El-Erian sees Fed holding rates for longer than markets expect -- The Federal Reserve is set to refrain from cutting interest rates for "quite a while," following a hotter-than-expected inflation report, according to Mohamed El-Erian.
"These Numbers Are Uncomfortable For The Fed": Wall Street Reacts To Today's Red Hot CPI | ZeroHedge -- Ahead of today's shockingly hot CPI report we warned that today's CPI report would be, well, shockingly hot...CPI Preview: Time For A "Hot" Inflation Surprise https://t.co/e71u2C22lY ... and not just because the trends in most of the components hinted it... not just because this was the Biden admin's farewell report, one in which the previous administration would kitchen sink all the "real" data to make up for years of fabricating numbers, just as Trump correctly responded... and certainly not just because of the well-known seasonal bias - which we noted in our preview last night - to make first half inflation numbers in general, and January in particular especially hot, as shown by Jim Reid. As the DB strategist notes, surprises to CPI over the last 25-plus years have been more likely to be biased to the upside in H1 than in H2. January’s release has seen the largest number of beats (50%) and the lowest number of downside misses (15%). No, all of the above were certainly arguments behind our correct conclusion that today's CPI would come in red hot, but the clearest reason why inflation surprised to the upside is the Fed's now openly political bias, which culminated with a 50bps jumbo rate cut in September only to make the Kamala Harris/Biden campaign easier. We all know what happened next, and in case we don't, here it is again. And while very few others were accurate in their preview of today's CPI number, all of them had an opinion about it after the fact (of course). So, as we do every month, below please find several excerpts of what Wall Street strategists and analysts think of today's CPI print (and why it is so different from what they thought about it before).
- David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management: There is nothing in this report that suggests the Fed should lower interest rates.
- Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist of Mizuho Securities USA: The rise in consumer prices was broad-based with both goods and services leading the way higher. Headline and core CPI both came in hot confirming that the disinflation the Fed has been counting on has stalled, suggesting the Fed has probably lost its opportunity to cut rates further.
- Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics” We don’t want to chalk all the upside surprise to residual seasonality, but shifting through the details, it seems eerily similar to early 2024 when inflation came in hotter than expected. Keep in mind that the additional tariffs on China along with the slew of tariffs threatened on other countries have yet to make their way into the inflation data.
- Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management These numbers are uncomfortable for the Fed. Seasonality and one-off factors may have played some role in the upside surprise, but the combination of average earnings growth surprising to the upside last week, the supercore services inflation number moving sharply higher today, and the government’s policy agenda threatening to raise inflation expectations, is almost too convincing to dismiss. If this persists into the next few months, inflation risks may become too heavily weighted to the upside to permit the Fed to cut rates at all this year.
Lawler: More Ruminations on the “Neutral” Rate of Interest – McBride - Housing economist Tom Lawler has written extensively on the “Neutral” rate, for example, see Update on the “Neutral” Interest Rate, Lawler: Update on the “Neutral” Rate and Lawler: Mortgage Rates Have Surged Since the Federal Reserve Cut Interest Rates Last Month. In his testimony to Congress yesterday, Fed Chair Powell said: “This is my own view, and there are many different views on this, but it is that the neutral rate has risen meaningfully … from what was clearly very, very low before the pandemic … [as do] many of my colleagues on the FOMC" This is important for mortgage rates, and a reason why mortgage rates are probably in a “new normal” range. The following is from housing economist Tom Lawler: More Ruminations on the “Neutral” Rate of Interest. Let’s Be Real/ When talking about the so-called “neutral” interest rate, many financial commentators, financial analysts, and even monetary policymakers talk about the nominal interest rate. However, the theoretical “neutral” interest rate is a real, or inflation-adjusted interest rate. For example, in Fed Chairman Powell’s January 29 press conference, when asked “just how far away you think you are from neutral,” responded as follows: “Yeah, you can't know with any precision, of course. As I like to say, that you know that, you know the neutral rate by its works. So, I think at 4.3 percent we're above pretty much everyone on the Committee's estimates of the longer-run neutral.”An obvious problem with his comparing today’s nominal fed funds rate to FOMC participants’ estimates of the “long-run” neutral fed fund rate is that ALL participants’ long-run estimates assume that inflation and inflation expectations in the “long-run” are at two percent, which (as Chair Powell noted elsewhere) is obviously not the case today. While today’s inflation and inflation expectations aren’t clear – surveys vary, as do various measures of inflation – it would appear as if expected inflation over the next year is around 2.6%, leaving the current “real” fed funds rate at around 1.7%. While that is above most FOMC participants estimates of the long-run real neutral rate – which is appropriate since inflation is still above the 2% target – is at or very close to about 30% of FOMC participants’ long-run estimates. Of course, comparing today’s “real” fed funds rate to FOMC participants’ expectations of the “long-run” real funds rate isn’t all that relevant, given the FOMC participants’ record on projecting that rate. In addition, the range of FOMC participants’ expectations for the long-run real fed funds rate – from a ridiculously low 0.375% to 1.75% -- is exceptionally wide. A more interesting question to Chairman Powell might have been the following: What is the financial market’s assessment of the extent to which current monetary policy is restrictive, and more specifically why is the market’s view of the long-run “neutral” fed funds rate so much higher than that of most FOMC market participants?While there are no clear measures of “the market’s” expected value of the “neutral” fed funds rate, there are some ways to estimate that expectation.In terms of nominal rates, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta publishes a daily “Market Probability Tracker” based on futures and options for the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), which tracks the fed funds rate. Here is a description from the website. The Market Probability Tracker estimates probability distributions implied by the prices of options from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange that reference the three-month compounded average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). SOFR, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, broadly measures the cost of overnight (one-day) loans collateralized with Treasury securities in the repurchase agreement, or repo, market. Because the New York Fed's Open Market Trading Desk implements monetary policy through repo market transactions, we can use the estimated distributions to make inferences about the market's assessment of future target ranges that the Federal Open Market Committee sets.Updates are made daily using the most recently available data, typically from the previous day. In this tracker, we show results from the four nearest-expiring quarterly contracts. To observe changes in the market's assessment, users can view and compare estimates across the prior six weeks for the market's expected three-month average SOFR path and its 25th- to 75th-percentile region; the probabilities associated with future target ranges over the quarterly intervals specified by individual contracts; and the full distribution estimated by our model.On January 31 the “expected” 3-month SOFR for September 15, 2027 (the latest date shown) was about 4%, with the 25th and 75th percentiles ranging from around 3% to around 4 7/8%. Expectations from FOMC participants ranged from 2 3/8% to 3 7/8%, with 10 participants showing an expectation under 3%.Part of that difference may reflect a gap between the market’s expectation for inflation and FOMC market participants’ expectations for inflation. For 2027 17 of 19 FOMC market participants’ projection for inflation was 2%, while the market’s expectation for 2027 inflation base on zero-coupon inflation swaps was about 2.5% -- suggesting a market expectation for the “real” fed funds rate near the end of 2017 of around 1.5%.Stated another way, using this methodology the difference between the market’s expectation for the federal funds rate and the median expectation of the “appropriate” fed funds rate for the end of 2027 would be as follows: Another way to approach this question would be to look at implied forward Treasury yields, adjusted for any term premium. Unfortunately, the term premium embedded in the Treasury yield curve is not observable. For this exercise I will use two widely followed estimates of the Treasury term premia: one from researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the other from researchers at the Federal Reserve Board.The yield curves and term premia used are for 1/31/2025, and the inflation expectation is from CPI zero-coupon swaps. As the table shows, the “gap” between the median “long-run appropriate” fed funds rate from FOMC participants and the implied market expectation of the long-run fed funds rate is about one percentage point, with about half attributable to higher market expectations for inflation and half attributable to a higher market expectation for the “neutral” real interest rate.In sum, (1) the market’s view of the neutral fed funds rate is higher than the majority of FOMC participants; and (2) using implied market expectations the current stance of monetary policy is not meaningfully restrictive. While the Federal Reserve has said it plans to continue reducing the size of its balance sheet, this so-called “quantitatively tightening” has not been a reversal of its previous quantitative easing. During the multiple quantitative easings over the past 15 years the Federal Reserve purchased sizable quantities of relatively long duration Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, funding by creating extremely short duration bank reserves. Presumably these actions were designed in part to lower longer-term rates and long-term fixed-rate mortgages. A reversal of quantitative easing would have involved selling long-duration Treasuries and MBS, with the proceeds used to reduce the quantity of short-duration bank reserves. That, of course, has not happened. Instead the Federal Reserve has let its balance sheet shrink by not reinvesting all of the maturing (and by definition short duration) Treasuries in new Treasuries, and not reinvesting all MBS prepayments in new MBS or Treasuries.In fact, last year the Federal Reserve added $184.8 billion of Treasury notes and bonds to its System Open Market Account (SOMA) with a weighted average maturity of 8.11 years, as well as $3.49 billion of TIPS with a weighted average maturity of 10.52 years. Included in the Fed’s Treasury purchases were $36.0 billion of 10-year Treasury notes and $21.1 billion of 30-year Treasury bonds that were issued last year. The weighted average maturity of SOMA Treasury holdings at the end of last year was 8.87 years, up from 7.86 years at the end of 2022 and massively higher than the 3.2 years in the 2004-2006 (pre-financial crisis) period.While it is not exactly clear why the Fed has done what it’s done, one possible reason is that the Fed did not want its “quantitative tightening” to have a material upward impact on long-term rates.Or stated another way, it did not want its “QT” to make monetary policy more restrictive, or to result in a material increase in Treasury term premia.Others have argued that the Fed did not want to sell long-term Treasuries or MBS previously purchased because the Federal Reserve would have to realize sizable market losses.Whatever the reasons, it is absolutely obvious that the quantitative tightening over the past few years has not even remotely been a reversal of the previous quantitative easing.
