid the foams because of the contaminants' warning-worthy levels. "The chemical we found most in the foam is PFOS, which is one of the PFAS chemicals that is driving fish advisories and drinking water regulations," she said. "The highest PFOS concentrations we measured in foam were almost 300,000 nanograms per liter and, for comparison, the federal drinking water regulation is 4 nanograms per liter."She continued, "The main way people are exposed to PFAS is through ingestion…Obviously, people aren't drinking foam. I would be more concerned about, for example, a kid who plays in the foam and then goes to grab a handful of snacks. You could potentially have some oral exposure that way." There are more than 9,000 different PFAS compounds, which are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because some PFAS do not readily break down in the environment.For decades, they have been used to make a wide range of products resistant to water, grease, oil and stains. They are also found in some types of firefighting foams, which are a major source of environmental PFAS contamination. Exposure to high concentrations of PFAS have been shown to have adverse effects onhuman health and higher incidence of cancer.The levels in the new study validate a current Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warning, as well as a similar freshwater foam warning in Michigan and one for saltwater foam in the Netherlands. They are timely cautions as spring and summer come to Wisconsin and people and their pets spend more time hiking along open water or engaging in paddle sports and swimming where foams can be found.
Dam breach in Manawa, Wisconsin leads to evacuations and flood damage - A privately owned dam in Manawa, Wisconsin was breached on July 5, 2024, due to heavy rains that delivered about 127 mm (5 inches) of water, overwhelming the dam and causing a flash flood that prompted the evacuation of residents living down the river. According to the National Weather Service’s report, the incident occurred at approximately 13:45 LT due to intense rainfall that caused floodwaters to overwhelm the dam along the Little Wolf River. Meteorologist Scott Cultice confirmed that about 127 mm (5 inches) of rain fell in Manawa over several hours starting at 08:30 LT. “It just wouldn’t stop raining in and around the Manawa area,” Cultice said. “They had water rescues. Most of the downtown roads were flooded.” The heavy rain and subsequent flooding led to a flash flood warning for Manawa and other parts of Waupaca County. Manawa Police Chief Jason Severson estimated a 15 m (50 foot) wide area around the dam had eroded. “It looks like the dam is intact, but there is quite a bit of erosion on the north side,” Severson reported. “We think the worst of it is over, so now we’re going to start assessing things and see where we go from here.” As the situation worsened, authorities began evacuating some homes. The city, with a population of about 1 200, experienced severe flooding that led to water rescues and significant road closures. “Due to the amount of water, the dam isn’t safe,” the Manawa Police Department posted on Facebook. All entrances to the city were blocked, and roads including Union Street, N. Bridge Street, Beech Street, Howard Street, and Industrial Drive were reported flooded or washed away. Emergency shelters were set up at a high school and a Masonic center to accommodate evacuees. Christine Boissonnault, a resident who spent most of July 5 in the high school shelter, described the situation as shocking. “I cried when I came down and saw it. My daughter works at the store and she said she saw and heard the water going down the road,” Boissonnault told WFRV-TV. A preliminary flash flood event summary by NWS said that a low-pressure system had tracked east across the region, bringing 100 to 150 mm (4 to 6 inches) of rain to Waupaca County and 25 to 102 mm (1 to 4 inches) to parts of Outagamie, Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc counties. The combination of this rain and previous rainfall over the past two weeks led to the dam’s failure. The evacuation order was lifted by 17:00 on July 5 as floodwaters subsided. Severson confirmed that dozens of homes in the community were temporarily evacuated. “There were no reports of injuries following Friday’s dam breach,” he stated. The main cleanup efforts involve residents dealing with flooded basements. “There’s a lot of homes that did take on water in their basements. The water was so high it was just running through the streets and some people took on property damage,” Severson explained. Despite the lift on the evacuation order, the city’s wastewater treatment plant remained offline due to the flooding, and a boil-water advisory was issued for Manawa and surrounding areas. The high school and Masonic lodge emergency shelters were shut down Friday night as people returned home. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation inspected and found the dam largely intact, except for the erosion on one side. The National Weather Service has warned that rain and possibly thunderstorms could continue through the weekend and into early next week.
Record-breaking heat in Las Vegas, Nevada - Las Vegas recorded its highest daytime temperature on Sunday, July 7, 2024, when the mercury reached 48.9 °C (120 °F) at the Harry Reid Airport, marking the highest temperature recorded there since records began in 1937. The previous record was 47.2 °C (117 °F), which was hit five times — in 2021, 2017, 2013, 2005 and 1942. The extreme heat in the region claimed 2 lives and left one hospitalized. NWS said the temperature reached 48.3 °C (119 °F) at 15:13 LT, less than an hour before that the airport hit 47.8 °C (118 °F), at 14:33 LT, Sunday. The National Weather Service’s highest alert, was in effect for about 36 million people, or about 10% of the population, said NWS meteorologist Bryan Jackson. Dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tied or broke previous heat records. The heat caused the death of a Motorcyclist in Death Valley on July 7. Another person died from heat exposure at Death Valley National Park in eastern California on July 7 and another person was hospitalized, officials said. Temperatures there reached 53.3 °C (128 °F) on July 6 and 7. Regions in Northern California surpassed 43.3 °C (110 °F), with the city of Redding topping out at a record 48.3 °C (119 °F). Phoenix set a new daily record July 7 for the warmest low temperature: it never got below 33.3 °C (92 °F). The extreme heat will persist till July 12. High temperatures up to 41 to 44 °C (105 to 111 °F) are expected in the Owens Valley, 43 to 48 °C (110 to 118 °F) in Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Barstow, and 50 to 54 °C (122 to 129 °F) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park.
Las Vegas sees record-breaking 7 consecutive days of scorching temperatures 115 degrees or higher - — Las Vegas is sizzling under a prolonged heat wave that has delivered a record-breaking seven consecutive days of temperatures 115 degrees or higher amid a historically hot summer in the United States. “With a high temperature of 115°F this afternoon we not only extended our streak to 7 days, but we also broke the daily record high,” the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said in a post Friday. “This makes today the 7th day IN A ROW that we have broken or tied daily high temps!” During the city’s punishing streak, Las Vegas saw its all-time hottest temperature on record of 120 degrees on July 7. The city also recorded three consecutive days above 118 degrees – something that has never happened before, according to data dating back to 1937.It’s been the hottest summer on record for around 100 US cities from Maine to California. Extreme heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, leaving hundreds of people dead each year, according to the National Weather Service. Heat is suspected in the deaths of least 37 people in the US in July, a number that is likely underestimated.Many of the deaths have been in the West, where cities continue to shatter all-time record high temperatures. Nearly 104 million Americans are under heat alerts through the start of the week. Swaths of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah were under excessive heat warnings Saturday.“This long-duration heat wave remains extremely dangerous and deadly if not taken seriously,” the weather service said. “Dozens of daily record high temperatures are forecast over much of the West through Sunday.”Everyone is vulnerable to heat, but some are more at risk than others. Children, the elderly, pregnant people, people with heart or blood pressure issues, outdoor workers or anyone without access to reliable cooling are more likely to succumb to heat-related illnesses than others.Dangerous and record-breaking heat will continue for much of the West through Saturday, while sizzling temperatures will also begin to build across the Central Plains and Southeast.Heat will slowly start to ease for much of the West through the weekend as the heat spreads to the East.While the extreme nature of the heat in the West will start to ease late this weekend, the region is still typically quite hot in July even without heat reaching record levels daily.The scorching heat will expand over parts of the Middle Mississippi Valley and Southeast on Sunday and Monday.
Record-breaking heat from West expected to shift to East Coast - The West's history-making heat wave, which produced seven consecutive days of temperatures 115 degrees or higher in Las Vegas, is expected to target the East Coast, forecasters say. "Dangerous and record-breaking heat will continue for much of the West through Saturday, and expand over central and eastern portions of the country through this weekend," the National Weather Service said Saturday. Excessive heat warnings remain in effect in an area spanning from southern Idaho, throughout much of California, down to southwestern Arizona. On Friday, nearly 95 million people across the nation were under federal heat alerts. The highest-level alert, an excessive heat warning, which states life-threatening conditions are at hand, covered nearly 26 million. The persisting heat wave in the West will bring elevated to critical fire weather to the region over the weekend, meaning the combination of the humidity, wind and temperatures could cause or exacerbate fire. In northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, temperatures are expected to be about 10 degrees above the norm this weekend, according to the weather service field office in Portland. But relief may be in sight for the West Coast. The National Weather Service said the high-pressure system that’s been baking the West for most of July is expected to shift its life-threatening temperatures eastward. “Confidence is increasing in extremely dangerous, potentially deadly heat, particularly for urban areas in the Southeast and East Coast beginning Monday and lasting through midweek,” federal forecasters said in an update Friday. The city of New Orleans announced the opening of cooling centers Saturday as an option for the public to escape the heat. "Heat index readings, or 'feels like' temperatures, could be as high as 112," the city warned, encouraging the public to stay hydrated and cool. On Saturday, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser activated an "Extended Heat Emergency" that will be in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday because the temperature or heat index in the district is forecast to be 95 or higher for at least four consecutive days. The heat index is what it feels like to the human body when the temperature is combined with humidity. The Philadelphia Health Department also declared a heat health emergency that will start Monday and end late Wednesday night, unless it's extended. With the weekend heat expected to push into New England, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Friday that cooling centers statewide will be open from noon Sunday to Wednesday night. “We just had a heat wave over the first few days of this week, and while it remains hot outside today, it’s looking like another stretch of potentially even hotter weather will impact Connecticut this coming week,” Lamont said in a statement.
Beryl makes landfall in Texas as Category 1 hurricane -Hurricane Beryl has roared ashore, making landfall around Matagorda, Texas at 3:50 a.m. CT Monday as a Category 1 hurricane with gusts over 80 mph.Over the coming hours, Beryl will continue to move inland, bringing flooding rains, life-threatening storm surge, damaging wind gusts, and the threat of tornadoes. The cyclone’s powerful hurricane-force winds could lead to power outages and property damage. Gusts have hit 91 mph in Freeport, 89 mph in Matagorda Bay, 86 mph in Matagorda City, 81 mph in Palacios, 71 mph in Galveston, 66 mph at Houston/Dunn and 58 mph in Houston at Hobby International Airport. More than 160,000 electrical customers in Texas have already lost power, according to PowerOutage.us. Numerous Hurricane Warnings, Storm Surge Warnings and Tropical Storm Warnings were posted ahead of the storm’s arrival and are still in effect for the Texas Gulf Coast.Storm surge is forecast to reach 3-7 feet in some spots near Beryl, and water was already pushing into the Texas coast and bays along Beryl's approach. Measurements have reached 3.2 feet in Sargent and 2.6 feet in Matagorda Bay as of 2:30 a.m. CT. "That (storm) surge is just pouring into Treasure Island," said FOX Weather Storm Tracker Mark Sudduth. "You could literally see it pouring in like a raging river right now." The ferocious gusts are blasting torrential rainfall falling at rates of 2-4 inches an hour."It feels like the entire backs of my legs are on fire because it stings," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said as she reported live from Surfside Beach, Texas early Monday morning. "The raindrops almost turn into a needle head. Almost like, as if you were getting a tattoo. Like, it's that kind of feel of that persistent needle pressure against your skin."Hurricane-force winds over 74 mph are likely to continue near the storm's center – which is forecast to pass near the Houston metro area later Monday morning – with tropical storm-force gusts of 40 mph or more stretching 115 miles out from Beryl's center. Gusts could reach 60-70 mph in the Houston Metro area Monday morning as Beryl's powerful storm center passes just to the west of the metro area Monday morning. Much of East Texas could see 5–10 inches of rain, with localized amounts up to 15 inches by the time Beryl moves out. The Houston area is currently forecast to receive 5–8 inches of rain, with heavier amounts in the southern and western suburbs.Meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi, Texas, said any of the outer rain bands could also produce tropical storm-force gusts and even spin up an isolated tornado. As Beryl continues northward, it’ll bring rain and strong winds as far north as Michigan by the end of the workweek. Beryl’s current forecast cone shows the storm will weaken as it moves north but maintains tropical depression strength from Arkansas through Michigan throughout the week. A tropical depression is a cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less. Unlike tropical storms and hurricanes, tropical depressions are identified by numbers rather than names.
Life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds hit southeastern Texas as Hurricane “Beryl” makes landfall near Matagorda - (5 videos) Hurricane “Beryl” made landfall near Matagorda, Texas at around 09:00 UTC on Monday, July 8, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph), making it a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson scale.
- Beryl brought life-threatening storm surge, strong winds and heavy rains to SE Texas.
- More than 960 000 people lost power.
- A few tornadoes may occur tonight along the upper Texas Coast, and several tornadoes are possible today across parts of east Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
- Swells generated by Beryl are expected to affect eastern Mexico and much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S. during the next day or two.
Beryl had a minimum central pressure of 979 hPa at the time of landfall and was moving N at 19 km/h (12 mph). As of 09:00 UTC on July 8, a Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Mesquite Bay to Sabine Pass, including Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Texas coast from Mesquite Bay northward to Port Bolivar, and a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Texas coast north of Port Bolivar to Sabine Pass. “Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rainfall overspreading southeastern Texas,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said at 12:00 UTC. A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Tuesday, July 9. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will move over eastern Texas today, then move through the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is the first July hurricane landfall in Texas since Hanna in 2020 and the 10th July Texas hurricane landfall since records began in 1851, according to Dr. Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at CSU specializing in Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it expects steady to rapid weakening as the center moves inland, with Beryl weakening to a tropical storm later today and a tropical depression on Tuesday. Hurricane conditions are spreading across portions of the warning area at this time and will continue for the next several hours. Tropical storm conditions are occurring elsewhere in the warning area. Tropical storm conditions are spreading across the tropical storm warning area along the upper Texas coast and will continue during the next several hours. The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, NHC said. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
- Port O’Connor, TX to San Luis Pass, TX: 1.2 – 2.1 m (4 – 7 feet)
- Matagorda Bay: 1.2 – 2.1 m (4 – 7 feet)
- San Luis Pass, TX to High Island, TX: 1.2 – 1.8 m (4 – 6 feet)
- Galveston Bay: 1.2 – 1.8 m (4 – 6 feet)
- Mesquite Bay, TX to Port O’Connor, TX: 0.9 – 1.5 m (3 – 5 feet)
- High Island, TX to Sabine Pass, TX: 0.9 – 1.5 m (3 – 5 feet)
The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the center, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle and can vary greatly over short distances.Heavy rainfall of 130 – 250 mm (5 – 10 inches) with localized amounts of 380 mm (15 inches) is expected across portions of the middle and upper Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas today into tonight. Considerable flash and urban flooding as well as minor to isolated major river flooding is expected.
Millions lose power as Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Texas -- Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas early Monday morning between Galveston and Corpus Christi near the small town of Matagorda. The storm had been downgraded to a tropical storm after passing over parts of Yucatan, Mexico but had regained strength in the Gulf to hit Texas as a Category 1 hurricane. With wind speeds around 80 mph, the first hurricane of the year brought several-foot storm surges over several hundred miles of coastline, reaching up to 6.8 feet in Manchester, Texas. According to PowerOutage.us upwards of 2.6 million lost power as the storm moved over the Houston area and two people were reportedly killed by falling trees. This comes after the storm destroyed communities in the Caribbean, killing at least 11 people, as it became both the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane in recorded history. In anticipation of the storm, Acting Governor Dan Patrick issued disaster declarations for 121 counties two days before Beryl made landfall. Towards the afternoon on Monday, as Beryl moved past Houston, the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm. Forecasters anticipate the storm system will move northeast through Texas into Arkansas on its way to Ohio and Michigan. Large parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois are under flood advisories in anticipation of the storm, covering roughly 14 million people. Remnants of the weakening hurricane are expected to then pass over the Great Lakes, Ontario and Quebec before moving out into the Atlantic. Though the storm had weakened it continued to spark flash flood warnings in Texas and Louisiana and tornado watches across much of Eastern Texas, Western Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. The path of Beryl is very similar to Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which also formed east of the Caribbean Islands and made its way to the Texas coast near Corpus Christi. Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane when it made landfall, causing more than 100 deaths and $125 billion in damage. Beryl was small compared to Harvey but it is still a shot across the bow for residents of Texas, who have suffered under repeated infrastructure failures over the past several years. In May, a Derecho wind storm brought winds of up to 100 mph to the Houston area, killing eight people and cutting power to a million, further exposing the area’s vulnerability to extreme weather events. In 2017 Hurricane Harvey caused extensive power outages and flooding, displacing 30,000 people, and winter storms in 2021 caused power outages for millions of people in freezing temperatures that killed 246 people. Since then the Texas state government has pledged to address the power grid vulnerabilities but has done nothing to address the catastrophic issues with the system. While Beryl had weakened considerably by the time it reached Texas it is a sign of what a warming world under the impact of capitalist-induced climate change has in store for the Southeastern US, Caribbean, and Central America. Beryl, a record breaking storm that reached wind speeds of 165 mph at its peak and is one of the fastest forming severe hurricanes in history, was made possible by unseasonably warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Sea temperatures in the Caribbean are already in the mid to high 80 degrees Fahrenheit (~30 Celsius), temperatures that are not usually seen until August and September, the height of hurricane season in the Atlantic. This year is expected to be the most active hurricane season in recorded history, with researchers at Colorado State University issuing their most aggressive prediction for named storms ever at 23, including 11 hurricanes, five of which are anticipated to be major hurricanes. The strength of this year’s hurricane season is partially fueled by the expected transition to a La Niña, the cooling cycle in the Pacific Ocean that creates enhanced atmospheric conditions for hurricanes in the Atlantic. La Niña years are known to have more active hurricane seasons while its warmer twin El Niño dampens the conditions for hurricane formation. But the El Niño cycle cannot fully explain the strength of this year’s hurricane season. The World Meteorological Organization published a report Monday noting that the past 12 months have all been the hottest in recorded history, all reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages. Ocean temperatures during June averaged 20.85 degrees Celsius between 60°N and 60°S, the highest average for that month recorded.
At least 2 dead as Beryl pummels Texas with 90 mph gusts, leaving over 2.7 million without power --Hurricane Beryl crashed ashore along the central Texas coast early Monday morning, pummeling the area with 70-90 mph wind gusts that brought life-threatening storm surge, widespread damage, and knocking out power to well over 2.7 million people while leaving at least two dead.Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm late Monday morning as it moved inland, but the storm was still wreaking havoc along its journey further into Texas. The storm center passed just outside the Houston metro area, pummeling the nation's fourth-largest metro area with hours of wind gusts over 70-80 mph and dumping over 10 inches of rain, leading to flash flooding. A Tornado Watch has been posted for parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma as the threat of tornadoes continues as Beryl moves inland. Multiple tornadoes have already been reported in East Texas, and forecasters expect more as the day continues.Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that a tree fell onto a home in the Kings River Village area, trapping a man under the debris.Gonzalez said the man was reportedly sitting inside the home with his family riding out Beryl, which was a hurricane at the time when a large tree fell onto the home. His wife and children were unharmed.A few hours later, Gonzalez said a second death was reported after a tree fell onto another home, killing the woman inside. Hurricane Beryl caused significant damage in Clute, Texas, including downed power lines, overturned 18-wheelers, damaged homes and businesses, flooded roads and extensive tree damage when it made landfall near Matagorda."Life-threatening storm surge inundation will continue through this afternoon along the coast of Sabine Pass, including the eastern portion of Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay," the National Hurricane Center said. "Damaging wind gusts near the core of Beryl will continue to spread northward with the Topical Storm Warning area, including the Houston metro area, for the next several hours." Beryl's peak sustained winds dropped from 80 mph at landfall to 70 mph while the storm swirled about 20 miles west-northwest of Houston as of the 10 a.m. CT update. The cyclone’s powerful hurricane-force winds have been leading to skyrocketing power outages. Over 2.3 million electrical customers in Texas have lost power, according to PowerOutage.us, and the numbers continue to rise.Gusts have hit 94 mph in Freeport, 86 mph in Matagorda City, 81 mph in Palacios and at an elevated station in Houston, 86 mph in Galveston, 84 mph at Houston Hobby Airport and 82 mph at Houston Intercontinental Airport.Galveston recorded three straight hours of 70 mph wind gusts early Monday morning.
Cars, boats emerging on Galveston beaches after Beryl -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, piled up storm debris like uprooted trees, downed power poles and other structures have become a common sight in Southeast Texas. However, remnants of the deadly storm—which made landfall in Texas on Monday morning as a powerful Category 1—looked a little bit different along the state's Gulf Coast. As floodwaters began to recede in Galveston, objects in unlikely places have started to rise to the surface. While strolling East Beach at the far eastern tip of the island with her Shih Tzu pup, local resident Tiffany Graves was surprised to encounter both an abandoned sailboatwashed in from the sea and a car—which appears to be an old black Honda Civic—half-sunken in the sand, surrounded by a pool of water.Graves shared images of her shocking findings near the shoreline on Facebook. In return, some who commented on the post shared photos of the car and boat once again submerged in water at high tide.Other cars and boats that met their demise with Beryl have been discovered on Galveston's beaches this week. Among them was Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee's boat—an Azimut 54 yacht dubbed The Patriot—which was found almost fully sunk underwater on Monday while docked in Galveston's Pelican Rest Marina. On Tuesday, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced that along with the Oil Spill Prevention and Response team, it is beginning to conduct damage assessments along coastal shorelines to identify pollution or potential threats, including sunken or displaced vehicles along the coast, in the wake of Beryl. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has asked residents to report local damages online by using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT). The GLO did not respond to a request for comment about the sunken boat and car Graves found by the time of this writing. The Galveston area remains in recovery mode in the storm's aftermath. As of Wednesday morning, many homes and facilities are still without power across the island. However, local officials report more CenterPoint Energy linemen have been brought to the area to fix lines and restore power.
Hurricane Beryl was more proof Houston’s flooding problem is hard to fix - — Rising waters swallowed parts of interstates, turned lazy bayous into rapids, led to dozens of frantic water rescues and claimed at least one life as Hurricane Beryl battered this flood-weary city on Monday. And while the waters receded quickly, leaving recovery focused on more than 1 million people still without power in stifling heat, the latest flood in Houston left fingerprints. Clumps of trash along the pillars of an overpass marked the height of floodwaters along the White Oak Bayou in the Houston Heights neighborhood. Police barricades showed where a driver had abandoned a vehicle in fast-rising waters on Jensen Drive in Kashmere Gardens. In Meyerland, patches of water remained in the storm’s wake, but many homes in the stately neighborhood were elevated after Hurricane Harvey ravaged it in 2017, keeping Beryl’s damage to a minimum. Advertisement Beryl probably will not go down as one of Houston’s more crippling floods — not even of this year. Still, the hurricane offered the latest reminder that the nation’s fourth-largest city has a serious flooding problem. It is one that persists despite billions of dollars of investments and years of flood control projects. And the challenge could grow more severe as climate change supercharges storms and brings more intense rainfall to a flat, low-lying and sprawling metro area. “As far as our streets are concerned, it is important to remember that our primary drainage mechanism throughout this city is our streets,” Houston Public Works Chief Operating Officer Randy Macchi said at a news conference this week. “For better or worse, that is the reality of the situation.” The fact that Beryl’s flooding was not especially remarkable highlights how incessant the problem is, said Ben Hirsch, a co-director at West Street Recovery in northeast Houston.“I think if this storm had happened in almost any other part of America, people would be describing it as catastrophic flooding,” Hirsch said Wednesday. “There’s a kind of numbness that sets in; people get used to it. But at the same time, people have this sort of trauma from it.”
Texas double disaster: Beryl's deluge and receding flood insurance - More than 100,000 Texans have dropped federal flood insurance policies in recent years, likely making it costlier to homeowners and taxpayers to recover from Hurricane Beryl. Beryl’s torrential rain and storm surge have caused massive flooding since the storm made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along the central coast of Texas Monday morning, before weakening to a tropical storm. Winds knocked out power to 2 million people. The inundation in one of the nation’s most flood-prone areas occurred as the number of households and businesses with federal flood insurance is falling steadily in Texas and nationwide. The Federal Emergency Management Agency sells about 90 percent of the nation’s flood policies through its National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA has warned for years of the financial peril facing people without flood insurance. After Hurricane Harvey caused tens of billions of dollars of damage in Texas in 2017, FEMA said that many residents without flood coverage “had to rebuild their lives with personal savings and whatever federal assistance they were eligible to receive.” Yet in Texas, the number of federal insurance policies dropped to 655,000 in May from 787,000 in September 2021 — a 17 percent decline, agency records show. “It’s very concerning given how active this year’s hurricane season is expected to be,” said Madison Sloan, director of disaster recovery at Texas Appleseed, an advocacy group. Households without flood insurance will have to rely on a separate FEMA program that pays people a few thousand dollars on average for emergency costs, including temporary home repairs to make a residence habitable, Sloan said. Federal flood insurance pays up to $250,000 per claim. “This also means that there are potentially a lot more people who aren’t even qualified for housing assistance from FEMA or HUD,” Sloan said, referring to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and disaster programs that are available only to people with flood insurance. The drop in policies coincides with an overhaul of the program that has sharply increased premiums for millions of policyholders nationally. The revised insurance rates reflect more accurately the flood risk of each property and remove widespread discounts. In Texas, the average cost of a policy is slated to increase to $1,400 from $775 by the time the new rates are fully in effect in several years, FEMA records show. In Louisiana, where the average premium will jump to $1,900 from $815, the number of federal policies has dropped to 445,000 from 510,000 in late 2021. Many people are dropping flood coverage due to the cost, said Matthew Jewell, president of St. Charles Parish. “They’re going to take the gamble,” Jewell said, adding that some residents have told him they will be facing $8,000 premiums in a few years, based on policy disclosures. Others are confronting lower — but still steep — price hikes. “You’re taking people who were historically paying under $1,000 and putting them up at $5,000,” Jewell said. “What do you expect people to do?”
400K CenterPoint customers could be without power a week after Beryl, company projects - -- Houston residents told ABC13 that power keeps being knocked out storm after storm. They're trying to be patient as crews tell them there is no firm timeline on when power could be back. On Wednesday night, CenterPoint Energy came up with a rough projection to restore 1.1 million homes, projecting 400,000 customers by Friday night and 350,000 by Sunday night. Another 400,000 customers could remain offline past Sunday, a week after Beryl's landfall. The company didn't identify which homes would be restored and when. "A war zone is what this place looks like," Andrew Cantrell said as he dropped off supplies at his mother's home. As day two fades into day three, customers without power are trying to decide whether to stay home or leave town. Cantrell drove from College Station to check on his mom, who wanted to stay home. "She doesn't like to leave. She's got a generator and a fan, and she's doing just fine," Cantrell said. CenterPoint Energy declared that, with 2.26 million customers impacted, this is the largest outage in the company's history. In the first 48 hours, just under 1 million people were reconnected to the grid, but another million should expect to be waiting.On Wednesday, city leaders pressed CenterPoint, asking if the power company could have done more before Beryl hit. "In the fourth largest city in America, we have to be prepared even when we don't anticipate," Councilman Edward Pollard said. CenterPoint leaders said they did what they needed to before the storm and will continue to do so after.
Anger over power outages boils as Beryl leaves Houston reeling — Half a million Texans are expected to suffer through sweltering heat with no electricity into early next week after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power throughout the Houston area Monday, generating anger at the region’s large utility for failing to defend the grid from a predictable summer storm. Food is spoiling in dormant refrigerators days after the Category 1 hurricane tore through power lines and utility poles. Hospitals are swarming with patients struggling with heat stroke. Businesses can’t function as residents are ordered to stay home, and many residents faced at least three or four more days of continued suffering. “We don’t have anything to eat,” said Nelsey Alvarez, 34, a single mother from Honduras who said she had never faced such a power crisis in her native country, where hurricanes are common. “When they lose power, they restore it the same day.” But the Houston-area utility, CenterPoint Energy, was particularly vulnerable. Its grid, according to data collected by the firm Whisker Labs, is one of the most unstable in the United States despite Houston’s hurricane-prone Gulf Coast location. Whisker found that even before the storm hit Monday, outages in CenterPoint’s service territory were happening at more than twice the national average. “This was one of the most challenged grids in the country,” Whisker chief executive Bob Marshall said. “This needs to be a shocking wake-up call. It was just a Category 1 hurricane, something Houston should be able to deal with. It could have been much worse. Yet 40 percent of the utility’s customers are without power in 100-degree heat and high humidity. It is a horrendous situation.” CenterPoint officials said they had not reviewed the Whisker data but pushed back on the finding that their system is one of the country’s most unreliable. “Our system is in great shape,” said Darin Carroll, the company’s senior vice president for operations. “As it relates to this storm it actually operated as designed.” He pointed to the speed with which CenterPoint was able to restore power to 1.1 million customers by Thursday and noted hundreds of thousands more will come online Friday and over the weekend. But 500,000 ratepayers are still likely to be without power by early next week, according to Carroll, a full week after the storm blew through. Health and safety risks from power outages quickly supplanted the immediate storm toll. At least nine people have died in Texas and Louisiana after the storms — people who were killed by falling trees, who drowned after being trapped in vehicles in rising floodwaters, or who were left vulnerable during power outages. Now, there are concerns the outages could cause more casualties as heat indexes surge into the triple digits. Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who is traveling in Asia on an economic development trip, on Wednesday called for an investigation into why the Houston region has repeatedly endured long-term, widespread power outages. Other elected officials also demanded accountability. Advertisement “People are angry,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said. “I share their anger and frustration.” It is becoming a familiar story in the United States. One power company after another finds itself facing irate customers — and mounting litigation — amid failures to prepare for extreme weather events that are increasingly common in the age of climate change. The slow pace with which utilities are upgrading their infrastructure is not keeping up with the changing weather. The utility Hawaiian Electric is facing billions of dollars in liabilities amid allegations that negligent management of its grid fueled the Maui wildfire that killed 101 people last year. Northern California utility PG&E’s neglect of wildfire safety forced the company to plead guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter and pushed it into bankruptcy after its transmission line sparked the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 19,000 homes and other buildings. “People right now are hot, and there are people dying. This was just a Category 1 storm. A Category 5 could hit us any time. We need to be better prepared.” The headwinds to making timely upgrades can be intense. There are battles over who pays, a regulatory structure that does not always incentivize the most rational investments, and shareholder pressure to prioritize profits. Some activists and experts are quick to point out that CenterPoint managed to put together a $37 million pay package in 2021 for its former CEO while failing to make what they say are basic improvements for customers.
