global glass onion: week ending Sep 28

Fed Governor Bowman explains dissent on rate vote, says she's worried about inflation --Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said Tuesday she thought her colleagues should have taken a more measured approach to last week's half percentage point interest rate cut as she worries that inflation could reignite.Bowman was the lone dissenter from the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to lower benchmark interest rates for the first time in more than four years. No governor had dissented from an interest rate decision since 2005.In explaining her rationale, Bowman said the half percentage point, or 50 basis point, reduction posed a number of risks to the Fed's twin goals of achieving low inflation and full employment.The jumbo cut "could be interpreted as a premature declaration of victory on our price-stability mandate. Accomplishing our mission of returning to low and stable inflation at our 2 percent goal is necessary to foster a strong labor market and an economy that works for everyone in the longer term," she said in remarks to a bankers group in Kentucky.Inflation by the Fed's preferred metric is running at 2.5%, above the central bank's 2% goal. Excluding food and energy, core inflation is at 2.6%.Though Bowman favored a reduction, she preferred the Fed lower by a quarter percentage point, more in line with the traditional moves at the central bank. The FOMC last cut by half a point in the early days of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, and before that the global financial crisis in 2008.Bowman cited several specific concerns: that the big move would indicate that Fed officials see "some fragility or greater downside risks to the economy"; that markets might expect a series of large cuts; that large amounts of sideline cash could be put to work as rates fall, stoking inflation; and her general feeling that rates won't need to come down as much as her fellow policymakers have indicated."In light of these considerations, I believe that, by moving at a measured pace toward a more neutral policy stance, we will be better positioned to achieve further progress in bringing inflation down to our 2 percent target, while closely watching the evolution of labor market conditions," she said. In recent statements, Fed officials have cited easing inflation and a softening labor market as justification for the cut. At last week's meeting, individual policymakers indicated they expect another half percentage point in reductions this year and another full point in 2025. Market pricing, however, is more aggressive, expecting 2 full percentage points in cuts through next year. The Fed's benchmark overnight borrowing rate is now targeted at 4.75%-5%. Bowman said she respects the committee's decision and emphasized that policy isn't on a preset course and will depend on the data, which she said has indicated the labor market has softened a bit but is still strong "I continue to see greater risks to price stability, especially while the labor market continues to be near estimates of full employment," she said.

Fed's Goolsbee sees 'many more' rate cuts ahead (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee on Monday said he expects "many more rate cuts over the next year" as the U.S. central bank seeks a soft landing for the economy, where it controls inflation without crashing the labor market. Inflation is "way down" from its peak and in recent months has been coming in at the Fed's 2% target, Goolsbee said in remarks prepared for delivery to the National Association of State Treasurers Annual Conference. He said the 4.2% U.S. unemployment rate is considered by many to be full employment, which is the Fed's other congressionally mandated goal. "Basically, we would love to freeze both sides of the Fed’s dual mandate right here," Goolsbee said. "Yet rates are the highest they’ve been in decades. It makes sense to hold rates like this when you want to cool the economy, not when you want things to stay where they are." The Fed last week reduced its policy rate to the 4.75%-5.00% range, delivering a bigger-than-usual half-of-a-percentage point cut. "I am comfortable with a starting move like this -- the 50 basis point cut in the federal funds rate announced last Wednesday -- as a demarcation that we are back to thinking more about both sides of the mandate," Goolsbee said on Monday. "If we want a soft landing, we can't be behind the curve." As Fed policymakers have gained confidence inflation is headed back to 2%, he said, it's appropriate "to think about risks to employment, too, not just inflation... and that likely means many more rate cuts over the next year." Goolsbee has for months advocated reducing the Fed's policy rate, which the central bank had held steady for more than a year even as inflation dropped substantially. "The specific timing of the initial cut is less important than the longer-arc view that conditions are good on both sides of the mandate," Goolsbee said on Monday. "Rates need to come down significantly going forward if we want the conditions to stay that way."

Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari sees slower pace of rate cuts ahead --Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said Monday that he expects policymakers to dial down the pace of interest rate cuts after last week's half percentage point reduction. "I think after 50 basis points, we're still in a net tight position," Kashkari said in a CNBC "Squawk Box" interview. "So I was comfortable taking a larger first step, and then as we go forward, I expect, on balance, we will probably take smaller steps unless the data changes materially." In a decision that came as at least a mild surprise, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday voted to reduce its benchmark overnight borrowing rate by half a percentage point, or 50 basis points. It was the first time the committee had cut by that much since the early days of the Covid pandemic, and, before that, the financial crisis in 2008. One basis point equals 0.01%. While the move was unusual from a historical perspective, Kashkari said he thought it was necessary to get rates to reflect a recalibration of policy from a focus on overheating inflation to more concern about a softening labor market. His comments indicate the central bank could move back to more traditional moves in quarter-point increments. "Right now, we still have a strong, healthy labor market. But I want to keep it a strong, healthy labor market, and a lot of the recent inflation data is coming in looking very positive that we're on our way back to 2%," he said. "So I don't think you're going to find anybody at the Federal Reserve who declares mission accomplished, but we are paying attention to what risks are most likely to materialize in the near future," he said. As part of the committee's rotating schedule, Kashkari will not get a vote on the FOMC until 2026, though he does get a say during policy meetings. The rate cut Wednesday signaled that the Fed is on its way to normalizing rates and bringing them back to a "neutral" position that neither pushes nor restricts growth. In their latest economic projections, FOMC members indicated that rate is probably around 2.9%; the current fed funds rate is targeted between 4.75% and 5%. Other Fed officials, however, offered somewhat less cautious views than Kashkari. Speaking separately Monday, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic indicated he expects the Fed to move aggressively in getting back to a neutral rate. "Progress on inflation and the cooling of the labor market have emerged much more quickly than I imagined at the beginning of the summer," said Bostic, who votes this year on the FOMC. "In this moment, I envision normalizing monetary policy sooner than I thought would be appropriate even a few months ago." Bostic also noted that Wednesday's cut puts the Fed in a better position on policy, in that it can slow the pace of easing if inflation starts to peak up again, or accelerate it if the labor market slows further. Also, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said he sees a continuous path of cutting, with rates coming down "significantly," now that the risks to the Fed's dual mandate of low inflation and full employment are coming into better balance. "As we've gained confidence that we are on the path back to 2%, it's appropriate to increase our focus on the other side of the Fed's mandate — to think about risks to employment, too, not just inflation," Goolsbee, an FOMC alternate this year and a voter in 2025. "And given the through line on economic conditions, that likely means many more rate cuts over the next year." Market pricing anticipates a relatively even chance of the FOMC cutting by either a quarter- or half-percentage point at its November meeting, with a stronger likelihood of the larger move in December, for a total of 0.75 percentage point in further reductions by the end of the year, according to the CME Group's FedWatch measure.

The Yield Curve Before & After the Rate Cut: Why Have Longer-Term Yields Risen since the Rate Cut? Already Priced in? Inflation Concerns as Policy Loosens in a Decent Economy? By Wolf Richter -- The Treasury yield curve is un-inverting piece by piece, but not in the way future homebuyers want: before and since the rate cut, shorter-term Treasury yields have fallen, driven by the Fed’s actual and expected rate cuts; but longer-term Treasury yields and mortgage rates have inched up.As shorter-term yields drop while longer-term yields rise – or fall more slowly than shorter-term yields – the yield curve un-inverts step by step and eventually enters its normal state where all shorter-term yields are lower than longer-term yields.But it still has a long way to go before it’s un-inverted all the way, to where shorter-term yields are lower than longer-term yields across the yield curve.What we have now is a yield curve with still high but falling shorter-term yields, a sag in the middle with the low point at 3 years, and rising longer-term yields.Mortgage rates roughly parallel the 10-year yield but at a higher level, and a daily measure of mortgage rates also ticked up since the rate cut on Wednesday.The chart shows the “yield curve,” with Treasury yields across the maturity spectrum, from 1 month to 30 years, on three different dates:

Friday, September 20 (red line)
Tuesday, September 17, the day before the rate cut (blue line)
July 23 (golden line).

Between July 23 and September 17, yields plunged across the yield curve in anticipation of lots of rate cuts from the Fed – thereby pricing in a bunch of future rate cuts:

3-month: -46 basis points
1-year: -86 basis points
2-year: -81 basis points
3-year: -81 basis points
5-year: -71 basis points
10-year: -60 basis points
30-year: -52 basis points

From September 17 to September 20, from the day before the rate cut to two days after the rate cut, reflected by the red line in the chart above, shorter-term yields fell further, but longer-term yields rose.

3-month: -20 basis points
1-year: -7 basis points
2-year: -4 basis points
3-year: +1 basis point
5-year: +4 basis points
10-year: +8 basis points
30-year: +11 basis points

Why have longer-term yields risen since the rate cut? Trying to explain why something is happening in the financial markets is somewhat of an iffy affair. But we’re going to outline a couple of factors that play a role. A bunch of rate cuts have already been priced in. Current shorter-term yields reflect expectations of future Fed policy rates within the term of the security. The act of pricing expectations of future rate cuts into current yields cause these yields to plunge.For example, the 6-month yield will be most affected by expectations of what the Fed does over the next four to five months; the 2-year yield will be affected by expectations of what the Fed does over the next two years.But this gets iffier for longer-term securities because other factors drive them, not just expectations of future short-term rates, including inflation expectations over their term. Inflation concerns might be creeping back into the equation, now that the Fed is loosening monetary policy with a series of rate cuts in a decent economy with decent consumer spending growth, employment at record highs (though job creation slowed dramatically and that could turn into a problem), wage increases that are still substantial (3.8% year-over-year, 4.9% annualized in September), with still lots of liquidity sloshing around, loose financial conditions in many areas of the economy (CRE excepted), and with stock indices at precariously high levels. People with assets feel wealthy, and workers are still getting substantial pay increases, and that too drives spending, all of which is fertile ground for inflation to thrive.Inflation has come down a lot — and that gives the Fed room to cut — but inflation is not a steady trend. It’s a zigzag movement, and CPI has accelerated month-to-month over the past two months, which may have just been another squiggle, or a change in direction. And no one knows what inflation will do in 2025 and 2026 when the Fed’s policy rates are lower. Investors who buy securities that have 10 years left to run struggle with these uncertainties and try to price them in somehow, which would cause longer-term yields to tick up.Short-term yields are pricing in the expected rate cuts during their term. A security with 3-months left to run will trade on expectations of rates largely over the next two months. The closer the security gets toward its maturity date, the less policy rates matter because on maturity date, the holder will get paid face value plus interest. And that’s the value of the security on that day. So below are charts of some key yields in relationship to the Effective Federal Funds Rate (EFFR) which the Fed targets with its headline policy rate (blue in the charts).

Days after Rate Cut, S&P’s Flash PMI Sees Rising Inflation and Exhorts the Fed to “Move Cautiously” with “Further Rate Cuts” - by Wolf Richter- Underlying inflationary dynamics are picking up steam, after having cooled a lot. Today, S&P’s preliminary Flash US Composite PMI (Purchasing Manager Index), based on data collected from September 12 through 20, entailed multiple warnings about the Fed’s future rate cuts, in light of reaccelerating selling-price inflation in both the services and manufacturing sectors, and in light of input-cost inflation in services. The price gauges of the PMIs “serve as a warning” that “the FOMC may need to move cautiously in implementing further rate cuts,” the report said. We’ve already seen the second month-to-month re-acceleration in a row of CPI inflation. Overall, “business activity growth remained robust in September,” the PMI report said. The flash Composite PMI, which combines services and manufacturing PMIs, came in at 54.4 in September, indicating solid growth (above 50 = growth compared to the prior month). With July and August also showing solid growth, September is “rounding off the strongest quarter since the first three months of 2022.” The Composite PMI was driven by strong growth in services, which make up the majority of the economy, and “modestly falling output” in the manufacturing sector. The S&P’s Flash Services PMI for August came in a 55.4, meaning growth at a “solid pace,” with “the rate of increase running at the second-highest seen over the past 29 months.” The Services PMI has shown roughly the same pace of solid growth for the past five months. Services are the majority of the economy, and they carry it. Manufacturing, which accounts for a much smaller part of the economy and employment, has been in the doldrums coming off the phenomenal spike during the pandemic. For September, the flash Manufacturing PMI ticked down “modestly” to a 15-month low of 47 (below 50 = contraction compared to the prior month). Inflation dynamics entail a warning to the Fed about rate cuts. “Prices charged for goods and services are both rising at the fastest rates for six months, with input costs in the services sector – a major component of which is wages and salaries – rising at the fastest rate for a year,” the report said. “The “reacceleration of inflation” suggests that “the Fed cannot totally shift its focus away from its inflation target as it seeks to sustain the economic upturn,” the report said. “The survey’s price gauges meanwhile serve as a warning that, despite the PMI indicating a further deterioration of the hiring trend in September, the FOMC may need to move cautiously in implementing further rate cuts,” the report said. Selling price inflation in both, services and manufacturing: “Prices charged rose at the fastest rate for six months, pushed higher by input cost growth accelerating to a one-year high,” it said. “The acceleration of selling price inflation was common across goods [manufacturing] and services, in both cases hitting six-month highs,” and “in both cases running above pre-pandemic long-run averages to point to elevated rates of increase,” it said. Input cost inflation: services diverge from manufacturing. “Service sector input cost growth notably struck a 12-month high, linked to reports of wage growth,” it said. “Higher charges were driven by increased costs, with input costs rising at fastest pace for a year in September,” and it was “often linked to the need to raise pay rates for staff,” it said. “In contrast, manufacturing input cost growth cooled to a six-month low thanks to lower energy prices and fewer supply chain price pressures,” it said. “The “reacceleration of inflation” suggests “the Fed cannot totally shift its focus away from its inflation target.”

Fed Favored Annual Core PCE Price Index Accelerates to 2.7%, Highest since April, on Higher Core Services Inflation (+3.8%). Durable Goods -2.2%, Energy -10% by Wolf Richter -- The “Core” PCE price index, the Fed’s primary yardstick for its 2% inflation target, rose by 2.7% from a year ago in August, the second slight acceleration in a row, and the biggest increase since April (red in the chart below). This “core” index attempts to show underlying inflation by excluding the components of food and energy as they can jump and drop with commodity prices. The overall PCE price index, which includes the food and energy components, rose by 2.2% year-over-year in August, a deceleration, on plunging energy prices (-10.1%) and slower rising food prices (+1.1%). The “core services” PCE price index increased by 3.8% in August year-over-year, the first acceleration since March, on accelerating housing costs (yellow). The durable goods PCE price index fell less than in the prior months, in August by -2.2% year-over-year, the smallest drop since April (green): The “core” PCE price index rose by 1.6% annualized in August from July (not annualized, +0.13%), a deceleration from July (blue in the chart below). Within it, two forces – core services and durable goods – pulled in opposite directions as durable goods prices continue to deflate from the pandemic spike. The six-month annualized core PCE price index, which irons out the month-to-month squiggles and includes all revisions, decelerated to 2.4% annualized (red): The “core Services” PCE price index rose by 2.8% annualized in August from July (+0.23% not annualized), second deceleration in a row. The six-month core services index rose by 3.3% annualized (+0.27% not annualized), the first acceleration since April. Core services include housing, healthcare, financial services & insurance, transportation services, non-energy utilities, communication services, recreation services, food services & accommodation, and “other” services. The housing costs PCE price index, which is part of core services, jumped by 5.7% annualized in August from July (+0.47% not annualized), the second month in a row of sharp acceleration. The six-month index rose by 4.9% annualized, the first acceleration all year. Year-over-year, the housing costs PCE price index accelerated for the first time since April 2023, rising by 5.3%. Stubbornly high housing inflation – which has remained high against all predictions – has long frustrated Powell. Durable goods PCE price index fell in August from July by 2.9% annualized (-0.24% not annualized). The six-month index also fell by 2.9% annualized. Durable goods include motor vehicles, recreational goods and vehicles, appliances, electronics, furniture, etc. The index tends to run in a slightly negative range during normal times amid manufacturing efficiencies, technological improvements, and globalization. It’s the services that have been the driving force of inflation for many years. But during the pandemic, durable goods prices spiked massively due to the sudden demand fueled by the stimulus funds, and that exaggerated demand hit tangled-up supply chains. The resulting shortages and consumers suddenly willing to pay whatever gave companies enormous pricing power. So now, the PCE price index for durable goods is roughly back to normal:

Mediocre 5Y Auction Prices On The Screws, Lowest Yield Since March 2023 -- One day after a solid 2Y auction stopped "on the screws", moments ago the $70 billion 5Y auction did it again, when it also closed on the screws, or right where the When Issued said it should, prompting questions whether we have ever had two consecutive "screw" auctions in a row.Today's sale of $70 billion in 5 year paper priced at a high yield of 3.519%, right on top of the When Issued, and following 4 tails in the previous 5 auctions. This was also the lowest yield for the 5Y tenor since April 2023.The bid to cover dropped to 2.38 from 2.41, and was also right in line with the six-auction average or 2.38; in fact as shown in the chart below 2.40 is where the average Bid to Cover has stopped on pretty much all auctions in the past decade.The internals were also average, with Indirects awarded 70.31%, down from 70.54% in August but above the 68.0% recent average. Overall, this was mediocre auction, one which helped push yields to session highs with the 10Y back up to 3.78% at last check.

Who Holds all these US Treasury Securities? Update on the Investors in the Ballooning US National Debt in Q2 - By Wolf Richter -The US national debt has ballooned so fast to $35.3 trillion – by $12.0 trillion since January 2020 – that it’s mindboggling, especially in a growing economy. And every single one of the Treasury securities that form this colossal debt was bought and is held by some investor, and we’re going to look at those entities that hold this Treasury debt. Who holds this $35.3 trillion in Treasury debt? US Government funds: $7.11 trillion. This “debt held internally” are Treasury securities held by various US government pension funds and by the Social Security Trust Fund (here’s the SS Trust Fund holdings, income, and outgo). These Treasury securities are not traded in the market, but the government funds purchase them directly from the Treasury Department, and at maturity are redeemed at face value. They don’t involve Wall Street fees and profits, and they’re not subject to the whims of the markets.The remaining $28.2 trillion in Treasury securities are “held by the public.” At the end of Q2, the time frame we’re going to look at now, $27.6 trillion were held by the public. A small portion of these Treasuries “held by the public” cannot be traded, such as the popular inflation-protected I bonds, and some other bond issues.The rest – $27.05 trillion – were Treasury bills, notes, and bonds, TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities), and FRNs (Floating Rate Notes) that were traded and were therefore “marketable.” They’re by far the largest class of US fixed income securities, far ahead of corporate bonds ($11 trillion). Who holds the $27.05 trillion in “marketable” Treasury securities?The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) just released its Quarterly Fixed Income Report for Q2, which spells out, among other things, who held these $27.05 trillion of marketable Treasury securities at the end of Q2:

Foreign holders: 33.5% of marketable securities. This includes private sector holdings and official holdings, such as by central banks.Overall foreign holdings have continued to rise from record to record. The big financial centers, European countries, Canada, India, and other countries have increased their holdings to new records. China, Brazil, and some other countries have reduced their holdings for years (we discussed the details of those foreign holders here).
US mutual funds: 17.7% of marketable Treasury securities (about $4.8 trillion), such as bond mutual funds and money market mutual funds. They decreased their share from Q1 (18.0%).
Federal Reserve: 16.1% of marketable Treasury securities. Under its QT program, the Fed has already shed $1.38 trillion of Treasury securities since the peak in June 2022 and as of early September has brought its holdings down to $4.4 trillion (our latest update on the Fed’s balance sheet).
US Individuals: 11.1% of marketable Treasury securities (about $3.0 trillion). These are investors who hold them in their accounts in the US. They increased their holdings since Q1 (from a share of 9.8% or about $2.7 trillion).
Banks: 8.1% of marketable Treasury securities outstanding (about $2.2 trillion), roughly unchanged since Q1.
State and local governments: 6.2% of marketable Treasury securities (about $1.7 trillion), a slight decrease in share since Q1 (6.3%).
Pension funds: 3.7% of marketable Treasury securities (about $1.0 trillion), a decrease of their holdings since Q1 (4.3% and $1.7 trillion).
Insurance companies: 2.2% of marketable Treasury securities (about $600 billion), an increase of their holdings since Q1 (1.9%), reflecting Warren Buffett’s conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, which includes GEICO, which has loaded up on T-bills over the past two years through Q2.
Other: 1.4% of marketable Treasury securities (about $400 billion).

The burden of the US debt: These interest-bearing assets held by investors are costly liabilities for the government. Here’s our discussion on the burden of the national debt and what portion of the tax receipts are eaten up by interest payments and how that evolved over the decades:Spiking Interest Payments on the Ballooning US Government Debt v. Tax Receipts, GDP, and Inflation

Q2 GDP Growth Unrevised at 3.0% Annual Rate - From the BEA: Gross Domestic Product (Third Estimate), Corporate Profits (Revised Estimate), and GDP by Industry, Second Quarter 2024 and Annual Update Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.0 percent in the second quarter of 2024, according to the "third" estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 1.6 percent (revised). The GDP estimate released today is based on more complete source data than were available for the "second" estimate issued last month. In the second estimate, the increase in real GDP was also 3.0 percent. The update primarily reflected upward revisions to private inventory investment and federal government spending that were offset by downward revisions to nonresidential fixed investment and exports. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, were revised up. Here is a Comparison of Third and Second Estimates. PCE growth was revised down from 2.9% to 2.8%. Residential investment was revised down from -2.0% to -2.8%.

Second quarter GDP locks in at 3 percent growth - U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 3 percent in the second quarter, showing an impressive performance for the economy through an elevated interest rate environment set by the Federal Reserve.Three percent growth in the Commerce Department’s third estimate of GDP performance confirmed the second estimate, which also came in at 3 percent. Both were up from 1.6-percent growth in the first quarter.Corporate profits, adjusted for inventories and capital use, were up $132.5 billion in the second quarter, marking an upward revision of $74.9 billion from the last estimate. Profits of companies have surged in the aftermath of the pandemic, both in dollar terms and as a share of value in the economy.Profits of domestic nonfinancial corporations were revised up by $79.6 billion to $108.8 billion, while those of financial companies were revised down by $4 billion to hit an increase of $42.5 billion in the second quarter.The latest GDP figures included upward revisions in inventory investments and government spending, offset by reductions in exports and fixed investments, the Commerce Department said.The biggest contributors to GDP growth in the second quarter were nondurable goods manufacturing, finance and health care. Food services, educational services and mining output were the largest detractors from the overall number.The Federal Reserve has recently made a shift in monetary policy, cutting interest rates for the first time in years at its latest meeting earlier this month. Monetary policy works at a lag relative to employment conditions in the economy, but markets have already responded positively as capital inflows into equities have been increasing.The 0.2-percentage point difference between the GDP’s third estimate and its advanced estimate represents a concern for economists in light of the Federal Reserve’s “data dependency” over the course of the pandemic, which differs from the more programmatic approach of previous Fed administrations.“The increased frequency and size of data revisions underscores the dangers of ‘data dependency’ in driving policy,” UBS economist Paul Donovan wrote in a Thursday commentary.

Johnson rolls out plan B to avert government shutdown -- House GOP leaders on Sunday unveiled a plan to keep the government funded for three months after Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) opening gambit to avoid a shutdown failed due to opposition from Republicans.The continuing resolution (CR), which was the result of bipartisan negotiations in the House and Senate, would keep the government funded at current levels through Dec. 20 — setting up a holiday funding fight.The three-month time frame is shorter than Johnson’s opening offer of a six-month stopgap, and the bill notably excludes a Trump-backed measure requiring proof of citizenship to vote.Republican leaders are aiming to bring the bill up under a regular rule process, with a floor vote on the legislation by Wednesday, according to GOP aides. It would then head to the Senate ahead of the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.Johnson warned Republicans against a shutdown in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Sunday.“While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances. As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice,” Johnson said, citing a McLaughlin & Associates survey that found two-thirds of likely voters oppose a government shutdown.The bill also directs that $231 million to go the Secret Service, which has again come under scrutiny in the wake of an apparent second assassination attempt against former President Trump.Johnson outlined the legislation to GOP lawmakers in his letter Sunday, saying: “Since we fell a bit short of the goal line, an alternative plan is now required.”The Speaker added that the clean, three-month CR is intended “to prevent the Senate from jamming us with a bill loaded with billions in new spending and unrelated provisions,” and that the legislation is “a very narrow, bare-bones CR including only the extensions that are absolutely necessary.”House Republicans will almost certainly need help from Democrats to pass the legislation. Many GOP lawmakers are expected to oppose the bill because of the lack of spending cuts, shorter time frame and exclusion of the voting bill, which hard-line conservatives and Trump pushed to be part of the final product.Bringing the bill up under regular order, rather than fast-tracking it, could present a hurdle as it means the measure will need to clear a procedural vote. Such votes on rules, which govern the debate over a bill, are traditionally party-line affairs regardless of lawmakers’ views on the underlying legislation.Throughout this Congress, however, hard-line conservatives have voted against rules to protest legislation they disagree with, opposition that, if large enough, could block the bill from being considered in the House.The roughly three-month timeline is the duration preferred by Democrats and GOP defense hawks.Conservatives, on the other hand, sought a longer stopgap through spring to lessen chances of a massive end-of-year omnibus spending package, and to potentially allow Trump more input regarding fiscal 2025 funding if he wins in November.In a press call ahead of the stopgap text’s release, House GOP leadership aides said that the three-month timeline “does not necessarily mean we will be doing an omnibus in December” — hinting at another funding battle after the election.The short-term spending bill is Republican leadership’s latest attempt at avoiding an Oct. 1 government shutdown after Johnson’s opening salvo in the spending talks failed last week. Fourteen GOP lawmakers joined with the overwhelming majority of Democrats to torpedo a six-month CR coupled with the voting bill, dubbed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — dealing a blow to Johnson.Johnson, nonetheless, has stressed that the six-month CR-plus-SAVE Act was the right “play call.” It was intended to put the focus on Democrats’ stance on voting issues and be an initial offer for negotiations, even though Republicans knew the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House would never approve it.Democrats note that noncitizen voting is already illegal and exceedingly rare, and worry about burdening eligible voters.Trump also seemed to complicate matters when he called on Republicans in Congress to not pass any CR, forcing a shutdown, unless Democrats approve the SAVE Act. But Republicans overwhelmingly say a shutdown would hurt them in November. Johnson, who has talked to the former president about the funding issues, said Friday that Trump “understands the situation” House Republicans are in.Democratic leaders in both chambers lauded the proposed CR, while slamming Johnson and Republicans for their attempt to pass the partisan stopgap last week.“As a result of a bipartisan and bicameral process recently underway, the continuing resolution currently under consideration is now consistent with the spending levels agreed upon in the Bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act. It is also devoid of any partisan, right-wing policy changes that House Republicans inappropriately attempted to jam into the appropriations legislation,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “Upon our return to Washington, House Democrats will collectively evaluate the spending legislation in its entirety in advance of its consideration on the Floor.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) noted that he began the lengthy process of originating a funding bill in the Senate, saying “Hopefully, this vehicle will be unnecessary.”“While I am pleased bipartisan negotiations quickly led to a government funding agreement free of cuts and poison pills, this same agreement could have been done two weeks ago. Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to follow the MAGA way and wasted precious time. As I have said throughout this process, there is only one way to get things done, with bipartisan, bicameral support,” he said.The stopgap would keep funding in line with levels last hashed out by both chambers earlier this year.It excludes $10 billion in additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund that was previously included in House Republican’s initial six-month plan. But it does include replenishment of FEMA’s disaster relief fund. Funding for the Virginia Class Submarine program that was included in the earlier GOP-backed plan is also missing from the stopgap, as well as additional dollars to address what the Department of Veterans Affairs has warned is a potential $12 billion shortfall facing the agency for medical care for fiscal year 2025.However, the 46-page bill also features a number of health-care extensions for the VA, including measures appropriators say would extend its authority to provide nursing care to veterans with “service-connected disabilities,” as well as the authority for the joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.The move comes after Congress passed legislation last week to address a more immediate $3 billion shortfall for the VA, as officials warned that benefit payments for veterans were at risk of being disrupted next month absent congressional action. While the bill does include Secret Service funding, it is money allocated under the existing budget caps, rather than additional emergency funding.House GOP leadership aides said the funding is “confined to help their immediate needs for campaign purposes,” as Trump and Vice President Harris enter the final stretch to Election Day.

Congress’ plan to avert shutdown: What made the cut and what didn't -Congressional leaders have struck a deal to keep the government open past a looming Sept. 30 deadline, after a previous effort to punt the funding fight into spring 2025 and attach a Trump-backed proof-of-citizenship voting bill failed. The House is expected to move early next week on the legislation, also known as a continuing resolution (CR).Here are a few items that made the cut — and a few that didn’t.

Funding into December.The deal, rolled out Sunday afternoon, would keep the government funded through Dec. 20 to buy time to hash out a funding agreement for the rest of fiscal 2025. The roughly three-month timeline is the preferred duration of Democrats and Republican defense hawks.It comes after a bill containing a six-month stopgap, the time frame sought by conservatives,failed on the House floor. Republicans who supported the longer stopgap hoped it would lessen the chances of a massive end-of-year omnibus spending package, and potentially allow former President Trump more input over fiscal 2025 funding if he wins back the White House this fall.
Secret Service funding. The bill includes $231 million in funding for the Secret Service in the wake of the apparent second assassination attempt against Trump. The proposed funding for the Secret Service comes as the acting director, Ronald Rowe, has pushed for more resources for the agency.Rowe said earlier this week that the agency needs to “make sure we’re getting the personnel that we have, and that requires us to be able to have the funding to be able to hire more people.” However, some Republicans have raised questions over how further funding would help protect Trump in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Others have also pointed to the funding the agency has already received in recent years.House GOP leadership aides said the funding is “confined to help their immediate needs for campaign purposes,” as Trump and Vice President Harris enter the final stretch to Election Day. They also said there will be “a number of conditions” on the funding, including meeting congressional demands as its panels, including the House task force formed to investigate the July assassination attempt against Trump, conduct oversight of the agency.
SAVE Act. The bill unveiled Sunday excludes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, despite Trump urging the party to fight to get the bill enacted this month, even if it means a shutdown.Proponents say the measure would ensure that only citizens can vote in federal elections. It seeks to make it mandatory for states to obtain proof of citizenship to register voters and purge noncitizens from voter rolls.Conservatives in the House, along with Trump, pushed to attach the measure — which passed the House as a stand-alone bill with unanimous Republican support earlier this year — but Republicans widely saw it as an opening offer to gain leverage in eventual negotiations with the Senate.While Trump pushed for a shutdown in the absence of the bill, most House Republicans say there is no appetite for letting funding lapse so close to an election.
Submarine funding. Funding for the Virginia Class Submarine program that was included in the earlier GOP-backed plan is absent from the new stopgap plan.
VA shortfall. The bill also fails to address what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has warned is a potential $12 billion shortfall facing the agency for fiscal 2025, despite pressure from Democrats. However, the 46-page bill features a number of health care extensions for the VA, including measures appropriators say would extend its authority to provide nursing care to veterans with “service-connected disabilities,” as well as the authority for the joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund. Appropriators also say the bill would reallocate rescinded funds set aside for major construction for fiscal 2024 that weren’t “obligated in order for them to be available in fiscal year 2025.” They also note inclusion of an extension of authority “for monthly assistance allowance for disabled veterans training in Paralympic and Olympic sports program.”The move comes after Congress passed legislation last week to address a more immediate $3 billion shortfall for the VA, as officials warned that benefit payments for veterans were at risk of being disrupted next month absent congressional action.
FEMA funding. The three-month stopgap excludes $10 billion in additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund that was previously included in House Republicans’ initial six-month plan. But it does allow the agency to use the fund’s resources faster for disaster response for the roughly three-month span.“We made a joint decision to address, because it’s going to be a two and a half month CR, the disaster side with no additional disaster money,” the aides said Sunday, although they noted there is still disaster money in the bill in the form “of the disaster relief fund within FEMA being replenished as soon as the CR becomes law.”

House GOP will need Democrats to pass stopgap spending bill and avert shutdown - House Republican leaders are changing course on the process for considering a three-month government funding bill, abandoning plans to bring it up through a regular procedural process after opposition from some in the right flank threatened to block it.Now, the stopgap — which would keep the government funded through Dec. 20 — is expected to hit the floor this week under suspension of the rules, a process that bypasses the need to pass a procedural rule, requires significant support from Democrats to reach the two-thirds support threshold needed for passage, and is abhorred by hard-line conservatives.It is just the latest hurdle for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Republicans on the government funding legislation, after an initial House GOP gambit on funding failed due to opposition from within their own party last week.The House Rules Committee convened Monday afternoon to consider a group of measures, including the stopgap, but later in the evening the panel decided to drop the government funding measure from the final bundle of bills packaged together that evening.“So we’ll bring it up under suspension, which is the way I thought we would to begin with,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the ranking member on the House Rules Committee, said at the end of the hearing Monday.“You will get your wish,” House Rules Committee Chair Michael Burgess (R-Texas) responded.The stopgap is poised to sail through the House now that it is being considered under suspension of the rules, with a large number of Democrats and a significant cohort of Republicans expected to back the measure. It will then head to the Senate ahead of the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.This week’s vote will cap off the current shutdown showdown in the House, which has caused headaches for the Speaker.Johnson’s first “play call” in the government funding fight was to pair a six-month continuing resolution (CR) with a measure to require proof of citizenship to register to vote — dubbed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — which was pushed by former President Trump. That package, to be sure, was never expected to become law because of opposition from Senate Democrats and the White House, but it was intended to be an opening salvo in negotiations.Johnson, however, never got the chance to make that opening offer because it could not pass through the House. Fourteen Republicans, consisting mostly of fiscal hawks who balk at any kind of continuing resolution, voted against the bill.Johnson is now working to move a three-month stopgap that excludes the GOP-backed bill and was crafted by leaders in both parties and chambers. The Speaker initially sought to move the legislation through regular order, which requires passage of a procedural rule.“We try to follow regular process, regular order as much as possible,” Johnson had told reporters earlier in the day of his move to advance the 3-month CR through a rule.Hours later, however, some hard-line conservatives said they would oppose the procedural rule when it hit the floor as a way to protest the legislation. If the rule failed — a reality that would only require a handful of GOP “no” votes — the House would be unable to debate the bill and vote on final passage. Some on the right flank were already vowing to vote against the rule.“I’m a no,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told The Hill when asked how he would vote on the rule, pointing to the exclusion of the SAVE Act.Democrats were highly unlikely to take the unusual step of supporting the procedural vote, even if they supported the stopgap. Rules votes are generally party-line affairs, regardless of how lawmakers intend to vote on the underlying legislation, but conservatives in the House have used them to protest legislation they disagree with.

Biden administration backs House Republicans' three-month government funding bill --The Biden administration on Tuesday announced its support for the latest short-term government funding proposal, greatly reducing the chances of a partial shutdown ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.In a statement from the Office of Management and Budget, theWhite House applauded the bill for giving Congress "more time to complete full-year funding bills later this year that deliver for America's national defense, veterans, seniors, children, and working families, and address urgent needs for the American people, including for communities recovering from disaster."The statement was far from a ringing endorsement of House Speaker Mike Johnson's, R-La., proposal. The statement criticized congressional Republicans for not including additional funding for disaster relief, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration."The Administration is deeply disappointed that congressional Republicans continue to block critical funding requested by the Administration to avoid severe disruptions to several critical Government services, including effectively ceasing operations of the Small Business Administration disaster loan program later this fall," it said.The White House also warned that it would oppose any funding cuts to the Internal Revenue Service in final appropriations legislation.The bill — introduced by Johnson on Sunday after his original proposal failed to pass the GOP-controlled House earlier this month — would fund the government through Dec. 20, rather than March 2025. It does not include any part of the SAVE Act, a controversial voter ID bill.President Joe Biden and many congressional Democratsstaunchly opposed plans to include the SAVE Act in the government funding bill. But it was Johnson's own caucus members who defeated his initial funding measure, when 14House Republicans voted against it on Sept. 18. The new proposal appears to defy the wishes of former President Donald Trump, who publicly called on congressional Republicans to shut down the government if the SAVE Act was left out of the funding bill.The latest bill does include $231 million for the Secret Service, whose funding and resources have been in the spotlight in the wake of two assassination attempts against Trump.Congress and the White House have until midnight on Sept. 30 to pass the bill and see it signed into law, avoid a partial government shutdown, which would have come just over a month from Election Day.House Republican aides said Sunday that the funding proposal could reach the House floor for a vote as soon as Wednesday."The Administration calls for swift passage of this bill in both chambers of the Congress to avoid a costly, unnecessary government shutdown and to ensure there is adequate time to pass full-year FY 2025 appropriations bills later this year," the White House statement said.

House passes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown - The House approved a three-month government funding bill Wednesday to avoid an end-of-the-month shutdown, sending the package to the Senate for consideration. The chamber cleared the legislation — which would fund the government at current levels until Dec. 20 — in a 341-82 vote, including support from 209 Democrats and 132 Republicans. All 82 “no” votes came from Republicans. The Senate is expected to pass the stopgap Wednesday night, then dispatch it to President Biden’s desk for his signature ahead of the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. The legislation also includes $231 million in funding for the U.S. Secret Service after the pair of assassination attempts of former President Trump. Passage of the package, which came just before lawmakers left Washington until after the November elections, caps off this month’s funding fight in the House. It included a failed attempt by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to pass a partisan stopgap, a push by Trump to shut down the government over the absence of a voting bill, and bipartisan negotiations that led to the final product. The bill passed under suspension of the rules, requiring two-thirds support. Johnson had to abandon plans to bring it up through a regular procedural process due to opposition from some in the right flank that threatened to block it.. This year’s battle over government funding, however, is not over: The three-month stopgap sets the stage for another shutdown showdown in December, during the lame-duck period, when lawmakers will have to cobble together a spending bill to keep the lights on in Washington past the new deadline. Johnson has vowed that the House will not approve a sprawling omnibus bill to avert a December shutdown, a statement that is welcome news for hard-line conservatives who abhor the whole-of-government measures. But will be a difficult goal to achieve as he grapples with a razor-thin GOP majority, a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House, and pressure to fund the government and leave town ahead of the Christmas holiday. The December dynamics will also be highly influenced by who wins the House, Senate and White House in November. The Speaker, nonetheless, re-upped his pledge after Wednesday’s vote. “I want to assure everyone, and I’ve said this multiple times this week: We are not going to return a Christmas omnibus spending tradition, and that’s a commitment I’ve made to everyone,” he said.

Senate sends bill to avert government shutdown to Biden's desk -Senators on Wednesday passed a short-term funding extension that will keep the government’s lights on until mid-December and will avert a preelection government shutdown days before the end-of-the-month deadline. The Senate voted 78-18 on the stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), that will keep the government funded at current spending levels until Dec. 20, at which point it will spark a holiday fight during the lame-duck session. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature. Passage of the CR comes after Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) initial plan — a six-month spending bill combined with a Trump-backed measure requiring proof of citizenship to vote — failed due to opposition from a number of Republicans. Johnson then resorted to plan B, which he negotiated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).In the end, however, the short-term package advanced with little trouble as the House rushed to pass the bill Wednesday afternoon. The Senate had locked in a time agreement Tuesday night to expedite final passage after the House vote Wednesday. “Americans can breathe easy that because both sides have chosen bipartisanship, Congress is getting the job done,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning. “We will keep the government open. We will prevent vital government services from needlessly coming to a halt. We will give appropriators more time to fully fund the government before the end of the year.” The three-month package also includes $231 million for the Secret Service in the aftermath of the second assassination attempt against former President Trump. It’s the second day in a row Congress has acted on legislation aimed at beefing up Trump’s security. The upper chamber on Tuesday passed a bill via unanimous consent that requires the Secret Service to “apply the same standards” to determine how many agents should be used to protect the president, vice president, and those running for offices who are granted such protection. Earlier Wednesday, the House passed the stopgap bill, 341-82, with every Democrat and 132 Republicans voting in favor. The vote was pushed up to Wednesday afternoon in order for lawmakers to leave Washington ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall in Florida. Johnson was forced to pass the bill under suspension of the rules, with two-thirds support of the chamber, after hard-liners threatened to block a procedural motion to advance the legislation through regular order. Conservatives and hard-liners have taken the opportunity to tank rule votes in order to express their dissatisfaction with various legislative efforts. Johnson’s initial six-month proposal saw opposition from several corners of the Republican conference. Defense hawks argued that six months without an increase in military spending would be harmful to national defense, while some fiscal hawks were opposed to any form of stopgap. But one thing most agreed on was that a government shutdown ahead of November would be a major mistake. “While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances. As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice,” Johnson said when he and Schumer rolled out the plan Sunday.

Lawmakers stunned as disaster funds left out of stopgap bill - A pair of destructive hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, an explosion of wildfires across the West and urgent pleas from Democrats and the White House this month were not enough to persuade Congress to secure new funding for disaster victims.The House and Senate kicked off a six-week preelection recess Wednesday evening after passing a government funding extension that left out billions of dollars in requested supplemental disaster funding — even as Hurricane Helene, expected to grow into a Category 3 storm by Thursday evening, careened toward the Florida Panhandle.The bipartisan continuing resolution passed the House on Wednesday on a 341-82 vote and hours later passed the Senate on a 78-18 vote. When President Joe Biden signs it, it will keep federal agencies open through Dec. 20, providing funding extensions for a range of federal programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency.But some lawmakers from disaster-prone states — on both sides of the aisle — were aghast this week at the lack of additional dollars for FEMA’s already depleted disaster relief fund and other federal disaster programs. Many of them were incensed that the typically bipartisan priority had fallen victim to partisan squabbles at such a dire time.Indeed, as the House and Senate’s top four leaders met last weekend to negotiate a deal to keep the government funded, they were forced to acquiesce to the demands of Congress’ most conservative fiscal hawks, whose votes were thought to be pivotal for passage. They quietly stripped the CR of almost all supplemental funding, including for FEMA, according to multiple House appropriatorsThe closed-door negotiations left many of Congress’ biggest disaster aid advocates surprised and disappointed, and even top appropriators with jurisdiction over disaster funding said they were blindsided.“I would have thought that if you were going to do something, disaster funding would’ve been one of the starting points. I have no idea how they got to that,” Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), chair of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds FEMA, told POLITICO’s E&E News.“They didn’t call me in and ask me for any advice,” he said. “Can you believe that?”The funding omission was made all the more striking by the fact that lawmakers were leaving Washington two days ahead of schedule, in part because of the hurricane. And some members, like Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Matt Gaetz, both Florida Republicans who have opposed efforts to preemptively appropriate disaster dollars, either voted against the CR or skipped the vote to be in Florida ahead of Helene’s landfall.“The right-wingers here, the MAGA crowd, even after disasters happen, they have opposed disaster aid for communities in need,” said a frustrated Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.).“I’m fearful of it because we’ve lived through it a number of times,” she added. “Even members from Florida after a disaster have opposed initial aid going in, and it’s not the way to have a government function, or FEMA function. It’s not right.”

Biden delivers warmongering tirade at the United Nations - On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden delivered a warmongering rant at the United Nations General Assembly, demanding an escalation of war against Russia and Iran, and threatening China. Just one day after Israel killed nearly 500 people in a brutal bombing campaign against Lebanon, and as Israeli bombs continued to level buildings in Lebanese towns and villages, Biden restated his unequivocal support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the wider war throughout the Middle East. Referring to the Iranian-backed group in Lebanon, Biden declared, “Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the October 7 attack, launching rockets into Israel. Any country would have the right and responsibility to ensure that such an attack could never happen again.” The US president demanded a “stronger position to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Iran. We must deny oxygen to its terrorist proxies.” At the same time, US troops and the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier are on their way to deploy to the Middle East in support of Israel’s offensive against Lebanon and ultimately Iran. Biden was, if possible, even more aggressive in demanding an escalation of war with Russia. “When Russia invaded Ukraine, we could have stood by and merely protested,” Biden said. Instead, “America stepped into the breach, providing massive security... assistance.” As a result, “NATO is bigger, stronger, more united than ever before.” He added, “we cannot let up... we will not let up on our support for Ukraine.” Driving Biden’s point home, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has driven hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainian men to their deaths on behalf of the imperialist powers, declared, “This war can’t be calmed by talks. Action is needed.” “Russia can only be forced into peace,” he said. The UN General Assembly is the occasion for a major escalation of global war. In the coming days, Zelensky will hold high-level meetings with US officials over the expected announcement that the US and UK will enable Ukraine to use NATO weapons to attack targets deep inside of Russia. The ramifications of such a decision, which could lead to nuclear war, are so great that they are reportedly producing divisions within the state. According to an article in the Washington Post, published Tuesday: There are splits within the administration: Even after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear his firm opposition to loosening the rules around ATACMS strikes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated this month in a visit to Kyiv that he was open to the Ukrainian arguments and would ultimately bring them back to Biden for a broader discussion in Washington. That discussion is ongoing, officials said, with those inside the National Security Council trying to manage the differences between the Defense Department and the State Department. In his remarks before a UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to link Russia, Iran, North Korea and China in a reboot of George W. Bush’s statements about an “axis of evil” prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. “As Tehran provides Putin with drones, ballistic missiles, and training, Russia is sharing technology with Iran on nuclear issues, as well as space information,” Blinken said. “This as Iran continues to arm, to train, and to fund proxies in the Middle East to carry out terrorist attacks across the region and beyond.” This is said by a leading official of a government that has “armed, trained and funded” Israel as it carries out a genocide in Gaza and terrorist attacks in Lebanon, including the pager explosion attack last week. Blinken added, “China, another permanent member of this council, is the top provider of machine tools, microelectronics, and other items that Russia is using to rebuild, to restock, to ramp up its war machine.” This from a leading official of a government that worked systematically to provoke the Russian invasion of Ukraine by providing the far-right regime in Kiev, installed in a 2014 coup, with billions in weaponry, and that has systematically escalated the conflict over the past two-and-a-half years.

Imperialist powers turn UN General Assembly into a war summit -- Founded in 1945, amid the rubble of World War II, the United Nations claimed that through the diplomatic resolution of international conflicts it would “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.” The US and its imperialist allies are seeking to turn the UN General Assembly into a war summit, aiming to instigate and inflame bloody military conflicts all over the world. In the Middle East, Israel and its imperialist backers are expanding the Gaza genocide, which has already killed, officially, more than 40,000 people, into a region-wide war. Far from seeking “deescalation,” the imperialist powers are deliberately attempting to provoke full-scale war not only with Lebanon, but also with Iran. And in Eastern Europe, the US and NATO are on the verge of launching NATO weapons from Ukraine into the territory of Russia, in their most escalatory action of the war to date. Ahead of the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, “We see out-of-control geopolitical divisions and runaway conflicts.” Guterres was speaking about a statement issued ahead of the UN General Assembly document that declared: We are confronted by rising catastrophic and existential risks, many caused by the choices we make. Fellow human beings are enduring terrible suffering. If we do not change course, we risk tipping into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown. The notion that the UN meeting itself will chart a way out of these “catastrophic and existential risks” is, however, a pipe dream. Rather, the General Assembly will hear addresses from an assortment of war criminals, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as their paid attack dogs, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Netanyahu will address the UN General Assembly after having carried out a bloody terrorist attack in Lebanon, turning thousands of everyday communication devices into bombs to be exploded on command, and as he presides over what UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has called a genocide in Gaza and what Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, has called the deliberate starvation of the Palestinian people. Netanyahu will deliver a defense of genocide, butchery and global lawlessness. While no one can match Netanyahu for open bloodthirstiness, he will be given a run for his money by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a “president” ruling under a declaration of a state of emergency outside of his constitutional term, in a dictatorship over the Ukrainian population imposed by US and European imperialism. Zelensky will call on the US and NATO powers to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range weapons, calling for them to abandon all limits on their involvement in the war with Moscow. He will restate his condemnation of what he earlier called “the whole naïve, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia,” which he said have “crumbled.” Zelensky’s appearance at the UN General Assembly is being carefully choreographed with an offensive in the US-aligned media calling for the NATO powers to abandon all restraints on war with Russia. The most vociferous of these was by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who declared in The Spectator that “It’s time to let Ukraine join NATO.” Johnson, who infamously said of the COVID-19 pandemic that killed 232,112 people in the UK, “let the bodies pile high,” is demanding the same policy in war.

Ex-CIA chief: Pager blasts in Lebanon are ‘terrorism’ --Former CIA director Leon Panetta labeled last week’s deadly pager explosions in Lebanon a form of “terrorism.”“I don’t think there’s any question that it’s a form of terrorism,” Panetta said on “CBS News Sunday morning.”“This is going right into the supply chain,” he added. “And when you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question: ‘What the hell is next?’”Last week, pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon, killing dozens of people and injuring thousands. Leaders of the Lebanese militant group, which is backed by Iran, blamed the explosions on Israel’s Mossad intelligence organization.“This is a tactic that has repercussions. And we really don’t know what those repercussions are going to be,” Panetta told anchor Lee Cohan in remarks highlighted by Mediaite. “The forces of war are largely in control right now.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) condemned Israel over the pager explosions, saying the incident “unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines U.S. efforts to prevent a wider conflict.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the U.S. was not involved with the pager explosions, nor informed of them in advance.“We’ve been very clear and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we’re trying to resolve in Gaza,” he said at the time.Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last week that the nation’s forces were entering a “new phase” in the 11-month fight against Hezbollah.Israel late last week also carried out targeted strikes in Beirut that killed top Hezbollah commanders.Panetta added during the CBS News interview that the Middle East is at risk of developing into the “battlefield of the future,” and warrants international attention now.

US Sending More Troops to the Middle East After Israel's Escalation in Lebanon - The Pentagon said Monday that it’s sending additional troops to the Middle East after Israel significantly escalated its bombing campaign in Lebanon earlier in the day.Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region.”Ryder wouldn’t say how many troops the US would send to the region. “But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics,” he said. There are currently about 40,000 US military personnel across the Middle East.According to Lebanon’s Health Minister, the Israeli bombardment that began early Monday has killed at least 492 people, including at least 35 children and 58 women, and has wounded 1,024. Haaretz reported on Mondaythat the US supported Israel’s actions in Lebanon but currently objects to a potential ground invasion.Throughout the past year, the US has sent additional forces to the Middle East as a show of support for Israel. The strong support from the US, including a constant flow of weapons shipments, has emboldened Israel to escalate in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region.The night before Israel escalated its bombing of southern Lebanon, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and made it clear the US backed Israel against Hezbollah.“The Secretary (Austin) expressed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself as Hizballah extends its attacks deeper into Israel,” the Pentagon said in a readout of the call.The readout said Austin also “stressed the importance of finding a path to a diplomatic solution,” but the US has not threatened to withhold any support if Israel continues to escalate the situation.The Pentagon said Austin also “made clear that the United States remains postured to protect US forces and personnel and determined to deter any regional actors from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict.”

US sending additional troops to Middle East as tensions escalate -- The U.S. is sending a “small number” of ground troops to the Middle East as a larger war between Israel and Hezbollah threatens to break out, the Pentagon announced Monday. Defense Department press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters the new detachment was being sent “in light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution.” “We are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Ryder said, declining to offer specifics about the new contingent, though he referred to them as ground troops. The U.S. already has an array of forces positioned in the Middle East, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the ballistic missile submarine USS Georgia, along with an additional squadron of F-22 fighter jets. In the eastern Mediterranean Sea, there are six U.S. warships, including the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship. Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah are teetering toward full-scale war amid a deadly exchange of fire across the border in the past week. Israeli forces targeted some 300 Hezbollah sites and killed at least 245 people in Lebanon on Monday, according to Lebanese health authorities, as well as wounding around 1,000 more, marking one of the deadliest days of fighting in the country in recent history. Ahead of the strikes, Israeli officials had warned Lebanese civilians living near Hezbollah sites to evacuate. Hezbollah fired some 130 rockets at the Israeli city of Haifa on Monday, claiming to have struck or targeted Israeli military warehouses and defense contractor sites. The escalation comes after intense Israeli strikes last week that killed top Hezbollah commanders in Lebanon. Israel is also accused of detonating pager and handheld radio devices in Lebanon last week, killing at least 37 people and wounding thousands.

US Navy replenishment ship operating in Mideast was damaged after refueling warships, officials say (AP) — A U.S. Navy replenishment ship operating in the Middle East sustained damage after refueling vessels and the cause is under investigation, officials said Tuesday.The USNS Big Horn was damaged after it resupplied the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group. The carrier group remains in the region amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war and Israel’s ongoing strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.A U.S. Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters yet to be made public, declined to elaborate on where the damage took place. A photo released by the U.S. military dated Sept. 5 showed sailors aboard the Lincoln receiving supplies from the Big Horn, while another on Sept. 11 showed the Big Horn alongside the Lincoln. The Lincoln is patrolling the Arabian Sea.The official said the Big Horn’s crew was safe and there was no sign of an oil leak from the vessel.Another U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the vessel was being supported by private tugboats to head into a port and an assessment of the damage was still ongoing.

US Deploys Dozens of Troops to Cyprus Amid Israel's Escalations in Lebanon - The US has deployed dozens of troops to Cyprus amid Israel’s dramatic escalation of its bombing campaign in Lebanon, CNN reported on Wednesday.US officials said the troops are preparing for a range of contingencies, including the possibility of helping evacuate US citizens from Lebanon. The UK has announced that it’s sending 700 troops to Cyprus to evacuate British nationals.Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that the US was deploying more troops to the region but didn’t specify how many. On Wednesday, the Pentagon insisted it wasn’t directly supporting Israel’s attack on Lebanon but said it would defend Israel if necessary.“The support that you’re seeing when it comes to US forces in the region is for our own force protection and should we need to come to the defense of Israel, like we saw from that large-scale attack from Iran,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.Singh was referencing when the US directly intervened to defend Israel from Iranian missiles and drones in April, an attack provoked by the Israeli bombing of Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria.

Biden: ‘All-out war is possible’ in the Middle East - President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that “all-out war is possible” in the Middle East, acknowledging the limits of his own persistent diplomatic efforts at achieving a cease-fire deal. “I’m using every bit of energy with my team” to get a cease-fire, he said in a live in-studio interview on ABC’s “The View.” “But I think there’s also the opportunity, still in play, to have a settlement that could fundamentally change the whole region.” Those comments, notably more blunt than the president’s remarks Tuesday to the United Nations General Assembly, were sandwiched within what was mostly a friendly and lighthearted interview with the show’s six hosts focused on what he hopes to be his legacy. A day after Biden himself spoke to other world leaders about his decision to give up his own reelection bid, he faced questions at the start of the interview about why he begrudgingly ended his campaign. In response, he insisted that his relationship with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is “fine” — and suggested he stepped aside in July of his own accord, not due to Pelosi’s pressure campaign. And he downplayed the intra-party opposition to his candidacy that arose in the days and weeks after his disastrous June 27 debate performance. “I never fully believed the assertions that somehow there was this overwhelming reluctance to my running again,” Biden said. Increasingly focused on using his final months in office to define his own policy and political legacy, Biden asserted that his July 21 announcement that he would step aside and back Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee was not a response to polling showing his path to victory against former President Donald Trump had closed. POLITICO reported at the time that Biden and his closest aides in the 24 hours leading up to his announcement had reviewed his campaign’s own internal polling showing him trailing badly in key swing states and losing enough ground in reliably blue states like New Hampshire and New Mexico. Instead, Biden suggested that those who called for him to exit the race did so out of self-interest. “There were some folks who’d like to see me step aside so they have a chance to move on,” he said. “I get that — that’s human nature.” That assertion, however, is belied by the fact that most prominent Democrats with presidential ambitions never publicly abandoned him and quickly threw their support behind Harris after he stepped aside.

US, Israel announce $8.7B aid package for military support -Israel announced Thursday that it had reached agreement with the U.S. for an $8.7 billion aid package to support ongoing military efforts. The funding for the package was appropriated by Congress in the national security supplemental that the president signed into law in April. The total supplemental included $26.38 billion to support Israel and reimburse U.S. operations in response to recent attacks. The package announced Thursday includes $3.5 billion for wartime procurement and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, its short-range missile interceptor; and David’s Sling, which can take out ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, long-range missiles and other aerial threats. “These efforts aim to maintain Israel’s qualitative edge in the region and support ongoing military operations,” Israel’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The talks were conducted on the U.S. side by acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Amanda Dory and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante. The Pentagon said in a statement that Dory reinforced the Biden administration’s enduring support for Israel’s security and discussed “the importance of pursuing diplomatic solutions essential for lasting security.” “The leaders exchanged views on Israel’s ongoing operations against Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, the need to release all hostages in Gaza immediately, and the imperative to minimize harm to civilians in conflict zones.” The announcement comes as Israel has fought on two major fronts for nearly a year —against Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon and against Hamas in the Gaza Strip — following Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel and its holding of an estimated 100 hostages kidnapped from Israel. President Biden and Vice President Harris have pushed back on calls from some Democrats and progressives to condition aid for Israel to influence their military action because of the humanitarian toll and civilian casualties among Palestinians and Lebanese. The administration has focused on pushing for temporary cease-fires on both fronts to calm tensions. Israel or Hamas has rebuffed these proposals since November.

US Gives Israel $8.7 Billion in Military Aid for Operations in Gaza and Lebanon - On Thursday, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that it secured $8.7 billion in military aid from the US to support its “ongoing military efforts,” meaning the genocidal slaughter in Gaza and Israel’s dramatic escalation in Lebanon.The ministry said in a statement that its director-general, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, concluded negotiations in Washington to secure the military aid. It said the package includes $3.5 billion for “essential wartime procurement” that has already been sent to Israel and a $5.2 billion grant for air defenses.The ministry said the $5.2 billion for air defenses “will significantly strengthen critical systems such as Iron Dome and David’s Sling while supporting the continued development of an advanced high-powered laser defense system currently in its later stages of development.”Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed Thursday that the US would continue arming Israel and brushed off the idea of the US setting red lines. “We’ve been committed from the very beginning to help Israel, provide the things that are necessary for them to be able to protect their sovereign territory and that hasn’t changed and won’t change in the future,” he said.So far, the US has not announced the details of the $8.7 billion weapons package, but the funds are likely being pulled from the $17 billion in new military aid for Israel that was included in the $95 billion foreign military aid bill President Biden signed into law back in April. Israel also receives $3.8 billion from the US in annual military aid.

Israel Rejects US-Backed Ceasefire Proposal, Continues To Pound Lebanon - Israel on Thursday rejected a US and French proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon and continued to launch heavy airstrikes in the country. Later in the day, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed 92 people in the previous 24-hour period.The US and France are calling for a 21-day ceasefire, but the US continues to provide military aid to Israel and is vowing to defend Israel if the situation escalates, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no incentive to stop his new bombing campaign.Netanyahu’s office released a statement denying reports that there’s been progress on a ceasefire and vowed to continue hitting Lebanon hard and keep up the onslaught in Gaza. “The report about a ceasefire is incorrect. This is an American-French proposal that the Prime Minister has not even responded to,” the statement said.“The report about the purported directive to ease up on the fighting in the north is the opposite of the truth. The Prime Minister has directed the IDF to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan that was presented to him. The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved,” the statement added.Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also rejected the idea of a ceasefire. “There will be no ceasefire in the north,” he wrote on X. “We will continue to fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that overnight Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon killed 20 people, almost all Syrian nationals. According to AFP, the ministry said, “Israeli enemy strike on the village of Yunin” killed “20 people, including 19 Syrian nationals.”Israel also bombed Beirut again in a strike that targeted a residential area of the southern suburb of Dahiyeh. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said two people were killed in the strike, and 15 were wounded.Around 700 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since Monday. The Monday bombing killed over 550 people, the majority being civilians, according to Lebanese Health Minister Dr. Firass Abiad.

As Israel Gets More Murderous, We'll Be Hearing Even More About "Antisemitism" --Caitlin Johnstone -- The Israeli military says it’s preparing a ground offensive in Lebanon as itcontinues to hammer its neighbor to the north with bombs. Which of course means we’ll be hearing a lot of anxious hand-wringing from the western political-media class about “antisemitism” in the coming weeks. We know we’ll be hearing a lot more about antisemitism because that’s what always happens whenever Israel does something profoundly evil. People start objecting to its atrocities and demanding that their government stop facilitating them, and the imperial spinmeisters start framing these objections as a frightening rise in anti-Jewish bigotry in order to delegitimize and silence them. The very first time you get accused of hating Jews for voicing legitimate criticisms of Israel’s actions, you immediately understand that the whole narrative about an epidemic of “antisemitism” in our society is a complete lie. You’re like “It’s bad to murder children by the thousands” and someone tells you “Ah so you hate Jewish people then,” and you say “No I definitely do not,” and they say “Yes, yes you most definitely have very strong negative opinions about the members of a small Abrahamic religion.” And you obviously know they’re making a false claim, because you’re you; you are the world’s foremost authority on what you feel and what opinions you have. You know with absolute 100 percent certainty that you have never at any time harbored any negative feelings toward this religious group you see around in your society whose members look and act pretty much the same as all the other pale-skinned people you run into.You know Jewish people. You grew up routinely interacting with them, without their Jewishness ever entering into your head as a matter of significance. It’s not something you ever thought much about or cared about in your day to day living. And then here’s this person trying to tell you that you actually have a seething, obsessive hatred against Jews because you denounced the extensively documented abuses of a small middle eastern state which are being actively supported by your own government.And so then you immediately go, Oh, so THIS is what people are talking about when they say there’s an “antisemitism crisis”? This is the “antisemitism” they’re talking about? People like me, who have never at any time had the slightest twinge of ill will toward the Jewish people ever appear inside them? We’re the “antisemites” that the entire western political-media class has been shrieking about all year in the midst of an active genocide? Well, that’s pretty ridiculous!And from then on you know it’s a lie. Not only do you know it’s a lie, you know the people hurling the accusation know it’s a lie too, because you know from your own experience that it’s a smear tactic which is being cynically used as a bludgeon to protect the information interests of a warmongering apartheid state. But you keep seeing it used, day after day after day after day by liars and manipulators, most of whom are not Jewish. So while you’re being dishonestly smeared with accusations of anti-semitism it still doesn’t make you feel any ill will toward Jewish people, because you can see that all this violence, dishonesty and manipulation isn’t being caused by Jews and isn’t ultimately about Judaism. This is about a giant globe-spanning power structure loosely centralized around Washington, whose managers around the world belong to every sort of faith and ethnicity. When you define antisemitism as “any and all criticism of the state of Israel,” and then the state of Israel massacres thousands of children, you will naturally see a rise in “antisemitism” as you have defined it. And make no mistake, that’s exactly what’s been happening. The Anti-Defamation League has admitted that last year it began including pro-Palestinian activism in its records of “antisemitic incidents”, and acknowledged that the majority of the supposed antisemitism in its recorded incidents could be “directly related to the Israel-Hamas war.” So when you hear about “soaring antisemitism” and a crisis of anti-Jewish bigotry in our society, that’s what people are talking about. They’re talking about entirely valid and responsible public outcry against the actions of an apartheid state that is materially supported by the most powerful empire that has ever existed.

Trump Pushes Narrative That Iran Is Trying to Kill Him - On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump pushed a narrative being spread by US intelligence officials that Iran is trying to kill him even though there’s no evidence of Iranian involvement in either attempt on his life.Trump’s campaign said they were briefed on the alleged Iranian threat by officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is led by Avril Haines.“Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire US Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again,” Trump wrote on X after the briefing. “Not a good situation for anyone. I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before.”The claim that Iran is plotting to kill Trump was first made by a CNN report back in July, following the assassination attempt by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot and killed by the Secret Service. The report acknowledged there was no evidence Crooks was linked to Iran, which was reaffirmed on Tuesday by intelligence officials speaking to The New York Times, who stressed there was no Iran connection to the July shooting.The Times report also said there was no evidence that Iran was connected in any way to Ryan Routh, who was arrested on September 15 and recently charged with attempting to assassinate Trump. Routh is a staunch supporter of the Ukraine proxy war and traveled to the country to help recruit fighters for the Ukrainian foreign legion.Despite the lack of evidence, Trump suggested at a campaign event on Wednesday that Iran might have been involved in the two assassination attempts. “As you know, there have been two assassination attempts on my life that we know of, and they may or may not involve – but possibly do – Iran,” he said at an event in North Carolina.“If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens,” Trump added.The claims about Iran come amid soaring tensions in the Middle East as Israel has dramatically escalated its bombing campaign in Lebanon, a situation that could potentially turn into a full-blown war between the US and Iran. But Iran’s actions over the past year have shown they’re not interested in war with the US.