Elon Musk on Ron Paul as Fed chair: 'Great idea' -- Elon Musk in a post on his social platform X appeared to back conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s suggestion that former Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve. “Great idea!” Musk replied on X to a statement from Kirk, saying Paul “would make a great next Chairman of the Federal Reserve.” In a reply to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on X, Musk wrote “that would be amazing” when Lee said he would like to see Paul as chair. Lee replied: “Ron Paul for Fed Chair!” Paul, 89, is a longtime critic of the Fed. He ran for president three times, as a Libertarian and as a Republican as recently as 2012. He is the father of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R). Trump bashed the central bank late last month and accused Powell of failing to stop inflation after the Fed kept interest rates steady.. Trump elevated Powell to chair of the Fed in his first team. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been tasked with overhauling the federal government and recently gained access to Treasury Department payment systems, before a federal judge’s ruling prohibited special government employees and those detailed from outside the department from getting access to the systems. Up Next - POTUS signs pardon for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich The president in December said he doesn’t plan on attempting to fire Powell, whose term ends in 2026. Powell said in November he would not step down from his position if Trump asked, saying it is “not permitted under the law” for the president to fire or demote him or any of the other Fed governors with leadership positions. Trump has repeatedly and publicly criticized the Fed and its chair for not cutting interest rates fast enough throughout his tenure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said in December that Powell can serve out the remainder of his term leading the central bank.
Treasury Market’s Inflation Expectations Become “Unanchored” by Wolf Richter --Fed Chair Powell, at his testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs today, included his nearly standard line about longer-term inflation expectations being “well anchored, as reflected in a broad range of surveys of households, businesses, and forecasters, as well as measures from financial markets.” The first three are survey-based – what households, businesses, and forecasters see coming at them. The last is based on trading results in the Treasury market, what the Treasury market sees coming at it. It’s the bond market talking here, and the bond market is getting worried again about inflation. The 5-year breakeven inflation rate rose to 2.64% today, the highest since March 2023, having shot up by 78 basis points since just before the Fed’s September rate cut. This measure (5-year Treasury yield minus the 5-year Treasury Inflation Indexed Real Yield) shows what the bond market saw today as the average inflation rate over the next five years.The Fed has cut by 100 basis points, while this measure of market-based inflation expectations for average inflation over the next five years has shot up by 78 basis points. It has become “unanchored,” as one might say to needle Powell during the FOMC press conference:A Fed that is lax about inflation scares the bond market once inflation starts rumbling. And the Fed has seen that reaction from the bond market too – including the surge of longer-term yields, such as the 10-year Treasury yield, since the beginning of the rate cuts – which is why it has walked back any talk of further rate cuts and instead has pivoted into wait-and-see mode to not unnerve the bond market further. The 10-year breakeven inflation rate (10-year Treasury yield minus the 10-year Treasury Inflation Indexed Real Yield) is a little more sanguine but is also coming unanchored. This measure of what the bond market saw today as the average inflation rate over the next 10 years rose to 2.46%, the highest since October 19, 2023, and before that day the highest since March 2023. It shot up by 44 basis points since just before the Fed’s September rate cut. The rate cuts unnerved the bond market. The bond market saw that inflation wasn’t quite done with yet when the Fed was cutting rates just as inflation was starting to re-accelerate. This infused the bond market – and not just the bond market – with concerns that the Fed would be more tolerant about inflation going forward, along with signs of fear that inflation would on average be higher over the next five years in particular.This jump in inflation expectations by the markets, along with the surge of the 10-year yield following the rate cuts, likely triggered the energetic backpedaling by the Fed on further rate cuts. It is now in official wait-and-see mode. Powell and the other Fed governors now keep hammering home the point that they can be “patient” with their rate cuts.The bias today is still for cuts, not hikes. Inflation would have to make larger and more sustained moves higher for the Fed to switch the bias to rate hikes.But a bond market freakout over accelerating inflation and a lax Fed – resulting in higher long-term yields that really matter for the economy – would nudge the Fed to switch its bias to rate hikes again. To keep long-term yields from rising too much, the Fed will need to show the bond market that it’s serious about inflation, and that it will crack down again if inflation re-accelerates substantially.That’s the irony: The Fed might have to hike short-term rates again to make sure long-term interest rates remain “moderate” – paying attention to the third part of its mandate, to conduct monetary policy “so as to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.” The mandate is silent about the Fed’s short-term policy rates. It’s “long-term interest rates” that are in the mandate, and the way to get there is to keep inflation in check.
Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress (Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs) This testimony will be live here at 10:00 AM ET and also on C-SPAN 3. Report here. An excerpt: The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is firmly committed to fulfilling its statutory mandate from the Congress of promoting maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. The Committee seeks to explain its monetary policy decisions to the public as clearly as possible. Such clarity facilitates well-informed decisionmaking by households and businesses, reduces economic and financial uncertainty, increases the effectiveness of monetary policy, and enhances transparency and accountability, which are essential in a democratic society. Employment, inflation, and long-term interest rates fluctuate over time in response to economic and financial disturbances. Monetary policy plays an important role in stabilizing the economy in response to these disturbances. The Committee's primary means of adjusting the stance of monetary policy is through changes in the target range for the federal funds rate. The Committee judges that the level of the federal funds rate consistent with maximum employment and price stability over the longer run has declined relative to its historical average. Therefore, the federal funds rate is likely to be constrained by its effective lower bound more frequently than in the past. Owing in part to the proximity of interest rates to the effective lower bound, the Committee judges that downward risks to employment and inflation have increased. The Committee is prepared to use its full range of tools to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals. The maximum level of employment is a broad-based and inclusive goal that is not directly measurable and changes over time owing largely to nonmonetary factors that affect the structure and dynamics of the labor market. Consequently, it would not be appropriate to specify a fixed goal for employment; rather, the Committee's policy decisions must be informed by assessments of the shortfalls of employment from its maximum level, recognizing that such assessments are necessarily uncertain and subject to revision. The Committee considers a wide range of indicators in making these assessments. The inflation rate over the longer run is primarily determined by monetary policy, and hence the Committee has the ability to specify a longer-run goal for inflation. The Committee reaffirms its judgment that inflation at the rate of 2 percent, as measured by the annual change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures, is most consistent over the longer run with the Federal Reserve's statutory mandate. The Committee judges that longer-term inflation expectations that are well anchored at 2 percent foster price stability and moderate long-term interest rates and enhance the Committee's ability to promote maximum employment in the face of significant economic disturbances. In order to anchor longer-term inflation expectations at this level, the Committee seeks to achieve inflation that averages 2 percent over time, and therefore judges that, following periods when inflation has been running persistently below 2 percent, appropriate monetary policy will likely aim to achieve inflation moderately above 2 percent for some time. Monetary policy actions tend to influence economic activity, employment, and prices with a lag. In setting monetary policy, the Committee seeks over time to mitigate shortfalls of employment from the Committee's assessment of its maximum level and deviations of inflation from its longer-run goal. Moreover, sustainably achieving maximum employment and price stability depends on a stable financial system. Therefore, the Committee's policy decisions reflect its longer-run goals, its medium-term outlook, and its assessments of the balance of risks, including risks to the financial system that could impede the attainment of the Committee's goals. The Committee's employment and inflation objectives are generally complementary. However, under circumstances in which the Committee judges that the objectives are not complementary, it takes into account the employment shortfalls and inflation deviations and the potentially different time horizons over which employment and inflation are projected to return to levels judged consistent with its mandate. The Committee intends to review these principles and to make adjustments as appropriate at its annual organizational meeting each January, and to undertake roughly every 5 years a thorough public review of its monetary policy strategy, tools, and communication practices.
Federal deficit surges in January by $127 billion: CBO - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO)estimated in a report on Monday that the federal government racked up a deficit of $127 billion last month. The CBO estimated the federal budget deficit reached $838 billion in the last four months, which is $306 billion more than the same time frame a year before, as outlays climbed 15 percent. The agency projected a 6 percent increase in outlays for the nation’s biggest mandatory spending programs in the four-month stretch, with Medicaid outlays rising by $17 billion, “largely because of rising costs per enrollee.” Spending for Social Security benefits was estimated to have risen by $31 billion during the period, which the agency attributed mostly to cost-of-living adjustments and increases in the number of beneficiaries. Medicare outlays were also projected to have increased by a net $14 billion “largely because of rising costs per enrollee,” the CBO said. Other areas that saw big jumps in spending since October include a 43 percent increase in outlays of the Department of Homeland Security, or a $12 billion boost, as the government responded to hurricanes Helene and Milton. The CBO also estimated a 17 percent increase in spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs as “more people used veterans’ benefits and because of increased spending per person.” The report comes as House Republicans are working to craft a major partisan package to advance key parts of President Trump’s agenda, along with potentially significant cuts to spending and an increase of the debt limit, which caps how much money the Treasury Department can owe to pay the country’s bills. Congress last agreed to suspend the debt ceiling into January as part of a broader bipartisan agreement to prevent a national default in 2023. The Treasury Department began taking so-called extraordinary measures last month so the nation could continue to meet its obligations without breaching the limit. The CBO said Monday that it will later “publish its estimate of how long the government could continue to finance its operations under those measures.” The national debt stands at more than $36 trillion.
US Budget Deficit Hits A Record $840 Billion In First 4 Months Of 2025; Interest On Debt Hits Record $1.2 Trillion - (8 graphs) Elon Musk's DOGE is going through government spending with a fine-toothed comb, slashing a million here, a billion there. The bad news: at the rate it is going, DOGE will need a few hundred years to make a tangible impact, because as the Treasury reported earlier today, in January the US government spent a near-record $642 billion, a 29% increase from the $500 billion in January... ... while it collected just $513.3 billion in tax revenues, a far more modest 7.5% increase YoY... ... which resulted in a $129 billion budget deficit for the month... ... the second highest January deficit on record (only the post-covid shock of 2021 was great)... ... and $840 billion so far in fiscal 2025. This is a problem because as shown in the next chart, the cumulative budget deficit for the first 4 months of fiscal 2025 is the highest on record, surpassing even the fiscal shock from the depths of the post-covid response. And the punchline is that no matter what Musk does, the USS Titanic is now more or less on autopilot because while a few billions in discretionary spending can be cut, interest on the debt can not be - without a default (it can however be inflated away... and it will be) - and in January, gross interest on the Federal debt hit a record $1.167 trillion in the past twelve months thanks to another $83.6 billion in interest spending.