Hurricane “Beryl” leaves 12 people dead in the United States, 16 across the Caribbean – (images, maps) At least 12 people have been killed and millions were left without power in the United States after Category 1 Hurricane “Beryl” made landfall near Matagorda in Texas on July 8, 2024. This brought the total death toll caused by the system to 28, as of July 10. Beryl formed on June 29 as the second named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and soon became the first hurricane and first major hurricane of the season. It was an unusually strong hurricane for the time of year that broke many meteorological records and caused widespread destruction across its path. Observations from the Hurricane Hunters indicated that Beryl became a major hurricane on June 30. Beryl’s initial intensification culminated with the storm becoming a Category 4 hurricane, attaining an initial peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (130 mph). Beryl then underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, weakening slightly going into July 1. The hurricane recovered and quickly re-strengthened, and at 15:10 UTC the same day, Beryl made landfall in Carriacou, Grenada, as a high-end Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph). Further intensification took place as Beryl entered the Caribbean Sea, with deep convection cooling around the well-defined eye, and Beryl became a Category 5 hurricane early on July 2. The hurricane peaked later that morning with maximum sustained winds of 270 km/h (165 mph) and a pressure of 934 hPa. Increasing wind shear due to a tropical upper tropospheric trough eventually caused Beryl to slowly weaken to a Category 4 storm as it passed south of the Dominican Republic. Moving generally west-northwestward under the influence of the strong ridge to its north, Beryl’s eye passed very near the southern coast of Jamaica on the afternoon of July 3. But despite the unfavorable conditions, it remained relatively steady as a Category 4 hurricane. Continued weakening eventually resumed, with Beryl falling below major hurricane intensity on July 4, although it briefly regained Category 3 intensity that evening before weakening once more as the pressure again rose quickly. At around 11:05 UTC on July 5, the system made landfall just northeast of Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico with sustained winds of 175 km/h (110 mph). Beryl quickly weakened due to land interaction, degrading to a tropical storm. The storm emerged into the Gulf of Mexico the following morning (LT) and steered west-northwestward at 20 km/h (13 mph) by the mid-level ridge located over the southeastern U.S. That night and into the next day, in addition to a broader inner core, Beryl was beset by an infusion of dry air and by moderate wind shear which kept the storm from strengthening appreciably. Even so, by the afternoon of July 6, its convective structure had improved some and had become more persistent. Beryl turned to the north-northwest on July 7, slowed to 17 km/h (10 mph), and re-intensified to hurricane strength near 04:00 UTC on July 8, as its 52 km-wide (32 miles) eye approached the Texas coast. It then made its third and final landfall at 09:00 UTC near Matagorda, Texas with sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph). Eight hours later, the system was downgraded to a tropical storm while centered about 70 km (45 mi) north-northwest of Houston, Texas. hurricane beryl landfall 0900 utc on july 8 2024 goes-east satellite image Hurricane “Beryl” at 09:00 UTC on July 8, 2024. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers Beryl continued to lose strength that afternoon as it moved quickly north-northeastward at 26 km/h (16 mph). Late that same day, the storm weakened to a tropical depression in the vicinity of Tyler, Texas. The depression moved quickly to the northeast overnight, and Beryl transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone on the morning of July 9, about 260 km (160 miles) west-southwest of Paducah, Kentucky. In total, Tropical Cyclone “Beryl” caused at least 28 deaths, as of July 10. Of those, 12 were in the United States, 7 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 3 in Grenada, and 3 in Jamaica. The fatalities in the United States include 11 in Houston, Texas, and one in Louisiana, with many victims killed by falling trees and flooding. The storm caused extensive damage in eastern Texas and western Louisiana, with multiple tornadoes reported. A total of 113 tornado warnings were issued by the NWS on July 8 breaking the previous record of 67 tornado warnings issued in a single day, set on July 6, 2005, during the impact of Hurricane “Cindy.” The latest tornado warning, covering Riverside, McCrory, and Grays in Arkansas, remained in effect until 06:45 UTC (01:45 CDT) on July 10, 2024.
How El Niño And La Niña Are Affecting Weather Patterns - Hurricane Beryl is likely to be one among a series of extreme Atlantic weather events this coming season, according to forecasters. This prediction is partly based on the fact the Atlantic has continued to see warm sea surface temperatures and partly due to the anticipation of the climate event known as La Niña falling this year. As Statista's Anna Fleck details below, La Niña, which translates to “little girl”, and El Niño, or “little boy”, are two parts of a natural climate phenomenon called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which describes the changes in temperature between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean. These episodes usually take place every two to seven years, depending on the conditions between Australia and South America, and last between nine to 12 months, although they do not always alternate and a neutral ENSO phase is also possible. El Niño occurs more often than La Niña.El Niño takes place when trade winds weaken and unusually warm sea surface water is pushed east, forcing the Pacific jet stream further south than usual. According to NOAA, this results in wetter-than-average weather in the southeast of the United States and the U.S. Gulf Coast, but warmer-than-average temperatures in the north of the U.S. and Canada. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia, Australia and central Africa can usually expect drier conditions at this time. La Niña events, on the other hand, are characterized by stronger trade winds than usual. While warm water is pushed towards Asia, the west coast of the Americas sees cool waters rise to the surface and the jet stream diverted north. This means the weather patterns tend to be the opposite from El Niño, with droughts in southern U.S. but more rainfall in Australia and Southeast Asia. Hurricanes are also more likely in the Atlantic Basin, when there is less wind shear in the region. This is because when there is higher wind shear, it is harder for hurricanes to maintain their structure.
Watch: Tornado peels roof off New York home as Beryl's remnants sweep across Northeast – A tornado ripped through towns of western New York on Monday, with 110 mph winds peeling the roof off a farm home like a can opener, and it was caught on camera. Storms swept through Arkwright and Hanover, New York, on Wednesday afternoon as the remnants of Hurricane Beryl triggered a regional tornado outbreak in Upstate New York and deadly flash flooding in New England. On Wednesday, Beryl's leftover prompted the National Weather Service in Buffalo to issue 18 Tornado Warnings, the first of the year and the most the office has issued in a single day since reliable records began in 1986. In western New York, tornadoes left homes damaged and trees uprooted in Chautauqua and Erie counties. Video taken by Brandon Mead of his parents' farm shows an EF-1 tornado barreling through their land in Arkwright before pulling off the roof of the home. A series of photos show a roof being torn off a home in Arkwright, New York on July 10, 2024. A storm damage survey by the National Weather Service in Buffalo found at least EF-1 damage based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado's path extended 3 miles, starting in Arkwright and ending in Hanover, according to the NWS. Survey teams found substantial roofing damage along Gage Road and tree damage. The most damage was reported along Prospect Road, where multiple structures experienced roof failure and an entire grove of hardwood trees were either uprooted or snapped off, according to the NWS report.
Hurricane Beryl’s remnants drop tornadoes and heavy rain from Great Lakes to New England (AP) — The remnants of Hurricane Beryl dropped tornadoes and threatened flooding Wednesday as the system churned into Canada and the northeastern U.S. after leaving millions in the Houston area without power. Beryl, which landed in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, was a post-tropical cyclone and centered over southeastern Michigan around midday Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph), the National Weather Service reported. A threat of heavy rain and flooding stretched from the Great Lakes to New England and included southern Canada. The storm dumped 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) of rain in northern Indiana, saturating the ground and putting trees at risk of toppling in strong winds. Tens of thousands of customers lost power in New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania, according to PowerOutage.us. At least one tornado touched down Wednesday afternoon in upstate New York, the weather service reported. Videos posted to social media showed swirling debris under ominous skies. It damaged trees and property in communities south of Buffalo, said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. There were no reports of injuries. In adjacent Vermont, there was sporadic flash flooding on the anniversary of severe floods last July. The weather service said the storm “will not be like last July’s catastrophic flooding but will still pose real dangers where flash flooding occurs.” In a Wednesday night update, Vermont Emergency Management said there had been an unspecified number of evacuations and road closures due to flooding, primarily in the central part of the state. “Vermonters and visitors are encouraged to seek higher ground should floodwaters approach,” the statement said. A tornado Tuesday evening in southwestern Indiana’s Posey County collapsed much of a warehouse and ripped off roofs, derailed train cars, and damaged mobile homes. No injuries were reported. Jerrod Prather, a supervisor for Nutrien Ag Solutions, told the Evansville Courier & Press that he watched the tornado on a security camera. “I saw it come down and kind of lift back up, and then come down again,” he said. Beryl has been blamed for at least seven U.S. deaths — one in Louisiana and six in Texas — and at least 11 in the Caribbean. More than 1.6 million homes and businesses in Texas still lacked electricity early Wednesday afternoon, down from a peak of over 2.7 million on Monday, according to PowerOutage.us.
Hurricane Beryl remnants wash away Vermont apartment building, wipe out roads in New Hampshire - CBS Boston -- New England didn't receive a direct blow from Hurricane Beryl, but its remnants caused flooding and serious damage in the northern part of the region. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl brought flooding to Vermont that led to frantic evacuations, knocked down bridges and washed away an apartment building. The disaster came a year to the day after catastrophic rainfall inundated parts of the state. Roads were flooded, washed out or covered with debris after heavy rain that started Wednesday and persisted into Thursday. Rescues were reported Wednesday night, and some communities were under evacuation orders. In Plainfield, residents of a six-unit apartment building had only 15 minutes to evacuate before the entire structure was swept away by floodwaters that also took out at least seven bridges and left many roads impassable and people stranded, said town Emergency Management Director Michael Billingsley. One car was swept away, but the occupant escaped, he said. Across the state, emergency workers assessed damage Thursday morning, and Billingsley said it could take several days to know the full extent. Areas of central Vermont, which was hit hard by last July's flooding, suffered some of the heaviest damage. Roads and homes were also reportedly flooded in the city of Barre. There were no immediate reports of any deaths in Vermont. Beryl landed in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane and left millions in the Houston area without power. It then carved a path across the interior U.S. as a post-tropical cyclone that brought flooding and sometimes tornadoes from the Great Lakes to Canada and northern New England. Parts of northern New York and New England, including Vermont, remained under flood watches or warnings early Thursday. Thunderstorms associated with Beryl were forecast for much of the East Coast through Friday, the National Weather Service said. Vermont Emergency Management said Wednesday night there had been an unspecified number of evacuations and road closures due to flooding, primarily in the central part of the state. "Vermonters and visitors are encouraged to seek higher ground should floodwaters approach," the statement said. Rescue teams and the National Guard were at the ready, the agency said. The weather service had said Wednesday that the storm "will not be like last July's catastrophic flooding but will still pose real dangers where flash flooding occurs." Vermont, far inland, nonetheless has experience with tropical weather. Tropical Storm Irene dumped 11 inches of rain on parts of Vermont in 24 hours in 2011. The storm killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations, and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles of highway. Damage from the severe weather was also reported in northern New Hampshire. In Dalton, several roads were impassable due to washouts. Photos showed gaping holes in several roads. "What may look a passable may infact not be. Do not venture out for a day unless you absolutely need to," Dalton Fire Rescue warned residents. Littleton, located in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, reported a possible microburst. There was flooding with multiple trees and wires down Wednesday night. Beryl has been blamed for at least seven U.S. deaths — one in Louisiana and six in Texas — and at least 11 in the Caribbean. More than 1.3 million homes and businesses in Texas still lacked electricity early Thursday, down from a peak of over 2.7 million on Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. The storm has caused at least $3.3 billion in damage in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, according to Karen Clark & Company, a Boston-based firm that works with insurance companies to estimate disaster costs. It calculated a flash estimate Thursday of $2.7 billion in privately insured U.S. losses, along with $510 million in the Caribbean and $90 million in Mexico. The estimate is only for insured properties and does not include homes covered by the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, so total losses will be higher.
Flash flooding washes away bridges, roads in New England as remnants of Beryl make final assault on US - Bridges and roads have been washed out, and numerous high water rescues were conducted across portions of the Northeast and New England Wednesday as torrential rains from the remnants of what was once Hurricane Beryl sent rivers and streams flooding into neighborhoods. Flash Flood Warnings were issued across portions of northern New York, Vermont and New Hampshire as many areas picked up between 3-5 inches, with some locally higher amounts reaching more than 6 inches. A video recorded in Barre, Vermont, shows flooded streets with barrels and trash cans floating in the water. Several inches of rain fell across the state, with cities like Montpelier picking up just over 3 inches of rain and Hinesburg receiving nearly 6.5 inches. This graphic shows the top rain totals in the Northeast. Vermont’s Department of Emergency Management said in a Thursday morning update that damage from Wednesday’s flash flooding was extensive, and significant damage has been found across the central part of the state. Officials said Vermont’s Urban Search and Rescue teams and the Vermont National Guard are on the ground assisting hard-hit communities with evacuations and swift water rescues. "There have been several evacuations and road closures around the state due to flash flooding, primarily in central Vermont," officials said. "Vermonters and visitors are encouraged to respect all closed roads and detours, as travel on those roads is not safe due to washouts and undermining." The water on many streams and rivers is running high and fast, and officials said debris is being washed downstream. Many rivers in the area are in flood stage, and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. The National Weather Service office in Gray, Maine, said the heavy precipitation continued well into the overnight and early morning hours on Thursday with additional ongoing flooding. Storm spotters have submitted numerous reports of washed-out roads and bridges in areas such as Monroe, Littleton and Lancaster in New Hampshire. There have also been several reports of people needing to be rescued from vehicles stuck in the floodwaters in Littleton, including one after a car was left dangling over a bridge that had washed out. A video recorded in Lyndon, Vermont, shows significant flooding of the Passumpsic River due to heavy rain from the remnants of what was once Hurricane Beryl. Another bridge washed out in nearby Lisbon. People needed to be rescued in Plainfield, Vermont, after a building suffered a partial collapse, according to the NWS. And at least five people needed to be rescued in Lyndonville, Vermont, as high water rushed over roads in town.
A second person has died in Vermont flooding from Hurricane Beryl’s remnants, officials say (AP) — A second person has died in Vermont in the flooding from Hurricane Beryl’s remnants, officials said Thursday. John Rice, 73, died when he drove his vehicle through a flooded street Thursday morning in Lyndonville, police Chief Jack Harris said. The floodwaters’ current swept the vehicle off the road and into a hayfield that was submerged under 10 feet (3.05 meters) of water. Rice had ignored bystanders’ warnings to turn around, said Lt. Charles Winn of the Vermont State Police. Rice’s body was recovered several hours later after floodwaters receded. Another man, identified as Dylan Kempton, 33, was riding an all-terrain vehicle late Wednesday when it was swept away by floodwaters in Peacham, Vermont State Police said in a statement. His body was recovered Thursday morning. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl dumped heavy rain on Vermont, washing away much of an apartment building, knocking out bridges and cutting off towns, and retraumatizing a state still recovering from catastrophic floods that hit a year ago to the day.More than 100 people were rescued by swift-water teams during the worst of the rainfall, which started Wednesday and continued into Thursday, officials said. In Plainfield, residents of a six-unit apartment building had mere minutes to evacuate before water destroyed it, the town’s emergency management director said.Stunned residents emerged Thursday to assess damage in a series of small towns along a hilly corridor on the Winooski River, connected mostly by U.S. Highway 2. Parts of the artery were closed, along with dozens of other roads. Shelters opened in several communities.“It’s just mud everywhere,” said Art Edelstein, who assessed the destruction at a home he has owned for 50 years in Plainfield. “This is, in my impression, catastrophic. I’ve just never seen anything like this.”The deluge dropped more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain on parts of Vermont, and the heaviest rainfall was in the same areas devastated on July 10, 2023, said Marlon Verasamy, of the National Weather Service in Burlington. Rivers had crested at virtually all locations by late Thursday afternoon. AP correspondent Jennifer King reports there’s been flood damage in Vermont, from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl that swept the northeast U.S.“It’s not lost on any of us the irony of the flood falling on the one-year anniversary to the day when many towns were hit last year,” Gov. Phil Scott told reporters.The towns hit hardest by Beryl’s rains lie east of the capital, Montpelier, which flooded last year but escaped serious damage this week.In Plainfield, a concrete bridge that collapsed and tumbled downstream was likely responsible for ripping off part of an apartment building with five units, said Michael Billingsley, the town’s emergency management director.The occupant of another home was pulled through a window to safety moments before it was swept downstream, and a mobile home floated away with four pets belonging to a family that narrowly escaped, he said.Hilary Conant said she had to flee her apartment as the Great Brook rose, just as she did a year earlier.“It’s like rewind to last year,” she said. “The water was coming up, so I knew it was time to leave with my dog. It’s very retraumatizing.” A neighbor offered a camper. She and her dog, Casper, sheltered Thursday at Goddard College, which opened dorm rooms to displaced residents.Around the corner from her home was the apartment building that collapsed. The front still stood, but the rest was wrecked or gone. “It’s otherworldly,” she said. “It’s devastating.” In small Moretown, the ruin appeared worse than a year ago, and the school was once again damaged, said Tom Martin, chair of the town board. Workers hoped to install a temporary bridge Thursday to restore the main road access to town.Beryl, blamed for at least nine U.S. deaths and 11 in the Caribbean, landed in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane and left millions in the Houston area without power. It then cut across the interior U.S. as a post-tropical cyclone that brought flooding and sometimes tornadoes from the Great Lakes to Canada and northern New England.Six tornadoes hit western New York on Wednesday, damaging homes and barns and uprooting trees, the weather service said. Some areas of the state got 4 or more inches (10 or more centimeters) of rain, causing water to rush down streets in the village of Lowville.Flash flooding also closed roads in several northern New Hampshire communities, including Monroe, Dalton, Lancaster and Littleton, where officials said 20 people were temporarily stranded at a Walmart store and crews made water rescues. Resilience efforts appeared to pay off in Vermont. Flood control dams were “performing phenomenally” other than the breach of one dam with minimal impact to property or roads, said Jason Batchelder, state environmental commissioner. But the damage — coming as some residents still await federal disaster-assistance checks from the floods a year ago — was still a bitter pill to swallow. “It’s tough to watch folks in your community suffer and go through this again,” said Thom Lauzon, the mayor of hard-hit Barre. Even though Vermont is not a coastal state, it has experience with tropical weather. Tropical Storm Irene dumped 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain on parts of Vermont in 24 hours in 2011. The storm killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations, and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles of highway.In May, Vermont became the first state to enact a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of the damage caused by extreme weather fanned by climate change. Scott, a Republican, allowed the bill to become law without his signature, saying he was concerned about the costs of a grueling legal fight. But he acknowledged a need.
CSU increases forecast, hurricanes like Beryl associated with hyperactive seasons - Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane specialists have increased their 2024 forecast on July 9 and continue to call for an extremely active season. They anticipate 25 named storms, and 12 hurricanes, of which 6 are expected to be major. They also estimate the probability of at least one major hurricane making landfall along the continental U.S. coastline to be 57%.
- CSU anticipates a well above-average probability for major hurricane landfalls along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.
- The main drivers are near record high sea surface temperatures and cool neutral ENSO or La Niña during the peak of the hurricane season.
- Hurricane Beryl, a deep tropical Category 5 hurricane, is also a likely harbinger of a hyperactive season.
- Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season. Thorough preparations should be made every season, regardless of predicted activity
“We have slightly increased our forecast and continue to call for an extremely active Atlantic hurricane season in 2024,” CSU scientists said on July 9. Sea surface temperatures in the Main Development Region (MDR) of the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean are near record highs, creating an environment conducive to hurricane formation and intensification. The forecast also anticipates cool neutral ENSO or La Niña conditions during the season’s peak, which typically reduces vertical wind shear and promotes hurricane activity. In addition, while early-season storm activity in the western Atlantic typically has little relationship with overall basin-wide activity, deep tropical hurricane activity in the tropical Atlantic and eastern Caribbean (such as we saw with Beryl) is often associated with hyperactive seasons. The Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) is predicted to reach 210, far surpassing the average of 123. The 2024 forecast anticipates 25 named storms, significantly above the 1991 – 2020 average of 14.4. This includes 120 named storm days, compared to the average of 69.4. The forecast also predicts 12 hurricanes, well above the average of 7.2, and 50 hurricane days, nearly double the average of 27.0. Major hurricanes (Category 3 – 5) are expected to number six, with 16 major hurricane days, both figures exceeding the historical averages of 3.2 and 7.4, respectively. The probability of at least one major hurricane making landfall along the continental U.S. coastline is estimated at 57%, compared to the historical average of 43%. The U.S. East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, has a 31% chance, higher than the average of 21%. The Gulf Coast, from the Florida Panhandle to Brownsville, has a 38% probability, up from the 27% historical average. The likelihood of a major hurricane tracking through the Caribbean is 62%, also above the long-term average of 47%. As of July 9, the forecast includes data up to July 8 and accounts for storms such as Alberto, Beryl, and Chris. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean are approximately 1 °C (1.8 °F) above the 1991-2020 average. This warmth supports an active season through favorable dynamic and thermodynamic conditions.
New study reveals oceanic seabirds chase tropical cyclones --- A new study published today in Current Biology, "Oceanic Seabirds Chase Tropical Cyclones," reveals that the rare Desertas Petrels (Pterodroma deserta), a wide-ranging seabird in the North Atlantic, exhibit unique foraging behaviors during hurricane season. Contrary to other pelagic seabirds, these petrels do not avoid intense tropical cyclones but instead exploit the dynamic conditions for their benefit, providing new insights into the impact of cyclones on open ocean marine life. "Initial studies suggested that seabirds either circumnavigate cyclones or seek refuge in the calm eye of the storm. However, the Desertas Petrels we tracked did neither; instead, one-third of them followed the cyclone for days, covering thousands of kilometers," "When we saw the data, we nearly fell off our chairs. This is the first time we have observed this behavior." "It's striking how well the birds know how to exploit the large-scale wind conditions over the North Atlantic for their travels," "When you overlay the petrels' foraging trips on top of average winds, it's a very close match." The Desertas Petrels nest on the Bugio Island in Portugal, located off the western coast of North Africa. This island hosts the only known nesting colony of these pigeon-sized seabirds in the world, with fewer than 200 pairs residing on a plateau surrounded by steep cliffs. During their six-month breeding season, Desertas Petrels embark on extraordinary foraging journeys, often spending weeks at sea and flying roundtrips up to 7,500 miles across the Atlantic in search of food. They belong to the genus Pterodroma, which means "wings on the run." "We correlated the birds' locations with intensifying storm conditions, including waves up to 8 meters high and wind speeds of 100 kilometers per hour," said Ventura. "Upon encountering strong winds, the birds reduced ground speed, likely by spending less time in flight to avoid injury to their wings. In addition, the wakes of the storms provided predictably favorable wind conditions with higher tailwind support than alternative routes. Impressively, none of the birds we tracked were harmed by the storms and there was no incidence of nest desertion." The petrels pursue small fish, squid, and crustaceans that typically dwell at depths of 600 to 3,000 feet. Since they cannot dive to such depths, these seabirds have to wait until nightfall when their prey ascends closer to the surface. "As we've now discovered, Desertas Petrels follow hurricanes where prey have accumulated closer to the surface in the wakes of the storms," said Ummenhofer. The study shows that cyclone wakes provided enhanced foraging conditions, with sharp drops in sea surface temperature and striking increases in surface chlorophyll. These changes suggest enhanced ocean mixing and productivity, which presumably increase prey abundance and accessibility for surface-feeding petrels.
Record rains hit Nepal’s Kanchanpur - Kanchanpur district in Nepal experienced severe flooding after record-breaking rains on July 8, 2024. This was the heaviest rainfall for the region in the past 78 years, with some regions crossing the 600 mm (23.62 inch) mark. The flooding caused 4 deaths and 1 person was reported missing.In just 24 hours, 624 mm (24.6 inches) was registered in Dodhara, 573.6 mm (22.6 inches) in Hanumannagar, and 555.8 mm (21.9 inches) in Sundarpur.The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) confirmed that this rainfall is the highest since 1946, surpassing previous records, including 516.2 mm (20.3 inches) in Hetauda, Makwanpur on August 13, 2017, and 540 mm (21.3 inches) at the Tistung Rain Center, Makwanpur on July 20, 1993.Continuous rain for two days caused most areas of Kanchanpur to flood, with significant disruptions to transportation. On July 8, floods washed out a culvert in Suda, Bedkot Municipality, disrupting traffic along the East-West Highway. The water level in the Mahakali River remained high throughout the day, contributing to the severe flooding in the district.According to the Mahakali Basin Field Office in Attariya, part of the DHM, Kanchanpur recorded 573 mm (22.6 inches) of rainfall in the last 24 hours, the highest in the country.Four young girls drowned in the flooding on July 8 in Ratokhali, Punarbas Municipality Ward 5, as they attempted to cross a flooded road in their village. According to Superintendent of Police Chakraraj Joshi, two of the four have been confirmed dead, one was rescued, and one is missing.Earlier, on July 7, seven-month-old Sonu Dhanuk of Krishnapur Municipality-1 Pahariya drowned when a flood entered her house, and 23-year-old Dambar Chaudhary of Baibah, Beldandi Rural Municipality-3 went missing after being swept away by the flood of the Chaudhary River.
2 buses carrying at least 60 people swept into a river by a landslide in Nepal. 3 survivors found – (AP) — A landslide swept two passenger buses carrying at least 60 people into a swollen river in central Nepal early Friday, and continuous rain and more landslides were making rescue efforts difficult. Three survivors apparently swam to safety, but rescuers by late morning had not found any trace of the buses, which likely were submerged and swept downstream in the Trishuli River. Nepal’s rivers generally are fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage. The buses were on the key highway connecting the capital to southern parts of Nepal when they were swept away around 3 a.m. near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu. More landslides blocked routes to the area in several places, government administrator Khima Nanada Bhusal said. Additional rescuers and security forces were sent to help with the rescue efforts. Police and army personnel were searching using rubber rafts. Divers with scuba gear were also dispatched, according the Chitwan district police. One bus was carrying at least 24 people, while the other had at least 42, but more could have boarded en route, Bhusal said. The three survivors were being treated in the hospital, Bhusal said, adding that they reportedly jumped out of the bus and swam to the banks, where locals found them and took them to a nearby hospital. A third bus was hit by another landslide on Friday morning a short distance away on the same highway. Bhusal said the driver was killed but it was not clear if there were any other casualties. Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said he was saddened by the news and expressed concern over recent flooding and landslides. He added that several government agencies were searching for the missing, in a post on the social media platform X. On Thursday night, a landslide buried a hut and killed a family of seven near the resort town of Pokhara. The family were asleep when the landslide crushed their hut and damaged three more houses nearby. Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.
Dozens missing after landslide sweeps away 2 buses in central Nepal - A landslide caused by heavy rains swept two buses carrying over sixty passengers along the Madan-Ashrit highway in central Nepal early July 12, 2024. Latest reports suggest 3 survivors and 51 missing. A landslide swept away 2 buses along the Madan-Ashrit highway in central Nepal at around 03:30 local time (LT) on July 12, 2024. The landslide was caused by the heavy rains hitting the Himalayan nation for the past month. “As per the preliminary information, both the buses were carrying a total of 63 people, including the bus drivers,” said Indradev Yadav, chief district officer of Chitwan. The buses were swept into the swollen Trishuli River causing over 60 people to go missing, according to a report by The Times of India. 3 people managed to survive after having swum to safety but rescue personnel haven’t found any traces of the buses, which are thought to have been swept downstream and submerged by the fast-flowing river. The heavy monsoon made the river swollen, and the water took up a muddy brown color making it harder to detect the wreckage. Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane told parliament that 51 passengers were missing and more than 500 rescue personnel have been assigned to the search operation, according to the latest report by the Associated Press The relentless rain and more landslides are hampering the rescue operations. Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called for all government agencies to join in the search and rescue operation. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of nearly five dozen passengers and the loss of property due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country when a bus was washed away by a landslide on the Narayangadh-Muglin road section. I direct all agencies of the government, including the home administration, to search and effectively rescue the passengers,” said the prime minister in his recent post on X.
Mumbai paralyzed after receiving 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rainfall in just 6 hours – Mumbai experienced severe disruptions on Monday, July 8, 2024, due to heavy rains, with a downpour of 300 mm (11.8 inches) in just six hours. The extreme waterlogging delayed several flights, trains, and buses, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a Red alert for the city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for schools and colleges in response to the weather conditions. Parts of Mumbai received 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain between 01:00 and 07:00 LT on July 8, prompting the IMD to issue a Red alert and urge citizens to not go out unless necessary. There was heavy traffic on the roads, and rail lines were affected, according to Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Significant waterlogging submerged roads near King’s Circle in Dadar, causing traffic jams. Buntara Bhavan in Kurla East and Powai also experienced substantial waterlogging, forcing bus diversions and leading to delays and congestion for commuters. Public transport and airlines were severely disrupted, with several flights delayed and trains running late due to flooding. Mumbai commuters had to wade through knee-deep water, which partially submerged vehicles in many areas, while traffic clogged the city’s Eastern and Western Express highways. Water on the tracks forced railway authorities to cancel some long-distance trains. Television images showed suburban passenger trains halted on inundated lines, with some commuters walking on tracks to reach their destinations. High-capacity water pumps were used to drain water from the tracks to ensure a smoother commute. The BMC declared a holiday for schools and colleges to prioritize student safety during this extreme weather scenario. The IMD has predicted more rain for the city over the week. Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, is expected over Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Kerala and Mahe, Lakshadweep, and Coastal Karnataka. Scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall is likely over Marathwada, Gujarat Region, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam, Telangana, and Interior Karnataka. Across Maharashtra, the IMD forecasts widespread rain with thunderstorms and lightning for the next five days.
South Sudan warns of widespread floods as Lake Victoria hits 128-year high - South Sudan braces for the worst floods in 60 years predicted to affect an area of ~65 000 km2 ( 25 000 mi2) and cause a famine affecting approximately 9 million people between June 2024 and January 2025.
- The predicted famine is partly driven by a major flooding event, which is expected to exceed the floods of 2020 and 2022.
- Current water levels in Lake Victoria have reached a 128-year high in May 2024. Lake Victoria is a significant source of the Nile River, which runs through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
- The government of South Sudan issued a warning that water released from the lake will flood vast parts of the country in the latter part of 2024.
Ugandan Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Pal Mai Deng, reported in May that Lake Victoria’s water level has risen to 13.6 m (44.6 feet), the highest in 128 years in the Nile Basin. This surge has increased water levels at the Jinja Dam in Uganda, exceeding its capacity.“The high water levels are overwhelming Jinja Dam’s capacity,” Deng said in a statement. “Uganda is forced to release a massive 2 600 m3 (91 823 ft3) of water per second downstream into South Sudan.”Deng warned the unusual water release could trigger floods exceeding those experienced in 2019, 2021, and 2022.Today, South Sudan is bracing for a severe human and climate disaster as the country anticipates its worst floods in 60 years, potentially pushing parts of the nation to the brink of famine, according to Save the Children.The child rights organization issued a warning about a devastating large-scale hunger crisis among children in South Sudan. This alert follows new data released by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), indicating that massive floods will increase the risk of famine from June 2024 until January 2025.Regions expected to be most affected have already been struggling with years of conflict, hunger, rising food prices, previous floods, and a recent influx of refugees from the 15-month conflict in Sudan.
Severe cold snap freezes rivers in Santa Cruz, Argentina - A severe cold snap has been affecting most of Argentina, including the capital Buenos Aires, since Saturday, July 6, 2024, with Patagonia becoming one of the coldest regions of the world. Argentina’s National Meteorological Service issued an Orange alert for regions surrounding the county’s capital and Yellow alerts for most other provinces. The cold snap is expected to last until July 12. Most of Argentina has been going through an intense cold snap since Saturday, July 6, with temperatures in some locations of Patagonia dropping below levels registered in Antarctica. According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), the temperature dropped to 0 °C (32 °F) in the capital Buenos Aires during the early hours of July 6, and the minimum temperature was expected to hover around that mark throughout the week. In the province of Santa Cruz, Argentine Patagonia, temperatures plunged to -25 °C (-13 °F), freezing rivers: SMN meteorologists shared a video of the surface of a pool in Macachin, La Pampa province, frozen due to the extreme cold. The town saw over 10 straight hours of temperatures below -5 °C (23 °F): In the Tierra del Fuego provincial hamlet of San Sebastián, the sea froze after temperatures dipped to -12 °C (10 °F). Areas surrounding the city of Buenos Aires are under an Orange alert, the second most dangerous kind, meaning the health effects of the temperature can be moderate to high. Several cities in the metropolitan Buenos Aires area had temperatures of -5 °C (23 °F) in the early hours of July 6.