Zelensky Arrives in the US, Will Present 'Victory Plan' to Biden, Harris, and Trump - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the US on Sunday and is set to hold separate meetings this week with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump.Zelensky is expected to present the president and the two presidential candidates with his so-called “victory plan.” He will also be holding meetings with other world leaders as they gather for the UN General Assembly in New York.“In the United States, Ukraine will present its Plan for Victory, and the US President will be the first to see it in full,” Zelensky said in a statement ahead of his arrival in the US.“I will also present the Plan for Victory to all leaders of partner countries who, like President Biden, are world leaders and can become leaders of peace by helping us with the Plan for Victory. We will also present it to Congress – to both parties and both US presidential candidates,” he added.Zelensky’s first stop in the US was a visit to an ammunition factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “I visited a plant that manufactures 155 mm artillery shells. Now, for our warriors who are defending not only our country, not only Ukraine, the plant will be ramping up production,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Trump says Zelenskyy insulted him; House GOP to probe Ukraine leader's PA trip -House Oversight Chair James Comer is opening an investigation into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Sunday visit to an ammunition factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Comer claims that the trip was organized to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for presidency, and was done using "taxpayer-funded resources." The Republican investigation comes as the relationship between Zelenskyy and former president Donald Trump seems to sour. On Wednesday, Trump accused Zelenskyy of insulting him — Trump said the Ukrainian president was "making nasty little dispersions toward" him — and adding that he got along with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very well." "There's really nothing for the Ukrainian people to go back to, and it didn't need to happen. Those buildings are down, those cities are gone. They're gone, and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal," Trump said of Zelenskyy while speaking at a plumbing parts manufacturer in Mint Hill, North Carolina. Zelenskyy is in the United States to attend the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York, where he is meeting with world leaders. He also plans to visit the White House on Thursday, where he will meet with President Joe Biden and, later in the day, with Harris. In an interview published Sunday by the New Yorker, Zelenskyy said that Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance was "too radical" and his message "seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice," in ending the war with Russia.When asked if Ukraine should cede land in exchange for a ceasefire with Russia in a press conference Wednesday, Vance said "everything is going to be on the table."Comer's letter also criticized the timing of the visit with the publishing of Zelenskyy's comments regarding Trump's running mate.The ammunition factory that Zelenskyy visited is operated by General Dynamics and manufactures components for 155 mm artillery shells, a crucial piece of ammunition to Ukraine's battle efforts.The United States had shipped more than 3 million rounds of it to Ukraine since February 2022, according to a Pentagon fact sheet from July 2024On Wednesday, the Defense Department announced additional security assistance of $375 million for Ukraine, including more of the 155 mm artillery shells that the Scranton factory specializes in manufacturing. "I began my visit to the United States by expressing my gratitude to all the employees at the plant and by reaching agreements to expand cooperation between Pennsylvania and our Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy wrote on X Sunday. There, Zelenskyy also met with three Pennsylvania Democrats; Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Bob Casey and Rep. Matt Cartwright. Both Casey and Cartwright are up for reelection in November. Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine addresses the "Summit of the Future" in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2024. Caitlin Ochs | Reuters "The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant is playing a critical role bolstering Ukraine's forces, and I was honored to join President Zelenskyy to thank Pennsylvania workers for helping defend democracy. Attempts to smear his visit to our Commonwealth are an insult and a disgrace," Sen. Casey said in a statement to CNBC. Spokespeople for the governor's office and Cartwright's campaign did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the investigation. "In 2019, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives impeached President Donald J. Trump for abuse of power under the theory that he attempted to use a foreign leader—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—to benefit his 2020 presidential campaign, despite a lack of any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of President Trump," Chairman Comer wrote in a press release Wednesday. A 30-minute phone call between then-president Trump and Zelenskyy in 2019, where the former president asked Zelenskyy to investigate the activities of his then rival President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, was a part of the impeachment inquiry into Trump. "The Biden-Harris Administration recently flew the same foreign leader—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—on an American-taxpayer-funded flight to Pennsylvania, a battleground state in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, which has been described as the 'trickiest battleground for Vice President Kamala Harris to win," Comer continued. Comer sought more information on government resources used for and all internal and external communications regarding the trip in letters sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Attorney General Merrick Garland and White House Counsel Edward Siskel.

Trump Says US Needs to Get Out of Ukraine War (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States needs to get out of the war in Ukraine and that Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden had no plan to do so."Biden and Kamala got us into this war in Ukraine, and now they can't get us out. They can't get us out," Trump said in a speech in Georgia. The United States does not have troops in Ukraine but has given military and humanitarian assistance worth billions of dollars to Ukraine."I think that we're stuck in that war unless I'm president. I'll get it done. I'll get it negotiated, I'll get out. We gotta get out. Biden says 'we will not leave until we win.' What happens if they win," Trump said.

Trump Criticizes Zelensky for Not Reaching a Deal With Russia To End the War - On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for not reaching a peace deal with Russia to end the war, saying that whatever agreement was possible would not be worse than the current situation for Ukraine.“Those cities are gone. They’re gone, and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelensky. There was no deal that he could have made that wouldn’t have been better than the situation you have right now,” Trump said at a campaign rally in North Carolina.“You have a country that has been obliterated, not possible to be rebuilt. It’ll take hundreds of years to rebuild it, there’s not enough money to rebuild it if the whole world got together. If they made a bad deal, it would have been much better,” the former president added.Trump said Zelensky was making “aspersions” toward him, an apparent reference to comments the Ukrainian leader made in a recent New Yorker interview about Trump’s desire to end the war.“My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how. With this war, oftentimes, the deeper you look at it the less you understand. I’ve seen many leaders who were convinced they knew how to end it tomorrow, and as they waded deeper into it, they realized it’s not that simple,” Zelensky said.In the same interview, Zelensky called Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, “too radical.” In a June interview with The New York Times, Vance said that he would favor a deal that freezes the battle lines, guarantees Ukrainian independence, and includes some sort of long-term US military assistance for Ukraine.Zelensky is at odds with other Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who is upset with Zelensky for visiting an ammunition factory in Pennsylvania without inviting any Republicans. Johnson wrote a letter to Zelensky demanding he fire the Ukrainian ambassador to the US.“I demand that you immediately fire Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova,” Johnson said in the letter. “The facility was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris, and failed to include a single Republican because – on purpose – no Republicans were invited. The tour was clearly a partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats and is clearly election interference.”

Trump says he’s meeting with Zelensky on Friday --Former President Trump said Thursday he would be meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a move that came after the former president had earlier reportedly rejected a meeting with the Ukrainian president.“As you know, President Zelensky has asked to meet with me, and I will be meeting with him tomorrow morning at around 9:45 in Trump Tower,” Trump said during a press conference in New York. “And it’s a shame what’s happening in Ukraine, so many deaths, so much destruction. It’s a horrible thing.” NBC News reported Wednesday that Trump had decided not to meet with Zelensky. The former president criticized the Ukrainian president, saying while in North Carolina on Wednesday, “He’s making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me,” according to the news outlet. Zelensky rankled Republicans after he called Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) “too radical” during an interview with The New Yorker that was released earlier this week. Zelensky’s decision to join Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) during an ammunition factory tour was also interpreted by some members of the GOP as campaigning for Democrats. Trump’s announcement was made the same day that Zelensky visited the White House.

Kamala Harris: Proposals for Ukraine surrender 'dangerous", 'unacceptable' - Vice President Harris on Thursday said so-called Ukraine peace plans from “some” in the United States are proposals for surrender during an appearance alongside the country’s leader,Volodymyr Zelensky, who has come under Republican fire this week.“There are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would require Ukraine to forgo security relationships with other nations,” the vice president said.“These proposals are the same as those of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable,” she added.Harris and Zelensky met on Thursday afternoon, after the Ukrainian president met with President Biden and went to the Capitol to meet with bipartisan groups of House and Senate members.Harris did not name Republicans specifically in her remarks, but the visit comes as some members of the GOP have become increasingly isolationist, with former President Trump indicating that an end to the war should be prioritized over Ukraine’s victory. During a debate against Harris, he refused to say if he wants Ukraine to defeat Russia.Republicans in Congress have become increasingly divided over Ukraine, with many senior GOP House members aligned with Senate leaders in support of Ukraine, while a growing right-wing group wants to end assistance to Kyiv.Ukraine skeptics have grown louder this week after Zelensky went on a tour of a Pennsylvania weapons factory with Democrats, and criticized Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), in a magazine interview.Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, is aligned with Biden in her unwavering support for Ukraine and has reiterated that notion on the campaign trail, drawing a distinction with Trump.“Putin started this war and he could end it tomorrow if he simply withdrew his troops from Ukraine’s sovereign territory,” Harris said on Thursday.“Nothing about the end of this war can be decided without Ukraine,” Harris added, noting that she has conveyed that stance to other world leaders.

US Announces $375 Million Arms Package for Ukraine That Includes Cluster Bombs --The Pentagon announced on Wednesday a new $375 million arms package for Ukraine that includes cluster bombs, HIMARS ammunition, artillery rounds, anti-tank weapons, and other military equipment.US officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the package will include an undisclosed number of medium-range air-to-ground cluster bombs. The Pentagon listed the weapons as “air-to-ground munitions.”Cluster bombs are banned by over 100 countries due to their indiscriminate nature, but the US has been pouring them into Ukraine since last year. The US has sent 155mm artillery shells packed with cluster bombs, a cluster variant of ATACM missiles, and now a form of the widely-banned bomb that can be fired by Ukrainian fighter jets.Cluster bombs scatter small submunitions over large areas, making them especially hazardous for civilians. Submunitions that don’t explode immediately on impact can kill or maim civilians for decades to come, as they have in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, where the US dropped hundreds of millions of bomblets during the Vietnam War. According to a Pentagon press release, the full $375 million arms package includes:

Air-to-ground munitions
Ammunition for HIMARS
155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition
Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles
Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems
M1117 Armored Security Vehicles
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles
Light tactical vehicles
Armored bridging systems
Small arms
Patrol boats
Demolitions equipment and munitions
Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation

The package is being provided through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the US to ship weapons straight from US military stockpiles. The Pentagon also released a fact sheet that said the US has committed $56.3 billion in weapons and other military equipment to Ukraine since the Russian invasion was launched in February 2022.

Biden Announces Nearly $8 Billion in Military Aid for Ukraine - -President Biden on Thursday announced a massive military aid package for Ukraine worth $7.9 billion ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.“Today, I am announcing a surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war,” Biden said in a statement announcing the aid.He is authorizing the use of $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the US to send weapons straight from military stockpiles. If the PDA funds hadn’t been used, they would have expired on September 30, the end of the 2024 fiscal year.Biden said he wanted to “ensure this authority does not expire, so that my Administration can fully utilize the funding appropriated by Congress to support the drawdown of US equipment for Ukraine and then replenish US stockpiles.”Biden also announced $2.4 billion in military aid using the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the Pentagon to purchase weapons for Ukraine. The Pentagon said in a press release that the USAI package will include air defenses, air-to-ground munitions, drones, counter-drone systems, and other equipment.A day earlier, the Pentagon announced a separate PDA package worth $375 million, making the total military aid pledged to Ukraine this week at $8.275 billion. Biden said that Ukraine would be receiving Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW), glide bombs with a range of about 70 miles that can be fired by Ukraine’s small fleet of F-16s. US officials said the JSOW will be packed with cluster bombs, which are banned by over 100 countries due to their indiscriminate nature and history of killing and maiming civilians. Biden said Ukraine will also receive more Patriot missile defense systems and that the US would expand the training of Ukrainian soldiers on F-16 fighter jets. “Through these actions, my message is clear: The United States will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war,” the president said.

Zelensky Pushing for US To Support Long-Range Strikes Inside Russia - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The New York Times on Tuesday that he will urge the leaders of the US, the UK, and France to support long-range strikes inside Russia, a step that would make a direct NATO-Russia war much more likely. The Ukrainian leader is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly and will meet with President Biden at the White House on Thursday. “For today, they have to give, or say that they will not give,” Zelensky said in an interview conducted at the UN in New York. “Do they really want us to prevail, or is it about something long, some terrible and long tragedy?”While the US has yet to give Ukraine the greenlight for long-range strikes with NATO missiles inside Russia, some NATO countries have been outspoken in their support for the escalation.Zelensky was interviewed alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who strongly supports letting Ukraine do what it wants with NATO weapons. “I don’t think Ukraine can win with one arm on their back,” she told The New York Times.“So I think we need to end that discussion, to give what is needed, and actually to put it the other way around — ask Ukraine what is needed to win this war. And then we have to ensure that they will have what they need,” Frederiksen added.Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that supporting long-range strikes on Russian territory would mean NATO is at war with Russia. A direct NATO-Russia war could quickly turn nuclear, but the risk of nuclear war is not part of Ukraine’s calculations.The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the concerns over the risk of nuclear war are “mocked” inside Ukraine. The report said Ukrainian officials were growing increasingly frustrated over the US’s hesitation to support long-range strikes.“We think the permission should be granted yesterday, not today or tomorrow,” a Ukrainian official told thePost. “Otherwise, the phrase ‘We want to see Ukraine as strong as possible for any scenario’ looks like total BS.”US officials have said even if they approve the long-range strikes, Ukraine doesn’t have enough of the US-provided ATACM missiles or British and French-provided Storm Shadows to make a difference in its fight against Russia. The US has also said that Russia has moved most of its fighter jets beyond the range of the NATO missiles.

Ukraine May Get Permission in Private To Fire Storm Shadow Missiles Into Russia - The US and the UK may permit Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes inside Russian territory without it becoming public until the first one is fired, The Times reported on Friday.Ukraine has received Storm Shadows from the UK and a variant from France, known as the SCALP-EG. Both versions have a range of about 155 miles.The Times report said that Western diplomats are poised to sign off on Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadows in strikes on Russian territory but will hold back from making an official announcement. They don’t want to publicize the move since it would give Russia advanced notice.Previous escalatory steps that the US has taken in the Ukraine proxy war were not announced publicly. For example, when President Biden gave Ukraine the greenlight to use US-provided weapons in Russian border regions, it was first revealed by media reports and later acknowledged by the administration.Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the US of NATO-provided weapons in long-range strikes on Russian territory would put NATO at war with Russia. “It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia,” he said earlier this month. Storm Shadows and other precision-guided missiles provided by NATO countries require Western intelligence to be fired. Earlier this year, a German military leak revealed that British soldiers are “on the ground” in Ukraine helping fire Storm Shadows.

Putin Orders Changes to Nuclear Doctrine in Major Warning to West - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday outlined changes that will be made to Russia’s nuclear doctrineas the US and NATO consider supporting long-range Ukrainian strikes inside Russia.Putin said in a meeting with the Russian Security Council that under the new doctrine, an attack on Russia by a non-nuclear state that’s supported by a nuclear-armed power would be treated as a joint attack, a clear reference to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory that use NATO weapons and intelligence. Based on Putin’s comments, it’s unclear if that means such an attack would trigger a nuclear response. But the new doctrine will allow the use of nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack that poses a “critical threat to Russian sovereignty.” According to TASS, the doctrine will also allow the use of nuclear weapons in response to “aggression” against Russia and Belarus, and if Russia becomes aware of plans to launch massive airstrikes against its territory.“Reliable information about a massive takeoff of strategic or tactical planes towards Russia, or the launch of cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic weapons towards its territory may be interpreted as a sufficient reason for a nuclear response by Moscow,” TASS reported.The new language is more vague than Russia’s current nuclear doctrine, which allows the use of nuclear weapons “in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it and/or its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy. Putin has said that if the US supports long-range Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory, it would mean NATO is at war with Russia. Despite the clear warning and risk of nuclear war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and many hawks in the US and Europe are pushing hard for the escalation.

Putin draws a nuclear red line for the West (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has drawn a "red line" for the United States and its allies by signaling that Moscow will consider responding with nuclear weapons if they allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with long-range Western missiles. But some in the West are asking: does he actually mean it?The question is critical to the course of the war. If Putin is bluffing, as Ukraine and some of its supporters believe, then the West may feel ready to deepen its military support for Kyiv regardless of Moscow's threats. If he is serious, there is a risk - repeatedly stated by Moscow and acknowledged by Washington - that the conflict could turn into World War Three.In the latest in a long series of warning signals, Putin on Wednesday extended the list of scenarios that could lead to Russia using nuclear weapons.It could do this, he said, in response to a major cross-border conventional attack involving aircraft, missiles or drones. A rival nuclear power that supported a country attacking Russia would be considered a party to that attack.Both those criteria apply directly to the situation that would arise if the West allows Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory with Western long-range missiles such as U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, something Putin has said would need Western satellite and targeting support."It was a very clear message: 'Don't make a mistake - all these kind of things may mean nuclear war,'" said Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian diplomat. Bahram Ghiassee, a London-based nuclear analyst at the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, linked the timing of Putin's remarks to Ukraine's lobbying of the West for long-range missiles and the fact that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is making his case to U.S. President Joe Biden this week. "Putin is saying: just stop it right there," Ghiassee said.Reaction from Kyiv was swift, with Zelenskiy's chief of staff accusing Putin of "nuclear blackmail". "In my opinion, this is yet another bluff and demonstration of Putin's weakness. He will not dare to use nuclear weapons because that will make him a complete outcast," Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's internal affairs minister, said on X. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin's warning was irresponsible and poorly timed, and that it was not the first time he had been "rattling the nuclear sabre". Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, accused Putin of playing mind games. "This is a psychological PR operation, by the Kremlin, without much substance. It is designed to scare leaders & voters of countries supporting Ukraine," he wrote.

Kremlin Says Russia's Nuclear Doctrine Changes Are a Message to the West - On Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed that the changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine that were outlined by President Vladimir Putin a day earlier were meant as a message to the West as NATO is considering supporting long-range Ukrainian strikes inside Russia.“This should be viewed as a certain message,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “This is a message that warns these countries of the consequences should they participate in an attack on our country by various means, not necessarily nuclear.”Putin said the new doctrine will consider an attack on Russia by a non-nuclear state that’s supported by a nuclear-armed power as a joint attack, and it allows the use of nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack that poses a “critical threat to Russian sovereignty.”The doctrine will also allow the use of nuclear weapons in response to “aggression” against Russia and Belarus and if Russia becomes aware of plans to launch massive airstrikes against its territory.Russia’s current nuclear doctrine only allows the use of nuclear weapons if Russia faces a nuclear attack or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the Russian Federation.Russian Senator Viktor Bondarev told TASS that the changes to the nuclear doctrine were a response “to the constant growth of tension in the rhetoric and direct actions in support of Ukraine on the part of the Western countries.”He pointed to the US and the UK discussing the idea of supporting long-range strikes inside Russia, which Putin has said would mean NATO is at war with Russia. Bondarev said he hoped “the US, Britain and their puppets in the NATO bloc will have enough common sense not to bring the situation to the point of no return, deadly for the entire planet.”Bondarev added, “If necessary, I am sure that nothing will stop us from a retaliatory strike that would mean the end of all life on the globe.”

Targeting China, US deploys medium-range missile system to the Philippines - The United States stationed a medium-range missile system in the northern Philippines and has announced that it will be keeping it there, directly targeting China. The Typhon missile launcher system is capable of launching of Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, and of targeting the entire South China Sea and much of mainland China. Washington deployment of this weaponry to Southeast Asia further destabilizes a region that is already in the grip of war tensions. The deployment of Typhon system capable of launching medium-range missiles in the Philippines is the first since 2019 when Washington abrogated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987 by the US and the USSR. The system only became operational in the last year. In April, the US Army quietly deployed the Typhon intermediate range missile launcher system to the Philippines as part of the Balikatan 24 and Salaknib 24 military exercises. They placed the missile system in the northernmost reaches of Luzon from which it targeted the Bashi and Taiwan straits and the southern coast of China. When news of the missile system deployment appeared in the press, Washington announced that the Typhon system would only be deployed to the Philippines for the duration of the war game training exercises. The war games ended and the Typhon system remained. China and Russia both delivered official protests against the geopolitically destabilizing presence of the intermediate range missile system in Southeast Asia. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin cited the deployment of the Typhon system to the Philippines to justify his announcement that Russia would resume the production of intermediate and shorter range nuclear capable missiles. A political firestorm erupted in the Philippines. Several Senators delivered speeches claiming that the presence of the missile system made the Philippines a war target for China. The Philippine military reported that the system would be removed from the country by September. On September 19, a Reuters report revealed that the Typhon system would not be removed but would be kept in the Philippines for the indefinite future. The announcement that the missiles were remaining came from the Philippine military; the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said nothing. Highlighting the subservient and proxy character of the Philippine military, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said on Wednesday that it was “up to the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) to decide how long the missile system would stay.” The Typhon can fire SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles. The number and types of missiles that have been or will be deployed to the Philippines have not been made public. The SM-6 ,which began production in 2009, has a per unit cost of US$4.87 million and can serve as both a surface-to-air and high-speed anti-ship weapon. The Tomahawk is primarily designed for land attacks and has the capacity to carry a nuclear warhead.

China's long-range intercontinental ballistic missile test sparks concerns - China says it carried out a rare test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into international waters, sparking protests from neighbouring countries. The launch on Wednesday – its first in more than 40 years - was “routine” and not aimed at any country or target, according to Beijing. Chinese media reported the government also gave “relevant countries” notice. But Japan said it had not received a warning and expressed concerns, along with Australia and New Zealand. The launch contributes to tensions across the Indo-Pacific region, with analysts saying it highlights China's increased long-range nuclear capabilities. The US warned last year that China has built up its nuclear arsenal as part of a defence upgrade. An intercontinental ballistic missile can travel more 5,500km - putting China within striking range of the US mainland and Hawaii. But Beijing’s arsenal is still estimated at less than a fifth of the size of the US's and Russia’s, and China has long maintained that its nuclear maintainance is only about deterrence. On Wednesday, Beijing announced that the long-range missile was fired at 08:44 local time (04:44 GMT). It carried a dummy warhead and landed in the designated area - believed to be in the South Pacific. Beijing's defence ministry added the test launch was "routine" and part of its "annual training". But analysts said China was last known to have test-fired an ICBM internationally in the 1980s. Typically, it tests internally - having previously fired ICBMs west into the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang region. “This sort of testing is not unusual for other countries, including the United States, but is for China,” nuclear missile analyst Ankit Panda told the BBC. China’s “ongoing nuclear modernisation” already has resulted in substantial changes, he said. This launch now appears to also show a change in its approach. It has sparked immediate reaction from other countries. Japan said it had received “no notice” and expressed “serious concern” about Beijing’s military build-up. Meanwhile, Australia said the action was "destabilising and raises the risk of miscalculation in the region” and that it had sought “an explanation” from Beijing. New Zealand called it “an unwelcome and concerning development”. Mr Panda said he doesn't believe China’s actions were primarily designed to send a political message - “but no doubt this will be a stark reminder to the region and to the US that nuclear dynamics in Asia are quickly changing”. Other analysts went further, saying it was another wake-up call for the US and its allies in the region. “To Washington, the message is that direct intervention in a conflict across the Taiwan Strait would involve the American homeland being vulnerable to attack,” said Leif-Eric Easley, an international relations professor at Ewha Women's University in South Korea. For US allies in Asia, the “provocative test… demonstrates China’s capabilities to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously," he added. "Timing is everything," Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, wrote on X. "[China's] statement claims the launch does not target any country, but there are high-levels of tension between China and Japan, Philippines, and of course perpetual tension with Taiwan."

US Has No Plans To Remove Controversial Missile System from the Philippines - The US has no plans to remove the controversial Typhon missile system from the Philippines, Reuters reported last week, a move that is ratcheting up tensions with China.The US deployed the Typhon system to the Philippines in April, and Philippine officials previously said it would likely be removed in September. But now officials are saying there are no immediate plans to withdraw the system, and the US and Philippine militaries are testing the feasibility of using it in a regional war.The Typhon missile launcher is a ground-based system that can fire nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 miles. Ground-based missiles with a range between 310 and 3,400 miles were banned by the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019. The Typhon also fires SM-6 missiles, which can hit targets up to 290 miles away.The deployment to the Philippines marks the first time the US sent a medium-range ground-based missile system to the Asia Pacific since the US and the Soviet Union signed the INF treaty in 1987. China has strongly denounced deployment, with the Chinese Defense Ministry saying it has “put the entire region under the fire of the United States (and) brought huge risks of war into the region.”The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the US plan to keep the Typhon system in the Philippines “seriously threatens the security of regional countries and intensifies geopolitical confrontation.”The Typhon system is currently deployed on the northern Philippine island of Luzon. From there, Tomahawk missiles could easily reach Taiwan, mainland China, and targets across the South China Sea. The US is also looking to send a Typhon to Japan for future military drills and another long-term deployment. The deployment comes as tensions are soaring between China and the Philippines over disputed rocks and reefs in the South China Sea. Chinese and Philippine vessels have had frequent tense encounters that sometimes end in collision. After each incident, the US has reiterated that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty applies to attacks on Philippine boats in the disputed waters.

US Will Send Taiwan $567 Million in Military Aid - The Biden administration is preparing to provide Taiwan with $567 in military aid as the US continues to ignore China’s red lines related to the island, Defense News reported on Friday.The weapons package is in the final stages and will be provided through the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the US to ship weapons to other countries directly from US military stockpiles.The military aid will be the largest PDA package that the US has provided Taiwan. Since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 as part of a normalization deal with Beijing, the US has always sold weapons to Taiwan but never financed the purchases or provided the arms free of charge until last year.In 2023, the US gave Taiwan a $345 million arms package using the PDA and provided $80 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF), a State Department program that gives foreign governments money to purchase US arms.The Defense News report said the new $567 million package has been approved by the Pentagon and is awaiting President Biden’s signature. He’s expected to sign it before the 2024 Fiscal Year ends on September 30.Congress has authorized the provision of $1 billion in PDA for Taiwan each year, and the $95 billion foreign military aid bill Biden signed in April included $1.9 billion that could be used to replenish weapons sent to Taiwan. The new form of US support for Taiwan has infuriated Chinese officials, who frequently warn the US that the issue is the “first red line” in US-China relations that must not be crossed.When President Biden signed the foreign military aid bill in April, Beijing warned that new military aid for Taiwan will make a conflict more likely.“I would like to stress that getting closer militarily between the United States and the Taiwan region will not make the latter safer or save ‘Taiwan independence’ from doom. It will only heighten tensions and the risk of conflict and confrontation in the Taiwan Strait, and will eventually backfire,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

We are suffering from 'militarism abuse disorder' | Waging Nonviolence -Frida Berrigan - My name is Frida and my community is military dependent. As with people who have substance abuse disorders, I’m part of a very large club. After all, there are weapons manufacturers and subcontractors in just about every congressional district in the country, so that members of Congress will never forget whom they are really working for: the military-industrial complex. Using the vernacular of the day, perhaps it’s particularly on target to say that our whole country suffers from militarism abuse disorder, or MAD (an all too appropriate acronym given its other association: mutual assured destruction). I must confess that I don’t like to admit to my military dependency. Who does? In my case, it’s a tough one for a few reasons, the biggest being that I’m an avowed pacifist who believes that war is a crime against humanity, a failure of the imagination, and never (no, not ever) necessary. Along with the rest of my family of five, I live below the taxable income level. That way, we don’t pay into a system that funds war preparations and war-making. We have to be a little creative to make our money stretch further and we don’t eat out or go to the movies every week. But we don’t ever feel deprived as a result. In essence, I’ve traded career success and workplace achievement for a slightly clearer conscience and time — time to work to end militarism and break our collective addiction! The Peter G. Peterson Foundation estimates that, in 2023, the United States of America spent $142 billion buying weapons systems and another $122 billion on the research and development of future weaponry and other militarized equipment. And keep in mind that those big numbers represent only a small fraction of any Pentagon budget, the latest of which the Pentagon’s proposing to be $849.8 billion for 2025 — and that’s just one year (and not all of what passes for “national defense” spending either). A recent analysis by the Costs of War Project at Brown University calculated that, since September 11, 2001, the United States has used an estimated $8 trillion-plus just for its post-9/11 wars. Talk about addiction! It makes me pretty MAD, if I’m being honest with you! It would be nice to ignore such monstrous numbers and the even bigger implications they suggest, to unfocus my eyes slightly as I regularly drive by the fenced facilities, manicured office parks, and noisy, bustling shipyards that make up the mega-billion-dollar-a-year industry right in my own neighborhood that’s preparing for… well, yes… the end of the world. Instead, I’m trying to be clear-eyed and aware. I keep asking myself: How are my daily consumer decisions lining up with my lofty politics? Those who suffer from Militarism Abuse Disorder can’t even ask the questions, because they’re distracted by the promises of good jobs, nice apartments and cheap consumer goods that the military-industrial complex is always claiming are right around the corner. But here in my community, they never deliver! New London is a town of fewer than 28,000 people. The median income here is a little over $46,000 — $32,000 less than the state average. Sometimes I watch, almost mesmerized by the ferocious energy of all those cars careening up Howard Street on their way to work at General Dynamics. Car after car headed for work at the very break of day. Every workday at about 3 p.m., they reverse course, a river of steel and plastic rushing and then idling in traffic, trying to get out of town as fast as possible. General Dynamics Electric Boat repairs services and manufactures submarines armed with both conventional and nuclear weapons. And it certainly tells you something about our world that the company is in the midst of a major hiring jag, looking to fill thousands of positions in New London, Groton and coastal Rhode Island to build the Columbia-class submarine, the next generation of nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed subs. Those behemoths of human ingenuity and engineering will cost taxpayers a whopping $132 billion, with each of the 12 new boats clocking in at about $15 billion — and mind you, that’s before anything even goes wrong or the schedule to produce them predictably stretches out and out. The company has already solved one big problem: how to wring maximum profits out of this next generation of planet-obliteration-capable subs. And that’s a problem that isn’t even particularly hard to sort out, because some of those contracts are “cost plus,” meaning the company says what the project costs and then adds a percentage on top of that as profit. I break from my traffic-watching fugue on Howard Street to reflect on all that furious effort, all those advanced degrees, all that almost impossible intelligence being poured into making an even better, bigger, faster, sleeker, stealthier weapons-delivery system, capable of carrying and firing conventional and nuclear warheads. Why? We have so many already. And as the only nation that has ever used nuclear weapons in war (in 1945) and has tested, perfected and helped proliferate the technology of ultimate destruction for the last eight decades, the United States should be leading the charge to denuclearize, disarm and abolish such weaponry. That, after all, is what’s called for in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The US Empire Does Not Seek Peace; Its Existence Depends On Endless War - Caitlin Johnstone -- On Tuesday the dementia-addled meat puppet who is still officially the President of the United States told the UN that he is working to bring a “greater measure of peace and stability to the middle east,” even as the US government pumps weapons into Israel so that it can continue its bloody massacres in Lebanon and Gaza. On Wednesday Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told the press that “we don’t want to see this escalate” in Lebanon and that the US is working to “avoid a regional war”.Only an idiot would believe these claims. They are self-evidently false. Nobody who seeks peace finds themselves in a constant state of war. This is true of Israel, and it is true of the US-centralized empire as a whole.It is obviously false to say the US seeks peace in t he middle east, but it’s not really accurate to say it seeks war either. To me that would be like saying water seeks wetness or fire seeks heat. War is just what the US empire is made of. It’s the thing that it is.Everything about the US-centralized power structure is pointed at continuous military expansionism and mass military violence. Once you’ve decided that it’s your job to try to bring the entire population of your whole planet under the rule of a single power umbrella at any cost, you’ve accepted that you will be using violent force in perpetuity, because that’s the only way to subdue populations who have no interest in such an arrangement. You might tell yourself that you want peace, and at times you might even actively try to avoid war, but everything about the way you’ve arranged your operation makes war inevitable. This is the kind of environment that western empire managers spend their careers being groomed into accepting as normal. So they might actually believe they are telling the truth when they say their government wants peace, but this is the same as a fire saying it’s doing everything it can to cool down the firewood.It is the fire’s nature to burn, and it is the US empire’s nature to make war. War is interwoven into every fiber of its existence. It’s written into every part of its code. As soon as the mass-scale use of violence ends, the globe-spanning power structure that’s loosely centralized around Washington will end. War is the glue that holds that power structure together. The wars will not end until the US empire itself ends. This doesn’t mean ending the US as a country, it means ending the globe-spanning power structure comprised of allies, assets and subjects that’s held together by endless violence. Every foreign policy official in Washington, London, Paris and Canberra has been groomed to view this as the worst possible outcome and to avoid it at all cost, and to spend their careers fiendishly dedicated to the project of ensuring that the fire keeps burning and the shark keeps moving forward. Only ordinary members of the public with normal healthy human values will ever be able to see this.

Pentagon to spend $500M on women's health research -- First lady Jill Biden announced Monday that the Pentagon intends to commit $500 million to women’s health research as part of a broader White House push to increase funding for the study of women’s health. Jill Biden attended a Clinton Global Initiative event alongside Chelsea Clinton to announce the new investment. The Defense Department money will fund research on conditions such as ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and musculoskeletal injuries and how they impact women differently. “Since launching the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research last November, the First Lady has put the spotlight on the urgent need to close the gap in how we fund and approach women’s health research,” Vanessa Valdivia, press secretary for the first lady, said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris Administration has quickly mobilized to make progress in less than year, and in the months ahead the First Lady will continue to push the work of this initiative forward, and build on the incredible momentum and enthusiasm we’ve seen across the public and private sectors,” Valdivia added. President Biden signed an executive order in March directing agencies to strengthen research and data standards on women’s health with the purpose of better leveraging federal funding. It also directed agencies to prioritize funding for women’s health research and encourage innovation. The same order directed the National Institutes of Health to spend $200 million on women’s health research, and it directed the Office of Management and Budget and the Gender Policy Council to assess gaps in federal funding for women’s health and identify potential changes.

Commerce proposes ban on Chinese tech in connected vehicles over national security concerns -- The Biden administration on Monday proposed banning certain Chinese-made software and hardware in vehicles connected to the internet, citing national security risks. The newly proposed rule from the Commerce Department would ban the import of cars with vehicle connectivity systems and automated driving systems developed in China, as well as Russia. “As the Department of Commerce has found, vehicles’ increasing connectivity creates opportunities to collect and exploit sensitive information,” the White House said in a press release. “Certain hardware and software in connected vehicles enable the capture of information about geographic areas or critical infrastructure, and present opportunities for malicious actors to disrupt the operations of infrastructure or the vehicles themselves,” it added. Automated driving systems can collect information about U.S. infrastructure using the cameras and sensors that enable cars to drive on their own, according to the press release. These technologies can also record sensitive data about American drivers and passengers, it noted. The software ban would take effect for model year 2027, which would include some cars released in 2026. The hardware ban would take effect three years later, starting with model year 2030. The proposed rule comes amid a larger effort by the Biden administration to crack down on certain Chinese products and technologies entering the U.S. The administration announced plans to quadruple tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and double tariffs on Chinese semiconductors earlier this year, alongside additional tariff hikes on steel, aluminum, batteries and solar cells. It has also sought to limit China’s ability to take advantage of new technology coming from the U.S., tightening export controls on advanced chips.

Biden breaks with environmentalists, House Dems on chip bill - The White House’s environmental and manufacturing goals are now on a collision course, after Congress voted and Biden approved the exemption of new microchip factories from extra environmental reviews. Breaking with environmental groups and despite objections from House Democratic leaders, President Joe Biden plans to sign a new bill that weakens some environmental requirements on federally funded microchip projects. In a tense vote that sparked a bitter back-and-forth Monday night, the Building Chips in America Act passed the House over strident objections from key Democratic committee leaders, with Democratic defectors linking arms with Republicans. In a statement provided exclusively to POLITICO late on Tuesday, a White House official said Biden will sign the bill, which “will allow us to continue our efforts to ensure Americans across the country can benefit from the promise of the Investing in America agenda while protecting communities and the environment.” Biden’s decision could widen existing fissures between the Democratic Party’s pro-business and environmental wings. And his approval risks angering environmentalists, which see the bill as a giveaway to the chip industry and a potential threat to the environment. Monday’s House vote marks a big win for the microchip lobby, which for nearly two years has been trying to dilute the environmental-impact rules attached to the Biden administration’s multibillion-dollar funding program for microchip plants. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act provided $39 billion in subsidies to American chip manufacturing projects, an effort to boost U.S. job growth and industrial capacity in a growing global industry while protecting against China. But recipients of that money are required to complete federal environmental reviews under the decades-old National Environmental Policy Act before they can receive funding — a first for an industry unaccustomed to the extra environmental red tape accompanying federal subsidies. Soon after the ink was dry on the law, industry lobbyists began pressuring Capitol Hill to exempt some projects from NEPA and shorten the litigation timeline for others. They warned that without those changes, construction of chip facilities — and by extension, the high-tech industrial renaissance promised by Biden — could be delayed for months or years. The result was the Building Chips in America Act, a bill designed to lift or lessen many of NEPA’s requirements on new CHIPS projects. The Senate unanimously passed it in December, and on Monday, GOP House leadership abruptly forced a suspension vote on the bill, clearing the two-thirds threshold with help from Democrats — including many whose states are slated for major chip manufacturing projects. But several Democratic lawmakers on key committees, including House Energy and Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), spoke out against the bill on the House floor. And earlier Tuesday, at least one top Democrat — Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), ranking member on the House Science Committee — called on Biden to reject the legislation. “He should veto it,” she told POLITICO in a statement Tuesday. And the Sierra Club and other groups — including the more than two dozen environmental organizations who sent a letter on Monday urging House Democrats to oppose the bill — warned Biden that if he signs it into law, it would hurt both the environment and the administration’s own climate agenda. “President Biden should veto this. I expect he will veto it,” Harry Manin, Sierra Club’s deputy legislative director of industrial policy, told POLITICO on Tuesday.

Trump promises manufacturing boom with tariffs in Georgia - Former President Trump on Tuesday told voters in Georgia he would use tariffs to create a “manufacturing boom” if he wins in November, rejecting criticism from economists and Democrats that his plan would fuel inflation. Trump gave what was billed as an economic speech in Savannah, Ga., which is home to one of the busiest ports in the United States and is a hub for shipping goods along the Atlantic Ocean. The former president has pitched tariffs as something of a blanket solution for lowering costs, reducing the deficit and encouraging domestic manufacturing. In his speech in Georgia, Trump signaled he would use tariffs as leverage to discourage outsourcing and to punish foreign competitors. “If you don’t make your product here, you will have to pay a tariff, a very substantial tariff when you send your product into the United States,” Trump said. “And by the way, for years they knocked the word. The word ‘tariff,’ when properly used, is a beautiful word,” Trump continued. “One of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. It’s music to my ears. A lot of bad people didn’t like that word but now they’re finding out I was right.” Trump told the crowd tariff policy could be used to create a “manufacturing boom.” “When they have to pay tariffs to come in but they have incentive to build here, they’re going to come roaring back,” Trump said. While Trump has claimed the use of tariffs would lower costs, economists have repeatedly said it would cause companies to pass higher costs onto consumers and could worsen inflation. And experts have disputed Trump’s claim that tariffs would bring in billions of dollars for the U.S. government.Trump a day earlier threatened to impose a 200 percent tariff on Illinois-based John Deere if the company follows through on plans to outsource some of its manufacturing to Mexico by 2026.The former president has said that, if he wins the White House in November, he will look to extend the tax cuts he first signed into law in 2017, which are set to expire next year, and push to lower the corporate tax rate further. Trump at one point Tuesday misspoke and said he gave Americans the “biggest tax hikes” in the country’s history.Vice President Harris has offered a handful of specific economic proposals since she became the Democratic candidate in late July, describing them as part of her “opportunity economy” agenda. She has proposed a federal ban on price gouging, a call for increased housing supply and support for first-time homebuyers and an expanded child tax credit.

Donald Trump threatens John Deere with tariffs if it outsourcing manufacturing --Former President Trump threatened Illinois-based John Deere on Monday with massive tariffs on its products if it outsources some of its manufacturing to Mexico as it had previously announced, the latest indicator he would use tariffs aggressively if he wins in November.“I just noticed behind me John Deere tractors. I know a lot about John Deere, I love the company,” Trump said at an event with farmers in Pennsylvania. “But as you know, they’ve announced a few days ago that they’re going to move a lot of their manufacturing business to Mexico,” he continued. “I’m just notifying John Deere right now, if you do that, we’re putting a 200 percent tariff on everything you want to sell into the United States, so that if I win John Deere is going to be paying a 200 percent — they haven’t started it yet. Maybe they haven’t even made the final decision yet. But I think they have.”Fox Business Network reported in June that John Deere, which sells tractors, crop harvesters and other large equipment, was laying off roughly 600 staff members at plants in Illinois and Iowa. The layoffs came amid a broader restructuring of the company’s business that included plans to move its manufacturing of skid steer loaders and compact track loaders to Mexico by the end of 2026, according to Fox Business Network.John Deere did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Trump’s tariff threats.

Trump fascists continue terror campaign against Haitian immigrants with racist X postOn September 25, Representative Clay Higgins (Republican-Louisiana), on his official congressional account, posted a fascist diatribe on X/Twitter threatening all Haitians, after a Haitian civil rights group filed suit against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for his incitement of violence against immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. In the now deleted post, Higgins repeated lies that originated with neo-Nazis that have since been taken up by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, accusing Haitians of “eating pets.” The Republican campaign against immigrants serves two main purposes: to divide the working class and to create the conditions for Trump to incite paramilitary-type violence to change the results of the election. Higgins, a former cop and member of the Three Percenters fascist militia group, was one of 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election results after the attack on Congress on January 6, 2021. In service of Trump’s campaign to incite violence, Higgins wrote Wednesday in his post, “Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu (sic), nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters ... but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP.” Higgins’ now deleted X post targeting Haitian immigrants In a deadly serious threat, Higgins ended his tweet with a warning: “All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of our country before January 20th.” Higgins deleted his post later on Wednesday but has continued to incite hatred against immigrants. In an interview with CNN, he doubled down on his comments saying, “It’s all true. I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I’ll say what I want.” Higgins added, “It’s not a big deal to me. It’s like something stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life.”

Harris border visit to focus on curbing fentanyl flow, boosting resources for border agents -Vice President Harris plans to call for more resources for border patrol agents, on her visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, a senior campaign official said. She is also set to describe curbing the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. a “top priority” if she’s elected in November. Harris is set to visit Douglas, Ariz., and meet with border patrol agents. While there, she plans to argue that “American sovereignty requires setting rules at the border and enforcing them,” the official said. And, she will “reject the false choice between securing the border and creating an immigration system that is safe, orderly and humane — arguing we must do both to protect our country’s security and enduring legacy as a nation of immigrants,” according to the official. Harris is expected to reiterate her support for the border deal that was negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators but failed in the House after former President Trump urged Republicans to vote against it earlier this year. Since kicking off her campaign in July, Harris has called for passage of the border deal when asked about her plan to fix the immigration system and she will outline parts of it again on Friday, including putting new fentanyl detection machines at ports of entry and hiring 1,500 more border agents. “The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games,” Harris plans to say, according to the official. The Harris campaign also unveiled a new ad on Friday that will run in Arizona and other battleground states. In the 30-second spot, entitled “Never Back Down,” the narrator outlines parts of the border deal. “She will secure our border. Here’s her plan — hire thousands of more border agents, enforce the law and step up technology and stop fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking. We need a leader with a real plan to fix the border and that’s Kamala Harris,” the narrator said in the ad.

Lawmakers scramble to reach last-minute deal to save farm bill --House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-Pa.) is meeting with congressional leaders on agricultural policy Thursday to try to secure a last-minute deal on passing the farm bill. Earlier Thursday, Thompson joined dozens of House Republicans in pressing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to schedule a vote on the massive, five-year legislation before the end of the year. In addition to Thompson, the group meeting Thursday included House Agriculture Committee ranking member David Scott (D-Ga.), Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member John Boozman (R-Ark.). Thompson told The Hill this week that getting a deal in the lame-duck session isn’t “highly likely, but I’m an eternal optimist, and I’m going to work hard every day to make that happen.” The farm bill is set to expire Monday, Sept. 30, though funds will not begin to peter out until the end of the year. Progress toward a deal has been hamstrung by divisions between the parties over how to pay for increased subsidies to large commercial growers and proposed restrictions on the ability of the federal government to raise money for food aid. While the House Agriculture Committee has marked up and passed a draft bill, the Senate Agriculture Committee has only released a summary. While some lawmakers — including Boozman — have suggested the idea of another stopgap one-year bill, this idea is unpopular in the farm sector, which has come to rely on the structure of the five-year farm bill, and has had to limp along on a one-year continuing resolution since last year’s failure to replace the 2018 farm bill. Earlier this month, representatives from more than 300 agricultural groups flew in to Washington to lobby for a quick passage of a new bill, and in Thursday’s letter, House Republicans warned that the failure to pass a full five-year package would lead to a “crisis” in farm country. While an extension may be necessary, Thompson told The Hill he “didn’t want to send the wrong message: that we will not get a farm bill done in lame duck.” “Our farmers need it,” he said. “I mean, we are facing, by all all metrics, a farm and food crisis that’s exacerbating and only going to get worse — unless we show some leadership and provide some hope and certainty to the hardworking families to provide us food and fiber.”

Dems seek transparency on corporate lobbying before tax code fight -Democrats want to know how much big companies are paying major lobbies to lean on lawmakers ahead of the tax code expirations that are set for next year. Top executives at big companies, including Netflix, Ford and Tesla, received letters from Democratic lawmakers, demanding specifics on lobbying budgets and whether company boards approved them. “How much is AmerisourceBergen spending on lobbying efforts relating to renewing, amending, or maintaining the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?” the lawmakers wrote to that pharmaceutical company, referring to the Trump tax cuts. In letters to more than 35 companies, Democrats also asked how much lobbying spending was happening through different professional coalitions and trade associations, many of which have vague and hard-to-identify branding. “How much money is Darden Restaurants contributing to the upcoming tax fight through other coalitions?” the lawmakers asked the Florida-based multibrand restaurant operator, owner of brands that include Olive Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Eddie V’s. The letters were signed by more than a dozen senators and representatives, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). The deadline for companies to respond to the letters is Oct. 8, about a month before the general election. The inquiry from lawmakers makes explicit reference to “tax dodging” and “behind-the-scenes” activities undertaken by different corporations. “In order to better understand the depth of DISH Network’s tax dodging practices and its behind-the-scenes efforts to whittle down the tax code, we request that you respond to the following questions by no later than October 8, 2024,” a letter addressed to the president and CEO of the satellite company reads. Significant portions of the tax code, put in place by the 2017 Trump tax cuts, are set to expire next year, and a lot of legislative work is expected to be done on the issue over the course of next year.

Harris backs minerals stockpile, permitting reform, climate-friendly tax credits -Laying out her economic agenda this week, Vice President Harris backed increasing domestic minerals production and creating a minerals stockpile. A press release from her campaign said it would invoke wartime authority under the Defense Production Act to build stronger mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on China. In a plan posted to her website, Harris also backed an “America Forward tax credit” that benefits various industries, including many with the potential to combat climate change. This tax credit would go toward projects including reducing emissions from steel and iron production, creating new sustainable materials, expanding climate-friendly energy manufacturing and bolstering the semiconductor industry.Under the plan, these credits would also benefit biotechnology and medicine, data centers for artificial intelligence and aerospace, autos and other forms of transportation.These tax credits would include “additional benefits” for investments made in longstanding manufacturing, farming and energy-producing communities. In the transition to lower-carbon fuels, concerns have been raised about workers in places that have historically produced fossil fuels. Additionally, Harris said the nation needs to speed up its approval for infrastructure, backing a suite of policies known as “permitting reform” that aim to make the nation build faster.Permitting reform has been a hot topic in Washington, with lawmakers currently considering legislation aimed at speeding up new energy projects. Opponents of such efforts have raised concerns that environmental reviews will be weakened in the process.The plan released by the Harris campaign also calls for more energy production in a section on lowering energy costs. It does not specify whether that includes more fossil fuel production, though in the past Harris has touted the record oil production that has occurred under the Biden administration.

FTC sues drug middlemen for allegedly inflating insulin prices -The Federal Trade Commission on Friday sued three large U.S. health companies that negotiate insulin prices, arguing the drug middlemen use practices that boost their profits while "artificially" inflating costs for patients. The suit targets the three biggest so-called pharmacy benefit managers, UnitedHealth Group's Optum Rx, CVS Health'sCaremark and Cigna's Express Scripts. All are owned by or connected to health insurers and collectively administer about 80% of the nation's prescriptions, according to the FTC. The FTC's lawsuit also includes each PBM's affiliated group purchasing organization, which brokers drug purchases for hospitals and other health-care providers. The agency said it could recommend suing drugmakers Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk in the future as well over their role in driving up list prices for their insulin products.A UnitedHealth spokesperson said the suit "demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of how drug pricing works, noting that Optum RX has "aggressively and successfully" negotiated with drug manufacturers.A CVS spokesperson said Caremark is "proud of the work" it has done to make insulin more affordable for Americans, adding that "to suggest anything else, as the FTC did today, is simply wrong."And, a spokesperson for Express Scripts said the suit "continues a troubling pattern from the FTC of unsubstantiated and ideologically-driven attacks" on PBMs. It comes three days after Express Scripts sued the FTC, demanding that the agency retract its allegedly "defamatory" July report that claimed that the PBM industry is hiking drug prices.PBMs sit at the center of the drug supply chain in the U.S. They negotiate rebates with drug manufacturers on behalf of insurers, large employers and federal health plans. They also create lists of medications, or formularies, that are covered by insurance and reimburse pharmacies for prescriptions. The FTC has been investigating PBMs since 2022. The agency's suit argues that the three PBMs have created a "perverse" drug rebate system that prioritizes high rebates from drugmakers, which leads to "artificially inflated insulin list prices." It also alleges that PBMs favor those high-list-price insulins even when more affordable insulins with lower list prices become available. The FTC is filing its complaint through its so-called administrative process, which initiates a proceeding before an administrative judge who would hear the case."Millions of Americans with diabetes need insulin to survive, yet for many of these vulnerable patients, their insulin drug costs have skyrocketed over the past decade thanks in part to powerful PBMs and their greed," Rahul Rao, deputy director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, said in a statement. "The FTC's administrative action seeks to put an end to the Big Three PBMs' exploitative conduct and marks an important step in fixing a broken system—a fix that could ripple beyond the insulin market and restore healthy competition to drive down drug prices for consumers," Rao continued. Roughly 8 million Americans with diabetes rely on insulin to survive, and many have been forced to ration the treatment due to high prices, according to the FTC.The White House has no comment on the FTC's suit, but has "made clear that no one should pay higher prices because of corporate greed," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Saturday. The Biden administration and Congress have ramped up pressure on PBMs, seeking to increase transparency into their operations as many Americans struggle to afford prescription drugs. On average, Americans pay two to three times more than patients in other developed nations for prescription drugs, according to a fact sheet from the White House.

Bernie Sanders, Novo Nordisk CEO clash over Ozempic, Wegovy prices --The CEO of Novo Nordisk wouldn’t commit to lowering the prices of Ozempic and Wegovy during a Senate hearing Tuesday, despite repeatedly being pressed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Novo Nordisk chief Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen told senators Tuesday that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the industry middlemen that negotiate the terms and conditions for access to prescription drugs, are the reason Wegovy and Ozempic cost so much. Jørgensen said his company needs to pay high rebates to the PBMs in order to get favorable insurance coverage. In his written testimony, he said the net price for Ozempic, which reflects the amount his company is paid per prescription, is down 40 percent since 2018 because of rebates paid to PBMs. But in an effort to preemptively stop the blame-shifting, Sanders announced at the top of the hearing that three of the biggest drug middlemen confirmed that lowering the list price alone wouldn’t negatively impact their decisions to cover the drugs in question. “I am delighted to announce today that I have received commitments in writing from all of the major PBMs that if Novo Nordisk substantially reduced the list price for Ozempic and Wegovy, they would not limit coverage,” Sanders said. “In fact, all of them told me they would be able to expand coverage for these drugs if the list price was reduced.” Sanders repeatedly asked Jørgensen whether, in light of that information, he would commit to working with the PBMs to lower the drugs’ prices. “Anything that can help patients get access, I am supportive of. And that includes collaborating and negotiating with anyone who can help that,” Jørgensen said. But he added a healthy dose of skepticism about the specifics of what the PBMs committed to doing. “When I hear statements that PBMs would access a low list price product, it needs to go to patients,” Jørgensen said. “If it works in a way that patients get access to more affordable medicine and we have certainty that it actually happens … we will be positive towards it.” Jørgensen pointed out that cutting list prices doesn’t always lead to expanded coverage, because PBMs make more rebates from products with higher prices.

Price control discourse proves history has a short memory --History has a short memory. In recent weeks, as Vice President Kamala Harris’s policy proposals sparked a national conversation about price-controls, that phenomenon is on full display. Price-controls have failed humanity for thousands. They invariably create devastating shortages and diminish product quality.These policies decimated Babylonian trade in 1750 B.C. They caused bloodshed in second-century Rome. They nearly starved George Washington’s army at Valley Forge. Within living memory, they also caused an American oil and gas crisis in the 1970s. Of course, politicians still cannot resist promising their constituents consequence-free price reductions.Harris has come out in support of a federal ban on “price-gouging” grocery products. She issupportive of price-controls on pharmaceuticals and was the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to pass this policy in the Inflation Reduction Act. She has also promised to cap “unfair rent increases,” echoing support for a Biden-Harris proposal to limit rent increases to 5 percent.Rather than take accountability for her own administration’s role in causing inflation, Harris has, without evidence, accused corporations and landlords of raising their prices simply because they are “greedy.” In reality, the net profit-margin for retail grocery stores is razor thin and has shrunk under the Biden-Harris administration to 1.18 percent. Under Harris price-controls on grocery products, Americans will see food shortages and a reduction in food quality. Specifically, food items will become inaccessible, grocery stores will shut down across the country (particularly in poorer areas at risk of becoming food deserts), grocery retailers will consolidate and farms will go out of business.In 301 A.D., the Roman Emperor Diocletian imposed fixed rates for several food items in response to a spike in inflation. According to Ancient accounts, Diocletian’s edict led to shortages and bloodshed.The Bengal Famine of 1770 was sparked by price-controls that followed a drought in the region. An estimated 10 million people died — one-third of the Bengal population.During our own Revolutionary War, price-controls imposed by the Pennsylvania legislatureresulted in food shortages and the prices of uncontrolled goods skyrocketing. After Washington’s army nearly starved to death at Valley Forge, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution condemning the use of price-controls.During WWII, the federal government imposed price-controls on numerous goods such as coffee, meat, sugar, dairy, etc. In addition to shortages, the quality of grocery products also plummeted. Meatpackers sold steaks with an extra bone and filled sausages with cheap additives like soybeans and potatoes, and candy companies shrunk the size of candy bars andloaded them with lower-quality ingredients.In addition to being the tie-breaking vote, Kamala Harris has also called for an expansion of the price-controls in the Inflation Reduction Act.Under the act, as is, the drug price-control provisions will lower research and development activity so drastically that it will result in 135 fewer new drugs, generating a loss of 331.5 million life-years in the U.S. That is more life-years lost than the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic.These consequences are not hypothetical, even though the determined prices haven’t gone into effect yet. Several drug manufacturers have warned of development programs they had to end or will likely have to end, including Eli Lilly, Alnylam, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Sage Therapeutics, Amgen, etc.Shortages and a loss of innovation in healthcare costs lives. Although Americans understand the negative effects of price-controls on food and housing, it is vital that they understand that price-controls on pharmaceuticals will be equally devastating.Finally, Harris’s rent-control regime will cause a sharp decrease in new housing. Affordable rentals will be converted to AirBnBs or sold. Millions of higher-risk tenants will be refused any housing (worsening the problem of homelessness), and rent rates will increase on average.A National Bureau of Economic Research study revealed that the 1994 rent-control expansion in San Francisco led to landlords converting their properties to condos or tenancies-in-common. Additionally, there was a citywide rent price increase of 5.1 percent. Because of existing tenants’ depressed rents, many started staying in apartments for longer than they otherwise would, reducing the supply of rent-controlled properties for potential tenants, thus increasing the prices of other non-controlled properties.

Effort to force vote on Social Security bill stirs unrest in House GOP -A group of House Republicans is making a rare move that would force a vote on a bill to reform aspects of Social Security, stirring unrest in the conference. The bill at the heart of the push, also dubbed the Social Security Fairness Act, seeks to do away with the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), a proposal that backers on both sides of the aisle argue is long overdue. The bill enjoys support from more than 100 House Republicans, and almost four dozen have cosigned the effort to use what’s known as a discharge petition to force consideration of the bill — and the strategy is rubbing some in the conference the wrong way. “In a well-run Congress, no legislator signs a discharge petition if you’re a majority. That is a rule that is never broken,” Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) told The Hill. “And the fact that 47 of my colleagues signed a discharge petition shows that we have an utter lack of discipline.” While the maneuver is not uncommon in the House, it’s rarely successful, as members must gather at least 218 signatures to force a vote on legislation. This discharge petition, led by Reps. Garret Graves (R-La.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) — both of whom are not returning to the next Congress — is only the second such legislative effort that has met the threshold for sign-ons in the current congressional session. “I’m a co-sponsor, I signed the discharge — and I was reluctant to, because I’ve never done it before when you’re in the majority,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), one of more than 300 co-sponsors. “But I was talking to my firefighters and our policemen. I know how important it is to them, so I did it.” Graves’s office says the bill seeks to prevent those who have worked in public service — including “police officers, firefighters, educators, and federal, state, and local government employees” — from seeing their Social Security benefits “unfairly” reduced. But critics say the bill is expensive, pointing to scoring from the Congressional Budget Office from earlier this month that estimates the measure could cost upward of $190 billion over a decade. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called the measure a “bad direction to go,” and said he would “oppose it.” “I will support a version that I co-sponsor, which would be except $34 billion which we ought to pay for, but, but it’s responsible. The one that … they’re discharging is irresponsible, and they can’t defend it, and they won’t defend it, except that they’re going to say things like, ‘We’re going to make everybody whole.’ They are not.”

GAO releases initial findings from FAFSA investigation - A government watchdog’s investigation into last year’s rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid found that Education Department officials failed to properly test and prepare the form and launched it despite signs that it was not ready for wide release—an oversight that proved disastrous.The department’s missteps are detailed in two documents from the U.S. Government Accountability Office released Tuesday. Their findings were at the center of a House higher education subcommittee hearing Tuesday that featured testimony from two GAO officials, where lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed for answers about who was to blame for the failures and called for accountability.At the hearing, neither the GAO officials nor the lawmakers expressed confidence in the department’s ability to successfully roll out the 2025–26 application, which is already delayed by two months to allow for testing that’s set to begin next week.GAO officials warned that the next FAFSA is at risk for even more delays and similar technical issues to last year’s because of systemic problems in the department and the Office of Federal Student Aid, the agency that oversees the FAFSA.Some of the GAO’s findings have been public knowledge for months. Inside Higher Ed chronicled many of them in a wide-ranging investigation published in March—including the fact that FSA didn’t properly test the new form, carry out independent reviews of its processing system or fix a slew of technical errors in a timely manner.But the GAO findings, part of a long-anticipated report, offer a first glimpse into the bureaucratic failures behind the scenes, both during the overhaul of the form itself and in the lead-up to its release. The report also contains a number of new revelations about FSA’s handling of the rollout and officials’ strategy for communicating with students and colleges.For one, the GAO found that as early as August 2022, FSA knew, or at least anticipated, that the 2024–25 FAFSA release would have to be delayed. That month, the office began retooling its schedule for FAFSA processing, moving deadlines for contractors from October 2023—the form’s traditional, and at the time expected, release date—to December, yet they waited seven months to announce the delay publicly.The GAO suggests FSA officials may have been preparing for a possibility rather than an eventuality, but it’s the first evidence that issues with the rollout timeline emerged more than a year before the launch.In addition to planning mistakes that waylaid the rollout process, the report found that the department’s communication strategy—both for helping colleges understand the delays and for helping families navigate the form—was inadequate.Of the 5.4 million calls the Education Department’s call center received during the first five months of the FAFSA rollout, four million—or about three-quarters—went unanswered. According to the report, the department had far fewer staffers operating the center than during the prior year and answered nearly 200,000 fewer calls during the first five months of the rollout.“The call center’s failure to meet demand became a significant bottleneck for students and families who struggled to get help with pressing issues,” the report said. “All four call center contractors failed their customer satisfaction score during the first five months of the rollout.”

As Students Sought FAFSA Help, 4 Million Calls Went Unanswered - High school seniors from lower-income families were the most likely to abandon their financial aid applications as the result of a delayed and continuously botched rollout of a new application form late last year. That’s one finding from a set of new reports from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office probing the U.S. Department of Education’s failed rollout of what was supposed to be a simplified and streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The reports detail the delays in the deployment of the new FAFSA as well as reduced testing of the new form before its eventual launch on Dec. 31, 2023—three months after the form’s typical release. As a result of scaled-back testing of the form’s functionality before its release, the GAO found, the department failed to find dozens of defects that held up student submissions and caused endless frustration. According to the reports, the U.S. Department of Education’s office of financial student aid identified 55 defects with the FAFSA Processing System after the launch. And when students and families called the Education Department for help, three-quarters of those calls went unanswered. The FAFSA rollout failures frustrated students and families who needed accurate financial aid estimates so they could decide on a college to attend, according to the reports, which were introduced in conjunction with a Sept. 24 U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing. When the form first launched, students who were born in the year 2000 “could not progress past a certain page in the online application, preventing them from submitting their application,” one of the reports said. The Education Department fixed that defect in March, but others remained. For example, parent and student signatures sometimes disappeared from the forms, rendering the forms incomplete and preventing applicants from submitting them, Melissa Emrey-Arras, director of the GAO’s education, workforce, and income security team, said during the subcommittee hearing. “There are other issues with parents not being able to contribute information, parents not being able to move past certain screens,” Emrey-Arras said. “There are also issues with incorrect information being provided. Graduate students are falsely told they are eligible for Pell grants. This is not true, and this is not resolved.” When students tried to get help, their main avenue for support—the Education Department’s call center—was unreliable, Emrey-Arras said. Around three-quarters of the calls to the department’s help center—about 4 million of the 5.4 million calls placed—went unanswered from January through May 2024, according to the GAO. Additionally, people calling the help center couldn’t access help in languages other than English or Spanish. “It’s unconscionable that 4 million calls went unanswered when students were struggling,” Emrey-Arras said. The problems with FAFSA resulted in a 3 percent decline in the number of students who submitted applications for student aid as of Aug. 25, amounting to 432,000 fewer students applying in 2024-25 than the prior year. The vast majority of those applicants—325,000—were graduating high school seniors. No data are yet available on whether the students who didn’t submit applications put off attending college because of the FAFSA errors, but the decline in submissions was most pronounced among low-income students, who are more likely to need financial aid to attend college, Emrey-Arras said. Among applicants whose parents do not claim them as dependents for tax purposes, the decline in submissions was largest for people making less than $30,000 a year. Among dependent applicants, including graduating high school seniors, the drop in submissions was largest for families making $30,0000 to $48,000 annually.

How the new FAFSA made chaos of the college financial aid process : NPR - There’s no question, the rollout of the revamped FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that millions of students must fill out to qualify for college loans and grants – was a slow-motion explosion ofmistakes and miscommunication by the U.S. Department of Education. On Tuesday, though, the public got a detailed map of that disaster, thanks to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and testimony before aHouse subcommittee.These GAO reviews and testimony come as the department prepares to launch the next FAFSA cycle, which will again be delayed, with a small rollout in October and a full launch by December. Some of the problems outlined by the GAO will sound familiar; NPR has covered them extensively here and here. But, by reviewing federal data and conducting interviews with department employees, GAO investigators offer the fullest picture yet of the department’s failures and their impact on applicants. In December 2020, Congress voted to overhaul the FAFSA. The changes were intended to make the form easier to fill out and expand access to federal student aid for students who need it most. Implementation of this new law would fall to the incoming Biden administration.The problem was, the FAFSA ended up getting a down-to-the-studs, high-tech overhaul that appears to have fallen behind almost from the start, according to the GAO review. Even after getting an extension from Congress, the Education Department still rushed to release an incomplete FAFSA on Dec. 30, 2023. The form would not be consistently available for another week, on Jan. 7, though, even then, it was riddled with problems.According to the GAO review, the department identified 55 technical “defects” after the FAFSA finally launched, some of which have yet to be resolved as of early September. That’s “about twice as many” defects as FSA had flagged during testing.Part of the problem, according to the GAO, is that early testing was rushed, and department officials signed off on testing reviews “though significant work had not yet been completed.”Ultimately, this led to an array of mistakes, from minor to critical, that weren’t addressed – or even caught – until students ran headlong into them. Among those mistakes:

All applicants born in the year 2000 were initially and mysteriously blocked from completing the form, a problem that took 69 days to fix. According to the GAO, these year-2000 applicants weren’t warned of the problem, nor were they told when it was fixed. Many simply kept trying and failing to submit their application.
Some applicants received erroneous messages that their FAFSA application would expire after 40-45 days. This wasn’t fixed until 135 days after launch.
Some graduate students are still being told they qualify for federal Pell Grants – a program specifically created by Congress to help low-incomeundergraduate students.
The form sometimes disappears students’ and parents’ signatures after it’s been saved and re-opened – a glitch the GAO says the department has not resolved.