Democrats step up talk about using shutdown as leverage against Donald Trump - Democrats in Congress are growing louder with threats to force a shutdown in March to put the brakes on President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s efforts to overhaul the federal government by freezing spending and dismantling agencies. A growing number of Democratic lawmakers think the March 14 deadline for funding the government gives them the best leverage to pressure Trump and Musk to back off their plans to pick apart the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies. But they are divided over how hard to push the threat of a shutdown, fearing Democrats might get blamed for a funding lapse that would furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers and interrupt government services across the country. Democrats say they traditionally try to do everything to avoid shutdowns but now warn one may be inevitable if Trump doesn’t rein in Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “I never support a shutdown, but I can see where it could happen in this situation. It’s an extreme situation,” Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said. Durbin, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, pointed to Vice President Vance’s comments over the weekend suggesting the White House may not heed court rulings blocking its executive actions as a major provocation. “One step away from a constitutional crisis. Let’s be very blunt about this: If he believes the executive branch can ignore the directives coming down from the judicial branch, it’s an invitation to a constitutional crisis,” he said. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined protesters outside the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which shut down operations Monday, to call for Americans “to fight back.” Asked at the Capitol on Monday afternoon whether Democrats should wield a shutdown threat as leverage against the White House, she argued Trump has already crossed that line. “Trump is shutting down government now, and it needs to stop now,” she said. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) came hardest out of the gate, declaring he’s not interested in supporting a government funding bill that would let Trump and Musk continue to “dismantle” the federal government. “I cannot support efforts that will continue this lawlessness that we’re seeing when it comes to this administration’s actions,” he said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And for us to be able to support government funding in that way, only for them to turn it around, to dismantle the government. That is not something that should be allowed.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a leader of the House Democrats’ progressive wing, said House Democrats are willing to use their leverage over spending legislation — and the threat to tank it — to maximum effect. “If Senate Democrats don’t have the gumption to do what is necessary in this moment, I believe that House Democrats will,” she told CNN. Ocasio-Cortez believes Democrats should demand a “very high” price to agree to a funding deal in the next few weeks. With Democrats furious over Trump’s and Musk’s extraordinary use of executive power to freeze spending and push federal workers out of their jobs, there’s growing appetite within the party to show Republicans that both sides can wreak havoc for political effect.
Mike Johnson leaves door open to full-year funding stopgap - Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) didn’t rule out a full-year stopgap to keep the government funded through the end of the fiscal year, as lawmakers struggle to strike a bipartisan deal. Pressed by reporters on the chances of a full-year stopgap, Johnson left the door open on Wednesday afternoon. “We’re trying to negotiate in good faith, but Democrats have sent over counter offers that are just simply not acceptable, and they know that, and so we’re looking at all options,” he said. Reports emerged Wednesday afternoon that Johnson was pushing for a full-year funding stopgap, which could keep funding mostly at the levels hashed out in the last Congress, for the rest of fiscal 2025. Top negotiators have been hopeful of striking a deal hashing out new funding levels for the remainder of fiscal 2025. But lawmakers have begun to acknowledge a stopgap of some length is likely necessary to keep the government funded beyond a mid-March shutdown deadline. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Wednesday that he thinks both sides had made progress in bipartisan funding talks following a meeting between the top Democratic and GOP negotiators in both chambers the night before. “I think we’ve made progress, but I don’t think we’re where any of us would want to be,” he said, adding that he was seeking a meeting with Johnson. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said Wednesday that talks aren’t dead. She said Democrats are still pressing for parity in nondefense and defense programs in funding talks, but she also added that “the other piece now, because of what we have seen, is that we have to have some kind of assurances that if we get a deal, that the deal stands.” “I think that’s fair,” she said. Her comments come as Democrats see the upcoming shutdown deadline as a way to counter sweeping efforts by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to shrink the size of government and implement ambitious funding cuts. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also said this week that Democrats will push for language to unwind the recent measures by the Trump administration. However, Cole told reporters on Wednesday that lawmakers are “not putting anything in bills that limit the president of the United States, and what he can and cannot do.” “We’re not going to put stuff in legislation,” Cole said. “We do have to have a signature at the end of the day, so he is not irrelevant to the process.”
Hard-liners, GOP leadership strike deal on budget resolution -- Hard-line conservatives and House GOP leadership struck an agreement on the conference’s budget resolution shortly before a key vote Thursday, putting the measure on a path to advance out of committee if it holds. According to House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.), the agreement — which still has to be approved by the House Budget Committee — would allow Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), the chair of the Budget committee, to “adjust the dials” and increase the cap on the deficit impact of the tax portion of the package of President Trump’s priorities if additional spending cuts are made in other areas. It would also give teeth to a $2 trillion deficit reduction target outlined in the bill that was key for fiscal hawks. Harris said if the agreement, which would be brought up as a manager’s amendment, passes, the House Freedom Caucus will support the budget resolution — a serious boost to the House’s chances of approving the framework for “one big beautiful bill” of Trump’s priorities on the floor after weeks of hard-line conservatives jockeying over spending cut demands. Advancing the budget resolution out of committee is the first step toward unlocking the process Republicans want to use to pass Trump’s legislative priorities without Democratic votes. “This is it. We declare victory,” Harris said. “I mean, we have a bill that we believe that it had to be done rapidly to get the president the border funding as soon as possible. We believe it had that meaningful deficit reduction, and we believe it had to be able to advance the president’s tax policy. It all happens here.” Arrington released a budget resolution Wednesday that outlines a $1.5 trillion floor for spending cuts across committees with a target of $2 trillion, a $4.5 trillion cap on the deficit impact of the Republicans’ plan to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, and $300 billion in additional spending for the border and defense. Conservatives, however, were in favor of additional spending cuts, while members of the Ways and Means Committee had pushed for a higher cap to enact Trump’s tax agenda. Under the agreement, Arrington would be able to adjust the spending cuts floor and tax impact cap when crafting the budget reconciliation package. Harris said “the traditional mechanism of a reserve fund” will enable those changes to allow the chair to “adjust the dials.” For example, with the deficit reduction floor set at $1.5 trillion and a target of $2 trillion, if committees find $2.5 trillion in reductions, Arrington can allow Ways and Means to design policies that raise its deficit increase allowance from $4.5 trillion to $5 trillion — enabling the committee more flexibility to address Trump’s demands for tax cuts. Importantly, Harris said the amendment would also require the budget chair to lower deficit increase allowances for the tax portion if that $2 trillion target is not reached, meaning the allowance for tax cuts and other priorities would be curtailed. The manager’s amendment already seems to be winning over some hard-liners on the Budget Committee, which is tasked with advancing the budget resolution as the first step in the reconciliation process. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of both the Freedom Caucus and the Budget Committee, called the House GOP’s budget resolution a “giant step forward” in the markup Thursday, signaling that he will support the measure when it comes up for a key vote later in the day. “This budget put forward by the chairman is a giant step forward to reduce spending, the primary driver of the inflation, and the expansion of the government largesse that is strangling the future of our children and grandchildren,” Roy said. “I am proud of what the chairman has put forward.” Asked by The Hill what had changed overnight for the budget resolution to earn his support, the Texas Republican said “sufficient commitment to spending restraint has me optimistic I can support by day’s end.”
Trump Administration Sanctions ICC Prosecutor on Behalf of Israel - On Thursday, the US Treasury Department announced it had imposed sanctions on Karim Khan, a British lawyer who is the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), an action taken on behalf of Israel.The sanctions came after President Trump signed an executive order to target the court in response to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over their role in war crimes in Gaza.Under the sanctions, any of the assets Khan may have in the US have been frozen, and he is barred from entering the country. Khan also sought arrest warrants for three top Hamas officials, but they have all been killed by Israel.In his executive order, Trump accused the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.” In his first term, Trump sanctioned the previous ICC prosecutor over the court opening investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan committed by all sides, including US troops.The Biden administration reversed the sanctions on the ICC, and the court later dropped its investigations into the US. President Biden supported the court against Russia but also opposed its actions against Israel since the US is implicated due to the massive support it provided for the genocidal war on Gaza. Both Biden and Trump have also opposed the International Court of Justice’s genocide case against Israel, which was brought to the court by South Africa. Trump recently suspended aid to South Africa and listed the ICJ case as one of the reasons.
State Department announces $7B arms sale to Israel -- The Trump administration announced a $7 billion arms sale to Israel, including munitions and missiles, just days after Congress blocked an initial deal.The State Department said Friday that it approved $6.75 billion in munitions, guidance kits, fuzes and munitions support, including 2,166 GBU-39/B small-diameter bombs, for sale to Israel. In the other part of the package, the U.S. is sending 3,000 Hellfire missiles and other equipment at the estimated cost of $660 million. The deliveries of the missiles are slated to start in 2028. “The proposed sale improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in the press release. “Israel already has these weapons in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.” The arms sales came just two days after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington and held a joint press conference with President Trump. The deal marks the first multi-billion arms sale to Israel under the current administration. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the Trump administration for reportedly bypassing Congress and instantly proceeding with the weapons sale. “Earlier today, the Trump Administration informed me that it would abrogate Congressional oversight and years of standing practice and immediately notify billions of dollars in arms sales,” Meeks said in a statement on Friday. “This move is yet another repudiation by Donald Trump of Congress’ rightful and legitimate oversight prerogative.”
Trump Says Gaza Ceasefire Should Be Canceled If All Hostages Not Released By Noon on Saturday - President Trump said on Monday that the Gaza ceasefire should be canceled if all Israeli hostages aren’t released by noon on Saturday.“If all the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I think it’s an appropriate time. I would say cancel it, and all bets are off. Let hell break out,” Trump said. He stressed that all remaining Israeli hostages should be released by Saturday, which is not part of the deal.Trump said that the decision was up to Israel, but his comments suggest he’s ready to back Israel if it restarts its genocidal war on Gaza.Trump’s comments came after the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing announced that the next Israeli hostage release has been postponed until “further notice,” citing Israeli ceasefire violations.Since the ceasefire went into effect on January 19, Israeli forces havekilled dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, including three who were killed on Sunday while trying to return to their homes near Gaza City. Gaza officials have said Israel has also not let in sufficient aid deliveries into Gaza, including materials needed to provide temporary housing for Palestinians.“The leadership of the resistance has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to abide by the terms of the agreement during the past three weeks; from delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and not allowing relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed upon, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.Obeida said the next hostage release scheduled for February 15 is delayed until “the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively, and we affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation commits to them.”Later in the day, Hamas released another statement saying that it announced its intention to delay the hostage exchange to give mediators time to get Israel to live up to its end of the ceasefire.“Hamas’s intention in releasing this statement five days before the date scheduled for the release of the captives is to allow the mediators enough time to pressure the occupation to fulfill its commitments, and to keep the door open for the exchange to take place on time. As long as the occupation meets its obligations,” Hamas said.In response to Hamas’s announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said it was a “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and hostage deal” and ordered the Israeli military to be on “the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the [Gaza border] communities.”Hamas’s announcement came a day after Haaretz reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to sabotage the ceasefire deal and that the Israeli negotiators in Qatar aren’t expected to bring the deal into its second phase. One Israeli source said that once Hamas realizes there won’t be a second phase, it “may not complete the first.”