Severe cold snap strikes Argentina, Gualeguaychú hits record-breaking low - As a polar wave continues to affect Argentina, the city of Gualeguaychú hit a record-breaking low temperature of -7.6 °C (18.3 °F) on July 9, 2024. Meanwhile, all provinces of Argentina recorded temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) on July 10. The severe cold snap prompted authorities to issue numerous Red, Orange, and Yellow alerts for extreme cold. The temperatures in the city of Gualeguaychú (population 110 000), Entre Rios Province, dropped to -7.6 °C (18.3 °F) on July 9, breaking the previous record of -7.0 °C (19.4 °F) set on June 23, 1945. Weather records there started in 1931. On the same day, temperatures dropped to -7.5 °C (18.5 °F) in Venado Tuerto, hitting a record low for the month of July. SOUTH AMERICA COLD SPELL Severe frost across most of ARGENTINA today with even historic records of lowest temperatures broken: -7.6C Gualeguaychu new all time low -7.5C Venado Tuerto monthly record low A big warm up is ahead in few days, but not in the far South. https://t.co/Ob7GVrnvIK — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) July 9, 2024 Almost all Argentine provinces had a morning below 0 °C (32 °F) on July 10, according to Argentina’s Meteorological Agency (SMN).
Northwest Passage shipping season shortened by thick sea ice: Study -A surging supply of thick sea ice — fragmenting due to the warming effects of climate change — is shortening the shipping season through the Northwest Passage, a new study has found. While previous analyses have explored whether the Northwest Passage might become a more viable alternative to traditional shipping routes as the climate warms, the study authors expressed fear that the opposite may be true. The sea ice, which is flowing south from the Arctic Ocean, already slashed the ice-free shipping season in several parts of the channel between 2007 and 2021, according to the study, published Thursday in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. The Northwest Passage, a commercial shipping route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Arctic Circle, north of North America, splits into a southern and northern preferable path in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The period during which both routes remain navigable for certain ships has undergone significant changes due to global warming, according to the Scottish-Canadian research team, whose lead author is based at the Scottish Association for Marine Science. “The variability of shipping season and, in particular, the shortening of the season will impact not only international shipping but also resupply and the cost of food in many Arctic communities,” the authors stated. To draw their conclusions, the scientists used sea ice charts from the Canadian Ice Service to calculate the number of weeks each year that every 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) stretch through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago remained navigable. They defined navigability as an area through which a “PC 7 class ship” — a ship capable of safely traveling through ice up to 70 centimeters (27.6 inches) — could pass. Ultimately, the researchers found that the shipping season was cut short in three sections of the northern route, with a particular area, called the M’Clure Strait, acting as a choke point in the Northwest Passage. Impacts were so stark in parts of the northern route that certain areas exhibited a decrease of up to 14 weeks in navigability over the 15 years of study. Not only did the authors identify these issues with navigability, but they also determined that this type of floating, thick ice poses a greater safety risk to ships than the thinner ice that was previously most common in the area. Meanwhile, they emphasized the gravity of the knock-on effects that coastal communities in the region could endure when it comes to the receipt of food and other products. “Many Canadian Arctic communities rely on maritime traffic for the resupply of goods and store-bought food,” the authors stated, calling for urgent policy responses. “Impacts on community resupply and the cost of food will be very important as climate change continues to reduce access to country food and increase food insecurity,” they concluded.
Record-breaking heat in Japan leads to 4 deaths as mercury touches 40 °C (104 °F) – The Japan Meteorological Agency issued extreme heat warnings on July 7, 2024, after parts of Japan broke record heat levels. On the same day, Shizuoka touched 40 °C (104 °F), marking its highest recorded temperature since records began in 1940. The heatwave has led to four deaths and over 2 000 hospitalizations. Authorities in Japan issued Extreme Heat Warnings after the temperature reached 40 °C (104 °F) for the first time in 2024 on July 7. This temperature was recorded shortly after 13:00 LT in Shizuoka — marking its highest recorded temperature since records began in 1940. Additionally, 244 other locations saw temperatures rise to 35 °C (95 °F) or higher, a level officially recognized as “extremely hot.” On July 8, multiple heat records were broken in various cities in Japan:
- Shingu: 36.9 °C (98.4 °F), 10.3 °C (18.5 °F) higher than the previous record.
- Fuchu: 39.2 °C (102.6 °F), 9.8°C (17.6 °F) higher than the previous record.
- Ogaki: 29.2 °C (84.6 °F), 6.4 °C (11.5 °F) higher than the previous record.
- Tsu: 29.8 °C (85.6 °F), 6.6 °C (11.9 °F) higher than the previous record.
Currently, 18 cities across different prefectures are under heatstroke alerts issued by Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
Wildfire Risk Rises As Western States Dry out amid Ongoing Heat Wave Baking Most of US - Other Media news - (Tasnim) – Authorities in Western states warned of the rising risk of wildfires as hot conditions and low humidity dry out the landscape amid a protracted heat wave that is expected to bake much of the US again Thursday. California's top fire official said Wednesday that so far this year the state has responded to more than 3,500 wildfires that have scorched nearly 325 square miles (842 square kilometers) of vegetation — five times the average burned through July 10 in each of the past five years, AP reported. “We are not just in a fire season, but we are in a fire year,” Joe Tyler, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said at a news conference. “Our winds and the recent heat wave have exacerbated the issue, consuming thousands of acres. So we need to be extra cautious.” California crews working in scorching temperatures and single-digit humidity were battling at least 19 major wildfires Wednesday, including a stubborn 45-square-mile (117-square-kilometer) blaze that prompted evacuation orders for about 200 homes in the mountains of Santa Barbara County northwest of Los Angeles. Flames made fuel of tinder-dry brush and grass. Several wildfires were also burning in Oregon, including one about 111 miles (178 kilometers) east of Portland that blew up to 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) Wednesday due to hot temperatures, gusty winds and low humidity, according to the state fire marshal. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued an emergency authorization allowing additional resources to be deployed against fires breaking out as the state has seen record daily high temperatures. Portland reached 103 F (39.4 C) and Salem and Eugene hit 105 F (40.5 C) on Tuesday. The number of potentially heat-related deaths in Oregon rose to 10, according to the state medical examiner’s office. More than 142 million people around the US were under heat alerts Wednesday, especially in Western states, where dozens of locations tied or broke heat records over the weekend and were expected to keep doing so all week. Las Vegas on Wednesday recorded its record fifth consecutive day of temperatures sizzling at 115 F (46.1 C) or greater. The temperature climbed to 115 shortly after 1 p.m. at Harry Reid International Airport, breaking the old mark of four consecutive days set in July 2005. And the record could be extended, or even doubled, by the weekend. Already Nevada's largest city has broken 16 heat records since June 1 “and we’re not even halfway through July yet,” National Weather Service meteorologist Morgan Stessman said Wednesday. That includes an all-time high of 120 F (48.8 C) set on Sunday, which beat the previous 117 F (47.2 C) record. In Henderson, Nevada, more than a dozen officers from the Office of Public Response drove around Wednesday offering cold water, bus passes and rides to cooling stations to homeless people and anyone else in need. On the other side of the nation, the weather service warned of major-to-extreme heat risk over portions of the East Coast. An excessive heat warning remained in place Wednesday for the Philadelphia area, northern Delaware and nearly all of New Jersey. Temperatures were around 90 F (32.2 C) for most of the region, and forecasters warned the heat index could soar as high as 108 F (42.2 C). In the West, heat was blamed for a motorcyclist’s death over the weekend in California's Death Valley National Park. At the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service was investigating the death of a third hiker in recent weeks. Temperatures on parts of some trails can reach 120 F (48.8 C) in the shade. Arizona authorities were investigating the death of a 2-year-old who was left alone in a hot vehicle Tuesday afternoon in Marana, near Tucson, police said. At Lake Havasu, a 4-month-old died from heat-related complications Friday, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Department said. The US heat wave came as the global temperature in June was a record warm for the 13th straight month and marked the 12th straight month that the world was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times, the European climate service Copernicus said. Most of this heat, trapped by human-caused climate change, is from long-term warming from greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, scientists say. “Climate change is real,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Wednesday. “Those extremes are here present every day in the great state of California. If you don’t believe in science, you have to believe your own eyes the lived experience all of us have out here in the western United States, for that matter, all around the globe.” Newsom said the state was prepared to fight the conflagrations, praising federal support in providing new fire suppression planes to the state. Cal Fire also has been using cameras and artificial intelligence to spot fires and alert first responders, officials said. In southern New Mexico, heavy rain produced flash flooding on top of wildfire burn scars for the second day in a row on Wednesday, forcing an estimated 1,000 residents to flee their homes in Ruidoso, city spokeswoman Kerry Gladden said. She said emergency responders had conducted more than 30 water rescues but there were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries. She said most bridges over rivers and streams were closed, as was US Highway 70 — one of the main arteries into town — while crews removed debris.
Lake Fire burns nearly 60 square miles, evacuations expand in California's biggest blaze - CBS Los Angeles -- In Santa Barbara County, the huge Lake Fire continues to spread after becoming the state's largest wildfire this year, its containment failing to improve as local authorities expand evacuation orders. The wildfire has burned 38,305 acres — or nearly 60 square miles — and its containment rate is 19%, according to a Saturday update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Excessive heat warnings are in effect through the weekend, with temperatures of 90 to 100 degrees forecasted across the Lake Fire area, as the blaze moves into parts of the county where there have never been recorded wildfires before, Cal Fire officials said. Since starting in a northern area of Santa Barbara County on July 5, the wildfire has burned mostly in remote areas but has spread closer to more populated areas and towns. Earlier this week, Cal Fire estimated it was just 8 to 9 miles from Los Olivos, the quaint Central California town known for its wine vineyards and home to Neverland Ranch, the estate once owned by Michael Jackson that's since been renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch. California's Santa Ynez Valley is home to a region rich with agriculture and tourism so concerns are growing that such communities could be at risk, with homes and vast areas of farmland potentially threatened if conditions worsen. The wildfire's containment remained at just 16% for three straight days this week before finally inching up to 19%. As of Saturday afternoon, three structures have been destroyed, six injuries have been reported including some suffered by firefighters and one structure has been damaged, according to Cal Fire. The Lake Fire is by far the largest wildfire in California so far this year. Currently, the second-largest fire is the Sites Fire in Northern California's Colusa County, which burned 19,195 acres in June. Firefighters had been making progress after the fire burned through 20,000 acres within the first three days of breaking out. But this week, hot and dry conditions complicated their efforts and containment has not inched upwards for three days. Cal Fire officials said Friday that the blaze was actively burning in some areas while firefighters have still managed to extinguish some hot spots along its perimeter, keeping it from spreading past control lines and maintaining a buffer zone along those edges of the fire. On Thursday, another round of evacuation orders were issued by local authorities — this time, targeting communities northwest of the fire's edge near Santa Maria. An increasing number of warnings and mandatory orders have been issued in recent days, with Cal Fire officials saying Thursday an estimated 2,166 people are in evacuated areas or have been warned they may need to flee.A searchable map showing the latest evacuation areas can be found here and a list of road closures can be seen here.The American Red Cross closed a shelter it previously opened in Solvang. Local authorities have advised residents affected by the fire and needing to leave their homes to reach the Santa Barbara County Call Center at 833-688-5551. The latest available emergency updates and resources, including assistance with finding shelter, can be found here.
California: first death of wildfire season as body found in burned-out home -- Officials have found human remains in a burned-out home in Mendocino county, California, marking the first death in the state’s 2024 wildfire season.The local coroner’s office is working to identify the body, but it may be that of a 66-year-old woman whose family reported her missing. The California department of forestry and fire protection, known as Cal Fire, confirmed the discovery of the remains on Friday.The so-called Mina fire, which broke out on Monday, was fueled by strong winds and has burned nearly 100 acres, but is now 70% contained, according to Cal Fire data.California’s wildfire season has kicked into high gear in recent weeks, with firefighters battling multiple blazes up and down the state. Earlier this week, California’s top wildfire official revealed that more than 3,500 wildfires have already burned nearly 220,000 acres – more than five times the average for this time of year.“We are not just in a fire season, but we are in a fire year,” Joe Tyler, the director of Cal Fire, said at a news conference.California’s fires began in earnest in early June, following back-to-back wet winters that pulled the state out of drought but spawned abundant grasses that have since dried out.Authorities across the US west have warned of the rising risk of wildfires amid a protracted heat wave that has dried out the landscape, set temperature records and put lives at risk.In Arizona, at least nine homes on San Carlos Apache reservation about two hours east of Phoenix had been destroyed by the blaze known as the Watch fire, but no injuries of deaths have been reported, said Robyn Broyles, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.The fire was at 0% containment on Friday, she said, and was burning in an area of the reservation blanketed by thick shrubs and cottonwood trees. Officials said the fire began on Thursday afternoon and spilled into the downtown area of the reservation that, according to US Census Bureau data, is home to about 10,200 people.And in Hawaii, Haleakala national park on Maui was closed as firefighters battled a blaze on the slopes of the mountain. No homes were immediately threatened, but some residents were told to prepare for possible evacuations.
Extreme heat wave claims 33 lives in western US as Biden administration promotes inadequate “heat protection rules”A record-breaking heat wave is continuing to hammer the western part of the United States, endangering more than 161 million people who remain under heat advisory warnings. At least 33 people have tragically died since the beginning of July, with those deaths concentrated in California and Oregon. At least seven cities including Las Vegas, Phoenix and Salt Lake City reached record-breaking temperatures this week, pointing to the exacerbating dangers of capitalist-induced climate change. The state of Oregon is experiencing the most significant heat wave in the state’s history, with record-breaking temperatures soaring to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius). Since the start of the heat wave last week, the Oregon state medical examiner has relayed that 14 people have died in the state due to heat-related illnesses. Eight of those who have died were over 60 years old and three were between the ages of 25 and 35. Cities such as Portland, Salem and Eugene have broken their temperature records and recorded their highest number of consecutive days with triple-digit temperatures. While temperatures are forecast to cool in Northwest Oregon in the upcoming week, much of Southern and Eastern Oregon will continue to suffer under the triple-digit temperatures. The extended duration of this triple-digit heat, which lasts into the night, poses serious problems for those without access to air conditioning who will not be able to cool off sufficiently at night. Climatologists warn Oregonians that they should expect summers to continue to get hotter, due to the global trend of hotter and drier summers resulting from climate change. At least 19 people have died in Northern California as of Friday. The Sacramento County Coroner’s office reported that a 58-year-old died from multi-organ failure due to heat stroke. Emergency room physicians in the South Bay are reporting large numbers of heat emergency admissions due to heat stroke and officials have noted that only four of the 19 were homeless, indicating that at least 15 have housing but still lack protection from the heat. The names and details of those who have died have not been released. The severest of the heat wave has been concentrated in California’s Central Valley, where the weather is forecast for 10 days or more of 110-degree heat. In the city of Chowchilla, an inmate at the largest women’s prison in California died of heat-related illness as the prison population continues to suffer without proper air conditioning and as inmates continue to beg for relief from the devastating heat. As of Friday, Las Vegas, Nevada, recorded a fifth consecutive day of 115-degree temperatures (46C), an all-time record that is likely to continue, or even double in the coming days. The temperatures are groundbreaking even by desert standards, with forecasters deeming the heat wave unprecedented since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1937. The dangerous temperatures have already claimed at least nine victims, with officials stating that the toll is likely to be higher. In the hottest major US metro region, Phoenix, Arizona, death tolls from extreme heat continue to rise every year in Maricopa County. Last year, 645 heat-associated deaths were recorded. The number of heat-related deaths this year has almost doubled in comparison with the number of deaths in the same period last year. The number of possible heat-related deaths as reported by the Maricopa County medical examiner was 175 as of June 29. The average temperature recorded this June has made the month the hottest ever recorded in the city. Officials continue to warn about the dangerous cumulative aspect of the heat wave, which has not allowed the human body to properly recover as temperatures have not dropped below 80 degrees. The danger posed by the scorching heat wave is compounded for the most vulnerable populations including the elderly, homeless and those with limited or no access to air conditioning or water. Particularly affected are those who are forced to work under extreme heat, such as factory workers and Amazon and UPS workers, whose industries have become synonymous with injury and heatstroke. The response from the Biden administration to the deadly heat wave has been to promote supposed “heat protection rules” that it claims will protect indoor and outdoor workers from the extreme temperatures. The rules, which were previously proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), include a list of highly inadequate measures designed to keep workers on the job in extreme heat, all while implementing meager requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and monitoring. Adding insult to injury, part of the plan includes the requirement for factories to accustom workers to toiling in high-heat conditions.
Wandan mud volcano erupts mud and flames from 4 vents, Taiwan - (4 videos) The Wandan mud volcano in southern Taiwan erupted for the ninth time in two years on July 6, 2024. The eruption took place from four different vents at around 11:00 LT, with 3 of them about 50 m (164 feet) southeast of Huangyuan Temple, according to Mark Tingay, geomechanics and pore pressure specialist, who received these videos from his friends at the temple. Sorry, the video player failed to load.(Error Code: 101102) The fourth was 30 m (98 feet) west of the temple. A similar eruption on February 8, 2023, had flames reaching as high as 4 m (13.1 feet) and mud flying up to 2 m (6.5 feet). At the time, local media reported flames caused damage to nearby power cables, prompting Taipower to rush to the scene and cut electricity to prevent further damage to the power grid.
Strong paroxysmal event at Stromboli summit craters causes pyroclastic flow, Italy - (videos) A notable paroxysmal eruption occurred at Stromboli’s summit craters at 12:07 UTC on July 11, 2024, producing an eruptive column and pyroclastic flow along the Sciara del Fuoco. The flow reached the coastline and extended several meters into the sea, concluding around 12:10 UTC. Seismic data from Stromboli stations indicated a seismic transient beginning at 12:07 UTC, associated with a sequence of explosive events lasting approximately 8 minutes. The most energetic event occurred at 12:08:50 UTC, linked to the paroxysmal activity at the summit craters. The average amplitude of the tremor reached a very high level during the paroxysmal event, followed by a rapid decrease to the current medium level. Observations by INGV personnel and surveillance cameras confirmed the occurrence and characteristics of the event. The permanent deformation monitoring networks, including clinometric and GNSS station sensors, did not show significant variations, indicating stability in the deformation measurements despite the intense activity. The Aviation Color Code was raised from Orange to Red at 12:30 UTC. A similar event took place at the volcano on July 4, 2024, resulting in the Department of Civil Protection raising the alert level for the volcano from Orange to Red and transitioning to the pre-alarm operational phase. The video below shows the pyroclastic flow produced on July 4:
First local extinction due to sea level rise identified in the US --The United States has lost its only stand of the massive Key Largo tree cactus in what researchers believe is the first local extinction of a species caused by sea level rise in the country. The Key Largo tree cactus (Pilosocereus millspaughii) still grows on a few scattered islands in the Caribbean, including northern Cuba and parts of the Bahamas. In the United States, it was restricted to a single population in the Florida Keys, first discovered in 1992 and monitored intermittently since. Salt water intrusion from rising seas, soil depletion from hurricanes and high tides, and herbivory by mammals had put significant pressure on the population. By 2021, what had been a thriving stand of about 150 stems was reduced to six ailing fragments, which researchers salvaged for off-site cultivation to ensure their survival."Unfortunately, the Key Largo tree cactus may be a bellwether for how other low-lying coastal plants will respond to climate change," said Jennifer Possley, director of regional conservation at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and lead author of a study published July 9 in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas that documents the population's decline. Researchers initially stumbled upon the Key Largo tree cactus in an isolated mangrove forest, and for several years afterward, its identity remained uncertain. Most considered it to be a unique population of the similarly named Key tree cactus (Pilosocereus robinii), a federally endangered species that is present elsewhere in the Florida Keys.The two cacti have a similar appearance. The stems of both shoot up perpendicular to the ground and can grow to be more than 20 feet tall. Both have cream-colored flowers that smell like garlic and reflect moonlight, attracting bat pollinators, while their bright red and purple fruit catch the eye of birds and mammals. "The most striking difference is the tuft of long, woolly hairs at the base of the flowers and fruits," Alan Franck, the herbarium collection manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History, said. The hair is so thick, it can look as though the cactus is covered in drifts of snow. Spines of the Key Largo cactus are also twice as long as they are on the Key tree cactus. In 2019, Franck confirmed that the Key Largo population was the first and only known instance of Pilosocereus millspaughii in the U.S. By then, it was succumbing to some of the same environmental pressures that had plagued its relative, the Key tree cactus, over the last century. The latter was once common throughout the Florida Keys, but its numbers dipped dangerously low as more people moved to the area. The Key tree cactus was listed as federally endangered in 1984, but its numbers continued to wane. Between 1994 and 2007, it decreased by 84%. Researchers at Fairchild began monitoring all of the tree cactus populations annually in 2007, working in tandem with local land managers. One Fairchild-ledstudy showed that salt levels were higher in soil beneath dead vs. living cacti in the years following a storm surge event in the Lower Keys, drawing a clear connection between mortality and increased salinity.The Key Largo tree cactus grew on a low limestone outcrop surrounded by mangroves near the shore. The site originally had a distinct layer of soil and organic matter that allowed the cactus and other plants to grow, but storm surge from hurricanes and exceptionally high tides eroded away this material until there wasn't much left.
2 reports chart path to slash CO2 from chemicals industry Two new reports are outlining how the global chemicals industry — which historically has been one of the most difficult to decarbonize — can slash emissions.The road maps come as the Biden administration is funneling money to low-carbon projects in the chemicals sector.The first report released by the World Wildlife Fund outlines a plan backed by city governments and companies identifying five options to decarbonize the global industry, including using “clean” hydrogen and electric equipment to power factories. The second blueprint, touted this summer from the world’s oldest scientific academy — the U.K.’s Royal Society — calls for the industry to “defossilize” by moving away from using fossil fuels as raw materials, or feedstocks.Alternative feedstocks “can act as sources of carbon required for primary chemical building blocks, further intermediate chemicals and ultimately downstream consumer products,” said the Royal Society report.
Green groups push Northeast states to update regional carbon market - A coalition of environmental groups is making the first move to apply organized pressure on 10 Eastern states to set new climate goals for a regional carbon market and provide a status update on a review of the program that is more than 18 months overdue.The groups will say in new letters, led by Acadia Center and set to be released Wednesday, that they “have grown increasingly concerned with the lack of communication and engagement” from the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.The escalation comes as member states have fallen behind on a regularly scheduled program review that began in February 2021 and was supposed to last two years. The review is designed to assess the broad impacts of the program, which caps and prices power sector emissions from participating states and charts future emission reduction goals.With the review having stretched into a fourth year, no agreement has been announced on the program’s new emissions cap. The most recently updated timeline promised a conclusion in January of this year. A program spokesperson didn’t share any updates on timing.
5th Circuit grills Biden admin on ESG rule that Chevron saved - The demise of the Chevron doctrine may have jeopardized one of the Biden administration’s most unusual strategies to curb climate change.During oral arguments Tuesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared prepared to reverse a ruling by a Trump-appointed judge that upheld a Labor Department rule that helps retirement plan sponsors account for climate risks in investing.The lower court judge — Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas — had used Chevron as one basis for his decision in September. The Supreme Court ruled in June to overturn the doctrine, which says judges should generally defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of uncertainty in federal law.“What effect in your mind has the Chevron change — Chevron departure, I guess we’ll say — had in this case?” 5th Circuit Judge Catharina Haynes, a George W. Bush appointee, asked a lawyer for opponents of the Labor Department rule during Tuesday’s arguments.
Business Roundtable targets climate rule supported by its members - A trade association for the nation’s top chief executives is working to kill a Biden administration climate policy supported by some of the group’s biggest members, including Apple.The Business Roundtable last month threw its muscle behind a legal bid to strike down a Securities and Exchange Commission rule that would require standardized corporate climate risk disclosures — a key component of the Biden administration’s plan to slow rising temperatures.But more than a fifth of the group’s 27 board members — including Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins, the chair of the Business Roundtable — run companies that issued comments backing the SEC climate rule, according to an E&E News analysis of regulatory filings.Other companies represented on the group’s board of directors that have supported the regulation are Citi, United Airlines, FedEx and Cummins, an engine maker whose leader chairs the Business Roundtable’s energy and environment committee.
White House requires infrastructure to be raised above flood levels - The Biden administration is finalizing a policy first proposed in 2015 that aims to protect tens of thousands of federally funded construction projects from heightened flooding caused by climate change.Starting Sept. 9, public infrastructure that’s rebuilt after a disaster with money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will have to be elevated at least 2 feet above the local flood level. Projects include police stations, schools, sewer plants, roads and bridges.The final rule being announced by the White House on Wednesday marks a long-delayed victory for environmental, engineering, taxpayer and insurance groups that have sought to strengthen building standards in flood-prone areas.
‘A really big deal’: White House to raise roads, buildings nationwide as floods intensify -The Biden administration is finalizing a policy first proposed in 2015 that aims to protect tens of thousands of federally funded construction projects from heightened flooding caused by climate change.Starting Sept. 9, public infrastructure that’s rebuilt after a disaster with money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will have to be elevated at least 2 feet above the local flood level. Projects include police stations, schools, sewer plants, roads and bridges.The final rule being announced by the White House on Wednesday marks a long-delayed victory for environmental, taxpayer and insurance groups that have sought to strengthen building standards in flood-prone areas. It took nearly a decade and spanned three presidencies, including a period of opposition during former President Donald Trump’s administration. FEMA officials said the new rule will apply to about 35,000 projects over the next decade, and acknowledged that it will increase rebuilding and repair costs. But the extra cost will be more than offset over the long term by averting flood damage that would occur if facilities were not elevated, they said. The most significant part of the policy is a new requirement that state and local governments account for flooding that is likely to occur in the future under climate change when they rebuild facilities with FEMA money. The move addresses a long-held criticism that federal disaster policy encourages states and cities to reconstruct public buildings and roads using the same standards that led to their destruction in the first place. “This is a really big deal and historic for us to be able to help make these communities that we are responding to more resilient to the number one threat,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on a call with reporters. She called flooding “the No. 1 threat we respond to.” Flooding is by far the most destructive natural disaster in the U.S. and worldwide, damaging hundreds of billions dollars of property each year. Flood damage is increasing as climate change intensifies rain and coastal storm surge and as development accelerates in flood-prone areas.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said “emergency prevention” through steps such as elevating buildings “is far preferable to emergency response.”The policy means that public facilities will be rebuilt “to a safer, more resilient standard” and that individuals in those facilities and buildings will be protected from flood danger, Natural Resources Defense Council climate attorney Joel Scata said. The new elevation standard will not apply to homes that are repaired with FEMA money or with claims payments from FEMA’s flood insurance program. It also will not affect FEMA flood maps that outline the nation’s flood zones. The flood standard is one of the first federal climate policies announced since the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling June 28 that overturned a long-standing requirement that courts defer to agency interpretations of federal law.Criswell said she is not worried about a court striking down the new flood policy, called the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard.“We have the statutory authority to implement these standards, and we don’t feel there’s going to be an impact from the Chevron decision,” Criswell said, referring to the recent Supreme Court ruling. The FEMA policy received wide support during a two-month comment period in late 2023. The National Association of Home Builders expressed the strongest opposition, urging FEMA to withdraw its “premature” rulemaking.The builders group said the standard would impose “confusing and burdensome requirements.” Acknowledging that the standard would affect “a very small number of federally funded residences,” the association said it feared that the government “may seek to expand its applicability to all structures — a move that would be neither wise nor prudent and would significantly impact housing affordability across the country.”Canada’s “climate change” envoy racked up over $250,000 in luxury travel expenses - In August 2022, the Libreral government appointed Catherine Stewart as Canada’s “Ambassador For Climate Change”. In the words of Justin Trudeau at the time of her appointment, Stewart would “drive Canada’s continued collaboration with the international community to build a clean, healthy future for everyone – here in Canada and beyond”And drive collaboration she did – to the tune of over a quarter million dollars worth of luxury hotel stays, and business class airfare. In one notable instance, Stewart billed the taxpayers of this country over $10,000 for a three day jaunt from Toronto to Ottawa including airfare and $323 a night room at the Sheraton Centre Hotel to attend a climate conference “to promote Canada’s clean growth.”The flight to Ottawa from Toronto is about 45 minutes, or an hour gate-to-gate. There are flights every hour from both Pearson and Billy Bishop for a few hundred bucks each way, and maybe a grand for business class. If you deduct the luxury hotel ($900) from the total tab, it leaves $9,000 – which really can only mean one thing: private jet. Stewart is taking one for the team, flying first class, or even private, staying in luxury hotels all over Europe, while attending climate emergency confabs so you won’t have to (that’s if you’re permitted to travel at all) This is just the latest episode of climate hypocrisy from the Canadian government. A few weeks ago Health Minister Mark Holland went on an unhinged rant on the floor of the House of Commons, demonizing Canadians for taking their children on car trips for summer holidays. This, coming from a government who’s never missed an opportunity for a motorcade …or a private jet:
Ohio joins California climate plan opponents in US Supreme Court plea - (Reuters) – The state of Ohio on Tuesday joined oil companies and business groups asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse decisions that underpin California’s ambitious plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.The Midwest state joined Valero’s Diamond Alternative Energy and other plaintiffs in challenging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority under the Clean Air Act to grant waivers that allow California to set greenhouse gas emissions limits that are stricter than the federal government’s, after a spate of Supreme Court rulings that weaken U.S. agency authority.“The Golden State is not the golden child. Yet in the Clean Air Act, Congress elevated California above all the other States by giving to the Golden State alone the power to pass certain environmental laws,” the Ohio plaintiffs wrote in their petition to have the nation’s top court hear its case.Ohio’s attorney general, who brought the case, and the EPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
'Climate smart' label spells trouble for farm bill - Lawmakers looking to use the 2024 farm bill to fight climate change are running into another complication: Not everyone agrees on what makes agriculture “climate smart.”Shifting definitions — and a reluctance from some Republican lawmakers to utter the term at all except in criticizing it — continue to frustrate efforts to reduce greenhouse gases through certain farming practices.Democrats and Republicans disagree about whether Congress should try to tailor the farm bill to climate change through conservation programs. Democrats say they won’t accept a farm bill that doesn’t do that, while Republicans say a bill that does would put those programs out of reach for some producers.Divisions on how to address climate change are one reason the five-year bill may be delayed until after the November elections and possibly into 2025 — two years behind schedule.
House committee approves big cuts to EPA, Interior - The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved its fiscal 2025 spending bill for the Interior Department, EPA and other environmental agencies on a 29-25 vote over fierce Democratic objections. The bill, which would impose steep cuts on those agencies while knocking out dozens of the Biden administration’s climate initiatives, is unlikely to become law but represents the House GOP’s negotiating position with the Senate. In a sign of the spending battles to come, Republicans rejected Democratic efforts to strip the bill of riders. Instead, the GOP added more provisions against administration priorities. Advertisement “I’m pleased the bill will help reduce energy costs, protect American jobs and ensure that we can continue to access our public lands to recreate, hunt and develop our natural resources,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who chairs the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee.