One of the most glaring problems the GAO highlights (and NPR has covered) hit students whose parent or spouse does not have a Social Security number. The form’s electronic identity verification process for these mixed-status families didn’t work well. The GAO estimates that between 15 and 40% of mixed-status families were able to have their identities verified automatically, but tens of thousands were instead forced to email documents to the department for a more burdensome, manual verification. According to the GAO, “[the Department of] Education planned for only 3,500 individuals to be manually verified, less than 2 percent of the approximately 219,000 parents and spouses who actually ended up going through the manual verification process.” The department issued a report Monday, reviewing its efforts to learn from and move beyond the FAFSA debacle. In that report, the department assured mixed-status families that identity verification would not be a barrier in the next FAFSA cycle, though the problem has not been fully resolved. One of Congress’ goals for the FAFSA overhaul was to make it easier and faster to complete. For independent students, it was a breeze. But the GAO’s review makes clear, the form was still a slog for dependent students who needed parental input to complete it.

An independent, first-time applicant completed the new FAFSA in roughly 15 minutes.
But for dependent, first-time applicants, the median completion time was 5 days.

The Education Department has a call center system meant to answer students’ and families’ questions, including about the FAFSA.But according to the GAO review, “nearly three quarters of all calls to the call center (4.0 million out of 5.4 million calls) went unanswered during the first 5 months of the rollout.”Some, including department insiders, have faulted Congress for not providing more funding to help with such a gargantuan task. Republicans have shown little patience with that argument.The GAO review suggests the department bears considerable blame for its short-staffed call center: It vastly underestimated how many people would ask for help during the rollout period.Keeping in mind that people also call for help with lots of other issues, including help navigating student loan confusion, the department projected it would receive a total of 2.2 million phone calls within the first 5 months of the FAFSA rollout. They got more than twice that many.The department staffed its call center based on what seems like a naive projection of demand.

Exiting GOP confident it will have full control of government soon - Republicans are leaving Washington projecting confidence about their chances of returning to the Capitol in November knowing they’ll have full control of government in 2025. Republicans in their final legislative days before heading home for the final weeks of a frantic campaign said they are confident the House GOP will retain its majority and that former President Trump, who is locked in a tight race with Vice President Harris, will emerge victorious. If anything, Republicans are even more confident about their path to a Senate majority, given the difficult map for Democrats that has them defending several seats in states Trump is nearly certain to win. “I’m very confident about this. I believe we’re going to keep and grow the House majority, win the Senate and win the White House as well, and we’re going to put Donald Trump back in the office,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a press conference this week. Such a result could dramatically change the life of House Republicans, giving them a better chance of actually turning legislation into law after nearly two years often filled with infighting. Johnson is already planning for that scenario, going as far as to game-plan an economic agenda that can glide through a GOP House and Senate and onto Trump’s desk. But the sprint up until the election will not be without steep challenges. And heading into the long preelection recess, Democrats are just as bullish about their chances of flipping the House — an optimism fueled by their stark fundraising advantage in the final weeks of the campaign. Their campaign arm is significantly outraising that of Republicans. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) raised $22.3 million in August compared to $9.7 million brought in that month for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), a swing-district first-term lawmaker, said he can feel the influx of Democratic cash in his race. “They’re spending quite a bit of money in my district. I think that’s felt on the ground,” he said. “We feel we’re in a strong position.” Democrats are responding to the GOP optimism with confidence of their own. “In November, we will defeat this extreme dysfunctional House Republican majority,” Rep. Suzan DelBene (Wash.), head of the Democrats’ campaign arm, told reporters in the Capitol. “And we will get Congress back to work to defend our rights, our freedoms, our democracy and our future.” Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) also voiced confidence, saying, “We’re going to win the House, and we’re going to win the presidency, but it’s not going to be an easy fight. It’s not won right now; it won’t be won until the final vote is cast. And so each one of us has to work like hell to win.”

NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted on federal charges in campaign finance case --New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on multiple criminal charges in federal court in Manhattan, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC on Wednesday night. The indictment, which remains sealed for now, accuses Adams of criminal conduct related to contributions to the Democrat's 2021 mayoral campaign, and other conduct going back as far as 2015, with at least one count involving a contribution by a foreign national.A source said that the indictment mentions up to $20 million in donations that Adams' campaign received as a result of matching fund program that the city's Campaign Finance Program offers candidates for small-dollar donations made to them by residents of New York City. That program gives candidates funds up to eight times the amount of a small-dollar donation from an individual.The source also said the indictment alleges that Adams, 64, traveled to Turkey to receive illegal contributions.The former police captain is at least the second New York mayor to be criminally charged while still in office.And he is the first official in his administration to be charged as a result of multiple pending investigations that have ensnared the New York Police Department and the city's top schools' official. It was previously known the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Officewas investigating Adams for potentially conspiring with the government of Turkey to funnel illegal donations into that campaign.The New York Times on Monday reported that prosecutors had submitted grand jury subpoenas to City Hall, Adams, and his campaign in July demanding information related to five other countries: Israel, China, Qatar, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.Adams gave a defiant statement Wednesday night after news of the indictment broke."It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes," Adams said in a video statement. If so, these charges would be entirely false, based on lies.""But they would not be surprising. I always knew that If I stood my ground for all of you that I would be a target — and a target I became."If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit," said Adams, who after working in the Police Department served as a state senator and Brooklyn Borough president.

Trump suspect kept in custody after prosecutors file letter admitting ‘assassination attempt’ -The suspect being investigated in the recent apparent assassination attempt of former President Trump wrote a letter detailing his plans months prior, prosecutors alleged in court documents filed Monday. “Dear world, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster,” the alleged letter reads. A photo of the first page was attached as part of prosecutors’ written arguments for why Ryan Routh, the 58-year-old suspect, should continue to be detained ahead of trial. The suspect appeared in court later Monday, when a judge agreed to keep him in custody without bail because the “weight of the evidence against the defendant is strong,” according to The Associated Press. Prosecutors said Routh put the letter inside a box and dropped it off with an unnamed witness “several months” before he pushed the muzzle of a rifle through the perimeter of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course in Florida on Sept. 15. The witness only opened the box, which also contained ammunition and other letters, after learning of the incident. Prosecutors’ filing also revealed that Routh’s phone pinged cell towers near Trump’s golf course and Mar-a-Lago estate for nearly a month in the lead-up to the incident. When searching Routh’s car, authorities also purportedly found a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump had appeared or was expected to be present. “Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less as US president. U.S. presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity,” Routh’s letter reads. Routh faces charges of possessing a gun while a felon and having an illegally obliterated serial number on his firearm. He allegedly pushed the muzzle of a rifle through the perimeter of Trump’s golf course while the former president was a hole away, prompting a Secret Service agent to fire. The Secret Service has said Routh did not take any shots and never had Trump in his line of sight. In a statement, Trump’s campaign called the charges against Routh a “slap on the wrist” and blamed the “Kamala Harris/Joe Biden Department of Justice and FBI” for purportedly mishandling the case. “It’s no wonder, since the DOJ and FBI have been coming after me nonstop with Weaponized Lawfare since I announced my first Historic Campaign for the Presidency,” the campaign claimed.

New Transcripts Prove President Trump's Request For More Troops On January 6th Was Denied -- After years of mainstream media accusations that former President Donald Trump did nothing to protect the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, new transcripts reveal that the then-president was the only one who wanted extra security, only for his requests to be refused.As reported by Just The News, the transcripts show that President Trump ordered officials to “do whatever it takes” to protect the Capitol on the day that the electoral votes for the 2020 election were being certified, out of fear of protests against the suspicious and probably fraudulent election results.The transcripts were recorded during interviews with top government officials in the aftermath of January 6th by the Pentagon’s inspector general. One of the key witnesses was Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his interviews, Milley admitted that during a meeting on January 3rd, President Trump had already approved the use of the National Guard and active-duty troops to maintain law and order in the nation’s capital on the 6th.“The President just says, ‘Hey look at this. It’s going to be a large amount of protesters coming here on the 6th, and make sure that you have sufficient National Guard or Soldiers to make sure it’s a safe event,’” Milley recalled to the inspector general. Milley then said that Christopher Miller, who was acting Secretary of Defense at the time, assured the president of security plans for that day: “Miller responds by saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got a plan, and we’ve got it covered.’ And that’s about it.”Later in the same interview, Milley again confirmed that President Trump was the one who insisted on higher security.“It was just what I just described, which was, ‘Hey, I don’t care if you use Guard, or soldiers, active-duty soldiers, do whatever you have to do,” Milley continued. “Just make sure it’s safe.”However, when Miller was interviewed by the inspector general, he confessed to refusing to use additional security for fear of political repercussions.“There was absolutely — there is absolutely no way I was putting U.S. military forces at the Capitol, period,” said Miller at the time. The former acting secretary went on to say that officials instead utilized an interagency process to come up with an alternative plan that would delegate some DC National Guard troops to the job of directing traffic, but not to actually guard the Capitol; this proposal was suggested by Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D-D.C.).“The operational plan was this, let’s take the D.C. National Guard, keep them away from the Capitol,” Miller explained. “Let’s put — the request, it wasn’t my request, Bowser and her Metropolitan Police Department were like ‘Let’s put D.C. National Guard on traffic control points and at the Metro stations to free up credentialed law-enforcement officers that can go out and arrest people.’”The transcripts of the interviews were released by House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.). The bombshell revelations vindicate President Trump, and raise even more questions about the roles that officials like Milley, Miller, and Bowser played in the lead-up to the peaceful protest which went inside the Capitol, which has since been widely and falsely described as an “insurrection.”

Appeals panel signals skepticism over NY civil fraud case against Trump -A New York appeals panel on Thursday appeared wary of the state’s civil fraud case against former President Trump that ended in a $464 million judgment against him and his business. During arguments lasting more than an hour, the five-judge panel on the Appellate Division — New York’s midlevel appeals court — questioned whether any constraints apply to the law New York Attorney General Letitia James used against Trump. The law gives the state sweeping power to bring actions against businesses that engage in “repeated fraudulent or illegal acts or otherwise demonstrate persistent fraud or illegality in the carrying on, conducting or transaction of business.” “How do we draw a line, or at least put up some guardrails, to know when the AG [attorney general] is operating well within her broad — admittedly broad — sphere … and when she is going into an area that wasn’t intended for her jurisdiction?” Justice John Higgitt asked. A lower judge in February ruled that Trump, the Trump Organization and top executives, including two of Trump’s sons, falsely altered Trump’s net worth on key financial statements to reap tax and insurance benefits. He ordered them to pay a combined $464 million, plus interest, of which $454 million is owed by Trump alone, and exacted several other penalties. As of Thursday, interest on the judgment has surpassed $24.7 million, bringing the grand total to more than $489 million. That figure will continue to balloon until Trump pays. Trump attorney D. John Sauer, who represented the former president before the Supreme Court in his presidential immunity challenge, argued before the panel that the state’s case was brought too late and that decades-old financial statements should not be the basis for such a “crippling” financial penalty. Sauer also reiterated arguments made at trial that banks wanted to work with the Trump Organization, did their own due diligence and found no fraud. “They did do their own due diligence,” Sauer said. “The uncontradicted testimony in the summary judgment record is ‘Everything we did was independent; we didn’t rely on the numbers.’”

Kamala Harris, Donald Trump have nearly equal support on economy: AP-NORC poll --Voters now see Vice President Harris and former President Trump as roughly equal over who would best support the economy, according to a new survey.The latest poll, conducted by The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found voters are split on who they trust to handle the economy. Harris earns 41 percent support compared to Trump’s 43 percent, the data shows.About 1 in 10 voters said they either trust the two party nominees equally or don’t trust either candidate, per the survey.The former president has sought to link Harris to President Biden’s unpopular record on inflation and his “Bidenomics” agenda. But as the economy appears to be moving in a more positive direction — including a half-point interest rate cut — the vice president has been able to capitalize on the shift, likely helping to shift public opinion on the issue.Before dropping out of the race, roughly 60 percent of Americans disapproved of Biden’s handling of the economy, according to a separate AP-NORC poll conducted in late June.In the latest survey, 80 percent of registered voters listed the economy as one of the most important issues going into November.The survey noted that Americans this summer were more likely to say they were better off financially under Trump’s administration, and suggested Biden’s handling of the economy did not make much of a difference in their life.Just about one-third of voters say the state of the country’s economy is somewhat or very good and 6 in 10 say their individual household is doing well, despite the political debate over the economy, per the poll.Respondents generally placed more trust on Harris than Trump to handle health care, including abortion and gun policy, as well as climate change. Voters ranked the GOP nominee higher on immigration and responding to the Israel-Hamas war, but were split over how each candidate would handle crime.

Over 400 economists, former White House advisors endorse Harris --More than 400 economists and former White House policy advisors announced their support for Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in an open letter Tuesday.The endorsements come as Democrats and Republicans fight to frame their respective candidates as the better option for theU.S. economy in the November election, as high costs of livingremain voters' top priority in national polls."The choice in this election is clear," the letter read. "It is a choice between inequity, economic injustice, and uncertainty with Donald Trump or prosperity, opportunity, and stability with Kamala Harris."The bulk of the 405 signers are progressive economists, many of whom formerly served in Democratic administrations including those of President Joe Biden and former PresidentsBarack Obama and Bill Clinton.They include Harvard economist Jason Furman, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under Obama; Evercore founder Roger Altman, former deputy treasury secretary under Clinton; Penny Pritzker, former commerce secretary under Obama; former Federal Reserve vice chair Alan Blinder; and former staff members from regulatory agencies such as theFederal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CNN was first to report the endorsements.Some on the list, such as Biden's former National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, have already been advising the Harris campaign behind closed doors.

After Vice President Harris doubles down on global war and genocide in Gaza, Uncommitted Movement commits to electing Harris -- In the September 19 statement, the Uncommitted group was forced to acknowledge that the Harris-Walz campaign has rejected their requests for a ceasefire in Gaza or any policy change whatsoever. The group wrote, “Harris’s unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing US and international human rights law has made it impossible for us to endorse her.”Not only has Harris rejected all the policy proposals advanced by the Uncommitted Movement, the Harris campaign even refused to allow Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman, a Palestinian American supporter of Harris and the Uncommitted Movement, to deliver a short speech at the DNC in support of Harris and a ceasefire. Following the release of the statement, in a September 20 interview on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman, Lexis Zeidan, a co-founder of Uncommitted, explained that even after the Biden-Harris administration has overseen 11 months of ethnic cleansing that has officially killed over 42,000 Palestinians, a vast undercount, the group was willing to “mobilize” voters for a Harris-Walz ticket if they were given assurances. “What we offered to VP Harris,” Zeidan explained, “is that either Harris is able to do two things, either change policy, as it relates to current US policy that backs bombs, or simply does the thing of ensuring and upholding current international and human rights laws, as it relates to Israeli … war crimes.” If Harris agreed to this, Zeidan explained that Uncommitted was prepared to mobilize “1.5 million voter contacts” and “repeat what we did in Michigan to mobilize our base to go to the polls and vote for her come November. It was an offer we put on the table that was declined by Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign team.” Despite Harris “declining” the offer and promising to continue the genocide in Gaza, which is now expanding to a regional war with Lebanon and possibly Iran, Zeidan emphasized the movement would continue supporting the Democratic ticket.“We have to be very clear is that there are two options come November at the top of the ticket. It’s going to be Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. So keeping that context in mind we had to make a decision of what that means to grow the power that we have already built within our anti-war organizing movement.” Using the same language Democrats and their supporters have employed for decades to browbeat voters into supporting the “lesser evil,” Zeidan made clear they were “not recommending a third-party vote” because “we know that unfortunately a third-party vote is not viable in this broken electoral system and so, inadvertently, a third-party vote would support a Donald Trump victory.”Zeidan added, “Our power lies in continuing to grow the anti-war organizing movement that we have to truly pressure the Democratic Party, the Democratic coalition, the Democratic administration to change policy…”Far from growing the anti-war movement, Zeidan said the group would be focused on working to elect Democrats by “educating voters across the country” about the danger of a Trump presidency and to “keep pressuring the Biden-Harris administration.”

Trump jokes of ‘personality defect’: ‘I don’t like anybody that doesn’t like me’ --Former President Trump on Monday told a crowd of supporters in Pennsylvania that he doesn’t like anybody who doesn’t like him, joking that it was a “personality defect.”The former president went on a lengthy rant about late night hosts, bashing NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, who frequently mock Trump.He then spoke about his recent appearance on Greg Gutfeld’s late night Fox News program, and recounted how he and Gutfeld did not always see eye-to-eye.“I don’t like anybody that doesn’t like me. I’ll be honest, when they don’t like me, I don’t like them. OK?” Trump said. “Sounds childish… That’s the way it is. Call it a personality defect.”Trump went on to say he enjoyed his time on Gutfeld’s show, pointing to their “great chemistry.”“We actually liked each other,” Trump said with a laugh. Trump appeared on Gutfeld’s Fox News show last week, days after the second assassination attempt against the former president in as many months. The two joked about the incident on Gutfeld’s show.

JD Vance says Kamala Harris 'biggest threat to religious liberty' --Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) called Vice President Harris “the biggest threat to religious liberty we’ve had in at least a generation” during a campaign event in North Carolina, and he suggested the administration was an “opponent” of individual freedoms. “Now let’s just run through a number of ways in which the Kamala Harris administration has been a chief opponent of freedom of conscience, of free speech and of religious liberty in this country,” Vance said at a “Believers and Ballots” event in Charlotte. “Number one, Kamala Harris — despite the fact that she says that she stands for working people, despite the fact that you know her running mate has this slogan, we believe in America that people ought to mind their own damn business — both of them pursued policies that would have people fired for refusing to take the COVID vaccine shot,” he said. The Biden administration issued a vaccine mandate for federal workers as the administration sought to curb deaths from the pandemic. The administration also sought to impose a vaccine-or-test requirement on private employers with at least 100 employees. However, the Supreme Court later largely blocked that requirement while keeping a vaccine mandate in place for certain health care sites. Gov. Tim Walz (D) also instituted a policy in Minnesota beginning in 2021 and ending in 2022 that required state workers to receive a vaccine shot or undergo regular testing. Republicans have largely criticized Democrats’ COVID-19 response to the pandemic. Vance’s comment came just days after Donald Trump had suggested “Jewish people would have a lot to do” with his loss if Harris defeated him in November. Vance was campaigning in the state, earlier participating in a separate event in Charlotte on Monday. North Carolina is seen as a must-win state for Republicans to send Trump back to the White House. An aggregate of North Carolina surveys by Decision Desk HQ shows Trump narrowly leading Harris at 48.4 percent to 47.8 percent.

Robert F. Kennedy asks Supreme Court for New York ballot reinstatement --Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the Supreme Court for an emergency intervention to restore his name on New York’s presidential ballot. Lower courts excluded the former independent candidate from the ballot after finding he falsely claimed residency in the state because his Katonah, N.Y., address was not his fixed and permanent residency.Kennedy indicated in court filings that he has rented a room in the home from a childhood friend and stayed overnight on one occasion. His attorneys noted lower courts “did not find that anyone was misled,” insisting that taking him off the ballot was irrevocably depriving Kennedy’s New York supporters of their right to vote for him. “The address on Kennedy’s petition was and is entirely immaterial — both to voters and to New York,” his attorneys wrote in their request. The request was brought by Kennedy’s campaign; American Values 2024, a super PAC that was backing Kennedy’s campaign; and a voter who signed Kennedy’s petition to get on the ballot. By default, the emergency request went to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency appeals arising from New York. She requested New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and others involved in the case respond in writing by Wednesday afternoon. Since suspending his campaign and backing former President Trump, Kennedy has sought to remove his name in key swing states while remaining on the ballot elsewhere. The move has sparked a series of legal challenges, and the battle in New York is now the first concerning Kennedy to reach the nation’s highest court. But Kennedy isn’t the first candidate to appeal to the justices. Last week, the Supreme Courtdenied the Green Party’s emergency request to restore its presidential candidate, Jill Stein, to Nevada’s ballot.

North Carolina removes 747,000 from voter rolls, citing ineligibility --North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has removed 747,000 people from its list of registered voters within the last 20 months, officials announced Thursday in a press release.The State Board of Elections in the release said the majority of those stripped from the rolls were deemed ineligible to be registered because they had moved within the state and did not register their new address, or because they did not participate in the past two federal elections, prompting an inactive status.Other reasons for removal included death, felony convictions, out-of-state moves and personal requests for removal, the board said.North Carolina is one of seven swing states likely to decide the presidential election between Vice President Harris and former President Trump. Only one Democrat this century, former President Obama in 2008, has won the state in a presidential contest, but Harris has been polling close to Trump.The state is also home to a tough gubernatorial contest between Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein.The purge comes just a few weeks after North Carolina Republicans filed a lawsuit that said the state had failed to act on complaints about ineligible people on voter rolls.In the GOP lawsuit, a Wake County resident in North Carolina claimed that voter registration forms in that county did not included driver’s license and Social Security numbers. “By failing to collect certain statutorily required information prior to registering these applicants to vote, Defendants placed the integrity of the state’s elections into jeopardy,” the GOP lawsuit read.Republicans also filed a lawsuit recently raising concerns after state approved digital IDs issued by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a valid form of voter ID. That claim wasrejected by a local judge.The state now has around 7.7 million registered voters. The Hill has reached out to the North Carolina State Board of Elections for comment.

Foreign adversaries exploit AI to enhance disinformation --The intelligence community warned Monday that foreign adversaries are using artificial intelligence (AI)to enhance ongoing disinformation efforts. An official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said Russia is the top creator of such content, spreading false information through text, images, audio and video, most of it aimed at pushing divisive issues or creating false narratives about U.S. political figures. “This content is also consistent with Russia’s broader efforts to boost the former president’s candidacy and denigrate the vice president and the Democratic Party, including through conspiratorial narratives,” the official said. The warning is a shift from July, when officials said they had seen U.S. adversaries push AI-created content abroad, but not yet in the U.S. Iran is also using AI-created content but has used the tools primarily to create fake news websites, including translating content into Spanish to spread disinformation to various U.S. populations. “One of the benefits of generative AI models is to overcome various language barriers, and so Iran can use the tools to help do that,” the ODNI official said. Iran, like Russia and China, has focused on issues like immigration, and has also pushed disinformation regarding the Israel-Hamas war. “The reason why Iran is focused on immigration is because they perceive it to be a divisive issue in the United States, and they identify themes with which they think [they] will create further discord in the United States,” the official said. The official noted that not all false content shared in recent weeks has been created using AI, noting that a fake video made with a woman claiming to have been hit by Vice President Harris in a hit-and-run was a “staged video.” The official nonetheless noted the intelligence community agreed with a Microsoft assessment that Russia was behind the video and added that it has likewise created content that alters Harris’s voice.

US sanctions cryptocurrency exchange network accused of aiding Russia -The U.S. government on Thursday charged two Russian nationals and sanctioned a virtual currency exchange in an effort to crack down on transnational cybercrime involving cryptocurrency.The departments of Justice, State and Treasury announced the coordinated effort against Russian nationals Timur Shakhmametov and Sergey Ivanov as well Cryptex, a virtual currency exchange accused of servicing Russia-based cyber criminals.The U.S. is sanctioning Ivanov and Cryptex, according to a release from the Treasury Department, while the Justice Department said Shakhmametov and Ivanov have both been charged with conspiracy to commit and aid and abet bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.Shakhmametov is accused of operating an online marketplace for stolen credit card data called Joker’s Stash, while Ivanov is accused of laundering proceeds from Joker’s Stash and other platforms since 2005, the Justice Department said, citing the U.S. Secret Service.The Department of State is offering a $10 million reward for information that leads to Shakhmametov and Ivanov’s arrest. “Today’s actions underscore the United States’s commitment, along with our allies and partners, to not allow cybercrime facilitators to operate with impunity,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.“We will continue to use all our tools and authorities to deter and expose these money laundering networks and impose costs on the cyber criminals and support networks,” he added. “We reiterate our call that Russia must take concrete steps to prevent cyber criminals from freely operating in its jurisdiction.”Cryptex is registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines but operates in Russia, according to the Biden administration. The U.S. government alleges Ivanov worked with several other Russian payment and exchange services providing money transfer and laundering services.The Treasury Department in its action Thursday also identified a Russian virtual currency exchanger tied to Ivanov as being of “primary money laundering concern.”Brad Smith, acting under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said the action shows the U.S. is focused on preventing cybercrime facilitators from “operating with impunity.”“Treasury, in close coordination with our allies and partners, will continue to use all tools and authorities to disrupt the networks that seek to leverage the virtual assets ecosystem to facilitate their illicit activities,” he said in a statement.

TikTok removes accounts linked to Russian media groups for ‘engaging in covert influence operations’ --TikTok has removed accounts on the platform linked to Russian media groups for engaging in what it calls “covert influence operations” ahead of the 2024 U.S. election.The video-streaming platform announced Monday it had removed accounts associated with parent companies Rossiya Segodnya and TV-Novosti for violating its community guidelines.TikTok did not list which specific accounts were removed, but NBC News reported Russian state media outlets RT, formerly known as Russia Today, and Sputnik were now permanently banned.TikTok said the accounts were already restricted in the European Union and United Kingdom but globally, their content was ineligible to appear in user’s “For You” pages because of their attempts to “influence foreign audiences on topics of global events and affairs.”The social media company said it would report more about the removed accounts in its September Covert Influence Operations report. In its August report, TikTok said it removed five networks for being part of “covert influence operations.”TikTok said it was taking measures this election cycle to keep its more than 170 million American users safe from “evolving threats.”“We do this by enforcing robust policies aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation, elevating reliable election information, and collaborating with internal and external experts who help us evaluate and improve our approach on an ongoing basis,” the company said.In an article Saturday, RT said TikTok had deleted its accounts, along with some of Sputnik’s, and acknowledged the “crackdown” came days after the U.S. implemented new sanctions against Russia.Earlier this month, the State Department accused RT of being involved in covert influence operations globally and sanctioned its parent company for working on behalf of the Russian government.

Team debunks research showing Facebook's news-feed algorithm curbs election misinformation --An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst have published work in the journal Science calling into question the conclusions of a widely reported study—published in Sciencein 2023—finding the social platform's algorithms successfully filtered out untrustworthy news surrounding the 2020 election and were not major drivers of misinformation.The UMass Amherst-led team's work shows that the research was conducted during a short period when Meta temporarily introduced a new, more rigorous news algorithm rather than its standard one, and that the previous researchers did not account for the algorithmic change. This helped to create the misperception, widely reported by the media, that Facebook and Instagram's news feeds are largely reliable sources of trustworthy news."The first thing that rang alarm bells for us" says lead author Chhandak Bagchi, a graduate student in the Manning College of Information and Computer Science at UMass Amherst, "was when we realized that the previous researchers," Guess and colleagues, "conducted a randomized control experiment during the same time that Facebook had made a systemic, short-term change to their news algorithm."Beginning around the start of November 2020, Meta introduced 63 "break glass" changes to Facebook's news feed which were expressly designed to diminish the visibility of untrustworthy news surrounding the 2020 U.S. presidential election. These changes were successful."We applaud Facebook for implementing the more stringent news feed algorithm," says Przemek Grabowicz, the paper's senior author, who recently joined University College Dublin but conducted this research at UMass Amherst's Manning College of Information and Computer Science.Chhandak, Grabowicz and their co-authors point out that the newer algorithm cut user views of misinformation by at least 24%. However, the changes were temporary, and the news algorithm reverted to its previous practice of promoting a higher fraction of untrustworthy news in March 2021.

Dwindling support for First Amendment, survey finds --Americans are placing less value on the First Amendment than they did four years ago, according to a new survey. A Freedom Forum report showed 58 percent of people say they would approve the First Amendment today, a 4-point drop from 2020. Despite the decrease in importance, respondents said the right to free speech will influence their vote this fall. More than half of Americans in the Northeast said the First Amendment is relevant to their decision this fall, compared to 49 percent in the Midwest. When evaluating the candidates, around one-third of people considered former President Trump to be a “protector” of First Amendment freedoms, compared to 42 percent who view Harris that way. However, responses differed based on age and class. Baby boomers were more likely to perceive Trump as a threat to the First Amendment than younger generations. Americans making between $60,000 to $100,000 believe Harris is a threat to the First Amendment, while those with an income of more than $100,000 were more likely to perceive Trump as a threat. As it relates to freedom of speech, responses showed people are likely to self-censor, especially when it comes to discussions about this year’s elections. More than half of individuals reported fearing a violent interaction with others, while 46 percent cited tension with family and friends as factors in their silence; comparatively, a quarter of respondents said they were afraid of being fired. The research presented came from a 12-minute questionnaire completed by 820 Americans from July 29 to Aug. 5, and the margin of error for the survey sample is 3.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

Capitalism Is Driven By Mental Illness - Caitlin Johnstone - I saw a fascinating tweet by BloomTech CEO Austen Allred the other day that stirred up a lot of thoughts here.“Of the Silicon Valley founders I know who went on some of the psychedelic self-discovery trips, almost 100% quit their jobs as CEO within a year,” Allred said, adding, “Could be random anecdotes, but be careful with that stuff.”Allred tweeted this in response to writer Ashlee Vance sharing that he’d been told by a venture capitalist, “We’ve lost several really good founders to ayahuasca. They came back and just didn’t care about much anymore.”There’s some very useful information in those words. They reveal a lot about the insane mess our species finds itself in in today’s world, and provide insight into how we might find our way out.I mean, think about it. How bizarre is it that our entire civilization is structured around values and priorities which are so fake and ridiculous that ingesting an ancient psychedelic potion causes even wealthy CEOs to quit their jobs and change their lives? All it takes is a slight shift in consciousness, a little tilt in perspective, and you immediately see that this whole rat race of domination and acquisition and productivity and wealth hoarding that all our political and economic systems have as their foundational premise is completely destructive to happiness and human thriving.It’s not surprising that this is happening, though. People achieve their goals and become immensely wealthy, and they start wondering why they’re still unhappy. They do a little seeking and wind up taking ayahuasca in Peru, and then they watch all the psychological mechanisms which drove them to claw their way up the corporate ladder crumble before their very eyes.Of course CEOs are now warning each other to “be careful with that stuff”; it poses a direct existential threat to their CEOness.Psychedelics are useful not for the hallucinations they provide but for the hallucinations they dispel. You actually have to be mentally ill to achieve what this profoundly sick society of ours defines as “success”. Your head has to be full of a bunch of fantasies and fictional narratives which have no basis in material reality. You’ve got to have a hole in yourself that cannot be filled with any amount of wealth or power or private jets or private islands. That’s the only thing that can propel you to step on top of all the people you need to step on in order to become obscenely rich. And those are the hallucinations that a good hallucinogen can knock right out of your skull.

OpenAI considering restructuring to for-profit, CTO Mira Murati and two top research execs depart - OpenAI's board is considering plans to restructure the firm to a for-profit business, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous because the talks are ongoing. The company will retain its non-profit segment as a separate entity, the source said.The structure would be more straightforward for investors and would make it easier for OpenAI employees to realize liquidity, the source added.News of the discussions comes after OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati said Wednesday that she is leaving the company after six and a half years.Later in the day, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said research chief Bob McGrew and Barret Zoph, a research vice president, are also departing, as the high-valued artificial intelligence startup continues to lose top talent.Murati wrote in a memo to the company that she's "stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration." She said her focus will be on ensuring a "smooth transition.""After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI," she wrote in the memo, which she alsopublished on social media site X. "There's never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right."Altman wrote in a late afternoon post on X that McGrew and Zoph were leaving, and that their decisions were independent of each other."The timing of Mira's decision was such that it made sense to now do this all at once, so that we can work together for a smooth handover to the next generation of leadership," Altman wrote.They're the latest high-level executive to depart OpenAI, which has exploded in popularity and value since releasing the ChatGPT chatbot in late 2022. OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and former safety leader Jan Leike announced their departures in May. Co-founder John Schulman said last month that he was leaving to join rival Anthropic. OpenAI is the indisputable leader in the AI supercycle, says Altimeter Capital's Apoorv AgrawalOpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft, is currently pursuing a funding round that would value the company at more than $150 billion, according to sources familiar with the situation who asked not to be named because details of the round have not been made public. Thrive Capital is leading the round and plans to invest $1 billion, and Tiger Global is planning to join as well. Microsoft, Nvidia and Apple are reportedly also in talks to invest.

More OpenAI executives depart amid reports of for-profit business -Two more OpenAI executives announced their departure from the artificial intelligence (AI) company Wednesday amid reports that the ChatGPT maker is considering restructuring into a for-profit business. OpenAI’s chief research officer, Bob McGrew, and a vice president of research, Barret Zoph, both announced they would be leaving the company, just hours after Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati shared that she was departing. McGrew, who is leaving OpenAI after eight years, said in a statement posted Wednesday night to the social platform X that it was “time for me to take a break.” “The last eight years of OpenAI has been a humbling and awe-inspiring journey,” he said. “The small non-profit I joined in January 2017 has become the most important research and deployment company in the world.” Zoph also explained his “difficult decision” to leave the AI company in a post on X, describing the current moment as “a natural point for me to explore new opportunities outside of OpenAI.”“This is a personal decision based on how I want to evolve the next phase of my career,” he wrote. “OpenAI is doing and will continue to do incredible work and I am very optimistic about the future trajectory of the company and will be rooting everybody on.” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a post of his own Wednesday night that the three company leaders had made their decisions to leave “independently of each other and amicably.” “[T]he timing of Mira’s decision was such that it made sense to now do this all at once, so that we can work together for a smooth handover to the next generation of leadership,” he said. “I am extremely grateful to all of them for their contributions.” The latest departures follow a string of resignations from OpenAI earlier this year. Co-founder Ilya Sutskever and machine learning researcher Jan Leike both left the company in May, while co-founder John Schulman resigned last month. The turnover at the top of the company also comes as OpenAI is reportedly considering restructuring to become a for-profit business. As part of the restructuring, the company would become a public benefit corporation, a for-profit entity aimed at bettering society, and would no longer be controlled by its nonprofit board, Reuters first reported Wednesday.

Harris, Trump fight for crypto voters as industry rises in Washington - Americans who own cryptocurrency are getting unprecedented attention from both major presidential candidates amid the tight battle for the White House. Both former President Trump and Vice President Harris took steps this month to appeal to cryptocurrency voters, a constituency those in the industry are arguing could make a difference in elections. The crypto industry has gained power and prominence in Washington as major digital currency firms pour millions of dollars into lobbying policymakers and mobilizing voters with crypto holdings. Stand With Crypto, a nonprofit launched with funding from the major crypto exchange Coinbase, launched a swing state tour this month to boost voter registration among so-called “crypto voters.” “The crypto voter is real, bipartisan, and ready to engage this cycle,” Logan Dobson, Stand with Crypto’s executive director, told The Hill following one of the nonprofit’s events in Washington, D.C., last week. Dobson described crypto voters as a diverse group of people who invest in crypto, build companies or work with digital currencies, or those simply interested in the field. This demographic is seeking more directives from the government, Dobson said. At the same time, some political researchers are pouring cold water on the theory, suggesting cryptocurrency will not be a decisive issue in the general election even as crypto ownership increases. “It’s not something that has historically, that in the past few elections has made a substantial difference,” said Justin Esarey, a politics and international affairs professor at Wake Forest University. “I can’t recall it being something that a large bloc of voters have ever expressed … that it’s going to influence their vote, I guess is what I would say.” Harris and Trump’s embrace of cryptocurrency supporters is a notable difference from both President Biden and the GOP nominee’s previous term. Biden has appointed a slew of crypto-critical regulators, and his administration has received constant pushback over the policies of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler. Harris, however, issued her strongest statement so far on digital currencies at a fundraiser on Wall Street this week, telling donors, “We will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets, while protecting investors and consumers.” Business investor Mark Cuban, a vocal supporter of Harris and critic of the Biden administration’s crypto policies, called her latest remarks about crypto a “positive.” “I think she said very clearly that she is for advancing new technology in this country, and you know, she wants us to continue to be a technological leader in AI and crypto technologies and more. And I think that is a very significant positive,” Cuban said Tuesday on a Harris campaign press call. Her remarks came less than a week after Trump, who also shifted his stances on cryptocurrency, and his sons launched a new cryptocurrency platform, World Liberty Financial.

Hidden Agendas: Beware Of The Government's Push For A Digital Currency -- Thomas Paine The government wants your money. It will beg, steal or borrow if necessary, but it wants your money any way it can get it. The government’s schemes to swindle, cheat, scam, and generally defraud taxpayers of their hard-earned dollars have run the gamut from wasteful pork barrel legislation, cronyism and graft to asset forfeiture, costly stimulus packages, and a national security complex that continues to undermine our freedoms while failing to making us any safer. Americans have also been made to pay through the nose for the government’s endless wars, subsidization of foreign nations, military empire, welfare state, roads to nowhere, bloated workforce, secret agencies, fusion centers, private prisons, biometric databases, invasive technologies, arsenal of weapons, and every other budgetary line item that is contributing to the fast-growing wealth of the corporate elite at the expense of those who are barely making ends meet—that is, we the taxpayers. This is what comes of those $1.2 trillion spending bills: someone’s got to foot the bill.Because the government’s voracious appetite for money, power and control has grown out of control, its agents have devised other means of funding its excesses and adding to its largesse through taxes disguised as fines, taxes disguised as fees, and taxes disguised as tolls, tickets and penalties.No matter how much money the government pulls in, it’s never enough (case in point: the endless stopgap funding deals and constant ratcheting up of the debt ceiling), so the government has to keep introducing new plans to empower its agents to seize Americans’ bank accounts. Whether it’s the central bank digital currency favored by President Biden, or the cryptocurrency being hawked by former President Trump, the end result will still be a form of digital money that makes it easier to track, control and punish the citizenry. For instance, weeks before the Biden Administration made headlines with its support for a government-issued digital currency, the FBI and the Justice Department quietly moved ahead with plans for a cryptocurrency enforcement team (translation: digital money cops), a virtual asset exploitation unit tasked with investigating crypto crimes and seizing virtual assets, and a crypto czar to oversee it all. No surprises here, of course. This is how the government operates: by giving us tools to make our lives “easier” while, in the process, making it easier for the government to crack down. Indeed, this shift to a digital currency is a global trend. More than 100 other countries are considering introducing their own digital currencies. China has already adopted a government-issued digital currency, which not only allows it to surveil and seize people’s financial transactions, but can also work in tandem with its social credit score system to punish individuals for moral lapses and social transgressions (and reward them for adhering to government-sanctioned behavior). As China expert Akram Keram wrote for The Washington Post, “With digital yuan, the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] will have direct control over and access to the financial lives of individuals, without the need to strong-arm intermediary financial entities. In a digital-yuan-consumed society, the government easily could suspend the digital wallets of dissidents and human rights activists.” Where China goes, the United States eventually follows. Inevitably, a digital currency will become part of our economy and a central part of the government’s surveillance efforts. Combine that with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) initiatives that are tantamount to social media credit scores for corporations, and you will find that we’re traveling the same road as China towards digital authoritarianism. As journalist Jon Brookin warns: “Digital currency issued by a central bank can be used as a tool for government surveillance of citizens and control over their financial transactions.” As such, digital currency provides the government and its corporate partners with a mode of commerce that can easily be monitored, tracked, tabulated, mined for data, hacked, hijacked and confiscated when convenient. This push for a digital currency dovetails with the government’s war on cash, which it has been subtly waging for some time now. Much like the war on drugs and the war on terror, this so-called “war on cash” has been sold to the public as a means of fighting terrorists, drug dealers, tax evaders and even COVID-19 germs. In recent years, just the mere possession of significant amounts of cash could implicate you in suspicious activity and label you a criminal. The rationale (by police) is that cash is the currency for illegal transactions given that it’s harder to track, can be used to pay illegal immigrants, and denies the government its share of the “take,” so doing away with paper money will help law enforcement fight crime and help the government realize more revenue.

Caroline Ellison, key witness in FTX trial, urges leniency ahead of sentencing in crypto fraud case - ABC News -- Caroline Ellison, a key witness in the FTX trial, said she deserves no prison time for her role in one of the largest financial frauds in history and federal prosecutors seem inclined to agree. Ellison's attorneys urged Judge Lewis Kaplan to be lenient when he sentences her Tuesday afternoon, arguing Ellison "unflinchingly acknowledged her own wrongdoing, without minimization, blame shifting or self-pity." They added, "She time and again proved herself an enormously credible and important cooperating witness" against her on again-off again boyfriend, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Ellison was the co-chief executive of Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried's companion hedge fund. She testified for three days at his trial that ended with a conviction on all seven counts: wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on FTX's customers; wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Alameda Research's lenders; conspiracy to commit securities fraud on FTX's investors; conspiracy to commit commodities fraud on FTX's customers; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.Federal prosecutors agreed Ellison provided "extraordinary cooperation that was crucial to the Government's successful prosecution" of Bankman-Fried."Although she did not blow the whistle on any misconduct before FTX's collapse, she came clean prior to FTX's declaring bankruptcy to her employees on November 9, 2022," prosecutor Danielle Sassoon wrote in a letter to the judge. "Ellison approached her cooperation with remarkable candor, remorse, and seriousness."Prosecutors declined to make a specific sentencing recommendation. Defense attorneys suggested a sentence in line with a recommendation from probation officials of time served plus three years of supervised release."Caroline poses no risk of recidivism and presents no threat to public safety. It would therefore promote respect for the law to grant leniency in recognition of Caroline's early disclosure of the crimes, her unmitigated acceptance of responsibility for them, and—most importantly—her extensive cooperation with the government," defense attorney Anjan Sahni wrote in a letter to the judge.

FTX fraudster Caroline Ellison sentenced to 2 years in prison, ordered to forfeit $11 billion --Caroline Ellison, the star witness in the prosecution of her former boyfriend, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced Tuesday in New York federal court to two years in prison and ordered to forfeit $11 billion for her role in the massive fraud and conspiracy that doomed the cryptocurrency exchange once valued at $32 billion.The prison term was significantly stiffer than the recommendation by the federal Probation Department thatJudge Lewis Kaplan sentence Ellison, who had run the hedge fund Alameda Research, to three years of supervised release, with no time at all behind bars. Defense lawyers also had requested a no-prison sentence for Ellison.Alameda received much of the $8 billion in customer funds looted by Bankman-Fried from FTX. The stolen money was used for Alameda's trading operation and other purposes. While Kaplan praised Ellison for her extensive cooperation with prosecutors — which led to the conviction of Bankman-Fried — the judge said her criminal sentence needed to deter other potential bad actors from committing fraud. The judge said the FTX case is probably the greatest financial fraud perpetrated in the history of the U.S., and because of that a "literal get-out-of-jail-free card I can't agree to," Kaplan said in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where Ellison's parents and two sisters looked on from the courtroom's gallery."I've seen a lot of cooperators over the years and I've never seen one quite like Miss Ellison," said Kaplan, who also said he believed that Ellison was genuinely remorseful for her crimes and that her cooperation carried a steep price for her emotionally.Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon urged Kaplan for leniency, citing Ellison's consistent truthfulness while refusing to minimize her role in the fraud. Sassoon also said she could not overstate Ellison's assistance in convicting Bankman-Fried.Ellison's attorney, Anjan Sahni, urged Kaplan to give Ellison a second chance saying she has "recovered her moral compass" and "profoundly regrets" not leaving FTX and Bankman-Fried's orbit.Ellison read from a statement in a shaky voice while crying at times as she apologized to the people she had hurt and said she was deeply ashamed. She also said she was sorry for not being brave enough to walk away from FTX and Bankman-Fried. Kaplan allowed Ellison to remain free on bail until she surrenders to prison either on or after Nov. 7.Ellison reached a plea deal with prosecutors in December 2022, a month after FTX spiraled into bankruptcy. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy and financial fraud charges. Bankman-Fried, in contrast, chose to stand trial and was convicted of all seven criminal fraud charges against him. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March and also was ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture by Kaplan.Bankman-Fried since then has appealed his conviction, and requested a new trial and a different judge, arguing that Kaplan was biased against him. Two other former FTX executives, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh, are scheduled to be sentenced later this year. Like Ellison, they pleaded guilty instead of standing trial.On Tuesday, before sentencing Ellison, Kaplan noted that while the FTX founder had denied criminal conduct, she cooperated with authorities.Kaplan credited Ellison for providing prosecutors with seven fake spreadsheets, which he called "one of the huge pieces of evidence in the case" against Bankman-Fried.Late Monday, Ellison's attorneys in a court filing said they had finalized financial settlements with prosecutors and the FTX debtor's estate. The filing did not say how much she would pay in those settlements, which are separate from the forfeiture order, but it was already known that Ellison's $10 million in shares in the AI startup Anthropic, which have grown substantially since she first bought them, provide the bulk value of her settlements. Both Bankman-Fried and Ellison had faced the same statutory maximum sentence of about 110 years in prison for their crimes.Defendants in criminal cases who cooperate with prosecutors instead of fighting the charges, particularly in white-collar cases such as FTX, often receive leniency when they are sentenced.

Federal Court Fined New York Man $36 Million for Crypto Fraud -In a recent case, a U.S. federal court has ordered William Koo Ichioka, a New York resident, to pay over $36 million in restitution and penalties after being found guilty of orchestrating a fraudulent cryptocurrency and foreign exchange investment scheme. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which has tightened its grip on the cryptocurrency market, led the case. Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordered Ichioka to pay $31 million in restitution to victims and an additional $5 million in civil penalties. The court found Ichioka guilty of running a deceptive scheme between 2018 and 2021. In this scheme, he lured investors with promises of guaranteed returns—specifically, 10% every 30 business days. The fraudulent promises attracted substantial investment, which Ichioka partially used for foreign currency and digital asset trading. However, much of the funds were funneled into his lifestyle, with expenditures on luxury items such as watches, jewelry, high-end vehicles, and rent for his residence. The court’s decision follows an earlier consent order from August 2023, which permanently banned Ichioka from trading in markets regulated by the CFTC and prohibited him from registering with the commission in the future. In addition to the restitution order, Ichioka will also serve 48 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Ichioka’s fraudulent scheme began in 2018 when he promised investors exceptionally high and unrealistic investment returns, a classic red flag for Ponzi schemes. According to court documents, while some funds were indeed invested in forex and cryptocurrencies as promised, Ichioka commingled the funds with his personal accounts. He diverted significant amounts to cover personal expenses. The court noted that Ichioka went to great lengths to conceal his fraudulent activities by creating false financial documents and issuing fake account statements to investors, making it appear that their investments were performing well. This classic Ponzi scheme structure, where old investors are paid returns using new investors’ capital, allowed Ichioka to continue deceiving participants for several years. The fraudulent returns and false documentation kept investors in the dark until the scheme began to unravel under regulatory scrutiny. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) also charged Ichioka with several criminal offenses, including wire fraud, securities fraud, commodities fraud, and filing false tax returns. On the same day, Ichioka pled guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, alongside the financial penalties and restitution ordered by the CFTC.

Crypto Whale Loses $32M to Inferno Drainer Scam -- According to blockchain security firm ScamSniffer in a post on X, a crypto whale reportedly lost more than $32 million in tokens after falling victim to a malicious transaction that allegedly led to Inferno Drainer.The loss involved wrapped Ether (spWETH) tokens from the decentralized finance DeFi platform Spark, with 12,083 tokens being drained from the whale’s wallet at a value of about $32.4 million at the time.Blockchain intelligence firm Arkham said the malicious transaction led to the Inferno Drainer, a scam-as-a-service operation.As a scam-as-a-service operator, Inferno Drainer specifically targets users by setting up spoofed versions of famous DeFi applications, fooling the victims into signing control of their wallets over to them. However, these scam operators can’t last forever. In May this year, for example, the creators of Pink Drainer, part of a phishing-as-a-service network alongside platforms, similar to Inferno Drainer, announced the shutdown of their operations after stealing $75 million in crypto from nearly 20,000 victims.According to the Dune Analytics dashboard courtesy of ScamSniffer, the Inferno Drainer has managed to pilfer over $215 million from more than 200,000 victims in its run.The operators of the Inferno Drainer scam purportedly take 20% of the stolen tokens. While the service was once shut down by its developers themselves in November 2023, this May it resurfaced and promised new and better services with “new staff, new ways to work, new support and new features.” The scam-as-a-service platform now claims support for 28 blockchains and hundreds of DeFi applications.Although the name of the person who lost over $32 million is unconfirmed, blockchain sleuth ZachXBT had tied the affected wallet to a whale named CZSamSun, which is different from X user @samczsun, a Paradigm venture capital firm researcher. Paradigm is famous for fighting with cybercriminals. In April this year, the head of security at Paradigm and a white hat hacker, has unveiled SEAL-ISAC. This new platform is designed to enable the redistribution of important cybersecurity data

Crypto Scam App Disguised as WalletConnect Steals $70K in Five-Month Campaign -Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a malicious Android app on the Google Play Store that enabled the threat actors behind it to steal approximately $70,000 in cryptocurrency from victims over a period of nearly five months.The dodgy app, identified by Check Point, masqueraded as the legitimateWalletConnect open-source protocol to trick unsuspecting users into downloading it."Fake reviews and consistent branding helped the app achieve over 10,000 downloads by ranking high in search results," the cybersecurity companysaid in an analysis, adding it's the first time a cryptocurrency drainer has exclusively targeted mobile device users.Over 150 users are estimated to have fallen victim to the scam, although it's believed that not all users who downloaded the app were impacted by the cryptocurrency drainer. The campaign involved distributing a deceptive app that went by several names such as "Mestox Calculator," "WalletConnect - DeFi & NFTs," and "WalletConnect - Airdrop Wallet" (co.median.android.rxqnqb).While the app is no longer available for download from the official app marketplace, data from SensorTower shows that it was popular in Nigeria, Portugal, and Ukraine, and linked to a developer named UNS LIS.The developer has also been associated with another Android app called "Uniswap DeFI" (com.lis.uniswapconverter) that remained active on the Play Store for about a month between May and June 2023. It's currently not known if the app had any malicious functionality.However, both apps can be downloaded from third-party app store sources, once again highlighting the risks posed by downloading APK files from other marketplaces.Once installed, the fake WallConnect app is designed to redirect users to a bogus website based on their IP address and User-Agent string, and if so, redirect them a second time to another site that mimics Web3Inbox.Users who don't meet the required criteria, including those who visit the URL from a desktop web browser, are taken to a legitimate website to evade detection, effectively allowing the threat actors to bypass the app review process in the Play Store.Besides taking steps to prevent analysis and debugging, the core component of the malware is a cryptocurrency drainer known as MS Drainer, which prompts users to connect their wallet and sign several transactions to verify their wallet.The information entered by the victim in each step is transmitted to a command-and-control server (cakeserver[.]online) that, in turn, sends back a response containing instructions to trigger malicious transactions on the device and transfer the funds to a wallet address belonging to the attackers."Similar to the theft of native cryptocurrency, the malicious app first tricks the user into signing a transaction in their wallet," Check Point researchers said."Through this transaction, the victim grants permission for the attacker's address 0xf721d710e7C27323CC0AeE847bA01147b0fb8dBF (the 'Address' field in the configuration) to transfer the maximum amount of the specified asset (if allowed by its smart contract)."In the next step, the tokens from the victim's wallet are transferred to a different wallet (0xfac247a19Cc49dbA87130336d3fd8dc8b6b944e1) controlled by the attackers.This also means that if the victim does not revoke the permission to withdraw tokens from their wallet, the attackers can keep withdrawing the digital assets as soon as they appear without requiring any further action.

FBI seizes $6M from crypto scammers targeting US citizens -Authorities have seized over $6 million worth of cryptocurrency from wallets connected to Southeast Asia-based scammers targeting United States citizens with confidence investment schemes.On Sept. 26, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia reported the fraud saw “one or more individuals” lose millions of dollars after being misled into believing they were investing in legitimate crypto enterprises.The FBI traced the stolen funds on the blockchain and located multiple crypto wallet addresses connected to the scam, which still held over $6 million of victims’ digital assets.Tether said it assisted authorities by freezing the scammer’s wallets, aiding in the “swift recovery” of the stolen crypto.US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, said that “typically,” the fraudsters and their accounts are located abroad, making recovery difficult. “In these scams, fraudsters trick US citizens into believing they are transferring funds to cryptocurrency investment opportunities when, in fact, they are just unwittingly turning their money over to the fraudsters,” he said. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, victims of these scams are approached through various means, such as misdirected text messages, dating applications and investment groups. After gaining users’ trust, scammers recommend a crypto investment but direct them to investment platforms hosted on fraudulent websites that mimic legitimate ones.Some of the fraudulent platforms can appear to offer lucrative returns and allow temporary withdrawals, but behind the scenes, all deposits are routed to a wallet address controlled by scammers. FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough said crypto investment scams, such as the one it just uncovered, are “devastating” and impact thousands of Americans daily. “The FBI has seen victims lose millions of dollars, take second and third mortgages on their homes, all in the hopes of finding the next big investment opportunity,” he said. According to the FBI’s annual cryptocurrency fraud report for 2023, almost 71% of crypto fraud reported to its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) was related to investment scams. Investment fraud was the most reported crypto scam and saw the most reported losses, with over $3.9 billion stolen by scammers.

An official OpenAI X account was taken over to peddle a crypto scam - An oǈcial OpenAI account on X was taken over to peddle a cryptocurrency scam on Monday evening. On Monday at 6:24PM ET,the @OpenAINewsroom account, which shares news from OpenAI and has nearly 54,000 followers, made a now-deleted post advertising an“$OPENAI” token. “We’re very happy to announce $OPEANAI: the token bridging the gap between Al and blockchain technology,” the post said. “All OpenAI users are eligible to claim a piece of $OPENAI’s initial supply. Holding $OPENAI will grant access to all of our future beta programs.”The post also included a link to a spoofed version of OpenAI’s website at a URL that wasn’t openai.com. Two posts from the hijacked OpenAI Newsroom account. Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge When I visited the site,there was a section for claiming the $OPENAI cryptocurrency.When I clicked the buǑon, it asked me to connect a wallet, which I didn’t do. If you find yourself on this website, do not connect your crypto wallet. Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge OpenAI and X didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.As of this writing,the OpenAI Newsroom account hasn’t posted anything to explain what might have happened. The account launched atthe beginning of this month.

FTC tackles AI misuse in latest law enforcement sweep - The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on companies that use artificial intelligence to harm consumers with a law enforcement sweep it dubbed Operation AI Comply. Three of the companies that were part of the FTC's sweep, Operation AI Comply, charged consumers to open online storefronts that generated little money compared to what was promised.

Elizabeth Warren investigation blasts financial adviser perks as fiduciary reforms stall --Financial advisers long have been required to avoid conflicts of interest and act as “fiduciaries,” meaning they must act first and foremost in the best interest of their clients.But a new investigation by the office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) found “a deeply troubling pattern of secretive incentives and rewards” for advisers, including expensive getaways in the Caribbean, luxury cruises on the Danube River and large cash bonuses among dozens of companies that provide such advice.In the report, first shared with The Hill, Warren argues such incentives muddy fiduciary duty, raising questions about whether advisers are acting in a client’s best interest or their own.“Americans who work hard and save for retirement should be able to go to a financial advisor and rely on them to give the best advice — but right now, that is not always the case,” the report alleges.Many of the companies told Warren’s office they had disclosed the conflicts of interest in disclosures distributed to clients, thus mitigating the impact of any conflicts of interest, according to the report.But these product prospectuses can be hundreds of pages long, and the disclosures can be difficult to find or decipher.The nonpartisan investigators at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that although the disclosures are generally available, they are “not always clear or understood,”according to a report released in July. Warren’s investigation referenced this report, which reviewed more than 2,000 conflict of interest descriptions and was based on 75 undercover calls to investment advisers.While the GAO encouraged investors to ask their provider about conflict of interest, the agency noted that “doing so may not always produce helpful information” based on the undercover calls.A Biden administration rule to crack down on advisers who prioritize commissions or perks when recommending investments or products was supposed to go into effect this week, but it was halted this summer by a U.S. judge who sided with an advocacy group representing insurance and annuities distributors who challenged the rule in court.The Federation of Americans for Consumer Choice and several individual insurance agentssued the Labor Department days after it finalized the new rule in April, calling it “just the latest salvos by the DOL in its almost 15-year quest to re-define what it means to be an ERISA fiduciary in contravention of the will of Congress.”The plaintiffs argued the new rule violates the 1974 law that established minimum standards for private retirement and health plans, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).The Labor Department argued these changes are necessary to regulate an investment market that has changed significantly since the law was first put into place, with the modern 401(k) created by Congress four years later, in 1978.The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, the nonprofit that upholds financial planning standards, has stated that it supports the rule, “emphasizing that it aligns with investor expectations.”But Judge Jeremy Kernodle for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas sided with the plaintiffs in July, staying the rule.Kernodle concluded the rule is “an arbitrary and capricious exercise of DOL’s regulatory power” that conflicts with the text of ERISA and would cause the plaintiffs “irreparable harm in the absence of relief.”

BankThink: Fintechs need to get proactive about setting industry standards - Over the past decade, multiple fintechs achieved unicorn status by partnering with banks. If companies want to keep partnering with banks to build innovative financial services, they need to stop thinking about regulation as their partner banks' problems and start being part of the solution, writes Sima Gandhi, of the Coalition for Financial Ecosystem Standards.

Why banks are siding with the Fed in Custodia master account suit -- The banking lobby has thrown its support behind the Federal Reserve in a lawsuit that could have profound implications for the future of state banking charters and the nation's payments systems. Top banking trades have thrown their support behind the central bank's argument that it has discretion over access to its payments systems. Custodia is seeking to appeal a lower court ruling that affirmed that discretion.

Fed's Barr previews mandatory collateral prepositioning, liquidity reforms -- Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michael Barr announced upcoming regulations requiring large banks to preposition collateral at the Fed's discount window and maintain minimum reserves based on uninsured deposit levels. Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr said Thursday that the central bank is readying a rule to compel large banks to keep a minimum level of reserves and prepositioned collateral at the Fed's discount window to improve corporate resiliency.

Basel III reform momentum has stalled, warns financial non-profit - The momentum behind the Basel III reforms has stalled as major jurisdictions seem to be moving away from the “modest” achievements under the Basel III agreement, non-profit Finance Watch has warned in a new report. The report follows US, UK and European regulators announcing in the past few months the relaxation or delay in the implementation of the capital measures developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in response to the global financial crisis of 2008.In September, the Bank of England eased plans to impose stricter capital requirements on UK banks, pushing back the start date of the new regime by six months to the beginning of 2026. In the same week, the Federal Reserve announced it will put forward a relaxationof proposed capital measures. In July, following news the US was close to revising their rules, the EU decided to postpone part of the Basel package by one year to January 2026. The 2023 banking mini-crisis, which involved the failure of Credit Suisse among other lenders, demonstrates the global financial system is not strong enough, the report claims. The Basel III framework has a number of shortcomings, said Finance Watch, suggesting a number of recommendations to support global financial stability.With regard to the scope of its application, the Basel framework applies only to “internationally active” banks but leaves jurisdictions to define them, it said. As a result, countries have come to very different interpretations making medium-sized banks inhabit a regulatory grey area. The failure of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023 showed how the distress of relatively small banks, which are not subject to the full Basel III framework, can trigger systemic concerns, argued the non-profit. “The Basel Committee should work on a common approach for determining the scope of application of the Basel framework at the member-state level. It should go beyond the original target group, ‘internationally active banks’, which is no longer adequate, and should instead build on the D-SIB [domestic systemically important banks] framework”, said Finance Watch in the report. Another relevant issue with the framework has been allowing banks to use their own statistical models to determine how much capital they need — so-called “internal models”. “By systematically understating the riskiness of their assets, banks are able to lower their capital requirements and gain a competitive advantage over competitors who use different, more conservative approaches,” the report reads. Finance Watch has called for an updated framework that abandons the use of internal models to limit regulatory arbitrage, while making regulatory capital ratios more transparent and comparable. The non-profit suggests climate-related risks should be reflected in bank capital rules, so that banks can start building the necessary loss-absorption capacity to cover future losses.Not treating banks’ fossil fuel exposures as higher-risk assets under the Basel framework encourages the continued build-up of prudential risk and is effectively a subsidy from banks to the fossil fuel industry, the organisation said. Finally, the organisation noted how supervisors in most jurisdictions rely on regulatory reporting that is submitted infrequently (monthly or quarterly) and therefore tends to be out of date by the time it is received.

Exclusive: Warren calls for higher capital ratio at NYCB — Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is pressing the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to more carefully scrutinize New York Community Bancorp. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, continued to criticize New York Community Bank's oversight and told the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve that they should more carefully oversee New York Community Bancorp, and consider official measures like raising capital ratios for the bank.

OIG calls for stronger FDIC conflict of interest training - A report recommends clearer guidelines and enhanced training to prevent conflicts of interest in FDIC acquisitions, which the agency concurred with and agreed to implement. A report from the Office of Inspector General at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. concluded that the bank regulatory agency could enhance its policy to better prevent conflicts of interest between its staff and companies it contracts with.

Proposed gambling regulations could cost banks a seat at the table - Legal sports gambling has spread rapidly across the United States since 2018, and state legislatures have been establishing the rules of the road. A Democratic-backed bill that represents the most sweeping response yet to the problem of gambling addiction would ban the use of credit cards in sports gambling.

FDIC recordkeeping plan poses problems for banks, fintechs -- — The post-Synapse-bankruptcy rules holding banks accountable for the money fintechs place with them could keep consumers' funds safe but might also lead to blinding headaches for banks, experts warned. The new rules on custodial account records could address the issues that the Synapse bankruptcy caused in the fintech world but also could complicate relationships between banks and fintech partners, experts say.

Gensler blames Fed for bankers' executive compensation rule delay --Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler said the Federal Reserve is responsible for delays in issuing a rule that would make it easier for bank regulators to claw back the compensation of failed bank executives. Lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee touched on a number of issues overlapping with banking and the Securities and Exchange Commission, including SAB 121 and stablecoin legislation.

BankThink: Chopra's holdup of the Basel capital reproposal makes sense - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra's decision to withhold support of a reworked Basel III endgame capital proposal is logical as a way to gain leverage in this and future rule negotiations but may ultimately not amount to much.

Fed governor: Regulators just 'don't understand' implications of new rules - A Federal Reserve official took her fellow regulatory policymakers to task Tuesday for not appreciating the burdens new rules are having on the banking industry. Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman said a lack of banking experience among regulatory officials has led to unintended consequences. She flagged mergers, fintech partnerships and liquidity proposals as prime examples.

Capital One-Discover emerging as key proof point of Fed merger policy -- The Federal Reserve appeared to stand alone by opting not to take up merger review reform this year, but just how much daylight exists between the central bank and its regulatory counterparts could soon be made clear. While other Washington regulators revise their approaches to merger reviews, the Federal Reserve has made no official change to its framework. The $35 billion merger could demonstrate just how differently the central bank is approaching the issue — if at all.

SEC charges Merrill Lynch, Harvest Volatility Management for ignoring client investment limits -The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Harvest Volatility Management and Merrill Lynch on Wednesday for exceeding clients' predesignated investment limits over a two-year period. Merrill, owned by Bank of America , and Harvest have agreed in separate settlements to pay a combined $9.3 million in penalties to resolve the claims. Harvest was the primary investment advisor and portfolio manager for the Collateral Yield Enhancement Strategy, which traded options in a volatility index aimed at incremental returns. Beginning in 2016, Harvest allowed a plethora of accounts to exceed the exposure levels that investors had already designated when they signed up for the enhancement strategy, with dozens passing the limit by 50% or more, according to the SEC's orders. The SEC said Merrill connected its clients to Harvest while it knew that investors' accounts were exceeding the set exposure levels under Harvest's management. Merrill also received a cut of Harvest's trading commissions and management and incentive fees, according to the agency. Both Merrill and Harvest received larger management fees while investors were exposed to greater financial risks, the SEC said. Both companies were found to neglect policies and procedures that could have been adopted to alert investors of exposure exceeding the designated limits. "In this case, two investment advisers allegedly sold a complex options trading strategy to their clients, but failed to abide by basic client instructions or implement and adhere to appropriate policies and procedures," said Mark Cave, associate director of the SEC's enforcement division. "Today's action holds Merrill and Harvest accountable for dropping the ball in executing these basic duties to their clients, even as their clients' financial exposure grew well beyond predetermined limits." A representative from Bank of America said the company "ended all new enrollments with Harvest in 2019 and recommended that existing clients unwind their positions."

Buffett Dumps More BofA Shares As Stake Nears Key 10% Non-Reporting Level - 94-year-old Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has been steadily offloading Bank of America shares over the past several months. The latest data from Bloomberg reveals that Berkshire sold millions more in recent days, bringing its stake closer to the 10% regulatory threshold, after which it will no longer have to report sales. Before Berkshire started selling BofA shares in mid-July, Buffett's firm held just over a billion shares. In just a few months, that stake has been reduced to around 814 million. Berkshire's selling of BofA was abrupt and without warning in mid-July. We offered some theories about possible motives behind Buffett's BofA dumping, including an overvalued market, recession risk, consumer downturn, and the possibility that a US regulatory probe into anti-money laundering surrounding fentanyl cash laundering could expand to major US banks. Buffett's cash pile has also soared to record highs. Buffett's move to dump BofA shares comes as Berkshire's stake slides to 10.49%. Dropping below the critical 10% threshold would free Berkshire from reporting future sales transactions, and we suspect this is the likely move.