Trump Says He's 'Committed to Buying and Owning Gaza' - On Sunday, President Trump continued to push his idea for a US takeover of the Gaza Strip, saying he was “committed” to owning the Palestinian territory.“I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.The president said it would be a “big mistake” to allow Palestinians to return to Gaza once they’re removed despite the White House previously walking back his call for the “permanent” expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, which means ethnic cleansing would be required for his plan.“It’s a big mistake to allow the Palestinians or the people to be living in Gaza to go back yet another time. We don’t want Hamas going back, think of it as a big real estate site,” Trump said.He again called Gaza a “demolition site” and said the “remainder will be demolished. You can’t live in those buildings right now. We’ll make into a good site for future development by … somebody.” Trump also claimed that the “only reason they’re talking about returning to Gaza is because they don’t have an alternative. When they have one, they won’t want to return.”The president has continued to double down on his plan to take over Gaza despite strong opposition from regional Arab states and the Palestinians who live there. Trump said he planned to meet with “all” Arab leaders and will be hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah in Washington this Tuesday.A new poll from CBS News/YouGov found there is very little support among Americans for Trump’s plan to take Gaza. The poll found only 13% of respondents thought it was a “good idea,” while 47% thought it was a “bad idea,” and 40% said they were “unsure” or that it “depends.”When Trump first announced his plan last week, the assumption was that taking over Gaza would require US troops to be deployed, and the president didn’t rule it out. After some backlash, the president later claimed that under his plan, Israel would hand Gaza to the US after the “conclusion of the fighting,” a sign that Trump expects Israel’s genocidal war to be restarted.On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump “never said he wants American troops to do the job. Guess what? We’ll do the job.”Trump also signaled Israel could restart its bombing campaign in Gaza in his remarks to reporters on Air Force One. The president said the three Israeli hostages released by Hamas on Saturday looked like “holocaust survivors.”“I don’t know how much longer we can take that when I watch that. I know we have a deal where they’re supposed to dribble in and keep dribble in, but they are in really bad shape. Even the ones that came out early were in a bit better shape, but mentally they were treated so badly. Who could take that? At some point we’re gonna lose our patience,” he said.
Trump Says No Right of Return for Palestinians in Gaza Under His Plan - In an interview that aired Monday, President Trump explicitly said Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza under his plan for the US to “take over” the territory.When asked by Fox News host Brett Baier if the Palestinians would have the right to return to Gaza, Trump said, “No, they wouldn’t because they’re going to have much better housing. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”The interview was taped on Saturday, and Trump made similar comments the following day while aboard Air Force One. “It’s a big mistake to allow the Palestinians or the people to be living in Gaza to go back yet another time,” he said on Sunday.Trump’s repeated comments that Palestinians would be removed permanently, which means ethnic cleansing, contradict the White House, which said Palestinians would only be “temporarily relocated” during reconstruction.In the interview with Baier, Trump insisted he could make a deal with Jordan and Egypt despite the strong opposition from Arab states and Palestinians themselves. “I think I could make a deal with Jordan, I think I could make a deal with Egypt. You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year,” he said.Egypt has announced an emergency Arab summit that will be held on February 27 in response to Trump’s plan. On Sunday, Cairo said that in recent days, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty “made a series of phone calls with several Arab counterparts to mass regional efforts in a bid to thwart the US proposal of displacing the Palestinian people.”Jordan’s King Abdullah arrived in Washington on Monday and is set to hold a meeting with Trump on Tuesday. According to Reuters, Abdullah plans to tell Trump that his plan “to resettle Palestinians from Gaza in Jordan is a recipe for radicalism that will spread chaos through the Middle East, jeopardize the Kingdom’s peace with Israel, and even threaten the country’s very survival.”
Trump’s proposal for Gaza entangles Arab allies - President Trump’s proposal to permanently resettle Palestinians from the Gaza Strip is complicating relationships with allies in the Arab world. His meeting Tuesday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II stands to be an awkward moment as Trump continues to suggest Abdullah’s country take in more Palestinians, who by some estimates already take up about half the population. But Trump’s proposal has been met with steep opposition from the greater Arab world, who see Palestinian resettlement as a nonstarter, in addition to going against decades of U.S. foreign policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Arab nations and global leaders have been clear in their opposition to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the urgent need to rebuild Gaza so its people can live with dignity and security,” said Iman Awad, national director of policy and advocacy at Emgage Action, a Muslim American advocacy group, in a statement. “In particular, we expect that the upcoming meeting with the Jordanian King will reinforce these concerns, underscoring the necessity of upholding international law and preventing the displacement of millions of Palestinians,” Awad added. Trump sent shockwaves through the Middle East last week when he proposed the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild it. He since has offered some new details of his vision, including that U.S. troops would not get involved, while sending mixed messages about the fate of Palestinians. Up Next - Trump: Palestinians wouldn't have right to return to developed Gaza The president for weeks has said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other nations in the region take in Palestinians who would be relocated out of Gaza. While the White House has suggested the relocation would only be temporary while Gaza is rebuilt — something officials have said could take 10 years to 15 years — Trump has been less clear about the long-term plan for displaced Palestinians. “It would be my hope that we could do something really nice, really good, where they wouldn’t want to return. Why would they want to return? The place has been hell,” Trump told reporters last week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But Trump then told Fox News’s Bret Baier during a pre-Super Bowl interview that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza after it is rebuilt “because they’re going to have much better housing.” “In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever — it’s not habitable. It would be years before it could happen,” Trump said.
Trump says he may withhold aid to Jordan, Egypt if they don’t take in Palestinians -- President Trump said Monday he would consider withholding aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not agree to take in Palestinians as part of a plan for the U.S. to take over and develop the Gaza Strip.“Would you withhold aid to these countries if they don’t agree to take in the Palestinians?” Trump was asked during a gaggle with reporters in the Oval Office.“Yeah, maybe. Sure, why not?” Trump responded. “If they don’t agree, I would conceivably withhold aid. Yeah.”Jordan and Egypt are among the top recipients of U.S. military assistance.The U.S. and Jordan signed a memorandum in 2022 in which the U.S. committed to providing more than $1 billion annually in foreign assistance. The U.S. provided roughly $1.5 billion in foreign assistance to Egypt in fiscal 2023.Trump last month called on Egypt and Jordan to take in more Palestinians from Gaza, much of which has been decimated by the war between Hamas and Israel that broke out in October 2023 after Hamas carried out an attack on Israel. Since then, Trump has proposed that the United States could take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild it into an economic development. While the White House has said Palestinians would be temporarily relocated while Gaza is rebuilt, Trump has repeatedly suggested Palestinians would have no desire to return to Gaza and floated the possibility of them not being allowed back. “They would love to leave Gaza if they could find a place to be,” Trump said Monday.Arab leaders in the region have said efforts to displace Palestinians or move them into neighboring countries are a nonstarter. Egypt and Jordan, countries with peace treaties with Israel, oppose absorbing Palestinians, claiming it poses a security risk, is destabilizing and threatens to provoke mass opposition.Jordan already houses about 3 million Palestinians, many of whom already have been displaced by prior wars.Trump is expected to meet with Jordan’s king in Washington on Tuesday, and the Gaza Strip and its future will likely be a key component of their discussions. King Abdullah II has already come out in opposition of taking in Palestinians from Gaza, as has Egypt.Egypt announced Sunday it would host a summit of Arab nations on Feb. 27 to discuss the latest developments around the future of Palestinians, according to The Associated Press.
Egypt tells US top diplomat Rubio that Arab states reject Trump's Gaza plan (Reuters) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday that Arab states rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's widely condemned plan to displace Palestinians in Gaza and take control of the enclave.Egypt's foreign ministry said Abdelatty, in a meeting in Washington, stressed the importance of expediting Gaza's reconstruction while Palestinians remained there. A statement by the U.S. State Department after the meeting did not explicitly mention Trump's plan but added that Rubio "reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning for the governance and security of Gaza and stressed Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again."Abdelatty said he was looking forward to working with the new U.S. administration to achieve "comprehensive and just peace and stability" in the region, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry statement.He also met with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in a separate meeting, where he echoed similar statements, the foreign ministry said.Any suggestion that Palestinians leave Gaza, which they want as part of an independent state, has been anathema to the Palestinian leadership for generations and neighboring Arab states have rejected it since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023.Trump first suggested on January 25 that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza. In the days ahead, he proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza and a potential permanent displacement of Palestinians from the enclave with no right of return.Trump's comments echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes and have been labeled by rights advocates and the United Nations as a proposal of ethnic cleansing.Israel's military assault on Gaza, now paused by a fragile ceasefire, has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in the last 16 months, the Gaza health ministry says, and provoked accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies.The assault internally displaced nearly all of Gaza's population and caused a hunger crisis.The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.
After Meeting With Trump, Jordan's Abdullah Says He Expressed Opposition to Displacement of Palestinians - After meeting with President Trump at the White House, Jordan’s King Abdullah said that he reiterated Amman’s opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank “I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position,” Abdullah wrote on X.The Jordanian leader called for the reconstruction of Gaza without the expulsion of Palestinians. “Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all,” he said. While speaking with reporters alongside Trump, Abdullah did not outright reject Trump’s plan for the US to “take over” Gaza and expel the Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, which would mean ethnic cleansing.When asked about Jordan’s opposition to the plan, Abdullah said, “Mr. President, we have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries. We’re being invited by [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammed bin Salman to Riyadh to discussions in Riyadh. I think the point is how to make this work in a way that is good for everybody.”After the meeting, Egypt announced that it would present a “comprehensive” proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza that would allow Palestinians to stay on their land and said it was ready to “cooperate with the US administration under President Donald Trump to reach a comprehensive and just peace in the region.”Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was scheduled to visit Washington on February 18, but according to a report from Daily News Egypt, the trip has been postponed indefinitely due to Cairo’s opposition to Trump’s proposal.Abdullah announced during the brief press conference with Trump that Jordan would take 2,000 Palestinian children from Gaza who have cancer or are in some other kind of “ill state,” a step Trump said that he appreciated. But Trump continued to push his plan for Gaza while sitting next to Abdullah and even said that he believes Gaza’s population will end up on a “parcel of land in Jordan” and a “parcel of land in Egypt.” The president did say he was open to expelling the Palestinians to other countries besides Egypt and Jordan. When asked about his comments about buying Gaza, Trump said, “We’re going to take it. We’re going to hold it. We’re going to cherish it.”