House passes GOP bills aiming to block dishwasher and fridge efficiency standards -The House on Tuesday passed a pair of bills that aim to block efficiency standards for refrigerators and dishwashers — the latest in a series of Republican efforts to hit the administration on household appliance restrictions. The refrigerator bill passed the House 212-192 and the dishwasher bill passed 214-192. The legislation is unlikely to be taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate or signed by President Biden. The otes are instead messaging measures that take aim at the Biden administration, which has issued rules aimed at making the appliances more efficient. The White House argues the increased efficiency will be better for the planet and help consumers save on their energy bills. But Republicans contend that the standards limit consumer choice and may also force higher upfront costs on consumers. The GOP has over the past couple of years hammered Democrats on efforts to shift the nation toward more efficient stoves and other appliances, turning the fight into a culture war issue.
Senators urge Treasury to ease hydrogen tax subsidy guidelines - More than a dozen Democratic senators called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to relax guidelines around federal tax subsidies for the hydrogen industry in a letter this week. The current guidance, backed by green and progressive advocates, requires eligible companies use new energy rather than preexisting energy from the grid, while also ensuring that new clean energy is produced at the same time and in the same geographic region as hydrogen projects. Signers of the letter argued the guidelines’ “three-pillar” standard could discourage investment and “undermine our shared goal of creating an enduring domestic clean hydrogen industry capable of significantly reducing economy-wide carbon emissions.” They called for flexible alternatives to the standard, including allowing owners of “minimally emitting” electricity sources to provide power to hydrogen producers. The letter also calls on the Treasury Department to allow alternatives to the “stringent and problematic” requirement that the new energy be produced at the same time as the hydrogen project. It suggests instead using a “commence-construction” standard similar to that used under the solar tax credit, in which the project is eligible for the credit the year the project begins construction. “Treasury’s [current] guidance would jeopardize billions of dollars of investment in clean hydrogen projects, render the cleanest forms of hydrogen uneconomical, and imperil efforts to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors of our economy,” the senators wrote. “Simply put, unless revised according to the suggestions below, the proposed guidance will undermine our shared goal of creating an enduring domestic clean hydrogen industry capable of significantly reducing economy-wide carbon emissions.” The letter, led by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), was also signed by Democratic Sens. Tom Carper (Del.), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Bob Casey (Pa.), Chris Coons (Del.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Patty Murray (Wash.) Casey and Brown are both up for reelection in swing states this November.
DOE Allocates $1.7B for Auto Factory Conversions. -The Department of Energy announced $1.7 billion to support the conversion of 11 shuttered or at-risk auto manufacturing and assembly plants to produce and supply electric vehicles, according to a Thursday press release. The factories — including facilities owned by Stellantis, General Motors and Volvo — are located in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia. The selected projects would collectively create over 2,900 new jobs and retain 15,000 union workers across the facilities. Selectees of the Domestic Manufacturing Auto Conversion Grants program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, will negotiate for awards to manufacture automotive supply chain products, including parts for electric motorcycles, school buses, hybrid powertrains, heavy-duty truck batteries and electric SUVs.“There is nothing harder to a manufacturing community than to lose jobs to foreign competition and a changing industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in the release. “Even as our competitors invest heavily in electric vehicles, these grants ensure that our automotive industry stays competitive — and does it in the communities and with the workforce that have supported the auto industry for generations.” The awards are still subject to negotiations to meet commitments to workers and communities, and will undergo DOE environmental reviews.The automotive conversion grant selectees, in order of anticipated award amount, are:
- General Motors ($500 million): EV conversion in Lansing, Michigan.
- Stellantis ($335 million): Conversion of an assembly plant to a vehicle assembly complex for electrification in Belvidere, Illinois.
- Stellantis ($250 million): Conversion of a transmission plant for electric drive modules in Kokomo, Indiana.
- Volvo Technology of America ($208 million): A conversion of fossil fuel commercial trucks to zero emissions for Volvo Group's Mack and Volvo brands in Macungie, Pennsylvania; Dublin, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland.
- ZF North America ($158 million): E-mobility conversion in Marysville, Michigan.
- Harley Davidson ($89 million): EV conversion in York, Pennsylvania.
- Blue Bird Body Company ($80 million): Blue Bird bus EV manufacturing conversion project in Fort Valley, Georgia.
- Cummins Electrified Power NA ($75 million): Convert an engine plant in Columbus, Indiana, for manufacturing zero-emissions components and electric powertrain systems.
- American Autoparts ($33 million): A plug-in hybrid EV conversion and battery system assembly plant construction in Toledo, Ohio
As part of President Joe Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, selected projects will provide support for workers including job and technical training, childcare, retirement and transportation benefits, the release stated.
Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’ halts another EPA rule - The Supreme Court is once again reaching out through its emergency docket to bring environmental protections to a standstill.Last month’s 5-4 ruling that blocked EPA controls on smog-forming pollution that wafts across state lines is the latest in a string of decisions over the last eight years that have expanded the power of the Supreme Court’s emergency — or “shadow” — docket.The emergency docket is traditionally reserved for nondivisive procedural matters that are settled quickly and without explanation.But in 2016, the court — over the objections of four justices — did what a lower bench had refused to do and blocked the Clean Power Plan, a landmark Obama-era rule that sought to push the limits of EPA’s Clean Air Act authority to shift the power sector from coal to renewables.“The issue was, did EPA have any business issuing this rule at all?” Sam Sankar, senior vice president for programs at Earthjustice, said of the Supreme Court’s analysis of the Clean Power Plan in 2016.But conservatives’ claims against the “good neighbor” rule that the court froze in June, he said, focused on whether EPA explained itself well enough on a technical detail of a type of rule the Clean Air Act requires the agency to issue.“If there are these minor technical problems on these rules, and they hold them up while a full lower court proceeding takes place, sometimes that takes years,” said Sankar. “It is fundamentally changing the way EPA authority works,” he added. The Court’s June 27 opinion in Ohio v. EPA is the result of a change in procedure around the emergency docket. In a move that some legal observers say appears to be an attempt to increase transparency, the justices have recently plucked some requests for emergency relief, added them to their oral argument schedule and offered full opinions on the matters, in an expedited fashion.They used that approach to swiftly block Biden administration Covid-19 vaccination and student debt relief policies. Those decisions split the court 6-3 along ideological lines.The justices’ decision in Ohio v. EPA only temporarily stops the good neighbor requirements from taking effect while litigation plays out in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The lower bench, as it did in the case of the Clean Power Plan, had already found that challengers failed to meet the high bar to persuade the court to immediately block the rule, which has been in effect since August.Republican-led states and industry groups had argued that the rule was fatally flawed after its implementation was frozen in more than half of the 23 states that were originally covered under the plan. They made their case to the D.C. Circuit — and later the Supreme Court — that they would be irreparably harmed if the rule stayed in effect.EPA’s latest good neighbor rule is projected to reduce nitrogen oxides by 70,000 tons during the 2026 summertime ozone season, a more modest target than the agency’s 2011 Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which projected annual NOx reductions of 340,000 tons during that period. Unlike that earlier rule, however, the latest version also sets limits on industries other than power plants, including steel makers and natural pipeline operators.Jeff Holmstead, a partner at the law and lobbying firm Bracewell and a former EPA air chief, said the agency’s latest good neighbor rule carries unwieldy compliance costs and imposes requirements too broadly.He said the emergency docket is the only way to stop a rule from taking effect — and that the justices may be signaling frustration that the D.C. Circuit isn’t acting quickly to stop expensive EPA rules.“The message is if it looks like an agency is exceeding its authority, you need to step in and stay the rule before [industry needs] to step in and spend hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.EPA’s supporters say the Supreme Court’s ruling could send a signal to the D.C. Circuit that the justices do not think the rule is legal. They say the stay may lead to yearslong implementation delays that could be detrimental to public health and the Biden administration’s efforts to move the utility sector away from coal-fired power.The stay ruling also sends a message to industry that it can use the Supreme Court’s emergency docket to stop rules it doesn’t like — instead of requiring companies to “put their money where their mouth is” and start finding ways to comply, said Sankar.The Clean Power Plan, for example, never went into effect after the 2016 Supreme Court stay. The justices eventually invalidated the rule in 2022 in West Virginia v. EPA — even though the power sector met its requirement to cut carbon pollution 32 percent from 2005 levels more than a decade in advance of the regulation’s 2030 deadline.“History has shown that industry is usually able to do this — not just usually, almost always able to do this — at far lower cost than it predicts,” Sankar said. “So changing the way these regulations go into effect has impact beyond even just the public health impacts.”
How the Supreme Court's 'Good Neighbor' ruling could impact air quality in Pennsylvania - (podcast & transcript) A recent Supreme Court ruling could impact air quality in Pennsylvania. EPA’s 2023 “Good Neighbor Plan” addresses cross-state air pollution from power plants and other facilities. The agency had required 23 states to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions that contribute to smog. Ohio, Virginia, and Indiana, along with industry groups, challenged the rule. While that case is being heard in federal court, the challengers asked the Supreme Court to block the rule from taking effect, and in a 5-to-4 decision in Ohio v. EPAlast month, it did. The Clean Air Council(CAC), among others, filed documents supporting EPA’s rule at the Supreme Court. The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsopple spoke with CAC Executive Director Alex Bomstein about the court’s decision.
These Biden rules could be trashed by Trump - The Biden administration pushed out a flurry of major environmental rules early this year under a looming threat of rollbacks if former President Donald Trump clinches the White House in November’s election.But some significant rules won’t get out the door in time to shield them from being reversed if Trump wins, a reality that was on stark display last week when the Biden administration released its plans for upcoming regulations.Some priority rules started by the Biden administration — including climate standards for existing gas-fired power plants, a rule to limit lead and copper in drinking water, and an effort to protect workers from extreme heat — could be doomed.“Everything is vulnerable should the administration flip,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity.Regulations completed later this year could be unraveled by Trump and Congress under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers and a sympathetic White House to undo recent rules. And a second Trump administration could freeze pending rules upon taking office.“Anything that’s not finalized, in theory they’ll just withdraw,” Hartl said.Conservatives are feeling hopeful about the prospects of Trump regaining the White House following the recent presidential debate and calls from some Democrats to replace Biden as the nominee. And many are optimistic about the chances for curtailing agencies’ regulatory reach in the aftermath of a major Supreme Court ruling this spring that overturned the so-called Chevron doctrine.Within conservative circles, there are discussions about “if things change and go our way — meaning President Trump gets in — then how can we use this to implement a smaller-government vision,” said Mandy Gunasekara, who served as EPA’s chief of staff during the Trump administration.With the prospect of another Trump administration looming over Biden’s regulatory agencies, executive branch officials have hustled to ensure that some of their top-priority rules were completed by this spring.Earlier this year, Biden’s agencies finished a series of significant regulations, including a high-stakes power plant rule on climate pollution, a policy governing conservation of public lands and drinking water standards for some members of the “forever chemicals” family known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.“A lot of the big rules that we were watching did get out,” said Matthew Davis, vice president of federal policy at the League of Conservation Voters.“They’ve been doing a lot of hard work to clean up our air and our water and our land and clean up our climate, and protect us from toxic chemicals,” Davis said. But “there is still more work to do.”Biden’s regulators aren’t finished.Vicki Arroyo, who leads EPA’s policy shop, said in an interview with E&E News last month before the latest regulatory agenda was released that the agency expected its forthcoming regulations would be picked over by critics.“Obviously, different rules will in various people’s minds be more or less scrutinized. Some of them have not just statutory deadlines, but also court deadlines,” Arroyo said. “The spring agenda will be our statement of when we believe those rules will be coming out.” In 2017, Trump and his allies used the CRA to unwind more than a dozen of the Obama administration’s rules that hadn’t yet been finalized. Moreover, recent decisions from the Supreme Court could now make it even easier for opponents of the Biden administration’s rules to overturn final regulations in court. James Goodwin, policy director for the Center for Progressive Reform, a liberal-leaning regulatory think tank, said while the CRA can speed up the demise of rules, measures under the law still suck up precious floor time that could slow down other Republican efforts, such as the Senate confirming controversial nominees. “It almost becomes our friend,” said Goodwin. Every hour lawmakers spend on CRA resolutions, “They’re not putting Voldemort in to run the Department of Commerce,” he added, referring to the villain from the “Harry Potter” series. Goodwin said he worries that Republicans could win a trifecta by taking control of all three branches of government. That fear has increased, given Biden’s recent debate performance that sparked calls from members of his own party to drop out of the race. “One option is that they just circle the wagons and stop doing everything because they’re terrified,” Goodwin said. “The other option is they come out aggressive and say, ‘Look, we’re going to do good things in the second term.’” Biden’s team hasn’t yet finalized several high-profile rules, including many highly anticipated by allies in the environmental movement. EPA is expected to roll out a revised lead and copper rule for drinking water systems, which would trigger action sooner to reduce lead exposure and require lead pipes to be replaced within 10 years. That rule isn’t expected to be completed until October. A major climate regulation — a draft EPA rule to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions from existing natural gas power plants — is expected in December, according to the regulatory agenda.
Researchers engineer poplar trees to synthesize valuable chemical squalene, normally harvested from shark livers -What do poplar trees, sharks and biofuels have in common? While it might sound a bit like a riddle, a team led by Michigan State University biochemists has reported exciting findings concerning all three in the quest for cleaner energy. Published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, the team's latest paper explores how poplar trees can be engineered to produce a highly valuable chemical that's commonly obtained from shark livers. Engineering poplars to produce this chemical would greatly boost their economic viability as an already-promising source of biofuels, as well as help cut back on destructive shark harvesting. "Using engineered, nonfood crops like poplar may provide a more sustainable alternative for generating chemicals typically derived from fossil fuels, or even new specialty chemicals altogether." On their own, poplars check several boxes needed to be a successful biofuel feedstock. They grow quickly on land not used for agriculture, and their biomass—the organic material where energy is stored—can be deconstructed and fermented for biofuel production. One of the biggest challenges comes down to simple economics. "Biofuels are still not competitive against the cheap petrochemistry that's out there," said Hamberger, a James K. Billman Endowed Professor in the College of Natural Science's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. GLBRC scientists have long sought ways to extract other high-value products from biomass. Research has shown that poplar can be a viable source of p-aminophenol, which is used to make dyes, adhesives and other polymers, as well as paracetamol, the active ingredient in Tylenol. When Hamberger joined the center in 2015, he suggested going after terpenes, a group of chemical compounds plants use in unique environmental interactions such as attracting pollinators or defending against pests. "Terpenes are the oldest, largest class of specialized metabolites on the planet," "Since they're important for all sorts of interactions, it's driven their diversity to a spectacular point where the chemistry out there is just mind-blowing." Used by humans for millennia, terpenes have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer and antibacterial properties and are key components in flavorings, cosmetics and perfumes just to name a few applications. Bibik, Hamberger and their collaborators were targeting a terpene called squalene, an organic compound widely used in cosmetic products and a crucial component in vaccines. Today, most squalene comes from shark liver—in fact, the name of the chemical even originates from the Latin word for shark, squalus. During the project, the team engineered poplars to produce squalene along two distinct chemical pathways. One pathway utilized the gel-like substance known as cytosol found in the center of cells, while another sought to produce squalene in chloroplasts, the organelles responsible for photosynthesis. "By diverting carbon away from regular metabolism to make specialized chemicals in unique poplar tissues and droplets, Hamberger and his team are employing a highly innovative strategy to turn trees into biological factories,"
Republicans, California regulator spar over rail rule - A California official on Tuesday defended her state’s new pollution rules for trains to Republicans lawmakers eager to kill the mandates.A House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee held the second hearing in recent weeks on the rules, which are pending before EPA.“Reduction of the pollution caused by locomotives operating in the state is critical for California to meet it’s Clean Air Act obligations,” said Heather Arias, chief of the Transportation and Toxins division of the California Air Resources Board.The rule would require older trains to be phased out. It also moves against idling and would make companies pay for emissions.
Federal NTSB report finds East Palestine, Ohio derailment preventable, “vent and burn” unnecessary -- Last year’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio was preventable. The decision to “vent and burn” 1.1 million pounds of toxic chemicals was based on inaccurate information. And Norfolk Southern was using inferior rail cars to carry highly flammable materials. These were among some of the key findings in the investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the derailment which led to the poisoning of a working class community last year.At a board meeting held in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board investigators presented their findings and recommendations on the derailment and the release of highly toxic chemicals into the ground, water and air in the small town and the surrounding community.In releasing their findings, said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said that Norfolk Southern was uncooperative with the agency; “demonstrated complete disregard” for the rules and regulations; withheld and delayed providing vital information; and at times acted in a threatening manner to the agency and its investigators.The NTSB investigation makes clear that Norfolk Southern was responsible for the derailment, which they found could have been prevented, as well as the decision to “vent and burn” 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride, poisoning of the community for miles around.A new study published last month in the journal Environmental Research Letters shows that pollutants from the fire were found in 16 states. Hundreds of residents of East Palestine and the surrounding communities had developed symptoms of chemical poisoning, such as burning eyes, nose and throat, nosebleeds, headaches, rashes and hair loss.While the NTSB made several important safety recommendations, the agency has no enforcement powers, and most of the recommendations will not be enacted by Congress, whose members receive millions of dollars in lobbying funds from Norfolk Southern and other Class 1 rail carriers to ensure that regulations that impose on their profits are not enacted.A 13-page synopsis is available here, with the full report expected within a few weeks. Among the key findings of the NTSB investigation:
- The February 3, 2023 derailment was preventable and happened because Norfolk Southern deliberately did not act on warnings it received from wayside detectors, which showed that the train was failing miles before the derailment.
- The report confirmed what many residents and hazardous materials experts have long been saying—that the decision made to “vent and burn” five tanker cars filled with over a million pounds of highly toxic vinyl chloride was unnecessary.
- Investigators found that Norfolk Southern withheld vital information from emergency workers that the five tanker cars carrying vinyl chloride were not heating up and in danger of exploding.
- Norfolk Southern did not notify firefighters and other first responders in a timely manner that the train was carrying highly toxic chemicals and that those cars were among the ones that derailed.
- That roughly 25 percent, one in four, of the rail cars on the train did not meet federal safety standards.
- Norfolk Southern continues to use DOT-111 tank cars to transport hazardous and flammable liquids even though they are known to be substantially weaker than the stronger DOT-105 tank cars and more prone to rupture during derailments. The NTSB has repeatedly issued warnings about the DOT-111 cars and advised that they are not to be used to transport flammable or hazardous materials.
- The NTSB found that crew members acted correctly and were not responsible for the derailments.
Ohio's gas tax collections remain high amid rise in electric vehicles - Ohio's gas taxes still make up a significant share of our state tax revenue, but the state transportation department expects that will eventually change amid the rise in electric vehicles. Gas taxes are used to pay for public roads and bridges, and other states are seeing revenue declines due to EVs and more fuel-efficient hybrids.Ohio collected over $675 million in gas taxes in the first three months of 2024 alone, per U.S. Census Bureau data.The state has averaged $658 million in quarterly collections since the tax was last raised in 2019. The Q1 figure made up nearly 8% of the state's total tax revenue, meaning Ohio is more reliant on gas taxes than its similarly populated peers. Gas taxes make up less than 6% of state revenues in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Michigan. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) projects that electric vehicle adoption will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in gas tax receipts over the coming decades. However, the department also expects the increase in electric vehicle registration fees to help offset that drop. Ohio drivers pay a state tax of 38.5 cents per gallon and 47 cents for diesel. That's on top of federal 18.4-cent gas and 24.4-cent diesel taxes. Ohio's electric vehicle drivers pay annual registration fees instead of gas taxes: $100 for hybrids and $200 for plug-in EVs. The gas tax covers the bulk (70%) of state roadway and bridge maintenance, and vehicle registration fees fund most of the rest, per ODOT. Gov. Mike DeWine successfully raised the gas tax after taking office in 2019 and is floating another increase to pay for future projects like the Route 23 redesign, Cleveland.com reports. State lawmakers may not be on board with another hike. Members of both parties have proposed lowering the gas tax and electric vehicle registration fees in recent years, to no avail.
A Western Pa. town navigates an uncertain future after its coal plant closes - Jeremiah Baltzer started working at the Homer City Generating Station in the early 2000s. He put in many hours maintaining the facility. It burned millions of tons of coal a year to make electricity for two million homes in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. It was the largest coal plant in the state until it closed last July. “You’re on call pretty much 24 hours a day,” These days, Baltzer has a lot more time to spend with his wife and four children. The family regularly takes walks around their neighborhood in Homer City, and visits the local park. The power plant sits a few miles outside of the town, which is an hour east of Pittsburgh. The plant, which was built in 1969, is surrounded by cornfields, forests, and old strip mines. It boasts the tallest smokestack in the U.S. Baltzer was able to support his family with money he made there. But a few years ago, he began thinking his job wasn’t going to last forever. “The political winds, the way they were blowing, kind of gave you some forethought into the future.” Baltzer’s intuition proved correct. The rapid ascent of cheap natural gas from fracking spelled trouble for the coal industry. On top of that, regulations on coal’s toxic pollution were imposing new costs on plant owners. Homer City started running less often; its parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2017, and cut down on maintenance. The workforce dwindled to just 129, a far cry from its highest point. “It went from like, you’re seeing 1500 people a day on a job during an outage, and then all of a sudden, boom, you don’t see anybody all day,” he said. Finally, the plant closed for good last year. Though the news was somewhat expected, it still was a gut punch for many in the area. “We never really thought it would completely shut down,” said Connie Chimino,who owns a hair salon along Homer City’s Main Street. She’s had relatives and friends who worked at the plant over the years and worries about how many former workers are faring. “It provided a lot of good stable jobs in this area. Many, many high-paying jobs. And people prospered when it was here,” Chimino said. Whenever she drives into town, Chimino notices there’s nothing coming out of its smokestacks. “You go by and you don’t see the stacks working at all,” she said. “And it’s sad.” Those stacks meant jobs, but they also meant pollution. The plant was at one time one of the largest polluters in the country. Coal is still the biggest source of climate-warming greenhouse gasses from the power sector, even though it only provides 16 percent of the nation’s electricity. But people here have more immediate concerns, like paying for a new furnace at the local elementary school.Ralph Cecere is superintendent of the 800-student Homer-Center school district, which sits within sight of the power plant. “We had eight days this past school year where we did not have heat in the elementary building,” Cecere said. Cecere had to scramble for solutions when an old heating pipe failed beneath the district parking lot in February. His options were limited because of the power plant’s closure. The plant brings in $750,000 in property taxes a year, which is 4 percent of the district’s $20 million budget.Cecere knows that revenue could quickly dry up if the plant’s owners ask the county to reassess the property at a lower value, now that it is not running. “We think about it every day. We are planning cautiously,” Cecere said. “Everything we do is with the reminder that things could change significantly for us.”Those concerns led the district to take a cheaper, piecemeal approach to fixing the heating and cooling system, instead of a more efficient, more expensive, long-term fix.“The closure of that plant has made that very difficult to plan,” Cecere said.
Biden signs bipartisan bill to bolster U.S. nuclear power -President Biden signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday aimed at bolstering the nation’s nuclear power in what supporters describe as a historic win for the sector. The nuclear package is expected to speed up the timeline for licensing new nuclear reactors and cut fees that companies have to pay to do so. It also requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to put together a report that considers ways to simplify and shorten the environmental review process for such reactors. Supporters say the legislation is a big deal for the nuclear power sector, and will help bring more of the climate-friendly, albeit controversial, power source online. It was combined with another bill that reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration and grant programs for firefighters, which was also signed into law. Biden, in a social media post, announced he signed the legislation, known as the ADVANCE Act, calling saying it would help provide “clean nuclear power and good union jobs.” Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said in a joint statement that Biden signed the bill into law. “Today is a momentous day for our climate and America’s clean energy future,” said Carper, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a written statement. “This bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source.” However, the bill was not without its critics, who have raised concerns about bolstering nuclear power because of potential safety issues and challenges related to nuclear waste. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) described the legislation as containing “poison pills that undermine nuclear safety” in a statement to The Hill last month. Some critics have also raised concerns about a provision that would change the mission of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prevent it from “unnecessarily” limiting nuclear power.
Fracker Wants to Drill Under State Wildlife Area in Carroll County - Marcellus Drilling News - In January 2023, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine (see OH Gov. Signs Bill Expanding Drilling in State Parks, NatGas “Green”). The new law allows shale drilling under (but not on top of) Ohio state-owned land, including state parks. HB 507 encourages (pushes for) more drilling under state-owned land. The special commission created to award contracts — called the Ohio Oil & Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) — meets periodically to consider “nominations” (requests to drill). The OGLMC has just received another nomination…this one to drill under (not on) 128 acres of the Leesville Wildlife Area in Carroll County.
Encino expanding footprint in Utica Shale with $300 million investment -- Encino Energy (EAP Ohio) is producing over half the oil in Ohio, according to first quarter 2024 figures released recently by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas. Oil production from Encino represented 51.3 percent of all Ohio Utica Shale oil production during the first period. The percentage translates into 3,708,011 barrels of oil in the first quarter. According to Ray Walker, Encino chief operating officer, Encino recently received an investment that will allow the company to expand its footprint in the Utica and Point Pleasant shale regions by securing leases on additional land. The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CCPIB), which is the major backer of Encino, announced an investment of $300 million in the company to support its accelerated development in the shale plays. “We are very excited about the investment, and they are excited about the potential upside and opportunities in this play and are willing to put more money in to help us grow bigger to capture a lot of this opportunity,” Walker said on a recent visit to Carrollton. Welker has nearly 49 year’s experience in the oil and gas industry and says this is the most exciting times of his career. “The Utica oil play is sort of the last big frontier as far as shale plays in the U.S.,” he said. “Our asset is really big in this area because of the early days and previous owner (Chesapeake) leased up all over. So, we already have a big footprint and now we are basically filling in and expanding our opportunity. We needed some capital to grow this thing bigger. This investment shows how confident they are in us to do that.” Encino has about 1.1 million acres under lease at the present time in the Utica Shale play, which makes the company the largest leaseholder. “We are the largest by a long shot,” Walker noted. Ascent Resources was the next closest oil producer the first quarter with 21.8 percent (1,576,362 barrels) in the first quarter. Encino’s Burdette wells in Harrison County took the top five slots in the first quarter in oil production, led by the 201M well which produced 139,413 barrels. Encino owns 16 of the top 25 wells in oil production during the first quarter. The Oliver CR 201H well was the top producing oil well in Carroll County with 62,459 barrels (18th on the top 25 list). Two other Oliver wells made the top 25 list along with two Timberwolf wells in Carroll County. Harrison County ranked first in oil production for the first quarter with 2,283,645 barrels (31.60%), followed by Guernsey County, 1,903,902 barrels (26.34%) and Carroll County 1,897,061 barrels, a close third at 26.25%. Walker said when Encino bought the asset and took over in 2018 and early 2019, we always had had designs on moving to the up-dip portion or kind of the western edge of the Utica play. “The play is not the same everywhere,” he noted. “The east side is dry gas, and the west side is oil. We always had designs on moving out to the west side and testing the oil play because we, and others, believed this could be a big commercial oil play.” In 2021, the company began drilling in earnest in the oil play and gradually directed more of the program to the oil play. Today, he said, the company is about 98 percent focused in the oil play. “We are now over 200 wells, all very successful, and now produce more than half the oil in the state,” Walker stated. The company has been operating with three rigs in the play. Walker said a fourth will be added this July. “The additional rig will make us one of the biggest, if not the biggest, operator in all of Appalachia,” said Welker. “We are really excited. It’s the real deal. We are over 200 wells in without a failure.” He sees the wells lasting 75 to maybe 100 years. He backed the statement by saying there are shale wells in Kentucky that are over 100 years old. Looking into the crystal ball as to what the future holds for Carroll County and the surrounding areas in relation to the oil and gas play, Walker, said it comes down to economic impact. “A lot of money has been injected into the community and jobs created and, in many cases, careers. At Encino we have a policy of using local vendors whenever possible. We have a lot of probably 200 vendors which are Ohio based. We are the only company that can say 100 percent of our casing comes from Ohio (Youngstown).” He believes the company has built a solid reputation, based on safety and being environmentally sound. “The message is, we want people to call us,” Walker noted. “We are interested in leasing. We think we’re different and landowners will get more value for their minerals by leasing with the company. Jackie Stewart, director of External Affairs for Encino, noted the company is leasing land on a more aggressive basis than ever before. “We are filling in the gaps,” she said. “We are looking for the 5–10-acre pieces of land. We are ready to take calls from landowners and will be transparent with them. If their land is not in our area, we will let them know upfront. However, if we lease you, we are going to drill.”
Early morning oil tank fire in Carroll County leads to minor injuries — An oil tank fire early Wednesday at a facility in Carroll County had crews and first responders called to the scene off Ohio 164 on Branch Road near Amsterdam. Crews were called to the scene at 8 when reports of an explosion happened at an Encino oil tank facility. "We were toned for a self-extinguishing fire with a couple injuries,” Loudon Township Volunteer Fire Chief Theodore Berardineli said. “The injured were transported and the fire was extinguished when we came on scene. "One was transported by Amsterdam Volunteer Fire Department and the other individual was transported by EMT.” Crews from multiple departments were on scene for approximately one hour as they worked to secure the area and to ensure that the employees were safe and the scene was cleared to resume operations. "It was actually self-extinguished when we got here,” Berardineli said. “The fire was out and all safety protocols by Encino were administered, and all went off without a hitch. "We had myself with Loudon Township. We also had Station 11 and Amsterdam EMT as our medical support" According to Carroll County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Cottis, crews were performing routine maintenance at the site when the flash fire occurred. It lasted less than 30 seconds and public safety was never at risk. The incident left those two workers who were transported with minor injuries. "When we get to something like this where we do have protocols that we have to make sure that are in place when we arrive on scene to make sure all the safety protocols are followed,” the chief said.
Two injured in oil pad flash fire -- An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the flash fire on an oil pad that sent two men to the hospital. Carroll County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Tom Cottis said the flash fire occurred on an oil pad on Branch Rd. in Loudon Twp. just after 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Cottis said a flash fire occurred from an underground overflow holding tank and the two men working on a remote tank on the pad were injured. One suffered burns and the other was injured trying to get away from the fire. Cottis said the flash fire extinguished itself in probably less than 30 seconds. Both men were transported to area hospitals by EMT Ambulance and Amsterdam Emergency Squad. Loudon Twp. and Carrollton village firefighters responded to the scene.
Cleveland Democrat Floats Bill to Require Frack Chemical Disclosure -Marcellus Drilling News An anti-drilling Democrat member of the Ohio House of Representatives (representing a Cleveland suburb) would love nothing more than to ban all shale drilling in his state. He has just introduced a bill requiring drillers to disclose any and all chemicals they use for any purpose when drilling a new shale well under state-owned land. State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan, representing the 14th Ohio House District, claims House Bill (HB) 562 will “improve public safety and transparency.” Will it? Is that its real purpose?
Owner of 3 Athens, OH Injection Wells Applies to Permanently Plug -- In April, the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission upheld a regulatory order from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) suspending operations 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). The Athens County Independent is reporting K&H is officially throwing in the towel and has applied to plug its three Torch injection wells.