Wells Fargo sends Fed a crucial review for lifting asset cap -- Wells Fargo & Co. has entered a key new phase of its almost seven-year effort to escape a Federal Reserve cap on its assets, a punishment that has become the most feared in banking. The San Francisco-based bank has submitted a third-party review of its risk and control overhauls for the central bank's analysis and sign-off, according to people familiar with the matter.

Wells Fargo sued — again — over sweeps rates - Wells Fargo is being hauled into court again over allegations it wasn't paying clients enough on their uninvested cash held in advisory and brokerage accounts. The latest lawsuit accuses the firm of not only failing to look out for clients' best interests but also failing to secure "reasonable returns" on money held in retirement accounts.

Justice Department sues Visa for debit market monopoly - The Justice Department sued Visa on Tuesday, accusing the credit card company of illegally maintaining a monopoly over the debit market. The DOJ argues that Visa has limited competition by entering into exclusive agreements with merchants and banks that force most or all of their transactions to run on Visa’s network. It also allegedly paid-off or threatened potential rivals with additional fees in order to avoid competition, particularly from tech and fintech companies, according to an agency press release. “We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Merchants and banks pass along those costs to consumers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service,” he continued. “As a result, Visa’s unlawful conduct affects not just the price of one thing – but the price of nearly everything.” Visa controls more than 60 percent of the $4 trillion debit card transactions that take place in the U.S. each year and charges more than $7 billion in fees on these transactions, according to the DOJ. The DOJ’s lawsuit alleges that Visa began taking steps to build out an “enormous moat” in the wake of the 2008 recession, as new legislation and tech companies threatened its monopoly. Visa entered into routing agreements with merchants and banks that offered discounts on Visa transactions but also levied significant penalties unless most or all their debit volume ran through Visa, according to the lawsuit. The company also secured commitments from tech firms and startups, such as Apple, PayPal and Stripe, that they would not develop competing products. “The harmful effects of Visa’s alleged anti-competitive conduct are less visible, but they are no less harmful,” Garland said at a press conference Tuesday, comparing the DOJ’s other antitrust actions this year. “While Visa is the first name many debit card users see when they take out their card to make a purchase, they do not see the role that Visa plays behind the scenes,” the attorney general added. National Economic Council Deputy Director Jon Donenberg said in a statement that the Biden administration “has been clear that the American economy thrives when there is real competition.” He pointed to the administration’s previous work taking on so-called “junk fees,” including credit card late fees and banking overdraft fees. Julie Rottenberg, Visa’s general counsel, said in a statement that the DOJ’s lawsuit is “meritless” and vowed to “defend ourselves vigorously.”

DOJ accuses Visa of monopoly that affects price of 'nearly everything’ - The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday sued Visa , the world's biggest payments network, saying it propped up an illegal monopoly over debit payments by imposing "exclusionary" agreements on partners and smothering upstart firms. Visa's moves over the years have resulted in American consumers and merchants paying billions of dollars in additional fees, according to the DOJ, which filed a civil antitrust suit in New York for "monopolization" and other unlawful conduct. "We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a DOJ release. "Merchants and banks pass along those costs to consumers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service," Garland said. "As a result, Visa's unlawful conduct affects not just the price of one thing — but the price of nearly everything." Visa and its smaller rival Mastercard have surged over the past two decades, reaching a combined market cap of roughly $1 trillion, as consumers tapped credit and debit cards for store purchases and e-commerce instead of paper money. They are essentially toll collectors, shuffling payments between banks operating for the merchants and for cardholders. Visa called the DOJ suit "meritless." "Anyone who has bought something online, or checked out at a store, knows there is an ever-expanding universe of companies offering new ways to pay for goods and services," said Visa general counsel Julie Rottenberg. "Today's lawsuit ignores the reality that Visa is just one of many competitors in a debit space that is growing, with entrants who are thriving," Rottenberg said. "We are proud of the payments network we have built, the innovation we advance, and the economic opportunity we enable." More than 60% of debit transactions in the U.S. run over Visa rails, helping it charge more than $7 billion annually in processing fees, according to the DOJ complaint. The payment networks' decades-old dominance has increasingly attracted attention from regulators and retailers. In 2020, the DOJ filed an antitrust suit to block Visa from acquiring fintech company Plaid. The companies initially said they would fight the action, but soon abandoned the $5.3 billion takeover.In March, Visa and Mastercard agreed to limit their fees and let merchants charge customers for using credit cards, a deal retailers said was worth $30 billion in savings over a half decade. A federal judge later rejected the settlement, saying the networks could afford to pay for a "substantially greater" deal. In its complaint, the DOJ said Visa threatens merchants and their banks with punitive rates if they route a "meaningful share" of debit transactions to competitors, helping maintain Visa's network moat. The contracts help insulate three-quarters of Visa's debit volume from fair competition, the DOJ said. "Visa wields its dominance, enormous scale, and centrality to the debit ecosystem to impose a web of exclusionary agreements on merchants and banks," the DOJ said in its release. "These agreements penalize Visa's customers who route transactions to a different debit network or alternative payment system." Furthermore, when faced with threats, Visa "engaged in a deliberate and reinforcing course of conduct to cut off competition and prevent rivals from gaining the scale, share, and data necessary to compete," the DOJ said. The moves also tamped down innovation, according to the DOJ. Visa pays competitors hundreds of millions of dollars annually "to blunt the risk they develop innovative new technologies that could advance the industry but would otherwise threaten Visa's monopoly profits," according to the complaint. Visa has agreements with tech players including Apple , PayPal and Square , turning them from potential rivals to partners in a way that hurts the public, the DOJ said.

Lucky Timing: Nancy Pelosi's Husband Dumps $500k In Visa Stock Months Before Federal Antitrust Charges -- Today in 'total coincidences' news, the world's most gifted stock-picking family, the Pelosis, appear to have done it again,selling hundreds of thousands of dollars in Visa stock with what can only be described as timing that is beyond prescient.Paul Pelosi sold more than $500,000 in Visa stock less than 3 months before the company was hit with federal antitrust charges, according to a new report from the New York Post.The Post reported that on Tuesday, Visa faced a lawsuit accusing the company of illegally monopolizing the debit card market. The suit follows an extensive investigation by the Justice Department’s antitrust division, spanning several years.According to the court filings, Visa is alleged to have leveraged its dominant market position to disadvantage customers and merchants who opted to use rival payment processors. Antitrust regulators claim Visa pressures fintech firms into working with them by threatening penalties for non-compliance. Visa has yet to comment. As of the time of this writing, Visa stock was down about 6.5% over the last 5 day period. Christopher Josephs, who runs the "Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker" on X, posted a screenshot of a July 3 congressional filing showing that Paul Pelosi, husband of the former House Speaker, sold 2,000 Visa shares valued between $500,000 and $1 million.The filing marked the sale as "SP" for spouse. At the time of the sale, there were no public signs of an impending antitrust lawsuit against Visa.Hilariously, Nancy Pelosi's spokesperson told the Post: “Speaker Pelosi does not own any stocks, and she has no prior knowledge or subsequent involvement in any transactions.”

New California laws cover debt collection, credit unions' overdraft fees -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills that will bolster consumer protection rules in areas such as debt collection for small-business owners and overdraft-related fees charged by credit unions. Newsom signed measures designed to bolster consumer protection rules. The bills target several issues that have also been percolating at the federal level.

Home Loan Banks must look at members' finances, not just collateral: FHFA -- The Federal Home Loan Banks must assess the financial condition and creditworthiness of its members before advancing funds, the system's regulator said Friday. The Federal Housing Finance Agency issued guidance to ensure the Federal Home Loan Banks are lending based on the credit worthiness of the member bank, not solely on the quality of the collateral.

ICE: Mortgage Delinquency Rate Decreased in August --From ICE: ICE First Look at Mortgage Performance: Mortgage delinquencies remain low despite modest year-over-year rise

• The national delinquency rate fell 3 basis points (bps) to 3.34% in August, dropping 0.9% for the month but up 5.1% from last year
• The number of borrowers a single payment past due dropped by -26K, while 60-day delinquencies rose marginally by 1K
• Serious delinquencies (loans 90+ days past due but not in active foreclosure) rose 14K (+3.3%) to a six-month high, but remain historically low
• Foreclosure starts fell by 9% from the month prior and remain 32% below their 2019 levels
• Active foreclosure inventory also improved in the month, with the share of mortgages in foreclosure hitting the second-lowest level on record outside of the COVID-19 moratorium
• 5.6K foreclosure sales were completed nationally in August – a +2.6% month-over-month increase, yet down -18.1% from last year and 58% below 2019 levels Prepayment activity (SMM) rose to 0.62% – a level not seen in two years (August 2022) – on easing rates, rising by 4.7% from July and 18.0% from last year
Here is a table from ICE.

MBA Survey: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Increases to 0.31% in August --From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Increases to 0.31% in August The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance increased to 0.31% as of August 31, 2024. According to MBA’s estimate, 155,000 homeowners are in forbearance plans. Mortgage servicers have provided forbearance to approximately 8.2 million borrowers since March 2020.The share of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance increased 1 basis point to 0.13% in August 2024. Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance increased by 10 basis points to 0.66%, and the forbearance share for portfolio loans and private-label securities (PLS)increased 2 basis points to 0.35%.“For the third consecutive month, the percentage of loans in forbearance increased across all loan types,” . “By investor type, Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance have increased the most – up 27 basis points since May 2024.”, “Forbearance levels are much lower than they were during the first two years of the pandemic. However, a weakening in the performance of servicing portfolios and an increase in forbearance requests are both likely given the softening observed in the labor market.” At the end of August, there were about 155,000 homeowners in forbearance plans.

MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey -From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey - Mortgage applications increased 11.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending September 20, 2024.The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 11.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 11 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 20 percent from the previous week and was 175 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 increased 0.4 percent compared with the previous week and was 2 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “Mortgage applications increased to their highest level since July 2022, boosted by a 20 percent increase in refinance applications after a large increase the prior week. The 30-year fixed rate decreased for the eighth straight week to 6.13 percent, while the FHA rate decreased to 5.99 percent, breaking the psychologically important 6 percent level,” Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “As a result of lower rates, week-over-week gains for both conventional and government refinance applications increased sharply. The refinance share of applications is now at 55.7 percent, and while the level of refinance activity is still modest compared to prior refi waves, they now account for the majority of applications, given the seasonal slowdown in purchase activity.” “Average loan sizes were higher both for purchase and refinance applications, which pushed the overall average loan size to its highest in the survey’s history at $413,100.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($766,550 or less) decreased to 6.13 percent from 6.15 percent, with points increasing to 0.57 from 0.56 (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 up 2.0% year-over-year unadjusted. Purchase application activity is up about 18% from the lows in late October 2023, but still about 2% 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 for two years - but has increased significantly recently as mortgage rates declined.

Home Prices Set To Soar Amid Mortgage Refi Explosion -- The Fed could not have picked a worse time to start easing (although with the election in just over a month, the "apolitical" Fed really had no choice). As we predicted all the way back in December, the Fed would cut rates just in time for shelter/home prices and rent to start rising again...The next paradox for the Fed: since Shelter/OER inflation lags by 18 months, housing inflation will decline well into 2025 even as actual rents are again starting to tick up. By the time lagged CPI catches up with "today", real rents will be rising double digits. pic.twitter.com/sHOWxN2OVQ ... and sure enough, just days before the Fed's jumbo 50bps rate hike, the BLS reported the first annual increase in shelter costs since March 2023. But that's just the beginning: for what happens next, and the next price surge from already record high prices... hold on to your hats. Thanks to the Fed's 50bps rate cut which has already translated into the cheapest mortgage borrowing costs in two years, applications to refinance mortgages surged for a second week: the Mortgage Bankers Association’s refinancing index (whose data covers more than 75% of all retail residential mortgage applications in the US) soared 20.3% in the week ended Sept. 20 to the highest level since April 2022 following a 24.2% surge in the previous week, as the rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage eased 2 basis points to 6.13%, the eighth straight weekly drop and the longest stretch of declines since 2018-2019. That also helped boost the group’s home-purchase applications index higher by 1.4% last week to the highest level since early February. The fifth straight weekly advance in the measure points to burgeoning demand in a housing market that’s gradually finding some footing. While traditionally an easing cycle does not immediately translate into a surge in refi applications, largely because borrowers would rather wait a little longer and lock in even lower rates, in this case there may be a glitch in the matrix since yields on the 10-year Treasury note already edged higher in the last week as traders debated the magnitude of Federal Reserve’s expected interest-rate cut in November as well as the path for reductions, and also started pricing in the next bout of inflation (which will be triggered in part by the coming burst in home prices).

Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 5.0% year-over-year in July -S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for July ("July" is a 3-month average of May, June and July closing prices). This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and the monthly National index. From S&P S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index All-Time Highs Continue in July 2024 The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 5.0% annual gain for July, down from a 5.5% annual gain in the previous month. The 10-City Composite saw an annual increase of 6.8%, down from a 7.4% annual increase in the previous month. The 20-City Composite posted a year-over-year increase of 5.9%, dropping from a 6.5% increase in the previous month. New York again reported the highest annual gain among the 20 cities with an 8.8% increase in July, followed by Las Vegas and Los Angeles with annual increases of 8.2% and 7.2%, respectively. Portland held the lowest rank for the smallest year-over-year growth, notching the same 0.8% annual increase in July as last month. ... The U.S. National Index, the 20-City Composite, and the 10-City Composite upward trends continued to decelerate from last month, with pre-seasonality adjustment increases of 0.1% for the national index, and both the 20-City and 10-City Composites remained unchanged on the month. After seasonal adjustment, the U.S. National Index posted a month-over-month increase of 0.2%, while both the 20-City and 10-City Composite reported a monthly rise of 0.3%. “Accounting for seasonality of home purchases, we have witnessed 14 consecutive record highs in our National Index,” “We continue to observe outperformance in most low-price tiers in the market on a three- and five-year horizon,” Luke continued. “The low-price tier of Tampa was the best performing market nationally with five-year performance of 88%. The New York market was the best market annually, posting a gain of 8.9%. New York’s low-tier index, which include home values up to $533,000, helped drive that growth with 10.8% annual gains. Over five years, markets such as New York and Atlanta saw low-price-tiered indices outperforming their market by as much as 20% and 18%, respectively. The opposite is happening in California, which has the most expensive high-price tiers in the nation, all well over $1 million. The rich are getting richer in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco where their high-price-tiered indices outperformed on a one- and three-year basis. ” The first graph shows the nominal seasonally adjusted Composite 10, Composite 20 and National indices (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000). The second graph shows the year-over-year change in all three indices. The Composite 10 SA was up 6.8% year-over-year. The Composite 20 SA was up 5.9% year-over-year. The National index SA was up 5.0% year-over-year. Annual price changes were close to expectations.

Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 5.0% year-over-year in July; Over last 3 months, FHFA Index has increased at a 0.7% Annual Rate -Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 5.0% year-over-year in July Excerpt: S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for July ("July" is a 3-month average of May, June and July closing prices). July closing prices include some contracts signed in March, so there is a significant lag to this data. Here is a graph of the month-over-month (MoM) change in the Case-Shiller National Index Seasonally Adjusted (SA). For the second consecutive month, the MoM increase in the seasonally adjusted (SA) Case-Shiller National Index was at 0.18% (a 2.2% annual rate), This was the eighteenth consecutive MoM increase, but this tied the previous as the smallest MoM increase in the last 18 months. On a seasonally adjusted basis, prices increased month-to-month in 18 of the 20 Case-Shiller cities. Seasonally adjusted, San Francisco has fallen 7.1% from the recent peak, Phoenix is down 4.2% from the peak, Portland down 3.1%, and Seattle and Denver are both down 2.9%.

Inflation Adjusted House Prices 1.5% Below 2022 Peak; Price-to-rent index is 7.8% below 2022 peak -Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Inflation Adjusted House Prices 1.5% Below 2022 Peak Excerpt: It has been over 18 years since the bubble peak. In the July Case-Shiller house price index on Tuesday, the seasonally adjusted National Index (SA), was reported as being 74% above the bubble peak in 2006. However, in real terms, the National index (SA) is about 11% above the bubble peak (and historically there has been an upward slope to real house prices). The composite 20, in real terms, is 2% above the bubble peak. People usually graph nominal house prices, but it is also important to look at prices in real terms. As an example, if a house price was $300,000 in January 2010, the price would be $432,000 today adjusted for inflation (44% increase). That is why the second graph below is important - this shows "real" prices. The third graph shows the price-to-rent ratio, and the fourth graph is the affordability index. The last graph shows the 5-year real return based on the Case-Shiller National Index. .. The second graph shows the same two indexes in real terms (adjusted for inflation using CPI). In real terms (using CPI), the National index is 1.5% below the recent peak, and the Composite 20 index is 1.8% below the recent peak in 2022. Both indexes increased in July in real terms. It has now been 26 months since the real peak in house prices. Typically, after a sharp increase in prices, it takes a number of years for real prices to reach new highs (see House Prices: 7 Years in Purgatory)

Watch Months-of-Supply! Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Watch Months-of-Supply! - A brief excerpt: Both inventory and sales are well below pre-pandemic levels, and I think we need to keep an eye on months-of-supply to forecast price changes. Historically nominal prices declined when months-of-supply approached 6 months - and that is unlikely any time soon - however, as expected, months-of-supply is back to 2019 levels.Months-of-supply was at 4.2 months in August compared to 4.0 months in August 2019. Even though inventory has declined significantly compared to 2019, sales have fallen even more - pushing up months-of-supply. The following graph shows months-of-supply since 2017. Note that months-of-supply is higher than the last 3 years (2021 - 2023), and above August 2019. Months-of-supply was at 4.2 in August 2017 and 4.3 in August 2018. In 2020 (black), months-of-supply increased at the beginning of the pandemic and then declined sharply. ...What would it take to get months-of-supply above 5 months? If sales stay depressed at 2023 and 2024 levels, how much would inventory have to increase to put months-of-supply at 5 months by, say, June 2024?

Housing Sept 23rd Weekly Update: Inventory up 1.6% Week-over-week, Up 37.2% Year-over-year - Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.6% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 46.8% from the February seasonal bottom. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of September 20th, inventory was at 725 thousand (7-day average), compared to 714 thousand the prior week. This is the highest level of inventory since May 2020. 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. Inventory was up 37.2% compared to the same week in 2023 (last week it was up 37.4%), and down 24.0% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 25.2%). 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.

NAR: Pending Home Sales Increase 0.6% in August; Down 3.0% Year-over-year -- From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Edged Up 0.6% in August Pending home sales in August rose 0.6%, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Midwest, South and West posted monthly gains in transactions, while the Northeast recorded a loss. Year-over-year, the West registered growth, but the Northeast, Midwest and South declined. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – increased to 70.6 in August. Year over year, pending transactions were down 3.0%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001. “A slight upward turn reflects a modest improvement in housing affordability, primarily because mortgage rates descended to 6.5% in August,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “However, contract signings remain near cyclical lows even as home prices keep marching to new record highs.” ... The Northeast PHSI diminished 4.6% from last month to 61.6, a drop of 2.2% from August 2023. The Midwest index intensified 3.2% to 70.0 in August, down 3.6% from one year ago. The South PHSI grew 0.1% to 83.6 in August, receding 5.3% from the prior year. The West index increased 3.2% in August to 58.0, up 2.7% from August 2023. This was well below expectations. Note: Contract signings usually lead sales by about 45 to 60 days, so this would usually be for closed sales in September and October.

New Home Sales Decrease to 716,000 Annual Rate in August -The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 716 thousand. The previous three months were revised up.Sales of new single-family houses in August 2024 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 716,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 4.7 percent below the revised July rate of 751,000, but is 9.8 percent above the August 2023 estimate of 652,000. The first graph shows New Home Sales vs. recessions since 1963. The dashed line is the current sales rate. New home sales were close to pre-pandemic levels. The second graph shows New Home Months of Supply. The months of supply increased in August to 7.8 months from 7.3 months in July. The all-time record high was 12.2 months of supply in January 2009. The all-time record low was 3.3 months in August 2020. This is well above the top of the normal range (about 4 to 6 months of supply is normal)."The seasonally-adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of August was 467,000. This represents a supply of 7.8 months at the current sales rate."Sales were above expectations of 700 thousand SAAR, and sales for the three previous months were revised up.

New Home Sales Decrease to 716,000 Annual Rate in August; Median New Home Price is Down 9% from the Peak Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: New Home Sales Decrease to 716,000 Annual Rate in August Brief excerpt: The Census Bureau reported New Home Sales in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 716 thousand. The previous three months were revised up. ... The next graph shows new home sales for 2023 and 2024 by month (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate). Sales in August 2024 were up 9.8% from August 2023. New home sales, seasonally adjusted, have increased year-over-year in 16 of the last 17 months.

September consumer confidence falls the most in three years --Consumers' view on the economy tumbled in September, falling by the largest level in more than three years as fears grew about jobs and business conditions, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.The board's consumer confidence index slid to 98.7, down from 105.6 in August, the biggest one-month decline since August 2021. The Dow Jones consensus forecast was for a reading of 104. By contrast, the index had a reading of 132.6 in February 2020, a month before the Covid pandemic hit.Each of the five components the organization samples fared worse on the month, with the biggest fall coming among those aged 35-54 and earning less than $50,000."Consumers' assessments of current business conditions turned negative while views of the current labor market situation softened further. Consumers were also more pessimistic about future labor market conditions and less positive about future business conditions and future income," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board.The last time the confidence index dropped more came as inflation was just beginning a climb to what ultimately was the highest level in more than 40 years.Stocks saw some brief losses following the release, while Treasury yields moved lower.In addition to the steep drop in the confidence index, the present situation measure worsened by 10.3 points to 124.3 and the expectations index was off 4.6 points to 81.7. On the expectations measure, a reading below 80 is consistent with a recession. Respondents' concerns focused mostly on jobs and inflation. Those saying jobs are plentiful continued to decline, falling to 30.9% from 32.7% in August, while the jobs "hard to get" measure rose to 18.3%, up from 16.8%.On inflation, the 12-month outlook rose to 5.2%, with concerns over price increases topping the list of economic concerns."The proportion of consumers anticipating a recession over the next 12 months remained low but there was a slight uptick in the percentage of consumers believing the economy was already in recession," Peterson said.The survey comes less than a week after the Federal Reserve voted to lower benchmark interest rates by a half percentage point, citing a more favorable outlook for inflation and worries over a potentially softening labor market. It was the first rate cut in four years and double the traditional quarter-point reduction. The survey, though, was conducted through Sept. 17, the day before the Fed approved the rate cut.

Consumer Income & Savings Rate Revised Massively Higher for 2 Years, Spending Revised Up Too. Stunning Numbers By Wolf Richter This might explain in part why consumers have held up so well: They made a lot more money, and they saved a much larger portion of it, and they spent more too than we thought. The Bureau of Economic Analysis today released its annual revisions for inflation-adjusted consumer income, spending, and the savings rate. The annual revisions go back five years, but the biggest revisions hit the period 2022-2024. And so we’re going to get our special tu-tone charts, red for the revised data through August and blue for the unrevised data through July. Brace yourself. Personal income without transfer receipts, adjusted for inflation:

Revised version for August: +3.1% year-over-year.
Revised version for July: +3.2% year-over-year.
Old version for July: +1.6% year-over-year.

This is income from wages, interest, dividends, rental properties, farm income, small-business income, etc., but excludes government transfers, such as Social Security benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, Welfare, etc. And this: over the two years between July 2022 and July 2024, personal income without transfer receipts adjusted for inflation:

Revised version: +6.0%
Old version: +3.6%!

Disposable income, adjusted for inflation:

Revised version for August: +3.1% year-over-year
Revised version for July: +3.2% year-over-year
Old version for July: +1.1% year-over-year.

For the two years from July 2022 through July 2024, adjusted for inflation:

Revised version: +8.5%
Old version: +5.5%.

Disposable income is income from all sources after income taxes and social insurance payments. It includes income from wages and salaries, interest, dividends, rentals, farms, personal businesses, etc., and from transfer payments from the government, but excludes capital gains. Disposable income is what consumers have left to spend on goods and services and to save. In terms of the year-over-year percentage change of inflation-adjusted disposable income: The last five revised increases (April-August) were over 3.1%, about triple the unrevised increases over the April-July period of around 1%. The revised increase of disposable income has been outrunning inflation by a wide margin for about two years. The unrevised increase over the same period also outran inflation, but not by as wide a margin. Consumer spending adjusted for inflation: Oh deary, our Drunken Sailors as we lovingly and facetiously have come to call them around here – was also revised higher, but by a much smaller amount.

Revised spending for August: +2.9% year-over-year
Revised spending for July: +2.8% year-over-year
Old version for July: +2.7% year-over-year.

Over the two years from July 2022 through July 2024, the inflation-adjusted revised consumer spending rose by 5.6%. The old version over the same period rose by 5.3%. And the savings rate, oh-la-la. What, our Drunken Sailors were party poopers? Income was revised up massively, and spending was revised up only a little, and so the savings rate – the percentage of the disposable income that our Drunken Sailors didn’t spend – was much bigger than we thought. The savings rate in August was 4.8%. The revised savings rate for July was 4.9%. The old version of the savings rate for July was just 2.9%. This is a huge difference: GDP too. These revisions also made it into the GDP figures going back to the pandemic, and GDP increased much faster over those two years than we’d thought. As a result, in Q2 2024, revised GDP, adjusted for inflation, was $305 billion higher than the old version. Since the end of 2021, revised real GDP grew by 5.8%; the unrevised version showed 4.9% growth over the same period.

LA Ports: Inbound Traffic Increased Sharply Year-over-year in August -Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic.The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container). To remove the strong seasonal component for inbound traffic, the first graph shows the rolling 12-month average. On a rolling 12-month basis, inbound traffic increased 2.2% in August compared to the rolling 12 months ending in July. Outbound traffic increased 0.3% compared to the rolling 12 months ending the previous month. The 2nd graph is the monthly data (with a strong seasonal pattern for imports).Usually imports peak in the July to October period as retailers import goods for the Christmas holiday, and then decline sharply and bottom in the Winter depending on the timing of the Chinese New Year. Imports were up 27% YoY in August, and exports were up 4% YoY. In general, it appears port traffic is returning to the pre-pandemic patterns - although this was a very strong August for imports as retailers prepare for holiday shopping - and possibly to beat any increase in tariffs.

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 218,000 -- The DOL reported:In the week ending September 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 218,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 219,000 to 222,000. The 4-week moving average was 224,750, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 227,500 to 228,250. 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 224,750. The previous week was revised up. Weekly claims were below the consensus forecast.

Boeing makes new wage offer to end factory worker strike - Boeing raised its offer to striking factory workers Monday as it seeks to end the work stoppage that has largely brought production to a halt for more than a week. The proposal, which the company described as its “best and final” offer to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union, would raise wages, restore annual bonuses and increase retirement benefits for workers. “This offer recognizes the contributions our employees make to the Company’s success and future,” Mike Fitzsimmons, Boeing’s vice president of labor relations, wrote in a letter to union leaders. “We request that you submit this offer to your membership for a vote as soon as possible to bring an end to the current strike and allow our employees to return to work and refocus together on the future and the Company’s recovery,” he added. The offer proposes a general wage increase of 30 percent over four years, up from Boeing’s previous offer of 25 percent. Workers would see a 12 percent raise immediately, followed by 6 percent raises for each of the following three years of the contract. It would also raise the ratification bonus from $3,000 to $6,000 and increase the company’s 401(k) match from 75 percent to 100 percent of the first 8 percent that employees put away in the retirement fund. The union has until Friday at midnight to ratify the contract. Some 33,000 Boeing workers went on strike earlier this month after an overwhelming majority voted to reject the company’s previous proposal. The strike has put additional strain on the aerospace giant, which was already facing heavy scrutiny after the door plug of a Boeing plane blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

South Carolina executes first prisoner in 13 years, rejecting new evidence that questions his guiltOn Friday, September 20, South Carolina carried out its first execution in 13 years. Freddie Eugene Owens, 46, who had taken the name Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah in prison, was convicted and sentenced to death for armed robbery and the murder of convenience store cashier Irene Graves, 41, a single mother of three, in November 1997. Owens was only 19 at the time of the crime and had long asserted his innocence. Owens was put to death days after a key witness for the prosecution issued a sworn statement saying he had lied at trial when he named Owens as the shooter in exchange for a deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty or a life sentence. The South Carolina lethal injection was the first of five planned executions over the course of a week in the United States, including two on Tuesday, in Texas and Missouri, and two on Thursday, in Alabama and Oklahoma. Owens was put to death in the state’s death chamber at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. When the curtain opened to the death chamber, witnesses saw the condemned inmate strapped to a gurney with his arms stretched to his sides. The execution began at 6:35 p.m. local time. According to the Associated Press, after the lethal drug began to be injected, he appeared to mouth “bye” to his lawyer, who said “bye” to him in reply. “He began to lose consciousness after about a minute, then his eyes closed and he took several deep breaths, AP reported. “His breathing got shallower and his face twitched for another four or five minutes before the movements stopped.” He was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. On Wednesday, two days before the execution, Owens’ lawyers filed a sworn statement from his former friend and co-defendant, Steven Golden, who said that Owens was not at the store when Graves was killed. Golden said he was high on cocaine and police put pressure on him to name Owens as the shooter. Prosecutors never found the weapon used and didn’t present any forensic evidence at trial linking Owens to the crime. Prosecutors told the jury that they could convict him for murder if they believed he was present during the murder, and it was not necessary for them to prove that he had pulled the trigger. “I thought the real shooter or his associate might kill me if I named [the real shooter] to police,” Golden wrote in his statement. “I am still afraid of that. But Freddie was actually not there.” He added, “I’m coming forward now because I know Freddie’s execution date is September 20 and I don’t want Freddie to be executed for something he didn’t do. This has weighed heavily on my mind and I want to have a clear conscience.” Golden was eventually sentenced to 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The jury never heard about the deal. Golden’s statement did not sway the South Carolina Supreme Court, which ruled Thursday that the execution could move forward. Republican Governor Henry McMaster denied Owens’ clemency petition shortly before the execution. The US Supreme Court also denied Owens’ last-minute appeal for a stay, with Justice Sonya Sotomayor indicating she supported temporarily halting the execution. In a statement released through a local activist on Friday before the execution, Owens’ mother Dora Mason condemned the “grave injustice that has been perpetrated against my son” and the state’s “unwillingness to consider new evidence.” Mason said, “I urge the people of South Carolina to consider the value of human life, the fallibility of our justice system, and the irreversible nature of capital punishment. I implore you to question the morality of taking a life in the name of justice, especially when doubt exists.” “Freddie Owens did not kill Ms. Graves. His death tonight is a tragedy,” Gerald “Bo” King, his attorney, said in a statement. “[His] childhood was marked by suﬀering on a scale that is hard to comprehend. He spent his adulthood in prison for a crime that he did not commit. The legal errors, hidden deals and false evidence that made tonight possible should shame us all.” Owens’ lawyers also said he had suffered brain damage from physical and sexual violence that he had endured while in juvenile prison.

Child care costs more than rent across 100 largest US metros: Study— Sending two kids to day care is about 40 percent more expensive than rent across the nation’s 100 largest metros, according to a new study from LendingTree.The analysis determined that the average monthly cost of full-time center-based child care for an infant and a 4-year-old is $2,182. That’s 39.4 percent higher than the average rent for a two-bedroom unit, which is $1,566.In some cities, families can expect to pay more than double the average rent for child care. Springfield, Mass., had the highest child-care-to-rent ratio, with families paying 136 percent more per month for two kids in day care ($3,241) compared to rent ($1,375).Syracuse (131 percent) and Buffalo, N.Y. (125 percent), had the next highest differences, followed by Spokane, Wash. (116 percent), and Bakersfield, Calif. (109 percent).“Costs are likely forcing lots of parents in these metros to make difficult choices, including whether to go back to work after the little one arrives and whether to have another child,” Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief credit analyst, said in the report.But it’s not just parents in a few cities who are facing difficult choices. In 91 of the 100 metros studied, full-time child care for two kids was more expensive than monthly rent, the report found.At $3,773 per month, Washington, D.C., was the most expensive place to have two young kids in daycare. Boston was second at $3,648 a month, followed by Worcester, Massachusetts ($3,424).Families in nine metros — less than 10 percent of those studied — are getting a slightly better deal, paying less for child care than the average rent.Miami ranks lowest, with child care for two kids costing $1,982, about 15 percent lower than the rent of $2,324. San Francisco (-12 percent), Austin (-8 percent) and San Jose (-7 percent) also had lower child care costs compared to rent.Part of that is because rent in those cities is much higher than the national average. In San Francisco, the average two-bedroom rent is $3,359 a month, while in San Jose, it’s $3,132, according to the analysis.In dollar terms, families in the South pay the least for child care. In Jackson, Mississippi, sending two kids to full-time day care costs $1,337 a month — the lowest in the U.S. but still $178 more than the average two-bedroom rent.Only four other metros had monthly child care costs under $1,500: Greenville ($1,433) and Columbia ($1,439), South Carolina; Little Rock, Arkansas ($1,467) and Birmingham, Alabama ($1,468).The rent versus child care outlook is slightly better for families with only one kid. In that scenario, full-time day care for an infant costs $1,218 per month — 22 percent less than the average two-bedroom unit.Even so, in 16 metros, a single child in full-time day care costs more than the average rent. “Any way you slice it, securing day care for that second child is going to be expensive unless you have trusted friends or relatives willing to pitch in,” Schulz said.

Daycare children left amid broken glass as staff fights outside - A six-second social media post Tuesday alleged daycare workers were fighting outside while toddlers sat on the floor, surrounded by broken glass.You can hear someone on the post say, “Baby, don’t touch that—that’s glass.”The woman who posted the video does not want to be identified. She’s a relative of a child at the center.“These babies, what if one of these babies had gotten into this glass and put it in their mouth and swallowed it?” she told FOX 2.Another mother, who asked to be called ‘Milly,’ says she saw her two children on the post.“I found out from social media. No one ever told me anything,” she said. “Y’all let me pick up my kids at 5 o’clock, but then I found out an hour later.” The worker stated that a glass bottle fell as another agitated worker left to confront a co-worker outside and that a fight broke out across the street. The daycare representative said both workers have been fired.

Child care providers owed thousands in delayed subsidies – Lisa Scheer at Baden Christian Child Care Center says most of the families they serve need help paying for child care. Their tuition is supposed to be paid for through state subsidies. “We would close for sure if we did not have that. Literally, we have one parent that is currently paying. That’s usually the norm, sometimes none,” Scheer said. But those subsidies have not been coming in. The problems started when the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) switched to a new software at the beginning of the year. That software is not communicating with another program that helps process subsidy claims.Even if a family is authorized for subsidies, that approval is not making its way through the system properly. So some subsidies have not been paid while others are being processed slowly. Scheer says the state owes her $17,000 but really her losses could be much worse.That is because some families who do qualify for state subsidies are showing up as unauthorized in the computer system, so Scheer cannot enroll those students at this time. “My center should be full, and we’re at half capacity because no one can get childcare,” she said. “It’s horrible what’s happening, and the children are the ones that are going to be impacted by this. Think about being 3 and 4 years old and being unhomed.”As a result of the problems, DESE says it has withheld funding from the vendor of the software. “The total cost of the project is $13.79 million, paid in installments as project milestones are completed. DESE has paid to date $10.7 million of the contracted amount. DESE has withheld four payments to the vendor since January 2024, as contract milestones are not met.” A spokesperson for World Wide Technology, one of the vendors, told us, “As a Missouri-based company, WWT places a high priority on fulfilling our responsibility to the citizens of Missouri. WWT remains committed to its partnership with DESE on this modernization effort and will continue to invest all necessary time and resources to move this important project forward and ensure that payments are made to childcare providers in an accurate and timely fashion.” State Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark, D-District 67, said, “This is a huge issue. Some would even call it a crisis.” She says this problem is way worse than a software error. “It’s not 30 days. It’s not 60 days. We’re talking about anywhere from 10 months to over a year of non-payment. So what DESE needs to do is make it right,” she added. The state is giving additional American Rescue Plan funds to these child care centers. The new stipend can be up to $55,000 depending on the provider’s size. But Scheer says it will not be enough, as providers have had to take out loans and deplete their savings and retirement plans. “It’s too little, too late. Providers need honestly that kind of stipend monthly for a while until they can play catch up,” Scheer said.

New Jersey districts still face teacher shortages as new school year begins • New Jersey Monitor - When New Jersey students head back to classrooms this week, many will return to schools with too few teachers. The state has for years faced a shortage of educators, with particularly troubling vacancies in subjects like math, science, special education, and instruction for English language learners. And those vacancies persist despite legislators’ efforts to smooth the teacher pipeline and steer more students toward careers in education.Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said schools are seeing the impact of the shortages.“We’re seeing class sizes increase. We’re seeing courses not being offered, and we’re seeing that the educators who are still remaining in the profession are being overburdened in terms of how to pick up some of the work because of unfilled classrooms. It’s a big concern,” Spiller said. The exact degree of the shortages remains unknown despite recent efforts to quantify New Jersey’s educator workforce, but the number of would-be teachers has fallen precipitously over the last decade.New Jersey’s teacher workforce has remained stable over the last decade at roughly 118,000 educators, according to a February report drafted by Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. Researchers examined 11 years worth of data and found that for every teacher that left the profession in the 2022-2023 school year, the state issued just 1.1 provisional teaching certificates, compared to 2.9 certifications in the 2013-2014 school year. Less than a quarter of those pursuing education degrees in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years eventually became teachers, and only 43% earned a degree in education, the study says. The study warns that a ratio approaching one departure for one new teacher could quickly lead to more severe shortages because at least 10% of teachers leave the profession within their first three years. Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark) is a former education chair who has remained active in the space following her ascent through the ranks of leadership (she’s the Senate’s majority leader). Ruiz said the state should do away with its residency requirement for teachers, at least while the shortages remain dire. “No one under any circumstance is saying ‘not New Jersey first,’” she said. “We always want to be New Jersey first, but when there isn’t enough New Jersey, as policymakers, administrators, and government entities, we should be responsible enough to say we need human capital in these spaces. Our students deserve better.” Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), the current education chairman, agreed lifting the residency restriction would help bridge schools’ staffing gaps.The Senate in May approved a bill that would suspend the residency requirement for three years in a unanimous vote, but the measure has not advanced in the Assembly, where it has the backing of Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, the lower chamber’s education chairwoman. A similar bill failed to pass in the last legislative session.Gopal said he was considering legislation to boost teacher compensation but said the legislation is still in very early stages.A separate bill that would rework the state’s funding formula is expected to be introduced in mid-September, but Gopal cautioned that bill would likely see significant changes as it moves through committees to floor votes. A reworked formula should include provisions to extend school budget timelines to prevent last-minute staff cuts and allow districts to better plan their budgets, Ruiz said. Rolling back a Christie-era policy that doubled the state’s student teaching requirement from a semester to a full school year could also boost the state’s educator workforce, Spiller said.

Seattle Public Schools set to close up to 21 schools next year --The Seattle Public Schools (SPS) declared at a September 18 public school board meeting its intent to close between 17 and 21 elementary schools next year. The closures would impact hundreds of teachers and staff while devastating working class communities across Seattle.If one of the plans goes through, the number of Seattle public elementary schools would be reduced from 63 to either 52 or 56. About 50 percent of Seattle’s students will be forced to change schools, according to the district’s own numbers. It has not been announced when the next school board meeting will take place.The closures are part of a wave of massive cuts, driven by a “fiscal cliff” caused by the cut-off of COVID era federal funding for schools. In Chicago, the school district has announced a nearly $1 billion deficit for next year.The cuts also were announced during the strike of 33,000 Boeing workers concentrated in the Seattle area. No doubt thousands of Boeing workers on the picket line have children in the Seattle school district. Around 50,000 Washington state public employees also took part in a one-day walkout recently. This demonstrates the potential for a fight against the closures by the working class, uniting teachers with Boeing workers and others.Communities across Seattle have reacted angrily, with parents rallying outside the district headquarters on Thursday. Hundreds of parents also demonstrated outside of the school board meeting on Wednesday.Almost 150 people had signed up at the board meeting to testify against the school closures, while only 25 openings were available, according to KUOW news. Parents whose children attend TOPS K-8 have told the local news station that SPS is considering closing the only elementary school which focuses on educating the deaf and hard of hearing.Parents and students protested outside Catharine Blaine K-8 on Tuesday evening. Significantly, the protest was largely motivated by the students, with the Seattle Education Association nowhere to be seen. These demonstrations took place across multiple schools.Parents, students and staff have innumerable concerns. Michelle Dunlop told KOMO News: “You can’t have that many schools impacted and not cause so much damage to the community, kids, to everyone involved.” Parent Ashley Cappel was shocked to learn that SPS was considering closing John Stanford International School, a school focused on providing dual language programs. “For my family, it means that my child no longer has access to dual language immersion. It means that my community is decimated.”

School shootings raise new concerns over cell phone bans - Recent school incidents, particularly this month’s school shooting in Georgia, are raising new concerns about cell phone bans. After the Apalachee High shooting, as well as the rash of bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio, advocates say lawmakers and school officials need to think of parents’ fears when considering cell phone restrictions in classrooms, which have been on the rise in states across the country. “Unfortunately, in this country, we love our guns more than we love our children, and we have not yet been able to solve the issue of classrooms filled with dozens of children being murdered on a regular basis,” said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union. “So until we figure that out, parents and families are not going to be comfortable with giving up a direct line of communication with their children in classrooms,” Rodrigues added. California is the latest state to enact a law restricting the use of cell phones in public school classrooms, following multiple others, as well as numerous individual school districts. The policies have ranged from complete confiscation of cell phones all day to prohibitions specifically during classroom time. “I don’t think any teacher in the country would disagree about the level of distraction that phones bring to classroom instruction,” said Stephanie Humphrey, author of “Don’t Let Your Digital Footprint Kick You in the Butt!” “So the distraction is a huge thing, but also the impact on students’ mental health. […] There is the cyberbullying aspect of it, that these students are using these devices, you know, in ways that are unintended, and are causing harm to other students. So there are just a laundry list of reasons why cell phones in the class are just not a good idea,” she added. While advocates emphasize the social and academic benefits that have been found in removing phones from students’ hands, a lack of trust remains between parents and school systems as shootings and other threats against K-12 classrooms make headlines.The Georgia shooting, which took the lives of two students and two teachers while injuring nine others, demonstrated the issue vividly.“School shooting rn .. i’m scared,” one Apalachee High student texted his mother, according to ABC News. “pls i’m not joking.”In another text exchange viewed by the outlet, a mother of two girls at the school tried to coordinate with her daughters, at one point telling them to “Stay down stay hidden.”“Mommy im scared,” one of the girls said, to which the response, sent over six separate messages, was, “Keep texting me / I need you to keep texting me / Girls / Are you ok / Keep texting me only me / I love you.”

University of California Regents summon riot police to expel students protesting further militarization of campuses --With a phalanx of riot police present and over the protests of students on Thursday, September 19, the Regents of the University of California (UC) approved the purchase of an extensive list of “military equipment” to be used by police on UC campuses including Berkeley, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Francisco and UC Merced. The UC system consists of 10 campuses, and students at all of them organized anti-genocide protests in the last 11 months. Between May and June 30,000 academic workers at six campuses went on strike over repeated police attacks on students and faculty who participated in Gaza solidarity encampments. These protests as well as hundreds of rallies and demonstrations around the world in opposition to the US-backed Israeli slaughter have been met by the ruling class and their police agents with assaults, suspensions, bans, arrests, and the deployment of “less-lethal” weapons which often resulted in significant injuries. Terrified that these protests will not only continue, but expand to encompass broad sections of the working class, who are being made to pay for the genocide in Gaza and proxy war in Ukraine with further attacks on their living standards, college administrators and wealthy regents are expanding the repressive elements under their command in an attempt to bludgeon and beat back the anti-war movement. In a letter from the office of the president to the Board of Regents addressed to the Compliance and Audit Committee recommending the procurement, the president stated that this year’s request reflects “minimal use of the specified equipment” and “zero complaints or concerns received system-wide in connection with the specified equipment.” This blatant lie was disputed by students in attendance at Thursday’s meeting as well as by the UCLA chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine, who wrote on their Instagram the report was “falsified” pointing to the massive injuries suffered by students, particularly at UCLA. Among the new items requested for the police departments include: UC Merced is requesting to purchase five Def-Tec 40mm launchers and 100 rounds of “eXact iMpact” 40 mm Sponge Rounds UCLA is requesting four FN Herstal 303 launchers, four Pepper Ball VK-SBL, 3,000 PAVA Capsaicin Rounds, 400 rounds of Def-Tec 40mm munitions of varying types. According to the manufacturer, the FN Herstal 303 “less lethal system” enables “temporary neutralization of an individual or a group of individuals with maximum effectiveness.” The weapon can be loaded with 15 spherical projectiles that contain pepper spray or that are for “impact.” The manufacturer of the Pepper Ball VK-SBL sells its “less lethal” option for approximately $1,480. The VK-SBL is able to deploy .68 caliber pepper ball rounds or propriety “VXR” projectiles upwards of 150 feet. UC police already have devices to break doors down (Kinetic Breaching Tool), drones to spy on protesters, distraction devices to disorient crowds with noise and light, and pepper spray as well as 40mm sponge rounds, which are replacements for rubber bullets. Despite the “less lethal” characterization of these items, they are still dangerous. The British Medical Journal found that 3 percent of people hit by rubber bullets died of the injury. Four years ago, Chilean riot police shot hundreds of rubber bullets at workers protesting low wages and a high cost of living. 268 protestors suffered severe eye damage and 30 percent of them became blind in one eye. More sinister than the “less lethal” requests, is the massive stockpile of lethal weapons already hoarded by the various police agencies on campuses: 209 semi-automatic rifles and 261,500 rounds of ammunition, including 93,000 rounds of 5.56 cartridges, which are currently used by NATO, and 155,010 rounds of the similar .223 cartridge. Campus police departments reported that they used over 25,500 rounds of 5.56 and .223 in training exercises last year. They are clearly preparing for deadly confrontations.

US suicide rate steady near highest level recorded: CDC -Suicides in the U.S. remained at about the highest level in history last year, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show.According to the provisional data, just more than 49,300 suicide deaths were reported in 2023, though the number could increase if investigations are concluded.The CDC said in 2021 and 2022, suicide was the 11th-leading cause of death among all age groups in the U.S. It was a higher cause of death among people aged 10-34.In 2018, there was a peak in suicide rates, which declined through 2020 — but new data shows it increased after the pandemic into 2022.From 2002-22, the CDC found the suicide rate for males was three to four times the rate of females, though both increased over time.Firearm-related suicide was the leading means of suicide for both men and women in the U.S., and its rates increased over time.Suicide rates for men 75 and older was significantly higher than all other male age groups. Male suicide rates have been worrisome for years. Experts say men’s mental health is often overlooked, and they are not as encouraged to treat mental health issues as women are. More women have been diagnosed with depression than men, likely because they tend to seek out care more often.Katherine Keyes, a Columbia University public health professor, told The Associated Press that the decline in suicide rates around the start of the pandemic was “promising news.” The uptick since then, or return to what it was before, can be concerning.New resources such as a national crisis line, which allows anyone to dial 988 to reach someone, have been implemented nationally recently. The effects remain to be seen, Keyes said.

Latest COVID variant, XEC, has spread to half of US states, reports say -- The latest strain of the COVID-19 virus, XEC, is circulating across the country.The new variant has been reported in at least 25 U.S. states, according to data from the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), as WebMD reported.Some of the states with the highest cases — 10 or more each — include California, New Jersey and Virginia, the data showed.As of Friday, the variant is not yet being tracked by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO). KP.3.1.1 is still considered the "predominant variant" of the virus, according to the CDC’s website.Jake Glanville, PhD, an infectious diseases expert and CEO of Centivax in San Francisco, California, told Fox News Digital that XEC represents a shuffling of two descendants of last year’s JN.1 strain. "Coronaviruses are mutating continuously, so when new strains become dominant, it tends to be because that strain has an infection or transmission advantage over all the other circulating mutant strains out there," he told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview. XEC is an example of such a new, mutated strain, the doctor confirmed."So far, it doesn't appear to have any distinct symptoms or mode of infection," Glanville said. "It might be a little more infectious than some other strains, which is why it's becoming dominant, but there's no unique cause for concern for the public."The current vaccines are based on the KP.2 strain, which itself is also a descendant of JN.1 and a reasonable match for XEC, Glanville noted. "As XEC doesn’t appear to have any unusual infection symptoms, and is pretty similar to the vaccine strains chosen by the FDA this year, XEC is not a unique concern at this time," the expert said. "It's something that vaccine developers monitor to try to understand at what point they need to make a new vaccine, because eventually XEC or some other strain will mutate enough to escape the current vaccine designs."

XEC: what you need to know about the new COVID variant - A new COVID variant is spreading rapidly and could soon become the dominant variant around the globe. The variant, called XEC, was first detected in Germany in August and appears to have a growth advantage over other circulating variants – but it is not a radically different variant.XEC is what’s known as a “recombinant variant”. Recombinants can occur naturally when a person is simultaneously infected with two different COVID variants.XEC is the product of a recombination (exchanged pieces of genetic material between two variants) between the KS.1.1 variant and the KP.3.3 variant. These two parent variants are closely related, having both evolved from JN.1, which was the dominant variant around the world at the start of 2024.XEC was first reported in early August 2024 in Germany and a few other European countries but has since continued to spread, with over 600 cases identified in 27 countries across Europe, North America and Asia.Scientists identify XEC cases using a public database called Gisaid, to which genetic sequences of viruses are uploaded for analysis. It is here that mutations in SARS-CoV-2 are spotted (SARS-CoV-2 being the virus that causes COVID).But it’s a bit like a drunk looking for his lost keys under the street lamp because that’s where the light is best. In other words, more cases of new variants are spotted in those countries that typically sequence more COVID samples through routine surveillance programmes. Countries with the highest number of identified XEC cases as of September 18 are the US (118), Germany (92), UK (82), Canada (77) and Denmark (61). Of course, these numbers could be higher in countries that don’t routinely sequence COVID samples. Currently, the dominant variant in Europe and North America is KP.3.1.1, while the closely related KP.3.3 dominates in Asia.XEC is a minority variant and its prevalence is highest in Germany, where around 13% of sequences are potentially XEC. In the UK, prevalence is around 7%, while in the US it is below 5%. However, XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the next few months.XEC has very similar genetic material to both its parent variants as well other circulating variants, which are mostly derived from JN.1.One reason for XEC’s advantage could be the relatively rare T22N mutation (inherited from KS.1.1) combined with Q493E (from KP.3.3) in the spike protein. The spike protein is a critical part of the virus that binds to human cells, enabling the virus to gain entry and start replicating. However, little is known about the effects of the T22N mutation on how well the virus can replicate or spread between people.We don’t have data yet from patients or laboratory experiments to tell us what kind of illness XEC is likely to cause – although this data is expected soon. However, this new variant will probably be similar to other COVID variants in terms of the disease caused, given its similar genetic information. So symptoms such as a high temperature, sore throat with a cough, headaches and body aches along with tiredness are to be expected. Hospitalisations usually increase in winter as a consequence of colder temperatures and increased spreading of viruses (due to people being indoors more). So these increases, when they come should not necessarily be associated with the new variant. XEC is the latest in a long list of past and current COVID variants being monitored as the virus naturally evolves. Recombinant variants themselves are nothing new, as COVID cases in 2023 were dominated by the XBB recombinant variant.Several other closely related variants are being monitored, such as the MV.1 variant, which like XEC also has the T22N mutation in the spike protein. MV.1 was originally reported in India in late June and has also spread rapidly to other countries, making it one to monitor in the future.XEC may well become the dominant global variant, but it could be outcompeted before then or replaced quickly afterwards by a different but closely related variant.

COVID vaccine protects against symptoms 6 weeks after infection, study shows -US healthcare workers receiving additional vaccine doses during the Omicron period (December 2021 to April 2022) had a 45% lower risk of having symptoms 6 weeks after COVID-19 infection, according to a study today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The study results came from self-reported symptom questionnaires completed 6 weeks after the onset of symptoms, and was a sub-analysis of data collected during the Preventing Emerging Infections through Vaccine Effectiveness Testing Project (Project PREVENT). In total, the researchers enrolled 2,478 participants, of whom 1,422 (57%) had COVID-19. All participants were fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and 66.3% had received a third, booster dose. All participants reported COVID-19–like symptoms within 14 days of a qualifying test. The prevalence of symptoms at 6 weeks was 26% (373) in those with COVID-19 and 18% (195) in those without COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2–positive participants had either fever or cough as an initial symptom in 71.9% of cases. Lower odds of symptoms with recent booster Among participants who had COVID-19, those who had received an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose had a lower prevalence of any symptoms than those who had not at 6 weeks post-infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 to 0.70). If the third vaccine dose was administered 16 weeks or less before infection, healthcare providers had lower odds of reporting respiratory symptoms (aOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.99), psychiatric symptoms (aOR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.99), or any symptom (aOR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.87) than those who received the dose more than 16 weeks earlier. "COVID-19 vaccination might lead to fewer 6-week symptoms among persons with symptomatic infection because of its effect in attenuating the severity of acute illness," the authors concluded.

Poll: Only 45% of older adults will get updated COVID vaccines - Only 45% of Americans age 50 and older say they're likely to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine this season, according to a poll today from the University of Michigan. The poll shows many at high risk of severe illness appear unlikely to seek the vaccine, and interest in an updated vaccine varies widely by age-group, education level, and other factors. The results come from the National Poll on Healthy Aging conducted in August. At the time of polling, new COVID vaccines were not yet widely available, but they had been approved for use and endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among adults 75 and older, 59% said they were likely to get the updated COVID-19 shot, with 49% of them saying they’re very likely and 10% saying they're somewhat likely. Among adults 65 to 74, 51% said they were likely to get the vaccine. Among those aged 50 to 64, more said they were unlikely to get the new vaccine; 55% unlikely, compared with 37% likely. In 2023, nearly half of all US COVID hospitalizations were among those ages 75 and older. The poll showed demographic differences as well. Adults with a Bachelor's degree were more likely to get vaccinated—54%, compared with 41% of those with lower levels of education. Overall, women were slightly more likely than men to say they would be vaccinated.

Study sheds new light on severe COVID's long-term brain impacts | CIDRAP -- More than a year after COVID-19 hospitalization, many patients have worse cognitive function than those who weren't hospitalized, a symptom that comes with reduced brain volume and brain injury markers on blood tests, according to a new study, the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom.The multicenter study from the COVID-CNS Consortium included 351 patients who were hospitalized for COVID and 2,927 matched controls. The researchers, led by a team at the University of Liverpool and King's College London, published their findings yesterday in Nature Medicine.Study goals included understanding biological causes and long-term outcomes of neurologic and neuropsychiatric complications following COVID hospitalization. Researchers tested participants' cognitive skills and examined findings from brain scans and blood tests 12 to 18 months after hospitalization. Greta Wood, MBBS, first author of the study and an academic clinical fellow in infectious diseases at the University of Liverpool, said in university press release that many patients hospitalized with COVID report persistent symptoms, often called "brain fog.""However, it has been unclear as to whether there is objective evidence of cognitive impairment and, if so, is there any biological evidence of brain injury; and most importantly if patients recover over time," she said.Of the patients hospitalized for COVID, some did and some didn't have new neurologic complications. The researchers found that both groups had worse cognition than expected for their age, sex, and level of education. One of the most striking findings was that post-COVID deficits in hospitalized patients look similar to 20 years of normal aging. The team also found that people who had been hospitalized with COVID had reduced brain volume in key areas and abnormally high levels of brain injury proteins in their blood. The team saw the greatest deficits in people who had the most severe infections, had post-acute psychiatric symptoms, and had a history of encephalopathy. Benedict Michael, MBChB, PhD, the study's corresponding author and professor of neuroscience at the University of Liverpool, said COVID isn't just a lung condition, and some of the most severely affected patients are those who have brain complications. That the cognitive impairments occurred alongside brain-cell injury markers and reduced brain volume on magnetic resonance imaging suggest there may be measurable biomechanisms, he said. "Now our group is working to understand whether the mechanisms that we have identified in COVID-19 may also be responsible for similar findings in other severe infections, such as influenza."Gerome Breen, PhD, a study author and psychiatric geneticist with King's College London, said the work might be helpful for guiding similar studies of patients with long COVID who had milder respiratory symptoms who also report brain fog and for the development of treatment strategies.

Study shows that COVID-19 causes cognitive decline among those without long COVID symptoms -- A new study in eClinicalMedicine has found that healthy volunteers infected with SARS-CoV-2 had measurably worse cognitive function for up to a year after infection when compared to uninfected controls. Significantly, infected controls did not report any symptoms related to these cognitive deficits, indicating that they were unaware of them. The net effect is that potentially billions of people worldwide with a history of COVID-19, but no symptoms of long COVID, could have persistent cognitive issues without knowing it. The study’s lead author, Adam Hampshire, professor of cognitive and computational neuroscience at King's College London, said: It … is the first study to apply detailed and sensitive assessments of cognitive performance from pre to post infection under controlled conditions. In this respect, the study provides unique insights into the changes that occurred in cognitive and memory function amongst those who had mild COVID-19 illness early in the pandemic.This news comes as pandemic mitigation measures have all but been abandoned by governments across the globe. Public health practice has been decimated to the point where even surveillance data on SARS-CoV-2 infections and resulting hospitalizations, deaths, and other outcomes are barely collected let alone published. The data that are available indicate, per the most recent modeling from the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative (PMC) on September 23, that since the beginning of August there have been over 1 million infections per day in the US alone. This level of transmission is expected to persist through the remainder of September and all of October. For the months of August through October, these levels of transmission are the highest of the entire pandemic. The study on cognitive deficits has been shared widely across social media, with scientists and anti-COVID advocates drawing out its dire implications. Australian researcher and head of the Burnet Institute, Dr. Brendan Crabb, who has previously advocated for a global elimination strategy to stop the pandemic, wrote:Ethical issues aside, this is a powerful addition to an already strong dataset on Covid-driven brain damage affecting cognition & memory. Given new (re)infections remain common, this work… should influence a re-think on current prevention/treatment approaches.The study enrolled 36 healthy volunteers. These individuals had no history of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, no risk factors for severe COVID-19, and no history of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The researchers determined whether the volunteers were seronegative prior to inoculation, meaning that they had no detectable antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. If such antibodies were present, it would indicate past infection or vaccination. These procedures resulted in a total of data from 34 volunteers being included for analysis. Two volunteers were excluded from analysis because they had seroconverted to positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies between the time of screening and inoculation. Notably, these two volunteers participated in all subsequent study activities, enabling a sensitivity analysis of the results that included them. The researchers inoculated all 36 volunteers with SARS-CoV-2 virus in the nose and then quarantined them for at least 14 days. Volunteers only returned home once they had two consecutive daily nasal and throat swabs that were negative for virus. Thus, those volunteers who had an infection after inoculation spent the duration of their infection in quarantine. This quarantine was required by ethical study protocols, in order that the study itself not increase community transmission of the virus.The researchers collected data on the volunteers daily during quarantine and at follow-up visits at 30, 90, 180, 270, and 360 days post-inoculation. The assessments included body temperature, viral loads from throat and nasal swabs, surveys on symptoms, and computer-based cognitive tests on 11 major cognitive tasks. The cognitive testing varied the particular exercise for each of the 11 tasks to avoid learning and memorization of solutions in subsequent sessions. Nevertheless, some tasks were more prone to learning so the researchers also studied the effect of infection on “learning” vs. “non-learning” tasks.Of the 36 inoculated volunteers, 18 became infected and developed COVID-19 and 16 did not. The two groups did not differ significantly in key demographics. No volunteers required hospitalization or supplemental oxygen during the study. Every volunteer completed all five follow-up visits. 15 volunteers acquired a non-COVID upper respiratory tract infection in their community between the end of quarantine and the fifth visit at day 360. The researchers found that the infected group had significantly lower average “baseline-corrected global composite cognitive score” (bcGCCS) than the uninfected group at all follow-up intervals. At baseline, the two groups did not differ significantly. The difference between the two groups did not significantly vary by time, meaning that the infected group’s bcGCCS did not improve during the nearly year-long study.Because the bcGCCS was a composite based on individual scores for the 11 cognitive tasks, the researchers also looked at which tasks in particular were impacted. They found that the most affected task was related to immediate object memory, in particular, recall of the spatial orientation of the object. There was no difference in picking the correct object itself, just its spatial orientation. This means that infected individuals had a hard time choosing the correct spatial orientation of the object they had just seen, for example, erroneously picking a mirror image of the object they had just seen. The results were not different based on sex, learning vs. non-learning tasks, or whether individuals received remdesivir or had community-acquired upper respiratory infections. Because the investigators controlled for so many factors including the strain of SARS-CoV-2, timing of infection, quarantine, and lack of prior infection and vaccination, the study provides high confidence that SARS-CoV-2 infection was responsible for the cognitive defects. The control of the timing of infection also enabled clarification of whether and when cognitive deficits occurred and improved. The differences between the groups were apparent by day 14 of quarantine and as noted previously, the deficits in the infected group did not improve let alone resolve.The symptom surveys did not differ between the two groups. None of the volunteers, infected or uninfected, reported subjective cognitive issues or symptoms. Thus the infected volunteers with measurable cognitive deficits at one year post-infection were not aware of these deficits.The study reaffirms prior research into persistent cognitive deficits and brain damage associated with COVID-19, including other studies which have found deficits among patients without symptomatic long COVID. Building upon this prior research, the latest study indicates that basically every single unvaccinated individual with a history of acute COVID-19 is at risk for persistent, measurable cognitive deficits.Given that other studies have shown that vaccination reduces one’s risk of long COVID by roughly half, similar measurable cognitive deficits are likely prevalent among vaccinated people who suffer “breakthrough” infection, albeit likely at reduced rates of decline.

Remdesivir plus dexamethasone tied to lower COVID death rate -A new study of outcomes among more than 33,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients shows that remdesivir plus dexamethasone administration is associated with lower mortality rates at 14 and 28 days compared with dexamethasone alone, according to findings in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The retrospective, comparative effectiveness studyused data on 33,037 US patients to compare outcomes of the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone alone or co-administered with the antiviral medication remdesivir. All patients were hospitalized when the Omicron variant was the most dominant strain in the United States: December 2021 to April 2023. The main outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality at 14 and 28 days after the baseline period. The study began with 61,236 patients who were given remdesivir and dexamethasone within 2 days of hospitalization and 36,489 who initiated dexamethasone monotherapy in the first 2 days of hospitalization. For the final analysis, 33,037 remdesivir and dexamethasone patients were matched to 33,037 dexamethasone monotherapy patients. For both treatment groups, most patients were over 65 (67% to 70%), White (77% to 78%), and 45% did not receive supplemental oxygen. Among those who did receive oxygen, 37% received low-flow, 17% high-flow, and 3% either invasive mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. For those who did not use supplemental oxygen, 5.6% and 7.2% of remdesivir and dexamethasone patients died within 14 and 28 days, respectively, compared with 6.1% and 7.7% of dexamethasone monotherapy patients. For patients receiving low-flow oxygen, 6.1% and 8.1% of combination patients died within 14 and 28 days, respectively, compared with 7.7% and 9.7% of dexamethasone monotherapy patients. For patients receiving high-flow oxygen, 12.7% and 17.6% of remdesivir and dexamethasone patients died within 14 and 28 days, respectively, compared with 15.7% and 20.7% of dexamethasone monotherapy patients, the authors said.