Rubio says Hamas must never rule Gaza again in call with UAE president -US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan that Hamas must never govern Gaza again, according to a State Department readout of their call on Tuesday.The two discussed regional security, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, and the release of hostages, including American citizens, said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.During the call, Rubio expressed appreciation for the UAE’s humanitarian aid to Gaza and "highlighted the imperative of ensuring that Hamas can never rule Gaza or threaten Israel again," she said.Rubio and Sheikh Mohamed also reaffirmed the strength of US-UAE ties and explored avenues for cooperation in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. They further discussed "their support for the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon," said Bruce.The call came as US President Donald Trump’s proposal to "take over" Gaza and forcibly displace Palestinians faced widespread international criticism.Rubio is set to visit the Middle East this week with planned stops in the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia as part of diplomatic efforts amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.On Monday, Trump warned that "all hell" will break out if all Israeli captives in Gaza were not released by 12 p.m. on Saturday.Hamas announced late Monday that it was indefinitely postponing the next hostage-prisoner exchange scheduled for Saturday, citing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.The three-phase ceasefire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s 15-month war, which has killed more than 48,200 people and left the enclave in ruins.
Rubio says US keen for Arab ideas on Gaza - Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday the United States was eager to hear new proposals by Arab states on Gaza, after President Donald Trump’s stunning plan to displace the territory’s entire population. Rubio, who leaves later Thursday on a trip that will take him to the Middle East, said he hoped to discuss ideas during his stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Israel, after talks in Washington with Egypt and Jordan. “Hopefully they’re going to have a really good plan to present the president,” Rubio said of Arab states. “Right now the only plan -- they don’t like it -- but the only plan is the Trump plan. So if they’ve got a better plan, now’s the time to present it,” he told the radio show of conservative hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Trump has warned of repercussions to neighboring Egypt and Jordan if they do not accept the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, which has been leveled by Israel over 16 months of war triggered by a major Hamas attack. “All these countries say how much they care about the Palestinians, but none of them want to take any Palestinians. None of them have a history of doing anything for Gaza,” Rubio said. Jordan already hosts more than two million Palestinian refugees. Diplomats say that Egypt is leading efforts to present an alternative to Trump within weeks. The Egyptian proposal would involve training a new security force in Gaza and identifying local Palestinian leaders who would be in charge. Rubio said he believed Arab states were “working in good faith,” but a red line was that there should be no future role for Hamas. “If the countries in the region can’t figure that piece out, then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we’re back to where we’ve been,” he said. Rubio’s predecessor Antony Blinken proposed a plan in which international powers and the United Nations would play a temporary role in Gaza until the Palestinian Authority can take over the war-ravaged enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a hard-right government, has long sought to weaken the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, as part of his opposition to a Palestinian state.
US Coordinated With Israel on Strikes in Gaza Knowing Hundreds of Civilians Would Be Killed - The US coordinated closely with Israel on massive strikes in Gaza on residential buildings, knowing that more than 100 civilians would be killed even though Israel didn’t have precise intelligence about the location of a Hamas commander it was claiming to target, the Israeli outlet 972 Magazine reported on Thursday.The report also detailed how Israel weaponized deadly carbon monoxide gas released by conventional bombs underground to kill Hamas commanders hiding in the tunnels, and in some cases, the gas killed Israeli hostages.The report, which cited 15 Israeli military intelligence and Shin Bet officers, said Israel frequently “bombarded residential areas in Gaza when it lacked intelligence on the exact location of Hamas commanders hiding underground.”In these strikes, the Israeli military authorized the killing of “triple-digit numbers” of Palestinian civilians, which it framed as “collateral damage.” The report said the Israeli military maintained close “real-time coordination” with US officials on these bombings regarding the number of civilian casualties, meaning the US was a direct accomplice in the slaughter.The Israeli military developed a process known as “tiling,” where they would drop massive 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs on civilian areas above tunnels where they believed a Hamas commander might be located but weren’t sure of the exact area. The report said this “partial intelligence picture led to instances in which the army dropped bunker-buster bombs that killed scores of Palestinians, while the target underground survived.” One of the most infamous of these types of strikes was the bombing of a densely populated neighborhood in the Jabalia refugee camp on October 31, 2023. The attack was personally approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, knowing it would kill hundreds of Palestinian civilians, which means the US knew as well. A source told 972 that the permissible number of civilian casualties was set at “around 300” to kill a single Hamas battalion commander, Ibrahim Biari. “A whole neighborhood died for Ibrahim Biari,” another source said. The bombing leveled at least 12 residential buildings, and the bodies of 126 Palestinians were dug out of the rubble, including 68 children.The 972 report said that while it was never official Israeli policy that all Palestinians in Gaza were responsible for enabling Hamas and the October 7 attack on southern Israel, it was “present in hallway conversations and coffee breaks ‘all the time.'”The report noted that while the Israeli accusation is that Hamas purposely places its tunnels under densely populated civilian areas, which Hamas denies, the Israeli military also has underground military facilities near residential areas in Israel. In comments to 972, Michael Sfard, a human rights lawyer, referenced “the Pit,” the nickname for an underground Israeli military operations center near residential areas of Tel Aviv.“Imagine this was Tel Aviv and not Jabalia, and that in order to reach ‘the Pit,’ the neighborhoods around the Kirya would be bombed,” Sfard said. “You don’t know where the military tunnels under the Kirya reach, you don’t know exactly where your target is, and you want to make sure he is killed. So you bomb [the adjacent streets]? Nobody would accept such a thing.”
Gaza by Ken Melvin- First, you put them in a cage. Then, poke them with a stick by taking ever more of their land, making life difficult, and things like that. When they get mad, label them terrorists. Seventy-five plus years now. There has never been a doubt what Israel wanted; it wanted it all. Not publicly. Let Moshe, Benji, … and the Likud do it; while protesting not too much. This time, a killing spree. It was not the first. Forty to one? Your entitle? No! It was a war crime. Putting Palestinians in a cage was a crime. Poking them with a stick was a crime. The settlements were a crime. This latest killing spree was a crime. All these you abetted by your acquiescence. All Israelis are complicit. You didn’t even try to stop the abuse, the carnage. You lost Israel to Rome because you followed a king who was a religious nut. It was given back by a guilt-ridden world that didn’t own it. Your claims (not admissible in a court of law) are no better than those of the Palestinians; if even. Sharing should have been a pre-condition. This time, there was no need to watch the coverage. After seventy-five years, most of us had seen it all before. Poke, poke, then boom. Hard to miss the destruction, the rising death toll, the brutality, the suffering, … There was never a doubt: Netanyahu, Israel’s far-right, saw an opportunity to take Gaza. Even if there was the faintest, it was erased by the vision of the attachment on the rear of the armored bulldozers being used to rip up the streets. From the invasion, the wanton killing of non-combatants especially women and children, and the wanton destruction of infrastructure, was a war crime. Somewhere along the way, (ten thousand?), (twenty thousand?) it became genocide. It was always deliberate. No Benji, lies are not admissible as evidence. In your case, they are evidence of guilt. The United States is guilty of a war crime for furnishing Israel with weapons for this killing and destruction. Joe Biden, America, blew this one terribly. We the people acquiesced; we the people are complicit because we did. We did, in large part because of a far too powerful pro-Israel lobby; in part because of religion. And, in part for having too many sorry-assed politicians. No excuse. The United States committed a war crime. Today, the despicable one read a script calling for the removal of Palestinians from Gaza and its development into a resort area. Three guesses and the first two don’t count. How low can the United States go?
The IDF Didn't Just Target Hospitals, They Destroyed Individual Medical Machines Caitlin Johnstone - Doctors Without Borders emergency coordinator Caroline Seguin reports that lifesaving medical equipment inside the hospitals in northern Gaza has been methodically destroyed, “smashed to pieces, one by one, to make sure no medical care could be provided anymore.” “You have to ask: What is the motivation of such action? These machines are made to save people’s lives, mothers, fathers, children,” Seguin writes. But we all know the motivation. The motivation is to make the Gaza Strip unlivable for Palestinians. I mean, what excuses could the Israel apologists possibly produce for this one? Were Hamas hiding in the ventilators? Were the MRI machines being used as human shields? Was there a weapons stockpile in the defibrillator? Was the incubator moving in ways that made IDF troops feel unsafe? What’s the hasbara line on this, exactly? Doesn’t look like there is one. After all the lies about Israel’s reasons for systematically destroying Gaza’s healthcare facilities, they’ve now dropped all pretenses and are openly targeting medical equipment itself for destruction. The goal was always to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable in order to facilitate the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Those who say “Fuck anyone who didn’t vote for Kamala” because of this or that ugly domestic policy Trump advances simply ignored Gaza during the Biden administration. They ignored it with their eyes, their minds, and their hearts. They avoided looking at the gruesome video footage of dismembered children and burning bodies. They avoided thinking about the daily massacres and imagining what it would be like if it was their own neighborhood being incinerated. They avoided feeling the unpleasant feelings you will necessarily experience if you allow your eyes and your mind to behold these things with unwavering attention. They’ve been living in a different universe than those of us who have been looking at these horrors and contemplating them and feeling them. That’s the one and only reason they can say “Fuck anyone who didn’t vote for Kamala”. If they hadn’t spent more than a year keeping their eyes, minds and hearts tightly screwed shut, it would never occur to them to say such a thing.