Disabled veteran's yard center of complaint against Columbia Gas - A Chesapeake man says he’s getting the “runaround” regarding attempts to get Columbia Gas of Ohio to restore his yard to how it was before the company’s contractor dug it up and removed part of his curb to lay new lines. William Taylor, longtime resident and a disabled veteran, said he didn’t mow part of his yard to show the type of grass the contractor put down is inconsistent with the rest of his lawn. “This is their grass,” Taylor said pointing to it. “It’s what they put on hillsides.” RLA, according to Taylor, as a contractor for Columbia Gas put in a pipeline along Route 7. Taylor showed where the line went through his neighbor’s and his father’s yards. Taylor says he tried to work with RLA and nd curb restored. He said that did not work, so he contacted the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to file a complaint. “They’re saying they don’t have jurisdiction,” Taylor said. An email from PUCO indicates that the organization “reached out to Columbia Gas on (Taylor’s) behalf. Columbia Gas of Ohio’s response was after multiple attempts to reach (Taylor) by phone, they completed a site visit on June 20, 2024.” The email says Columbia Gas visited Taylor’s house to contact him again, and there was no answer. After a review, the construction field leader and general contractor manager do not agree with Taylor’s claims, according to PUCO. PUCO’s Jenifer Phillips said those reps said the steps were removed per Taylor’s request. “They stated the area then had topsoil and grass seed laid down,” she said. “They stated there is grass in the area where they completed work; however, it has not been taken care of and is consistent with other parts of (Taylor’s) yard.” As for the curb, Phillips said the reps don’t believe it was there before the work.
In U.S., overall emissions down as oil and gas production rises — but in Pa. region, emissions are up - Carbon dioxide and methane emissions declined as oil and gas production rose across the U.S. between 2015-2022, according to a new study.However, in the region that includes Pennsylvania, the story is different: Reported total emissions – carbon dioxide plus methane – have gone up by 4 percent as oil and gas production increased. The study is based on data that companies report to the Environmental Protection Agency. It was conducted by Ceres and Clean Air Task Force, two non-profit advocacy groups, and Environmental Resources Management, a sustainability consultancy.The drop in the total emissions across the U.S. is linked to state and federal policies that have been put in place since 2015, the study says.In the Appalachian basin — the nation’s largest gas-producing basin, which includes Pennsylvania — the rise in the total emissions comes from carbon dioxide. That is typical when production surges and companies burn more fuel to run processes, explained Lesley Feldman, the research and analysis manager on the Clean Air Task Force’s methane pollution prevention team. Feldman said to bring CO2 emissions down, the companies will have to electrify processes and cut down on flaring – burning of gas during oil extraction.While carbon emissions have gone up, emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas with 28 times more heat-trapping capacity than CO2, have gone down by 25 percent in the region. Zachary Barkley, an assistant professor at Penn State who works on using top-down or satellite-based methods to track methane emissions, said, “You have to take all EPA’s numbers with a grain of salt.” Barkley, who was not involved with the study, said EPA uses an average estimate factor for each type of device a company has and then scales up for the total equipment in the well. He said that would work if measurements were accurate and all devices were identical. But when his research teams compared EPA’s numbers to what they were seeing from satellite measurements, they found “that the EPA was wrong from somewhere between 50-500 percent,” he said. Feldman said the data also does not account for emissions from abandoned wells and does not require companies to report large release events. She said that is “the main source of discrepancy between the reported and the measured emissions.”In 2024, EPA finalized the New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines which it says is intended to regulate best practices among oil and gas drillers. The agency said the revised reporting method will include large leak events, updated average estimate factors, and will incorporate direct measurement techniques. Barkley and Feldman say the revisions can make the EPA data more accurate. But there is still value in the existing EPA data, to compare companies to each other and to see if regulations have had an impact, Feldman said. “The data is not perfect, but at least it’s a good apples-to-apples comparison.”Feldman noted the study shows variation among companies in emissions intensity, a measurement defined as greenhouse gas emitted compared to the amount of fuel produced.“We’re seeing up to 32 times the difference in methane emissions intensity, between the highest and the lowest section of natural gas producers, which exemplifies the gap between companies using best practices and those that are not,” Feldman said.The Marcellus Shale Coalition, which represents oil and gas companies, lauded the industry’s practices in reducing emissions. “It’s clear these efforts are working to boost both the energy security of our nation” and fossil-fuel industry jobs, the coalition said in a news release. The coalition cites steps companies are taking, such as improved leak detection and adopting electric drilling and fracking units. Oil and gas basins in and around Pa. have the lowest methane intensity of all basins in the country, according to the study. But, Feldman said, “There’s still a lot of emissions and this report is underestimating them. So, even though reported emissions may have come down, there’s still a lot of room. They can and should come down even further.”
PA Antis Split Over Issue of Carbon Capture & Sequestration | Marcellus Drilling News Pennsylvania Democrat leftists face a conundrum. Do they listen to one set of environmentalist wackos, including the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Nature Conservancy, and Clean Air Task Force? Or do they listen to a different set (on the same ideological side of the aisle), including Better Path Coalition, 350 Pittsburgh, 412 Justice, the Center for Coalfield Justice, and the Clean Air Council? Two weeks ago, the first set of wackos threw their support behind PA Senate Bill (SB) 831, the Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS) Act (see PA House Advances Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS) Act). Earlier this week, the latter group of wackos sent lawmakers a letter opposing SB 831. What’s a lib Dem to do?
15 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 24 – 30 -- We’re playing catch-up following our brief Wednesday through Friday vacation last week. The first order of business is to bring you the list of permits issued for the week of June 24 – 30. A total of 15 new permits were issued, with most (10) issued in Pennsylvania. Ohio issued four new permits, and West Virginia issued one new permit. Both Seneca Resources and Apex Energy tied for most new permits (three each), with Seneca’s permits issued in Tioga County, PA, and Apex’s permits issued in Westmoreland County, PA. Apex Energy | Ascent Resources | Beaver County | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Guernsey County | INR | Jay-Bee Oil & Gas | Jefferson County (OH) | Pleasants County | Range Resources Corp | Seneca Resources | Tioga County (PA) | Westmoreland County
18 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jul 1 – 7 | Marcellus Drilling News - We noticed that permit data has already been updated for last week, so we’re bringing you our weekly permit report a day early. For the week of July 1 – 7, a total of 18 permits were issued to drill new shale wells in Marcellus/Utica. There were six new permits issued in Pennsylvania, with four of them going to Range Resources for a pad in Washington County. There were four new permits in Ohio, all of them going to Encino Energy for a pad in Guernsey County. West Virginia was the surprise with eight new permits, six of which were issued to Antero Resources in Tyler County. Allegheny County | Antero Resources | Arsenal Resources | Encino Energy | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Marion County | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Range Resources Corp | Seneca Resources | Tioga County (PA) | Tyler County | Washington County
EOG Zags with Organic Growth While Everyone Else Zigs with Mergers Marcellus Drilling News --Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) have been all the rage over the past year or so. In 2024 alone, Chesapeake Energy announced a $7.4 billion deal to buy Southwestern Energy (see Deal is Done! Chesapeake & Southwestern Announce $7.4B Merger). However, oil plays, including the Permian and Bakken, are where the biggest deals are happening. ExxonMobil announced a deal to buy the Permian’s largest independent, Pioneer Natural Resources, for $60 billion. Diamondback Energy is buying Endeavor Energy Resources for $26 billion. Chevron is attempting to buy Hess Corporation (big assets in the Bakken and assets in foreign markets) for $53.5 billion. However, one large, publicly traded company is charting a different course, preferring to grow acreage organically and concentrate on previously unknown or overlooked hydrocarbon plays. That company is EOG Resources.
TETCO Pipe Replacement Project in Fayette County, PA July Thru Oct | Marcellus Drilling News -Texas Eastern Transmission Pipeline (TETCO) is a major natural gas pipeline originally built to flow gas from the Gulf of Mexico coast in Texas and Louisiana up through Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to deliver gas in the New York City area. Owned by Canadian-based Enbridge, TETCO is one of the largest pipeline systems in the United States. Years ago, large portions of TETCO were reversed to flow Marcellus/Utica gas southward along the pipeline. Here’s something we’re sure happens with big pipes like TETCO, but not something you read about often: TETCO is replacing a segment of its pipeline that runs through Fayette County, PA.
Marcellus Sees Soaring Costs, Lower Production – Ranking Decreased -- Marcellus Drilling News - Operators and investors are more concerned than ever about the remaining inventory of drillable locations. Who has it? Where is it? Will it be economic? The North American inventory rankings by shale play are always of interest. Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR), a subsidiary of Enverus, recently issued a report that ranks the plays by the number of economic-to-drill locations each play has left. Unfortunately, Marcellus Shale play is on the list of “losers” in this latest report. Why? A huge jump in Bidenflation — rig day rates were up 25% year-over-year in September in the Marcellus, compared to about 15% across the other plays. Also a factor is dropping productivity in the Marcellus (“productivity degradation”), particularly in northeast PA.
Marcellus Shale Testing Lab in PA Sells Itself to Minneapolis Co. - Incorporated in 1988, Environmental Service Laboratories, Inc. (ESL) is an environmental testing laboratory based in Indiana, PA, providing various analytical testing, consulting, and field sampling services. ESL customers include Marcellus/Utica natural gas drilling companies, industrial facilities, municipalities, engineering firms, local/state/federal government, and the general public. ESL is accredited to test drinking water, wastewater, soil, solid materials, natural gas, frozen dairy products, and meat. ESL has just sold itself for an undisclosed amount to Pace Analytical Services, based in Minneapolis, MN.
U.S. Natural Gas Operators Said Looking to Measure Methane Intensity as European Scrutiny Rises --Domestic natural gas producers are going to be under increasing pressure to differentiate the methane intensity of their LNG cargoes as Europe cracks down on greenhouse gas emissions, according to experts. Bar graph showing destinations for U.S. LNG by major portfolio players. Ministers for the European Union (EU), representing one of the biggest markets for U.S. liquefied natural gas, finalized rules in late May that impact both oil and natural gas imports. The rulemaking, scheduled to be implemented in 2030, would impose "maximum methane intensity values" on imported fossil fuels. The European Commission (EC) has been tasked with setting the methane limits. Certifying the methane intensity of natural gas will ensure U.S. supply has a welcome home in the EU, MiQ CEO Georges Tijbosch recently told NGI. The rulemaking will be a “game changer,” as measuring methane emissions will no longer be “just voluntary. That's the biggest difference.” The rules are likely to upend “the entire global LNG market…It’s a sea change.”
Natural Gas Consumption Increasing in Every Scenario, as U.S.-Driven LNG Demand Spurs Growth, Says BP --U.S. LNG exports are forecast to more than double by 2030 from 2022 levels, with domestic natural gas consumption declining “only slightly” over the next 25 years, according to BP plc. BP’s chief economist Spencer Dale explained the London-based supermajor’s projections to 2050 during a webcast on Wednesday. BP’s respected Energy Outlook 2024 is the 11th annual forecast about the world’s energy economy. BP’s economist team tested projections for energy consumption using a Current Trajectory and Net Zero scenario to explore the range of possible outcomes to 2050. In both scenarios, natural gas consumption is seen rising.
Greater Houston Area Recovering from Deadly Beryl, but Freeport LNG Still ‘Ramped Down’ --The major ports along the upper Texas coast were set to reopen on Tuesday as cleanup continued in the aftermath of former Hurricane Beryl, but operations at a major LNG export facility remained shuttered. Beryl stormed ashore as a Category 1 hurricane Monday on the upper Texas coast near Matagorda, leaving widespread destruction in its path. The hurricane killed at least seven people as of Tuesday morning, according to Harris County officials. For the energy sector, the overall impact to natural gas prices appeared to be minimal. The New York Mercantile Exchange August contract had risen in early trading Tuesday, but fell 2.2 cents on the day to $2.344/MMBtu.
Houston – Nation’s Fourth-Largest City – Struggling Post-Beryl; Freeport LNG Awaiting Power --Freeport LNG Development LP’s export facility on the upper Texas coast was still offline on Wednesday, four days after it was shut down ahead of former Hurricane Beryl as the region continued to grapple with the effects of the storm. Chart showing hurricane predictions for 2024. “We intend to resume liquefaction operations when post-storm assessments are complete, and it is safe to do so,” Freeport spokesperson Heather Browne told NGI on Wednesday, adding that there were no other updates. No liquefied natural gas tanker had been loaded at the terminal since July 4, according to Kpler ship-tracking data. Four vessels signaling for the terminal were floating nearby offshore on Wednesday.
Freeport Restart Uncertain as Power Outages Continue After Beryl — The Freeport LNG Development LP terminal on the upper Texas coast remained offline on Thursday for the fifth day in a row since it was shuttered on Sunday ahead of former Hurricane Beryl. CenterPoint Energy Inc., which provides nearly 700 MW for the facility, reported that nearly 40% of its customers in Brazoria County, where Freeport is located, were still without power. CenterPoint’s restoration map showed early Thursday that post-storm assessments were completed on Quintana Island, home to the terminal, but electricity had not been restored there. Freeport nominated 100 MMcf of feed gas on Thursday, lower than the 150 MMcf nominated the day before. The 2.1 Bcf/d facility had nominated 1.6 Bcf before it was shut down Sunday. Kpler vessel-tracking data on Thursday still showed five ships offshore near Freeport.
1 MM in Texas without power, Freeport LNG to restart after Beryl -- One million homes and businesses in Texas remained without power on Thursday, four days after Hurricane Beryl lashed the state with fierce winds and flooding, sparking frustration among companies, officials and residents who were facing extreme heat. A little more than half of CenterPoint Energy's 2.3 MM customers had power restored by Thursday morning, the company said, following Beryl's landfall near Matagorda. CenterPoint is Texas' largest electricity provider. Hiccups in the restoration of power are slowing down some companies' efforts to return operations to normal, especially around Freeport, among Texas' largest energy hubs. More rain on Thursday added to the delays. However, most oil and gas companies have resumed normal operations after Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 storm. Freeport LNG, the U.S.’s third-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer, began pulling in small volumes of natural gas for processing on Thursday, according to data from financial firm LSEG. The company has not provided an operational update since Sunday, when it said it ramped down production. A small flare could be seen flickering at the facility, according to a witness. No vessels were docked at the LNG company's berths, but many power restoration crews were working in the area with service trucks arriving from as far as Nebraska and North Carolina, according to locals interviewed. "The major concern of the week over the impact of Hurricane Beryl on U.S. LNG production has receded," said consultancy Rystad's vice president, Wei Xiong, in a note to clients. The port of Freeport said restrictions for navigating during daylight could be lifted on Thursday. U.S. natural gas futures fell about 2% to a two-month low on Thursday on a bigger-than-expected weekly storage build as output rose and the amount of gas flowing to LNG export plants dropped due to Beryl. Chemical maker Olin on Wednesday declared a force majeure for some product and aromatic shipments after Beryl caused damage to its Freeport facilities. The firm said the duration of the disruption was uncertain, and did not respond to requests for more details. Formosa Plastics, which temporarily shut down operations at its Point Comfort plant after a malfunction with a gas compressor system, said it did not receive any severe damage from Beryl. The company expects operations to be back to normal by the end of next week. Chemical company BASF said its facilities in Texas experienced minimal impact from Hurricane Beryl and the site was working to resume normal operations. The ports of Houston, Galveston and Texas City were open on Thursday, with some of them operating with restrictions that were expected to be lifted soon. The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday afternoon rescinded port conditions issued during storms, signaling normal operations.
US natgas prices climb 2% on forecasts for more demand in heat wave (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 2% on Monday on forecasts for more demand next week than previously expected as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket much of the country, forcing power generators to burn more gas to produce electricity to keep air conditioners humming. The price increase came despite forecasts for less demand this week than previously expected, rising output and a drop in the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants after Freeport LNG in Texas shut ahead of Hurricane Beryl. Hurricane Beryl lashed Texas with strong winds and heavy rains as it churned inland, forcing the closure of oil ports, cancellation of hundreds of flights and leaving over 2.7million homes and businesses without power. Front-month gas futures NGc1 for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 4.7 cents, or 2.0%, to settle at $2.366 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). It was the front month's first price gain in six days and pushed the contract out of technically oversold territory for the first time in four days. Higher prices in recent weeks have prompted some producers, including EQT and Chesapeake Energy, to start pulling more gas out of the ground. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to an average of 102.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in July. On a daily basis, output hit a 17-week high of 103.0 bcfd on Sunday. That was up from an average of 100.2 bcfd in June and a 17-month low of 99.5 bcfd in May when many producers reduced drilling activities after prices fell to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March. U.S. output hit a monthly record high of 105.5 bcfd in December 2023. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would remain hotter than normal through at least July 23. With hotter weather expected next week, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will rise from 105.7 bcfd this week to 107.0 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday, while the forecast for next week was higher. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants fell to 12.1 bcfd so far in July after Freeport LNG in Texas ramped down ahead of Hurricane Beryl on Sunday, down from 12.8 bcfd in June and a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023.
Beryl’s Impact on U.S. Export Facilities, International Natural Gas Prices Seen Waning as Storm Moves Inland — Hurricane Beryl weakened after coming ashore in Texas early Monday and was downgraded to a tropical storm after it disrupted some LNG feed gas demand along the U.S. Gulf Coast. NGI's LNG export tracker (graphic). Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane between Houston and Corpus Christi, bringing with it storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rainfall. Ahead of its arrival on Sunday, Freeport LNG Development LP shut down its export facility, cutting feed gas demand there from 1.6 Bcf/d to nearly zero before Beryl made landfall about 40 miles to the northeast. Spokesperson Heather Browne said the facility would return to service when it’s “safe to do so.” Unlike other liquefied natural gas facilities along the Gulf Coast, neither Freeport nor Sempra Infrastructure’s Cameron facility have their own power supply and instead rely on the grid. In the Houston area alone, CenterPoint Energy Inc. said Monday that power service for more than 2 million people had been impacted by the storm.
U.S. power generators burn record amounts of natgas on hottest day of summer to date U.S. power generators burned a record amount of natural gas on Tuesday, the hottest day so far of this summer, according to preliminary data from financial firm LSEG on Thursday. Extreme weather reminds consumers of the fatal freeze in February 2021 that left millions of Texans without power, water and heat for days and a brutal heat wave in August 2020 that forced the California power grid operator to impose rotating outages that affected about 800,000 customers over two days. As homes and businesses cranked up their air conditioners to escape the brutal heat this week, LSEG said power generators burned a preliminary 54.2 Bft3d of gas on Tuesday, which would top the current record of 52.8 Bft3d on July 28, 2023. Power generator demand for gas slid to around 51.8 Bft3d on Wednesday and 50.5 Bft3d on Thursday with a slight reduction in average daily temperatures across the U.S. Lower 48 states as the remnants of Hurricane Beryl moved from Texas to Michigan. 1 Bft3 is enough to supply about 5 MM U.S. homes for a day. As soaring demand stresses electric grids, next-day power prices soared this week to their highest since January in Southern California, New England, the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland region and the Pacific Northwest, according to pricing data on the LSEG terminal. In Arizona, where AccuWeather said high temperatures hit 118°F (47.8°C) this week, power prices soared to their highest since August 2023. LSEG said Tuesday was the hottest day so far this summer with average temperatures across the Lower 48 states of 81.2°F. Meanwhile, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said last June was the hottest month on record, leading some scientists to warn 2024 could be the world's hottest year. Climate scientists have long said countries need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and burning fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change like intensifying heatwaves. AccuWeather forecast temperatures would reach 92°F in Chicago on July 14 and 95°F in New York on July 15–16. That compares with normal highs of 85°F in both cities at this time of year. Electric grid operators across the country declared hot weather alerts this week and told energy companies to put off unnecessary maintenance so all available generating plants and power lines would be ready for service. But despite the extreme heat, the grid operators have not taken more extreme actions to manage supply and demand - like calls for conservation or rotating outages - and none were currently projecting power use would break all-time highs over the next week. In California, where AccuWeather projected high temperatures in Los Angeles would reach 88°F for a third day in a row on Thursday, the California ISO, which operates the state's power grid, did tell customers to "prepare for the need to conserve energy" on Wednesday and Thursday.
US natgas prices ease on rising output, lower LNG feedgas (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures eased about 1% on Wednesday on recent increases in output, a drop in the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants after Freeport LNG in Texas shut for Hurricane Beryl and a tremendous surplus of gas in storage for this time of year. That price decline was limited by forecasts for more demand over the next two weeks than previously expected as a brutal heat wave will continue to blanket much of the country through at least late July, stoking demand for air conditioning and forcing power generators to burn more gas. Analysts said gas stockpiles were about 18% above normal levels. One factor depressing power demand this week was the roughly 1.6 million homes and businesses still without power in Texas on Wednesday in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. Front-month gas futures for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 1.5 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $2.329 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), keeping the contract in technically oversold territory for a second day in a row. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to an average of 102.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in July, up from an average of 100.2 bcfd in June and a 17-month low of 99.5 bcfd in May. U.S. output hit a monthly record high of 105.5 bcfd in December 2023. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would remain hotter than normal through at least July 25. With hotter weather expected next week, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will rise from 106.1 bcfd this week to 107.0 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants fell to 12.2 bcfd so far in July after Freeport LNG in Texas shut ahead of Hurricane Beryl on Sunday, down from 12.8 bcfd in June and a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023. Sources told Reuters that Freeport LNG would likely restart by Thursday. The U.S. became the world's biggest LNG supplier in 2023, ahead of recent leaders Australia and Qatar, as much higher global prices fed demand for more exports due in part to supply disruptions and sanctions linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With worries about Hurricane Beryl receding, gas prices fell to a seven-week low of around $10 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark in Europe and a three-week low of $12 at the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) benchmark in Asia .
US natgas prices fall 3% to two-month low on big storage build, rising output (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures fell about 3% to a two-month low on Thursday on a bigger-than-expected weekly storage build as output rose and the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants dropped after Freeport LNG in Texas shut early this week for Hurricane Beryl. Freeport started taking in small amounts of gas again on Thursday after power generators consumed a daily record amount of gas on Tuesday to keep air conditioners humming on the hottest day so far this summer. Front-month gas futures for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 6.1 cents, or 2.6%, to settle at $2.268 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since May 10. That price drop also kept the front-month in technically oversold territory for a third day in a row. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms added 65 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas into storage during the week ended July 5. That was more than the 55-bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with an increase of 57 bcf in the same week last year and a five-year (2019-2023) average rise of 57 bcf for this time of year. That build boosted the amount of gas in storage to around 19% above normal levels for this time of year. Before the latest storage build, traders noted that injections were smaller than usual for eight weeks in a row because several producers cut output earlier in the year after futures prices dropped to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March. Higher prices in April, May and June prompted some producers, including EQT and Chesapeake, to return to the well pad. But with prices now down about 12% so far in July, energy traders say it will be interesting to see whether drillers will keep boosting output over the next month or two. Even though power generators were burning near record amounts of gas to keep air conditioners humming during a brutal heat wave, those gas burns were slightly depressed because roughly 1.3 million homes and businesses were still without power in Texas on Thursday in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. At its peak Beryl, which hit Texas on Monday, knocked out power to over 2.7 million customers. Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to an average of 102.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in July, up from an average of 100.2 bcfd in June and a 17-month low of 99.5 bcfd in May. U.S. output hit a monthly record high of 105.5 bcfd in December 2023. Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would remain mostly hotter than normal through at least July 26. With hotter weather expected next week, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will rise from 106.3 bcfd this week to 106.6 bcfd next week. The forecast for next week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Wednesday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants fell to 11.9 bcfd so far in July after Freeport LNG in Texas shut ahead of Hurricane Beryl on Sunday, down from 12.8 bcfd in June and a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023.
EIA: US natgas output to decline in 2024, while demand rises to record high -HomeNewsEIA: US natgas output to decline in 2024, while demand rises to record high EIA: US natgas output to decline in 2024, while demand rises to record high 7/10/2024 U.S. natural gas production will decline in 2024 while demand will rise to a record high, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). The EIA has projected dry gas production will ease from a record 103.8 Bft3d in 2023 to 103.5 Bft3d in 2024 as several producers reduce drilling activities after gas prices fell to 3-1/2-year lows in February and March. In 2025, the EIA projected output would rise to 105.2 Bft3d. The agency also projected domestic gas consumption would rise from a record 89.1 Bft3d in 2023 to 89.4 Bft3d in 2024 before easing to 89.2 Bft3d in 2025. If the projections are correct, 2024 would be the first time output declines since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic cut demand for the fuel. It would also be the first time demand increases for four years in a row since 2016. The latest projections for 2024 were higher than the EIA's June forecast of 102.1 Bft3d for supply and unchanged from the agency's June forecast of 89.4 Bft3d for consumption. In Appalachia, the biggest U.S. shale gas basin spanning Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, output is set to rise from 34.7 Bft3d in July to 34.8 Bft3d in August. Appalachia output hit monthly records of 37.1 Bft3d in November and December 2023. The agency forecast average U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports would reach 12.2 Bft3d in 2024 and 14.3 Bft3d in 2025, up from a record 11.9 Bft3d in 2023. That was higher than the EIA's LNG export forecast in June of 12.1 Bft3d. The agency projected U.S. coal production would fall from 577.5 MM short tons (t) in 2023 to 509.7 MMt in 2024, the lowest since 1964, and 489.5 MMt in 2025, the lowest since 1963, as gas and renewable sources of power displace coal-fired plants. The EIA projected carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels would rise from 4.793 metric Bt in 2023 to 4.819 metric Bt in 2024 as all fossil fuel use increases, and 4.825 metric Bt in 2025 as petroleum use increases. That means carbon emissions were on track to rise in four out of five years through 2025 since dropping to 4.584 metric Bt in 2020, the lowest since 1983, when the pandemic sapped demand for energy. Carbon emissions also fell in 2023 as power companies burned less coal.
Natural Gas Prices Poised to Rally Through Back Half of 2024 and Next Year, EIA Says --Benchmark natural gas spot prices are poised to jump this summer and prove substantially stronger through the balance of 2024, according to updated federal forecasts. Chart showing bidweek and residential natural gas prices. In the July release of its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), published Tuesday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected a Henry Hub natural gas spot price average of $2.90/MMBtu for the final six months of 2024, up 80.0 cents from the first half of the year. Prices floundered early this year amid mild weather and record production that topped 106 Bcf/d late last year and again in the first quarter. Producers scaled back in the spring, keeping output below the century mark, but benign shoulder season weather further restrained bullish sentiment.
Gas Trader Predicts NatGas $2.50 in 2024, $3.00+ in 2025 & Beyond -- Marcellus Drilling News - Yes, we’ve been keeping an eye on the (pathetic) price of natural gas as it flounders and flops. The NYMEX Henry Hub front-month contract briefly went above $3/MMBtu earlier this year, but since that time, it’s had a hard time staying above $2. It’s depressing. From time to time, we bring you predictions from various studies and government agencies. Just yesterday, we told you that EIA’s monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook predicts an average HH price of $2.50 in 2024, and $3.30 in 2025 (see July STEO Predicts U.S. Natgas Output Declines, Demand Rises 2024). The people who create the price — natural gas traders — often provide unique insights. We have one such trader’s insights into what he believes will happen for the balance of 2024 and into 2025.
Bids, Offers Rolling in For Abaxx's U.S. LNG Futures Contract After Exchange Launches -- Abaxx Technologies Inc. has seen active trading of its physically settled Gulf Coast LNG futures contracts since they were launched June 28 in what the company said is a strong sign of the market’s interest. Global LNG imports by contract type bar graph. Bids and offers for Abaxx’s front month October United States Gulf of Mexico (GOM) contract started soon after launch and have come in on a daily basis since then, Chief Commercial Officer Joe Raia told NGI. Raia said the early trades, which aren’t always common after launch, are partly thanks to the firms who helped Abaxx build the contracts. “...That’s really a testament to the product itself, the design of the product and our interaction with the trading community and the clearing firms too,” he added.
US crude and gasoline inventories fell last week, distillate stocks rose, EIA says (Reuters) - U.S. crude and gasoline stocks fell by more than expected last week as refineries ramped up activity, while distillate stocks rose, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.Global Brent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose following the report. Brent futures were trading at $85.11 a barrel, up 45 cents, at 1513 GMT. WTI futures were trading at $82.06 a barrel, up 65 cents.Crude inventories fell by 3.4 million barrels to 445.1 million barrels in the week ended July 5, the EIA said on Wednesday, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.3 million-barrel draw.Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell by 702,000 barrels in the week, the EIA said.Refinery crude runs rose by 317,000 barrels per day, while utilization rates rose by 1.9 percentage points in the week, the EIA said. Gulf Coast refinery utilization hit its highest since June 2023."A rebound in refinery runs last week helped usher in a crude inventory draw," "Despite higher refining activity, gasoline inventories drew amid ongoing strong implied demand ahead of the long holiday weekend," Smith said.U.S. gasoline stocks ab fell by 2 million barrels in the week to 229.7 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 0.6 million-barrel draw.Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 4.9 million barrels in the week to 124.6 million barrels, versus expectations for a 0.8 million-barrel rise, the EIA data showed.Even with the decline in gasoline stocks, some market participants remained concerned about demand. "While there was some solidness to gasoline demand, we know that it's all downhill from here,". "There's a real warning flag over the distillate number."U.S. diesel futures and gasoline futures pared losses after the report.
U.S. Crude Oil Stocks Fall as Refineries Step Up Capacity Use — U.S. crude oil inventories fell for a second straight week as refineries raised their capacity use to its highest level in more than year, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Commercial crude oil stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell by 3.4 million barrels to 445.1 million barrels in the week ended July 5, and were about 4% below the five-year average for the time of year, the EIA said. The drawdown followed a 12.2 million barrel reduction the week before. Analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had predicted crude stockpiles would fall by 1.1 million barrels. Oil held in the SPR increased by 477,000 barrels to 373.1 million barrels. Oil stored at Cushing, Okla., the Nymex delivery hub, was down by 702,000 barrels at 33.5 million barrels. Refinery capacity use increased by 1.9 percentage points to 95.4%, its highest level since June 2023 and above expectations for refinery runs to be unchanged. The EIA estimated U.S. crude oil production at 13.3 million barrels a day, up 100,000 from the week before. Crude imports increased by 214,000 barrels a day to 6.8 million barrels a day, while exports fell by 402,000 barrels a day to 4 million barrels a day. Gasoline inventories fell by 2 million barrels to 229.7 million barrels as demand held around 9.4 million barrels during the July 4 holiday week, although down by 26,000 barrels from the week before. Gasoline stocks were forecast to be down by 1.4 million barrels. Inventories were 1% below the five-year average, the EIA said. Distillate fuel stocks jumped by 4.9 million barrels to 124.6 million barrels, compared with expectations of a 200,000 barrel build. Distillate stocks were 8% below the five-year average. The impact of Hurricane Beryl, which landed early Monday along the Texas coast between Corpus Christi and Galveston, forcing the closure of major energy ports, is likely to be reflected in the following EIA report. Several producers evacuated offshore platforms ahead of the storm, but expected minimal impact on production.