COVID antiviral studies: Emergent resistance mutations rare, Paxlovid awareness low | CIDRAP- A pair of new studies on COVID-19 antiviral drugs suggest that resistance mutations that emerge after treatment with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) or remdesivir (Veklury) are rare and that almost a third of US adults have never heard of Paxlovid.Yesterday in JAMA Network Open, a team led by Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers found that resistance mutations that emerge after treatment with Paxlovid or remdesivir—another antiviral drug—are uncommon and transient, suggesting that they are unlikely to contribute to post-treatment viral rebound and to spread in the community amid circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and antiviral-usage patterns.As part of the ongoing Post-Vaccination Viral Characteristics Study (POSITIVES), the researchers monitored 156 nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients who received Paxlovid (79 participants), remdesivir (14), or no treatment (63) from May 2021 to October 2023. Median patient age was 56 years, and 73.1% were women.In the Paxlovid group, the team identified six emergent Paxlovid resistance mutations previously tied to at least a 2.5-fold reduction in antiviral susceptibility, compared with one such mutation in untreated patients. Sequencing of viral RNA from repeated patient nasal swabs revealed Paxlovid resistance mutations in nine participants (11.4%), compared with two untreated controls (3.2%). Immunosuppressed Paxlovid-treated participants had the highest frequency of resistance emergence (22.7%), compared with 3.1% of controls.Rates of Paxlovid resistance were similar among patients who did and didn't experience viral rebound (13.0% vs 10.7%). The vast majority of mutations (90.9%) were found in less than 20% of viruses and had reverted to the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 later in the course of disease. An analysis of Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data uncovered no evidence of increased Paxlovid resistance in the United States after the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the drug.The three emergent remdesivir resistance mutations detected in 2 of 14 (14.3%) of participants, both of whom had suppressed immune systems, were also rare and fleeting. They reverted to the wild-type virus after being detected at only one time point. There were too few remdesivir recipients to compare them with untreated controls.In related news, a survey of 1,430 US adults published yesterday in Health Affairs shows that 85% had no or low awareness of Paxlovid, including 31% who had never heard of the drug, 18% who had "heard the name Paxlovid, but [were] not sure what it was specifically," 36% who had "heard a little" about the drug, and 15% who had "heard a lot" about it.The Harvard University–led research team conducted the nationally representative survey from July 7 to 16, 2023, to inform rapid communications about COVID-19 treatments by state and local public health departments through the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Public Health Information Coalition."Oral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) is highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19, yet it has been remarkably underused, even by patients at highest risk from COVID-19, since its December 2021 introduction in the US," the researchers wrote. "The reasons behind this underuse are still unclear." They found that, even among respondents who were aware of Paxlovid, many misunderstood its effectiveness (39%), adverse effects (86%), and the need to take the drug within 5 days of symptom onset (61%), all of which may contribute to underuse. Lower awareness and misbeliefs were more common among medically vulnerable and disadvantaged groups who stand to benefit most from Paxlovid, including those not vaccinated against COVID-19 and those of lower educational attainment or Black or Hispanic race.

COVID numbers decline slightly across US; RSV, flu activity low -- In several weekly updates published today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said seasonal influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) activity are low nationally, and COVID-19 activity is elevated but declining. The test-positivity percentage for COVID-19 dropped to 11.6% last week from 13.4 % the prior week, according to the weekly update for the week ending on September 21.Other COVID indicators declined as well, but only slightly. Emergency department visits dropped from 1.7% to 1.4%, and hospitalizations per 100,000 population dropped to 4.0, down from the prior week's 4.1. In its biweekly variant update, the CDC noted that the KP.3.1.1 Omicron subvariant accounts for 52.7% of infections, the same as 2 weeks ago.Wastewater levels for COVID-19 remain high but low for RSV and influenza. Of flu cases identified through specimens testing, the H1N1 strain accounts for 53.5% of cases, H3N2 for 46.5%, and influenza B for 1.2%. Influenza test positivity for the week ending on September 21 was 0.6%.Outpatient respiratory illness visits also remained steady, at 1.9%.Of note, the CDC recorded no new human infections with novel influenza A viruses, with the season's total remaining at 23.According to the CDC, the early weeks of flu vaccine availability have resulted in 9.6% adults reporting receipt of a flu vaccine and 4.5% of adults reporting receipt of the updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine Among adults 75 years and older, 34.0% reported ever receiving an RSV vaccine.

Few Americans concerned about upcoming respiratory virus season --Yesterday during its annual news conference, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) said less than 1 in 5 Americans are concerned about flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the nation approaches the fall and winter viral season.Furthermore, despite a summer surge in COVID activity and last year’s 199 pediatric flu deaths, only 38% of Americans surveyed said they plan to get a flu shot this year, and 26% said they would get a COVID vaccineThe survey was conducted August 8 to 12 and included 1,160 respondents.The annual press conference is meant to kick off annual vaccination season, but the survey results show a population that has moved on from the COVID-19 pandemic and is wary of annual vaccinations. Concern about COVID-19 has dropped from 34% in 2022 to 20% in 2024, and only 17% polled said they were concerned about flu.A similar trend was seen concerning masking: 19% of those polled say they will wear amask in a doctor’s office, pharmacy, or hospital this fall and winter, and only 49% will wear a mask in healthcare settings this fall and winter if they are required to do so.The survey results revealed some cognitive dissonance among Americans: 67% of those polled agreed that annual flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths, yet many still will refuse to get vaccinated."The single most important thing folks can do to protect themselves as we get into fall and winter is get vaccinated,” said Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, during the news conference. Cohen is the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the news conference, Cohen got a flu shot. "I wouldn't recommend something to the American people that I wouldn't recommend for myself, family and loved ones," she said.The NFID survey also reported that only 16% are concerned about RSV, and 17% are concerned about pneumococcal disease. Among adults for whom RSV vaccines are recommended, 21% say they will definitely get vaccinated this upcoming season.Throughout the press conference, experts from the NFID and CDC reminded Americans that even if vaccination doesn't completely protect against infection, in can lessen the severity of disease if a person gets sick.Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said during the 2023-24 flu season, there were between 380,000 and 900,000 flu hospitalizations, and the CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented 105,000 to 240,000 hospitalizations.During the 2023-24 typical respiratory virus season (October through April) there were an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, and COVID-19 vaccination likely prevented an additional 40,000 to 100,000 hospitalizations.

Survey finds most patients expect antibiotics for illnesses that don't need them -A survey of primary care patients in Texas found that most expected to receive antibiotics for illnesses commonly caused by viruses, researchers reported yesterday in the Annals of Family Medicine.The survey, developed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and administered from January 2020 to June 2021 at six public primary care clinics and two private emergency departments in Harris County, Texas, sought to assess patient expectations for antibiotics for acute diarrhea, sore throat, cold/flu, sinus infections, and bronchitis symptoms. For each symptom illness, respondents were asked to respond to the statements "Taking antibiotics will help you get better quickly" and "You should take antibiotics to avoid getting sicker" using a 5-point Likert scale, and were asked if they knew about risks associated with antibiotic use. The researchers also compared the difference in patient expectations by sociodemographic groups and between public and private healthcare systems.Of the 564 patients surveyed, 93% expected to receive an antibiotic for one of the five pre-defined illnesses/symptoms, with 84% believing that antibiotics would improve bronchitis, followed by sinus infections (72%), sore throat (66%), cold/flu (64%), and diarrhea (36%). Overall, 37% of patients lacked knowledge of antibiotic risks.Compared with private, public clinic patients were nearly twice as likely to expect antibiotics for diarrhea (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 2.8), sore throat (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.5 to 3.2), cold/flu (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.3), and overall (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.3). Lack of knowledge of potential risks of antibiotic use was associated with increased antibiotic expectations for diarrhea (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.4) and cold/flu symptoms (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.0 to 4.4). Lower education and inadequate health literacy were predictors of antibiotic expectations for diarrhea. "Future stewardship interventions to reduce inappropriate patient antibiotic expectations should (1) inform patients of the symptoms/illnesses that antibiotics treat and (2) emphasize the individual harms/risks (or harms/risks to others close to an individual) of antibiotics," the researchers wrote, adding that they are developing a patient-clinician antibiotic education tool based on the findings.

Childhood seizure, but not epilepsy, linked to prenatal flu exposure --A study yesterday in JAMA Network Open shows a higher risk of childhood seizures—but not epilepsy—in kids born to moms who contracted flu during pregnancy.Maternal fever in pregnancy has been linked to poor outcomes in children, including increased risk of neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism and depression. The study sought to define the relationship between The findings come from 1,316,107 mother-baby pairs identified from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2013, using records in Taiwan's Maternal and Child Health Database. Children were followed up until December 31, 2020.Among the 75,835 children whose mothers had flu during pregnancy, 2,456 (3.2%) developed seizures during their follow-up period, the authors said.The cumulative risk of childhood seizures was significantly higher among children who had been exposed to maternal influenza virus infections.The adjusted hazard ratios were 1.09 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.14) for seizures, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.17) for febrile convulsions, and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.97 to 1.13) for epilepsy. Further analysis showed the risk of epilepsy was not statistically significant.For all children in the study, advanced maternal age, gestational high blood pressure, cesarean delivery, and being a boy were associated with increased risk of seizures."Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying childhood neurological development," the authors concluded.

India reports imported clade 1b mpox case - India has reported an imported clade 1b mpox case, making it the third country outside of Africa to report the novel clade, according to media reports that cite government and health sources. The patient is a 38-year-old man from Malappuram district in India’s Kerala state, Asian News International (ANI)reported, citing official sources. The man had traveled from the United Arab Emirates.A spokesperson from India’s health ministry confirmed the finding, Reuters reported today. The patient is hospitalized at a government medical college hospital in Kerala. Monitoring of 27 patient contacts, as well as of 37 airline passengers, has found no related infections, a district health officer told the news service.In August, the first clade 1b infections were reported outside of Africa, one in Sweden and the other in Thailand. The novel clade 1b virus was detected earlier this year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the complex outbreaks in the region that involve different clades, including the global clade 2 type. Clade 1b has spread beyond the DRC to four other African counties.In an update to its mpox health alert today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned providers that early data suggests that a large proportion of clade 1b infections in adults have been linked to intimate or sexual contact. It recommends that people who anticipate sexual activity while visiting the DRC or other countries with sustained clade 1 activity—regardless of gender or sexual orientation—be vaccinated with two doses of Jynneos vaccine.The group urged health providers to discuss sexual history and travel plans with patients, including asking if they anticipats any sexual activity during travel. The CDC added that one in three travelers will have sex with a new partner while on a trip.In a global situation report on the mpox outbreaks in Africa yesterday the World Health Organization (WHO said clade 1b cases continue to be reported in the eastern part of the DRC and in an expanding outbreak in Burundi. The WHO said the risk is high to the eastern DRC and neighboring countries, as well as for parts of the DRC where mpox is endemic. It said the risk is moderate for Nigeria and countries in East, West, and Central Africa, as well as for other parts of Africa and countries around the world.For mpox in general, aside from Africa, the WHO reported rising trends for Europe and the Western Pacific regions and a declining trend in the Americas region.

Biden administration announces 1 million vaccine doses for Africa's mpox response At the United Nations General Assembly meeting today, US President Joe Biden announced new support for Africa's mpox response, including 1 million vaccine doses and at least $500 million in further support.In the UN address, Biden called on other countries and groups to step up their help for Africa. "We call on governments, charities, and businesses to match our pledge—and make this a $1 billion commitment to the people of Africa."In a fact sheet, the White House said 10,000 vaccine doses arrived in Nigeria in August and 50,000 doses arrived this month in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The next 300,000 doses will be available immediately for distribution through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Access and Allocation Mechanism. US officials will deliver the rest of the doses in tranches, based on country progress in administering the doses and with coordination with Gavi. Meanwhile, the financial support will be delivered bilaterally through existing partnerships with African countries as well as through multilateral groups. The White House added that the investments will align with the preparedness and response plan recently announced the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the WHO. The federal government has already deployed staff to the DRC and neighboring countries, including epidemiologists, laboratorians, and risk communication experts.The US Department of Health and Human Services today said the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response is donating the 1 million doses to the international response, and it added that it is lending Bavarian Nordic, the maker of the Jynneos vaccine, 200,000 doses to ensure commercial supply to the US market without diminishing the company's ability to fulfill international orders and donations.African health officials have estimated the region needs at least 10 million vaccine doses for the outbreak response. A number of groups have also announced donations, including the European Commission, Japan's government, and Bavarian Nordic itself.

Sepsis and malnutrition stalk the new mothers and babies of South Darfur (AP) — Mothers and children in the Sudanese region of South Darfur are experiencing one of the “worst” health emergencies in the world, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday, one of the consequences of the violence that has engulfed the country since April 2023.Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said in its latest report that 114 maternal deaths occurred during the period from January to mid-August 2024.More than 50% of maternal deaths happened in medical settings, with sepsis being the most common cause of death in MSF-supported facilities. Between January and June, 48 newborns died from sepsis at two MSF-backed medical facilities, the organization said.Malnutrition among children in South Darfur also exceeded emergency thresholds, the group said, adding that demands for medical attention “far exceed what MSF can respond to.”Sudan has been engulfed by violence since April of last year, when tensions between leaders of the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into intense fighting and spread across the country, including to Darfur. The amount of critical aid reaching South Darfur rose slightly in June, when the U.N. World Food Program delivered life-saving food and nutrition to some families.In August, 30,000 children under the age of two were screened for malnutrition, including nearly 33% who are acutely malnourished and 8.1% who are severely and acutely malnourished, MSF said Tuesday.“This is a crisis unlike any other I have seen in my career — multiple health emergencies happening simultaneously with almost no international response from the UN and others,” said Dr. Gillian Burkhardt, MSF sexual and reproductive health activity manager, in Nyala, South Darfur. “Newborn babies, pregnant women, and new mothers are dying in shocking numbers. So many deaths are due to preventable conditions, as almost everything has broken down.” The situation was particularly dire for women at Nyala Teaching Hospital and Kas Rural Hospital, where MSF reported 46 maternal deaths between January and August. In those two hospitals, 78% of maternal deaths happened within the first 24 hours after admission.Women would often arrive at hospitals in critical condition due to high transportation costs and a shortage in functioning medical facilities, said MSF. The women were forced to give birth in unsterilized environments due to the lack of much-needed medical resources that could prevent infections.“A pregnant patient from a rural area waited two days to collect the money needed to get care,” said Maria Fix, MSF medical team leader in South Darfur. “When she traveled to a health center, they had no drugs so she went back home. After three days, her condition deteriorated, but again she had to wait five hours for transportation. She was already in a coma when she reached us. She died from a preventable infection.”

Listeria outbreak tied to deli meat slows but reaches 10 deaths | CIDRAP One new death and 2 new cases of listeriosis have been recording in an ongoing multistate outbreak tied to tainted Boar's Head deli meat. The outbreak has reached 59 confirmed cases and 10 deaths, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update yesterday.The death was recorded in New York state, which has reported 17 cases. In total 19 states have recorded cases, and all case-patients have required hospitalization."Illness reports have started to decrease, and CDC will update this notice less frequently," the CDC said in a media release yesterday. "Because it can take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis, CDC will continue to collect information for some time and report new information as it is available."Boar's Head has recalled all implicated meat products, but some products have sell-by dates in October 2024. The CDC said some consumers may still have recalled products in their homes and should discard them immediately.Boar's Head has recalled 71 meat products processed at its Jarratt, Virginia, facility from May 10, 2024, to July 29, 2024, under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names.The Maryland Department of Health first identified Listeria monocytogenes in a liverwurst sample from meat produced at that facility this summer.Young children, pregnant women, immunocompromised people, and adults over 65 are at the greatest risk of severe outcomes if sickened with Listeria.

Study finds little genetic similarity in multidrug-resistant bacteria from pets and their owners A study conducted in Germany suggests the interaction between people and their pets is not a major factor in the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), researchers reported last week in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control.For the study, researchers at Charite University Hospital in Berlin performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) on 252 human, 53 dog, and 10 cat isolates collected from a larger case-control study that examined MDRO risk factors among MDRO-positive and MDRO-negative patients. The analysis focused on pet owners and their pets. While several studies in recent years have reported the identification of genetically similar MDROs in people and pets living in the same household using WGS, the study authors say cgMLST, which offers greater discriminatory power and more precise strain typing, has rarely been used.A total of 154 human isolates (24.6% of the 626 pet owners in the larger study) and 62 pet isolates (11.9% of the 514 pets in the larger study) tested positive for MDROs. Of the bacterial species detected in the isolates, five MDROs that were present in people and at least one pet species (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA], vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus [VRE], and multidrug-resistant [MDR] Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter cloacae) were selected for comparison to identify potential transmission. Most of the analyzed isolates showed high genetic diversity, with only minor overlaps between people and pets. Only two human-pet pairs were colonized with MDROs (VRE and MDR E coli), which showed no genetic difference, a finding the study authors say could indicate transmission or acquisition from a common source. In addition, significantly more pet owners than pets were MDRO-positive."This suggests that the interaction between humans and their pets appears to play a minor role in the spread of the MDROs," the authors wrote. "Pets might act as spillover hosts rather than reservoirs for MDROs with transmission potential to humans. Yet, the possibility of transmission from a shared source remains."They add that future studies should include other possible transmission routes and common sources of resistant strains.

FDA: ANSWERS Dog food withdrawn over potential contamination – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports a pet food company is voluntarily withdrawing some of their beef and chicken dog food after samples tested positive for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes. According to the notice, ANSWERS Pet Food, based in Fleetwood, Pa., took the steps “out of anabundance of caution.” The company is now notifying the public, distributors, and retail stores regarding the dog food they say was distributed nationwide in 4-pound bags and also sold online. Here’s what customers should look for:ANSWERS has provided a picture of the products, here.The FDA recommends any product from the listed lots should be thrown out or destroyed in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access it. Areas that may have come in contact with any contaminated food should be sanitized.“The FDA recommends that people do not touch potentially contaminated food with bare hands and therefore suggests wearing gloves or using paper towels when placing any contaminated product in a sealed bag to throw out or when handling such food,” the administration said in the notice.Officials report that no illnesses associated with the dog food in question have been confirmed and note that listeria monocytogenes rarely cause illness in dogs, and among thousands of species of salmonella, less than a handful are harmful to pets or humans.You can learn more about the health concerns surrounding salmonella and listeria, here.

Microplastics in the Olfactory Bulb of the Human Brain -- JAMA Network -The ubiquity of microplastic (MP) pollution has become a pervasive environmental concern,¹ raising questions about its occurrence within the human body and its harmful effects.² While MPs have been detected in various organs of the human body, such as the lungs,³^,4 large and small intestines,⁵ liver,⁶ placenta,⁷^,8 semen,⁹ and bloodstream,¹⁰ to our knowledge, there have been no published studies to date reporting their presence in the human brain. The presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is likely an important limiting factor for the access of MPs to the human brain via hematogenous translocation. Despite this, some animal studies have shown that MPs can impair the BBB and reach the brain via oral ingestion, leading to neurotoxic effects.¹¹^-13 Another potential entry site for micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in the human brain is the olfactory pathway.¹⁴ This pathway involves olfactory neurons in the nasal that transmit information about odors to the central olfactory system of the brain. Olfactory axons pass through the cribriform plate (CP) of the ethmoid bone and reach the olfactory bulbs (OB), which are connected to the limbic system of the brain.There are different levels of evidence suggesting that the olfactory pathway might allow the translocation of exogenous particles to the brain. Environmental black carbon particles have been detected in various human brain regions, with one of the highest concentrations found in the OB, measuring 420.8 particles/mm³.¹⁵ Rarely, the 15- to 30-μm–sized ameboid form of Naegleria fowleri penetrates the brain via the nose, causing amebic meningoencephalitis.¹⁶ Affected individuals typically present with the disease after contact with contaminated freshwater bodies or after rinsing the nose with nonsterile tap water.¹⁷ Furthermore, the permeability of this barrier has been evoked as a possible quicker and safer drug delivery route to the brain,¹⁸^,19 as well as access to cerebrospinal fluid through nasal lymphatic vessels.²⁰ In this study, given the ubiquitous presence of MPs in the air²¹ and their previous identification in the human nasal cavity,²²^,23 we hypothesized that the smallest-size fraction of MPs could reach the OB. Therefore, we conducted an investigation into the presence of MPs within human OB obtained from 15 deceased individuals during coroner autopsies. We identified and analyzed various characteristics of the MPs, including their size, morphology, color, and polymeric composition.The median age of the 15 deceased individuals was 69.5 years, ranging from 33 to 100 years, with 12 males and 3 females. MPs were detected in the olfactory bulbs of 8 out of 15 individuals. A total of 16 synthetic polymer particles and fibers were identified, with 75% being particles and 25% being fibers. The most common polymer detected was polypropylene (43.8%). Sizes of MPs ranged from 5.5 μm to 26.4 μm for particles, and the mean fiber length was 21.4 μm. Polymeric materials were absent in procedural blank and negative control filters, indicating minimal contamination risk.This case series provides evidence of MPs found in the human olfactory bulb, suggesting a potential pathway for the translocation of MPs to the brain. The findings underscore the need for further research on the health implications of MP exposure, particularly concerning neurotoxicity and the potential for MPs to bypass the blood-brain barrier.

The Cost of Avoiding Microplastics A placenta is, by definition, new tissue: It grows from scratch over nine months of pregnancy. So when a team of researchers found microplastics in every human placenta they sampled, they were a little bit shocked, Matthew Campen, a professor at the University of New Mexico and a researcher on the team, told me. But in hindsight, he thinks perhaps they shouldn’t have been. Microplastics are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the rain and snow falling from the sky, the food we eat. They are in the dust in our house, the paint on our walls, the cosmetics in our medicine cabinets. They slough off from dental aligners, the toothpaste on our toothbrush, the toothbrush itself. Since his placenta study, Campen has found that microplastic is in human testicles and, detailed in a paper that has yet to be published, in human brains.Scientists have now been studying microplastic for 20 years, since a paper in 2004 first used the term, and have started on nanoplastics, the vanishingly small versions that build up in organs. In that time, human exposure to microplastic has been increasing exponentially; by 2040, the amount of plastic in the environment could double. A robust body of research now links chemical compounds (such as phthalates and bisphenols) that are shed from plastic to a wide array of human health impacts, including hormone disruption, developmental abnormalities, and cancer. But scientists know far less about what the health impacts of the plastic fragments embedded in our organs and coursing through our blood might be.They are, however, wary. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a physician at Seattle Children’s Research Institute who studies the effects of plastic on pregnancy outcomes and children’s health, told me that what we stand to learn about microplastic is unlikely to be good—it’s probably at least an irritant that, like the small particles in wildfire smoke, can cause inflammation. A new paper reviewing emerging evidence about microplastics, published today in Science, anticipates that researchers will know more in five to 10 years about microplastics’ health effects. However, that doesn’t mean the world should wait for more damning evidence to emerge, the paper’s lead author, Richard Thompson, a marine-biology professor at the University of Plymouth, told me. Animal models are clearly pointing toward the potential for harm, he said, and we are not, biologically speaking, that different from those animals. “We could spend billions on experiments trying to understand that harm in humans,” he said. “But when we’ve done that, we’re still arguably going to need to fix the problem.” As it stands, though, individuals are left to mediate their own relationship to plastic, in a world where plastic is the default. Even reducing one’s exposure can take scrupulous research and, often, money. Avoiding plastic in daily life has become essentially a luxury. Purity is impossible, and half measures feel better than nothing but also like failure. And it’s all expensive. If a family is expecting a baby and wants, reasonably, to buy plastic-free baby products—given everything humanity is learning about the possible impact of plastic on fetal and child development—they would have to be relatively rich. You can get an organic, plastic-free crib mattress for $1,379; one made of polyester fiber and wrapped in vinyl costs $35. Or consider your floor. Some 95 percent of modern carpets are made from synthetic fibers—in other words, plastics—which flake off microplastic throughout their life. Vinyl flooring is better than carpeting, because it can more easily be kept clean. But vinyl is also a plastic and can emit harmful compounds including phthalates, which may interfere with children’s development and reproductive health and are associated with allergic conditions such as asthma, Sathyanarayana told me. In recent years, several large retailers have offered phalate-free vinyl flooring options, in which the problematic phthalate was swapped for a different compound which appears to be less concerning. But the least concerning option is either buying natural-fiber carpets, which are more expensive, or installing hardwood floors. When Sathyanarayana talks with the families she sees as a pediatrician, she tells them to avoid the big things: Don’t use plastic in your kitchen, if you can help it, because ingestion is a major route for microplastics into the body. She suggests that they not eat food out of plastic containers. (Babies can use stainless-steel plates and cups, for instance.) And especially don’t heat food in plastic, to avoid ingesting plasticizers—chemicals added to plastic to make them soft and flexible. But another big one to avoid is heavily processed food, which may be contaminated with more microplastic simply by undergoing more manufacturing steps in modern, plastic-heavy factories. It’s good advice, but it also requires money and time: Wooden utensils are more expensive than plastic utensils, glass containers are more expensive than plastic containers, and so on. Avoiding processed food means making food, which also takes time, a luxury that some families simply don’t have.

Ohio lawmakers prioritize lead water line replacement - WKBN.com – Crews have begun replacing aging lead pipes on the West Side of Youngstown but one local lawmaker says there are over 12,000 more lead service lines in the city that need replacing. Representative Lauren McNally is supporting House Bill 534 which was recently introduced in Columbus. It would require public water systems to replace all their lead service lines within 15 years. “Today we are saying this is a priority of ours,” said McNally. While Youngstown is using $1.5 million in American Rescue funds to help pay for this work, other communities don’t have the resources. “Communities are doing what they can with what they got but we don’t have a statewide process — a plan,” said State Representative Dontavius Jarrells, (D) Columbus. Jarrells wrote House Bill 534. He says it would help cities obtain funding for water line replacement projects, especially in poor and minority communities where many of these lead lines exist — with close to 750,000 of them across Ohio. “That is detrimental to just our health and well-being of our current citizens, our aging citizens, our soon-to-come citizens,” McNally said. While lawmakers admit the state is already spending $21 million on water and sewer projects, they claim the cost of just replacing lines in Youngstown could be $36 million. “By putting more focus on the issue, we’re gonna say to the governor, we’re gonna say to colleagues in both chambers — we need to do more,” said Jarrells.

Ohio House bill would require full replacement of lead drinking water lines -State Representative Representative Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) is pushing for new legislation in Ohio to protect children and families from lead-contaminated drinking water lines.House Bill 534 would implement a comprehensive approach to addressing lead lines in the state by requiring the full replacement of all lead drinking lines within 15 years."Not a partial remediation, a full replacement of these lead lines," Jarrells said, "so that every family, regardless if I go to my mom's house, my aunties house, my cousin's house, I'm drinking clean, safe water." There are more than 745,000 lead drinking water lines in Ohio, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Cleveland ranks second highest in the country for cities with active lead lines. Jarrells experienced the developmental effects of lead poisoning first-hand while growing up in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood. With the help of his family, he said he was able to find essential support and resources, but other families may not be so lucky.Lead poisoning has been linked to health effects including cardiovascular disease, ADHD and infant mortality, according to the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund."Not every person has health care access, and so that may not be a reality for some families, and the devastating impact of lead poisoning, the cognitive impairments that it will cause, the physical issues that it will create, cardiovascular disease, all of those things," he said. "It is real for people and we are paying for it one way or another as a society by not removing lead as much as we can out of the state."Robin Brown is president of Concerned Citizens Organized Against Lead. In 1999, her own daughter was diagnosed with severe lead poisoning."I knew I was going to have to deal with this by myself. But I also knew I was not going to let a manmade disease kill my daughter or take my daughter away from me." Lead contamination can affect all people, Brown said, but in Ohio, lead positioning has disproportionally affected Black and brown residents."The difference is people in marginalized, redlined communities do not have the resource to fix the repairs and remediation as quickly. Therefore, it lingers within our environment longer."By passing House Bill 534 into law, Brown said legislators would spare other families from going through the same hardships her family did.

Fluoride ruling pushes EPA for regulatory action - In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a federal district court said teeth-strengthening chemicals added to drinking water pose an “unreasonable risk,” a designation prompting EPA regulations under the nation’s premier toxics law.The landmark decision, published late Tuesday from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, marks a rare occasion where a judge ruled on the scientific merits and sided against agency experts. Senior Judge Edward Chen found the level of fluoridation chemicals that health and EPA officials consider “optimal” — 0.7 milligram per liter — “poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children.”“It should be noted that this finding does not conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,” Chen wrote, adding that his decision rather reflects “a risk sufficient to require the EPA to engage with a regulatory response.What EPA’s response looks like can vary greatly, from a warning label to an outright ban.“One thing the EPA cannot do, however, in the face of this Court’s finding, is to ignore that risk,” wrote Chen, an Obama appointee.It’s the first time a judge has decided if a chemical poses an unreasonable risk after EPA rejected a petition asking the agency to do the same thing — a new citizen privilege under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act.It’s also one of the first times a federal court has been tasked with interpreting “unreasonable risk,” a TSCA term left undefined.The ruling is a monumental win for anti-fluoride groups, who sued in April 2017 after EPA denied their petition asking for a ban on adding additional fluoridation chemicals to drinking water.Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, one of the plaintiff groups, called the ruling “an important acknowledgment of a large and growing body of science indicating serious human health risks associated with fluoridated drinking water.”“This court looked at the science and acted accordingly,” Hauter said in a statement. “Now the EPA must respond by implementing new regulations that adequately protect all Americans — especially our most vulnerable infants and children — from this known health threat.”EPA spokesperson Remmington Belford said the agency “is reviewing the decision,” and did not answer whether or not it will appeal the decision.

Toxic PFAS chemicals detected at high levels in Blue Mountains, Sydney drinking water - Independent testing commissioned by the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) this month has revealed that drinking water in the Blue Mountains, a major regional area to Sydney’s west, contains toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals at up to 50 times the official guidelines of safe levels. The testing was conducted by Ian Wright, a water scientist at the Western Sydney University. It is part of a broader investigation by the SMH into the presence of PFAS chemicals in New South Wales (NSW) water supplies, spurred in part by the statements and campaigning of environmental experts and community groups over the issue. The result exposes a cover-up involving the official water authorities, as well as state and federal governments, going back decades. The introduction of limited regulations in the United States, where it has now been admitted that there is no safe level of PFAS chemicals in water supplies, has further highlighted the longstanding issue in Australia. Earlier this year, the SMH revealed that with changes to the US regulations, PFAS chemicals are allowed in Australian water supplies at up to 140 times more than the rate now officially permitted in America. This article came after the journalists in May questioned Sydney Water, a state-owned water utility, about PFAS presence in drinking water. The response from Sydney Water was that there were “no PFAS hotspots” in the catchments necessitating regular testing of waterways or drinking water, the water treatment plant near Richmond Air Base being the sole exception. PFAS chemicals are synthetically produced and used for their varying abilities including to repel fluids. They were previously used in Australia in fire-retardant foam and have been found worldwide in humans, animals, rain and the food chain. They are used domestically in cosmetics, cooking utensils, greaseproof paper and sunscreen. These chemicals are known carcinogens which “bioaccumulate” in the body, meaning they accumulate faster than they can be expelled through urine, breastmilk or menses. Long term ingestion of PFAS can lead to liver, immune and thyroid dysregulation, reduced fertility and a range of cancers, particularly in the kidneys which are responsible for flushing toxins from the blood. It is not definitively known if PFAS will ever break down in the environment or whether the human body can expel them completely, as they are extremely difficult to destroy except at temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius.

You’ve probably never heard of this ‘forever chemical.’ Scientists say it’s everywhere. - As cities and towns plan to remove several harmful “forever chemicals” from drinking water, scientists are starting to focus on a less-studied version of the chemicals that is showing up virtually everywhere they look.Trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, could be one of the most widespread forever chemicals in the environment, according to a growing body of research. While there’s no consensus on its effects on human health, TFA does not break down naturally, and its similarity to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) tied to cancer and other diseases is enough to warrant further study, researchers said.“It’s absolutely everywhere,” said Sarah Hale, an environmental researcher who manages ZeroPM, a project funded by the European Union. “TFA will be the next discussion in America, I can guarantee it. It will be about how should we treat it and what should we do.”The attention on TFA underscores the game of whack-a-mole that scientists and communities face with forever chemicals. With thousands of identified versions of the substances, the chemicals are practically ubiquitous in the global economy, and researchers are still determining the exact health risks associated with many of them.But TFA could pose a particularly difficult problem down the line, due to how much it would cost to take it out of drinking water, experts say.The substance is extremely small, mobile and water soluble. As a result, it cannot be removed from water using the filtration systems that many communities are installing now for large, widely studied forever chemicals, said Rainer Lohmann, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island.“All the filters we have right now don’t work on TFA,” said Lohmann, whose research includes water pollutants. “If we ever reach the conclusion that it might be of concern, then of course removing it from drinking water is going to be extremely painful and expensive.”Forever chemicals got their nickname because they do not degrade on their own and are extremely resistant to heat, oil and water. They have been used in fire suppressants, nonstick pans, semiconductors and a host of other products and are now widespread in the environment.Some forever chemicals in the PFAS family are linked to serious health problems, including fertility issues, liver damage and cancer. But most of the substances — TFA included — are not regulated in water, indoor air or soil.TFA’s likely sources include pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Many PFAS also degrade into TFA when they go through an incinerator or a sewage treatment plant, said Heidi Pickard, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. Another leading source of TFA is refrigerants introduced to replace gases that deplete the ozone layer. According to research from Pickard, TFA concentrations in the environment likely increased after the Montreal Protocol, the landmark global environmental treaty that spurred the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and a search for alternatives.

Second symptomatic health worker reported in Missouri’s H5N1 probe --The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on September 20 that Missouri’s ongoing investigation into a recent H5N1 avian flu infection involving no known animal contact has turned up a second health worker who had symptoms, but wasn’t tested. The CDC said the second health worker wasn’t tested, because his or her illness had resolved before the investigation began. The initial case involved a patient with underlying health conditions and was hospitalized for chest pain, gastrointestinal issues, and other symptoms. A respiratory panel done during hospitalization was positive for influenza A and was later subtyped as H5. Follow-up analysis determined that the virus was H5N1 and similar to the strain infecting dairy cattle, though the patient had no known exposure to cows or other sick patients. Last week, the CDC said Missouri officials had identified two symptomatic contacts, the patient’s household contact and the first health worker. In its update, the CDC added that blood samples from the Missouri patient and the household contact have been collected by Missouri health officials and will be sent to the CDC for serologic testing. The first health worker tested negative for influenza in an earlier test, and serological testing will be offered to the second health worker.

Ghana confirms human H9N2 avian flu infection --The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that Ghana has notified it of a human H9N2 avian flu case, marking the first zoonotic avian flu case reported from the country. The patient is a 5-year-old girl who lives near the border with Burkina Faso and who became ill on May 5. Two days later, she was seen at a local hospital and treated for flulike illness. PCR testing on her respiratory sample was positive for H3N2 seasonal flu. However, genomic testing identified the virus as H9 avian influenza, and additional testing at WHO collaborating centers in the United Kingdom and the United States confirmed the presence of H9N2 on August 6. After the subtype was confirmed, regional health officials visited the patient, who was experiencing a new onset of respiratory symptoms. Serum and respiratory samples were negative for flu and the girl has recovered. Investigators found that the patient had no known exposure to poultry or people sick with similar symptoms. Samples from close contacts were negative, and no related cases have been detected in the community. Poultry illnesses have been reported from the region where the girl lives, but the cause hasn’t been confirmed. Ghana has reported low pathogenic H9N2 in poultry since 2017, the WHO said. H9N2 is known to circulate in poultry, especially in Asia where sporadic infections are reported, mainly in children and mostly mild after exposure to poultry. The WHO said no sustained human-to-human H9N2 activity has been reported.

Thousands of turkeys killed in California's Merced County as officials battle avian flu outbreak -More than 64,000 turkeys at a Merced County poultry operation are being killed after agriculture officials recently discovered they were infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza. The highly contagious and deadly virus has become the scourge of the poultry industry since an outbreak began in 2022. More than 92 million poultry and wild birds have been killed in the U.S. as part of an eradication effort, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In Merced County, federal officials confirmed the virus was located at a commercial poultry operation on Sept. 18. The name and location of the ranch were not revealed by state or federal officials. Once the virus was confirmed, officials launched a depopulation plan for the sick birds to contain the virus and prevent it from making other birds sick. USDA officials said 64,800 turkeys will be killed through one of several methods, including a water-based foam, or carbon dioxide. This year, the virus has also migrated to larger mammals, including the nation's dairy cows and a small number of dairy workers, whose symptoms have been mild. As of Monday, the USDA reports that 231 dairy herds have been affected in 14 states, including the nation's top milk producer, California. The number of California dairy herds infected with the avian flu has jumped in three weeks from three herds to 34. The dairies with the infected cows have been placed under quarantine to try and prevent the virus from spreading. Infected dairy cows will lose their appetites, produce less milk and be lethargic. But they will recover after several weeks.

California reports 18 more H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cows -The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed 18 more H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in dairy cattle, nearly doubling the state’s outbreak total. California, the country’s biggest dairy producing state, now has the second highest number of outbreaks (34), with Colorado still the state reporting the most outbreaks. The outbreaks have been centered in the Central Valley, and state agriculture officials have been identifying other affected farms due to enhanced surveillance that has focused on those with connections to earlier-affected facilities.The latest outbreaks push the country’s total number of dairy cow outbreaks to 232 from 14 states since March. In poultry outbreaks developments, USDA APHIS confirmed one more outbreak, which involves a live bird market in Florida’s Orange County that has 2,500 birds. Over the past few months, similar outbreaks at live bird markets were reported from two other Florida counties—Hillsborough and Miami-Dade.

Quick takes: More H5N1 in California cows, CDC public health awards, yellow fever in the Americas | CIDRAP

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) todayconfirmed 6 more H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in California dairy herds, raising the total to 238 across 14 states. California's latest confirmations raise the state's total to 40 affected herds. The outbreaks are centered in the Central Valley. California is the nation's largest milk producer.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced more than $176 million in awards to support 48 public health partners, a step to strengthen the nation's public health system. In a statement, the CDC said the funding is part of the National Partners Cooperative Agreement and represents support for the first year of a 5-year cycle. The CDC said the awards boost the ability of the public health workforce to deliver essential services and improve organizational and systems capacity and capability, steps that address health priorities and bolster the US public health infrastructure.
Five countries in the Americas region have confirmed 38 yellow fever cases this year, 19 of them fatal, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said in its latest epidemiologic update. Since the agency's last update in July, 5 cases and 2 deaths were added. Countries reporting cases are Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Peru. The hardest-hit country is Peru, where 18 cases and 9 deaths have been confirmed.

Review finds serious gaps in steps to control avian flu in mammals -- Global strategies to control mammal-to-mammal avian flu transmission aren't working and pose an ongoing threat to people, especially as the viruses become entrenched in Europe and the Americas, according a team of virologists led by the United Kingdom's Pirbright Institute.Their bird's-eye view of the current H5N1 avian influenza panzootic in mammals appeared yesterday inNature. The scientists examined outbreaks in European fur farms, South American marine mammals, and US dairy cattle, noting the diversity of the species, along with changes in the ecology and molecular evolution of H5N1 in wild and domestic birds that increase the chances for spillover to a variety of mammals.Also, the team laid out different evolutionary pathways that could turn the influenza panzootic into a human pandemic virus.Their analysis comes as H5N1 outbreaks continue in US dairy cattle and as health officials in Missouri try to pin down the source of a recent human infection with no known animal or raw milk exposure and discern whether three other contacts with symptoms may have been infected with the same virus.Tom Peacock, PhD, first author of the paper and a zoonotic flu specialist at Pirbright, said in a news release that influenza A viruses have triggered more pandemics than any other pathogen, and pigs have historically been considered the intermediary hosts. "However, the altered ecology of H5N1 has opened the door to new evolutionary pathways," he said. The experts underscored several potential gaps in controlling the virus, including reluctance to pursue modern vaccine and surveillance technologies and sparse data regarding transmission of H5N1 between cows and humans on dairy farms in the United States. In the past, US cattle producers eradicated foot-and-mouth disease by rapidly sharing data. The authors note, however, that months of missing data on the extent of the spread on US dairy farms leaves researchers, veterinarians, and policymakers in the dark. Very few states are doing bulk-tank testing to proactively look for the virus. "H5N1 is a reportable disease in poultry, but not mammals, in the US," Peacock said. "The US Department of Agriculture requires H5N1 testing only in lactating cattle prior to interstate movement.". The group also pointed to a gap in wildlife testing, which currently involves just carcass testing. The authors said testing the animals while they are alive could help identify any undetected circulation that might be occurring. "What keeps scientists up at night is the possibility of unseen chains of transmission silently spreading through farm worker barracks, swine barns, or developing countries, evolving under the radar because testing criteria are narrow, government authorities are feared, or resources are thin," they wrote.

Protect the prosciutto: Italy battles swine fever --Pig farmer Alberto Cavagnini has slaughtered 1,600 of his hogs due to swine fever, a virus threatening the 20-billion-euro pork industry in Italy, including its world-famous prosciutto. The disease, which is fatal for pigs and disastrous for the economy, has particularly affected the northern regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria—and its spread is spooking neighbor France. Italy recorded cases of the virus in just under 25,000 pigs in 50 farms, and in nearly 2,500 wild boars, between January 2022 and September this year, official figures show. In 2024 alone, between 50,000 and 60,000 pigs were slaughtered across Italy. EU experts criticized Rome's management of the crisis after a visit to the Mediterranean country in July. "The overall disease control strategy in northern Italy needs to be improved. Each region carries out its own measures, with minimum coordination with its neighbors," they said in a report. Brussels recommended adopting a single strategy for the whole of northern Italy and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government appointed a special commissioner to lay down the rules. The movement of pigs within infected and neighboring areas is banned—except towards slaughterhouses—while access to farms is limited to the bare minimum. "At the moment... we are building barriers" to create zones to limit the movement of wild boars, Francesco Feliziani from the National Reference Center for Swine Fever (CEREP) told AFP. France has been on high alert in areas that border northern Italy—particularly in the Hautes-Alpes, Alpes de Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes—since January 2022. And in June, an Italian-French technical group was set up to strengthen "cross-border cooperation for more effective management" of what is "a major threat", according to the French government. Those working in the Italian pork sector, which generates an annual turnover of 20 billion euros ($22 billion) and employs 100,000 people, are "very worried", Ettore Prandini, head of Italy's biggest agricultural association Coldiretti, told AFP. Italian farms have around 10 million pigs and income losses are estimated at around 25 million euros, farmer Cavagnini said. Affected farmers will receive compensation from the state, which arrives on average two years later. But the virus also affects hundreds of breeders, who cannot transport pigs between farms, suffering losses worth "hundreds of millions" of euros which are not covered, Cavagnini said.

Norway reports first cases of bluetongue disease in livestock since 2009 -Norway reported Thursday dozens of confirmed and suspected cases of bluetongue, an insect-borne virus that is harmless to humans but can be fatal to sheep and other livestock, for the first time in the country since 2009.The Norwegian Veterinary Institute said the virus known as bluetongue serotype 3, or BTV-3, was first detected in livestock in southern Norway on Sept. 6.The institute said the cases followed outbreaks of bluetongue in several European countries. Cases have also recently been reported in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and France. The disease is spread by midges and ticks that are typically found in warmer weather.In Sweden, cases were reported this week along the country's west coast, and earlier this month, several cases in Denmark prompted zoos and animal parks to protectively vaccinate animals to try and contain the spread. The first case in Denmark was recorded in early August, on a Danish farm with sheep and cows near the German border.Symptoms in animals include high fever, mouth ulcers and swelling of the face and tongue, as well as a blue color of the tongue, known as cyanosis, stemming from a lack of oxygen. Sheep, cattle and goats may also have breathing difficulties.Infected animals yield less milk, though the milk is safe for human consumption, authorities said.

Scientists seek a balance between crop production and protecting the environment -- Scientists at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NPARL), in Sidney, Montana, completed a study that shows the use of continuous cropping systems can better sustain crop yields while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in semi-arid regions.NPARL research scientists Upendra M. Sainju, Brett L. Allen, and Jalal D. Jabro evaluated the effect of three long-term (34-year project) dryland cropping systems on GHG emissions and crop yields in the U.S. northern Great Plains. The objective was to evaluate improved cropping systems like continuous cropping, which involves growing crops annually and eliminating the summer fallow (unplanted field) period, for GHG emissions and sustainable crop yields in dryland conditions."The study revealed that long-term no-till continuous cropping systems can reduce GHG emissions while sustaining crop yields compared to the conventional till crop-fallow system, which is the traditional two-year crop rotation of dryland farming in the Northern Great Plains," explained Sainju.As the demand for agricultural production increases, it is becoming more important to mitigate GHG emissions from croplands. Certain cropping systems, management practices, and use of nitrogen-based fertilizers add to the total emissions of N₂O (nitrous oxide) and CH₄ (methane) that contribute to the approximate 10 percent of the total GHG emissions coming from the agricultural sector. Implementing innovative agricultural strategies that can maintain or increase crop yields while reducing GHG emissions has become critical. This is especially important in arid and semi-arid regions, which make up one-third of the global arable land and account for a significant portion of GHG emissions coming from crop production.Scientists conducted the study on three different dryland cropping systems that had been producing crop yields and affecting soil health for 34 years. The three systems included no-till continuous spring wheat, no-till spring wheat-pea, and conventional till spring wheat-fallow.The study tested N₂O and CH₄ gas emissions twice a week to once a month throughout the year and analyzed carbon sequestration rates from 2012 to 2019 and crop yields, GHG balance, and yield-scaled GHG balance from 2016 to 2018.Overall, the no-till continuous cropping systems reduced net GHG balance by 66–149% compared to the conventional till crop-fallow system.In looking at the two no-till continuous cropping systems studied, Sainju noted, "Although the no-till continuous nonlegume cropping increased carbon sequestration rate and reduced GHG balance and yield-scaled GHG balance, it reduced crop yield due to increased weed and pest pressure and enhanced soil acidity compared to the no-till legume-nonlegume rotation."Therefore, no-till legume-nonlegume rotation is an ideal cropping system to enhance crop yield and reduce GHG emissions compared to no-till continuous nonlegume cropping system in dryland cropping systems of the U.S. northern Great Plains." The study is part of USDA-ARS ongoing long-term research on dryland cropping systems. Details about the latest study can be found in the Journal of Environmental Quality.

Injecting manure into growing cover crops can cut pollution, support corn crops -Nitrogen in the soil, where plants can readily utilize it, benefits crop growth and health. However, nitrogen leaving the soil—whether through leaching into the groundwater table, flowing with surface runoff into streams or escaping into the air as ammonia or in nitrous oxide emissions—is detrimental to the environment. Nitrogen management is a concern for dairy farmers, especially those in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the U.S. Northeast who use manure as a fertilizer and employ no-till agriculture for improved soil health, lower fuel and labor costs, less dust and erosion, and better water conservation. To better guide these farmers, a team of Penn State agricultural scientists conducted a new study on dairy manure management strategies for ecosystem services in no-till crop systems. In findings recently published in the Agronomy Journal,, they report a new strategy that achieves multiple conservation goals while maintaining corn yield: injecting manure into a growing cover crop in early spring. "Applying manure early in the spring synchronized with a growing cover crop, when temperatures are cooler, can reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions compared to later in the spring when temperatures are warmer, and the cover crop has been terminated," said first author Sailesh Sigdel, a doctoral degree candidate in agricultural and environmental plant science. "This practice offers a potential strategy to simultaneously achieve multiple conservation and agronomic goals." Many no-till dairy farmers grow winter crops, such as cereal rye or annual ryegrass and red clover, between corn and forage crops grown for cattle feed, noted research team leader Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production/ecology in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Injecting manure into growing cover crops can cut pollution, support corn crops A gas analyzer connected to a vented static chamber used in this study to measure nitrous oxide emissions from a research plot. Credit: Sailesh Sigdel/Penn State "Cover crops are grown to increase soil organic matter and improve soil fertility by capturing excess nutrients after a summer annual crop is harvested," she said. "They also help prevent soil erosion, limit nutrient runoff, improve soil structure and can even help suppress weeds." The surest way to prevent nitrogen loss as ammonia gas and nitrogen-laden runoff is to inject liquid manure below the surface of the ground, Karsten said, explaining that this approach is considered a best management practice to lessen agricultural pollution in the troubled Chesapeake Bay watershed, to which Pennsylvania belongs. But it's not a perfect strategy. "While manure injection typically conserves ammonia, we also know that conserved nitrogen can contribute to increased emissions of nitrous oxide—a potent greenhouse gas that is contributing to climate change—through a process in the soil known as nitrification and denitrification," she said. "In 2022, about 75% of U.S. nitrous oxide emissions were from agriculture. So, our research focused on how to reduce those emissions." In experiments conducted at Penn State's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, the researchers compared four dairy farming scenarios. They evaluated early spring surface broadcasting and liquid dairy manure injection for a growing cover crop, as well as with late-spring applications for a cover crop that was terminated by an herbicide. "Our study found that when manure was injected into live cover crops in early spring, it reduced nitrous oxide loss by 55% while maintaining yields compared to the current recommended injection practice of applying manure after terminating cover crops before corn planting," Sigdel said. "This approach offers a potential win-win manure and cover crop management strategy, achieving both agronomic and environmental goals."

For many in the UK, 2024 was the year without a butterfly -- The charity behind the world's largest butterfly survey has declared a national emergency.Butterfly Conservation's annual Big Butterfly Count, which started in 2010, asks people in the UK to tally the number of butterflies and day-flying moths they see. Over 85,000 volunteers recorded their sightings in 2024, over 25 days between mid-July and early August when conditions for spotting butterflies are usually best.The results are in. This summer saw the lowest average number of butterflies per 15-minute count in the survey's 14-year history: seven, down from 12 last year. A third of species had their worst summer on record, while more than 9,000 counts reported no butterflies at all. Comparing butterfly numbers between years is tricky, especially if you only cover part of the season. Some species fly early in the season, others emerge later. Cold weather can delay the development of larvae and reduce butterfly activity while hot and sunny weather can speed it up. This means that the peak of butterfly abundance shifts between years depending on the weather. The Big Butterfly Count, meanwhile, runs over 25 days when data shows that butterfly activity and abundance usually peaks, even in fairly cool and wet summers like 2024. Tens of thousands of enthusiasts count intensively during this period.More than 140,000 counts were recorded this year. Because of the sheer amount of data, I would say that the low number of butterflies in 2024—by far the lowest ever—shows a very serious result indeed. Previous years had their dips, but this is on a scale not seen before.Any given year could be a bad year for butterflies just by chance. But pay attention to the trends in the report. Eleven species (65% of all) are decreasing and only three (11%) have increased over the last 14 years. This fits with what other schemes in the UK and continental Europe have found.The European butterfly monitoring scheme combines the population trends of 17 species, several of which, including the Meadow Brown and the Common Blue, are also tracked by the UK's Big Butterfly Count. This combined analysis starts with 1990, and shows a steep decline in population densities of these butterflies during the first ten years, a more stable period for ten years and then a 36% decline between 2010 and 2020.Caterpillars need plants to eat and adult butterflies need nectar. Unfortunately, much of the habitat where butterflies could reliably find these things is now intensively managed. Farmland weeds are fought with efficient herbicides, insecticides can harm butterflies even when they are not the target.It is not just intensive land management that hurts butterflies. Valuable habitats, such as flower-rich grasslands, are abandoned when farming is no longer economically viable and can turn into shrubland or forest.

Invasive caterpillars can make aspen forests more toxic for native insects—ecologists explain how - When we walked with a colleague into an aspen forest near Madison, Wisconsin, in the early spring of 2021, we expected to finalize our plans for a research project on several species of insects that live and feed on the trees. Instead, we found a forest laden with fuzzy, brown egg masses.These masses, belonging to an invasive species known as the spongy moth, brought our plans to a screeching stop. We knew that within weeks, hungry spongy moth caterpillars would strip the forest bare. As seasoned scientists, we've seen that good science stories sometimes end up nowhere near where the researchers first anticipated. This is one of those stories. And like many good stories, it incorporates villains, beauty, poison and death. After an initial period of distressed hand-wringing about the fate of our aspen forest, we pivoted our research plans. We decided to address how defoliation—another word for leaf consumption—by an invasive species might alter the chemical composition of plants, to the detriment of native species.All plants produce defense compounds to fend off herbivores, like insects, that try to eat them. These defenses include well-known chemicals like tannins, caffeine and cyanide. In turn, insects have evolved adaptations to these chemical defenses tailored to the particular species that they feed on.The results from this study surprised even us and were published in September 2023 in the journal Ecology and Evolution. As a keystone species, aspen has been ecologically successful in part because of its unique chemistry. It produces a class of defense compounds called salicinoids. Under most conditions, these defenses keep herbivores from fully defoliating the trees. Invasive spongy moths (Lymantria dispar) are the most destructive defoliators of broadleaf forests in North America. Aspen is a favored food plant of spongy moths, which feed on expanding leaves in early summer. Athigh population densities, spongy moths can defoliate extensive areas of forest. This spongy moth-induced carnage does not bode well for other insects that depend on aspen for food, such as the native silk moth Anthereae polyphemus, which feeds on aspen from mid- to late summer.From May through June 2021, spongy moth caterpillars ate nearly every green leaf in our aspen forest.By early July, however, the trees grew another full set of leaves. A second aspen forest of the same age, located 4 miles (6 kilometers) away, experienced no defoliation. We collected leaves from both forests in late summer and analyzed them for levels of salicinoids.We also fed the native polyphemus caterpillars leaves from either the defoliated or control forest to see how the defense compounds might influence their ability to live and grow.We found that after defoliation by spongy moths, aspen trees grew a second set of leaves with much higher levels of salicinoids—an average of 8.4 times higher. In contrast, the control forest had leaves with far lower salicinoid levels, typical of aspen in late summer.The high levels of defense compounds in the defoliated forest caused serious damage to the native silk moth caterpillars. Few caterpillars survived when fed leaves from the previously defoliated forest. Those that did survive had stunted growth.

Invasive species are reshaping aquatic ecosystems, one lake at a time -- Freshwater ecosystems in Canada and around the world are under siege.Lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands face many environmental threats, but one that is changing them most rapidly is the spread of invasive non-native species.In recent years, there have been numerous outbreaks of invasive species in Canadian lakes. Zebra musselscontinue to spread in Québec and Manitoba. Chinese mystery snails are increasingly found in lakes in eastern Canada. Eurasian watermilfoil has spread to the maritime provinces. Meanwhile, goldfish have become superabundant in small lakes and ponds throughout the country. Far from being isolated cases, these outbreaks are symptoms of a form of global change. Freshwater ecosystems are highly prone to invasion and susceptible to human disturbances. Most non-native species are introduced through human activities or infrastructure. For example, ballast water release from cargo ships delivered more than half of all non-native species known in the Great Lakes. The spread of species into lakes is also facilitated by canals, fish stocking, bait bucket dumping, recreational boating and pet release. Invasive aquatic plants are often snagged on the propellers and trailers of recreational boats moved between lakes; the plants themselves may carry attached zebra mussels, which can live out of water for several days during overland transport on boat trailers.The release of aquarium pets is another driver of invasion. One studyestimated that more than 10,000 fish purchased from Montréal pet stores are released into lakes and rivers annually. Consequently, rates of invasion for freshwater ecosystems are among the highest of any habitat type and continue to increase.Lakes, rivers and wetlands make up about one percent of the Earth's surface area but hold nearly 10 percent of all living species, including more than half of all known fish species. This diversity is being eroded faster than that of terrestrial and coastal marine ecosystems, in part because of the impacts of invasion.Although it can be challenging to disentangle the impacts of invasion from other human stressors, in various freshwater ecosystems the primary driver of declines of freshwater fishes has been revealed to be invasive species rather than habitat alteration. One reason that lakes are more sensitive to invasive species is because they contain life that lack adequate defenses to a broad range of invaders. For example, non-native trout that have been stocked in historically fish-less lakes in western North America have caused declines in native frogs that have evolved without pressure to adapt to large aquatic predators. Similarly, zebra mussels overgrow and smother the shells of native freshwater mussels, which have no evolutionary experience with such fouling organisms. Many native mussel populations in the lower Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system and other invaded waterbodies have been decimated by the zebra mussel. Aquatic invasive species threaten fisheries, water quality, local economies and human health. These impacts can extend well beyond the invaded lake. Whenthe predatory peacock bass invaded Lake Gatun (Panama) in the late 1960s, it wiped out small insect-eating fishes that played an important role in suppressing mosquito larvae. Consequently, the adult mosquito population around the lake exploded, which increased the risk of malaria to humans in the area.The unauthorized introduction of lake trout in Yellowstone Lake in the United States in the 1990s fundamentally altered the lake's food web. These introduced trout caused the decline of a native fish that was a key food source for the grizzly bear, forcing the bears to shift their diet toward land mammals (juvenile elk), putting these species in turn under increasing pressure.The European spiny waterflea, a predator that feeds on smaller zooplankton, invaded the Great Lakes through ballast water release in the 1980s and spread to inland lakes like Lake Mendota, where it attained enormous densities. Its voracious feeding caused a massive decline in native algae-eating waterfleas. The absence of these herbivores allowed phytoplankton to bloom and degrade water quality, thereby harming the aesthetic and recreational value of Lake Mendota.In the lower Great Lakes, the filtration activities of invasive zebra and quagga mussels caused drastic increases in water clarity, which promoted excessive growth of algae on the lake bottom. When this mass of algae decomposed at the end of summer, it reduced the oxygen concentration in the bottom of the lake, creating the perfect conditions for the proliferation of botulism. The bacteria accumulated in the mussels, which allowed their toxin to be transferred to mussel predators including an invasive fish called the round goby. Thousands of fish-eating birds died after consuming toxic gobies.These cases demonstrate the extensive impacts that invasive species can have on lakes and surrounding ecosystems.

Climate change means we may have to learn to live with invasive species - Invasive species are often looked upon with suspicion. From non-native "weeds" to insects andaquatic invaders, introduced (or non-native) species continue to be misunderstood—and consequently often mismanaged. Stated plainly, the vast majority of intentionally or unintentionally introduced species are not a threat to native ecosystems. Governments and conservation organizations spend an enormous amount of their time and funding targeting the control of invasive species. Yet, most introduced species removal efforts are ineffective, time-consuming and usually unsuccessful in the long term. Certainly, some invasive species—such as the zebra mussel or the emerald ash borer—can pose a threat to native habitats and efforts to control their spread are worthwhile. However, the vast majority of introduced species pose no danger at all to native ecosystems and in some cases can even provide new benefits. Simply put, an over-fixation on demonizing "invasive" species, and controlling their spread, is ultimately futile and limits our understanding. Contemporary conservation practice is complex and biased against introduced species with a focus on maintaining ecosystems as they were. This policy and practice, while well-meaning, is leading us to underestimate the positive roles that introduced species can play in maintaining ecosystem resiliency. At worst, these policies can even have unintended negative consequences for our ecosystems. For example, herbicide treatments designed to cull invasive plants have affected butterfly populations by unintentionally killing off native plants. What's more, some invasive species can aid local ecosystems by helping to filter the air and water of contaminants, and some introduced species can be more drought-tolerant than native species in a world of increasingly human-modified climate extremes. More fundamentally, "fortress" conservation policies are likely ultimately futile. Introduced plants are here to stay and are already highly adapted to local habitats, making their eradication challenging and perhaps even counter-productive to overall ecosystem health.Increasing evidence suggests that some introduced species may even be more likely to adapt to certain climate extremes than native plants in that area.Finally, introduced plants often differ in their characteristics from native plants, meaning they can provide new roles or replace the roles formerly served by native plants. For example, the introduced Siberian elm has adapted well to river areas that are now too dry for native elms. The introduced elm has been found to contribute similar roles in the community, like photosynthesis and providing wildlife habitats. All this means that introduced plants could be well-placed to support, or even buffer, current ecosystems as they undergo transitions due to climate change.

'Invisible forest' of phytoplankton thrives as ocean warms, study shows An "invisible forest" of phytoplankton is thriving in part of our warming ocean, new research shows. Phytoplankton are tiny drifting organisms that do about half of the planet's primary production (forming living cells by photosynthesis). The new study, by the University of Exeter, examined phytoplankton at the ocean surface and the subsurface—a distinct layer of water beneath—to see how climate variability is affecting them. Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the findings show these two communities are reacting differently. The paper is titled "Climate variability shifts the vertical structure of phytoplankton in the Sargasso Sea." Over the last decade, the total biomass (living material) of subsurface phytoplankton has increased in response to warming. Meanwhile, surface phytoplankton now has less chlorophyll—making it less green—but in fact, total biomass has remained stable. Based on 33 years of data from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) in the Sargasso Sea, the findings also suggest the depth of the surface mixed-layer (region of turbulence at the surface of the ocean) has shallowed as the ocean rapidly warmed in the last decade. "It's important to understand these trends because phytoplankton are the foundation of the marine food web, and play a key role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere," said Dr. Johannes Viljoen, from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall. CTD rosette – a device equipped with sensors and bottles to collect water samples and measure different properties of the ocean at various depths. Credit: Dr Xuerong Sun "Our findings reveal that deep-living phytoplankton, which thrive in low-light conditions, respond differently to ocean warming and climate variability compared to surface phytoplankton. "We typically rely on satellite observations to monitor phytoplankton, but the subsurface is hidden from satellite view. "Our study highlights the limitations of satellite observations, and underscores the urgent need for improved global monitoring of phytoplankton below what satellites can see." Co-author Dr. Bob Brewin added, "Changes at the base of the food web can have cascading effects on marine life, from tiny zooplankton to large fish and marine mammals. "So the future of phytoplankton will have major implications for biodiversity, as well as climate change." Dr. Viljoen added, "Continued monitoring of these deep-living phytoplankton will help scientists better understand ongoing changes in the ocean that might otherwise go unnoticed."

Endangered sea corals moved from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restorationScientists have moved about 300 endangered sea corals from South Florida to the Texas Gulf Coast for research and restoration.Nova Southeastern University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christiresearchers packed up the corals Wednesday at the NSU's Oceanographic Campus in Dania Beach. The sea creatures were then loaded onto a van, taken to a nearby airport and flown to Texas.Researchers were taking extreme caution with the transfer of these delicate corals, NSU researcher Shane Wever said."The process that we're undertaking today is a really great opportunity for us to expand the representation of the corals that we are working with and the locations where they're stored," Wever said. "Increasing the locations that they're stored really acts as safeguards for us to protect them and to preserve them for the future."Each coral was packaged with fresh clean sea water and extra oxygen, inside of a protective case and inside of insulated and padded coolers, and was in transport for the shortest time possible.NSU's marine science research facility serves as a coral reef nursery, where rescued corals are stored, processed for restoration and transplanted back into the ocean. The school has shared corals with other universities, like the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University and Texas State University, as well as the Coral Restoration Foundation in the Florida Keys.

Dead coral skeletons hinder reef regeneration by sheltering seaweed -- The structural complexity of coral reefs creates a vibrant underwater city populated by a diverse assortment of characters. Ironically, this same complexity can impede coral recovery after disturbances. Researchers working at reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia found that the network of dead coral skeletons left in place by bleaching events caused critical processes to break down, ultimately preventing reefs from recovering. The complex landscape protects seaweed from herbivores, enabling it to quickly colonize the reef and outgrow young coral. The results appear in the journalGlobal Change Biology. Coral reefs are busy ecosystems undergoing constant change. Every now and again, a larger disturbance will rock the reef, like a storm, an influx of coral predators, or a bleaching event. While all of these can deal a blow to the ecosystem, small nuances can drastically affect the reef's recovery.Historically, tropical storms and cyclones have been the biggest disruptors to Moorea's reefs. "They tend to scrape all the coral off the reef and leave behind a flat surface," said lead author Kai Kopecky, a former doctoral student in UCSB's Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology. But bleaching and predation are on the rise, and these events kill coral, but leave the reef's structure intact.Bleaching occurs when stress—usually heat—causes corals to expel thesymbiotic algae that provide them with food. Coral can recover from this if conditions quickly return to their liking, but often the colony simply dies,especially in the presence of other stressors like pollution.A cyclone walloped Moorea's reefs in 2010. "It removed basically every single coral colony off the fore reef," Kopecky said. "But within about five years, it recovered back to the amount of coral it had before the storm had hit."The reef experienced a big bleaching event in 2019, a year after Kopecky began working on the island. "It basically just cooked and killed about half the corals on the reef," he recalled. But unlike the storm, this disturbance left all the dead coral structure in place.Kopecky and his colleagues at the Moorea Coral Reef site noticed that the reef didn't experience the same remarkable recovery in the following years. Instead, coral continued to die, and macroalgae, commonly known as seaweed, began to proliferate. Kopecky was curious how the differences between the two events affected reef recovery processes. In 2023, he and his co-authors published a mathematical model of the system, and this new field study focuses on describing the mechanisms at work."This combination of time series data on long term responses of ecosystems, mathematical modeling and field experimentation greatly enriches our scientific understanding and ability to devise practical solutions," said co-author Professor Russ Schmitt, lead principal investigator at the Moorea Coral Reef LTER site."The multi-decadal, site-based research focus makes the LTER network both unique and of immense value in our rapidly changing world," said LTER co-principal investigator Professor Sally Holbrook, who is also one of the study's authors.The team prepared small patches of the reef to create a blank slate for their experiment. They then cemented a controlled number of dead coral skeletons in each patch and plugged healthy young coral into the reef in a way that each could be periodically removed and measured as they grew. They also added trays of macroalgae to compare herbivory within the bleached skeletons to consumption out in the open."We found that dead coral skeletons prevent herbivores from being able to remove macroalgae, enabling growth and preventing new corals from being able to settle and survive on the reef," Kopecky said.