Canadian government refuses to condemn Trump’s proposal for ethnic cleansing of Gaza - US President Donald Trump proposed this week to seize control of Gaza and ethnically cleanse the Palestinian population, in a move that would amount to one of the most horrific war crimes since World War II. In response, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly posted a perfunctory four sentence statement on X, which reiterated Canada’s official support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While she found space in her 51-word statement to condemn Hamas, she did not even mention the fascistic President or the fact that his proposal is a gross violation of international law. “Canada’s longstanding position on Gaza has not changed,” Joly declared. “We are committed to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders. There is no role for Hamas in the governance of Gaza. We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination, including from being forcibly displaced from Gaza.” Trump made his proposal this week while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The President called for the resettlement of the Palestinians to other countries and the transfer of control over the Gaza strip to the US so that it could be rebuilt into a “Riviera on the Mediterranean.” Netanyahu, who is being sought by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges, and his fascist government responded enthusiastically, with the Prime Minister praising Trump for his ability to “cut to the chase.” Defence Minister Israel Katz directed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to prepare plans for the “voluntary” relocation of all 1.8 million residents of Gaza mentioned by Trump, a figure several hundred thousand less than the 2.3 million residents who lived there prior to the launching of Israel’s genocidal assault on the enclave. The US and international media have feigned shock at Trump’s endorsement of ethnic cleansing, and European governments expressed criticism of his readiness to violate international law. This is all so much hypocrisy. American imperialism, and its Canadian and European imperialist allies, have backed Israel to the hilt since October 2023 as it has carried out a genocide against Gaza’s residents.Trump’s pledge to forcibly resettle the Palestinians expressed explicitly the plan for annihilating and driving the Palestinians from Gaza that Netanyahu’s far-right government has been carrying out since October 2023, with weapons supplied by and the political support of the imperialist powers. The IDF has forcibly displaced the entire population, flattening nearly all of the territory’s built infrastructure and killing at least 47,583 people, mostly women and children. As a result, life expectancy in Gaza has been slashed nearly in half, according to a recent report in The Lancet. While the government of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterates its support for a two-state solution and claims to oppose the forcible displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza, Ottawa has been among the leading backers of the genocide. At home, the Trudeau government has spearheaded a crackdown on demonstrations against the genocide and for a ceasefire. This has included backing the breakup of peaceful student encampments on university campuses by the police, and smearing anti-genocide protesters, many of whom are Jewish, as “antisemites.” Joly’s mealy-mouthed statement is aimed at covering up the significance of Trump’s proposal and turning attention away from the real intentions of Israel, the US and its imperialist partners for Gaza and their pursuit of a “final solution” to the Palestinian question. The Foreign Minister will not state the obvious: that what has been carried out by Israel over the last 16 months is a genocide, and that plans are under discussion the like of which have not been heard since the Nazis rampaged across Europe during the Second World War.
The Gaza Ceasefire Is Being Sabotaged By Israel, By Trump, And By The Media -Caitlin Johnstone -- The Gaza ceasefire (if you can even call it that) is already in grave peril.Hamas has announced that it will be postponing the release of any more Israeli hostages in response to repeated ceasefire violations from Israel and consistent failure to meet its terms of the agreement. The IDF has been routinely killing Palestinians in Gaza ever since the so-called “ceasefire” went into effect, with110 killed in less than three weeks according to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.The first obstacle to the ceasefire holding was always that it depends on good behavior from individual IDF troops, many of whom (A) quite like murdering Palestinians and (B) hope the ceasefire ends so they can murder more. These troops could also be reasonably confident that they would incur no consequences from their superiors for those killings.In response to the Hamas announcement, President Donald Trump told the press that if “all” hostages are not returned by Saturday at 12 PM, the truce should end and Israel should “let hell break out.”It’s likely that Hamas was made more willing to risk the collapse of the ceasefire by Trump’s comments regarding the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip over the last two weeks. The president said on Monday that he may cut off aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not agree to take in Palestinians in what would amount to a forced evacuation of the enclave. Trump has also begun clarifying to the press that his plan to purge Gaza of Palestinians would indeed be a permanent removal and that its inhabitants would not be permitted to return after reconstruction, contradicting earlier statements from the White Housethat this would be intended as a temporary relocation.If Hamas believes the US and Israel are going to permanently end the existence of Palestinians in Palestine, then they are naturally going to be less invested in extending this ceasefire.Then you’ve got reports from Israeli media saying that Benjamin Netanyahu has returned from his weeklong tour of Washington determined to obstruct the ceasefire from moving on to its second phase, with one source telling Haaretz that “Once Hamas realizes there won’t be a second stage, they may not complete the first.”Imperial news outlets were already beginning to pound the drums of war before all this started in response to the emaciated appearance of three Israeli hostages released by Hamas this past Saturday, expressing outrage at the idea that the captives would have lost weight under a starvation blockade imposed by the IDF, without ever mentioning the evidence of starvation and torture in Palestinian hostages being released by Israel at the same time.
- “What will anger at sight of gaunt hostages mean for a fragile ceasefire?” asks a headline by the BBC, who spent the last year and a half performing gold medal Olympian verbal gymnastics to minimize Israel’s daily massacres in Gaza.
- “Israel decries ‘shocking’ images of gaunt, pale hostages freed by Hamas,” reads a headline from The Washington Post.
- “Emaciated hostages show we need a ‘bomb the rails to Auschwitz’ plan,” reads the New York Post headline to an op-ed by the odious Bethany Mandel.
- “I’ve got to be honest. My sympathy for ‘ordinary Palestinians’ is pretty low this morning,” tweeted the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges regarding the hostages.
The idea the public is meant to ingest from this type of messaging, of course, is that it would be good and right for the ceasefire to end and the Gaza holocaust to resume as before.Such manipulations are ramping up as the ceasefire becomes more tenuous. The New York Times just ran a piece titled “Hamas Postpones Release of Hostages ‘Until Further Notice’” and subtitled “Stalling the next release of hostages from the Gaza Strip, scheduled for the coming weekend, raises new challenges for the already tenuous six-week truce and chances for a lasting end to the war.”If you noticed the complete absence of any mention of Israel’s ceasefire violations as Hamas’ reason for the move, you get an A in media literacy for today. Anyone skimming the news headlines on their social media feed would assume that Hamas is the provocateur in this standoff instead of Israel.So the governments of the US and Israel appear to be ramping up to resume the incineration of Gaza, and the media outlets which administer propaganda for both of these tyrannical states are grooming the public into accepting this. Here’s hoping sanity somehow finds a way to prevail.
Ayatollah Responds To Trump's Big Stick Threats: 'Go Forward' With Military Growth -- President Trump kicked off the week saying in a Fox interview that "Iran is very concerned. Iran is very frightened, to be honest with you, because their defense is pretty much gone." He had provocatively laid out that "I think Iran would love to make a deal and I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them." How is Tehran's top leadership responding to the "big stick" threat? On Wednesday Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged his country to go forward with bolstering military development.Khamenei said "progress should not be stopped" in the defense sector, amid ongoing threats from Israel and the US. "We cannot be satisfied," Khamenei stressed. "Say that we previously set a limit for the accuracy of our missiles, but we now feel this limit is no longer enough. We have to go forward." "Today, our defensive power is well known, our enemies are afraid of this. This is very important for our country," he added, at a moment Trump is warning no option is off the table to prevent the Iranians from achieving nuclear weapons status.Trump had further said in that Fox interview that thwarting Iran's development of nuclear weapons could be achieved either "with bombs or with a written piece of paper." The warning came the week following his restoring 'maximum pressure' and new oil-targeted sanctions with an executive order.Iran has meanwhile protested Trump's threatening remarks, saying in a letter submitted to the UN Security Council, "These reckless and inflammatory statements flagrantly violate international law and the UN Charter, particularly Article 2(4), which prohibits threats or use of force against sovereign states."On Monday Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had charged that the US is not "sincere" about negotiations with Iran following last week's new sanctions."If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?" Pezeshkian posed in a speech in Tehran commemorating the 46th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.
Iran's President Says Sanctions Show the US Is Not 'Sincere' About Negotiations - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that the US was not “sincere” about negotiations with Iran, citing new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.President Trump has re-imposed his so-called “maximum pressure campaign” on Iran and added new sanctions while claiming that he wasn’t “happy” about doing so and saying he wanted a deal with Tehran.“If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?” Pezeshkian said in a speech in Tehran at an event commemorating the 46th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.The Iranian leader added that Tehran “does not seek war…but will not yield to foreign pressure.” He noted that the US has “a long history of imposing sanctions that restrict Iranians’ access to essential medications, food, and water, all while claiming to seek negotiations.”Pezeshkian, who assumed office in July 2024, pledged during his campaign that he would seek direct talks with the West in order to get sanctions relief for Iran. After he was sworn in, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opened the door to the possibility of talks with the US, saying there was “no harm” in engaging with the “enemy.”But in a sign that Trump’s actions have made diplomacy less likely,Khamenei said on Friday that talks with the US would not be “wise.” He cited the negotiations to reach the 2015 nuclear deal and the fact that the US under the first Trump administration tore up the deal only a few years later. Trump has said he wants a deal with Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear bomb but also acknowledged that Iranian leadership does not seek nuclear weapons. The CIA also recently confirmed that there’s no evidence Iran has decided to weaponize its civilian nuclear program.
Iran's President Says Sanctions Show the US Is Not 'Sincere' About Negotiations - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that the US was not “sincere” about negotiations with Iran, citing new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.President Trump has re-imposed his so-called “maximum pressure campaign” on Iran and added new sanctions while claiming that he wasn’t “happy” about doing so and saying he wanted a deal with Tehran.“If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?” Pezeshkian said in a speech in Tehran at an event commemorating the 46th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.The Iranian leader added that Tehran “does not seek war…but will not yield to foreign pressure.” He noted that the US has “a long history of imposing sanctions that restrict Iranians’ access to essential medications, food, and water, all while claiming to seek negotiations.”Pezeshkian, who assumed office in July 2024, pledged during his campaign that he would seek direct talks with the West in order to get sanctions relief for Iran. After he was sworn in, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opened the door to the possibility of talks with the US, saying there was “no harm” in engaging with the “enemy.”But in a sign that Trump’s actions have made diplomacy less likely,Khamenei said on Friday that talks with the US would not be “wise.” He cited the negotiations to reach the 2015 nuclear deal and the fact that the US under the first Trump administration tore up the deal only a few years later. Trump has said he wants a deal with Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear bomb but also acknowledged that Iranian leadership does not seek nuclear weapons. The CIA also recently confirmed that there’s no evidence Iran has decided to weaponize its civilian nuclear program.
Report: Israel Likely To Bomb Iran in the Coming Months - The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Israel will likely attempt to bomb Iran in the coming months, a move that would risk a major war in the region involving the US.The report, which cited US intelligence, said the idea would be to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities even though there’s no evidence Tehran has decided to build a nuclear weapon. President Trump even recentlyacknowledged that Iranian leadership doesn’t want a nuclear bomb. The Post said that US intelligence produced a report during the final days of the Biden administration that warned about potential Israeli strikes, and another one was produced in the first days of the Trump administration.The intelligence reports laid out two potential strike options for Israel that both involved US support in the form of aerial refueling, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The Wall Street Journal published a similar report that said Israel is expected to push President Trump to provide support for the attack.President Trump recently dismissed rumors that the US and Israel might bomb Iran together, saying they were “greatly exaggerated.” But both he and some of his officials have suggested a military option is on the table if the US doesn’t reach a deal with Iran, and Trump’s re-imposition of his so-called “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran appears to have made diplomacy less likely.White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told the Post that Trump has “made it clear: He will not permit Iran to get a nuclear weapon.”“While he prefers negotiating a resolution to America’s long-standing issues with the Iranian regime peacefully, he will not wait indefinitely if Iran isn’t willing to deal, and soon,” Hughes said.Trump said last week that he would prefer to make a deal with Iran rather than bombing the country. “I would like a deal done with Iran on non-nuclear. I would prefer that to bombing the hell out of it. They don’t want to die. Nobody wants to die,” he said. “If we made the deal, Israel wouldn’t bomb them.”