GAO: Congress can use CRA to undo whale drilling safeguards - Congress’ watchdog has concluded that an Interior Department advisory to offshore drillers protecting an endangered whale qualifies as a “rule” and so should have been run by lawmakers.The finding from the Government Accountability Office means a 2023 notice to lessees (NTL) laying out voluntary restrictions on oil companies in the Rice’s whale potential habitat should be submitted for congressional review.GAO’s conclusion opens the door for a Congressional Review Act resolution to undo the guidance, which has been criticized by several prominent Republicans. Congress has passed several resolutions against Biden administration rules, all which President Joe Biden has vetoed.“The NTL is a rule for CRA purposes because it meets the [Administrative Procedure Act] definition of a rule,” said Shirley Jones, a GAO lawyer, in an email. “The NTL is subject to CRA’s requirement that it be submitted to Congress before it can take effect. That also means it could face a CRA resolution of disapproval.”
Devon Energy to buy PE-backed Grayson Mill's Williston assets for $5 bln (Reuters) - Devon Energy said on Monday it had entered into a deal to acquire certain assets of Bakken-focused energy producer Grayson Mill Energy, which is owned by private equity firm EnCap, in a cash-and-stock deal worth $5 billion. The deal value includes $3.25 billion in cash and $1.75 billion in stock, and will enhance Devon's "multi-basin business", the company's executives said on a conference call. Shares of the company were down 2.5% in a lower crude price environment. A consolidation in the U.S. energy sector that triggered $250 billion worth of deals in 2023 has bled into this year, with companies seeking opportunities to deploy their capital and expand reserves. This has created a favorable environment for firms like EnCap to cash out on assets. In June, the private equity firm sold some shale assets of XCL Resources for about $2 billion. Reuters reported in January that the firm planned to sell Grayson Mill, a major Bakken-focused energy producer in North Dakota, Montana, and the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. Monday's deal, expected to close by the end of the third quarter, will add up to 10 years of inventory life with 500 additional wells, primarily in the Bakken, contributing 307,000 net acres to Devon's Williston Basin position. Devon expects its output to grow to 765,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) from 664,000 boepd. "A more conservative outlook on deals may have prevented Devon from coming out on top in the various scrambles for core Permian opportunities," said Andrew Dittmar, principal analyst at Enverus. "The Eagle Ford and MidContinent now stand out as some of the least consolidated plays with the most remaining private opportunities." Devon's board of directors also expects to expand its share repurchase by 67% to $5 billion through mid-year 2026, while the acquisition is expected to add to the company’s dividend payout starting 2025.
Marathon Oil reaches $241 million settlement with EPA for environmental violations in North Dakota - The federal government announced a $241.5 million settlement with Marathon Oil on Thursday for alleged air quality violations at the company’s oil and gas operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice said the settlement requires Marathon to reduce climate- and health-harming emissions from those facilities and will result in over 2.3 millions tons worth of pollution reduction. “This historic settlement — the largest ever civil penalty for violations of the Clean Air Act at stationary sources — will ensure cleaner air for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and other communities in North Dakota, while holding Marathon accountable for its illegal pollution,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Marathon officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Houston-based Marathon operates 169 well pads in North Dakota, where the company extracts oil and natural gas. A proposed consent decree for implementing the settlement says the company does not admit any liability over the allegations, but that the two sides agree it will avoid litigation and serve the public interest. A spokesperson for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation based at the Fort Berthold Reservation did not immediately respond to a request for comment either. While Marathon is the country’s 22nd-largest oil producer based on 2022 data, the federal agencies said, it’s also the seventh-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas industry. Much of its emissions come from flaring, the industry practice of burning waste gases, including methane, which the EPA says is 25 times more potent of a contributor to climate change than carbon dioxide. While flaring burns off methane and other pollutants, it’s not completely efficient, so significant quantities still get released into the atmosphere, which the agencies said can have health impacts on nearby communities. The settlement is part of an EPA climate change enforcement initiative that focuses in part on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas production and from landfills. It calls for Marathon to eliminate the equivalent of over 2.25 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions over the next five years, which the agencies said was tantamount to taking 487,000 cars off the road for one year, and will also eliminate nearly 110,000 tons of volatile organic compound emissions, which contribute to asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Meet the Christian oil mogul spending big to elect Trump -Donald Trump has a new friend in the oil industry, but billionaire Tim Dunn probably has a lot more in mind than “drill, baby, drill.”The CEO of CrownRock is an evangelical Christian from Midland who pulled an oil fortune from the plains of West Texas. He remains largely unknown outside of the Lone Star State, where he has spent more than $30 million to push state politics and policy far to the right.Now, he’s going national with his efforts. Late last year, the Texas oilman ensconced himself among Trump’s top donors with a $5 million contribution.“It’s not too much to say he has reshaped Texas politics,” University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said. “Dunn hopes that what is working in Texas will work across the country. The time is good. The ground is soft.”Dunn did his reshaping not by fighting Democrats so much as financing primary challenges to Republicans who don’t conform to his religious-right orthodoxy. Now, he is harnessing his petrodollars to gravitate into Trump’s orbit.He joined the board of directors of the America First Policy Institute, considered a policy and personnel incubator for a potential second Trump administration. He’s gone into business with Brad Parscale, the pollster who’s back helping Trump’s 2024 effort. And he is the longtime vice chair of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which supplied some of Trump’s most controversial nominees and is now contributing to a policy road map for Trump called Project 2025.Dunn’s national debut has led to new scrutiny, with profiles in The Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone. He is now one of the top 10 contributors to Trump’s campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org, ranking fifth until a recent update.Dunn will soon have more money to pour into his causes. In December, he agreed to sell his company to Occidental Petroleum. Bloomberg reported Dunn is set to collect about $2.2 billion.He’s part of a constellation of oil moguls feeding Trump’s campaign. Oil production and natural gas exports have reached record levels during the Biden administration, but the industry is seeking a more favorable regulatory environment. Its lawyers are drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders for Trump to roll back pollution limits, boost natural gas exports and increase offshore leases.
Natural Resources Democrats join oil collusion probes - House Natural Resources Committee Democrats want the Interior Department to turn over information about potential wrongdoing by U.S. oil companies.A letter Tuesday to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, obtained by POLITICO, stems from price fixing litigation against Pioneer Natural Resources and other firms.The Federal Trade Commission has accused former Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield of colluding with OPEC competitors and barred him from joining the board of Exxon Mobil, which bought Pioneer. Sheffield has denied the claims.Congressional Democrats, who have for years accused the oil and gas industry of working to keep energy prices high, have launched various probes.
America’s NATO Partners Anticipate U.S. LNG Supplies To Europe -- The 2024 NATO Summit, to be held this week in Washington, D.C., marks the trans-Atlantic Alliance’s 75th anniversary. NATO, which came to the U.S.’s aid after 9/11 and deployed a contingent to Afghanistan, guarantees not just strategic cooperation across the Atlantic but also bolsters the economic prosperity of its member states. America’s abundant energy resources pair perfectly with Europe’s scarcity of oil and gas to create a win-win partnership, enabling Europe to avoid total energy dependence on authoritarian suppliers in Russia and the Middle East. This partnership between American energy and European industry was placed in jeopardy after a January 2024 decisionby the Biden administration placed a controversial pause on future LNG export permits. This pause was intended to secure Biden’s progressive flank within the Democratic Party in the heavily contested November 2024 presidential elections, albeit at the expense of American national priorities. It put Europe’s ability to purchase cheap and reliable American LNG in question when it was needed to replace sanctioned Russian piped natural gas and eventually not-yet-sanctioned Russian LNG. By placing the flow of US LNG to Europe at risk, Biden, who claims to bolster NATO, shook the energy security pillar of the alliance and may have jeopardized Ukraine, according to many observers. The pause ended in early July after 16 states successfully suedthe Biden administration, arguing that the export restrictions were unconstitutional. This came as a relief to European and East Asian allies, who were otherwise being torn between the necessity to decouple from Russian energy and the Administration’s domestic political play. Coincidentally, energy giant Shell signed a 10-year agreement to sell U.S. LNG to the Swiss-based energy company MET Group. The agreement will "help to ensure security of supply for its customers across Europe, ranging from its own gas-fired power plant demand to energy-intensive industrial companies, SMEs, and households,” MET announced. MET Group has one of the most geographically diversified LNG import structures in Europe. Tom Summers, Senior Vice President of Shell LNG Marketing and Trading, recognized the role agreements of this type play in bolstering security, noting, “LNG has a crucial role to play in delivering energy security, and agreements such as this are instrumental in achieving that.” The long-term relationship between the United States and its European allies is enhanced and strengthened by the stability afforded by American LNG. In a Forbes interview with the veteran energy journalist Llewellyn King, Benjamin Lakatos, CEO of MET Group, remarked, “In the middle of the heavy turbulence, the U.S. had a stabilizing effect on global gas prices.” By acting as a reliable energy source, the U.S. can reinforce its reputation in Europe and support trans-Atlantic stability and cooperation with some of its most important allies.A strong energy supply is essential for NATO’s future goals. This week’s summit will discuss deterrence, defense, and assistance to Ukraine. These depend on reliable energy flows from the U.S. to Europe, including Ukraine. As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine and is reportedlyconducting hybrid operations in other European states as well, its role as an LNG supplier remains one of the most significant sources of leverage over NATO members and a primary source of funding for its war effort. Though the EU recently took action to begin weaning itself off Russian LNG in its 14thsanctions package, its penalties against Moscow will remain limited unless the U.S. steps up to the plate as an alternative supplier. To truly maximize NATO’s commitment to assisting Ukraine and deterring the conflicts being incited by Russia, American LNG must be able to replace Russian LNG, nullifying it as a source of influence and income.
NEPA lawsuits challenge Biden's Alaska drilling protections - New challengers are lining up to oppose the Biden administration’s latest restrictions on oil and gas development in Alaska’s 23 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve. In parallel lawsuits filed last week, ConocoPhillips Alaska and Republican state Attorney General Treg Taylor urged a federal judge to toss out an Interior Department rule that set stronger environmental protections for more than half of the reserve. Interior’s Bureau of Land Management advanced the protections as it sought to address public backlash for approving new fossil fuel development in the remote Arctic region, also referred to as the NPR-A. At the same time, Alaskan politicians on both sides of the political aisle have warned that limiting oil and gas drilling in the state would seriously undercut revenue needed to fund a range of public services. In their lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, Taylor and ConocoPhillips Alaska claimed the BLM rule “dramatically and fundamentally changes” how the reserve is managed.
LNG Canada Nears Commissioning Phase for First Train, Fluor Says --Canada’s fledgling LNG export industry could be reaching a milestone as one major project nears start-up and another receives critical support. NGI's map of BC natural gas pipelines and operational/under construction LNG facilities. Fluor Corp., one of the lead construction engineering, procurement and construction firms working on LNG Canada disclosed earlier in the week that crews had finished the final weld on Train 1. Fluor’s Jim Breuer, president of energy solutions, said the final push on completing the first of two liquefaction trains is a pivotal moment for both Canada’s liquefied natural gas industry and what is expected to be its first operational terminal.
Canadian Storage Inventories Threaten to Max Out in Key Alberta Region, Battering Natural Gas Prices -Working natural gas in storage is on the cusp of topping out in Alberta, the Canadian province with the largest capacity. NGI's Canadian border tracker for natural gas prices and trade (graphic). RBN Energy LLC estimated natural gas inventories reached 449 Bcf on July 1, representing the second-highest figure on record for this point of the year – surpassed only by the 467 Bcf in 2016. This year’s tally puts storage within 31 Bcf of Alberta’s estimated effective capacity of 480 Bcf. The lofty levels emerged after a mild winter and robust levels of Canadian production over the past 18 months. Output reached records above 18 Bcf/d multiple times last year and again in 2024 as producers ramped up ahead of the pending LNG Canada. The Shell plc-led liquefied natural gas export project in British Columbia is targeting final commissioning this year.
With Cedar LNG Sanctioned, Pembina Eyeing More Natural Gas Processing in Montney, Duvernay --Western Canada-focused Pembina Gas Infrastructure Inc. (PGI) is aiming to expand its natural gas infrastructure in the Montney and Duvernay formations after securing a half-stake in Whitecap Resources Inc.’s 15-07 Kaybob Complex. Map showing Pembina Pipeline's natural gas and oil operations. Kaybob, being sold for C$420 million ($307 million), has natural gas processing capacity of 165 MMcf/d and condensate stabilization capacity of 15,000 b/d. PGI, jointly owned by Pembina Pipeline Corp. and private equity giant KKR, also agreed to support “future infrastructure development” in Whitecap’s recently sanctioned Lator project.
Anchors Aweigh for Manatee Natural Gas Field as Shell Building More Global LNG Capacity --Shell plc, a top natural gas producer in Trinidad and Tobago’s offshore, is building capacity after sanctioning the Manatee field, estimated to hold 2.7 Tcf. Graph showing Shell's gloabl LNG supply forecast. Shell Trinidad and Tobago Ltd. took the final investment decision on the gas field, which is in the East Coast Marine Area (ECMA). Manatee is slated to ramp in 2027. Once online, peak production is expected to be 104,000 boe/d, with 604 MMcf/d of gas. “This project will help meet the increasing demand for natural gas globally, while also addressing the energy needs of our customers domestically in Trinidad and Tobago,” Shell’s Zoë Yujnovich, Integrated Gas and Upstream director, said. “The investment bolsters our world-leading LNG portfolio in line with our commitment to invest in competitive projects that deliver more value with less emissions.”
Global LNG trade increased more than 1.6 Bcf/d in 2023 - LNG trade increased 3.1% globally in 2023 to average 52.9 Bcft/d, an increase of 1.6 Bcf/d from 2022, according to a report from the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers (GIIGNL). LNG export capacity expanded primarily in the United States, Mozambique, Russia, Indonesia, Norway, and Oman. In the United States, Freeport LNG returned to service in February 2023 after being offline since June 2022, and it was operating at full production capacity by April. Developers in both Mozambique and Russia commissioned new projects in 2022—the 0.4-Bcf/d Coral South FLNG in Mozambique and the 0.2-Bcf/d Portovaya LNG in Russia—and these projects reached full production in 2023. In Indonesia, the Tangguh LNG export facility added a third train. Norway and Oman increased LNG production capacity by optimizing operational efficiency of existing LNG plants. In 2023, the U.S. became the world’s largest LNG exporter, with exports increasing by 12% compared with 2022. Exports from the three largest global LNG exporters—the United States, Australia, and Qatar—accounted for 60% of all LNG exports in 2023. Algeria’s LNG exports increased 0.4 Bcf/d as additional natural gas feedstock became available from the newly commissioned production fields. Exports also increased from Norway and Australia mainly due to optimization of the export plants’ operational performance and from Indonesia after a capacity expansion at Tangguh LNG. LNG import capacity was expanded primarily in Europe and Asia. In Europe, operators placed several new Floating Storage and Regasification Units in service and expanded regasification capacity at some existing terminals. In Asia, new capacity was added primarily in China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Asian countries continued to lead the growth in LNG imports globally, with imports increasing by 3.5% (1.2 Bcf/d) in 2023. LNG imports increased by 12% (1.0 Bcf/d) in China, the most of any country in the world, making China the world’s largest LNG importer for the second year since 2021. LNG imports in India increased by 11% (0.3 Bcf/d) as new regasification terminals were placed in service and LNG prices declined. Lower LNG prices also contributed to increased imports into Thailand (by 0.4 Bcf/d), Bangladesh (0.1 Bcf/d), and Singapore (by 0.1 Bcf/d). LNG imports in Europe increased slightly by 1.4% (0.2 Bcf/d). Imports into Germany—the newest LNG importer—averaged 0.7 Bcf/d. Imports also increased to countries that expanded regasification capacity, such as the Netherlands, Italy, and Finland. LNG imports to the United Kingdom, France, and Spain declined by a combined 1.3 Bcf/d, mainly because natural gas demand in these countries decreased. In Latin America, LNG imports increased mainly in Colombia, by 0.1 Bcf/d. Colombia experienced drought and used LNG for natural gas-fired electric power plants to offset lower hydropower generation. In Brazil, LNG imports declined by 0.2 Bcf/d because more electricity was generated by hydropower, reducing demand for natural gas-fired electricity generation in 2023. LNG imports into Puerto Rico also increased by 0.1 Bcf/d.
Golar Setting Stage for Argentina’s LNG Exports by 2027 with Pan American Energy -Golar LNG Ltd. has inked an agreement with oil and natural gas producer Pan American Energy S.L. (PAE) to begin exporting liquefied natural gas from Argentina for 20 years starting in 2027. Under the agreement, Golar would deploy a 2.45 million metric tons/year (mmty) floating LNG (FLNG) vessel to the Argentine coast, “establishing Argentina as an LNG exporter,” the firm said. Plans are to liquefy and export natural gas sourced from the Vaca Muerta shale play in Argentina’s Neuquén Basin. Golar touted Vaca Muerta as the world’s second largest shale gas resource.
Vitol Doubles Down on LNG Marine Fuel Growth with Bunkering Vessel Deals -Trading house Vitol Inc. is expanding its exposure to the LNG marine bunkering market as demand for cleaner fuels in the shipping sector reaches record levels. Vitol has signed a seven-year deal with a three-year extension for a 20,000 cubic meter (cm) liquefied natural gas bunkering vessel from Avenir LNG. The charter is expected to start by the end of 2026, when the vessel is targeted to be delivered from a Chinese shipyard. The independent commodity trader also has ordered a 12,500 cm bunkering vessel and one 20,000 cm bunkering vessel from the Nantong CIMC SinoPacific Offshore & Engineering Co. Ltd. shipyard in China. The vessels would be delivered in 4Q2026 and 3Q2027, respectively.
Honeywell Betting on Rising Global Natural Gas Consumption with Air Products Deal --Industrial conglomerate Honeywell International Inc. sees a future fueled by natural gas, CEO Vimal Kapur said. To that end, the company is expanding its global LNG prowess with the takeover of Air Products’ liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment business. Charlotte, NC-based Honeywell agreed to pay $1.81 billion for the Air Products unit. Allentown, PA-based Air Products provides industrial gasses, related equipment and applications expertise for customers worldwide. It has expertise in the LNG, refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and the food and beverage industries. Air Products’ LNG business develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest industrial gas projects.
Russian Gas Flows East via Yamal-Europe Pipeline for Fifth Day --The Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually sends Russian gas to Western Europe was operating in a reverse mode for a fifth day on Saturday, shipping fuel from Germany to Poland, data from German network operator Gascade showed. Russian gas exporter Gazprom did not book gas transit capacity for exports via the Yamal-Europe pipeline for Sunday as well, auction results showed. European gas prices climbed to a record high this week after Yamal switched direction but eased on Friday. Russia said the flow reversal was not a political move, though it coincides with rising tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the reversal was because of a lack of requests from buyers, Reuters reported. Putin also said on Friday that Russia was "sidelined" by Poland in managing the pipeline and Europe had only itself to blame for soaring gas prices. Flows at the Mallnow metering point on the German-Polish border were going east into Poland at an hourly volume of more than 1.1 million kilowatt hours (kWh/h) on Saturday and were expected to stay at these levels during the day, the data shows. Putin has also said that Germany was reselling Russian gas to Poland and Ukraine rather than relieving an overheated market. Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov told the NTV channel that the company was ready to supply additional gas within its long-term contracts, which would be cheaper than short-term deals concluded on European spot market. Reverse flows from Germany to Poland - and probably to Ukraine as well - stand at between 3 million cubic metres (mcm) and 5 mcm per day, he said, reiterating that accusations that Gazprom was undersupplying gas are "groundless". Kupriyanov added that the gas is being taken off underground storage facilities that are already depleted. Data from Slovak pipeline operator Eustream showed capacity nominations for Saturday's Russian gas flows from Ukraine to Slovakia via the Velke Kapusany border point were at 747,031 megawatt hours (MWh), slightly up from Friday's 739,843 MWh but below levels in recent weeks. That drop was being balanced by higher nominations for flows from the Czech Republic to Slovakia, meaning that nominations for flows from Slovakia to Austrian hub Baumgarten were roughly stable compared with levels in recent days and weeks.
Russia boosts LPG rail exports to China by almost a third in H1 - Russia cranked up liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exports to China via rail by almost a third in the first half of the year to 133,000 metric tons (t), data from industry sources showed on Wednesday. The fuel supplies are still curbed by infrastructure constraints and congestion on Russian railways. According to the data, supplies in June declined by 16.5% from May to 12,300 t, falling for the second month in a row. Traders said that railcar congestion was especially pronounced at the Zabaikalsk-Manchuria border crossing due to maintenance work at the Manzhouli Far East Gas terminal in May and June. Russian railway station Zabaikalskaya was also undergoing reconstruction, they said. The sources said that supplies from Irkutsk Oil Company's (INK) Ust-Kut gas processing plant contributed most to the first-half increase, boosting supplies by 37,200 t year-on-year. INK accounted for almost 70% of Russia's LPG exports to China in January–June. Other large suppliers are Novokuibyshevsk Petrochemical Company, BerezkaGas and Taneko. LPG, or propane and butane, is mainly used as fuel for cars, heating and to produce other petrochemicals. In 2023, Russia raised rail exports of LPG to China by 35% to 202,000 t. Russia also supplies LPG by trucks.
Bayelsa community cries out over massive oil spill from Agip facility - Residents of Olugboboro community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have cried out over a massive crude oil spill from a facility operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, in the area. The leak, according to the aggrieved community folks, occured about two months ago, following a rupture they blamed on equipment failure, along Ogboinbiri/Tebidada pipeline. Leaders of the community, Azeke Akpowari, Ebimobowei Ipkesiware and Assistant Secretary General, Amos Oweifighe, in a letter to the Bayelsa State Government called for urgent intervention to stop the oil spill. They stated in the letter addressed to the deputy governor: “We wish to register our utter displeasure and intimate you of the inaction of NAOC to the oil spillage that occured in a pipeline operated by the company, at Olugboboro community in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State. “The spillage occured two months ago along Ogboinbiri/Tebitada pipeline when the pipeline ruptured, which has been attributed to equipment failure. “As a result, for two months, crude oil has been gushing out from the pipeline, thereby devastating a large swath of farm lands, ponds, economic trees and lakes in the forest. “It will be difficult to quantify the damage wrecked on the people’s livelihood and the environment, because of the huge quantities of crude oil spilled. “It will be pertinent to note that Biedinobou, where the equipment failure occured, is a major farming and fishing hub of the community. Hundred of thousands of barrels of crude oil have been spilled since sometime in May this year when the pipeline ruptured, thereby turning farm lands, lakes and ponds into rivers of crude oil. “Consequently, collateral damage has been done to farms, economic trees, ponds and lakes, which are the mainstay of the people in Biedinobou forest for the past two months since the pipeline began to seep crude oil to the environment. We are in a rainy season, it’s aiding the fast spread of the spill to distance areas and rivers. “Agip has been informed of the ugly incident, however, till date, it has not made any attempt to contain the spillage from further polluting and degrading the environment.
BP predicts global oil demand will peak in 2025, bringing to end rising emissions - BP has predicted that the world’s demand for oil will peak next year, bringing an end to rising global carbon emissions by the mid-2020s amid a surge in wind and solar power.The energy company’s influential outlook report has found that oil use will increase by about 2m barrels a day to peak at about 102m in 2025 across both of its forecasts.The first forecast scenario shows the world’s current energy transition trajectory and the other shows the pathway to meeting global net zero targets by 2050.BP predicts in both scenarios that carbon emissions will reach a peak in the middle of the decade amid a rapid expansion of wind and solar power as technology costs continue to fall.However, the report sets out starkly different pathways for the future demand for gas, which has emerged in recent years as key growth area for energy companies including BP.Under the report’s net zero scenario, gas use would peak around the middle of this decade before halving by 2050, compared with 2022 levels. But the current trajectory suggests gas demand will continue to grow throughout the forecast, expanding by about a fifth by 2050.In the scenarios, demand for liquefied natural gas, which is cooled to be transported on ships, climbs by 40% and 30% above 2022 levels respectively.The report also suggests higher-than-expected oil consumption in the 2030s compared with BP’s previous forecasts, which would pose a serious threat to the world’s climate targets.The oil company said its forecasts for the current global trajectory, which included climate policies already in place, showed the world would breach the carbon budgets keeping global temperatures from rising above 2C above preindustrial levels.Under the current trajectory oil demand is expected to fall to 97.8m barrels a day in 2035, which is 5% higher than last year’s BP forecasts. The net zero model predicts demand will remain at 80.2m barrels in 2035, up 10% on last year’s outlook.
Kpler Data: Saudi Arabia's Oil Exports Fall to Lowest In Decade - Recent data from Kpler reveals a significant decline in crude oil exports from major OPEC+ producers in June, driven largely by weak demand in Asian markets and increased domestic consumption in the Middle East. This has resulted in Saudi Arabia's exports plummeting to their lowest level in over a decade. OPEC+ production fell to its lowest point of the year as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iraq all implemented cuts to curb overproduction and respond to lower Asian demand. Saudi exports decreased dramatically by 930,000 barrels per day to 5.42 million barrels per day, a level not seen since at least 2013. Other Middle Eastern producers, including Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, and the UAE, also reduced their exports significantly. In June, Middle Eastern crude flows hit a three-year low, primarily due to reduced availability of medium-density grades. This decline is attributed to stronger domestic consumption, higher crude burn for power generation, and possibly coordinated efforts to tighten the market. Saudi refinery runs rose by 207,000 bpd to 2.7 million bpd, driven by the return of major units from maintenance, and crude burn increased by 81,000 bpd to 553,000 bpd. The key factor behind the export reduction is the tepid demand from Asian markets. China’s economic indicators, such as PMIs, are below 50, signaling contraction. India’s imports of Saudi oil fell to a ten-year low in June at 428,000 bpd. As the monsoon season approaches, Indian imports are unlikely to rebound soon. The weak demand has prevented a rebound in the Asian medium sour crude market despite reduced cargo availability. Prices for Middle Eastern medium sour grades have softened due to weak demand and ample supplies. The reopening of the West-East arbitrage window and attractive Russian crude prices are expected to draw interest away from regional grades. This scenario suggests that producers may further cut their official selling prices (OSPs) in the coming months.
Saudi to Increase Crude Oil Supply to China, Reaching 44 mmbbl | Egypt Oil & Gas -- Saudi crude oil exports to China will rebound in August to at least 44 million barrels (mmbbl) after deep price cuts by state energy firm Saudi Aramco supporting demand, according to Reuters. August exports to China will rise for the first time in four months, from about 36 mmbbl in July. This rebound will help the biggest oil exporter regain its share in the largest import market. Notably, Saudi exports to China tumbled in June to 1.12 million barrels per day (mmbbl/d), the lowest since March 2020, showed data from analytics firm Kpler. Chinese buyers of Saudi oil include Zhejiang Petrochemical, Sinopec, Sinochem and PetroChina. Separately, Saudi Aramco will supply full contractual volume to at least three other North Asian refiners in August. This decision comes shortly after Aramco reduced prices for August-loading crude to Asia for the second consecutive month, with its flagship Arab Light crude priced at its lowest level since March
OPEC daily crude output falls by 0.3% in June - Crude oil production from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decreased by 0.3%, or by 80,000 barrels per day (bpd), in June to average 26.57 million bpd, according to OPEC's monthly oil market report released on Wednesday. Crude oil output fell mainly in Saudi Arabia, while production experienced the biggest increase in Libya and Venezuela. Production in Saudi Arabia, the group's largest producer, declined by 76,000 bpd, whereas output rose by 24,000 bpd in Libya and by 21,000 bpd in Venezuela. Total daily crude oil production of the OPEC+ group, which consists of OPEC and some non-OPEC producing countries, fell by 125,000 barrels to 40.80 million bpd. The global oil demand growth forecast for 2024 remained broadly unchanged from last month's assessment at 2.25 million bpd year on year, OPEC said. Total world oil demand is anticipated to reach 104.5 million bpd in 2024, bolstered by strong demand for air travel and healthy road mobility, including trucking, the organization said. It is estimated that oil demand in OECD countries will increase by 190,000 bpd this year to 45.84 million barrels. In non-OECD countries, demand is expected to increase by 2.06 million bpd this year to 58.62 million barrels. Petrochemical capacity additions in non-OECD countries, mostly in China and the Middle East, are also predicted to contribute to this rise. On the other hand, global demand is expected to reach 106.31 million barrels in 2025 with an increase of 1.85 million bpd. In this period, demand is expected to increase by 110,000 bpd in OECD countries and by 1.74 million barrels in non-OECD countries.
Oil prices plunge on Gaza peace talks, Hurricane Beryl impact; brent crude at $86.12/bbl Oil prices dipped on Monday after four weeks of gains, as concerns over supply disruptions eased amid hopes for a ceasefire deal in Gaza. However, the potential impact of Hurricane Beryl on supplies limited the decline. By 12:30 GMT, Brent crude futures had fallen 42 cents, or 0.5%, to $86.12 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped 52 cents, or 0.63%, to $82.64 a barrel."Crude oil exhibited significant volatility, slipping from its highs amid ceasefire talks between Israel and Gaza. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office announced on Friday that the head of Israel’s Mossad had returned from Doha after an initial meeting with Gaza mediators. They are attempting to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal, with negotiations set to resume next week. Following this news, the risk premium on crude oil eased in the international markets. Also, crude oil prices declined due to downbeat U.S. job data and increased concerns about oil demand. However, a weaker dollar index and stronger euro and pound sterling supported prices at lower levels. We expect crude oil prices to remain volatile in today’s session. Crude oil has support at $82.10-81.50 and resistance at $83.24-83.70," Negotiations for a U.S.-proposed ceasefire to end the nine-month-old conflict in Gaza are currently underway, with Qatar and Egypt acting as mediators. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas on Monday. In preparation for the hurricane, the ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport, and Texas City closed on Sunday. Texas is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the U.S. Port closures could temporarily halt crude and liquefied natural gas exports, disrupt oil shipments to refineries, and affect motor fuel deliveries from those facilities, according to analysts. WTI rose by 2.1% last week after Energy Information Administration data revealed a decline in crude and refined product stockpiles for the week ending June 28. IG's Sycamore noted a strong possibility of another significant weekly draw in U.S. oil inventories amid peak driving season. Investors were also monitoring potential impacts on geopolitics and energy policies from last week's elections in the UK, France, and Iran.
The Oil Market on Monday Sold Off as Concerns Over Supply Eased on Hopes of a Ceasefire Deal in Gaza - The oil market on Monday sold off as concerns over supply eased on hopes of a ceasefire deal in Gaza. The market was pressured as talks over a U.S. ceasefire plan to end the nine month old war in Gaza are under way and are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt. The crude market posted its high of $83.32 on the opening overnight ahead of Hurricane Beryl’s landfall in Texas early on Monday. The market was initially supported as the Ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City were closed on Sunday to prepare for the hurricane. However, the market retraced any of its gains and sold off to a low of $82.10 early on Monday. The market later bounced off its low and traded sideways as it held resistance at the 83.00 level as major refineries along the Gulf Coast saw minimal impacts from the storm. The August WTI contract settled down 83 cents at $82.33 and the August Brent contract settled down 79 cents at $85.75. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 2.33 cents at $2.5791 and the RB market settling down 2.12 cents at $2.5379. The Texas energy industry braced for Hurricane Beryl’s impact on Monday, with threats from the storm forcing the closure of key oil and gas shipping ports, slowing refining and prompting the evacuation of some production sites. Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph is posing problems in Texas. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center was forecast to move over eastern Texas on Monday, before passing over the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley later in the week. Over the weekend, the port of Corpus Christi, the country’s leading crude oil export hub, closed operations and vessel traffic in preparation for Beryl. The ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City were also shut ahead of the storm making landfall. The Corpus Christi Ship Channel reopened by mid-day Monday with no significant impacts from the storm. The Port of Houston said that operations will remain suspended for the day and for Tuesday morning as terminal prepares to resume operations. The 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, which on Sunday operated under transit restrictions before halting all traffic, allows access to 8 public facilities and some 200 private terminals. Enbridge Inc, which runs crude oil export facilities near Corpus Christi, also said it had activated emergency plans for assets along or near the U.S. Gulf Coast. Some oil producers, including Shell and Chevron had also shut in production or evacuated personnel from their Gulf of Mexico offshore platforms. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 260,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending July 12th, cutting available refining capacity by 151,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to remain unchanged at 260,000 bpd in the week ending July 19th. Citgo Petroleum Corp was cutting production at its 165,000 bpd Corpus Christi refinery on Saturday. The refiner plans to keep the plant in operation at minimum during Hurricane Beryl’s passage. A brief power interruption on Friday night triggered multiple unit malfunctions at Valero Energy Corp’s 360,000 bpd Port Arthur, Texas refinery. Marathon Petroleum Corp’s 631,000 bpd Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City, Texas suffered a power interruption on Monday as Hurricane Beryl came onshore.