Scientists unearth key clues to cuisine of resident killer whale populations - A team led by researchers at the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has uncovered key information about what resident killer whale populations are eating. Researchers had long known that resident killer whales—also known as resident orcas—prefer to hunt fish, particularly salmon. But some populations thrive, while others have struggled. Scientists have long sought to understand the role that diet plays in these divergent fates."Killer whales are incredibly intelligent, and learn foraging strategies from their matriarchs, who know where to find the richest prey resources in their regions," said Amy Van Cise, UW assistant professor of aquatic and fishery sciences, who began this study as a postdoctoral researcher with NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center. "So we wanted to know: Does all of that social learning affect diet preferences in different populations of resident killer whales, or in pods within populations?"In a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Van Cise and her colleagues report the cuisine preferences of two resident killer whale populations: the Alaska residents and the southern residents, which reside primarily in the Salish Sea and off the coast of Washington, Oregon and northern California.The two populations show broad preference for salmon, particularly Chinook, chum and coho. But they differ in when they switch to hunting and eating different salmon species, as well as the other fish species they pursue to supplement their diets.Southern resident killer whales are critically endangered, while other populations are growing. This new study will inform conservation efforts for resident killer whales from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska.While the rivers of Alaska, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest have historically provided resident killer whales with abundant levels of salmon, humans have recently disrupted this food supply—both directly by polluting waters and building dams that reduce salmon runs, and indirectly by generating noise pollution that interferes with hunting.In addition, in the latter half of the 20th century, resident killer whales—particularly southern residents—were captured and penned in amusement parks, which disrupted their social structure and further reduced their numbers.This anthropogenic impact has left its mark. While Alaska resident killer whales number in the thousands and the northern resident killer whale population is growing steadily, southern resident killer whale numbers have plateaued at approximately 75 individuals. Recent research has implicatednoise pollution from cargo vessels and higher rates of pregnancy failure as factors.For this study, the team from 2011 to 2021 collected fecal samples from both southern resident and Alaska resident killer whales at various points during the year. The researchers analyzed DNA in the fecal samples to determine what the killer whales were eating. They discovered that the summer diet of Alaska residents included more chum and coho salmon, in contrast to the Chinook-heavy summer diet of a southern resident killer whale.

First polar bear spotted in Iceland since 2016 is shot dead by police --A polar bear was spotted in Iceland for the first time since 2016—and was promptly shot dead by police. Police said they had no option but to kill the animal after consultations with environmental authorities. The bear is believed to have traveled to Iceland from Greenland on an iceberg, a journey of hundreds of miles. It was killed in Höfðastrand, on the northwestern tip of the island, on Thursday. Broadcaster RÚV said Friday a number of icebergs have recently been spotted off the Icelandic coast. Authorities said the bear was healthy and weighed between 330 and 440 pounds. It has been transported back to the capital Reykjavík for tests. The last polar bear sighting in Iceland was in 2016. After two bears arrived in Iceland in 2008, authorities decided that they would be killed due to the risk they posed to humans and livestock. Experts also said that the animals could not survive long in Iceland due to the lack of sea ice and a limited food supply. Females would not be able to give birth, nor raise offspring on the volcanic island. The cost of returning the bear to Greenland is too high, authorities said, forcing police to kill the animal.

Mass animal extinctions: A new tool can show why large mammals are in decline --We could be witnessing the sixth mass extinction at an alarming rate worldwide. It's marked by the rapid loss of species due to human activities like habitat destruction, pollution and climate change. Unlike previous mass extinctions, which were caused by natural events, this one is driven by human impact—like growing populations, pollution, invasive plant species and human-wildlife conflict.Large mammals are especially at risk, in Africa as elsewhere. For instance, nearly 60% of wild herbivores—such as elephants and hippos—are already threatened with extinction.Effective conservation and recovery strategies are needed. To develop them, you need to know how the population of a certain animal is doing and, if it is in decline, what's causing it.One tool that's useful here is a model, using biology, math, statistics and computer software.The problem is that there aren't enough of these realistic, effective models forlarge mammals. There's a shortage of appropriate data and the models are complex to build.I was part of a team that developed a model to help fill that void. It's the first to account for how large mammal populations interact with each other and their environment while also incorporating their detailed biology. It draws on valuable existing data and can be adapted for various wildlife species.We tested the model on populations of east Africa's topi (a large antelope). From the results we're able to deduce that the drivers of the topi's massive population decline were habitat loss, poaching and killing by predators.Knowing what's driving population declines is extremely valuable. Large mammals play a critical role in ecosystems. Changes to their populations will also affect many other species and could cause the extinction of connected species.

Medicinal tree successfully grown from 1,000-year-old seed found in cave --An international team of botanists, agriculturists and historians has successfully grown a mature tree from an ancient seed found in a cave in Israel. In their paper, published in the journal Communications Biology, the group describes where the seed was found, the work that was done to discover its origins and what they have learned about its history as it has sprouted and grown into a mature tree.. In the 1980s, researchers excavating a cave in the Judean Desert, in Israel, uncovered a seed that was subsequently dated to sometime between 993 and 1202 AD, making it approximately 1,000 years old. Testing of the seed suggested that it was still viable, so the research team planted and tended to it. A little while later, it sprouted. Now, 14 years later, the tree has grown to maturity. The tree, which the team has named Sheba, is approximately 3 meters in height with green leaves on its limbs. As the tree has grown, the researchers have conducted a study of its wood, resin and leaves. They report that its type is now extinct. They also found evidence of pentacyclic triterpenoids—compounds that are known to reduce inflammation in human patients. And they found an oil type, a squalene that is known to be an antioxidant and which has also been used as a skin treatment. Finding the seed in a cave, the team notes, suggests that people living in the region planted such trees, further suggesting they knew of its medicinal qualities. This, they theorize, may be evidence that resin from the tree might be the "tsori" medicinal compound mentioned in the Bible several times. The researchers have also found that the tree belongs to the genus Commiphora, which belongs to the same family as frankincense and myrrh. Its species is still unknown, however, because the tree has not yet flowered, preventing study of its reproductive features. The findings indicate that the tree represents an extinct lineage, one that once populated the region. It is not known why the trees went extinct.

Research predicts rise in tropical hydraulic failure -Hydraulic failure in tropical environments is expected to increase, according to new research published in New Phytologist. As weather patterns change and temperatures rise, plants will need to adapt in order to survive. Hydraulic failure occurs when more water is lost from transpiration than is taken in through the roots. If uncorrected, the xylem loses conductivity and the plant will not survive."Increases in hydraulic failure rates will likely increase mortality and vegetation turnover. Over extended periods, this will alter the vegetative composition, forcing more drought-tolerant species to become a more significant proportion of forests," said Zachary Robbins, a research scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and corresponding author of the paper."The long-term risk is that we may be losing natural land carbon stores during a time when we need to reduce atmospheric carbon."The paper is the first to use the FATES-HYDRO model to assess the risk of hydraulic failure, which is an important piece of the puzzle for scientists to understand the impacts of changing climates. The results show that, while rising temperatures in tropical climates generally result in short-term productivity improvements, the long-term effects lead to significantly increased mortality rates.Previous studies have relied on the Penman-Monteith-Leuning model, which does not account for two important variables: increased carbon dioxide and vapor pressure deficit. Robbins' study analyzed plant trait assemblages to determine which might perform well under future climate conditions. Robbins and his team used 16 Earth-system models to test different traits under potential future scenarios.Hydraulic failure is an amalgamation of several plant trait assemblages, and the ability to understand how those assemblages interact with one another to contribute to hydraulic failure is crucial to understanding how to promote healthy growth.The reduction of tropical forests due to hydraulic failure would be felt around the world.

Amazon River basin experiencing worst drought on record - The Amazon River basin is experiencing its worst drought on record, with several riverbeds that were once waterways now drying up. The Amazon River basin is experiencing its worst drought on record, with several riverbeds that were once waterways now drying up. The Madeira River in Porto Velho City fell to 0.48 m (1.57 feet) on Tuesday at 12:15 local time, significantly lower than the average of 3.32 m (10.9 feet) for this time of year. The water level dropped by 0.31 m (1.02 feet) in the past seven days. Several other rivers have also fallen significantly compared to their daily averages. The Solimões, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon River, has fallen to its lowest level on record in Tabatinga. A branch of the river has dried up completely farther downstream in Tefé. In Tefé, the river level is around 2.92 m (9.58 feet), significantly lower than last year’s levels for the same period. Lake Tefé has also dried up, endangering the habitat of freshwater dolphins. In Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, where the Solimões meets the Rio Negro to form the main Amazon River, the Rio Negro’s water level is nearing the record low set in October of last year. In addition, 2024 has been the worst year for fires in the Amazon since 2005. Compared to last year, the forest has seen a 104 % increase in fire hotspots between January and August. By the end of August 2024, around 65 000 fire hotspots had been recorded, the highest number since 2005. In August alone, there was a 120 % increase in fire hotspots, with over 38 000 recorded, compared to 17 373 last year. Fires have burned approximately 5.4 million ha (13.4 million acres) of land in the Amazon this year, with more than 2 million ha (5 million acres) burned in August alone.

Biden administration inks deals to bring major relief to Colorado River’s biggest reservoir --The Biden administration and southwestern Colorado River users have partnered on a large-scale conservation effort poised to bring significant relief to the region’s key reservoir, officials announced Wednesday. The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation and Southern California stakeholders signed two short-term “Bucket 1” agreements — funded by the Inflation Reduction Act — to conserve more than 717,000 acre-feet of water by 2026.“These agreements are proving critical to the stability of the Colorado River system,” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton said at a Wednesday signing ceremony. “These ‘Bucket 1’ agreements celebrated today will collectively add 10 feet to Lake Mead’s elevation by 2026.”Touton was referring to the Colorado River’s largest reservoir, which in recent years has been dwindling due to both overconsumption and climate-fueled drought conditions.The Bucket 1 agreements were signed with the Imperial Irrigation District and Bard Water District, in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.The deal with the Imperial Irrigation District alone will provide up to 700,000 acre-feet of system conservation for Lake Mead, through a total investment of about $589.2 million, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.The agreement with Metropolitan, which serves areas in and around Los Angeles, and Bard, which is near California’s southeastern border with Arizona, will enable the conservation of up to 17,100 acre-feet of water at a cost of $6.8 million.For reference, the average American household uses about 1 acre-foot of water annually. A recent Bureau of Reclamation study projected that by Jan. 1, Lake Mead’s elevation would be about 13 feet below the level that triggers a water shortage determination.Federal officials on Wednesday also signed the first of three longer-term, “Bucket 2” conservation agreements with Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community, in an effort that is expected to conserve about 73,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water within the next decade.Those agreements involve the investment of $107 million into three projects, out of a total $700 million allocated from the Inflation Reduction Act for conservation initiatives in the Colorado River’s Lower Basin, which includes Nevada, Arizona and California.Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said at Wednesday’s ceremony that his community was “standing ready to look at any and all ways” to both address Colorado River system issues and to take the lead in various conservation projects.The Gila River Indian Community has the rights to one of the biggest shares of Colorado River water among tribal nations in the Lower Basin — about 653,500 acre-feet of the basin’s 7.5 million acre-feet.The community has long been deeply involved and proactive in systemwide conservation efforts, taking a lead on various types of innovative water storage initiatives.

California to impose higher fines for illegal water diversion --Californians will soon be subject to a sharp rise in punitive fines for illegal diversions of water resources, after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill into law this weekend.Newsom on Sunday granted his approval to A.B. 460, which will raise potential fines for those who steal water from rivers to up to $10,000 daily.That’s 20 times more than violators had to pay two years ago, when state officials charged $4,000 — about $50 per person — when a group of Siskiyou County ranchers diverted water from Shasta River, according to CalMatters.A $50-per-person fine “is not precisely what I would call a deterrent,” Analise Rivero, associate director of policy at the conservation group California Trout, told The Hill.“For us, this is a massive victory,” added Rivero, whose organization co-sponsored the bill.The increased fines come as years of rising temperatures and drought driven by climate change have jeopardized California’s water supplies and species of wildlife that make their homes in the state’s waterways, leading the government to implement wide-ranging conservation measures.Under A.B. 460, individuals who violate a permit or a floodwater diversion reporting requirement for groundwater recharge will be charged a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day for each day that the violation occurs, beginning in 2026 — double the current amount of $500.Infractions will be subject to the much higher fine when they violate a “curtailment order” — an order issued by the State Water Resources Control Board to prohibit water use when there is insufficient supply in a given watershed.In such a scenario, water burglars will need to pay up to $10,000 per day, plus $2,500 for every acre-foot of water diverted, according to the law.“We believe that the fines are meaningful,” Rivero said, explaining that at this point, those penalties are “no longer the cost of doing business.”

A key ingredient has been missing from California’s wildfires this year. Experts worry things will get worse if it arrives — Large, explosive and destructive fires have torn through parts of California this year, well before the state’s most extreme fire weather conditions typically arrive, and it’s stoking fears that the season has devastating potential to come.It’s all happening because weather extremes that are becoming more likely in a warming world are combining with volatile effect.It’s been a typical fire season in California so far based on overall statistics. More than 6,000 wildfires have scorched nearly 1 million acres – very close to the average of about 950,000 acres, according to data from CAL FIRE. Only, some of the fires have been anything but normal.The Park Fire ignited in July in Northern California and grew so fast and furious it became the fourth-largest in state history. The blaze tore through an area about the size of San Diego, destroyed at least 700 structures and injured at least three firefighters.The still-burning Line Fire got so violent last week it created its own weather. Just west of it was the Bridge Fire, which displayed jaw-dropping growth when it burned through about 12 miles of land in a single day, according to Tim Chavez, a retired assistant fire chief with CAL FIRE. These fires all happened without the notorious seasonal winds responsible for fanning some of the most menacing flames in state history, according to Chavez.The hot, dry air of the Santa Ana and Diablo winds originates in the desert and blows over mountains and out to sea. These winds create easily ignitable, bone-dry fuels and blow so intensely they can morph a small flame into a massive blaze.To have a fire like the Bridge Fire grow so rapidly without Santa Ana winds is “fairly significant and unusual,” Chavez remarked.Instead, it’s what’s on the ground that’s been fueling them.The amount of plant growth this year in parts of the state is nearly double what’s typical, mainly due to the state’s past two wet winters, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.All this new growth was dried out by bursts of heat during a record-hot summer. In early June, abnormally dry conditions only existed in about 1% of California, according to the US Drought Monitor. Now, more than 70% of the state is abnormally dry or worse.Fall marks a critical inflection point for fire season in California given typical weather conditions.Santa Ana and Diablo winds typically start to pick up in September and bouts of them persist through May.Once they arrive, the calculus for fire crews changes as fires driven by them make sudden, violent shifts. Chavez is “always” concerned about what Santa Ana winds could unleash on the fire season in Southern California.The region has already been highlighted by the National Interagency Fire Center as a potential hotspot for fire activity through at least December.But Chavez noted the state’s Central Coast could also be a trouble spot due to its immense fuels that have yet to burn.Even if the Santa Ana winds hold off a little longer, it’s possible fire weather conditions similar to what facilitated Southern California’s recent blazes could reemerge as soon as the end of September, according to Swain.

The Southern California Wildfire Paradox - The region is unusually prone to natural disasters—and unusually unprepared for them. - A heat wave struck Southern California earlier this month. Soon after, large swaths of the region began to burn. All three fires, the Line Fire, the Bridge Fire, and the Airport Fire, are still going. So far, they’ve engulfed almost 200 square miles, forcing evacuations in four counties and destroying dozens of homes. Southern Californians should know by now that natural disasters threaten our region more than most places in the United States. But time and again, we seem to forget fire season as soon as it ends, and we’re unready for nature’s fury when it inevitably returns. In June, ClaimGuide, an organization that educates consumers about insurance, published a report on natural-disaster preparedness that analyzed data from all counties in the United States. It sought to measure “community resilience,” which it defined as “the ability of a community to anticipate hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and recover rapidly.” It gave Los Angeles County “an exceedingly low score,” among the worst of all large counties. In terms of overall risk of economic loss due to natural disasters, “Los Angeles County scores 100 out of 100, making it the riskiest locale in the nation,” the report noted. Four of its five most at-risk counties in America are in California. Three are in Southern California. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed Golden State residents in July about disaster preparedness. Only 35 percent said that they were prepared for a natural disaster. Some aspired to do better: “23% intend to prepare in the next six months and 22% plan to do so in the next year,” the survey found. “The rest—20%—have no plans to prepare in the next year.” What’s more, “worries about wildfires do not appear to spur disaster preparedness,” the report continued, with “minimal differences in preparation” among Californians who view the threat of wildfires as “a big problem” or “not a problem” in their part of the state. Preparation levels were also similar “no matter how serious a personal or economic threat Californians rate wildfires.” This is a confounding portrait of a region that is unusually vulnerable to natural disasters and unusually unprepared for them, despite being aware of that lack when reminded of it. I’ve tried to make sense of this since my earliest days as a reporter, when I saw the terrifying power of wildfires, floods, and mudslides up close; spent time in communities that they devastated; and saw how neighboring communities did not seem alarmed or altered even when luck alone kept them safe. I’ve come to understand that life is typically so good in Southern California, a place spared seasonal challenges frequent in other regions, that simply ignoring nature is possible for long stretches, with inattentiveness often going unpunished. Two decades ago, during the 2003 Grand Prix and Old Fires, I was driving around Claremont, Rancho Cucamonga, and Fontana, watching the San Gabriel Mountains as Santa Ana winds began to blow, stoking an ominous orange glow that appeared to pulse on the far side of the range. What I saw next, while reporting for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, will always shape my attitude. Gusts pushed flames up onto ridges and scattered embers down into foothill housing tracts. Soon the whole mountain was on fire. I watched people flee in pickup trucks towing horse trailers, kids packed into cabs, loose picture frames tossed onto dashboards. I watched as a windrow of eucalyptus trees caught fire, the oil-rich leaves fueling the flames. That night, I went to bed covered in soot, woke up with burning lungs, and stepped outside to a car covered in ash. Days later, I stood with devastated homeowners on lots reduced to smoldering ruins. I also remember driving a few miles away for lunch and recognizing that, just a bit farther from the mountain, most people were unaffected by the biggest fire in a generation. While the air was thick with smoke, they noticed, but soon the smoke just drifted away. Seeing what I had seen, I was jarred by the speed with which they felt incuriosity and indifference toward the fire. But they hadn’t seen what I had seen, so what had been wrought on their neighbors didn’t penetrate their experience, as if the nice, sunny days that followed rendered it unimaginable. I didn’t need to imagine. And I’ve never again gone to sleep in a house or hotel in a wildfire zone without thinking about how I’d get out if awoken by a surprise blaze.

Forest fires engulf the entire Amazon basin -- Forest fires have consumed millions of hectares in the Amazon basin this year, due to global warming, an extreme two-year drought, and the illegal burning of forests and pastures. Peru alone has experienced 173 fires in 22 out of its 24 departments. The most affected departments are located in the north of the country, specifically Cajamarca, Amazonas, and San Martin, where the indigenous communities of the Awajún live. Pucallpa, the most populous city in the Peruvian Amazon, had to shut down its airport due to poor visibility, stranding merchants and tourists. Even the national park of the snow-capped peak in the Cordillera Blanca, Huascarán, the third highest in the country, has been bathed in smoke. During the first half of the year, the suffering inflicted by the fires on thousands of Peruvian Amazon region residents, including indigenous peoples, farmers, and ranchers, was only sporadically reported in small articles tucked away in the inside pages of the capital’s newspapers. The fires can no longer be brushed aside. As of now, the fires have resulted in 20 deaths in Peru, with many individuals succumbing to contaminated air inhalation, and over 100 injuries, leading to overburdened conditions in regional hospitals. This is due in no small part to the delay of the government of President Dina Boluarte in declaring a state of emergency in the 22 regions affected by the fires. For months, local governors had been reporting fires and requesting an emergency declaration to access the necessary funds to fight the fires, and demonstrations have been held in affected towns to demand aid. Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén’s response was that “there were no critical reasons” for a widespread emergency declaration. It wasn’t until September 17 that Adrianzén declared a state of emergency, and that in only three departments. The Awajún people, who live in the northern Amazonian departments of Peru, through the Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (Aidesep), and the Regional Association of Indigenous Peoples of the Central Rainforest (ARPI SC), strongly denounced the Peruvian government’s inaction. As reported in La República, they demanded that “the state of emergency be extended to the other regions affected by the forest fires.” The international press has attempted to attribute Amazonian forest fires to the traditional practice of burning to clear land for agriculture, thereby minimizing the impact of global warming that has exacerbated the two-year drought in the region. It is important to distinguish between the ancestral burning practices of the Amazonian peoples, and the illegal activities of drug traffickers and others who intentionally set fires to expand their economic activities at the expense of the Amazon’s wildlife and flora.

Hurricane “John” rapidly intensifies before making landfall in Mexico - With maximum winds of 193 km/h (120 mph), Hurricane “John” struck Mexico’s Pacific coastline on Monday, September 23, 2024, triggering evacuations and widespread flash floods. Flash floods and mudslides are expected in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero.

Hurricane “John” made landfall on Mexico’s southern Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm on September 24 (UTC), with wind speeds reaching 195 km/h (120 mph), causing widespread evacuations and dangerous flash floods and mudslides.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo, Mexico.
The Mexican government is urging citizens in affected areas to stay alert as John continues to move inland, with the potential to impact tourist hubs such as Acapulco and Puerto Escondido.
John is the 11^th named storm of the 2024 Pacific hurricane season.

Upon landfall, maximum wind speeds of 195 km/h (120 mph) were recorded. A storm surge of around 1.8 – 3 meters (6 – 10 feet) was forecast near the shore of south-central Mexico, east of where the eye of the storm moved. Sorry, the video player failed to load.(Error Code: 101102) The storm brought “life-threatening” flash floods, expected to continue along the southern coast of Mexico for the next few days, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). As of 09:00 UTC, the hurricane was located 185 km (115 miles) NW of Punta Maldonado and about 45 km (30 miles) NNW of Acapulco. It had a minimum central pressure of 990 mb, with maximum sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph). Hurricane “John” weakened to a Category 2 storm early on Tuesday, September 22, with maximum sustained winds of around 161 km/h (100 mph). It was expected to hit Punta Maldonado and the nearby tourist hubs Acapulco and Puerto Escondido before weakening over the high terrain inland. According to the governor of Oaxaca, 3 000 people have been evacuated, 1 000 military personnel have been deployed to deal with the emergency, and 80 shelters have been set up for residents. The cities of Puerto Ángel and Puerto Escondido are expected to be the hardest hit by John. While Acapulco may avoid the worst impact, it may still face wind gusts of 64 – 97 km/h (40 – 60 mph) as John continues to push inland. The Mexican government has downgraded the Hurricane Warning to a Tropical Storm Warning for the coast from Acapulco to Lagunas de Chacahua. This means that storm-like conditions are expected in parts of the warning areas. Citizens are urged to stay updated on the latest warnings and advisories in their regions. John has an estimated central pressure of 999 hPa and is currently moving to the NW at around 13 km/h (8 mph). Tropical storm-force winds extend outward from the center as far as 75 km (45 miles).

Major hurricane expected to form this week and threaten Florida's Gulf Coast --A major hurricane is expected to form this week and threaten the Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday.The NHC said in a forecast discussion Monday that a “disturbance” named Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine “is expected to intensify into a major hurricane before it approaches the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday.”In its forecast discussion, the NHS said “it is too soon to pinpoint the exact location and magnitude of impacts,” but also said ”the potential for life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Florida west coast is increasing.”“We are tracking Potential Tropical Cyclone #9, which is likely to strengthen this week as the system enters the Gulf of Mexico,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said in a post on the social platform X Monday. “I have issued Executive Order 24-208, declaring a state of emergency in 41 counties in Florida that could see potential impacts from the storm and directing Florida agencies to prepare as necessary. We will continue to monitor the storm’s path and keep Floridians updated.”Florida’s Division of Emergency Management also said in a post on X Monday that “Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 may impact Florida later this week.”“Prepare your home NOW. If you can pick it up, put it up!” the post continued. “Anything left outside of your home can become dangerous debris in high winds. Continue to monitor the weather & listen to all orders by local officials.”

Florida preparing for major hurricane impact, U.S. - Tropical Storm “Helene” is expected to rapidly intensify and become a major hurricane by Thursday, September 26, 2024, as it moves toward the Gulf Coast. Forecasts predict that the storm will bring dangerous flooding and strong winds to western Cuba, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the southeastern U.S. as early as Thursday. Tropical Storm “Helene” is predicted to intensify significantly, nearing hurricane strength as it approaches the northeastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula within the next several hours. The region is currently under a Hurricane Warning, and residents should be prepared for severe weather conditions. As Helene moves over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to rapidly intensify and expand in size, posing a substantial threat to the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Big Bend area. The most severe storm surge inundation is anticipated along the Florida Big Bend coast, where life-threatening conditions could develop. Local officials have issued warnings, and residents in these areas should heed evacuation orders and follow any guidance provided to ensure their safety Damaging hurricane-force winds are also forecast for portions of the Florida Big Bend coastline, where a Hurricane Warning is now in effect. Those in the warning area are advised to complete all preparations to protect life and property by early Thursday, as tropical storm conditions are expected to commence on Thursday. In addition to the wind and surge threats, Helene is set to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the western Caribbean, with the potential for significant flooding across western Cuba and the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula. As the storm progresses, considerable and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding is expected to impact areas of Florida, the Southeast, the Southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley from today through Friday. This includes the possibility of landslides in the Southern Appalachians due to the heavy rains. Widespread minor to moderate river flooding is likely, with isolated areas at risk for major river flooding. Tropical Storm “Helene” formed on Tuesday, September 24, as the 8th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and is forecast to become a hurricane on Wednesday, September 25, before reaching the Gulf Coast this week. As of 12:00 UTC on Wednesday, September 25, the storm was located approximately 100 km (60 miles) ENE of Cozumel, Mexico, and 160 km (100 miles) WSW of the western tip of Cuba. The system is currently moving northwest at a speed of 15 km/h (9 mph), with a minimum central pressure of around 979 hPa and maximum sustained winds of around 110 km/h (70 mph). Tropical storm-force winds are extending up to 280 km (175 miles) from the center. On the forecast track, the center of Helene will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico later today and Thursday, and reach the Big Bend coast of Florida late Thursday (LT), September 26. The storm is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and become a major hurricane on Thursday. A Storm Surge Warning is currently in effect for several regions, including Indian Pass southward to Flamingo, Tampa Bay, and Charlotte Harbor. This warning signals the potential for life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline, necessitating immediate preparedness for residents in these areas. Additionally, a Hurricane Warning has been issued for the areas stretching from Anclote River to Mexico Beach in Florida, as well as from Cabo Catoche to Tulum in Mexico, including the island of Cozumel. A Hurricane Warning indicates that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A Hurricane Watch is in place for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio and for the coastal areas from Englewood to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, typically within 48 hours. Residents in these areas should closely monitor updates and be ready to act if a warning is issued. Furthermore, a Tropical Storm Warning is effective for the Dry Tortugas, the entirety of the Florida Keys, and the Florida west coast from Flamingo to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay. It also covers areas west of Mexico Beach to the Walton/Bay County Line, the Florida east coast from Flamingo northward to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, Lake Okeechobee, and the regions from Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche in Mexico. Additionally, the Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio, and the Isle of Youth are under this warning. A Tropical Storm Warning indicates that tropical storm conditions, including sustained winds of 63-118 km/h (39-73 mph), are expected within 36 hours, and preparations should be completed as soon as possible. Lastly, a Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the coastal regions north of Altamaha Sound to the South Santee River in Georgia and South Carolina. This watch signals that tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours, and residents should be vigilant and ready to take action if conditions worsen. Tropical Storm “Helene” is forecast to bring significant rainfall across various regions, with total accumulations expected to range between 102 to 203 mm (4 to 8 inches) over western Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula. In some isolated areas, rainfall could reach up to 305 mm (12 inches), posing a serious threat of substantial flooding. Helene is projected to deliver even heavier rainfall in the Southeastern United States, with totals between 127 to 254 mm (5 to 10 inches) and isolated amounts reaching approximately 381 mm (15 inches). This intense rainfall is likely to cause widespread flash flooding and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. The southern Appalachian regions, particularly those with steep terrain, may also face the risk of landslides due to the heavy downpour.

"High-End Cat. 3" Hurricane Helene Forecast To Hit Florida's Big Bend -The National Hurricane Center reports around 1100 ET that Helene has reached hurricane status and is expected to produce "life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains to a large portion of Florida and the southeast US." 11AM EDT Sep 25: #Helene becomes a Hurricane. Helene is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains to a large portion of Florida and the southeast U.S. Make sure to stay up to date with the latest forecast as we move throughout the event at…pic.twitter.com/aiDCNlravO Hurricane Helene is expected to rapidly strengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and ahead of landfall on Thursday evening along the east part of the Florida Panhandle − possibly the Big Bend area. There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge from #Helene along the entire Florida Peninsula and Florida Big Bend, where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so. pic.twitter.com/WtYuQsfPD4 NHC forecasters believe Helene could strengthen to Category 4 status in the Gulf's warm waters. NEW: The National Hurricane Center is now projecting at least a high-end Category 3, but is considering upgrading their forecast to reflect a Category 4 landfall. #Helene pic.twitter.com/hEhYL1WGsJ This would mean the storm would achieve devastating maximum sustained winds between 130 and 156 mph. Some areas along the Big Bend could experience a storm surge of nearly 15 feet. Bloomberg data shows Helene will track just right of major oil/gas infrastructure in the Gulf and onshore. After landfall, the storm could track into the southern Appalachian area, unleashing extreme winds and torrential rains.As many have noted, #Helene wind+rain impacts will be extreme into the southern Appalachians. Model 850mb winds look potentially comparable to Opal, Irma, and Zeta (historically damaging N Georgia storms). Current drought in the region will reduce impacts just a bit. pic.twitter.com/R5Jjx2wHvj Some parts of the Appalachians are in desperate need of rain.

Hurricane Helene set to rip across north Florida overnight - — Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida and tear north over the state during the dark of night as a Category 3 or 4 storm, as the state prepares for potentially serious damage in and around Tallahassee, the state capital. The storm is currently at a Category 3, as of Wednesday afternoon, and headed north along Florida’s Gulf Coast toward Florida’s Big Bend region. “We’re already seeing some effects in the southern part of the state,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference Thursday morning. “We’re going to continue to see conditions deteriorate throughout the rest of the day.” Appearing on “Fox and Friends” ahead of the press conference, DeSantis predicted landfall would be around 7 p.m. Thursday morning marks the last window that people who want to evacuate can do so, DeSantis said, given that it’ll be too dangerous to be on the roads later. He recommended people in that region head west, toward Pensacola, or that they locate a shelter in their county. The Big Bend area is expected to see up to 20 feet of storm surge, which is when a hurricane’s force pushes water from the Gulf onto land, flooding roads, homes and businesses. Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, who is over 6 feet tall, told the public during Thursday’s press conference that the water would rush in to levels higher than he could reach. “You cannot survive that,” he said. “So please make sure you’re evacuating the area.” On Wednesday night, Hurricane Helene appeared to be headed directly for Tallahassee, but projections from Thursday morning had it potentially going slightly east, DeSantis said, which would be more similar to the track that Hurricane Idalia took last year. That could mean less overall damage for the city. Still, DeSantis predicted, “It will cause significant damage” to Tallahassee. The area is known for its massive, numerous live oaks — which will be strained by the winds and rain from storm and could snap. The debris would block roads, damage cars and homes and cut power lines. It could also affect state services that will have to be headquartered elsewhere and shift to focusing on the most critical services. If people who shelter inside their homes hear noises that sound like gunshots or fireworks, then it’s probably a tree breaking, Guthrie said. He advised Floridians go to a room in the center of their homes — likely a bathroom — get low to the ground and cover themselves with a blanket. Leon County, where Tallahassee is located, has a mandatory evacuation order for mobile homes and for low-lying areas, and surrounding counties have issued orders for coastal communities. Leon does not have a countywide order but DeSantis recommended residents survey their homes and make their own judgments about whether to leave, especially if they live in heavily wooded neighborhoods and worry about trees falling onto their properties. The hurricane is hundreds of miles across so its effects are expected to be felt nearly all over Florida, with storm surge expected in cities all along the Gulf Coast and tornado warnings across the state. Airports in Tampa, St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Tallahassee closed Thursday morning.

Taylor County sheriff asks people who didn't evacuate to write contact info on leg --The Taylor County sheriff’s office asked residents who did not evacuate to write contact information on their arms or legs for identification purposes, as Hurricane Helene is expected to hit the county Thursday night. “If you or someone you know chose not to evacuate, PLEASE write your, Name, birthday and important information on your arm or leg in A PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a post on Facebook.Officials requested that people provide information about whether their residence is inland or on the coast, their full address, and the names of individuals and animals so that search and rescue teams can prioritize certain locations.NBC reported that Sheriff Wayne Padgett said that Taylor County will be “in the dead center” of the hurricane and that, although mandatory evacuations were ordered for the area, he estimated that up to half of the population is staying. Damage is predicted to compare to the Asheville floods of 1916, which killed at least 80 people and caused millions of dollars in damage and exceed other extreme weather events in the region such as Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, the weather service said.

Hurricane Helene to roar ashore in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 --Dangerous Hurricane Helene will strike the Florida coastline around Apalachee Bay Thursday night with life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rainfall. Hurricane Helene is nearing landfall, which is forecast to occur close to the cities of St. Marks and Perry in northern Florida Thursday night around 11:00 p.m. ET with life-threatening conditions and the potential for catastrophic property damage.Helene intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph at 6:30 p.m. EDT. By 9:00 p.m., winds were up to 140 mph and could still increase a bit more, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Depending on the integrity of the eye wall, Helene should maintain at least Category 4 intensity up to the time of landfall. Hurricane warnings were in effect for the Florida Big Bend area to just north of Tampa, while tropical storm warnings were in effect for much of the rest of the Florida coastline, except for the western part of the Florida Panhandle. Tropical storm warnings were also in effect for the Georgia and South Carolina coasts."A landfall Thursday night near the city of St. Mark is anticipated. St. Mark is in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast, which is the zone from the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle to the northwestern part of the Florida Peninsula," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, "At the time of landfall, Helene is expected to be a dangerous Category 4 hurricane." A landfall along the shores of Apalachee Bay is a certainty at this point. At landfall Thursday evening - between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT - Helene will have maximum sustained winds of 130-135 mph, with much stronger gusts to at least 150 mph and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 160 mph.The StormMax gust is a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale of at least 157 mph. At this intensity, many trees will be uprooted, roofs will be removed and some structures may totally fail.The impacts of a hurricane go well beyond its potentially destructive winds. The AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes incorporates storm surge, flooding, rainfall, population density and economic impacts in addition to maximum winds. Due to complications from torrential rainfall, these impacts occur not only along the coast but hundreds of miles inland.By far, the most dangerous part of a hurricane, as it approaches the coast and makes landfall, is the storm surge. This potentially life-threatening aspect of a hurricane is the height of the water "above" astronomical tides. In a matter of minutes, water can surge with depth and force and lead to drowning.Because of the shape of the coast around Apalachee Bay, Florida, which can trap excess water, and the forecast intensity and track of Helene, AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate a storm surge up to the height of a two-story building, or 15-20 feet, Thursday night. At this height, some single-story buildings along the coast may be completely underwater. In the most extreme surge locations, water levels may reach 22 or 23 feet.A significant and dangerous storm surge will extend well to the south and east of where the eye comes ashore. For example, a storm surge of 6 to perhaps 10 feet can occur Thursday evening in portions of Tampa Bay, when winds flip to the west and cause the water to pile up on the eastern parts of the bay.Because of strong easterly winds off the Atlantic Ocean, a significant storm surge and coastal flooding are expected from northeastern Florida to Georgia and South Carolina. Portions of Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, could be inundated from Thursday night to Friday.A tremendous amount of rain will fall in northern Florida, with rain heavy enough to cause travel problems and lead to minor flooding in southern and eastern Florida and the potential for catastrophic flooding in northern Florida, especially the eastern part of the panhandle, with a general 8-12 inches of rain forecast. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ rainfall for Helene is 36 inches, but is likely to occur hundreds of miles inland of the Gulf coast and centered on the southern Appalachians, where catastrophic flooding can occur in some communities.Many hurricanes that make landfall release energy that can trigger severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and waterspouts. Every hurricane is different, but Helene has the potential to spawn multiple tornadoes, especially to the east of its track.Conditions may cause considerable risk to lives and property even as the storm travels well inland from strong winds and flooding rain in portions of Georgia, South Carolina, western North Carolina, the Virginia Panhandle, eastern Tennessee and perhaps parts of Kentucky and West Virginia.The dangers range from rapid urban flooding, flash flooding along small streams, significant rises on the rivers and mudslides in the mountainous terrain.The combination of pouring rain, increasingly wet soil and strong winds will lead to the risk of falling trees, broken tree limbs and widespread power outages.

Hurricane Helene Made Historic Florida Landfall | Weather.com --Hurricane Helene made a historic landfall in Florida's Big Bend at Category 4 intensity, delivering catastrophic, possibly record storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rainfall.The fast-moving pace of Helene means its dangers will spread well inland. Life-threatening flash flooding, potential record river flooding, damaging winds and tornadoes are expected in parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.Helene's center moved ashore around 11:10 p.m. EDT Thursday night about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida, with winds of 140 mph, Category 4 intensity, and a pressure of 938 millibars, according to the National Hurricane Center.Helene is the strongest hurricane on record to landfall in Florida's Big Bend region, stronger than 2023's Idalia, which made a Category 3 landfall with 115 mph winds and a pressure of 950 millibars and an 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane's 125 mph winds.Helene is also the third hurricane to landfall in Florida's Big Bend region in just under 13 months. Three of the last five hurricanes to landfall in the mainland U.S. have done so in this Big Bend region.The eyewall, home to a hurricane's most intense winds, prompted a rare "extreme wind warning", a high-end alert only issued for Category 3 or stronger hurricane eyewalls to alert those in the path to take shelter from these damaging winds as if a tornado warning was issued. Surge flooding in parts of the Tampa Bay area already topped previous modern era records from 2023's Idalia or earlier. Clearwater Beach reported about 6.7 feet of inundation (above average high tide), easily surpassing its previous record from the March 1993 Superstorm (4.02 feet). The St. Petersburg gauge - about 6.1 feet of inundation - also crushed its previous modern-era record from 1985's Hurricane Elena. Over 8.5 feet of inundation was reported by a gauge at Cedar Key, Florida, much higher than that from Hurricane Idalia in August 2023 (6.84 feet). Significant flooding was also reported at Ft. Myers Beach and Naples, where gauges measured 4 to 5 feet of surge inundation. According to a ham radio operator, water 5 to 6 feet above normal levels was observed in the Punta Gorda Canal Network. Helene became the second major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season Thursday afternoon. Early in the evening, a NOAA Hurricane Hunter mission found maximum winds had increased Category 4 intensity. Bands of heavy rain continue to pummel parts of Florida and the Southeast U.S., prompting occasional flash flood and tornado warnings. Winds have gusted to 98 mph at Perry, 84 mph at Cedar Key and 82 mph at St. Petersburg's Albert Whitted Airport. Gusts up to 72 mph at Miami's Opa Locka Airport, 70 mph in Sarasota and 67 mph in Orlando were also recorded. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued tornado watches from Florida to the Carolinas. Tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 310 miles from the center of Helene at landfall, making it a large hurricane. That large size and its increasing forward speed are the reasons Helene posed such a major storm surge danger at the coast as well as widespread high wind and flooding rain threats well inland.

Hurricane Helene makes landfall in northwestern Florida (AP) — Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S.The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Helene roared ashore around 11:10 p.m. EDT near the mouth of the Aucilla River in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. It had maximum sustained winds estimated at 140 mph ( 225 kph). That location was only about 20 miles northwest of where Hurricane Idalia came ashore last year at nearly the same ferocity and caused widespread damage.Helene prompted hurricane and flash flood warnings extending far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina. More than a million homes and businesses were without power in Florida and more than 50,000 in Georgia, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared emergencies in their states.One person was killed in Florida when a sign fell on their car and two people were reported killed in a possible tornado in south Georgia as the storm approached.“When Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we’re going to be waking up to a state where very likely there’s been additional loss of life and certainly there’s going to be loss of property,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday night.The National Weather Service in Tallahassee had issued an “extreme wind warning” for the Big Bend as the eyewall approached: “Treat this warning like a tornado warning,” it said in a post on X. “Take shelter in the most interior room and hunker down!”Even before landfall the storm’s wrath was felt widely, with sustained tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force gusts along Florida’s west coast. Water lapped over a road in Siesta Key near Sarasota and covered some intersections in St. Pete Beach. Lumber and other debris from a fire in Cedar Key a week ago crashed ashore in the rising water.Beyond Florida, up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain had fallen in the North Carolina mountains, with up to 14 inches (36 centimeters) more possible before the deluge ends, setting the stage for flooding that forecasters warned could be worse than anything seen in the past century.Heavy rains began falling and winds were picking up earlier Thursday in Valdosta, Georgia, near the Florida state line. The weather service said more than a dozen Georgia counties could see hurricane-force winds exceeding 110 mph (177 kph). In south Georgia, two people were killed when a possible tornado struck a mobile home on Thursday night, Wheeler County Sheriff Randy Rigdon told WMAZ-TV. The damage was reported as heavy thunderstorms raked much of the state. Wheeler County is about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of Macon. Forecaster Dylan Lusk said the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Wheeler County at 8:47 p.m. on Thursday. He said it’s one of 12 tornado warnings the office near Atlanta issued for parts of Georgia between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. The storm made landfall in the sparsely-populated Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where Florida’s Panhandle and peninsula meet.“Please write your name, birthday, and important information on your arm or leg in a PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified,” the sheriff’s office in mostly rural Taylor County warned those who chose not to evacuate in a Facebook post, the dire advice similar to what other officials have dolled out during past hurricanes.Still, Philip Tooke, a commercial fisherman who took over the business his father founded near the region’s Apalachee Bay, planned to ride out this storm like he did during Hurricane Michaeland the others – on his boat. “If I lose that, I don’t have anything,” Tooke said. Michael, a Category 5 storm, all but destroyed one town, fractured thousands of homes and businesses and caused some $25 billion in damage when it struck the Florida Panhandle in 2018.Many, though, were heeding the mandatory evacuation orders that stretched from the Panhandle south along the Gulf Coast in low-lying areas around Tallahassee, Gainesville, Cedar Key, Lake City, Tampa and Sarasota.

Hurricane Helene makes landfall over Florida's Big Bend as Category 4 storm; more than 2 million without power - Hurricane Helene was a dangerous Category 4 storm when it made landfall over Florida's Big Bend area late Thursday night but was rapidly weakening as it raced inland early Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. Helene was bringing a "life-threatening" storm surge, strong winds and heavy rain, the center said. Some 1.3 million customers in Florida were without power as of early Friday morning, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, along with approximately 583,000 in Georgia. That number was growing rapidly. What's more, 143,000 homes and businesses were in the dark in South Carolina and 43,000 in North Carolina. So far, there have been at least three weather-related deaths attributed to Helene. Two people were killed in Wheeler County, Georgia, the county coroner, Ted Mercer, told CBS New by phone. No further details were provided. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed in a late-night news conference that at least one person was killed in the Tampa area when a traffic sign fell on a vehicle. DeSantis said about 3,500 National Guardsmen were standing by to respond to emergencies. Several airports closed because of the storm, and airlines canceled nearly 1,300 flights Thursday, according to FlightAware. Almost 600 U.S. flights were already canceled as of 3 a.m. Helene made landfall about 10 miles west of Perry, Florida, at 11:10 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the hurricane center, with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. As of 2 a.m. EDT, its winds had already diminished to 90 mph, making Helene a Category 1 hurricane, the Miami-based center said. It was scurrying north-northeast at 26 mph. "A turn toward the north is expected overnight, taking the center over central and northern Georgia this morning," the hurricane center said. "After that, Helene is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley later today and Saturday. "Continued weakening is expected, but the fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians." The center said, "Tropical storm conditions are occurring from southern Florida to southeastern Georgia, and these conditions will continue spreading northward across the tropical storm warning areas in the Southeastern U.S. through today. Strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, will likely penetrate as far inland as the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians." The center said that, "Over portions of the Southeastern U.S. into the Southern Appalachians, Helene is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with isolated totals around 20 inches. This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. Numerous significant landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians."CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson described Helene as a "gargantuan" storm.Its hurricane-force winds were extending outward up to 30 miles from its center early Friday and tropical-storm-force winds were extending outward up to 310 miles, mainly east of Helene's center, the hurricane center said.NASA shared video of the hurricane as seen from the International Space Station, showing the size of the storm as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon. In Florida's Big Bend area, from Carrabelle to the Suwannee River, forecasters expected the water to reach 15-20 feet above ground if the storm surge's peak occurred at the same time as high tide. Other areas could see anywhere from 3-15 feet of water, the hurricane center warned. Fifteen to 20 feet of water would be enough to cover a two-story house, Parkinson pointed out.

Tropical Depression Helene live updates: At least 42 dead as storm churns over Southeast Evacuations are in progress in areas that could be impacted if there is a breach of Tennessee's Nolichucky Dam.A flash flooding warning for dam failure has been issued for the area downstream of the dam, including north central Cocke County, southwestern Green County and southeastern Hamblen County.Cooke County Mayor Rob Mathis said in a 12:30 a.m. ET post on Facebook that homes and businesses in the Centerview and Bybee area are being evacuated."Emergency responders are going to door-to-door in the affected area to encourage people to relocate," he said. "Please seek shelter with family and friends and avoid this area until further notice."A mandatory evacuation was issued for all residents of south Hamblen County along the Nolichucky River.A breach of the Nolichucky Dam in Greene County, Tennessee could happen at any time due to extreme rainfall from Helene, officials said. The Tennessee Valley Authority's River Forecast Center warned at 12:13 a.m. ET of an "imminent breach" of the dam, which could cause potentially life-threatening flooding.The National Weather Service office in Morristown said a flash flooding warning for dam failure has been issued for the area downstream of the dam, including north central Cocke County, southwestern Green County and southeastern Hamblen County."This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION," the weather service office said in an advisory at 11:35 p.m. ET "SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!"The warning goes until 3:45 a.m. ET Saturday.A structural engineer assessed the Lake Lure dam Friday evening and determined its failure is not imminent, a town official said.The Lake Lure dam in western North Carolina overtopped Friday after Hurricane Helene inundated the area, forcing evacuations and prompting warnings from officials early Friday morning that the dam could fail.Olivia Stewman, the Lake Lure town manager, said a structural engineer “found it in stable condition,” despite damage that had been reported earlier Friday. The dam lost power early Friday, but that has been restored.Stewman said residents who evacuated might not be able to return to their homes for now because it was difficult to travel through the area, with downed trees and other hazards. The area still did not have cell service, Stewman said.Outside Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, ambulances were submerged by floodwaters as patients floated by slowly, still intubated, on rafts. First responders and outside rescuers removed more than 50 patients from the hospital, its rooftop, and surrounding high water today.Post-tropical cyclone Helene is weakening and will likely become a remnant low this weekend, even as it promises another 1 to 3 inches of rain in the Ohio Valley by Sunday, federal forecasters said.The front has little of the muscle that once made it a hurricane, yet it continues to inspire flood watches for parts of Tennessee, lower Ohio, and the mid-Mississippi Valleys, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory on the storm.Helene was centered about 115 miles east-northeast of Paducah, Kentucky, with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph and a trajectory west-southwest at 8 mph, the hurricane center said.However, the hurricane center said it expects the storm to stall over the Tennessee Valley overnight and through the weekend. Rain in the Appalachian Mountains was likely over, but some showers were possible, they said.Tornadoes were possible overnight in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, the hurricane center said.Helene took about 31 hours to intensify from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 4, and in the recorded history of Atlantic basin hurricanes, that’s pretty fast.The length of time it takes Category 4 hurricanes to intensify has shortened in recent years, according to an NBC News analysis of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data.Since 2015, an average Category 4 hurricane — those with wind speeds of 130 mph to 156 mph — has taken 42 hours to intensify from a Category 1. Thirty years earlier, that figure was 52 hours.

Hurricane Helene kills at least 44 and cuts a swath of destruction across the Southeast (AP) — Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oaks like twigs and tearing apart homes as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.Among those killed were three firefighters, a woman and her 1-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose house was struck by a falling tree. According to an Associated Press tally, the deaths occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to some hospitals in southern Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp said authorities had to use chainsaws to clear debris and open up roads. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) when it made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region in Florida’s rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where the state’s panhandle and peninsula meet. Moody’s Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage.The wreckage extended hundreds of miles northward to northeast Tennessee, where a “dangerous rescue situation ” by helicopter unfolded after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water rapidly flooded the facility. Everyone was rescued and no one was left at the hospital as of late Friday afternoon, Ballad Health said.In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie “Dirty Dancing” overtopped a dam and surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail. People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam near there, although officials later said the structure had not failed. Tornadoes hit some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, that critically injured four people. Atlanta received a record 11.12 inches (28.24 centimeters) of rain in 48 hours, the most the city has seen in a two-day period since record keeping began in 1878, Georgia’s Office of the State Climatologist said on the social platform X. The previous mark of 9.59 inches (24.36 cm) was set in 1886. Some neighborhoods were so badly flooded that only car roofs could be seen poking above the water.When Laurie Lilliott pulled onto her street in Dekle Beach, Florida, after Helene plowed through, she couldn’t see the roofline of her home beyond the palm trees. It had collapsed, torn apart by the pounding storm surge, one corner still precariously propped up by a piling.“It took me a long time to breathe,” Lilliott said. As she surveyed the damage, her name and phone number were still inked on her arm in permanent marker, an admonition by Taylor County officials to help identify recovered bodies in the storm’s aftermath. The community has taken direct hits from three hurricanes since August 2023.All five who died in one Florida county were in neighborhoods where residents were told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St. Petersburg area. Some who stayed ended up having to hide in their attics to escape the rising water. He said the death toll could rise as crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters and a Georgia firefighter who died when trees struck their trucks. Video on social media showed sheets of rain and siding coming off buildings in Perry, Florida, near where the storm hit land. A news station showed a home that was overturned, and many communities established curfews. Also in Perry, the hurricane peeled off the new roof of a church that was replaced after Hurricane Idalia last year. “There’s a moment where you are thinking, ‘If this water rises above the level of the stove, we are not going to have not much room to breathe,’” Kera O’Neil said, recalling how she and her sister waded through chest-deep water with one cat in a plastic carrier and another in a cardboard box.President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors, and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency deployed more than 1,500 workers, and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning.

Major WNC roadways closed due to flooding, slides from Hurricane Helen (WLOS) — The North Carolina Department of Transportation says parts of Interstate 26 and 40 are closed due to storm damage from Helene. "All roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed. Motorists should not travel in this area, should not attempt to drive through standing water, and must respect barricades and road closure signs," a notice on DriveNC.gov reads. "Those in Western North Carolina should seek higher ground and shelter in place." UPDATED AS OF 5 P.M. FRIDAY:

All lanes of I-26 are closed south of Asheville between Exits 49 (US 64) and Exit 53 (Upward Road) due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.
All lanes of I-40 are closed one mile west of Exit 64 (NC 9) near Black Mountain, due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.
All lanes of I-40 are closed between Exit 66 (Ridgecrest) and Exit 72 (Old Fort) due to a mudslide. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.
All lanes of I-40 East are closed at the Tennessee State line due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.
I-40 is closed at Exit 20 (US 276) due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.
I-40 East is closed at Exit 4 (NC 191) due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.
I-40 West is closed at Exit 7 (Cold Springs Creek Rd) due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 5:00 PM Saturday 9/28/2024.

Downed power lines, snapped trees cause heavy damage and power outages (WDTN) — The damage from the storm has been extensive across the Miami Valley, with large amounts of debris scattered. 2 NEWS reporter Sartaj Singh visited Shroyer Road where a power pole fell on the road Friday afternoon. Crews are working to repair the damages which has left an entire neighborhood without power for hours.On Collins Court, an acorn tree that was situated on the Sinks’ property for 25 years snapped just after 5 p.m., hitting the side of their house and knocking down one of their gutters.They described it as the whole house shaking, but are thankful no one was hurt.“It sounded like an airplane hit the house,” said Joel Sinks, Moraine resident.Joel and Brian Sinks were at home when the storm hit. They say while they knew the wind was going to be harsh, they did not expect a tree to hit their home.“I was just sitting in my room doing homework, and the whole house just kind of started shaking… so I ran downstairs and tried to figure out what happened, looked out the window.. and it was all tree,” said Brian Sinks.“It sounded terrible, the dogs were barking. I was afraid a tree had come into the house. Sort of relieved that it just hit the side of the house.” said Joel Sinks.The family says that the rest of the home did not have any damage; they know it could have been worse.“We will probably clear the wood ourselves. Not sure about the repairs, probably will have to hire somebody,” said Joel Sinks.“We are definitely set on firewood right now,” said Brian Sinks.Those who have been without power for more than four hours say they’re hoping it can be restored quickly so they can begin recovering after a tough weather day.

Floods sweep away passenger bus in Morocco’s Tata Province, claiming 2 lives and leaving 14 missing - Severe storms swept through Morocco’s Tata province on Friday, dropping record-breaking rain and causing severe floods that swept away a passenger bus. According to local authorities, two people have been confirmed dead, 14 remain missing, and 13 have been rescued. Following the floods, a woman was reported missing in Douar Ighourten, Tagzmirt commune, under the Caidat of Ides. Floods have also caused the full and partial collapse of some houses, while roads have been damaged, leading to traffic disruptions. Heavy rain has raised river levels above normal, with Wadi Tata’s flow reaching over 2 300 m3/s (81 243 feet3/s) and Wadi Zguid’s 1 900 m3/s (67 087 feet3/s) Authorities are currently engaged in search and rescue operations and efforts to restore the damage. Some social media reports suggest that the death toll has risen to 11, while the number of missing persons has dropped to six, although these figures remain unconfirmed. Earlier this month, floods claimed around 18 lives in Southern Morocco after heavy rains hit the region.

Widespread floods claim over 1 000 lives, leave 4 million affected in West and Central Africa - -- Widespread floods in West and Central Africa, caused by extraordinary torrential rains since July 2024, killed at least 1 000 people and affected 4 million. The floods destroyed 300 000 homes and displaced 500 000 people. The catastrophic humanitarian situation, aggravated by the northward passage of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), has resulted in widespread damage to homes, schools, medical facilities, swaths of farmland, and heightening the risk of water-borne diseases, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Severe floods affecting West and Central Africa since July have claimed the lives of at least 1 000 people, displaced 500 000, and affected more than 4 million. The floods destroyed 300 000 homes, as well as schools, farmlands, and medical institutions. The worst affected are Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. The destruction of homes and health facilities has left vast areas with limited access to health care. Water-borne diseases, such as cholera, are growing, and there is a substantial chance of subsequent outbreaks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). According to local media reports, dead snakes and crocodiles have been recorded floating alongside human bodies in certain regions. In Nigeria, the current floods are the worst in 30 years and have affected more than 1 million people in 15 of the country’s 36 states, with the states in the north and north-eastern regions the worst hit. Entire communities, health facilities, schools, and farmlands have been inundated. More than a million people have been affected in Niger also, with Maradi, Zinder, Dosso, and Tillabery regions the worst affected, according to WHO. Additionally, the country is also experiencing a cholera outbreak in Agadez, Moradi, Tahoua, and Zinder. In Mali, over 179 000 people have been affected. The major challenges include poor access to clean drinking water, shelter, hygiene kits, and essential medicines. In Cameroon, Chad, and Guinea, widespread flood devastation has also left hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of emergency assistance, with farmlands, homes, and key infrastructure destroyed or damaged. In Chad, all 23 regions have been affected, while in Cameroon health services have been disrupted in the affected regions. The scenario has compounded the region’s already severe humanitarian issues, such as food shortages and high malnutrition rates. “The extent and severity of the floods are unprecedented with dire devastation among some of the most vulnerable communities in the region,” health experts, including WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, stated. The torrential rains began in July 2024 and have persisted until September, with varying intensity. Meteorologists forecast that the rains will continue in the following weeks, escalating a terrible humanitarian scenario. Some countries, such as Nigeria, face their worst floods in 30 years. Weather patterns in West and Central Africa have been further influenced by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moving northward, resulting in above-average rainfall. The Sahara Desert, which is generally dry, has seen extraordinary greening due to this shift while overflowing rivers in the region have exacerbated the flooding situation.

Level 5 emergency alert issued after devastating floods hit Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture - Heavy torrential rains struck the Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan on Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, 2024, leading to severe flooding in the region, and prompting the highest level of flood alert. Wajima City recorded 318.5 mm (12.5 inches) of rainfall between Friday and Saturday, while Suzu recorded 226 mm (8.9 inches) of rain within the same period. One person was killed and more than 10 remain missing, as of 12:00 UTC today.

Torrential rains in Ishikawa Prefecture led to severe flooding and landslides, prompting evacuation orders for more than 46 000 people and causing significant infrastructure damage.
Wajima recorded more than 120 mm (4.72 inches) of rain per hour on Saturday morning (local time) — the heaviest rain since records there began.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a Level 5 emergency warning, while rescue teams and Self-Defense Forces were deployed to assist residents.
At least one person was killed and more than 10 remain missing, as of 12:00 UTC on September 21.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a Level 5 emergency warning, while rescue teams and Self-Defense Forces were deployed to assist residents. At least one person was killed and more than 10 remain missing, as of 12:00 UTC on September 21. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Level 5 emergency warning on Saturday following unprecedented torrential rains that hit Ishikawa Prefecture on Friday and Saturday, leading to severe flooding across the region and triggering landslides in some areas. More than 120 mm (4.72 inches) of rain per hour was registered in Wajima city, Ishikawa’s Noto region on Saturday morning (local time) — the heaviest rain since records there began. Wajima recorded 318.5 mm (12.5 inches) of rain between Friday evening and Saturday noon (LT), while Suzu saw 226 mm (8.9 inches), prompting evacuation orders for roughly 46 000 citizens in the affected region. Around 18 000 people in Wajima, 12 000 in Suzu, and 16 000 in the Niigata and Yamagata prefectures have been told to evacuate and seek shelter. “The amount of rain in these cities and towns is unprecedented,” said Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary. “Multiple rivers have overflowed their banks, and many buildings have been flooded,” he added. Prefectural authorities reported that one person was killed in Suzu. In Wajima, 10 people are missing, according to the city’s mayor. The fire department in the prefecture’s northern area stated that three people are missing after being swept away by rivers in Suzu, Wajima, and Noto, the three municipalities where the warning was issued. The fire department received several calls for help from Wajima, Suzu, and other areas. Reports of landslides and collapsed houses were also received, with rescuers searching for anyone who might be trapped. The Self-Defense Forces (SDF) have been deployed in the region to assist in rescue operations. According to officials, around 12 rivers breached their banks on Saturday. State broadcaster NHK aired footage of a street in Wajima completely submerged by floodwaters. At least one house was hit by a landslide, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, but no further details have been provided.

Record-breaking rains leave 11 dead in Japan’s quake-stricken Ishikawa Prefecture - Eleven people have been confirmed dead after record-breaking torrential rain struck Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture on Friday and Saturday, September 21 and 22, leading to severe flooding in the region. The death toll rose to eleven on Wednesday, September 25, after three new bodies were discovered. A woman was found dead in Wajima on Wednesday morning, and two other people were found in the coastal regions of Wajima City in the afternoon. Currently, nine people have been confirmed dead in Wajima and two in Suzu. As of 15:00 local time (LT) on Wednesday, 157 people were isolated in 16 locations across seven districts of the Ishikawa Prefecture. Two people remain missing, and 12 have been reported injured. Around 514 people are taking shelter in evacuation centers at 31 locations in Wajima, Suzu, and the town of Noto. The floods occurred after record-breaking rain struck Ishikawa last week. Wajima recorded over 120 mm (4.72 inches) of rain per hour on Saturday morning, September 22. This was the heaviest rain since records there began, prompting a Level 5 emergency for the region. Wajima recorded 318.5 mm (12.5 inches) of rain between Friday evening and Saturday noon (LT), while Suzu saw 226 mm (8.9 inches), prompting evacuation orders for roughly 46 000 citizens in the affected region. Around 18 000 people in Wajima, 12 000 in Suzu, and 16 000 in the Niigata and Yamagata prefectures have been told to evacuate and seek shelter. “The amount of rain in these cities and towns is unprecedented,” said Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary. “Multiple rivers have overflowed their banks, and many buildings have been flooded,” he added. Around 12 rivers were reported to have breached their banks after the unprecedented rains that devastated the prefecture. Several landslides were reported and multiple roads were blocked due to the floods. Search and rescue missions are ongoing in the affected regions along with damage control operations.

Swollen Ganges River in Bihar affects over 1.35 million people and claims more than 10 lives - By Severe flooding in Bihar, India, has affected over 1.35 million people and claimed more than ten lives after heavy rainfall in nearby regions caused the Ganges River to flood. Viral footage showed homes crumbling into the river while key infrastructure like highways were inundated. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has done aerial reconnaissance, and emergency forces are assisting. Despite the minor decline in water levels, the flood risk remains significant. Authorities are constantly watching the situation due to more rain in the forecast. Intense and widespread rainfall in Nepal and the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand since mid-September has caused rivers in North and South Bihar to overflow, resulting in severe flooding across the region. The floods have affected about 1.35 million people in the state and claimed the lives of more than 10 people in districts such as Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, and others. Patna, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Katihar, Khagaria, and Munger are among the cities hardest hit. Many low-lying settlements near riverbanks, such as Manjhi, Chhapra, Dighwara, Avatarnagar, and Sonpur, face issues due to waterlogging and flood situations, as floodwaters disrupt connections. By Saturday night, September 28, the Ganges is expected to fall by 35 – 60 cm (13.8 – 23.6 inches) compared to Thursday, September 26. September 23, 2024ganges river bihar september 23 2024 bgSeptember 3, 2024ganges river bihar september 3 2024 bg Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers September 23, 2024river ganges patna september 23 2024September 3, 2024 Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the state still faces an overall rainfall deficit of 28 percent.

Pilbara hit by heaviest rainfall in 50 years, tropical surge to bring rainfall to more than 80% of Australia - Following record-breaking rains in Western Australia’s Pilbara on Saturday, September 21, 2024, a tropical system is expected to deliver widespread rainfall across 80 % of Australia this week. A tropical moisture surge is expected to bring rain to more than 80 % of Australia this week, impacting all states and territories with potential thunderstorms and heavy downpours. Western Australia’s Pilbara and Kimberley regions experienced their heaviest rainfall in over 50 years, breaking numerous wettest September day records. Some areas that have experienced abnormally dry winters, particularly in central and southern Australia, are expected to receive much-needed rainfall in the coming days. After the record-breaking rains that struck Western Australia’s Pilbara on Saturday, more than 80 % of Australia is expected to receive rain this week due to a tropical moisture surge spreading across the continent. The desert region of Pilbara and Kimberley had already experienced around 20 – 50 mm (0.8 – 2 inches) of rain in 24 hours from Saturday to 09:00 local time (LT) on Sunday, September 22. This was the heaviest rainfall to occur in the region in over 50 years. ) Several records for the wettest September day were broken on Saturday. Newman recorded 38 mm (1.5 inches) of rain, the highest in 59 years; Wyndham 24 mm (0.9 inches), the highest in 55 years; Argyle 23 mm (0.9 inches), the highest in 39 years; and Fitzroy Crossing 18 mm (0.7 inches), the highest in 50 years. The mining camps of Fortescue Dave Forest with 61 mm (2.4 inches), Coondewanna with 57 mm (2.2 inches), and Christmas Creek with 53 mm (2.1 inches) were the wettest locations in the Pilbara. The remote community of Yulmbu recorded the heaviest falls across Kimberley with 65 mm (2.6 inches) in the 24 hours leading up to 09:00 LT on Sunday. Currently, a slow-moving upper-level trough is expected to bring clouds, rain, and thunderstorms, gradually spreading over the continent. This system is forecasted to bring heavy rains across all the states and territories of Australia in the next seven days. After rain and some thunderstorms in central and southern Australia on Monday and Tuesday, September 23 and 24, the system is forecast to move to the southeast on Wednesday, September 25, and reach the eastern states by Thursday, September 26. Some of the rain will fall in regions that experienced abnormally dry winters this year.

Unusually heavy snowfall leaves hundreds stranded on roads in South Africa A severe snowstorm swept across South Africa on Friday and Saturday, September 20 and 21, 2024, stranding hundreds of motorists, including those on the N3 highway between Johannesburg and Durban. Many were trapped on the roads for 24 hours without access to food or water. One person has passed away after spending the night trapped in sub-zero temperatures. Reports on social media suggest that some areas were covered in 2 m (6 feet) of snow. Many people were stranded in their vehicles overnight, with some remaining stuck until midday on Saturday. The exact number of those affected is still unknown.“Emergency services have been working tirelessly through the night, trying to reach as many stranded motorists as possible,” said Thania Dhoogra, N3 Toll Concession operations manager.Despite these efforts, one person tragically succumbed to hypothermia after enduring sub-zero temperatures overnight. The deceased was part of a group traveling in a taxi that became trapped in the snow. After hours in the cold, the group sought refuge at a nearby shopping center in Merrivale. Unfortunately, the individual collapsed upon arrival, showing severe signs of hypothermia.