White House Says Israel Pullout From Lebanon ‘On Track,’ But Netanyahu Seeks Extension - On January 12, it was “guaranteed” by a US envoy that Israel would withdraw from Lebanon by the January 26 deadline. Israel reiterated their “commitment” to this deal on January 22, though about 24 hours later, they were said to be seeking an extension, and by January 24, it was confirmed: Israel wasn’t leaving and the US had agreed to an extension of the Israeli presence through February 18.With that date fast approaching, we’re seeing some familiar storylines. It has been reported in the Israeli press that the White House is taking a “hardline” position that Israel will definitely leave by February 18.This is built around spokesman Brian Hughes saying Israel’s pullout is “on the existing timeline,” and confirming that Israel has not yet formally requested any further extension of their presence beyond that date. But… and there is always a but here, it is also being reported by Israel’s Channel 12 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that President Trump support the further extension of Israel’s military presence inside southern Lebanon.The pretext is effectively the same as it was in mid-January, with the idea that the Lebanese Army is not sufficiently prepared to take over the south, and that Hezbollah will return if the area isn’t occupied militarily by Israeli forces.The early reports suggest that the Trump Administration is rejecting this and being firm on the second deadline. But it was also reported that President Trump was strongly opposed to Israel remaining in Lebanon beyond January 26, right up until the time he supported it, at which point the White House position became that they always wanted Israel to stay in Lebanon and actually requested this extension.We can expect the next week to be filled with conflicting reports about the US position on the matter. At the end of the day though, the assurances are only as good as the US willingness to actually stick to them, and we saw how that went last time we approached a deadline.For the displaced in Lebanon, the US assurances will likely only mean something after Israel has left and they’re allowed to return to what is left of their home villages.
Yemen's Houthis Ready To Restart Attacks on Israel If Gaza Ceasefire Fails - Yemen’s Houthis are ready to restart attacks on Israel if there is an escalation of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the ceasefire falls apart, the group’s leader said on Tuesday. “Our hands are on the trigger, and we are ready to immediately escalate against the Israeli enemy if it returns to escalation in the Gaza Strip,” said Abdul Malik al-Houthi. The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, had disrupted Red Sea shipping by targeting Israeli-linked ships in response to the onslaught in Gaza and also began increasingly targeting Israeli territory with missiles and drones, and some got through Israel’s air defenses.President Biden launched a bombing campaign against the Houthis in January 2024, which lasted a year and only escalated the situation as the Houthis expanded their attacks on shipping in response. All along, the Houthis said they would stop their attacks if there was a ceasefire in Gaza, and they were true to their word once the truce was reached in January. But now that Israel is threatening to restart its genocidal war in Gaza, the region is again on the edge of a major war. Houthi attacks could lead to the Trump administration restarting the US bombing campaign in Yemen. Iraqi Shia militias may also resume their drone attacks on Israel if the Israeli military escalates in Gaza. They could also start attacking US bases again due to US support for Israel.From October 2023 until February 2024, US bases in Iraq and Syria came under hundreds of rocket and drone attacks due to US support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. After three US troops were killed in an attack on Tower 22, a secretive base in Jordan on the Syrian border, Iran and the Iraqi government pressured the militias to stop, and the attacks became much less frequent.
Zelensky proposes land swap in Ukraine-Russia talks-- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is proposing an exchange of seized territory with Russia as part of any potential negotiations to end the war. Ukraine holds control of a small pocket of Russian territory, parts of Kursk Oblast, captured during a surprise incursion in August. Zelensky, in an interview with The Guardian, said he planned to offer Russia control of Kursk in exchange for Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation. “We will swap one territory for another,” Zelensky said. Zelensky did not say which territory Kyiv would request be returned to Ukraine in an exchange for Kursk, nor did he address negotiations over the status of other land occupied by Russia. “I don’t know, we will see. But all our territories are important, there is no priority,” he said. Zelensky’s remarks come as President Trump is laying the groundwork for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to halt the nearly three-year war, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Russia had also invaded Ukraine in 2014, capturing and annexing the Crimean Peninsula and pockets of territory in Ukraine’s east. Moscow controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory in the east of the country and the Crimean Peninsula. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the war against Ukraine include Kyiv recognizing Russian control over four territories of Ukraine, including areas Russian forces do not occupy, and for Kyiv to give up its aspirations to join NATO. Trump had said during the campaign he would end the war in 24 hours but extended that timeline to about 100 days since entering office.
Russian diplomat: Ukraine war peace deal hinges on Putin's conditions -A Russian diplomat said Monday that a Ukraine war peace agreement won’t be reached unless Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conditions have been met, according to multiple outlets. “Without solving the problems which were the root causes of what is happening, it will not be possible to reach an agreement,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, as quoted by The Independent. “So variations and half-measures are not the path we are prepared to go along.”In mid-June end-of-war terms were set forth by the Russian president, including the relinquishment of NATO aspirations from Ukraine and troops being taken out of mainly Russian-controlled Ukrainian areas, The Guardian reported. The diplomat also said at a Monday press conference that the Kremlin’s relationship with Washington is “balancing on the brink of a breakup,” according to NBC News.President Trump recently said that he has had discussions with Putin about the Russia-Ukraine war’s termination, telling the New York Post that he and Putin had talked and that he’d “better not say” how many times.Last week, the president signaled that he wanted a deal for rare earth elements and other items from Ukraine in exchange for military aid in its war against Russia. “We’re handing them money hand over fist. We’re giving them equipment,” Trump said. “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things,” the president said to reporters. “I want to have security of rare earth.”
Russia Says Outlook Not Good for Extending Last Nuclear Arms Control Treaty With US - A senior Russian official said Monday that the outlook of extending or replacing the last nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia does not look good.The New START treaty limits the number of nuclear warheads and delivery systems the two powers can deploy, and it is due to expire on February 5, 2026. There’s no sign that the two sides are working on a replacement treaty.“As for our dialogue with the US in the area of strategic stability, including the situation concerning the post-New START period, it does not look promising,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, according to the Russian news agency TASS. “On February 5, 2026, the pact expires and after this it will not exist.”In 2023, Russia said it was suspending participation in New START, citing US support for Ukrainian attacks on Russian facilities housing nuclear weapons. While the inspection aspect of the treaty hasn’t been implemented, both sides said they would continue to abide by the limits set by the treaty. However, once New START expires, there will be no constraints on the number of nukes the US and Russia can deploy.President Trump recently said he wanted to work with Russia and China on “denuclearization.” During the previous Trump administration, the US tried to get China involved in trilateral talks with the US and Russia despite Beijing having a significantly smaller nuclear arsenal. Russia’s response to the idea was that France and the UK, two US-allied nuclear powers, should also be involved.“First of all, we all remember how Washington’s policy line was shaped in that field during Donald Trump’s first presidency. The US side wanted to shift the conversation to a trilateral format. We responded by saying that trilateral was not enough and proposed a five-party discussion,” Ryabkov said.The previous Trump administration also withdrew from two key arms control treaties with Russia: the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which prohibited medium-range land-based missiles, and Open Skies, which allowed unarmed surveillance over each signatory territory.Russia has also linked the prospect of arms control talks with the US to the proxy war in Ukraine. In October 2024, the Russian Foreign Ministrysaid it was “not possible” to hold such talks in the face of the US’s “hostile” policies toward Moscow.
Zelensky Interested in Trump's Rare Earth Idea: 'Let's Do a Deal' - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview on Fridaythat he was interested in President Trump’s proposal for a deal that would involve the US getting access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued military aid.“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelensky told Reuters. The Ukrainian leader insisted the deal wouldn’t involve “giving away” Ukraine’s resources but framed it as a partnership.“The Americans helped the most, and therefore, the Americans should earn the most. And they should have this priority, and they will. I would also like to talk about this with President Trump,” he said.When Trump made the comments about a rare earth deal, he said he wanted a “guarantee” that the US would have access to the minerals because the US was giving Ukraine money “hand over fist.”While Trump still says he wants to end the war in Ukraine, the idea of a deal for continued US military aid suggests he thinks the US will continue supplying weapons, something Russia would likely not accept as part of a potential future peace deal.Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of the most fervent supporters of the proxy war in Ukraine, has frequently brought up Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as a reason to continue fueling the conflict.“This war is about money. People don’t talk much about it. But you know, the richest country in all of Europe for rare earth minerals is Ukraine. Two to seven trillion dollars’ worth of minerals that are rare earth minerals, very relevant to the 21st century,” Graham said in November. “Ukraine’s ready to do a deal with us, not the Russians. So it’s in our interest to make sure that Russia doesn’t take over the place.”
Trump Continues to Push Rare Earth Deal With Ukraine, Says They 'May Be Russian Some Day' - President Trump said in an interview that aired on Monday night that Ukraine “may be Russian some day” when pushing his idea for a rare earth mineral deal in exchange for US support.“[Ukraine] has tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars and, you know, they may make a deal, they may not make a deal, they may be Russian some day, or they may not be Russian some day,” Trump said.The president said that he told the Ukrainians that he wants the equivalent of about $500 billion in rare earth minerals. Trump insisted Ukraine had “essentially agreed” to the idea. “I said to them, we have to get something, we can’t continue to pay this money,” Trump said.Ukrainian President Volodomy Zelensky has said he’s open to Trump’s idea. “If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” he said last week.Trump administration officials have backed Trump’s calls for a deal that will secure the US access to Ukraine’s natural resources. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said the US needs to “recoup” the cost of the proxy war. “That will be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their rare earth, natural resources, oil, and gas,” he said. While the deal implies the US will continue providing military aid to Ukraine, Trump also insists he thinks a peace deal to end the war can be reached. Trump has said that he has spoken by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although the Kremlin said it could not confirm or deny the claim.