U.S. crude oil prices fall 1% as market assesses Tropical Storm Beryl impact -- U.S. crude oil futures fell 1% on Monday as traders assessed the impact of Tropical Storm Beryl on Gulf Coast refining, production and export infrastructure.Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. Matagorda is about 150 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, a leading crude export facility in the U.S.Beryl was subsequently downgraded to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour and is forecast to weaken further, according to the NHC. The storm is moving in a northeast direction."Oil and products are sliding on the storm as some of the worst-case scenarios of Hurricane Beryl thankfully, won't come to be," Here are Monday's energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate August contract: $82.33, down 83 cents, or 1%. Year to date, U.S. oil has gained 14.9%.
- Brent September contract: $85.75 per barrel, down 79 cents, or 0.91%. Year to date, the global benchmark is ahead 11.3%.
- RBOB Gasoline August contract: $2.53 per gallon, down 2 cents, or 0.83%. Year to date, gasoline is up 20.7%.
- Natural Gas August contract: $2.36 per thousand cubic feet, up 4 cents, or 2.03%. Year to date, gas is down 5.9%.
Shell shut in production and evacuated personnel from its Perdido platformabout 200 miles south of Galveston, according to a company statement Friday. The platform was producing roughly 100,000 barrels per day, or bpd, about 5.5% of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, "I don't foresee this storm affecting either supply or price to any significant degree; the consumer will get their gasoline. Most people will not even notice," There will be some reduction in refining operations and a delay in getting products to Florida, but the price of gasoline should remain steady through the storm, Lipow said. Afterward, gasoline prices may drift higher as crude futures have risen recently, he said.Investors are worried about hurricane season this year with Colorado State University forecasting an "extremely active" storm season this year.Prices at the pump were averaging about $3.50 per gallon nationwide on Monday, about 1 cent higher than last week but 3 cents lower than last month, according to the motorist association AAA."There's enough market momentum to push prices higher throughout the next couple weeks, probably up to about $3.60 or so," Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service, told CNBC's "Fast Money" on Friday.But gasoline prices are unlikely to hit the $4 per gallon mark unless "we have something really go nuts," Cinquegrana said.
Oil prices slip after US crude hub escapes serious storm damage - Oil prices eased on Tuesday after traders learned that prolonged supply disruptions from Hurricane Beryl were unlikely after a U.S. oil-producing hub in Texas suffered less storm damage than feared.Brent futures for September delivery fell 31 cents to $85.44 a barrel by 11:17 a.m. EDT (1517 GMT). U.S. crude fell 23 cents to $82.10 per barrel.Although some offshore U.S. production sites were evacuated, ports closed and refining slowed, major refineries along the country’s Gulf Coast appeared to see minimal impact after Beryl weakened into a tropical storm.“Early indications suggest that most energy infrastructure has come through unscathed,” ING analysts wrote in a client note, adding price action in crude oil and refined fuel markets reflected waning expectations of ongoing supply disruptions from the hurricane. Texas accounts for more than 40% of crude supplied in the U.S., the world’s top producer.“The sum total of these various developments appears to be negligible and temporary, as underscored by this week’s selling across the complex,” said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates.Major Texas oil shipping ports were set to reopen on Tuesday, and some facilities were ramping up output again.Several refiners such as Marathon Petroleum were also preparing to restart their refining units.Market participants are also watching the situation in the Middle East. On Monday, oil prices settled down 1% on hopes a possible ceasefire deal in Gaza could reduce worries about global crude supply disruption.Senior U.S. officials were in Egypt for talks on Monday, but gaps remained between the two sides, the White House said, and Hamas said a new Israeli push into Gaza threatened the potential agreement.“Crude futures were inching lower early Tuesday after a second consecutive session of losses suggested an overdue pullback from (a) nine-week high,” Markets were also waiting for the release of key U.S. inflation data, with Federal Reserve Chair Powell set to appear before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday, as investors wagered a slew of soft labour market data has greatly increased the chance of an interest rate cut in September to about 80%.The “market will find a sympathetic bid if Powell’s comments are indeed friendly to a rate cut and if the U.S. CPI backs such language with a lower reading,”
Oil prices down following cease-fire talks, uncertainty over Fed interest rate cut -- Oil prices decreased on Tuesday with ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and uncertainty over the timing of the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate cut, while further price decline was limited amid worries over the potential impact of Hurricane Beryl on oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $85.57 per barrel at 10.17 a.m. local time (0717 GMT), a decrease of 0.20% from the closing price of $85.75 per barrel in the previous trading session. The American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $82.12 per barrel at the same time, a 0.25% fall from the previous session that closed at $82.33 per barrel. Cease-fire talks in the Middle East, which is home to a vast majority of global oil reserves, relieve some supply concerns among market players and put downward pressure on prices. The US State Department announced on Monday that Barbara Leaf, the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, is visiting the Middle East on July 8–14 to discuss a cease-fire deal in Gaza. "The Assistant Secretary will meet with government officials on continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire agreement, secure the release of all hostages, and ensure humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout Gaza," according to the State Department. Meanwhile, Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security services, and CIA Director William Burns arrived in Egypt on Monday for talks on a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Also, ongoing uncertainties over the timing of the Fed interest rate cut continue to influence prices by raising demand concerns. Analysts noted that although macroeconomic data continue to indicate a slowdown in the US economy, Fed officials still maintain their cautious stance on rate cuts. The probability of the Fed's first rate cut in September is 81% and 78% for November. The possibility of the bank cutting interest rates for the second time in December is 98%. The upward trend in the US dollar against other currencies also dulled oil demand and supported price declines. A strong dollar is expected to reduce demand by making oil more expensive for foreign currency users. The US dollar index rose by 0.02% to 105.02 at 10.38 a.m. local time (0738 GMT). However, the potential impact of Hurricane Beryl on oil production in the Gulf of Mexico limited further price declines. It has been reported that more than 1 million households and businesses have experienced power outages due to the hurricane, which reached the Texas coast of the US with a "category 1" intensity. The concern that some ports in the US might close down due to the hurricane fueled fears that the closure could temporarily halt exports of crude and liquefied natural gas, oil shipments to refineries, and deliveries of motor fuel from these facilities.
Easing Concerns Over Supply Disruption in the Wake of Hurricane Beryl, Which Caused Minimal Damage to Energy Infrastructure - The oil market continued to trend lower on Tuesday amid easing concerns over supply disruption in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which caused minimal damage to energy infrastructure. While oil refining activity slowed and some production sites were evacuated as a precautionary measure, major refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast appeared to see minimal impact from the hurricane, which weakened into a tropical storm after hitting the Texas coast. The crude market traded sideways in overnight trading before it breached the $82.00 level. It traded sideways posting a high of $82.48 before some further selling pressure pushed the market lower to a low of $81.25 ahead of the close. The August WTI contract settled down 92 cents at $81.41 and the September Brent contract settled down $1.09 at $84.66. The product markets also ended the session lower once again, with the heating oil market settling down 5.55 cents at $2.5236 and RB market settling down 1.05 cents at $2.5274. In its Short Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. EIA left its 2024 world oil demand growth forecast unchanged at 1.10 million bpd and increased its oil demand growth estimate for 2025 by 300,000 bpd to 1.80 million bpd. Total world petroleum demand is forecast at 102.91 million bpd in 2024 and 104.68 million bpd in 2025. Total world oil output is expected to increase by 640,000 bpd to 102.43 million bpd in 2024 and by 2.3 million bpd to 104.6 million bpd in 2025. OPEC’s oil output is estimated to fall by 210,000 bpd to 26.68 million bpd in 2024 but increase by 470,000 bpd to 27.15 million bpd in 2025. Meanwhile, U.S. oil output is forecast to increase by 320,000 bpd to 13.25 million bpd in 2024 and by 520,000 bpd to 13.77 million bpd in 2025. The EIA also forecast that U.S. oil demand in 2024 is forecast to increase by 110,000 bpd to 20.36 million bpd and by 290,000 bpd to 20.65 million bpd in 2025. U.S. gasoline demand in 2024 is forecast to fall by 40,000 bpd to 8.9 million bpd and by 10,000 bpd to 8.89 million bpd in 2025. U.S. distillate demand fell by 70,000 bpd to 3.86 million bpd in 2024 but increase by 110,000 bpd to 3.97 million bpd in 2025. The EIA raised its 2024 Brent price forecast to $86.37/barrel from a previous forecast of $84.15/barrel. It also raised its 2025 forecast to $88.38/barrel from a previous estimate of $85.38/barrel.Goldman Sachs said expectations for a more severe Atlantic hurricane season than usual this year will pose an upside risk to refining margins rather than to crude prices. Goldman Sachs said it still expects Brent prices to average $86/barrel this quarter as OECD commercial stocks continue to be drawn down and “spreading wildfires in Alberta are already disrupting Canadian oil production.”Oil and gas companies in Texas were restarting operations on Tuesday after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in the state with 80-mph winds. On Tuesday, ports were set to reopen, and some producers and facilities were ramping up output after preventively cutting down processing. Some were limited by slow restoration of power to homes, businesses and industrial customers. On Monday, Shell said it would start redeploying personnel to its Perdido and Whale oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico on July 9th. As a precautionary measure against Hurricane Beryl, the company had shut-in production at its Perdido production platform. The Port of Corpus Christi reopened ship navigation on Monday afternoon, but the Port of Houston said its terminals would remain closed on Tuesday after conducting a preliminary assessment of facilities and systems.
WTI Lifts Off One-Week Lows After API Reports Bigger Than Expected Crude Draw - Oil prices had dropped today as traders hung on every word from Fed Chair Powell prompting some wild intraday swings.Earlier, prices traded above $82 a barrel after Powell said the labor market has “cooled considerably,” but further comments that avoided sending signals about imminent rate cuts caused markets to give up previous gains.Crude markets are in a “nervous trade”, said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president for trading at BOK Financial Securities, ahead of Thursday's CPI data. API
- Crude -1.9mm (-1.3mm exp)
- Cushing-1.2mm
- Gasoline -3.0mm
- Distillates +2.3mm
Crude stocks fell more than expected last week according to API and gasoline inventories also fell for the second straight week... WTI rebounded off one-week lows after the bigger than expected crude draw (but remains lower on the day for now)... Adding to bearish sentiment, the oil hub of Houston made it through the worst of storm Beryl and reported progress on recovery efforts.On the bullish side, Russia’s crude exports in the week to July 7 slumped the most since before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.There was no clear reason for the sudden weekly drop, but shipments fell from the major ports.Forecasts for higher fuel consumption throughout the Northern Hemisphere’s summer have supported prices, though slumping supertanker earnings are a reminder of ongoing concerns about Chinese consumption.
WTI Rebounds Off One-Week Lows On Large Crude Draw As Oil Volatility Plummets --Crude prices remain lower this morning ahead of the official inventory data - though continuing yesterday's somewhat chaotic intraday swings. This is notable as oil options markets are pricing in the lowest volatility in six years - despite the potential geopolitical chaos. “The market has been buffeted by opposing forces, with OPEC, geopolitics, weather on the one hand providing a floor and weak economic data and relatively strong dollar, Fed on hold providing the cap which has ultimately left us range bound,” Overnight, API reported a bigger than expected crude and gasoline draw; traders are anxiously awaiting the official confirmation. DOE
- Crude -3.44mm (-1.3mm exp)
- Cushing -702k
- Gasoline -2mm
- Distillates +4.88mm
The official data confirmed an even larger crude inventory draw. Distillates stocks rose more than exp3ected - perhaps driven by refinery outages from Beryl.... The Biden admin added to SPR once again (+477k barrels)
USA EIA Raises 2024 and 2025 Brent Oil Price Forecasts | Rigzone The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) raised its Brent oil price forecasts for 2024 and 2025 in its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released this week. According to its July STEO, the EIA now sees the Brent crude spot price averaging $86.37 per barrel this year and $88.38 per barrel next year. In its previous June STEO, the EIA projected that the Brent crude spot price would average $84.15 per barrel in 2024 and $85.38 per barrel in 2025. The EIA forecasts in its latest STEO that the Brent spot price will average $87.97 per barrel in the third quarter, $89.64 per barrel in the fourth quarter, $90.66 per barrel in the first quarter of 2025, $89 per barrel in the second quarter, $88 per barrel in the third quarter, and $86 per barrel in the fourth quarter. In its June STEO, the EIA projected that the Brent spot price would come in at $83.25 per barrel in the third quarter, $86.64 per barrel in the fourth quarter, $88 per barrel in the first quarter of next year, $86 per barrel in the second quarter, $85 per barrel in the third quarter, and $82.66 per barrel in the fourth quarter. “The Brent crude oil spot price averaged $82 per barrel in June, unchanged from May,” the EIA said in its July STEO. “Prices fell to $75 per barrel on June 4 following the OPEC+ meeting on June 2, when the group announced that 2.2 million barrels per day of voluntary cuts would gradually be unwound beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024,” it added. “Prices fell following this announcement as market participants assessed that unwinding production cuts could cause a significant increase in global oil inventories. The Brent crude oil spot price has since reached $88 per barrel as of July 3, as market participants have reassessed the announcement based on current global inventory levels and the indication by OPEC+ that production cuts remain subject to market conditions,” the EIA continued. The EIA noted in the report that it expects oil prices will increase from an average of $82 per barrel in June to $89 per barrel for the remainder of 2024 and $91 per barrel in the first quarter of next year. “Total oil inventories in the OECD remain near the lower bound of their recent five-year range (2019–2023),” the EIA said in its latest STEO. “We expect that OPEC+ will produce less crude oil than the group’s announced targets through the rest of the forecast period, which will reduce global oil inventories through mid-2025 and keep OECD inventories near the bottom of the range,” it added. “Global oil inventories decreased by an estimated 0.6 million barrels per day in 2Q24, and we expect they will decrease by 0.8 million barrels per day on average from 3Q24 through 1Q25,” it continued. The EIA stated in the STEO that it anticipates that the market will gradually return to moderate inventory builds in 2025 after the expiration of voluntary OPEC+ supply cuts in 4Q24 and after forecast supply growth from countries outside of OPEC+ begins to offset growth in global oil demand. “Beginning in 3Q25 we estimate that global oil inventories will increase at an average of 0.3 million barrels per day and will increase by 0.4 million barrels per day in 4Q25,” it added. “We forecast the Brent price will average $88 per barrel in 2025, as growing inventories reduce oil prices in the second half of next year,” it continued. The EIA highlighted in the STEO that “uncertainty remains around heightened tensions in the Middle East, and an escalation in Houthi attacks on shipping vessels around the Red Sea”. “These attacks have largely cut off the shipping channel for many oil shipments,” the EIA noted in the STEO. “Although these attacks have yet to directly reduce oil supply, the potential for further escalation and the lack of any potential resolution around the Red Sea attacks has added higher shipping costs and an ongoing risk premium to oil prices in the near term,” it added. In its latest STEO, the EIA also pointed out that its latest report does not include any potential effects from Hurricane Beryl. “The hurricane hit the Texas Gulf Coast, a major hub for the U.S. energy industry, on July 8,” the EIA said in the STEO. “EIA will continue to monitor the effects of the hurricane on critical energy infrastructure and will communicate important information in subsequent reports,” it added. In a report sent to Rigzone late Tuesday by Standard Chartered Bank Commodities Research Head Paul Horsnell, analysts at the company, including Horsnell, noted that “after getting within $0.05 per barrel of $88 per barrel intra-day on 5 July, front-month Brent prices have weakened sharply, falling below $85.50 per barrel in early trading on 9 July”. “We do not think the upwards trend is broken; we see the move lower as primarily due to short-term profit taking, as well as bearish technicals after failures to breach key levels in both Brent and WTI,” the analysts stated in the report. “The forward curve has flattened noticeably, with the back of the curve now level with its equivalent 2022 position despite the $21 per barrel reduction at the front,” they added. “The other key market feature is low volatility; 30-day front-month Brent annualized realized volatility reached a nine-month low of 16.2 percent at settlement on 5 July, placing it in the lower one percent tail of all trading days in the past five years and in the lower 2.5 percent tail of all trading days in the past 10 years,” they continued. The Standard Chartered analysts highlighted in the report that SCORPIO, the company’s machine-learning oil price model, “had indicated a Brent settlement of $88.30 per barrel on 8 July”. The analysts outlined in the report that this “was looking possible as prices neared $88 per barrel on 5 July; however, the slide in prices left that indication well above Brent’s $85.75 per barrel 8 July settlement”. “For settlement on 15 July SCORPIO indicates $85.45 per barrel”. In the report, Standard Chartered projected that the ICE Brent crude oil nearby future price will average $98 per barrel in the third quarter and $106 per barrel in the fourth quarter. Standard Chartered expects the commodity to average $109 per barrel in 2025, according to the report.
Oil settles higher on hopeful demand outlook as US oil stocks sink (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday after a jump in U.S. refining activity last week drove a larger-than-expected decline in gasoline and crude inventories, but gains were capped due to minimal supply disruptions from Hurricane Beryl. Brent futures settled up 42 cents, or 0.5% at $85.08 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled up 69 cents, or 0.85%, at $82.10 a barrel. WTI rose by as much as $1 during the session, after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. crude inventories fell by 3.4 million barrels to 445.1 million barrels in the week ended July 5, far exceeding analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.3 million-barrel draw. Gasoline stocks fell by 2 million barrels to 229.7 million barrels, much bigger than the 600,000-barrel draw analysts expected during U.S. Fourth of July holiday week. "More than anything the EIA data seems to be the driving force right now for higher prices," Both crude futures contracts had ended the previous three sessions lower on signs that the Texas energy industry came off relatively unscathed from Hurricane Beryl. Oil and gas companies restarted some operations on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the Port of Houston said it had returned to normal start times for operations at its eight public terminals. Refineries and offshore production facilities saw limited storm damage and have largely returned to normal operations, easing concerns of a supply disruption. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he was not yet ready to declare inflation beaten, but felt the U.S. remained on a path to stable prices and continued low unemployment. Investors are betting on interest rate cuts for September, which could boost economic growth and oil demand. Geopolitical risk did little to move prices, analysts said, with investors somewhat fatigued over discussions about a ceasefire in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, said Tim Snyder, economist at Matador Economics. “We see news stories out there that are having little impact on the market, which means the market is discounting those,” he added. In the Middle East, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that if Hamas reached a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel, Hezbollah would stop its operations with no need for separate talks. The group began firing at Israeli targets on the border in support of Palestinians after its ally Hamas launched the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that precipitated the war in Gaza.
The Market Continued to Trade Higher in Overnight Trading on the Supportive EIA Weekly Petroleum Stocks Report -- The crude market on Thursday rallied higher and settled in positive territory for the second consecutive day on supportive economic news. The market continued to trade higher in overnight trading on the supportive EIA weekly petroleum stocks report, which showed a larger than expected draw in crude stocks on Wednesday. The market gave up some of its overnight gains and remained pressured after the IEA reported global demand growth at its lowest level in more than a year at 710,000 bpd in the second quarter and while it kept its demand growth forecast for 2024 mostly unchanged at 970,000 bpd, its 2025 forecast was cut by 50,000 bpd to 980,000 bpd. The market was also awaiting the release the Consumer Price Index for June. Despite increased expectations that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates in September in light of the CPI data showing a slowdown in inflation, the crude market sold off to a low of $81.63. However, the market bounced off its low and rallied ahead of the close to a high of $82.99. The August WTI contract settled up 52 cents at $82.62 and the September Brent contract settled up 32 cents at $85.40. The product markets settled in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling down 2 points at $2.5182 and the RB market ending the session up 1.44 cents at $2.5178. The International Energy Agency said in its monthly report that global oil demand growth will slow to just under a million bpd this year and next year, as Chinese consumption contracted in the second quarter amid economic issues. Global demand in the second quarter increased by 710,000 bpd year on year in its lowest quarterly increase in over a year. It said China accounted for 70% of global demand gains in 2023 but will account for about 40% in 2024 and 2025. The IEA’s forecast for relatively low oil demand growth of 970,000 bpd this year was largely unchanged from its outlook last month. It sees an increase of 980,000 next year, down 50,000 bpd from its previous outlook. The IEA added that as the post-COVID economic rebound flattens out worldwide, slow economic growth, increased energy efficiency and the rise of electric vehicles will act as headwinds for growth this year and next. The IEA reported that it sees the third quarter call on OPEC+ crude 800,000 bpd higher than its output in June. It stated that oil supply growth in 2024 is expected to reach 770,000 bpd, increasing oil supply to a record 103 million bpd and global supply growth will reach 1.8 million bpd in 2025, with the U.S., Canada, Guyana and Brazil leading the gains. Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission plans to delay its decision whether to block Chevron’s takeover of Hess until after an arbitration case with Exxon Mobil is settled. Valero Energy reported operations requiring flaring at its 360,000 bpd Port Arthur, Texas refinery. Colonial Pipeline Co is allocating space for Cycle 41 shipments on Line 20, which carries distillates from Atlanta, Georgia to Nashville, Tennessee. Gasoline stocks held in independent storage in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp terminal in the week ending July 11th fell by 4.69% on the week and by 20.82% on the year to 1.057 million tons, while gasoil stocks fell by 1.19% on the week but increased by 12.05% on the year to 2.158 million tons and fuel oil stocks fell by 1.34% on the week but increased by 0.72% on the year to 1.403 million tons.
Oil rises settles higher; US inflation data feeds rate cut hopes (Reuters) - Oil prices rose for the second consecutive session on Thursday with the Brent benchmark settling above $85 a barrel as hopes rose for U.S. interest rate cuts after data showed an unexpected slowdown in inflation. Brent crude futures rose 32 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $85.40 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 52 cents, or 0.6%, to $82.62 a barrel. Data showed U.S. consumer prices fell in June, stoking hopes the Federal Reserve will cut rates soon. After the data, traders priced an 89% probability of a rate cut in September, up from 73% on Wednesday. Slowing inflation and interest rate cuts will likely spur more economic activity. Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged the recent improving trend in price pressures, but told lawmakers more data was needed to strengthen the case for rate cuts. The data pulled the U.S. dollar index lower and that should support oil prices,. A softer greenback can lift demand for dollar-denominated oil from buyers using other currencies. Prices also rose on Wednesday, snapping a three-day losing streak after U.S. data showed a draw in crude stocks in the world's top oil market along with declining inventories and strong demand for gasoline and jet fuel. Front-month U.S. crude futures recorded their steepest premium to the next-month contract since April. Market participants' willingness to pay premiums for earlier delivery dates, a structure known as backwardation, is typically a sign of supply tightness. Some still believe the oil demand outlook is tenuous. In its monthly oil market report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) saw global demand growth slowing to under a million barrels a day this year and next, mainly reflecting a contraction in China's consumption. Still, producer group OPEC in its monthly report on Wednesday kept forecasts for world demand growth unchanged, at 2.25 million for this year and 1.85 million bpd next year. "OPEC and the IEA demand forecast are wider apart than usual, partly due to the differences of opinion over the pace of the world's transition to clear fuels,"
Oil prices up over strong oil demand, ongoing conflicts in Middle East -- Oil prices increased on Friday amid expectations that the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate cut will start soon, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East contrary to ceasefire attempts, and rising demand hopes as the summer driving season begins. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $86.03 per barrel at 10.36 a.m. local time (0736 GMT), up 0.73% from the closing price of $85.4 per barrel in the previous trading session. American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $83.39 per barrel, a 0.93% rise from the previous session when it closed at $82.62 per barrel. The rise in oil prices was driven by signs of easing inflationary pressures in the US, the world's largest oil-consuming country, increasing expectations for strong oil demand. Consumer price index (CPI) in the country fell by 0.1% on a monthly basis in June, while it increased by 3% on an annual basis, remaining below market expectations, according to the data released on Thursday. On a monthly basis, the CPI fell for the first time since May 2020, while annual inflation fell to the lowest level in the last year. In the same period, gasoline prices also fell by 3.8% month-on-month and 2.5% year-on-year. Analysts stated that the data, which indicates that the disinflation trend continues in the country, increased expectations that the Fed will start rate cuts soon. Low interest rates support a lower US dollar, making oil cheaper for holders of other currencies. Meanwhile, escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, home to a vast majority of global oil reserves, despite ongoing cease-fire negotiations, continue to support upward price movements. An Israeli warplane targeted a gathering in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Anadolu learned from on late Thursday. Witnesses said the fighter jet bombed a crowd of citizens near the Abu Hamid roundabout, resulting in an unspecified number of casualties. However, the statements of US President Joe Biden indicating that he is determined to broker an end to Israel's ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday limited further price rises by easing market players' supply concerns. Moreover, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data released Wednesday, gasoline demand in the US was recorded as 9.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in the week ended July 5. The data suggested a strong demand for fuel in the US, the world's largest oil consumer, in the travel-heavy summer vacation season and supported upward price movements.
Oil futures fall on weaker consumer sentiment (Reuters) -Oil prices edged lower on Friday as investors weighed weaker consumer sentiment against data that supported a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut in September. Brent crude futures were down 6 cents to $85.34 a barrel at 2:01 p.m. EDT (1801 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 6 cents at $82.62 a barrel. Brent futures were set to post a weekly loss exceeding after four weeks of gains. WTI futures were on track for a 0.7% weekly decline. A monthly survey by the University of Michigan showed U.S. consumer sentiment fell to eight-month low in July, although inflation expectations improved for the next year and beyond. The U.S. Labor Department said the producer price index (PPI) rose 0.2% in June, slightly more than expected, as the cost of services climbed. Still, investors expect the Fed could start cutting rates in September. "The market isn't afraid of the Fed at this point," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Lower rates are expected to boost economic growth, which could boost fuel consumption. "Cooling U.S. inflation numbers may support the case for the Fed to kick-start its policy easing process earlier rather than later," said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG. "It also adds to the series of downside surprises in U.S. economic data, which points to a clear weakening of the U.S. economy," he added. Oil prices have drawn some support from U.S. gasoline demand, which government data showed on Wednesday was at 9.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in the week ended July 5, the highest since 2019 for the week that includes the Independence Day holiday. Jet fuel demand on a four-week average basis was at its strongest since January 2020. The strong fuel demand encouraged U.S. refiners to ramp up activity and draw from crude oil stockpiles. U.S. Gulf Coast refiners' net input of crude rose last week to more than 9.4 million bpd for the first time since January 2019, government data showed. Signs of weaker demand from China, the world's biggest oil importer, could counter the outlook from the U.S. and weigh on prices. "The recent downside correction is evidently over, although the speed of further ascent might be hindered by falling Chinese crude oil imports, which plummeted 11% in June from the previous year," . U.S. active oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by one to 478 this week, the lowest since December 2021, energy services firm Baker Hughes reported on Friday.
Oil Falls as Cease Fire News Offsets Robust Market Signs -Oil fell after progress on a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas outweighed signs of rising US crude demand that had propped up prices earlier in the week. West Texas Intermediate retreated 0.5% to settle near $82 a barrel. US President Joe Biden said Friday in a social media post that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire framework, potentially reducing geopolitical risks to crude supplies. The potential for a wider regional conflict in the Middle East, the source of a third of the world’s oil, had pushed crude prices near $87 earlier this year. Earlier this week, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said negotiators have made progress toward a cease-fire, but tamped down hopes of a deal anytime soon. “The signs are more positive today than they have been in recent months,” Sullivan said, while adding that “there’s still miles to go before we close — if we are able to close.” News of the possible cease-fire is counteracting signals of a robust market. On Wednesday, a US government report showed signs of strengthening fuel consumption after the Fourth of July holiday. Meanwhile, the premium for WTI’s front-month futures over the next contract — known as the prompt spread — reached the highest since October, indicating tighter supplies. “Spreads suggests that refinery appetite, the possible bellwether of seasonal growth in consumption in the Northern Hemisphere, is on the rise,” . Summer is presenting risks to supply, too. In Canada, a ring of wildfires has erupted around the country’s unofficial oil-sands capital of Fort McMurray, with some production having already been curtailed by a blaze to the northeast. WTI for August delivery slipped 0.5% to settle at $82.21 a barrel in New York. Brent for September settlement dropped 0.4% to $85.03 a barrel.
Oil prices settle lower as traders weigh summer demand, weak China imports By -- Oil prices settled lower Friday as traders weighed up rising summer demand and data showing Chinese crude imports shrank in June. At 14:30 ET (18:30 GMT), West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 0.5% to $82.21 a barrel, while Brent oil futures fell 0.4% to $85.03 a barrel. Data on Friday showed that Chinese imports of crude oil sank 11% year-on-year in June to 46.45 million metric tons. The soft reading offset otherwise strong trade data from the country, which showed China's trade balance grew more than expected, while exports also surged. But weak imports brewed concerns over sluggish crude demand in the country, especially as it grapples with weak economic growth. Still, analysts at ANZ said that imports would likely pick up in the coming months amid low inventory levels and increased refinery activity. Crude prices also benefited from a drop in the dollar despite higher-than-expected U.S. inflation data as bets on a September rate cut remained firm. Producer price index data, which measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output, rose to a 0.2% last month, contrary to the 0.1% rise anticipated by economists, taking the annualized figure for June to 2.6%. But the dollar continued to trend lower on expectations that the Fed may soon lay out the carpet for a September rate cut. "At this month’s FOMC meeting the Fed could provide stronger guidance that they are moving closer to cutting rates in September," Summer demand optimism continues; rig counts drop Sentiment on oil prices has also been propped up by signs of improving summer following data earlier this week showing an expected dip in crude inventories for the week ended July 5. Oilfield services firm Baker Hughes reported Friday its weekly count of U.S. oil rigs fell to 478 from 479.