Tennis ball-sized hail strikes Oklahoma City metro, U.S. - A destructive storm struck the Oklahoma City metro area on Tuesday evening, September 24, bringing tennis ball-sized hail and winds ranging from 95 to 130 km/h (60 to 80 mph). Several thunderstorm warnings were issued across multiple counties as the storm moved through the region.The hailstorm caused widespread damage, with numerous vehicles suffering heavy damage.By 19:55 local time, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the storm had weakened and was no longer severe. However, another storm was present just west of Prague at that time.

Radar images of asteroid 2024 ON during close approach to Earth on September 17 - NASA’s Deep Space Network Goldstone Solar System Radar captured images of asteroid 2024 ON during its close approach to Earth last week, at a safe distance of 2.6 LD (~1 million km / 620 000 miles) from Earth. Caltech NASA’s Deep Space Network Goldstone Solar System Radar imaged asteroid 2024 ON – first observed by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey in Hawaii on July 27 – as it safely flew past Earth on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at a safe distance of 1 million km (620 000 miles), approximately 2.6 times the distance between Earth and the Moon (LD). Radar measurements showed the asteroid’s unique peanut shape, with two distinct lobes joined by a slender neck. Similar to the asteroid 2024 JV33, which made a close approach to Earth a month prior, 2024 ON is likely a contact binary. This means it has two rounded lobes, separated by a distinct neck, with one lobe about 50% larger. Radar images have revealed that 2024 ON measures approximately 350 m (1 150 feet) in length, with surface features as small as 3.75 m (12.3 feet) visible. Bright radar spots observed on the surface are likely large boulders. The images capture about 90% of the asteroid’s rotation, which takes approximately six hours. The radar images were captured just a day before the asteroid made its closest approach. asteroid 2024 ON radar images acquired on september 16 2024 bg Image credit: NASA/JPL NASA is constantly monitoring near-Earth objects such as 2024 ON to determine any potential risks they may pose. Despite being classed as “potentially hazardous” due to its size and proximity, this asteroid presented no threat during its pass. Monitoring such objects is essential to NASA’s planetary defense strategy, as it allows scientists to improve their understanding of asteroid orbits and reduce uncertainties about future impacts.

Asteroid 2024 SV2 to fly past Earth at just 0.1 LD on September 28 - A newly discovered asteroid designated 2024 SV2 will fly past Earth at a distance of just 0.128 LD or 0.00033 AU (49 287 km / 30 626 miles) from the center of our planet at 17:02 UTC on September 28, 2024. This is the 71st known asteroid to pass within 1 lunar distance (LD) of Earth since the start of the year. It is also the 15th such asteroid in September, making it the month with the most close flybys this year. April follows with 12, and February with 9. 2024 SV2 was first observed at Pan-STARRS 2, Haleakala, Hawaii on September 26 — 2 days before its close approach to our planet. It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 5 and 11 m (16 – 36 feet). The object will make a close approach to Earth at 17:02 UTC on September 28, traveling at a relative speed of 11.5 km/s.

Carbon dioxide pipelines: a dangerous part of Appalachia's proposed carbon capture boondoggle -- Local, state, and federal authorities must take action to ensure the safer construction and operation of CO2 pipelines.On a February evening in 2020, a carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline ruptured near Satartia, Mississippi, causing a plume of CO2 to engulf the community. Within minutes, dozens of residents collapsed in their homes and vehicles. Cars stalled, including emergency vehicles trying to reach the scene. The incident hospitalized 45 Satartia residents and forced 200 to evacuate from their homes.There are currently 5,000 miles of CO2 pipelines in the United States, most of which, like the pipeline that ruptured near Satartia, transport CO2 to oil fields to pump more oil out of aging wells through a process called enhanced oil recovery. Unprecedented federal investment in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS)—an expensive technology that is unproven to effectively curb climate change-causing pollution—will require a massive expansion of this CO2 pipeline network.CO2 pipelines pose unique risks from other types of pipelines and are currently under-regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Local, state, and federal authorities must take action to ensure the safer construction and operation of these pipelines. The Inflation Reduction Act and other federal legislation and rules have authorized billions of dollars to be allocated to CCS projects around the U.S. In order for CCS to work as intended, infrastructure would need to be constructed to transport CO2 from emissions sources (such as hydrogen and ammonia facilities) to wherever it will be stored (such as injection wells). Tens of thousands of miles of CO2 pipelines would need to be constructed throughout the U.S. to accomplish this. The Department of Energy recently approved $30 million in funding for the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2), with components in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. ARCH2 would use fracked methane gas to produce hydrogen, with CCS supposedly being used to capture the CO2 byproduct of this process. Hydrogen produced using methane from fossil gas (aka “natural gas”) and CCS is called “blue hydrogen.” According to the ARCH2 developers, CO2 captured from the blue hydrogen production would be “transferred via pipeline to geologic sequestration.” To date, ARCH2 has not been forthcoming about where exactly it plans to transport and store captured CO2, but many miles of CO2 pipeline construction would need to be part of the project. CCS projects already have poor or unproven safety and effectiveness records. CO2 pipelines are a big piece of this dirty, expensive puzzle.The transport of CO2 poses unique risks to the integrity of pipelines. The transport of CO2 can cause “ductile fractures,” where a CO2 pipeline will “unzip,” exposing extended distances of ruptured pipeline. CO2 in pipelines can become dangerous when it mixes with water and other common impurities. For example, water mixing into a CO2 stream can form carbonic acid, which is corrosive to the carbon steel that most pipelines are made of. Another common contaminant in pipeline CO2 is hydrogen sulfide, which is flammable and toxic. CO2 is an intoxicant and it displaces oxygen in the air, which can cause disorientation, confusion, unconsciousness, and even suffocation to people and animals exposed to a pipeline rupture. This can also prevent emergency vehicles with combustion engines from reaching the scene of a rupture, and likewise, can make it challenging to escape a plume. Each of these risks came to fruition in Satartia. The pipeline underwent a ductile fracture. In addition to the CO2 plume, Satartia residents were exposed to a noxious green cloud of hydrogen sulfide. Dozens of people were hospitalized due to the plume, suffering the effects of CO2 poisoning or exposure. Right now, CO2 pipelines are largely unregulated. After the Satartia incident, Congress mandated that PHMSA promulgate safety rules for CO2 pipelines. In the meantime, the dangers of the operational CO2 pipelines persist: in April, 2,548 barrels of CO2 leaked from a pipeline in Sulphur, Louisiana. A leak has also recently been reported in Illinois at the first operational CO2 injection well in the U.S., shedding light on the challenges of CCS.There is a lot of uncertainty about how CO2 pipelines can be constructed and operated safely, including the appropriate pipeline construction to avoid leaks and ruptures. The current regulations of CO2 pipelines are suited for enhanced oil recovery, rather than the transport of carbon for permanent sequestration. Further, industry players have proposed converting the Ohio River Valley’s large network oil and gas pipelines into CO2 pipelines, despite the unique requirements for these types of pipelines to operate safely.We must urge PHMSA to promulgate safety rules for CO2 pipelines that maximize community protections, including by regulating CO2 in all of its phases and ensuring that pipeline operators identify appropriate potential impact areas in the event of ruptures. Much more research must be done about the efficacy of CO2 pipeline construction techniques, and particularly whether oil and gas pipelines can safely be converted to CO2 pipelines, before any large-scale buildout. We must continue to highlight the potential impacts of CO2 pipelines whenever CCS projects are proposed in the Ohio River Valley.

Jane Fonda warns of Donald Trump's climate change stance --Actor and activist Jane Fonda sounded an alarm on climate change when it comes to former President Trump.“We can’t lose another four years,” Fonda said, according to CBS News.Fonda’s comments were made during an interview set to air next weekend, CBS News reported. The 86-year-old has a history of climate activism, previously launching the “Fire Drill Fridays” protest about five years ago with a goal of raising awareness and pushing for action on climate change. She was arrested multiple times during the demonstrations.“We can’t allow this to happen in the United States,” Fonda said of Trump capturing the White House in November, according to CBS News, “not when the future of the planet is at stake.”Last month, Trump remarked that climate change is not “the biggest threat” and that it would result in “more oceanfront property.”“The biggest threat is not global warming, where the ocean is going to rise one-eighth of an inch over the next 400 years … and you’ll have more oceanfront property,” Trump said.Fonda also has a history of criticizing Trump, labeling him as “in bed with the fossil fuel industry” in a 2019 interview on CNN.

FAA investigating after Delta passengers bleed from ears, nose — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is launching an investigation into the Delta Airlines flight that was diverted back to Salt Lake City International Airport shortly after takeoff due to a pressurization issue. The flight was bound for Portland on Sunday, Sept. 15, when it was forced to divert back just 15 minutes after takeoff. Delta Airlines said the Boeing 737-900 aircraft was unable to pressurize above 10,000 feet. Oxygen masks did not deploy but some of the 140 passengers on board the plane reported suffering bloody noses, bleeding from the ears, and headaches. The flight was able to return to the airport safely and without further incident. Paramedics met with the flight after it returned to the Salt Lake International Airport and attended to about 10 passengers. No one was transported to the hospital. All were moved to a different flight. Delta Airlines released a statement after Sunday’s incident, saying in part, “We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience.”

Ohio regulators confirm higher charge for Duke Energy customers -Ohio utility regulators confirmed a higher transmission charge for Duke Energy electric customers recently, approving a rider or charge that will mean a bill rising $2.85 for a customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a month.The amounts utilities collect in transmission rates are approved by Federal Eenergy Regulary Commission (FERC), said Matt Schilling a spokesman for the the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Last week, the PUCO confirmed Duke’s calculations to translate FERC-approved transmission expenses into rates paid by customers, Schilling said.For Duke customers in Butler and Warren counties, the bottom line is an increase of $2.85 on a monthly bill based on 1,000 kWh of usage. (In 2022, U.S. residential electric customers used an average of about 899 kWh per month.)The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) has opposed the increase.“Duke’s electricity consumers are seeing round after round of rate increases, this time for transmission charges, with residential consumers getting hit the hardest. There seems to be no end in sight,” Maureen Willis, agency director of the consumers’ counsel, said in a statement.The OCC has filed a complaint with FERC about supplemental transmission projects, arguing that they receive “no review by the state or PJM Interconnection (the Midwest’s regional electric power grid operator) of their reasonableness or prudence.”Ohio utilities such as Dayton-area electric utility AES Ohio and Duke Energy last year asked the FERC to reject the complaint.Since 2017, electric utilities in Ohio have added more than $7.8 billion in supplemental transmission project costs to their local transmission rates charged to consumers, according to the OCC.“Charges to consumers for supplemental transmission projects are out of control,” the office said in a filing with the PUCO.In April, Duke applied with the PUCO for a new, three-year electric security plan, or operating plan, starting June 1, 2025. A “typical” residential customer using 1,000 kWh a month could see thedistribution portion of his or her bill increase annually by about $135 at the end of 2028, the OCC has said. A representative of Duke did not respond to a message seeking comment.Duke has about 780,000 electric service customers in Ohio, mostly in Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Clermont and Brown counties.

Ohio utility regulators urge Supreme Court to rein in FERC - The Supreme Court could soon decide whether judges should act as tiebreakers for a deadlocked Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.The Ohio Public Utilities Commission filed a petition earlier this year challenging a lower court ruling that upheld a 2021 FERC rule aimed at boosting renewables in the nation’s largest power market. FERC — which typically has five commissioners — had only four at the time, and they split 2-2 on approving the regulation, which meant it went into effect “by operation of law.”“Although this is the first case in which a court was called upon to review a rule that took effect in the face of FERC’s inaction, it will not be the last,” Ohio PUC told the justices.They continued: “The Court should address the appropriate standard of review now — before uncertainty about how to review FERC rules that are approved by operation of law, and without any supporting reasoning, spreads.”The petition before the justices challenges the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ reasoning for upholding FERC’s 2021 “minimum offer price rule,” or MOPR, which removed price restrictions for state-subsidized solar, wind and nuclear projects that participate in the annual wholesale auction for PJM Interconnection, which serves 13 states and the District of Columbia. The auction ensures that there will be adequate energy production to meet expected future electricity demand.Supporters of the 2021 MOPR said it would help states meet their clean energy goals by boosting production from renewable energy and nuclear sources.Ohio PUC faces tough odds of getting its case heard. The Supreme Court grants only a small fraction of the petitions it receives.The appeal comes after Congress amended Section 205 of the Federal Power Act in 2018 to explicitly say that courts could step in when the commission is evenly divided on whether to approve a tariff modification like PJM’s MOPR. The case asks how courts should now apply federal law when reviewing a deadlocked decision and if they should give those FERC rules the same deference as they would to those that pass with majority support.Ohio regulators claimed the 3rd Circuit should have independently determined that FERC’s tariff revisions were “just and reasonable.”

Fence company hits line, causes 'major gas leak' in New Lebanon neighborhood - A “major gas leak” in a New Lebanon neighborhood forced residents to evacuate their homes.A contractor doing work in the area hit the gas line shortly before noon, said Acting Village Manager Rob Anderson.The leak happened on Hazelhurst Street between Lawson Avenue and Rosetta Street in a neighborhood to the south of U.S. 35. Residents of Hazelhurst Street or on Holderman Place between Lawson Avenue and 491 Holderman Place were asked to evacuate their homes and leave the area.“The fence company was auguring a fence post, it looks like, and they hit a natural gas line,” said Tony Shockey, who lives in the 400 block of Hazelhurst. “We smelled it and the police came and the fire department and they told us to evacuate until they could get it shut down.” The village offices and council chambers were opened as a shelter for those affected, and there were some people there, he said.

Judge approves $600 million class-action settlement in East Palestine derailment - A federal judge on Wednesday signed off on a $600 million payment from the Norfolk Southern railroad to settle claims related to the infamous 2023 derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio.Judge Benita Pearson of the Northern District of Ohio, an Obama appointee, signed off on the settlement, first announced in April.The settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing by the railroad.In August, some of the residents included in the class-action unsuccessfully moved for Pearson to give them more time to review the settlement, particularly while possible long-term health impacts on residents remain unclear.“This outcome would not have been possible without the resilience and support of the East Palestine community and the broader class of impacted residents and business owners,” court-appointed class counsel in the case said in a statement. “We look forward to beginning the distribution of funds in the coming weeks to help this community rebuild and move forward.” While no one was killed or directly injured in the February 2023 derailment, more than 1,500 people were evacuated and local officials conducted a controlled burn on the cars, some of which contained vinyl chloride, a toxic substance used in the production of plastics.Although Environmental Protection Agency officials have said there is no ongoing threat to residents, some reported rashes and other skin conditions after the derailment. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy testified at a Senate hearing earlier this year that the burn, which created a widely visible chemical plume, was unnecessary, saying the crash site “was stabilized well, well before the vent and burn. Many hours before.”In addition to the class-action lawsuit, the railroad settled with the Biden administration for an estimated $310 million in May. That settlement, which also does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by Norfolk Southern, includes $235 million toward cleanup and another $15 million for allegations of violating the federal Clean Water Act. A report by the NTSB determined that the crash was caused by an overheated wheel bearing, which was only detected by track sensors when it was already too late to halt the train. A bipartisan bill that would impose more stringent railway safety requirements introduced by Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown (D) and JD Vance (R) has yet to receive a vote.

Judge tosses conservative challenge to Ohio derailment cleanup - A federal district judge issued a scathing dismissal of a conservative group’s complaint alleging EPA’s and state officials’ response to the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, breached constitutional rights.Judge David Ruiz of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio wrote in an opinionpublished Wednesday that We the Patriots USA Inc. “cite no authority for their novel and unconvincing theory” which “seeks to silence the EPA by judicial order.”The group in its lawsuit alleged the multi-agency approach to monitoring and cleaning up hazardous chemicals spilled from train cars was “a delicately staged farce or a stunning display of incompetence” in violation of due process under the 14th Amendment. Ruiz, a Biden appointee, sided with the federal government’s defense that litigation challenging EPA’s remedial actions is barred under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA, or the Superfund law.\

Urgent Evacuation Ordered After Chemical Leak from a Train in Whitewater Township Hamilton County EMA has urged local residents to immediately evacuate the area and seal off their homes.Everyone within a half-mile radius of the intersection of US-50, OH-128 and Valley Junction Road should "leave the area immediately" due to a dangerous chemical leak, according to Hamilton County EMA.Photo: Hamilton County EMA on XEmergency officials are ordering residents in parts of Whitewater Township to immediately evacuate after a "dangerous chemical leak" in a railyard. According to the Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency, the chemical leak impacts a half-mile radius around a railyard near the intersection of US-50, OH-128 and Valley Junction Road. Everyone in that half-mile radius should "leave the area immediately," according to Hamilton County EMA. Hamilton County officials have confirmed that an open valve on a train car is releasing styrene gas, which is traditionally used to manufacture plastics, synthetic rubber, resins, and as an insulator. The colorless gas is toxic and highly flammable, with the potential for serious health impacts, including eye, skin and airway irritation, according to the National Library of Medicine.Hamilton County EMA has urged local residents to evacuate the area and seal off their homes."IMMEDIATELY GO INDOORS and stay inside until further notice. Close and seal off doors & windows, close fireplace dampers, and turn off heat," Hamilton County EMA wrote on X at 2 p.m.The county announced in a 5 p.m. press release that first responders are on scene "monitoring the situation" and that it could be "some time" before residents are allowed back in the area. A shelter has been opened for the public at the Whitewater Community Center at 6125 Dry Fork Road.Three Rivers Local School District has informed parents that students and staff have begun to evacuate. This is a developing story. CityBeat may add new information as it becomes available.

What we know: 'Dangerous' chemical leak prompts evacuation in Whitewater Township — A dangerous chemical leak in Whitewater Township has prompted a half-mile evacuation order for people in the area, according to Hamilton County emergency management and fire officials.The incident is happening on US 50, between State Route 128 and Valley Junction Road, not far from the Great Miami River.Hamilton County EMA states that per Whitewater Fire officials, a "dangerous chemical leak" occurred near State Route 128 and U.S. 50 around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.EMA officials say the leak was not from a train derailment but a train car that has a valve open, releasing styrene gas. At this time, Mike Siefke, Chief of the Little Miami Joint Fire & Rescue District, said there have been no reports of any injuries from the chemical leak.Siefke said crews are in place working to cool down the rail car. He said roads will remain closed for an undetermined amount of time.Siefke said the threat for an explosion at the site of the leak is not imminent but added that they are concerned for the potential of one due to the rising temperatures inside the car that has been leaking the chemical.Officials said in an update Tuesday night that crews are continuing to set up air monitoring services that will alert officials how the air quality is.The United States Environmental Protection Agency has also been called in to help with the process, Siefke said. Central Road of Indiana released a statement regarding the incident, saying "At approximately 1 p.m. this afternoon, Central Railroad of Indiana (CIND) was notified of a railcar in the vicinity of Cleves, Ohio, venting styrene. The local fire department is onsite, and environmental response agencies have been mobilized. We are fully cooperating with first responders, who will determine any evacuation orders. We ask all those in the area to follow first responder orders and to stay clear of the scene so that we can contain the incident as safely, quickly and effectively as possible. We will provide periodic updates as we learn more."County officials are telling people to leave the area immediately if they are within a half mile radius of the railyard by U.S. 50 and State Route 128, and Valley Junction Road, near the Kroger at 4001 Hamilton Cleves Road.A shelter in place order has been issued for 3/4 of a mile from the site of the leak, according Little Miami Fire & Rescue chief Mike Siefke.All surrounding roads are shut down, including U.S. 50. All stores in the area have been closed, including Kroger.Officials said residents should not call 911 unless there is an active emergency.of Environmental Health Sciences, Styrene is a colorless, flammable liquid, which has a sweet odor and is highly volatile.It is possible to become exposed to styrene through breathing air that has styrene vapors.The chemical is frequently used to make plastics and rubber. It is not known how much of the chemical is leaking from the train car.Anyone who comes into contact with styrene should immediately wash their skin with soap and water and remove and wash clothing that they were wearing. People should also flush their eyes with water for approximately 15 minutes and remove contact lenses. If styrene is inhaled, seek medical attention immediately and rinse mouth thoroughly.Three Rivers School District, which is nearby, was evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to the chemical leak.In an update late Tuesday, the school district said classes will be canceled Wednesday due to ongoing concerns from the leak. A decision on Wednesday's after-school activities will be made by 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Dangerous chemical leak prompts evacuation of Ohio town - Residents near a railcar chemical leak in a western Cincinnati suburb remain under evacuation Wednesday, but officials said the car has stopped venting and there are no issues with air quality. Students in school buildings and residents in hundreds of neighboring homes were told to evacuate after officials discovered styrene, a toxic and flammable chemical used to make plastic and rubber, was leaking from the car’s pressure release valve Tuesday night. The chemical can cause headaches, nausea and respiratory issues, and long-term exposure can lead to more serious health problems including organ damage. Advertisement "As it stands right now, the railcar is no longer venting," John Keffer with the Central Railroad of Indiana said at a news conference Wednesday morning. The volatile liquid inside the railcar appears to be solidifying, Mike Miller of Central Railroad of Indiana said. He added 14 other railcars on the train were carrying styrene and those cars were tested for issues before being moved to be monitored. The incident was likely caused by an additive stabilizer inside the railcar becoming ineffective, causing the product inside the tanker to vent, Miller said. Styrene evaporates almost immediately after entering the air, according to Steven Fagan, the director of Hamilton County Public Health. “The likelihood of any sort of irritation or toxicity is very low, especially anyone outside a half-mile radius, which for an abundance of caution, has been evacuated,” Fagan said. Little Miami Joint Fire and Rescue District Chief Mike Siefke said Wednesday that his agency has not received any calls about any injuries related to the incident. Hamilton County’s Emergency Management Agency advised anyone within a half-mile of the area near U.S. Route 50 and the Great Miami River, west of Cincinnati, to leave immediately, according to the Associated Press. About 200 homes are in the evacuation area, Siefke said. Residents just outside the evacuation area were told to stay inside and keep their windows closed. The area has a mix of businesses, homes and large swaths of undeveloped land, the Associated Press reported. "To our knowledge, all residents that have been displaced have been taken care of," said Andrew Knapp, director of the Hamilton County 911 Center. Three school buildings were evacuated and all after-school events were canceled, said Lisa Whiteley, a spokesperson for the Three Rivers Local School District, according to the Associated Press. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said personnel from the Federal Railroad Administration are headed to the area to assist as needed. The EPA has also been called in to assist, officials said. What is styrene gas? Styrene is a colorless, flammable liquid, which has a sweet odor and is highly volatile, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. It is possible to become exposed to styrene through breathing air that has styrene vapors. The chemical is frequently used to make plastics and rubber. Anyone who comes into contact with styrene should immediately wash their skin with soap and water and remove and wash clothing that they were wearing.

Leak of toxic chemical near Cincinnati prompts evacuations, school closures - The Washington Post -- Officials were working Wednesday to assess the scene the day after a chemical leak from a railcar prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents in southwestern Ohio. It was unclear what had started the incident, but by Wednesday morning, the railcar was “no longer venting,” John Keffer, the general manager of Central Railroad of Indiana, which owns the railway, said during a news conference. “We are still working with the professionals through this process to ensure the safety of the community as well as the emergency responders.” On Tuesday, plumes of white vapor shot out from a pressure release valve of a railcar, leaking styrene — a toxic chemical — that saturated the area in a pungent odor midday. Firefighters in Whitewater Township were notified at 12:46 p.m. about an unusual odor and determined the leak originated from railcar located west of Cincinnati, Mike Siefke, chief of the Little Miami Joint Fire and Rescue District, said at a news conference Tuesday. Officials from the railroad said they are unsure what started the incident. “We are working as safely as possible to mitigate this as quickly as possible. We understand the inconvenience,” said Tom Ciuba, a media spokesperson from Central Railroad of Indiana. Styrene is a toxic, flammable liquid mostly used in plastics and rubber manufacturing. In high concentrations, it can disrupt the nervous systems of those exposed to it, causing fatigue and issues with concentration and balance, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Officials in California list styrene as a carcinogen. Emergency services at the scene began to cool down the railcar by blasting it with water, Siefke said. Cooling efforts continued throughout Tuesday night, Ciuba told The Washington Post. Videos showed fire trucks hosing the train car as the railcar sat on the tracks. The evacuation order covers a half-mile radius from the leak location, including parts Hooven and Cleves, which have a combined population of more than 3,800 people. Hamilton County Emergency Management said that within the half-mile radius, there is still potential for exposure to toxic chemicals and potential for an explosion. Residents outside the affected area in Cleve were asked to shelter in place to avoid exposure to the styrene. Last year, a disastrous train derailment sent a massive plume of vinyl chloride billowing over East Palestine, Ohio — 300 miles away on the other side of the state. The incident in Cleve is the latest in a string of accidents tied to mass transportation and potential environmental health disasters. Liz Hitchcock, the director of Toxic-Free Future’s federal policy program, an environmental health research and advocacy group, said accidents involving the transportation of cancer-causing chemicals in plastics are “a ticking time bomb.” “The event in Ohio is the latest devastating result of using cancer-causing styrene to make plastic for everything from packaging to electronics,” Hitchcock said. “Just like the East Palestine vinyl chloride disaster, toxic chemical accidents are a serious threat to the people who live along the rail lines and near the manufacturing facilities.”

Norway: Oil producers cannot be allowed to derail plastic treaty - Norway, the European Union and other countries across Africa, the Pacific Islands and South America say they won’t stand for oil-rich countries frustrating efforts to reach a global treaty to fight plastic pollution — and plan to heap pressure on these “vested interests” as talks reach their conclusion.“We need to send a clear message that [we] will not accept a small number of countries standing in the way of an agreement,” Norwegian International Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim — co-chair of the self-named “High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution” — said in an interview with POLITICO.Countries will meet in Busan, South Korea, in November for the final round of make-or-break United Nations talks to complete a global plastics treaty. The purpose of the treaty is to halt worsening plastic pollution, but progress has been slow over the past two years due to deep divisions among countries on how prescriptive that deal should be. While the “high-ambition” countries say they remain committed to working with all nations to “establish and extend areas of common understanding and convergence,” in a new statement out Wednesday, the 67 nations pledge not to let “vested interests” stand in the way of an ambitious agreement as a final round of talks approaches.

Shell Abandons Norway’s Hydrogen Projects Due To Lack Of Demand - Shell ha ditched plansto build a low-carbon hydrogen plant on Norway's west coast due to a lack of demand, Reuters reported on Monday. "We haven't seen the market for blue hydrogen materialize and decided not to progress the project," a Shell spokesperson has told Reuters.Shell’s announcement comes hot on the heels of a similar move by oil and gas giant, Equinor ASA. Last week, the Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company announced that it will not move forward with plans to build a pipeline to carry hydrogen from Norway to Germany with partner RWE, citing a lack of customers as well as an inadequate regulatory framework. Equinor was to build hydrogen plants that would enable Norway to send up to 10 gigawatts per annum of blue hydrogen to Germany.“We have decided to discontinue this early-phase project. The hydrogen pipeline hasn’t proved to be viable. That also implies that hydrogen production plans are also put aside,” an Equinor spokesman told Reuters.Over the past decade, climate experts have touted the outsized role that hydrogen could play in helping the planet limit catastrophic global warming. Indeed,net-zero models have forecast that hydrogen could provide as much as 20% of the world’s primary energy by 2050, nearly as much as all renewables currently contribute to the United States’ energy mix. Not surprisingly, there’s no shortage of big hydrogen ambitions.Unfortunately, the hydrogen sector is struggling mainly due to high costs. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), just 12% of hydrogen plants have customers with offtake agreements. Even among projects that have signed offtake deals, most have vague, nonbinding arrangements that can be quietly discarded if the potential buyers back out. Green hydrogen made by electrolyzing water using renewable energy costs nearly four times as much as gray hydrogen created from natural gas, or methane, using steam methane reformation but without capturing the greenhouse gasses emitted in the process. This makes it hard to build hydrogen infrastructure when the demand may not materialize for years.“No sane project developer is going to start producing hydrogen without having a buyer for it, and no sane banker is going to lend money to a project developer without reasonable confidence that someone’s going to buy the hydrogen,” BNEF analyst Martin Tengler notes.

California sues ExxonMobil over alleged plastic recycling deception --California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) filed a lawsuit Monday against ExxonMobil Corp., alleging the company has engaged in a decades-long effort to mislead the public about the recyclability of plastics.Bonta, on behalf of California’s Department of Justice, accused the corporation of deceiving Californians for half a century with deceptive public statements and marketing tools that positioned recycling as a solution to a burgeoning plastic waste problem.Through the lawsuit, filed in the San Francisco County Superior Court, the attorney general is aiming to compel ExxonMobil to end its allegedly deceptive practices, while also securing an abatement fund and civil penalties for harm caused to the community.“Plastics are everywhere, from the deepest parts of our oceans, the highest peaks on earth, and even in our bodies, causing irreversible damage — in ways known and unknown — to our environment and potentially our health,” Bonta said in a statement.“For decades, ExxonMobil has been deceiving the public to convince us that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis when they clearly knew this wasn’t possible,” the attorney general continued.The lawsuit describes ExxonMobil as “the largest producer of plastic polymers used to manufacture single-use plastics,” adding that the company has “ramped up plastic production and deceptively promoted recycling as a cure-all for plastic waste.”The complaint goes on to allege that the company “has aggressively promoted the development of fossil-fuel-based plastic products and campaigned to minimize the public’s understanding of the harmful consequences of these products.”Today’s recycling capabilities are insufficient to contend with the volumes of plastic generated, the lawsuit contends, accusing the corporation of “knowing full well” that these solutions were inadequate.“ExxonMobil lied to further its record-breaking profits at the expense of our planet and possibly jeopardizing our health,” Bonta said.“Today’s lawsuit shows the fullest picture to date of ExxonMobil’s decades-long deception, and we are asking the court to hold ExxonMobil fully accountable for its role in actively creating and exacerbating the plastics pollution crisis through its campaign of deception,” the attorney general added.In a separate plastics-related move Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law a bill that will prevent grocery stores from providing customers with plastic bags, beginning in 2026.As for Bonta’s lawsuit, environmental groups applauded the attorney general’s decision to file the complaint.“This is the single most consequential lawsuit filed against the plastics industry for its persistent and continued lying about plastics recycling,” Judith Enck, president of the Beyond Plastics NGO, said in a statement.“The plastics industry has known for decades that — unlike paper and glass and metal — plastics are not designed to be recycled and therefore do not achieve a high recycling rate,” Enck continued. “Yet, the industry made every effort to convince the public otherwise while profiting off the planetary crisis it created.”

Big banks back tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050 Fourteen major financial institutions back the Declaration to Triple Global Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050, which calls for the expansion of nuclear energy to combat climate change and stem global increases in temperature. Some of the country's largest banks, including Bank of America, Citi and Morgan Stanley, said they support efforts to increase capacity, highlighting nuclear's role in the clean energy transition,during discussions at Climate Week in New York City..

Phase 1 of Austin Master Serv. Cleanup in Martins Ferry “Complete” -- In late July, the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) opened up the shuttered Austin Master Services (AMS) radiological waste management solutions company in Martins Ferry (Belmont County), Ohio, to begin cleanup work at the facility (see Flurry of Activity at Austin Master Services Site in Martins Ferry). AMS is permitted by the ODNR to temporarily store up to 600 tons of fracking waste, like drill cuttings and wastewater. ODNR estimates there are (were) some 10,000 tons of fracking waste at the site. AMS ran out of money, and vendors quit accepting the waste. After failing to meet a court-ordered July 22 deadline, ODNR stepped in to handle the cleanup. The mayor of Martins Ferry reports that Phase 1 of the cleanup is already done, and work is now underway on Phase 2.

EPA and Justice Department announce settlement to reduce benzene and volatile organic compounds emissions from wastewater at Lima Refining Company’s refinery in Ohio -- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a settlement agreement with the Lima Refining Company (LRC) resolving alleged Clean Air Act violations for excess emissions from wastewater of benzene and other volatile organic compounds from its refinery in Lima, Ohio.Under the settlement, LRC will pay a civil penalty of $19 million and is required to reduce benzene and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by addressing its previous noncompliance and implementing compliance monitoring and training at Lima Refinery. The company will implement capital projects with an estimated value of $150 million to ensure it complies with the settlement requirements.The Lima Refinery in Lima, Ohio processes about 165,000 barrels per day of crude, as well as low-sulfur gasoline, gasoline blend stocks, ultra-low sulfur diesel, jet fuel, petrochemical feedstock and other byproducts. Refined products are transported via pipelines and rail cars to primary markets in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and southern Michigan. LRC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Cenovus Energy Inc., which currently owns and operates two other petroleum refineries in Ohio and Wisconsin, and has a stake in two additional refineries in Illinois and Texas.Capital projects to reduce benzene, VOC, and other HAP emissions include:

Install a flash column and either an oil/solids removal unit or a second flash column to reduce benzene in wastewater.
Cease operation or replace the two induced nitrogen gas floatation units (IGFUs).
Upgrade the collection lift station.
Cease operation or implement required design changes to its existing E-Tank.
Upgrade the flare gas recovery system by installing and operating new blowers and a new vapor header.
Perform a flare gas recovery system capacity evaluation and increase capacity, if necessary.
Replace emergency vents to reduce emissions on two units and replace pressure-vacuum vents to reduce emissions on other units.

River Commerce: Marietta Industrial Enterprises gets 1500 tons of drilling pipes -A Marietta company received a large shipment of pipe used for oil and gas transmission this week. On Monday Marietta Industrial Enterprises (MIE) Corp. started unloading a shipment of pipe from a barge that totals 1,500 tons, or 3 million pounds, according to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Scott Elliott. He said the barge brought 70-75 truckloads of pipe from Korea. “People don’t realize how much barges hold,” Elliott said. The pipes were loaded onto a large ship in Korea that then traveled across the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and finished its journey in New Orleans, according to Elliott. Marietta Industrial Enterprises workers load pipes from a barge onto a truck Monday so they can be stockpiled at a different part of its Ohio terminal. The company received 1,500 tons of six-inch pipe that will go to oil and gas drillers across West Virginia and Ohio. The pipes were then loaded on a barge that traveled up the Mississippi River and then they were put on a smaller push boat where they traveled up the Ohio River to MIE’s Ohio River terminal, he said. Unloading the pipe will be finished today, according to Elliott, and the six-inch pipes that weigh around 1 ton each will be stockpiled at a different part of the terminal. The pipes are used in natural gas as distribution lines and will be sent “all over the state of West Virginia and Ohio, “ Elliott said. Oil and gas drilling is down, including in West Virginia and “one of the reasons … is the transmission lines aren’t finished,” he said. The pipes are an “integral part of oil and gas” and they keep people who work in oil and gas drilling paid, Marietta Industrial Enterprises President Trent Elliott said. The pipes that make up the transmission lines “provide the gas needed for other industries to develop,” Trent Elliott said, adding the presence of oil and gas drilling and distribution attracts companies to locate to an area. There are different ways to move pipes from one place to another, including barge, rail and truck, according to Trent Elliott. He said shipping them by barge is the cheapest way, but it is also slow. MIE receives shipments of pipe like the one it received this week about once a year, Sott Elliott said. The company receives one million tons of freight every year, including grain, steel coils, coal, lime, rubber, fertilizer, furnace ore, frac sand and more, he said.

Williams donation equips Utica Shale Academy students - — A $5,000 contribution from Williams, a major energy infrastructure company, is supporting welding and heavy equipment students at the Utica Shale Academy (USA). Superintendent Bill Watson said the company allocated funds earlier this month through its annual charitable giving budget. This marks the second time the community school has benefitted from the energy firm, which presented another $5,000 last year for training equipment to enhance the Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) program. “We will provide 110 pairs of steel-toe work boots for all of the kids participating in the welding and heavy equipment program,” Watson said. “It’s a yearly earmark and last year we received funding for a PLC trainer.” He said the latest windfall will provide safety for students as they train for the workplace. “We are very grateful and thankful, and this allows kids to learn while being safe,” he added. “It is important with career-tech education. You are not only training a student, but you are training a safety mindset also.” USA is a dropout recovery-and-retention school focusing on career-tech education for at-risk students who have obtained more than 1,100 certifications and graduated 150 pupils since 2021. About 145 students in grades 7-12 are enrolled during the 2024-25 school term, with the seventh- and eighth-graders housed at the Williams Collaboration Center to learn about career-tech opportunities and grades 9-12 lodged at the Hutson Building to gain hands-on learning in various trades. Courses include megatronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, AC/DC electric, PLC’s, diesel mechanics and horticulture. Since its inception roughly a decade ago, USA has established a campus in Salineville comprised of the Hutson Building, the Energy Training Center, the Williams Collaboration Center and an outdoor welding site along East Main Street, as well as the Utica Shale Academy Community Center on Church Street that provides a gym and community services.

Utica Shale Academy starting SkillsUSA team – The Utica Shale Academy is looking for welding students to show off their knowledge as part of the SkillsUSA program. Superintendent Bill Watson and instructors Matt Gates and John Wright will advise the team and hopes are to enter competitions over the next year. Watson learned of the program while attending a National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) Leadership Summit in Kenosha, Wisc., in July and believed it was the right fit for USA. “I heard a discussion on how it can showcase their skillsets,” he said. “I thought our students were putting in a lot of hard work and we should get them out there and have them be seen as much as possible.” According to its website, SkillsUSA is the No. 1 workforce development organization for students and empowers them to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. The organization represents more than 413,000 career and technical education students and teachers and has chapters in middle schools, high schools and college or post-secondary institutions across the country. The SkillsUSA framework incorporates personal skills, workplace skills and technical skills grounded in academics, which is integrated through a classroom curriculum. Students hone their hands-on skills against industry standards in more than 130 occupational areas, including 3-D animation and welding. SkillsUSA has served more than 14.6 million members since 1965 and its vision is to produce the most highly skilled workforce in the world, providing every member the opportunity for career success. Watson said officials were distributing information and seeking interest among the community school’s estimated 100 welding students in grades 9-12 to sign up for the program, after which they could take part in local competitions with chances to advance to state and even national contests. “The students have to complete their welding certificates to be allowed to compete for a spot in a local competition,” he added. “SkillsUSA is a competition platform to demonstrate capabilities and get kids engaged to do creative things that can be outside the box.” USA is a dropout recovery-and-retention school focusing on career-tech education for at-risk students who have obtained more than 1,100 certifications and graduated 150 pupils since 2021. Students in grades 7-12 undergo a blend of online education through the Virtual Learning Academy by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center with hands-on learning in various trades. Courses include welding, megatronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, AC/DC electric, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s), diesel mechanics and horticulture.

32 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 16 – 22 Marcellus Drilling News - There were 32 permits issued to drill new shale wells in Marcellus/Utica for the week of Sept. 16 – 22, more than doubling the 15 issued the prior week. The Keystone State (PA) had nine new permits, with five of them going to EQT in Greene County. The Buckeye State (OH) had 20 new permits. The floodgates opened up! The top recipient in OH was Encino Energy, which received eight permits divided between Guernsey and Carroll counties. EOG Resources received five permits in Harrison County. The Mountain State (WV) had three new permits after getting skunked the prior week. All three were issued to Northeast Natural Energy (NNE) in Monongalia County. ARMSTRONG COUNTY | BELMONT COUNTY | CARROLL COUNTY | COTERRA ENERGY (CABOT O&G) | ENCINO ENERGY | EOG RESOURCES | EQT CORP | GREENE COUNTY (PA) | GUERNSEY COUNTY | GULFPORT ENERGY | HARRISON COUNTY | INR/INFINITY NATURAL RESOURCES |MONONGALIA COUNTY | NORTHEAST NATURAL ENERGY | RANGE RESOURCES CORP | SNYDER BROTHERS | SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY | WASHINGTON COUNTY |

Officials working to clean up alleged fuel spill in Cambria County— Officials in Cambria County say what's believed to be hundreds of gallons of fuel was found spreading into a local stream on Wednesday.Now, officials and responders in Richland Township are working to clean up the spill.Authorities say the spill was discovered along the 1900 block of Oakridge Drive Wednesday afternoon, near Sandy Run.Officials say they were called to the scene after someone noticed a sheen in the water and the smell of oil.“Upon the fire department's arrival, we started setting out booms and creating underflow dams at the site, as well as below stream, as far down as where we thought the fuel had traveled,” said Richland Deputy Fire Chief Robert Heffelfinger.The Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Boat Commission were also called to assist, which officials say is standard protocol. They say the fuel, which could be as much as 400 gallons, is reportedly coming from a nearby home.

Natural gas CEO: Use AI to better guide energy policy -- The top executive of one of Pennsylvania’s largest natural gas producers said artificial intelligence and data should better guide the country’s energy policy in favor of natural gas, including allowing the energy-starved New England states to have access to more natural gas pipelines. Thomas Jorden, chairman and CEO of Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA), told the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s Shale Insight gathering in Erie on Wednesday that bad public policy wasn’t having the desired effects on climate. He cited a recently published Science magazine review of 1,500 climate policies established worldwide between 1998 and 2022 that found only 63 were successful and led to less than a 1.8 billion metric ton reduction in total carbon emissions. Earth’s total carbon emissions continue to climb and rose 1% in 2023 to 37.4 billion tons a year, according to the International Energy Agency. “Public policy is not having the effect it’s designed to have,” Jorden said. He urged a data-driven approach using the latest artificial intelligence advances to find new and unexpected ways to make a bigger difference, optimizing for a country-by-country approach at emissions reductions. “At Coterra, we put a lot of energy into machine learning over the last six or so years,” Jorden said. “We’ve had a lot of false starts, but we’ve really gained tremendous traction toward changing every element of our business.” Coterra is the combination of Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. and Cimarex, which occurred in 2021. He noted that New England states, other than Vermont, get about 50% of electricity from natural gas, but Coterra and others are prevented from building a pipeline from Pennsylvania that would allow more natural gas to flow more easily and more cheaply. “We’re unable to do that so I would call that a questionable energy policy,” Jorden said. Other speakers at this year’s Shale Insight, which is aimed at and for natural gas producers and the companies who serve the industry, also promoted the use of natural gas. CNX Resources Corp. (NYSE: CNX) told others in the industry that it needed to rededicate itself to a more transparent measure of air and water emissions in drilling and hydraulic fracturing. CNX in November 2023 forged a cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Gov. Josh Shapiro over extensive air and water monitoring. Another driller, privately held Encino Energy, also highlighted work toward environmental and operational improvements and cited its success in the primarily oil-rich play of the Utica Shale in Ohio as an example. Ray Walker, COO of Encino Energy and one of the pioneers of the Marcellus Shale when he was with Range Resources Corp., implored his fellow drillers to continue to improve environmental and sustainability performance. That would become even clearer as the country understands that it needs the natural gas that is produced. “We have to maintain our license to operate, and I know people don’t like it when I say that term, but that is the truth,” Walker said. “You’re licensed to operate. These people have to believe in what you’re doing.” Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, said the Marcellus Shale provides a bedrock of national security and an affordable energy source in Washington County and beyond. “We must impress upon the public and its national leaders the importance of allowing energy production and producers to do what they do best, supply our country with clean-burning American natural gas, which is produced under the strictest environmental standards in the world and continues to innovate,” he said.

The Lying Nun Makes an Appearance at Shale Insight Event | Marcellus Drilling News - Some 800 delegates are attending the Shale Insight event held in Erie, PA, from Tuesday through today. It's the premier shale event in the Marcellus/Utica each year. While 800 talented, hardworking, intelligent people are inside listening to speakers, networking (talking to others), and learning how to make shale drilling better (safer, faster, cheaper)---in general, figuring out how to solve problems and move our industry and the world forward, making life better for everyone---there were a handful of protesters outside the event. The people outside don't create jobs but destroy them. They don't offer solutions, only criticism. Of course, the media was there to highlight these ne'er-do-wells, including comments from a lying nun.

Revealed: how the fossil fuel industry helps spread anti-protest laws across the US - Fossil fuel lobbyists coordinated with lawmakers behind the scenes and across state lines to push and shape laws that are escalating a crackdown on peaceful protests against oil and gas expansion, a new Guardian investigation reveals. Records obtained by the Guardian show that lobbyists working for major North American oil and gas companies were key architects of anti-protest laws that increase penalties and could lead to non-violent environmental and climate activists being imprisoned up to 10 years. Emails between fossil fuel lobbyists and lawmakers in Utah, West Virginia, Idaho and Ohio suggest a nationwide strategy to deter people frustrated by government failure to tackle the climate crisis from peacefully disrupting the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure by enacting tough laws with lengthy jail sentences. “Draft bill attached,” wrote a lobbyist representing two influential fossil fuel trade groups to the lead counsel for the West Virginia state energy committee in January 2020. The law, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, was later used to charge at least eight peaceful climate protesters including six senior citizens. Amid ongoing record oil and gas expansion in the US, activists say they have turned to protests and non-violent civil disobedience such as blocking roads and chaining themselves to trees, machinery and equipment as a way to slow down construction, raise public awareness, and press for more urgent climate action by governments and corporations. Civil disobedience is a form of political protest that involves breaking the law in a planned, symbolic way – which activists and rights experts say is part of the bedrock of a democratic society and in the tradition of civil rights movements.The months-long investigation by the Guardian found that companies and lawmakers sought to increase the threat of criminal action against activists to protect oil and gas expansion – even as deadly and destructive extreme weather events hit communities nationwide.Last year was the hottest on record, and wildfires, baking temperatures, deadly floods and rising sea levels struck communities across North America – and the rest of the world. Under the Biden administration, the US has handed out more than 1,450 new oil and gas licenses, accounting for half of the total globally, and 20% more licences than those issued by Donald Trump, who has promised to “drill, baby, drill” should he return to the White House.The findings from dozens of freedom of information requests suggest that the right to peaceful protest is under attack in the US – much like in other major democracies including the UK, Germany, Canada and Australia.These countries, which are the most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, continue to back fossil fuel expansion fueling climate breakdown while cracking down on activists and groups sounding the alarm – a trend condemned by Mary Lawlor, UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, as “unacceptable”.“People taking peaceful action to draw attention to global warming, and calling for governments to finally do something about it, are human rights defenders – who the US government states that it supports. [But] that must mean support for all human rights defenders, even where they challenge action by the US state itself or the interests of powerful companies,” said Lawlor.“Existing legislation is being misused or new legislation is being brought in to criminalise peaceful acts calling for real action to combat climate change. This is unacceptable.”In Utah, a major oil, coal and gas producer in the Rocky Mountain region, lawmakers passed an anti-protest law carrying up to five years’ jail time after discussing the need to protect fossil gas. “We’re being forced out of coal, which is cheap, reliable and plentiful, but have nowhere to go to find a replacement energy source because natural gas is also under attack,” a lawmaker wrote in an email in January 2023, obtained by the Guardian.Prosecuting non-violent climate protesters is “just legalised violence”, according to Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and grassroots organiser who has been arrested for participating in peaceful climate protests.“It’s disgusting, it’s deeply un-American, and in the end it won’t stop the transition to a cleaner world, but it will do great damage to good people and organizations in the next few years.”

Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Southwestern Energy Company Combination Expected to Close in the First Week of October -- Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Southwestern Energy Company announced the waiting period in connection with the companies' pending combination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 ("HSR Act") has expired. The companies expect the merger to close in the first week of October. Upon closing, the combined company will be the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. and assume the name Expand Energy Corporation. It will commence public trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "EXE" at the open of trading the day after closing."The world is short energy," said Nick Dell'Osso, Chesapeake's President and Chief Executive Officer. "With a premium scaled position across leading natural gas basins in the United States, a peer-leading returns program and a resilient financial foundation, Expand Energy is uniquely positioned to compete on an international scale to expand America's energy reach and deliver opportunity for the world's energy customers." Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: CHK) is powered by dedicated and innovative employees who are focused on discovering and responsibly developing leading positions in top U.S. oil and gas plays. With a goal to achieve net zero GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2035, Chesapeake is committed to safely answering the call for affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy. Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE: SWN) is a leading U.S. producer and marketer of natural gas and natural gas liquids focused on responsibly developing large-scale energy assets in the nation's most prolific shale gas basins. SWN's returns-driven strategy strives to create sustainable value for its stakeholders by leveraging its scale, financial strength, and operational execution.

Chesapeake CEO Says LNG Worth the Risk if Deals Are Right -- Chesapeake Energy Corp. is exploring all the ways it can grow its LNG portfolio after entering the sector earlier this year, but the company’s top executive said the market is risky and its growth in the space is likely to take a long time.Graph from Shell plc showing global LNG supply and demand forecast through 2050.Chesapeake, an early mover among exploration and production companies on liquefied natural gas exports, is aiming to have 15-20% of its production volumes exposed to the international market.“That’s a lot of gas to put into LNG contracts or gain exposure to international prices,” CEO Nick Dell’Osso said last week during a panel discussion at the Gastech 2024 conference in Houston. “It will require a number of different avenues to do it. We won’t do it all with tolling. We would likely have a variety of approaches, which could include just simple financial contracting as well.”

Germany’s SEFE Contracting for Reliable LNG Supplies, With Venture Global Aiming to Deliver --The United States should maintain its status as a top LNG exporter for years to come, but partnerships with overseas customers would be key to ensure success, according to two top natural gas executives.Speaking at Gastech 2024 in Houston, Securing Energy For Europe (SEFE) CEO Egbert Laege, who oversees Germany’s state-owned midstream company, discussed the value of maintaining an open dialogue with liquefied natural gas suppliers. Venture Global LNG Inc. CEO Mike Sabel, whose company is contracted to sell SEFE some long-term supplies, shared the stage.For Germany, there have been a few “holy sh-t” moments since 2022, Laege told the audience. SEFE supplies natural gas to more than 50,000 industrial customers and municipal utilities in Germany. It was a subsidiary of Russia’s gas giant Gazprom PJSC until 2022. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany nationalized the midstream company.

Kimmeridge Extends Low-Cost Eagle Ford Strategy to Global Natural Gas Markets with Commonwealth LNG -- Kimmeridge Energy Management Co. LLC is aiming to push the Commonwealth LNG project past a year of regulatory setbacks into a final investment decision (FID) in 2025 with the help of renewed offtake interest and its low-cost model. Before the Biden administration announced a pause on new worldwide LNG export permits in January, the 9.5 million metric ton/year (mmty) project proposed for Cameron Parish, LA, looked poised to be the next Gulf Coast project to be financed. About six months and several industry-rattling federal decisions later, early equity investor Kimmeridge upped its stake in the Texas project to a 90% controlling interest. In the face of that regulatory uncertainty, Kimmeridge’s managing partner Ben Dell told NGI at the Gastech 2024 conference in Houston that the Commonwealth team has been continuing its marketing and permitting efforts by leaning on the same assets that attracted the firm to the project in the first place.

U.S. net natural gas exports remain flat in the first half of 2024 --In the first six months of 2024, U.S. net natural gas exports (exports minus imports) averaged 12.6 Bft³d, 1% (0.1 Bft³d) more than the same period last year and 2% (0.3 Bft³d) less than in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Natural Gas Monthly.Since 2019, increases in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and exports by pipeline to Mexico have led the growth in U.S. natural gas exports. The U.S. has exported more natural gas than it imports since 2017.The U.S. trades natural gas by pipeline with Canada and Mexico and as LNG with more than 40 countries. The U.S. imports more natural gas by pipeline from Canada than it exports, and it exports more natural gas by pipeline to Mexico than it imports. The U.S. has been a net exporter of LNG since 2016.The large buildout of LNG export capacity enabled LNG exports to grow from an annual average of 0.5 Bft³d in 2016 to 11.9 Bft³d in 2023. Currently, the U.S. has seven LNG export terminals in operation and five terminals under construction. In 2023, the U.S. was the world’s largest LNG exporter. By the end of this year, the EIA expects two new LNG export facilities—Plaquemines LNG and Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3 (an expansion of the existing Corpus Christi LNG export terminal)—to start LNG exports.U.S. natural gas pipeline imports from Canada play an important role in balancing the U.S. natural gas market, particularly in the winter. Most natural gas imported by pipeline from Canada arrives in the Western and Midcontinent regions of the U.S.In 2023, net U.S. pipeline imports from Canada averaged 5.2 Bft³d, of which 83% was imported into the western U.S. In the first six months of 2024, net U.S. pipeline imports from Canada averaged 5.4 Bft³d, an increase of 11% (0.5 Bft³d) compared with the same period in 2023, mainly because of increased imports into the Midcontinent region.Since the end of natural gas production in eastern Canada (offshore Nova Scotia) and growth in production in the U.S. Appalachia region, U.S. exports of natural gas by pipeline into eastern Canada exceeded imports from eastern Canada, making the eastern U.S. a net exporter of natural gas by pipeline to eastern Canada for several years since 2017.U.S. net pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 6.3 Bft³d in the first six months of 2024, 7% (0.4 Bft³d) more than over the same period last year and 2% more (0.1 Bft³d) than the 2023 annual average.U.S.-Mexico cross-border pipeline capacity is set to expand as two new natural gas pipeline projects with a total capacity of 5.3 Bft³d have received regulatory approvals. These projects are primarily targeting LNG export capacity being developed in Mexico that will be supplied with natural gas sourced from the U.S.

US natural gas prices jump 7% to 12-week high on storm worries (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 7% to a 12-week high on Monday on worries some Gulf Coast oil and gas producers would reduce output ahead of a possible hurricane that could hit the region later this week. Front-month gas futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 17.9 cents, or 7.4%, to settle at $2.613 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since June 27. That was the contract's biggest daily percentage gain since late August and pushed the front-month into technically overbought territory for the first time since the middle of June. In the Atlantic basin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast a tropical disturbance in the Caribbean Sea would strengthen into a hurricane on Wednesday that would hit the Florida Panhandle on Thursday. Although storms are more likely to reduce gas demand and prices through power outages and shutting liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants, analysts said this storm was currently on track to miss the LNG plants. That means demand for gas from those LNG export plants was likely to remain high at the same time some Gulf Coast producers cut output. More than 75% of U.S. gas production still comes from big inland shale basins like Appalachia in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio and the Permian in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, so most of the country's gas output should remain safe from the storm. That is very different from 20 years ago when roughly 20% of the nation's gas came from the federal offshore parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Back then, Gulf Coast hurricanes usually caused gas prices to spike higher. Now, however, the federal offshore region produces just about 2% of the country's gas. In Canada, meanwhile, next-day gas prices at the AECO hub in Alberta fell to 5 cents per mmBtu, their lowest level since hitting a record low of around 2 cents in August 2022, according to data from financial firm LSEG going back to 1993. LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states has slid to an average of 102.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in September, down from 103.2 bcfd in August. With milder autumn weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will slide from 99.1 bcfd this week to 97.7 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants have eased to an average of 12.8 bcfd so far in September, down from 12.9 bcfd in August. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023. That reduction was due mostly to the planned Sept. 20 shutdown of Berkshire Hathaway Energy's 0.8-bcfd Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland for around three weeks of annual maintenance.

US natgas prices slide 2% on lower demand forecasts, storm heads to Florida (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures slid about 2% on Tuesday on forecasts for less demand over the next two weeks than previously expected. Another factor weighing on gas prices was the latest forecasts for Tropical Storm Helene to miss most of the producing regions in the western and central Gulf of Mexico as it strengthens into a hurricane on Wednesday and hit the Florida Panhandle late Thursday. Over the past few days, severaloil companies paused some production ahead of Helene. But some firms, like Shell, started restoring oil and gas production as the forecasted storm movements shifted away from their offshore platforms. Front-month gas futures NGc1 for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 6.2 cents, or 2.4%, to settle at $2.551 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).On Monday, the contract closed at its highest level since June 27. With front-month gas prices up about 27% over the past five weeks, the premium of futures for November over October fell to just 24 cents per mmBtu, the lowest since September 2022. October is the current front-month. Analysts have said gas prices should trade at lower levels during the April-October summer cooling season than the November-March winter heating season since U.S. demand for gas peaks during the winter. Analysts said the recent output reductions were partly due to producers curtailing Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production ahead of Helene and lower flows on aNatural Gas Pipeline Co (NGPL) pipe in Texas after a force majeure event at a compressor. With milder autumn weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will slide from 98.5 bcfd this week to 96.4 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were lower than LSEG's outlook on Monday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants have eased to an average of 12.8 bcfd so far in September, down from 12.9 bcfd in August. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023. In other LNG news, a tanker docked for the past month at Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines export plant under construction in Louisiana left by Tuesday morning, according to data provider LSEG. Energy analysts said that was likely a sign Plaquemines was getting closer to producing and exporting its own LNG.

US natgas prices climb 3% to 12-week high on rising demand, less output ahead of hurricane (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% to a 12-week high on Wednesday on forecasts for higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected and a continued reduction in output ahead of Hurricane Helene. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast Helene would strengthen into a major hurricane as it marches across the Gulf of Mexico before slamming into the Florida Panhandle late on Thursday. Although storms are more likely to reduce gas demand and prices through power outages and shutting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants, analysts said this storm was on track to miss the LNG plants. That means demand for gas from those LNG export plants should remain high at the same time that some Gulf Coast producers have cut output ahead of the storm. More than 75% of U.S. gas production still comes from big inland shale basins like Appalachia in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio and the Permian in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, so most of the country's gas output should remain safe from the storm. On its second to last day as the front-month, gas futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 8.6 cents, or 3.4%, to settle at $2.637 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since June 27. Futures for November , which will soon be the front-month, were trading up about 2 cents to $2.81 per mmBtu. LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states has slid to an average of 102.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in September, down from 103.2 bcfd in August. But on a daily basis, output was on track to drop by around 2.6 bcfd over the past five days to a preliminary three-month low of 100.2 bcfd. Analysts, however, noted preliminary data is often revised later in the day. Analysts said recent output reductions were partly due to producers curtailing Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production ahead of Helene and lower flows on a Natural Gas Pipeline Co (NGPL) pipe in Texas after a force majeure event at a compressor. With milder autumn weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will slide from 98.8 bcfd this week to 97.6 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants have eased to an average of 12.8 bcfd so far in September, down from 12.9 bcfd in August. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023. That reduction was due mostly to the planned Sept. 20 shutdown of Berkshire Hathaway Energy's 0.8-bcfd Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland for around three weeks of annual maintenance.

US natgas prices slide 2% as Hurricane Helene targets Florida (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures slid about 2% on Thursday on worries Hurricane Helene will reduce the amount of gas power generators burn by knocking out electric service to homes and businesses. On its last day as the front-month, gas futures NGc1 for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 5.2 cents, or 2.0%, to settle at $2.585 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). On Wednesday, the contract closed at its highest since June 27. Futures for November NGX24, which will soon be the front-month, fell about 6 cents to settle at $2.753 per mmBtu. The price declines came despite an expected smaller-than-usual storage build last week, bullish forecasts for higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected and a continued reduction in output ahead of Helene. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said utilities added an implied 55 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas into storage during the week ended Sept. 20. The net build after a reclassification was just 47 bcf. That implied number was in line with the 53-bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with an increase of 82 bcf in the same week last year and a five-year (2019-2023) average rise of 88 bcf for this time of year. But energy analysts noted last week's build was smaller than normal for the 19th time in 20 weeks after drillers reduced output earlier this year when gas prices fell to mulityear lows. Average monthly spot prices at the U.S. Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana fell from a 12-month high of $3.18 per mmBtu in January to a 44-month low of $1.72 in February and a 32-year low of $1.49 in March, according to Reuters and federal energy data.. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast Helene would slam into the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane later on Thursday. There were currently around 87,000 homes and businesses without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us. Althoughstorms are more likely to reduce gas demand and prices through power outages and shutting of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants, analysts said this storm was on track to miss the LNG plants. That means demand for gas from those LNG export plants should remain high at the same time that some Gulf Coast producers have cut output. The U.S.Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said producers shut about 0.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) or 20% of gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for Helene. LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states has fallen to an average of 101.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in September, down from 103.2 bcfd in August. But on a daily basis, output was on track to drop by around 3.1 bcfd over the past six days to a preliminary four-month low of 99.6 bcfd. Analysts, however, noted preliminary data is often revised later in the day. With milder autumn weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will drop from 99.5 bcfd this week to 98.5 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Wednesday. Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants have eased to an average of 12.8 bcfd so far in September, down from 12.9 bcfd in August. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023.

US natgas prices jump 5% to 14-week high as Helene batters US Southeast (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 5% to a 14-week high on Friday as Hurricane Helene battered the U.S. Southeast after causing Gulf of Mexico producers to cut output and knocking out power to millions of customers in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Energy traders noted that prices were also supported as the amount of gas flowing to Venture Global's Plaquemines LNG export plant in Louisiana was on track to match a high of around 35 million cubic feet per day that it hit in mid-August. That is still a very small amount of gas. The first phase of the Plaquemines project will have the capacity to turn about 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of gas into LNG. Analysts have said the plant could start producing LNG in test mode over the next month or so. Officials at Venture Global were not immediately available for comment. Another factor analysts have noted that has supported prices in recent weeks was that storage injections in July, August and so far in September were at record lows, according to federal energy data going back to 1997. That is because many producers cut output earlier this year after average spot monthly prices at the U.S. Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana fell to a 32-year low. On its first day as the front-month, gas futures for November delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 14.9 cents, or 5.4%, from where they traded on Thursday to settle at $2.902 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) on Friday, their highest close since June 18. That, however, was up about 12% from where the less expensive October contract closed when it was still the front-month on Thursday. That expiration-caused price increase pushed the front-month back into technically overbought territory for the third time this week after hitting that level on Monday and Wednesday. For the week, the contract was up about 19%, putting it on track for a fifth week of gains for the first time since April 2022. During that time, the front-month has gained about 43%. The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast the remnants of Helene, now a tropical depression, would remain over Tennessee and Kentucky over the weekend. There were currently about 4.6 million homes and businesses without power, mostly in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, from Helene. That is down from around 5.2 million affected by the storm as utilities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have been able to restore service to some customers since the storm slammed into the Florida Panhandle late Thursday. Although storms are more likely to reduce gas prices and demand through power outages and shutting of liquefied natural gas export plants, analysts said this storm was on track to miss the LNG plants. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said that about 18%, or 0.3 bcfd, of gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was still shut-in for Helene. More than 75% of U.S. gas production still comes from big inland shale basins like Appalachia in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio and the Permian in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, so most of the country's gas output should remain safe from the storm.

Uncertainty about price, policy spreading across oil patch, Dallas Fed says - U.S. oil and gas activity in the country’s most productive region dipped slightly in the third quarter while remaining near record highs as industry executives grew concerned about lower prices and economic uncertainty, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said Wednesday. The bank’s latest energy survey includes responses collected earlier this month from 136 energy companies in Texas and parts of New Mexico and Louisiana as the global oil benchmark reached its lowest price in nearly three years. At the same time, natural gas prices at the main pricing hub for the prolific Permian Basin — located in Texas and New Mexico — have hovered near zero and even at times dipped into negative pricing territory throughout this year, reflecting a national supply glut and a lack of pipeline capacity to take natural gas from the Permian to market.“Overall, the key point from the survey is that oil and gas activity dimmed in third quarter as uncertainty rose,” Kunal Patel, a senior business economist with the Dallas Fed, told reporters during a press call Wednesday.

US crude oil inventories down 1.1% for week ending Sept. 20 - US commercial crude oil inventories decreased by 1.1% during the week ending Sept. 20, according to data released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) late Wednesday. Inventories fell by around 4.5 million barrels to 413 million barrels, higher than the market prediction of about 1.3 million barrels draw. Strategic petroleum reserves, which are excluded from commercial crude stocks, increased by approximately 1.3 million barrels to 381.9 million barrels last week, the data revealed. Over the same period, gasoline inventories fell by around 1.5 million barrels to 220.1 million barrels. EIA data showed that US crude oil production increased by about 9,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 13.62 million bpd during the week ending Sept. 20. US crude oil imports rose by 135,000 bpd to approximately 6.46 million bpd, while exports decreased by 692,000 bpd to around 3.9 million bpd over the same period. In the Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) released on Sept. 10, the EIA predicted that crude oil output in the country would reach an average of 13.3 million bpd this year. Next year, crude oil output in the country is expected to reach 13.7 million bpd.

Mexico Pacific Positions Saguaro LNG for Coming FID with Modular Design - Driven by a new modular upsized design and a full slate of customers for its Saguaro Energía LNG export project, Mexico Pacific Ltd. LLC is honing in on a final investment decision (FID) next year. Saguaro LNG natural gas infrastructure and LNG plant showing industrial gas plant in the energy production facility and natural gas supply chain, including gas pipeline network. The Houston-based firm has been working for years to place all the pieces together for the 15 million metric tons/year (mmty) first phase proposed for Puerto Libertad, Sonora on Mexico’s Gulf of California. Now that one of those major pieces – optimizing the terminal’s design – has been put to bed, Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs Patrick Hughes told NGI last week during Gastech 2024 in Houston that the final step is securing the roughly $15 billion needed for financing. More specifically, Mexico Pacific is awaiting the final approval of Mexico’s three development banks, which Hughes called a “focal point” of the liquefied natural gas export project.

Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Trinidad Eyeing Big Share of Global Natural Gas Market -Could Mexico become one of the largest LNG exporters in the world? In a decade’s time, it could be a reality, a top executive overseeing a planned export project on the west coast said last week. Chart showing various LNG export projects under construction and proposed in Mexico, highlighting key market features. Energy companies working in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are unearthing opportunities to develop gas for their countries. Some already are exporting liquefied natural gas, while others are preparing for a potential windfall down the road. All of them are finding success by using one of the oldest management tricks in the book: collaborating with stakeholders.

At least two people dead after oil barge sinks in Venezuela, PDVSA says (Reuters) - At least two people died and four were declared missing following the sinking of an oil barge operated by a contractor of Venezuelan state-run energy company PDVSA at Lake Maracaibo, PDVSA said on Thursday.Sources and an internal report from the company had indicated four fatalities from the accident earlier on Thursday. But PDVSA said rescue work to find the four missing people has not finished."PDVSA reports the unfortunate sinking of barge Chantase G of company SOSCA, provider of oil well maintenance services, in Lake Maracaibo due to the poor weather conditions affecting the area," the company said in a release.Another 19 people were successfully rescued on Thursday morning at the accident site, the report said.Incidents involving barges that carry Venezuelan oil and fuel between domestic ports and to the Caribbean have become frequent. A large fuel oil spill near Tobago from a capsized barge navigating from Venezuela hit several Caribbean nations in March.

Fuel Slick From Sunken Ship Spreads to Greenland Fjord -- A team of firefighters tried to manage a spill of diesel fuel which leaked from a ship that sunk off the coast of Greenland, threatening the delicate marine ecosystem of the Arctic waters.The vessel had reportedly hit a reef and then ran aground on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. Police mentioned that hydrocarbon films could be seen on the water surface in Nanortalik Fjords in the south.Around 20,000 litres or 5300 gallons of fuel spilt and reached the fjord even though pumps and a floating barrage were installed.Elements including wind, tides and sea currents posed additional difficulties in efforts to contain the oil spill, said firefighters who had also received additional equipment.Luckily, all onboard the passenger vessel ‘Adolf Jensen’ evacuated safely.The 30 m long ship sailing the flag of Greenland, was loaded with 15,000 to 20,000 litres of diesel fuel in its tanks, apart from 1000 litres of engine oil.The Environment and Civil Protection Ministry requested help from the Arctic Command of the Danish Navy to help clean the leaked fuel.Police instructed all the ships in the area to be cautious and tread slowly to minimise the disturbance to water.

Oil pollution in UK waters far worse than reported, says conservation group --The true extent of oil pollution released into UK waters by the fossil fuel industry has been “significantly underestimated” and it is putting marine wildlife at risk, according to a report released today.The conservation group Oceana said chronic oiling, defined as frequent, small scale releases, into the North Sea was much higher than estimated due to an “opaque” system of reporting oil discharges and spills.Oil companies must report both accidental oil spills and intentional discharges of so-called produced water – a byproduct that can contain oil and other toxic chemicals. The companies are allowed to release a certain volume of produced water but breaches of permitted levels are reported separately so escape full scrutiny, according to Oceana’s report. This caused underreporting of the total amount of oil released into the sea, it claimed.Using official data, Oceana estimated that when accidental spills and breaches of permitted discharges were added together, the recorded volume of everyday oil pollution should be increased by 43% over the past decade.“The system has been set up in such an opaque way it makes it difficult to understand the full volume of oil that is being discharged via accidental spills and permit breaches,” said Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana. “No one except oil insiders can be sure of the true scale of it.”“Given so few sites are actually inspected, it is out of sight out of mind,” he said. “Even if people are caught, there is little enforcement.”Tagholm accused regulators of inadequate oversight of the industry, describing fines as “a drop in the ocean” compared with corporate profits. Oceana is calling for an increase in inspections and enforcement measures to prevent spills and breaches.A freedom of information request by Oceana revealed only 15% of oil and gas installations had been inspected by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred) in 2023, down from 25% in 2022, according to the oceans group.Over the past five years, there have been two recorded convictions or fines for oil pollution, one for £7,000 against BP for a spill of 95 tonnes of oil. BP said at the time it had “regrettably” fallen short of its “high standards”, and that the incident “should not have happened”.Just five companies accounted for 80% of oil spills between 2011 and 2024, the Oceana report found, the worst offender being Total E&P. Five companies also accounted for 84% of all oil discharged via permit breaches, the worst being the Spanish oil giant Repsol, it said.Oceana’s report found that 248 “permit breach” releases were in UK marine sanctuaries.Dr Rosie Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at the Zoological Society of London, said: “A growing body of research now recognises that the steady release of oil and other toxins into marine environments poses a huge threat to marine life.”

Trouble Deepens for North Sea Oil and Gas -- When the Labour Party came into power, it vowed to tax the oil and gas industry more. Warnings this might backfire fell on deaf years. Now, banks are refusing to lend to North Sea operators. It may well end with energy shortages.“To deliver our clean power mission, Labour will work with the private sector to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030,” Labour said in a manifesto ahead of the elections. In contrast, their plan for oil and gas was an increased squeeze through taxation and regulation.Indeed, once the Keir Starmer government formed, the squeeze on oil and gas increased. The windfall tax that the previous Tory government had put in place was left in place, with an investment incentive that the Tories had implemented to prevent the industry from upping and leaving getting axed. Labour clearly wanted to have a transition, have it fast, and finance it with oil and gas tax money.Yet this tax caused a reaction among the industry, and it now appears in the banking sector, too. For starters, North Sea operators warned they may be forced to relocate in order to survive. “The UK is now fiscally more unstable than almost anywhere else on the planet,” the CEO of Serica Energy, one of the biggest regional oil and gas producers, said last month. “That means we are looking for new places to invest our money. And Norway is a place where potentially we could recreate our business model.” Now, it seems like banks are going to motivate even more energy companies to leave the UK because they have reduced the amount of money they are willing to lend to the industry—because of the windfall profit tax. That’s the same windfall profit tax that the Labour government wants to use as a cash cow for the energy transition, one of whose ultimate aims is to kill the oil and gas industry quite literally. “The North Sea oil and gas industry, particularly in Scotland, is being starved of financing,” one energy industry insidertold the Financial Times last week. “This financial strain extends beyond traditional banks because even insurance companies are beginning to withdraw support, which threatens the viability of many businesses,” David Larssen, CEO of Proserv, which provides offshore operators with subsea control systems, said.The windfall profit tax was imposed on the energy industry in 2022 amid record profits resulting from the supply uncertainty in oil and gas following the incursion of Russian troops into Ukraine. Originally, the size of that additional levy was 25%, only to be raised next year to 35%. That put oil and gas companies’ total tax burden at a quite sizable 75%.Yet the Tory government allowed for an exemption from the windfall profit tax in case the company reinvested its profits in more supply. Labour removed that exemption option. It also raised the windfall profit tax to 38%. Now, the state budget stands to lose tens of billions of pounds—and the country stands to lose energy supply security.According to data from Norwegian investment bank SpareBank 1 Markets, reserve-based lending to oil and gas operators in the UK’s North Sea had fallen by some 40-50% since the introduction of the windfall profit tax. That’s a sort of asset-backed lending, where oil companies get money based on future cash flows, the FT explains. But with future cash flows extremely uncertain, it was only to be expected that such financing would dry up.“We have recently found it very difficult because people who provide capital are very uncertain about whether they are going to get their money back because of changes in policy,” Robert Fisher, chairman of Ping Petroleum, told the FT.The ultimate problem with this situation is that when there is no money, energy companies will not work to expand or even maintain production. This means, on the one hand, lower income for the state coffers and, on the other, less supply of oil and gas—while they are still very much needed.“If the government implements the kind of windfall taxes they are talking about, then you end up with a cliff edge in UK energy production because the industry will be taxed into uncompetitiveness,” Stifel analyst Chris Wheaton told the Financial Times back in August. “That is going to cause a very dramatic decline in investment and therefore production and jobs, and a big hit to energy security.”It will also cause a dramatic decline in tax revenues from the energy industry, which last year almost hit 10 billion pounds, or $13.3 billion. That’s about to drop precipitously to just about 2 billion pounds in four years if the current tax policies remain in place. Those 2 billion pounds won’t go a very long way in funding a transition, while at the same time, they would make the UK more heavily reliant on energy imports, which is never a good idea when you have your own oil and gas. In that, the UK may be a unique case worth studying by future generations.

TTF Climbs Higher on Threats to Global Natural Gas Supplies – LNG Recap - European natural gas prices moved higher on Monday as tensions rose in the Middle East and Ukraine. Graph showing TTF natural gas prices rising amid global supply threats and LNG market trends, highlighting energy market volatility and supply chain disruptions in the European gas sector. Expand The November Title Transfer Facility (TTF) contract finished 3.5% higher on Monday to close above $12/MMBtu. Israel launched another round of air strikes on Monday against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, raising the risk of a broader conflict in the region that could threaten global gas supplies. Ukrainian officials also warned that Russia could be planning strikes against nuclear power sites in the country and fighting continued in the Kursk region near the Sudzha gas transit point.

Lagging Demand for German LNG Import Capacity Reflects European Natural Gas Market Risks, Terminal Operator Says -- Germany’s efforts to scale up LNG import capacity following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has helped stabilize natural gas supply to Europe, but maintaining a balanced independent market requires more work, according to the country’s state-owned terminal operator.Graph showing Germany's LNG imports by country for the year through September 2024.In response to an expected natural gas shortfall in Europe in the coming winter and massive price spikes, Germany – central Europe’s largest gas buyer – swiftly set up floating storage and regasification units (FSRU). The country went from importing its first cargo in 2022 to taking in more than 5.5 million metric tons (mmt) of liquefied natural gas last year, according to Kpler data. At the heart of Germany’s gas security strategy is Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), a state-backed firm currently marketing the capacities of two FSRUs on the country's coasts and launching another two sometime this year.

TotalEnergies Signs LNG Supply Deal with South Korea’s HD Hyundai Chemical - TotalEnergies has signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) with HD Hyundai Chemical for the delivery of 200,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year for seven years starting from 2027. Thanks to this agreement, with prices indexed both to Brent and Henry Hub, TotalEnergies strengthens its long-term position in South Korea, the world’s third-largest LNG importing country. In Asia, LNG serves as a true transition energy, mitigating the intermittency of renewable energy sources and reducing emissions when it replaces coal in electricity generation. “We are pleased with this agreement with HD Hyundai Chemical, which will supply natural gas to one of their industrial sites. This agreement allows us to continue securing long-term sales in Asia and reduce our exposure to spot market gas prices,” said Gregory Joffroy, Senior Vice President, LNG at TotalEnergies.

Asian, European Buyers Secure Additional LNG Supplies in Series of Deals --Nearly a dozen market participants announced a series of deals at Gastech 2024 in Houston last week, landing more than 5 million metric tons/year (mmty) of global LNG export and import capacity as supplies are forecast to grow through the end of the decade. Commonwealth LNG, which is developing a 9.5 mmty export project in Louisiana, said it had signed a tentative deal to supply 2 mmty of the super-chilled fuel to commodity trader Glencore plc for 20 years. Kimmeridge Texas Gas LLC (KTG), which took a 90% stake in Commonwealth in June, said it would sell the same amount of natural gas to Glencore for liquefaction over the period. KTG produces 400 MMcfe/d in the Eagle Ford Shale. Commonwealth, which has one firm liquefied natural gas supply agreement with Woodside Energy Group Ltd., said it is aiming to finalize the Glencore deal by the end of the year. KTG expects to make a final investment decision on the project in the first half of next year, and plans to start producing LNG in 2028.

Russian shadow fleet poses major oil spill risk in Baltic Sea - A Greenpeace report shows that the ageing vessels are a major environmental concern in one of the busiest shipping regions in the world. The so-called Russian ‘shadow fleet’, consisting of outdated tankers that transport Russian crude as a means to bypass international sanctions, poses a significant risk of causing a major oil spill in the Baltic Sea, claims a just-released Greenpeace report. Greenpeace experts conducted a study analysing four years of vessel movement data, focusing on tankers leaving Russian Baltic Sea ports such as Primorsk, St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga and Vysotsk, and travelling along the German coastline. This is a primary route for ships transporting oil from Russian ports to international waters. Following the EU’s decision to stop importing almost all Russian oil, Russia has increased its maritime transportation of crude oil. A set of sanctions prevents Western shipping companies and insurers from dealing with Russian oil exports priced above $60 per barrel. However, Russia is circumventing these sanctions by utilising ships owned and insured by companies in countries that do not enforce them, and often lie outside of strict maritime regulations. Greenpeace used special buoys equipped with GPS trackers to simulate the potential impact of an oil spill along oil tanker routes. The buoys’ movements illustrated the potential extent of an oil slickalong the coast of Germany and pinpointed areas that could be at risk.

India will not buy from Russia's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project - India will not buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced from Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, which is sanctioned by Western countries, Oil Secretary Pankaj Jain said on Friday. "We will not buy (supply from) Arctic LNG 2. We are not buying any sanctioned commodity. Something which has broad-based sanctions, we are not touching it," Jain told reporters. The Arctic LNG 2 project by Russia's Novatek is subject to Western sanctions over Russia's war with Ukraine. The U.S. has also imposed sanctions on hundreds of entities and individuals for supporting Russia's war effort including companies supporting the development of the Arctic LNG 2 project and its shipment of LNG. Novatek has said media allegations that the company was involved in establishing and managing a "shadow fleet" for the Arctic LNG 2 project were untrue.

Japan May Return to Spot Natural Gas Trades as Storage Falls Amid Hot Weather — Three Things to Know About the LNG Market --Persistently hot weather has forced Japan’s utilities to draw down LNG stocks as the winter heating season nears.Asia Spot Market Prices chart displaying trends in Natural Gas Prices across the Asian energy market with data points indicating fluctuations, suitable for energy market analysis.The country’s liquefied natural gas stocks fell 13% week/week on Sept. 22 to 1.64 million tons (Mt). According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, there’s a 70% probability of above normal temperatures across the country until Oct. 4. Temperatures for South Korea were also forecast to be hotter than normal through Oct. 6.“Although spot buying has been rather muted recently, cooling needs will continue to drain inventories through heightened gas-for-power demand,” said Rystad Energy analyst Christoph Halser on Thursday.

Turkey's Botas in talks with Iran's national gas company for long-term supply -- Turkish state energy company Botas said on Wednesday that it had held talks with Iran's national natural gas company NIGC for the long-term supply of natural gas from Iran to Turkey. Turkey consumes > 50 Bm3y of gas. It currently relies on a mix of pipeline gas from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, along with LNG imports from various suppliers. Long-term contracts for the supply of Iranian gas to Turkey, which is some 10 Bm3y of gas, expire in 2026. Officials from Turkey's Botas and Iran's NIGC discussed issues of cooperation between the two companies during their meeting in Tehran, Botas said in a statement. The two companies discussed the long-term supply of natural gas from Iran to Turkey and the transportation of Turkmenistan gas to Turkey via Iran, Botas also said, in its first public statement on talks for potential extension of the deal with Iran. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar previously said that Turkey can buy up to 2 Bm3y of gas from Turkmenistan via Iran's natural gas network. Botas signed a 10-year supply agreement with France's TotalEnergies last week, in addition to earlier LNG deals with Oman, ExxonMobil and Shell.

OPEC Says Phasing Out Oil Is Just A Fantasy --OPEC's latest World Oil Outlook (WOO) 2024 makes it clear: peak oil demand is not on the horizon. Despite ongoing discussions around transitioning to renewable energy, OPEC forecasts global oil demand to grow significantly, reaching over 120 million barrels per day (mb/d) by 2050. This projection is driven by strong demand from non-OECD countries, which are expected to see the majority of growth. “What the Outlook underscores is that the fantasy of phasing out oil and gas bears no relation to fact,” OPEC said in its WOO forward. From 2023 to 2029, global oil demand is expected to increase by 10.1 mb/d, with non-OECD countries leading the way, adding 9.6 mb/d to reach 66.2 mb/d. Meanwhile, demand in OECD countries is projected to stagnate, oscillating around 46 mb/d. Long-term, non-OECD demand will continue to rise, adding 28 mb/d by 2050, while OECD demand is expected to decline. India, Other Asia, Africa, and the Middle East will be key drivers of this growth, with India alone expected to increase its demand by 8 mb/d. Sectors like petrochemicals, road transportation, and aviation are set to play a critical role in future demand. Petrochemicals alone are projected to account for an additional 4.9 mb/d of oil demand, driven by increasing demand for ethane and naphtha. Road transportation is forecast to grow significantly before stabilizing, while aviation demand will add another 4 mb/d by 2050. OPEC’s outlook also underscores that oil and gas will continue to dominate the global energy mix, accounting for over 50% through 2050. The organization stresses the importance of continued investment in the oil sector, estimating $17.4 trillion will be needed by 2050 to ensure stable supply. According to OPEC, oil demand will remain robust for decades, with growing demand in non-OECD regions and the continued need for investments in oil infrastructure. Despite the rise of renewables, OPEC’s view is that oil will continue to play a critical role in meeting the world’s energy needs for the foreseeable future.

WTI and Brent Decline as Iran Signals Easing Tensions | Rigzone -- Oil fell on a weak outlook for fuel demand and the potential for the conflict between Iran and Israel to de-escalate after its recent flare-up. West Texas Intermediate slipped almost 1% to settle below $71 a barrel while Brent retreated to settle below $74 a barrel. WTI had gained 4.8% last week in its biggest weekly jump since February. After days of Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah trading rocket fire, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his country is prepared to de-escalate tensions as long as it sees the same level of commitment on the other side. The overture is easing some concerns that the conflict will worsen, threatening oil output in a region that supplies about a third of the world’s barrels. Crude is also down this quarter on concerns that demand from China and the US will weaken at the same time that output from non-OPEC nations rises, creating an oversupplied market. The outlook for fuel demand is worsening, turning hedge funds the most bearish on diesel on record. Technical factors also are providing headwinds after crude rallied about 10% from its 2024 lows reached earlier this month. WTI for November delivery fell 0.9% to settle at $70.37 a barrel. Brent for November settlement slid 0.8% to settle at $73.90 a barrel. “Sentiment among energy investors has turned decisively bearish as OPEC+ now plans to add barrels into a surplus oil market,” Bank of America Corp. analysts including Francisco Blanch wrote in a note. In China, the world’s top oil importer, authorities announced plans for financial regulators to provide a rare briefing on the economy as the country cut a short-term policy rate. That fueled speculation officials are preparing more efforts to revive growth. Increased stimulus from China could improve demand for crude, said Robert Yawger, director of the energy futures division at Mizuho Securities USA. It’s “tough for crude oil to rally for size without China demand growth,” Yawger said. Meanwhile, from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, the US Gulf Coast is at risk of a hurricane strike by the end of the week as a patch of turbulent weather in the Atlantic becomes more organized. Ahead of the storm, Shell Plc has curtailed production at the Appomattox project and the Stones oil field in the Gulf, according to a company statement.

Oil settles lower on weak euro zone business activity (Reuters) - Oil prices closed lower on Monday as worries about demand were compounded by disappointing euro zone business activity and a weak Chinese economy. Brent crude futures for November settled 59 cents lower, or 0.8%, to $73.90 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures for November fell 63 cents, or 0.9%, to $70.37. Euro zone business activity contracted sharply and unexpectedly this month as the bloc's dominant services industry flatlined while a downturn in manufacturing accelerated. U.S. business activity was steady in September, but average prices charged for goods and services rose at the fastest pace in six months, potentially hinting at a pickup in inflation in the coming months.China, the world's top oil importer, is meanwhile battling deflationary pressures and struggling to lift growth despite a series of policy measures aimed at spurring domestic spending."Disappointing economic numbers flowing from China along with a surprise slowdown in European manufacturing is placing crude demand at the lowest levels so far this year," Supply concerns stemming from Israel's airstrikes on Hezbollah targets on Monday helped support oil prices.After almost a year of war in Gaza, Israel is shifting its focus to its northern border, across which Hezbollah has been firing rockets in support of its ally Hamas."More attacks from Israel on Lebanon spawn fear that Iran will become more involved, which raises the probability of oil exports being at risk," A tropical disturbance near the Gulf of Mexico also is threatening oil supply. Shell said on Sunday it would shut production at its Stones and Appomattox facilities in the region as a precautionary measure. Norwegian oil producer Equinor on Monday said it is evacuating some staff as a precaution from its Titan oil production platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, while Chevron said it was evacuating nonessential personnel from its Gulf of Mexico platforms.U.S. crude oil stockpiles were expected to have fallen by about 1.2 million barrels last week, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. Both oil benchmarks rose more than 4% last week, buoyed by the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points and signal further reductions in borrowing costs by the end of the year. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee on Monday said he expects "many more rate cuts over the next year" as the U.S. central bank seeks a "soft landing" for the economy, where it controls inflation without crashing the labor market.

Oil prices rise 2% to hit 3-week high on China stimulus, supply worries by MidEast conflict; Brent reclaims $75 - International crude oil prices climbed two per cent to hit a three-week high on Tuesday, September 24, after the monetary stimulus from China, the world's top importer, and concerns that conflict in the Middle East could hit regional supply. At the same time, another hurricane (after the recent storm Francine) threatened supply in the US, the world's biggest crude oil producer.Brent futures were last up $1.14, or 1.5 per cent, to $75.04 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.16, or 1.7 per cent, to $71.53. That put the Brent crude benchmark on track for its highest close since September 2. Back home, crude oil futures last traded 1.46 per cent higher at ₹5,985 per barrel on the multi commodity exchange (MCX). What's driving crude oil prices?

-Analysts said the Chinese government's announcement of its largest stimulus package since the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the sudden rise of geopolitical tension in the Middle East dealt a blow to the bearish sell-off sentiment that dominated the crude oil markets in the past three weeks.
-China's central bank unveiled its biggest stimulus since the pandemic to pull the economy out of its deflationary funk and back towards the government's growth target. Still, analysts warned more fiscal help was vital to hit these goals.
-In the Middle East, a key oil-producing region, an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut killed a Hezbollah commander as fears of a full-fledged war in the region mounted. The strikes risk pulling Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), closer to a conflict with Israel. Iran supports the Lebanese militant group.
-The Israeli military chief stated that attacks on Hezbollah would continue to accelerate. Analysts said this has struck new fears of the possibility of an all-out war in the Middle East, which could completely destabilize the region.
-Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said US President Joe Biden is determined to bring about a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas while also seeking to de-escalate tensions on Israel's border with Lebanon.
-Meanwhile, US oil producers were scrambling to evacuate staff from oil production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico as a second hurricane --after the recent storm Francine, could tear through offshore oilfields in two weeks.
-Several oil companies paused some of their production even though Tropical Storm Helene is currently on track to miss most of the producing regions in the western and central Gulf of Mexico. They hit the Florida Panhandle as a hurricane late on Thursday.

On Monday, crude oil prices were volatile and slipped from their highs after mixed US economic data. The US manufacturing activities slipped to 17-month lows and pushed prices lower. The US dollar index also rebounded which also triggered profit taking. The escalating tensions in the middle-east after Israel fired missiles on Lebanon and declared an emergency for the week, supported prices. "Possible fresh storms in the Gulf of Mexico could also support prices at lower levels. In today's session, crude oil is having support at $70.00-69.40 and resistance at $71.10-71.70. In INR terms, crude oil has support at₹5,840-5,780 while resistance is at ₹5,960-6,050''

Oil climbs 2% to three-week high on China stimulus, Mideast conflict | Reuters (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed about 2% to a three-week high on Tuesday on news of monetary stimulus from China, the world's top crude importer, and amid concerns that growing conflict in the Middle East could hit regional supply.Oil markets gave up some earlier gains as it became more clear that a hurricane threatening the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week would likely miss most offshore oil and natural gas producing regions and hit Florida. The region accounts for 15% of the country's oil and 2% of natural gas production.Brent futures rose $1.27, or 1.7%, to settle at $75.17 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.19, or 1.7%, to settle at $71.56.That was the highest close for Brent since Sept. 2. "The Chinese government's announcement of its largest stimulus package since the pandemic, combined with the sudden rise of geopolitical tension in the Middle East ... has dealt a blow to the bearish sentiment that dominated the oil markets in the past three weeks," Claudio Galimberti, global market analysis director at Rystad Energy, said in a note.China's central bank unveiled its biggest stimulus since the COVID-19 pandemic to pull the economy out of its deflationary funk and back towards the government's growth target, but analysts warned more fiscal help was vital to hit these goals.In the Middle East, a key oil-producing region, an Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war in the region.The strikes risk pulling Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, closer to a conflict with Israel. Iran supports the Lebanese militant group.OPEC, meanwhile, raised its forecasts for world oil demand for the medium and long term in an annual outlook, citing growth led by India, Africa and the Middle East and a slower shift to electric vehicles and cleaner fuels. In the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer and producer, several energy firms paused some production even though Tropical Storm Helenewas currently expected to miss most of the producing regions in the western and central Gulf of Mexico and hit the Florida Panhandle as a major hurricane late Thursday.But some firms, like Shell , started the process of restoring oil production as the storm forecasts shifted away from their offshore platforms.Another factor that helped pare earlier oil price gains was news of a drop in U.S. consumer confidence by the most in three years in September amid mounting fears over the labor market.

WTI Leaks Lower As Crude Inventories Hit Lowest Since March 2022 -- Oil pries are lower overnight, despite API reporting an across the board inventory draw, as traders weigh up whether China's new stimulus measures will translate to higher energy demand in the world’s biggest oil importer.Geopolitics also remained in focus as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Israeli attacks in Lebanon “cannot go unanswered.”"Though oil rebounded last week, we do not see the current price as accurately reflecting a wider Middle East war scenario. Many market participants have seemingly written off a threat to regional oil supplies," Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note."While we are not forecasting a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, we do think that direct Iranian involvement would raise the prospect of a repeat of the 2019 scenario when the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and allies targeted tankers and critical energy infrastructure in the region," she wrote. API

Crude -4.34mm (-800k exp)
Cushing -26k
Gasoline -3.44mm (-500k exp)
Distillates -1.12mm (-1.2mm exp)

DOE

Crude -4.47mm (-800k exp)
Cushing +116k - first build in seven weeks
Gasoline -1.54mm (-500k exp)
Distillates -2.23mm (-1.2mm exp)

The official DOE data confirmed sizable inventory draws for crude and products but saw a small build in stocks at the Cushing Hub (its first build in seven weeks)... Graphs Source: Bloomberg Total crude stocks are at their lowest since March 2022...The Biden admin added a large 1.287mm barrels to the SPR last week...US Crude production was flat, just off record highs...

Concerns Over Output Disruptions in Libya Eased - The crude oil market on Wednesday retraced some of its previous gains despite the weekly petroleum stocks reports showing a larger than expected draw in crude stocks. The market was pressured as concerns over output disruptions in Libya eased. The oil market posted a high of $71.72 in overnight trading before it started to retrace its previous gains. The market mostly dismissed the API report, which showed a larger than expected draw of 4.34 million barrels in crude stocks as well as draws in distillate and gasoline stocks. The market was also pressured as the market reassessed whether China’s latest stimulus plan would be enough to support its economy and a change in the forecast track for Tropical Storm Helene that had it moving away from oil and gas producing areas in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The crude market traded below the $70.00 level early in the morning before it bounced off its lows and traded over the $71.00 level following the EIA report, which showed a large draw of over 4.4 million barrels in crude stocks and draws in products stocks. However, the market failed to sustain any of its gains and extended its losses to over $2.30 as it posted a low of $69.23 in afternoon trading. It retraced more than 38% of its move from a low of $64.61 to a high of $72.40. The market traded lower after Libya’s factions signed an agreement, an initial step in resolving the dispute that caused a cut in Libya’s output and exports. The crude market later traded in a sideways trading range ahead of the close. The November WTI contract settled down $1.87 at $69.69 and the November Brent contract settled down $1.71 at $73.46. The product markets also ended lower, with 2.98 cents at $1.9999. U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said the risk of escalation in the Middle East was “acute” and that both the U.S. and its allies were working to avoid a full-blown war between Israel and the Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah. Earlier, White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said the United States is deeply concerned by reports of a Hezbollah rocket attack aimed at Israel’s intelligence service, but still believes a diplomatic solution can de-escalate tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said that about 29% of crude production and 17% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico were shut in response to Hurricane Helene. Energy companies shut in 511,000 bpd of oil production and nearly 313 million cubic feet of natural gas from Gulf waters. Shell said that following a change in the forecast track of Tropical Storm Helene, it has started to restore production at the Appomattox platform in the Gulf of Mexico to normal levels. However, Equinor shut in operations and evacuated staff at its Titan platform in the Gulf of Mexico as of Tuesday morning due to approaching Hurricane Helene. Also, Chevron said it was shutting in production at its Gulf of Mexico facilities and evacuating all associated personnel due to the approaching hurricane. The United Nations Libya mission said Libya’s factions signed an agreement on the procedures, criteria and timelines for appointing a governor, deputy governor and board of directors for the country’s central bank. The agreement could help defuse a crisis over control of the central bank and oil revenue that has caused a cut in Libya’s oil output and exports. IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 1.03 million bpd of capacity in the week ending September 27th, cutting available refining capacity by 36,000 bpd.

Oil falls on easing Libya supply concerns, lingering China demand worries (Reuters) - Oil prices slumped over 2% on Wednesday as worries over supply disruptions in Libya eased and demand concerns continued despite China's latest stimulus plans. Still, falling crude inventories in the United States and rising tensions in the Middle East provided some support. Brent crude futures fell $1.71, or 2.27%, to settle at $73.46 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped $1.87, or 2.61%, to settle at $69.69 per barrel. Libya's factions signed an agreement on the process for appointing central bank governor, an initial step to resolve the dispute over control of the central bank and oil revenue that has slashed Libya's oil output and exports. "A pending resolution to Libya's central bank crisis would restore significant oil supply, while U.S. Gulf production outages are seen as very temporary," A hurricane threatening the U.S. Gulf Coast has changed course, toward Florida and away from oil and gas-producing areas near Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.Despite a slew of monetary support measures announced by China's central bank on Tuesday, the boldest since the pandemic, analysts warned that more fiscal help was needed to boost activity in the world's largest crude importer."Concerns lingered that more fiscal support would be needed to boost confidence in the Chinese economy. This uncertainty raised doubts about sustained demand growth, weighing on crude prices," Oil prices rose by about 1.7% on Tuesday after China announced sweeping interest rate cuts and more funding.Meanwhile, crude inventories in the U.S. fell by 4.5 million barrels to 413 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 20, the Energy Information Administration said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.4 million-barrel draw. Gasoline and distillate inventories also declined last week. "The trend of falling supplies is getting too big to ignore. We hear how bad demand can be and have mixed signals," "The weakness of demand doesn't fit with this falling inventory situation," he added. The intensifying conflict between Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel also supported crude prices, with cross-border rockets launched by both sides increasing fears of a wider conflict. Although Iran's leadership has shown restraint, an attack is probably on the cards in order to save face, but without enraging its European allies and disrupting the main oil trade routes.

Saudi Arabia Prepares to Increase its Output and Gain Market Share - The oil market on Thursday continued on its recent downtrend following a Financial Times report that Saudi Arabia will give up its $100 price target as it prepares to increase its output and gain market share. The crude market, which initially traded sideways and posted a high of $70.01, sold off sharply to $67.16 on the Financial Times report. It retraced more than 62% of its move from a low of $64.61 to a high of $72.40. The market bounced off its lows but was once again pressured and sold off to a low of $66.95 by mid-morning. OPEC+ sources said that the producer group was set to proceed with a December oil output increase. The market was also pressured as the shutdown of Libya’s oil output looked set to end within days after representatives of Libya’s rival eastern and western legislative bodies agreed to appoint a new central bank governor. The market later saw some choppy trading within a range from $67.25 to $68.50 during the remainder of the session. The November WTI contract settled down $2.02 at $67.67 and the November Brent contract settled down $1.86 at $71.60. The product market also ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 2.41 cents at $2.1361 and the RB market settling down 3.86 cents at $1.9613. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said about 441,923 bpd or 25% of crude oil production and 363.4 million cubic feet or 20% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was shut due to Hurricane Helene.The Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia is preparing to abandon its unofficial oil price target of $100/barrel as it prepares to increase output to gain back market share, even if it means lower prices. The Financial Times reported that OPEC+ is committed to increasing production as planned on December 1^st, even if that means a longer period of low oil prices. The newspaper reported that Saudi Arabia has decided that it is unwilling to continue to cede market share to other oil producers and believes it has enough funding options, including foreign reserves and debt, to withstand a period of lower crude prices. Saudi Arabia has shouldered a large share of OPEC+ output cuts, reducing its own output by about 2 million bpd since late 2022.Two OPEC+ sources said OPEC+ is set to go ahead with a December oil output increase as its impact will be small should a plan for some members to make larger cuts to compensate for overproduction be delivered in September and later months. OPEC+ is scheduled to raise output by 180,000 bpd in December, part of a plan to start unwinding its most recent layer of output cuts. Two OPEC+ members, Iraq and Kazakhstan, have pledged to make extra cuts totaling 123,000 bpd in September and additional cuts in future months, to compensate for previously producing above agreed levels. Top ministers from OPEC+ are scheduled to meet on October 2^nd to review the market and are not expected to make any changes to policy. Another OPEC+ source said the ministers could meet again in November.U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said countries around the world, including leading Arab nations, those in the G7 and the European Union, want a halt to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. He said he is scheduled to meet with Israeli officials in New York later on Thursday.

Oil prices slide 3% on prospect of more OPEC+ oil (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than 3% on Thursday on a Financial Times report that Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude exporter, will give up its $100 price target in preparation for raising output, along with OPEC members and allies in December.Brent crude futures settled down $1.86, or 2.53%, to $71.60 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished down $2.02, or 2.90%, at $67.67 per barrel.Saudi Arabia is preparing to abandon its unofficial price target of $100 a barrel for crude as it gets ready to increase output, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.Meanwhile, two OPEC+ sources told Reuters on Thursday that the producer group is set to go ahead with a December oil output increase because its impact will be small should a plan for some members to make larger cuts to compensate for overproduction be delivered in September and later months."They are over-reacting to the story from FT," Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM, said the report is about a preplanned unwinding of production cuts that will if implemented add 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) of extra crude oil supply each month."No doubt, it will loosen the global oil balance but at the same time it will reduce OPEC’s spare production capacity," Varga said. "It will most probably lead to stock builds in 2025 and keep prices under moderate pressure. What is perhaps more important is whether it is the harbinger of a supply war within and outside the organization. If the answer is yes, a painful plunge to the $40/bbl area cannot be ruled out."The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with the group's allies including Russia, together known as OPEC+, have been cutting oil output to support prices.However, prices are down nearly 6% so far this year, amid increasing supply from other producers, especially the U.S., as well as weak demand growth in China."The prospect of additional supply from Libya and Saudi Arabia has been the main driver behind the latest weakness," A United Nations statement on Wednesday said delegates from Libya's divided east and west regions agreed on the process of appointing a central bank governor, a step which could help resolve the crisis over control of the country's oil revenue that has disrupted exports.Libya's crude exports have averaged about 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, down from more than 1 million bpd in August, shipping data show.News of a new Chinese stimulus package, however, limited further losses.Top government officials in China, the world's largest crude oil importer, pledged on Thursday to deploy "necessary fiscal spending" to meet this year's economic growth target of roughly 5%, acknowledging new problems and raising market expectations for fresh stimulus in addition to measures announced this week.

Oversupply Fears Are Pushing Oil Prices Lower - Fear of an oversupply of oil on the back of reports that Saudi Arabia is considering returning to its strategy of pursuing market share rather than supporting prices has sent both WTI and Brent falling this week.China’s economic stimulus measures and US hurricanes have provided firm fundamental support for oil prices; but the big story of this week has come from Saudi Arabia, with media outlets alleging Riyadh is considering a strategy revamp of retaking market share in the oil markets. Fearing oversupply, market participants witnessed a $3 per barrel drop from a week ago, with WTI dipping below $70 per barrel again.According to the FT, Saudi Arabia is preparing to raise its crude oil production to win back market share, abandoning its unofficial $100 per barrel oil price target even if that means lower prices, raising hopes that OPEC+ would go ahead with its December hikes. The UN-brokered negotiations between Libya’s rival governments have made substantial headway this week, reportedly agreeing on the procedures of Central Bank staffing and decision-making, seeking to defuse the ongoing oil blockade..Port authorities in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, New Orleans, Louisiana and Texas have started to inform customers that some operations will stop effective September 30 as a regionwide strike of port workers risks debilitating container cargo traffic.. The two largest upcoming oil and gas projects in the UK’s continental shelf, Shell’s Jackdaw, and Equinor’s Rosebank, might be stalled after environmental campaign group Greenpeace initiated a legal review of the two fields in Scottish courts. The US Federal Trade Commission is expected to prohibit Hess CEO John Hess from taking a board seat at US major Chevron as a condition of the latter’s $53 billion purchase of Hess, just as Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield was barred from Exxon’s board.The chief executive of EQT confirmed that the United States’ largest gas producer would be reversing some output curtailments implemented earlier in 2024 on the back of lower gas prices, preparing for a surge in LNG feedgas demand.Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said it expects preliminary results of multi-billion arbitration proceedings by the end of this year, launching claims against stakeholders of the Kashagan and Karachaganak fields, worth $13 and $3.5 billion, respectively.. Brazilian upstream firm Prio reached an agreement with Chinese state-controlled major Sinochem to buy its 40% stake in the offshore Peregrino oil field for $1.92 billion, boosting its proprietary output with the 110,000 b/d field. British oil major BP (NYSE:BP) has reportedly put its US onshore wind business up for sale in a bid to attract investor interest as it rethinks its vast portfolio of low-carbon assets, selling 1.7 GW of gross generating capacity across seven US states.Copper futures for December delivery surged past the $10,000 per metric tonne threshold as China unveiled wide-ranging stimulus measures to breathe life into its ailing real estate market, settling above $10,200/mt and sending mining stocks up by 6-7% this week. Belgium, the fourth largest recipient of Russian LNG in 2023, has called for a coordinated EU approach to end the imports of Russian LNG into the European Union, over and above the expected ban on transshipment, set to take effect from the end of March 2025.. At the peak of Hurricane Helene, some 30% of US offshore oil output was offline as 27 producing platforms were evacuated, equivalent to an outright impact of 510,000 b/d, but shut-ins had dropped by Friday as oil companies resumed operations.

Crude Oil Prices Rebound As China Stimulus Dims Fears Of Rising Supply - Crude oil prices rebounded on Friday amidst global cheer at the stimulus measures rolled out by China. Concerns over firmer supply that had dragged down prices heavily during the week took backstage on Friday amidst overwhelming hopes of a demand rebound in China.Brent Oil Futures for December settlement is currently trading at $71.34, having gained 0.35 percent from the previous close of $71.09. Prices had slipped more than 2 percent each on Wednesday and Thursday.The day's trading ranged between $70.25 and $73.28 whereas the 52-week trading range was between $68.68 and $96.26.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil Futures for November settlement also increased 0.46 percent from the previous close of $67.67 to trade at $67.98. Prices had slipped more than 2 percent each on Wednesday and Thursday.Prices ranged between a high of $68.14 and a low of $67.06. Trading ranged between $65.27 and $93.1 over the past 52 weeks.

Oil Jumps as Middle East Tensions Ignite Supply Fears - Crude prices are seeing a sharp rise today, with WTI trading at $68.52 per barrel, up 1.26%, and Brent crude at $72.27 per barrel, up 0.94%. These gains are driven primarily by escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This volatility is prompting fears of further disruptions to oil supply and maritime routes.Israel recently launched an airstrike targeting Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut, marking the heaviest attack in almost a year of ongoing conflict. Although the fate of targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is unconfirmed, the strikes have heightened geopolitical concerns. With Hezbollah retaliating through rocket fire and maritime security warnings issued for vessels in Israeli ports, the conflict poses a direct risk to regional shipping lanes. The Houthis in Yemen have also increased attacks on U.S. vessels and Israeli targets, further destabilizing the area.The growing uncertainty in the region, coupled with fears of more direct strikes on ports like Haifa and Eilat, has led to heightened risk assessments for shipping and oil transport. Insurance premiums are expected to rise as the potential for collateral damage to Israeli and neighboring maritime infrastructure looms. Investors are responding by pushing up oil prices, anticipating supply disruptions and increased demand for secure oil reserves amid the instability. The situation remains fluid, and continued price increases are likely if the conflict escalates further. Brent crude has been trading down since last week, with Sunday’s price at $74.47 per barrel. Brent is also down even more sharply compared to a month ago, when prices were closer to $78 per barrel.

Oil settles higher but falls on the week on firmer supply outlook (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Friday but fell on the week as investors weighed expectations for higher global supply against fresh stimulus from top crude importer China. Brent crude futures settled up 38 cents, or 0.53%, at $71.89 per barrel. Front-month U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures settled up 51 cents, or 0.75%, at $68.18. On a weekly basis, Brent settled down around 3%, while WTI fell by around 5%. China's central bank on Friday lowered interest rates and injected liquidity into the banking system, aiming to pull economic growth back toward this year's target of roughly 5%. More fiscal measures are expected to be announced before Chinese holidays starting on Oct. 1 after a meeting of the Communist Party's top leaders showed an increased sense of urgency about mounting economic headwinds. "Despite aggressive Chinese stimulus, concerns of oversupply from OPEC’s plan to bring production back have pushed prices lower," . The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, together known as OPEC+, will go ahead with plans to increase production by 180,000 bpd each month starting from December, two OPEC+ sources said. A Financial Times report on Wednesday said the planned increase is due to Saudi Arabia's decision to abandon a $100 oil price target and gain market share. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied targeting a certain oil price, and sources at the wider group told Reuters that the plans to raise output from December do not represent any major change from existing policy. And more barrels can be expected to enter the global market, after rival factions staking claims for control of the Central Bank of Libya signed an agreement to end their dispute on Thursday. The row had seen crude exports fall to 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) this month from more than 1 million last. In the U.S., some operators have begun to resume operations in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Thursday night, with Chevron on Friday redeploying personnel and restoring production at company-operated platforms. Meanwhile, the destruction of the hurricane, counted as the seventh most powerful to slam into Florida, could weigh on fuel demand in the state, which is the third-largest gasoline consumer in the U.S. "The aftermath of the hurricane is bearish really for demand, a large amount of the state got battered enough that demand should take a hit," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. Meanwhile, U.S. consumer spending edged higher in August in a sign that the world's largest economy carried on momentum in the third quarter, as inflation pressures steady. "U.S. inflation data opens the door for further Fed rate cuts," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half of a percentage point last week, kicking off what was expected to be a steady easing of monetary policy. Putting a floor on prices, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Israel's attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday show it "does not care" about efforts to bring about a ceasefire. Rising tensions in the Middle East could pose a threat to global crude supplies.

Iranian President Says Israel Laying 'Traps' To Draw Iran Into War - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that Israel is setting “traps” to drag Iran into war, comments that came amid a dramatic escalation of Israel’s bombing campaign in Lebanon.Pezeshkian, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, told reporters that Iran wants peace in the region while Israel wants war.“We don’t want to fight,” he said. “It’s Israel that wants to drag everyone into war and destabilize the region. … They are dragging us to a point where we do not wish to go.”Pezeshkian also discussed the July 31 Israeli assassination of Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, warning it will not go “unanswered” but also adding that Iran does not wish to be “the causes of instability in the region.”The Iranian leader said that Iran waited to respond due to US warnings that it could disrupt ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. “They told us earlier to prevent a larger war to wait another week or so for peace to be obtained,” Pezeshkian said. “Clearly the politicians that lie to us these days … lie to you as well.”Back in April, the US directly intervened to defend Israel and intercepted Iranian missiles and drones that were fired in response to the Israeli bombing of Iran’s consulate in Damascus, which killed several Iranians, including a senior Quds Force commander.The US is vowing to defend Israel from any future attacks, whether launched by Iran or if Israel requests help with Hezbollah attacks. “We’re obviously supporting the defense of Israel, should they be threatened or attacked and call upon us for support, which could include the kinds of scenarios you saw on April 14, when Iran conducted its drone and missile attack,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Monday.

Israel massively expands Middle East war, killing nearly 500 in Lebanon -- Israel launched a massive attack on Lebanon on Monday killing 492 people, including 35 children, 58 women and two medics in over a thousand separate airstrikes. Monday’s mass killing far outstripped the intensity of Israel’s 2006 invasion of Lebanon, during which 1,000 people were killed during an entire month. Israel’s bombings followed its mass terror attack last week, in which thousands of pagers and other communication devices exploded throughout Lebanon, killing 37 people and injuring thousands. In language echoing that used to justify the ongoing Gaza genocide, which has already officially killed more than 41,000 people, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari declared, “Hezbollah uses the civilian population and civilian homes as a human shield for its terrorist activity.” Israel’s massacre in Lebanon prompted mass evacuations from Southern Lebanon to the capital city of Beirut. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the population of Southern Lebanon to evacuate, claiming that they would be allowed to return to their homes. But the real plans of the Netanyahu government and its imperialist backers were spelled out by Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, who called for Israel to carry out a land grab in Southern Lebanon. “Lebanon, even though it has a flag and even though it has political institutions, does not meet the definition of a country,” he said. “The drawing lines of Sykes and Picot, which were based on the distribution of areas of influence and resources between Great Britain and France, did not survive the test of time.” In a testament to the scale of the military operation now being conducted, Israel’s National Unity Party Chairman MK Benny Gantz declared, “We must act not only against Hezbollah but also against the sovereign state of Lebanon, which bears responsibility for terrorism emanating from its territory.” This massive escalation is being coordinated in real time with the United States, which is funding, arming and politically supporting it. In a press briefing Monday, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder reported that “Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday and Sunday evenings Eastern Time. “During both calls, Secretary Austin reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself,” said Ryder. “The Secretary also made clear that the United States remains postured to protect US forces and personnel in the region.” Ryder announced that the United States would be sending additional US troops to the region. Currently, about 40,000 US troops are deployed throughout the Middle East, including in Iraq and Syria. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is currently deployed in the region, while the USS Harry S. Truman is currently underway to the area. While the Biden administration has publicly claimed that it is seeking a de-escalation of tensions and a “ceasefire,” the reality is that it is funding, enabling and encouraging Israel’s role in both the Gaza genocide and its wider attacks in the Middle East. In July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a standing ovation from Democratic and Republican members of both houses of Congress, followed by separate meetings with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. After her meeting with Netanyahu, Harris, the Democrats’ candidate for president, declared, “I will always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself, including from Iran and Iran-backed militias, such as Hamas and Hezbollah”—an effective green light to expand the war beyond Gaza. The US press, moreover, is beginning to give a hint about the scale of Israel’s plans. In an article published Monday, New York Times chief Washington correspondent David Sanger wrote, “Netanyahu is no longer satisfied with carrying out periodic brush-backs of Hezbollah’s power. In his view, Oct. 7 changed everything and the time has come to solve the problem once and for all—both in Gaza and in Lebanon.” In other words, Israel and its imperialist backers have seized upon the October 7 attacks to carry out not only their “final solution” of the Palestinian question but to completely reorganize the Middle East under imperialist domination by provoking a region-wide war. US imperialism sees this war as one front in a global struggle targeting Russia and China, aimed at securing US domination all over the globe.

Israeli Diaspora Minister Says Lebanon Isn't a State, Advocates Taking South - Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are escalating substantially, with scores of people killed in Lebanon in the past week. Israel’s far-right government is stepping up the rhetoric and talking war. Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli is the latest voicing pro-war rhetoric, declaring overnight in comments on X.com that Lebanon does not, in his opinion, fit the definition of a state, and that this gives Israel every right to invade and seize southern Lebanon. Chikli said that southern Lebanon is essentially under the control of “a hostile Shi’ite population.” He added that he believes neither Syria nor Iran counts as states, and so don’t merit protection for their status as sovereign nations. Israel is generally not overly concerned about violations of sovereignty through its military actions, but what Chikli is advocating is overt military action against other nations in the region. Chikli was one of several government ministers who recently urged the Israeli government to cut off all access to humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, and argued that the military should conduct operations to “cleanse” the region. The proposal prescribed similar cleansings of other areas.

Deadly Israeli attack on residential area in Beirut leaves carnage (photo essay) At least six people have been killed and 15 wounded in an Israeli air attack targeting Beirut’s southern suburb of Ghobeiri according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The initial toll from the attack on Tuesday is expected to rise as emergency services continue their work at the scene. Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera correspondent Dorsa Jabbri said it was the third Israeli attack on that area of Beirut since Friday.“There was an attack yesterday with Israel claiming to have targeted a high-ranking member of Hezbollah and that assassination was unsuccessful. And all this is happening as the country is in a state of high alert, with a huge crisis in terms of internally displaced people,” she said.The Israeli military said it had “conducted a targeted strike in Beirut” on a senior Hezbollah commander on Tuesday. Hezbollah has not commented on whether he was killed. An AFP photographer at the site of the attack said it had destroyed two floors of a building located in a densely packed residential area, and damaged dozens of nearby cars and motorbikes.A crane was brought in to evacuate residents stranded in their apartments in nearby damaged buildings, the photographer said, with other cranes moving vehicles and removing rubble.Hezbollah security cordoned off the site of the attack while rescuers looked for survivors amid the rubble of damaged buildings, water tanks and torn electric wires. Hezbollah and its longtime foe Israel have been exchanging near-daily cross-border fire since the Gaza war erupted last October. But on Monday, Israel launched devastating attacks across Lebanon’s south and east, killing more than 550 people according to the Health Ministry – the deadliest single-day toll since Hezbollah and Israel last went to war in 2006. The attacks came after coordinated explosions of communication devices killed 39 people and wounded thousands on Tuesday and Wednesday last week. Israeli forces have killed at least 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women, in air raids it conducted across Lebanon since September 23. At least 1,835 Lebanese people were wounded in the attacks, the country’s health ministry said.

Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 558 in Lebanon - Israel dramatically escalated its military operations in Lebanon on Monday, launching strikes against residential areas across the south and east of the country, killing hundreds of people.According to Lebanon’s health minister, at least 492 people were killed in the Israeli strikes, including 38 children and 58 women, and another 1,645 people were wounded. Al Mayadeen reported that it’s estimated thatIsraeli warplanes launched 1,100 airstrikes.Israel also launched an airstrike in Beirut and said it targeted Ali Karaki, the head of Hezbollah’s southern command. But Hezbollah said Karaki was “fine and God willing is in full health and wellness” and that he was “transported to a safe area.”Tens of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon fled the Israeli bombardment and headed north. The Israeli military threatened that it would expand strikes to eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and told residents to leave. Later in the day, it began bombing the area.To justify its bombing of civilian homes in Lebanon, the Israeli military claimed Hezbollah was storing large missiles and missile launchers inside houses. Israel offered no evidence for the claim besides animated videosand overhead footage that purported to show airstrikes on homes in Lebanon, but it was unclear.Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel in response to the Israeli bombardment. Some rockets landed in Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Israel is expected to continue escalating its attacks on Lebanon, but Lebanese security sources told Middle East Eye that a ground invasion is not likely even though Israel is amassing troops. “Israel knows that if it infiltrates Lebanon, the Lebanese army and Hezbollah will have military superiority on the ground,” one source said. “If the Israeli army carries out a ground invasion, the Lebanese army will participate with Hezbollah in confronting and defending.”

Lebanon Health Minister: 'Majority, If Not All' of 558 Killed by Israel Were Civilians - Lebanese Health Minister Dr. Firass Abiad told The New York Times on Tuesday that the “overwhelming majority, if not all,” of the people killed and wounded by Israel’s bombardment in Lebanon on Monday were civilians.The death toll from Lebanon’s Health Ministry puts the number of killed by the Monday bombing at 558, which includes 50 children and 94 women. Nearly 2,000 were wounded in the attack.The Times notes that Lebanon’s Health Ministry’s figures have historically been viewed as reliable. The ministry is not run by Hezbollah but is overseen by the Lebanese government and collects its data using an emergency operations center that gathers casualty figures from private and state-run hospitals.Israel targeted residential areas of southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, claiming Hezbollah missiles were being hidden inside houses. The Israeli military said that it hit more than 1,600 targets, and experts say it’s one of the heaviest single-day bombings in modern warfare. The toll in Israel’s bombardment is about half of the toll for the entire 2006 Lebanon War, which lasted 34 days.“Prior to the Gaza war, munitions deployed with this intensity and with this frequency would have been almost unheard-of,” Emily Tripp, director of the monitoring group Airwars, told the Times. “There is no comparison in terms of death toll or munitions use with previous 21st-century air campaigns of this nature, as far as we know.”

Hezbollah Says It Has Entered a 'New Phase' of Fighting With Israel Following Israeli Escalations - Sheikh Naim Kassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, said Sunday that the Lebanese group is in a “new phase” of its fight with Israel following a series of Israeli escalations in Lebanon.Kassem described the new phase as an “open-ended battle of reckoning” and said Hezbollah attacks on Israel wouldn’t stop until there was a ceasefire in Gaza. “The Israeli settlers will not return to the North before the Israeli enemy accepts a ceasefire in Gaza,” he said.Kassem made the comments at a funeral for Ibrahim Aqil, a senior Hezbollah commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Sunday that the death toll in the Friday strike rose to 45, which includes three children and seven women.Hezbollah confirmed 16 of its members were killed in the attack, including Aqil and another senior commander. The Beirut bombing came a few days after Israel blew up pagers and beepers belonging to Hezbollah members, killing dozens, including at least two children, and wounding thousands.Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel on Saturday and Sunday in response to the Israeli airstrike in Beirut and said it targets several military sites, including the Ramat David Airbase, an Israeli Air Force base near Haifa. According to Israeli media, three people were wounded by Hezbollah rocket fire on Sunday.Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Lebanon on Saturday and Sunday. According to CNN, an Israeli military spokesman said Israel launched 300 strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon. At least two people were reported killed by the Israeli strikes on Sunday.Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, said Sunday that the strikes would continue. “The price that Hezbollah is paying has increased, our attacks will increase,” he said. “We will safely return the residents to their homes, and if Hezbollah has not understood this yet, it will get another blow and another blow – until the organization understands.”Axios reported on Saturday that US officials support Israel’s strategy of escalation. Israeli officials claim the purpose of the escalation is to de-escalate the situation and not provoke a full-blown war, but there’s no sign Hezbollah will back down.

Hezbollah Fires First Ballistic Missile On Tel Aviv, Targets Mossad Headquarters -Yesterday marked a first where Hezbollah targeted an Israeli naval base south of Haifa with a missile salvo. And today marks another new major first: Israel says it has intercepted a Hezbollah ballistic missile aimed at Tel Aviv. It marks a first of the war and the deepest Hezbollah has ever tried to send a projectile into Israel."The Israeli military said it intercepted the surface-to-surface missile, which set off air-raid sirens in Tel Aviv and across central Israel,"Associated Press reports. "There were no reports of casualties or damage." In retaliation Israel's military (IDF) said it struck a site in south Lebanon from where the missile was launched.Hezbollah later said it was targeting the command headquarters of Israel’s Mossad spy agency. Given the intercept, the effort didn't appear to come close, but it strongly suggests there could be more waves of strikes targeting Tel Aviv to come. The projectile was reportedly intercepted by Israel's David's Sling system, a medium-range defense system.Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani characterized the missile as "heavy" and "long range." He described, "It’s the first time that Hezbollah has fired toward Tel Aviv." According to more confirmation of the unprecedented action from CNN:The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah confirmed it launched a Qadr 1 ballistic missile targeting the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad, which it blames for attacks targeting its members, including the coordinated explosions of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies last week. The attempt to attack Tel Aviv appeared a retaliation effort for the Tuesday death of Hezbollah’s top missile commander Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi. Israeli jets struck his home in a southern Beirut neighborhood, in a strike which Lebanese officials said killed six and wounded 15. An IDF spokesman described that in total on Tuesday Hezbollah fired 300 projectiles into Israel, resulting in six people wounded. In Lebanon, Monday marked the single deadliest day since the 2006 war with Israel. The Health Ministry said over 490 people were killed, among these 90 women and children. It is unclear how many of the total were militants, with some reports saying the majority of casualties are civilians.

Netanyahu Considers Ethnic Cleansing Plan for North Gaza - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan that would result in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza, CNN reported on Sunday.The report, citing the Israeli broadcaster Kan, said that during a closed-door meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Netanyahu said the plan “makes a lot of sense.”Netanyahu added, “It is one of the plans being considered, but there are several others. We are committed to dismantling the civilian control of Hamas.”The ethnic cleansing plan is known as the “General’s Plan” since it was drawn up by retired Israeli generals, including Giora Eiland, who released a video on YouTube where he outlined the idea. The plan involves four steps:

Transferring the civilian population in northern Gaza to the south of the Netzarim Corridor
Blocking all aid and imposing a full siege of northern Gaza and pronouncing it a “closed military zone”
Preventing deliveries to the area until it is “cleansed” and the remaining Hamas fighters are defeated by applying “intense” military pressure
Conducting a similar procedure in other areas of the Gaza Strip

In his video, Eiland said the evacuation order for civilians would not be optional. “The right thing to do is to inform the approximately 300,000 residents who remained in the northern Gaza Strip, citizen residents, of the following: Not that we are suggesting you leave the northern Gaza Strip, we are ordering you to leave the northern Gaza Strip,” he said.“In a week, the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will become military territory. And this military territory, as far as we are concerned, no supplies will enter it. That is why 5,000 terrorists who are in this situation, they can either surrender or starve,” Eiland added.Many Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza would likely ignore any evacuation order since there’s nowhere for them to go, and Israel has repeatedly bombed so-called “safe zones” throughout the genocidal war. That means any remaining Palestinian civilians in the north would be killed or starved to death by the Israeli military.If completed, the ethnic cleansing could pave the way for Jewish settlements. Many Israeli ministers and Knesset members openly support re-establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip, after exterminating those living there now.

Israel Sends Truck Full of Bodies of Unidentified Palestinians Into Gaza - Israel sent a truck full of 88 dead Palestinians into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and provided no information about their identities or how they were killed.Gaza’s Health Ministry is demanding answers from Israel and refused to bury the bodies before they were identified.The Health Ministry said in a statement that it had suspended the procedure for taking the bodies until “all data and information about these bodies are completed to identify their owners and their names, considering this to be the minimum rights of these people and their families.”The ministry called on international aid organizations, including the Red Cross, to help get information from Israel. “We also emphasize the necessity of receiving the bodies according to humanitarian and international standards and in a manner that preserves the rights and dignity of the owners of these bodies,” the ministry said.Middle East Eye reported that the truck driver, who entered Gaza from the Kerem Shalom crossing, was not allowed to enter the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and was told to go back to Israel.Israel has sent hundreds of decomposed and unidentifiable bodies into Gaza over the past year. Gaza health officials said the truck sent in on Wednesday was the fifth one. On August 2, a truck carrying 90 bodies entered the Strip, and the Health Ministry said they were returned as “bones and decomposed bodies in an inhumane manner.”

Turkey's Erdogan Says UN, Western Values Dying in Gaza (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the values of the United Nations' system and the Western world are dying in Gaza as the conflict continues there, calling for an "alliance of humanity" to stop Israel. In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Erdogan reiterated his harsh criticism on Israel over its military campaign in the Gaza strip and on the Western countries for their support to Israel. "Along with children in Gaza, the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the West claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one," Erdogan said. NATO member Turkey has condemned Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which came in retaliation for Palestinian militant group Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7 last year. Turkey halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court. Israel has repeatedly dismissed the genocide case as baseless, arguing in the court that its operations in Gaza are self-defence and target Gaza's ruling Hamas group. "Those who are supposedly working for a ceasefire continue to send weapons and ammunition to Israel behind the stage, so that it can continue its massacres. This is inconsistency and insincerity," Erdogan said. Erdogan also said that Turkey stands with the people of Lebanon as Israel targets Hezbollah fighters with airstrikes there.

Key Ukrainian Stronghold About To Fall To Russia As Zelensky Touts 'Victory Plan' In D.C. --Having been in the United States since Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is about to present his 'victory plan' to President Biden, as well as VP Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, likely in that order as the meetings unfold this week. He said in an ABC News interview published Tuesday, "I think that we are closer to peace than we think." But he caveated this by saying this will only be assured if Ukraine comes from a "strong position" with the help of Western backers.He described his so-called victory plan as not being focused on seeking to negotiate with Russia, but rather it is "a bridge to a diplomatic way out, to stop the war.""We just have to be very strong, very strong," Zelensky said, and this is largely dependent on the "quick decisions". He has also of late said that "bold" decisions must be made by Washington, in reference to the request for NATO to greenlight long-range missiles strikes on Russia."Everybody's looking up to [Biden], and we need this to defend ourselves," he told ABC, in an obvious effort to increase pressure on a somewhat hesitant White House. Ukraine also wants a firm path to NATO membership. He further said his plan is about "the strengthening of Ukraine, Ukrainian army and Ukrainian people. Only in the strong position we can push [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to stop the war - diplomatic way." He emphasized: "That is why we are asking our friend." Despite this optimism about Ukraine's battlefield chances from Zelensky, Reuters on Tuesday has more bad news for Kiev, centering on rapid gains in Donetsk as another key town is about to fall. Zelensky is pulling out all the stops in a final push to wring U.S. taxpayers for more money. He knows the policies of unlimited funding and escalation supported by the Harris-Biden Admin have an expiration date. https://t.co/GeeUC6lMEA— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) September 24, 2024 "Russian forces have begun storming the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, a stronghold that has resisted Russian attack since the beginning of the 2022 war, according to Russian war bloggers and state media," Reuters writes.

Spain Set To Legalize Half A Million Illegal Immigrants -Spain is set to legalize half a million illegal immigrants in order to fight “racism” under a new piece of legislation proposed by the country’s left-wing coalition government.Concerns over mass migration have intensified after 40,000 illegal migrants arrived by sea or land in the year to mid-September, a 43 per cent increase on 2023 numbers.The government’s ‘solution’ is simply to give many of them residency papers following a campaign by pressure group Regularisation Now, which spearheaded a petition containing 700,000 signatures calling for the mass amnesty.Yolanda Diaz, deputy prime minister and labour minister, said the legislation was crucial to give sanctuary to “half a million people who live and work in our country as our neighbours,” adding that “racism” should be met with “more rights”.However, right-wing Vox party leader Santiago Abascal said that Spain was the target of an “invasion,” and that his party would expel all illegal immigrants if they came to power.Although Spain is somewhat behind other western European countries in terms of the sheer influx of migrants pouring in, it is now beginning to experience similar problems.In 2022, official statistics revealed that foreigners accounted for over 52 per cent of rape convictions despite representing just over 11 per cent of the population.

UniCredit's pursuit of Commerzbank reflects a watershed moment for Europe — and its banking union - European banking's latest takeover battle is widely regarded as a potential turning point for the region — particularly the bloc's incomplete banking union. Italy's UniCredit has ratcheted up the pressure on Frankfurt-based Commerzbank in recent weeks as it seeks to become the biggest investor in Germany's second-largest lender with a 21% stake.The Milan-based bank, which took a 9% stake in Commerzbank earlier this month, appears to have caught German authorities off guard with the potential multibillion-euro merger."The long-discussed move by UniCredit, Italy's number one bank, to seek control of Germany's Commerzbank is a watershed for Germany and Europe," David Marsh, chairman of London-based OMFIF, an organization that tracks central banking and economic policy, said Tuesday in a written commentary. Whatever the outcome of UniCredit's swoop on Commerzbank, Marsh said the episode marks "another huge test" for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The embattled German leader is firmly opposed to the apparent takeover attempt and has reportedly described UniCredit's move as an "unfriendly" and "hostile" attack."The dispute between Germany and Italy over UniCredit's takeover manoeuvres – branded by Scholz an unfriendly act – threatens to inflame relations between two of the Big Three member states of the European Union," Marsh said."A compromise could still be found," he continued. "But the hostility developing in Italy and Germany could scupper any meaningful steps towards completing banking union and capital markets integration, which all sides say is necessary to drag Europe out of its malaise."Designed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, the European Union's executive arm in 2012 announced plans to create a banking union to make sure that lenders across the region were stronger and better supervised.The project, which became a reality in 2014 when the European Central Bank assumed its role as a banking supervisor, is widely considered to be incomplete. For instance, the lack of a European deposit insurance scheme (EDIS) is one of a number of factors that has been cited as a barrier to progress.European leaders, including Germany's Scholz, have repeatedly called for greater integration in Europe's banking sector.OMFIF's Marsh said Germany's opposition to UniCredit's move on Commerzbank means Berlin "now stands accused of favouring European banking integration only on its own terms."A spokesperson for Germany's government did not immediately respond when contacted by CNBC for comment.

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Saturday, September 28, 2024

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