Iran’s run-off presidential election won by “reformer” advocating rapprochement with US imperialism as it sets Mideast ablaze -- Friday’s run-off election for President of Iran was won by Masoud Pezeshkian, a representative of the “reform” wing of the Islamic Republic’s bourgeois-clerical political establishment. Pezeshkian’s campaign combined denunciations of corruption and the state enforcement of conservative Islamic mores (such as the obligatory wearing of the veil by women in public) with calls for rapprochement with the United States and the European imperialist powers. Central to his campaign was an explicit call for the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear accord. In May 2018, the Trump-led United States unilaterally repudiated the accord with the stated aim of using brutal economic sanctions to crash Iran’s economy and precipitate “regime change.” Six years on and under conditions where US imperialism is sponsoring the Netanyahu regime’s genocidal onslaught on the Palestinians of Gaza, and using its Israeli attack-dog to prepare the terrain for a wider war whose principal target would be Iran and its “axis of resistance” allies, Pezeshkian provided no explanation as to how the nuclear accord could be revived and the punishing economic sanctions removed. Rather he relied on support from sections of the bourgeoisie and upper middle class who believe that Iran’s wholesale surrender to the imperialist powers will result in their personal enrichment, and who fear deep-rooted popular anger over social inequality, an inflation-driven collapse in living standards, and the regime’s violent suppression of anti-government protests in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Pezeshkian won 16.4 million votes (53.6 percent) in Friday’s run-off election to 13.5 million (44.2 percent) for Saeed Jalili (with some 600,000 votes spoiled or otherwise invalid.) A long-time member of Iran’s security establishment, Jalili is notorious for his strident advocacy of socially conservative views and is considered a “hardliner” even among the dominant “conservative” or Principlist faction. The other major candidate in the first round, the current speaker of Iran’s parliament and one-time Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, threw his support behind Jalili in the run-off, but it is apparent that not all of his voters followed suit. This and a significant increase in voter participation enabled Pezeshkian to increase his vote total by almost 6 million votes in the second round, and his lead over Jalili from about 4 to 9 percentage points. In all, close to 31 million people participated in the second round of the presidential election. This represented a 10-percentage point jump from the first round, which saw the lowest turnout in any presidential or parliamentary election since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the despotic rule of the US-installed Shah. Nevertheless, according to the government’s own reckoning only 49.8 percent of Iranians voted.
Putin & Erdogan Discuss Syria Rapprochement To Squeeze Out Pentagon Occupation - During the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) annual summit which is being held in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana, Russia's Putin and Turkey's Erdogan publicly broached the subject of a potential Turkey rapprochement with the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The two have been in a de facto state of war for over a decade, with Turkish troops still occupying parts of northern Syrian territory, and after relations were cut in 2011 upon the start of the war. Turkey was foremost among NATO allies pushing regime change in Damascus, which involved covert support to ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other jihadist insurgents.But more recently Ankara's priorities have shifted as it seeks to root out Syrian Kurdish paramilitary groups in north Syria, as well assqueeze out the US troop presence there. The Pentagon has long backed the Kurds and their aspirations for an autonomous region, but both Assad and Erdogan agree that the US occupation must end immediately."We couldn’t meet with my dear friend for a long time,” Erdogan had told Putin at the SCO during introductory remarks. And the Russian leader in turn told a press briefing, "We continue to work actively on a number of the most important lines of international policy. We are in constant contact with you. Our ministries and agencies are constantly exchanging information and coordinating positions on key areas."Regarding Syria, a Turkish readout of the Putin-Erdogan meeting said, "He [Erdogan] stressed the importance of taking concrete steps toend the instabilities that create fertile ground for terrorist organizations, especially in the Syrian civil war... Turkey is ready to cooperate for a solution."This comes one week after Erdogan shocked his own population and officials by saying there's currently no obstacle which would prevent the restoration of official ties with Syria. According to the Associated Press: His comments came just days after Syrian President Bashar Assad made similar remarks, indicating a willingness among the two neighboring countries to end tensions and normalize relations."There is no reason why (diplomatic ties) should not be established," Erdogan told reporters.“In the same way that we kept our relations with Syria alive in the past — we had these meetings with Mr Assad that included family meetings — we cannot say that it will not happen again,” Erdogan said. He was referring to a vacation that the Erdogan and Assad families took in southern Turkey in 2008, before their relationship soured.
Erdogan Says He Plans To Invite Syria's Assad to Turkey for Normalization Talks - On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he plans to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Turkey for talks on potentially restoring ties.“We will extend our invitation (to Assad); with this invitation, we want to restore Turkey-Syria relations to the same level as in the past. Our invitation may be extended at any time,” the Turkish leader said,according to Reuters. “We have now arrived at a point where if Bashar Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Turkey, we will also show that approach towards him.” Erdogan made similar comments a few days earlier and said he wants Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the talks. “If Mr. Putin can visit Turkey, this could be the beginning of a new process. All the years that have passed in Syria have clearly shown everyone that a permanent solution mechanism must be established,” he said on Friday.Turkish and Syrian officials began holding Russian-mediated talks in December 2022. The step was significant since Turkey was a major supporter of the failed regime change effort against Assad and still occupies areas of northern Syria. Turkey also frequently conducts military operations against Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria, including the US-backed SDF.The Assad government has been clear that any normalization deal with Turkey must involve a Turkish withdrawal from northern Syria. Turkey has said the requirement for a withdrawal is an end to the “YPG threat” in the country, referring to the primary military component of the SDF. One potential solution would be for Syrian Arab troops to deploy to the areas currently controlled by Turkey and Turkish-backed militants instead of the SDF. But the US could get in the way of such an arrangement since itdoesn’t want to give up its occupation of eastern Syria and opposes regional normalization with the Assad government.
Hezbollah Launches Largest Strike Yet Against Israeli Mountain Base - Hezbollah officials announced Sunday that they had launched their biggest attack on Israel, with a massive drone assault on the Mount Hermon reconnaissance base in the occupied Golan Heights. This was thebiggest attack since the beginning of the tit-for-tat Israeli and Hezbollah attacks that started after October 7.The attack came as Hezbollah sent a flurry of explosive drones across the border targeting the Mount Hermon base, destroying electronic and surveillance systems and starting a fire in the area.Hezbollah said the attack was part of the retaliation for the death of Maytham Mustafa al-Attar. Attar was a member of Hezbollah’s air defense unit who was killed in an attack on his vehicle in Baalbek District, in northeastern Lebanon.This is reported to be the first Hezbollah attack on the base. A media source said this was the first attack on the Mount Hermon base since the 1973 Arab-Israel war. Hezbollah has, however, targeted other military bases in northern Israel.Later in the evening, Israel carried out a drone attack against a target close to the border in southern Lebanon’s Tyre District. This attack killed Mustafa Hassan Salman, a Hezbollah figure who was a member of the rocket and missiles unit.Israel and Hezbollah have been trading attacks since October, with a growing number of strikes in recent weeks. There has been concern that the escalating strikes will lead to a full-scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon.Israel is doing nothing to downplay the chances of war. The US and other nations are concerned that Israel’s involvement in the Gaza War precludes Israel’s ability to commit enough forces to successfully invade Lebanon. Efforts to forge a ceasefire in Gaza have provoked Israeli officials to present peace as an opportunity to further escalate on its northern border.Hezbollah says it would honor a Gaza ceasefire, but Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says a separate deal is needed, and that Israel fully intends to continue fighting Hezbollah even if a Gaza truce is reached.
New Fires Erupt In Israel After Hezbollah Sends 200 Rockets, Drone Swarms - Large wildfires are once again raging in northern Israel's Galilee region after on Thursday Hezbollah launched a particularly intense barrage of 200 rockets as well as drone swarms. Some of the fires are believed the result of burning fragments from interceptor shrapnel which fell as anti-air defenses are heavily at work. Soon after, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent a stern warning and message to all of Lebanon, sending jets over Beirut which broke the sound barrier. This happened in other parts of the country as well. The IDF further said the Air Force "struck Hezbollah military structures" in south Lebanon's Ramyeh and Houla areas. Casualties - whether among militants or civilians - were not immediately known. Throughout Thursday fires have raged in at least ten locations in the Galilee and Golan Heights areas due to the ramped up Hezbollah attacks. Israeli emergency and civic services have reported that at least one highway in the area has been blocked as a result of the fast encroaching fires.Just the day prior, on Wednesday, Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, Muhammad Nimah Nasser, and Thursday's huge rocket barrage is seen as retaliation for that.
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Condemns Israeli Bombing of Catholic School in Gaza - The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority in the Middle East, has strongly condemned the Israeli bombing of a Catholic school in Gaza City, which killed at least four Palestinians.“The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is monitoring, with grave concern, the news of the raids, apparently launched by the Israeli army against the Holy Family School in Gaza this morning. Footage and media reports from the place include scenes of civilian casualties and of destruction in the compound,” the Latin Patriarchate said in a statement on Sunday.The statement says that the school, which is the property of the Latin Patriarchate, has been “a place of refuge for hundreds of civilians” and that “no religious personnel” currently reside there.“The Latin Patriarchate condemns in the strongest terms the targeting of civilians or any belligerent actions that fall short of ensuring that civilians remain outside the combat scene,” the statement reads. “We continue to pray for the Lord’s mercy and hope that the Parties will reach an agreement that would put an immediate end to the horrifying bloodbath and humanitarian catastrophe in the region.”Gaza’s civil defense agency said among those killed in the strike was Ehab al-Ghussein, Gaza’s deputy secretary of labor. “Civil Defense crews in Gaza Governorate were able to retrieve four martyrs and a number of injured individuals after Israeli occupation aircraft targeted the ‘Holy Family’ school, which houses a large number of displaced persons west of Gaza City,” the Civil Defense Directorate said, according to CNN. Al-Ghussein’s sister and wife were previously killed by Israeli airstrikes.Sami El-Yousef, the CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, told theCatholic News Agency that the priest and other people based at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City could not confirm the casualties in the strike on the school since it was unsafe to travel there. Over the weekend, Israel ordered another mass evacuation from most of Gaza City and escalated military operations.“We don’t have accurate numbers because our own parish priest and members of the community could not get to the location because there’s intensive fighting around the parish,” El-Yousef said. “It’s too dangerous for anyone to actually leave. We cannot really with any certainty verify the number of people killed and injured.”In December, the Holy Family Parish came under Israeli siege. Two Catholic women were killed by Israeli gunfire, and seven people were wounded, an attack Pope Francis denounced as “terrorism.”Gaza’s Orthodox Christians have also been targeted by the Israeli military. In October, an Israeli airstrike hit part of the Greek Orthodox St. Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, killing at least 18 Palestinian civilians, including relatives of former US House Rep. Justin Amash. At the time, about 500 Christian and Muslim Palestinians were sheltering there.
Netanyahu Sabotaging Deal With Hamas By Issuing List of Demands - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a list of demands for a potential hostage deal ahead of more indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, a move seen by mediators and Israeli officials as an attempt to sabotage the chances of an agreement. Netanyahu’s list of demands, which he called “non-negotiable,” included a condition that Israel would be allowed to resume military operations “until all of the objectives of the war have been achieved.” Netanyahu’s objectives include the “eradication” of Hamas, a goal the Israeli military has said is not realistic. Hamas’s primary condition for a deal is a permanent ceasefire, and Netanyahu’s insistence on having the ability to resume his genocidal war appears to be the main obstacle. The Israeli leader’s repeated public comments about the issue led Hamas to ask for stronger guarantees during previous negotiations. According to media reports, Hamas has softened its stance a bit by not asking for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire right away. However, the Palestinian group is asking mediators to provide written guaranteesthat negotiations for a permanent truce will continue once the first phase of the deal goes into effect. An Israeli security official told Channel 12 that by issuing his list of demands, Netanyahu is “emphasizing the gaps” between Israel and Hamas just before an Israeli delegation heads to a fresh round of negotiations. Netanyahu’s full list of demands includes:
- Any deal will allow Israel to resume fighting until all of objectives of the war have been achieved.
- There will be no smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt to the Gaza border.
- There will be no return of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip.
- Israel will maximize the number of living hostages who will be released from Hamas captivity.
Another Israeli security official slammed Netanyahu, saying he “pretends that he wants a deal, but is working to torpedo it.” The official added that Netanyahu was “dragging out the process, trying to stretch time until his speech in Congress and then the [Knesset] recess.” A senior official from one of the countries mediating the negotiations toldThe Times of Israel that Netanyahu’s non-negotiable demand about the resumption of fighting hits at the most sensitive issue in the negotiations. The report said mediators have convinced Hamas to keep in place the ambiguous language “that allows both Israel to feel comfortable enough that it has the ability to resume fighting if Hamas ceases to negotiate in good faith and Hamas to feel comfortable enough that the mediators will prevent Israel from resuming the war instead of implementing the permanent ceasefire that is stage two of the deal.” The senior official said statements “made by the prime minister severely harm efforts to maintain that ambiguity” and added that it’s likely been done “purely for political purposes.”Netanyahu’s demands are seen as an effort to appease National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has threatened to quit the government if a deal with Hamas is reached.
Israeli Opposition Leader Offers To Support Netanyahu If He Accepts Hostage Deal - Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Monday said he would support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he reaches a hostage and ceasefire deal with Hamas.Netanyahu’s coalition government holds 64 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset, meaning only five members would need to quit for it to lose the majority, which would dissolve the government and force elections.Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened that his Jewish Power party, which holds six seats, would quit the government if Netanyahu agrees to a deal with Hamas. Polling shows that Netanyahu would lose if there were new elections, giving him the motive to continue the genocidal war to maintain his hold on power. Yair Lapid, who leads the Yesh Atid party, which holds 24 seats in the Knesset, has previously offered to bail Netanyahu out if he reached a hostage deal and coalition members quit.“There’s a hostage deal on the table. It is not true that Netanyahu has to choose between the hostage deal and his continued tenure as prime minister. I promised him a safety net, and I will keep that promise,” Lapid said, according to The Times of Israel.“This is not an easy statement, and it is not an easy decision. Netanyahu is a bad, failed prime minister, and he is to blame for the October 7 disaster, but the most important thing is to bring the kidnapped people back home,” he added. Lapid also criticized Netanyahu for releasing a list of “non-negotiable” demands for a hostage deal ahead of renewed indirect talks with Hamas. Included in the list is a requirement that Israel will be able to restart military operations in Gaza, but Hamas’s primary demand has been a permanent ceasefire.
UN experts confirm famine throughout Gaza, condemn Israel’s starvation policy -- A group of highly qualified, independent UN experts declared in a statement Tuesday that there is no doubt that famine has spread throughout the entire Gaza strip as a consequence of a deliberate policy of mass starvation against Palestinians by the Israeli government. The experts pointed to three children in particular who died of malnutrition and lack of access to adequate healthcare: “Fayez Ataya, who was barely six months old, died on 30 May 2024 and 13-year-old Abdulqader Al-Serhi died on 1 June 2024 at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. Nine-year-old Ahmad Abu Reida died on 3 June 2024 in the tent sheltering his displaced family in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis.” Their statement explained that the death of a child from malnutrition and dehydration indicates that health and social structures have been attacked and are critically weakened. “When the first child dies from malnutrition and dehydration, it becomes irrefutable that famine has taken hold,” they said. The experts explicitly condemned Israel’s genocide. “We declare that Israel’s intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza. We call upon the international community to prioritise the delivery of humanitarian aid by land by any means necessary, end Israel’s siege, and establish a ceasefire,” they stated. After pointing to earlier infant deaths confirming famine in northern Gaza, the group indirectly censured all the imperialist powers, above all the United States, that have backed to the hilt Israel’s barbaric onslaught in Gaza which has reduced its buildings to rubble and its people to refugees constantly facing death by starvation, disease and bombardment. “The whole world should have intervened earlier to stop Israel’s genocidal starvation campaign and prevented these deaths,” the experts declared. “Thirty-four Palestinians have died from malnutrition since 7 October, the majority being children. Inaction is complicity.” The group of 10 are special rapporteurs and independent experts appointed under the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. Their statement follows the publication this month in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet of a study demonstrating that the likely death toll in Gaza since October 7 is vastly higher than the official number of deaths recorded by Gaza Ministry of Health—currently more than 38,000. The study noted that the official death toll did not include the many thousands that remain buried under the rubble that is now Gaza nor those that have died from the lack of food, healthcare and sanitation. Its conservative estimate is that 186,000 people have died as a consequence of Israel’s genocidal war, or 8 percent of the total population, but the figure could be much higher.
Israel Controls 26% of Gaza, Potentially Paving the Way for Jewish Settlements - The Israeli military has taken control of 26% of the Gaza Strip and is building bases and paving roads in the areas to ensure long-term occupation, which could lead to Jewish settlements, Haaretz reported on Monday.Israel established a “buffer zone” along the Israel-Gaza border by demolishing buildings and agricultural land. The zone cuts into about 1 kilometer along Gaza’s entire border with Israel and accounts for about 16% of the Strip’s territory.Israel has also taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Egypt-Gaza border, and demolished buildings in the Netzarim Corridor, a 38 kilometer square area that separates northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip.The Israeli military has built bases in the corridor and is using the Turkish hospital, which was Gaza’s only cancer treatment hospital, as another base. The US-built pier is also located in the Netzarim Corridor. Haaretzreported that Graffiti written in Hebrew near the pier reads, “Without settlement, there’s no victory.” An Israeli settlement called Netzarim used to be located where the Turkish hospital was built. All Israeli settlements in Gaza were evacuated by 2005 as part of a policy known as the “disengagement.” According to Haaretz, the Netzarim settlement was part of an Israeli government plan to bisect Gaza and strengthen Israeli control by means of civilian settlements. Today, Israeli soldiers in Gaza are taking symbolic steps to show their support for re-establishing Jewish settlements in the territory. One video in the Haaretz report shows a uniformed Israeli soldier placing a menora in a building near the Turkish hospital. The menora was said to be the same one that was removed from a synagogue in the Netzarim settlement before it was evacuated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied establishing Jewish settlements in Gaza was one of his goals, but members of his coalition government and Likud party openly support the idea, as well as the expulsion of Palestinians.“In order to preserve the security achievements that our soldiers lost their lives for, we must resettle Gaza with security forces and settlers that will embrace the land with love,” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, a member of the Likud party, said at a pro-settlement march in May.At the same march, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party, called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. “We must return to Gaza now! We are coming home to the Holy Land!” he said. “And second, we must encourage emigration. Encourage the voluntary emigration of the residents of Gaza. It is moral!” In October 2023, a document prepared by Israel’s Intelligence Ministry that was leaked to the media said the best post-war scenario for Israel would be the expulsion of all 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza.
Israel Orders the Evacuation of Gaza City - On Wednesday, the Israeli military told the residents of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate and head south, signaling its assault on the city will escalate even more. The military dropped leaflets that said “all those in Gaza City” should head to Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, but nowhere in the Strip is safe from Israeli bombs as so-called “safe zones” have frequently been hit.The UN noted that Deir al-Balah is already overcrowded, and the area was also targeted by Israeli strikes early Wednesday. Israel bombed four houses in Deir al-Balah and the nearby Nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 20 Palestinians, including six children and three women.AP reported that one of its reporters counted the bodies at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and that the houses in Deir al-Balah were in the so-called “humanitarian safe zone” where Israel told Palestinians in Gaza City to flee.Israel has ordered the evacuation of Gaza City several times throughout the past nine months of its genocidal war. The city lies north of the Netzarim Corridor, a 38-square-kilometer zone that separates the north from the rest of the Strip. The Israeli military has demolished most buildings in the corridor and is building bases and paving roads.According to AP, there was no mass exodus from Gaza City after the evacuation order since Palestinians understand there’s no place safe in the south. Palestinians also know that if they leave their homes, they likely won’t be able to return. It’s estimated that around 300,000 Palestinians remain in north Gaza, the majority being in Gaza City.Haaretz reported this week that including the Netzarim Corridor, a “buffer zone” along the Gaza-Israel border, and the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border, the Israeli military controls about 26% of Gaza’sterritory. Many Israeli soldiers and politicians, including members of the Netanyahu government, want to re-establish Jewish settlements in these areas. Clearing Palestinians out of the north would allow Israel to conquer more territory for potential settlements.
Saudis Threatened To Sell European Bonds If Russian Assets Were Confiscated PP - In a fascinating geopolitical development, Bloomberg reports that Saudi Arabia privately hinted earlier this year it would sell some (or all) of its European debt holdings if the G-7 confiscated Russia's frozen assets.As a reminder, we noted in May the European Union had approved a US-backed plan to use profits and interest generated from Russian assets to help arm Ukraine; however that was a sharp reversal from the previously proposed plan - one which was heavily promoted by Zelensky and Ukraine - to confiscate some $300 billion in Russian assets. Many were wondering what prompted the reversal.Now we know, and as Bloomberg notes "the Kingdom’s finance ministry told some G-7 counterparts of its opposition to the idea, which was meant to support Ukraine, with one person describing it as a veiled threat." The Saudis specifically mentioned debt issued by the French treasury, two of the people said. Most of the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets are held in Europe - particularly France, Germany, and Belgium. Which makes today's report from Bloomberg even more interesting from a geopolitical fissures perspective, as it means that as a result of its ability to spark a liquidation panic in Europe's unstable bond market, it has far more leverage than Ukraine and the "virtue signaling" western media.Now, notably, Macron called an election and that election swung wildly to the far-left in the interim, but since these 'talks' happened with the Saudis, French bond yield spreads to Germany have exploded wider...Surely this selling panic coming at a time when the Saudis are using French bonds as political leverage, was just a coincidence.Curiously, while Saudi Arabia has maintained strong relations with Moscow, it has also built ties with Ukraine. And yet, it is clear that when push comes to shove, the Crown Prince is firmly in Putin's corner. Bloomberg concludes by noting that whatever its motive, Saudi Arabia’s move underscores its growing clout on the world stageand the G-7’s difficulty in garnering support from so-called Global South nations for Ukraine.
NATO Communiqué Repeats Vague Promise on Ukraine Membership, Accuses China of Being 'Enabler' of War - NATO’s communiqué released on Wednesday during the summit in Washington repeated a vague promise made to Ukraine last year regarding its future membership and accused China of fueling the Russia-Ukraine war.The communiqué describes Ukraine’s potential future NATO membership as “irreversible” but does not offer concrete steps toward Kyiv actually joining the alliance.“We welcome the concrete progress Ukraine has made since the Vilnius Summit on its required democratic, economic, and security reforms. As Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership,” the communiqué reads.The communiqué continues and says NATO will invite Ukraine to join when “Allies agree and conditions are met,” the same ambiguous language used in last year’s communiqué at the summit in Vilnius that had Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fuming.The alliance did make new commitments to Ukraine related to the proxy war against Russia, including a pledge to provide $43 billion in military aid in 2025, new air defense systems, and the stationing of a NATO official in Kyiv. Regarding Beijing, the communiqué took aim at China’s trade relationship with Russia. The alliance said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has “become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base.”In recent months, the US and NATO have been accusing China of fueling the war in Ukraine despite the fact that Beijing hasn’t sent military aid while the Western alliance has been pouring weapons into the conflict zone and discouraging peace talks. In the communiqué, the alliance demands that China stop exporting “dual use” items to Russia. “We call on the PRC, … to cease all material and political support to Russia’s war effort. This includes the transfer of dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment, and raw materials that serve as inputs for Russia’s defense sector. The PRC cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation,” the communiqué reads. NATO started targeting China in its documents in 2020, and in 2022, it formally declared the North Atlantic military alliance was facing a security “challenge” from Beijing. “The PRC continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security,” the communiqué reads.
Hungary Says It Will Not Support NATO Becoming 'Anti-China' Bloc - Hungary said on Thursday that it would not support NATO becoming an “anti-China bloc,” pushing back on the alliance taking aim at Beijing during the summit in Washington. On Wednesday, the alliance issued a communiqué that slammed China for its trade relationship with Russia, and NATO has been working to build alliances in the Asia Pacific in line with the US’s military buildup against China.Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto was asked about these efforts and said, “NATO is a defense alliance… we can’t organize it into an anti-China bloc.”NATO started targeting China in its documents in 2020, and in 2022, it formally declared the North Atlantic military alliance was facing a security “challenge” from Beijing. “The PRC continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security,” the communiqué reads.China has reacted by strongly warning the alliance to stay out of the Asia Pacific. This week, the Chinese military is conducting drills with the Belarusian military inside Belarus near the Polish border, a move seen as a message to NATO.Hungary has been out of step with most of NATO regarding both Russia and China, as Budapest has been pushing for a ceasefire and peace deal in Ukraine and is looking to Beijing for help. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a surprise trip to China this week after visiting Ukraine and Russia.Hungarian officials called Orban’s visit to the three nations a “peace mission.” In Ukraine, he suggested to President Volodymyr Zelensky that he consider a ceasefire with Russia instead of demanding a Russian withdrawal before peace talks could start, but the Ukrainian leader rejected the idea.
Zelensky Says New Security Pact Includes Mechanism for Poland To Shoot Down Russian Missiles Over Ukraine - On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a new bilateral security pact he signed in Warsaw includes a mechanism for Poland to shoot down Russian missiles and drones.“We are especially grateful for the special arrangements, and this is reflected in the security agreement. It provides for the development of a mechanism to shoot down [by Poland] Russian missiles and drones fired in the airspace of Ukraine in the direction of Poland,” Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after signing the deal.“I am confident that our teams and the teams of the ministries of defense, together with our military, will work together to work out how we can quickly implement this point of our agreements,” the Ukrainian leader added, according to Ukrinform. Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have been pushing for NATO countries to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine or to create a no-fly zone in western Ukraine, which would amount to direct NATO involvement in the war. The step would risk a Russia-NATO war, which could quickly turn nuclear, but European NATO countries aren’t ruling out the idea.Russian missiles have briefly entered Poland’s airspace, and Russian drone fragments have been found in Romania. But the only time an incident led to casualties was when a Ukrainian air defense missile landed in Poland, killing two people. Ukrainian officials initially claimed it was a Russian missile in an attempt to provoke NATO intervention.The Ukrainian-Polish agreement also commits Warsaw to training more Ukrainian troops on its territory. “The Ukrainian Legion will train in Poland and be equipped with the help of our partners. Every Ukrainian citizen who decides to join the Legion will be able to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Our teams are currently working out all the details of this proposal,” Zelensky said.
China Conducts Military Drills Near Polish & Ukrainian Borders - China and Belarus kicked off ultra-rare joint military drills near the Polish border inside Belarusian territory on Monday. It is unprecedented given Chinese troops are now deployed so close to a raging war zone in Eastern Europe.The Belarusian armed forces pointed specifically to "Ukrainian provocation" as a key reason to hold the drills. Vladimir Kupriyanyuk, the deputy head of the general staff of the military, said the exercises are a response to the "West's aggressive foreign policy towards Belarus" and to "Ukrainian provocation."Alarmingly, the maneuvers dubbed 'Eagle Assault' are not just a single day or two-day drill, but are slated to last eleven days, until July 19. The drills are being staged near the city of Brest on the Belarus-Poland border, and which is some 40 miles from the Belarusian border with Ukraine to the south."As part of the anti-terrorist exercises, the military personnel of both countries will work out the issues of night landing, overcoming water obstacles, and conducting operations in [urban settings]," the Belarusian defense ministry announced on Telegram.The statement called out NATO's growing involvement in Ukraine specifically: "The NATO grouping on the border with Belarus is growing rapidly, which leads to an increase in tension in the region," stated a follow-up post. It additionally warned of "harsh reaction" should any external forces "cross Belarusian borders."Poland's Defense Ministry responded by saying that a big focus of the NATO summit in Washington this week will be addressing the"hybrid war ongoing on the Poland-Belarus border, as well as on the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian borders."All of this is also happening while Russia has stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which it calls a 'Union State' based on their close defensive partnership (and historic treaty) and ongoing cooperation regarding Ukraine. As for China's explanation, its defense ministry said Sunday the drills are primarily 'anti-terrorism' in nature, to include "hostage rescue operations and counter-terrorism missions."
Russian Missiles Pound Targets Across Five Regions in Ukraine - On Monday, Russia launched a massive missile attack across Ukraine, targeting five regions, including the capital, Kyiv, which faced its heaviest bombardment in about four months. According to Ukrainian authorities, 31 people were killed in the strikes. Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv, while Moscow denied the claim and said evidence pointed to a Ukrainian air defense missile hitting the hospital. Ukrainian officials said at least ten people were killed during the bombardment of Kyiv, including two staff members at the hospital. They said seven out of the city’s 10 districts were targeted by Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces destroyed three US-made HIMARS rocket systems and killed 10 “foreign specialists” who were operating them. Besides the strikes across Ukraine, battles also raged across the frontlines.“Operational/tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces destroyed three US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and up to 10 foreign specialists responsible for their use and struck massed enemy manpower and military hardware in 122 locations,” the ministry said.The Russian escalation comes as NATO is preparing to hold its summit in Washington from Tuesday to Thursday. The alliance isn’t expected to give Kyiv a clear path to membership but will announce a plan to provide around $43 billion in military aid for 2025, as it’s determined to continue the proxy war despite the massive destruction in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky at NATO summit blasts ‘crazy’ limits on strikes inside Russia --Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continued his push for President Biden to lift restrictions on Ukraine using American-provided weapons to strike up to 300 miles inside Russia, bolstered by the U.K.’s decision this week to lift similar limits on its long-distance Storm Shadow missiles.While the Biden administration has given Ukraine the greenlight to strike beyond Russia’s border near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Zelensky is pushing for the U.S. to relent on its broader ban on striking military targets deep inside Russia, in place over concerns of provokingRussian President Vladimir Putin. “If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the [limitations],” Zelensky said at a press conference alongside outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Washington on Thursday, noting he had spoken with both President Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the request. In a post on the social media site X, Zelensky said he had met with Starmer and “learned about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russian territory” and discussed “the practical implementation of this decision.” Zelensky, during the press conference, called it “crazy” to have limitations on how it can use donated weapons to strike against Russia. “We understand from what military base they attack us, and if they attacked us and killed our children in the hospital, that is crazy question why we can’t answer and attack this person, this military base, where from these guided bombs from jets, or missile came, targeted us, killed our children,” Zelensky said.
Acclaimed Indian author Arundhati Roy to be prosecuted under India’s draconian anti-terror law for 2010 remarks on Kashmir - Arundhati Roy—essayist, Booker Prize-winning novelist, and human rights activist—is facing prosecution under India’s draconian “anti-terror” legislation, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA. Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor, an appointee and toady of India’s far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, endorsed Roy’s prosecution under the UAPA on June 14, in order to circumvent the statute of limitations that governs prosecutions under normal Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government initially greenlighted Roy’s prosecution last October under criminal charges that threatened her with multiple three-year prison terms for remarks she made during a speech on Kashmir in 2010. However, given the time lapse, the cases against Roy under IPC sections 153A, 153B, and 510, including for “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion” and “undermining national-integration,” were not legally tenable. By charging Roy under the UAPA the government is not only able to continue her legal persecution. Under its harsher provisions, conviction on charges almost identical to IPC sections 153A, 153B, and 505 could result in her being sentenced to up to seven years behind bars. Those detained under the UAPA must also pass a much higher bar to obtain bail. The Indian authorities have frequently used the UAPA’s highly restrictive bail provisions to arbitrarily detain people for years on end on the basis of fabricated evidence and amalgams prior to any trial or, in many cases, even the laying of criminal charges. To date, the government has not signaled any intention to take Roy into custody, but this does not mean she is not in danger of pre-trial detention. The BJP, its supporters, and much of the Indian press and political establishment have long vilified Roy for her trenchant criticisms of Indian capitalism. India’s Hindu-supremacist government is also moving forward with the prosecution of Dr. Sheikh Hussain, an international law professor, who spoke alongside Roy fourteen years ago at a conference organized by Kashmiri separatist groups under the title “Azadi (Freedom)–the Only Way Ahead.”
No comments:
Post a Comment