US Treasury Secretary Says Rare Earth Minerals Deal Will Give Ukraine Post-War 'Security Shield' - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss President Trump’s idea for a deal to give the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and other natural resources in exchange for continued US military aid.Bessent said that a rare earth deal would ensure Ukraine will have a post-war “security shield” from the US, signaling the Trump administration’s idea for a peace deal will involve continued US military aid, an idea that may not be acceptable to Russia.“By increasing our economic commitment through a partnership with the government and people of Ukraine, that will provide — once this conflict is over — it will provide a long-term security shield for all Ukrainians,” Bessent said. While the details are unclear, Bessent and Zelensky said they discussed the preparation of a document for a potential deal. “I believe this document is important from President Trump’s perspective in resolving this conflict as soon as possible. We will provide guarantees of American assistance to the people of Ukraine. I believe this is a very strong signal to Russia about our intentions,” Bessent said.Zelensky said he was happy with the US proposal. “We had a productive, constructive conversation. For me, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is very important, and we talked about minerals in general,” he said.The meeting came on the same day President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine would begin “immediately.”After the call with Putin, Trump touted his idea for a rare earth deal, telling reporters it was necessary to “secure” the money the US has spent on the proxy war. “We’re getting security on our money; we’re gonna have it secured. They have rare earth and oil and gas, and they have a lot of other things. We’re asking for security in our money,” he said.
Trump Says He Has Spoken With Putin by Phone About Ending Ukraine War - President Trump told The New York Post on Friday that he’s spoken by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine, a claim the Kremlin said it couldn’t confirm or deny. When asked how many times he’s talked with the Russian leader, Trump said, “I’d better not say.” Trump said Putin wanted to see an end to the war and the “dying” on the battlefield. “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason,” the president said. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the actual death toll in Ukraine is in the millions.)The president said he hopes the war ends soon, but it’s unclear how that might happen. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing,” he said.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked by Russia’s TASS news agency if he could confirm that Trump and Putin had spoken.“What can be said about this news: as the administration in Washington unfolds its work, many different communications arise,” Peskov said. “These communications are conducted through different channels. And of course, amid the multiplicity of these communications, I personally may not know something, be unaware of something. Therefore, in this case, I can neither confirm nor deny it.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that he was willing to enter talks with Russia as long as the West provided security guarantees as part of a future deal, which Russia likely won’t accept since its main demand is for Ukrainian neutrality.“If I had the understanding that America and Europe will not abandon us and they will support us and give us the security guarantees, I would be prepared for any format of negotiations,” Zelensky said.
Trump Speaks With Putin, Says Talks To End Ukraine War Will Start 'Immediately' - President Trump said on Wednesday that he had a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine would begin “immediately.”The president wrote on Truth Social that he and Putin agreed “to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.”Trump added, “We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.”Trump said he directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations. Missing from his list was Ret. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who Trump appointed as the envoy to the conflict. Later in the day, the president said he might meet with Putin soon in Saudi Arabia.“Millions of people have died in a War that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, so it must end. No more lives should be lost!” Trump said. He has repeatedly said the real death toll in Ukraine is in the millions, much higher than what’s been reported.After speaking with Putin, Trump said that he also had a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about reaching a peace deal. “The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE,” he wrote on Truth Social.In his post on his call with Putin, Trump also said he thanked Putin for releasing Marc Fogel, an American who was imprisoned in Russia for possession of marijuana. He was freed this week when Witkoff made a trip to Russia.The Kremlin confirmed the Trump-Putin call, saying it “was a very long phone call, it lasted almost an hour and a half.”It’s unclear at this point what sort of deal could be reached to end the war, and Trump has been pushing the idea of a deal for US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and other resources in exchange for continued US support.
Pete Hegseth Crumbles When Asked What Russia Is Conceding to Ukraine - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had no clear answer Thursday when asked outright what concessions Russia would be making in peace negotiations with Ukraine.“You have focused on what Ukraine is giving up. What concessions will [Vladimir] Putin be asked to make?” a reporter asked Hegseth at NATO headquarters in Brussels.“Um, well that’s—I would start by saying the arguments that have been made that somehow coming to the table right now is making concessions to Vladimir Putin outright, that we otherwise—or that the president or the United States shouldn’t otherwise make—I just reject that at its face,” Hegseth said. “There’s a reason why negotiations are happening right now, just a few weeks after President Trump was sworn in as the president of the United States.“President Putin responds to strength,” Hegseth added. But that interpretation of events flies in the face of what the president’s former allies see in his negotiations with Putin. Speaking with CNN on Wednesday, Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton claimed that Putin’s insistence on negotiating through Trump—rather than going through previous administrations or through Ukraine’s leaders directly—was simply because Putin believes “he’ll get more out of it.”“And he’s absolutely right,” Bolton said.NATO allies were left reeling Wednesday after Hegseth pitched that America would effectively end its role as the steward of European security, revealing that the administration’s peace talks with Russia had taken several chips “off the table,” including Ukraine’s possible NATO membership (something the military alliance had promised in 2008), the possibility of a U.S. presence in Ukraine to enforce postwar security guarantees, and the end of NATO missions to Ukraine.Hegseth also said Wednesday that Ukraine returning to its prewar borders—before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014—would be “unrealistic,” effectively forcing Ukraine to cede territory to Russia in another striking reversal of the U.S. and NATO’s previous position regarding the former Soviet territory.The new deal, per Bolton, amounted to Russian propaganda and was practically “written in the Kremlin.”It was a stunning show of inexperience for the former Fox News host, who apparently needed to walk back some of those brazen settlement terms while speaking before NATO on Thursday. Hegseth insisted that, despite the U.S. having already shown its hand, “everything is on the table” when it comes to arranging peace between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.“What he decides to allow or not allow is at the purview of the leader of the free world, of President Trump,” Hegseth said Thursday. “I’m not going to stand at this podium and declare what President Trump will do or won’t do.”
Trump says of Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations "maybe Russia will give up a lot. Maybe they won't." - CBS News – In a news conference Thursday, President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to emphasize their strong relationship and areas where the two countries would work together. The two also fielded questions on Mr. Trump's deportation program, tariffs and ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Mr. Trump declined to say what Russia should give up in negotiations to end its war in Ukraine, nearly three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion."Maybe Russia will give up a lot. Maybe they won't," he said. "The negotiation really hasn't started." He reiterated that he did not believe that Ukraine could be a member of NATO, suggesting that Ukraine provoked Russia by trying to join the military alliance. The president also revealed that he expects China to catch up to Russia and the U.S. as a nuclear power "soon." "He's building a very strong nuclear power," Mr. Trump said of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. "He's not very close to Russia and the United States right now, but he will be soon. He'll catch up over the period of four or five years, they say." Mr. Trump said he plans to meet with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the future to talk about denuclearization. "The whole world is on fire. I have to put out the fires," he said. "But after I put out the fires, I'm going to meet with China, I'm going to meet with Russia, and we're going to see if we can deescalate it, we can bring it down military, especially as it pertains to nuclear." in his opening remarks, Mr. Trump said, "There is truly a special bond between the United States and India, the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy." He also announced that the U.S. would be increasing military sales to India and that the two countries "will be working together like never before to confront the threat of radical Islamic terrorism." He also said they had reached an agreement on oil and gas that would make the U.S. the leading supplier to India. The countries will also team up to create "one of the greatest trade routes in all of history," Mr. Trump said, explaining that it would run from "India to Israel to Italy and onward to the United States" and include ports, railways and undersea cables. Modi announced that India would soon open new consulates in Los Angeles and Boston. India currently has a half dozen diplomatic missions throughout the U.S., including in Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago. The Indian leader said his country was prepared to take back any of its citizens who are in the U.S. illegally, but said that some are lured abroad "by big dreams and big promises" but become trafficked.
Vance Says All Options on Table to Pressure Russia to End Ukraine War - The New York Times -Vice President JD Vance told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that all military and economic options were on the table if Russia did not agree to negotiate in good faith to end the war in Ukraine. “There are economic tools of leverage, there are, of course, military tools of leverage” available to the United States against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mr. Vance told The Journal in an interview published late Thursday. Mr. Vance is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in Munich on Friday. Mr. Vance’s comments came after President Trump on Wednesday said that he had begun talks with Mr. Putin to end the war. Mr. Trump also said that it was unlikely that Ukraine would return to its pre-2014 borders, and that future NATO membership for the country was not practical. Mr. Vance told The Journal that it was too early to talk about specific territorial arrangements or security guarantees for Ukraine. “There are any number of formulations, of configurations, but we do care about Ukraine having sovereign independence,” he said. Mr. Trump on Wednesday did not mention including Ukraine in the talks, an omission that caused concern among American allies in Europe that Ukraine may be sidelined from these negotiations. A day later, Mr. Trump said that “of course” Ukraine would be involved. Mr. Zelensky also spoke with Mr. Trump on Wednesday. Mr. Zelensky has said that any agreements without Ukraine would not be acceptable. “The president is not going to go in this with blinders on,” Mr. Vance told The Journal. “He’s going to say, ‘Everything is on the table, let’s make a deal.’” Mr. Vance’s comment about military leverage against Russia came a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the deployment of American troops in Ukraine would not be part of any security guarantee.
Zelensky Says It's 'Not Very Pleasant' That Trump Spoke With Putin First - Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky said Thursday that it was “not very pleasant” that President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier before calling him.“We’ve already had three conversations with President Trump, so I don’t take this call as a priority (for Trump), that he spoke to Russia first. Although it’s really not very pleasant in any case,” Zelensky told reporters while visiting the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant in western Ukraine.“As for the conversation, he knows my thoughts. I really believe that Ukraine is the priority first and foremost, there is a war against us,” he added.The call between Trump and Putin marked the first time in three years that the leaders of the US and Russia held a publicly known phone call. After the conversation, Trump said negotiations to end the war would start “immediately,” and then he called Zelensky.The Kremlin said on Thursday that Trump and Putin both offered the other to visit their respective countries but that a summit in a third country would happen first.“They have exchanged invitations, and now, President Trump has a standing invitation to visit Russia, and the Russian president has a standing invitation to visit the United States,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.“It is another thing that they have agreed to promptly arrange and hold a working meeting in a third country. That said, according to the presidents’ plan, the meeting will take place before any eventual exchange of visits,” Peskov added.Trump has said he expects to soon meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia. Peskov said US and Russian officials were working out the details of the summit but didn’t say what country it will be held in.Zelensky said that he believes the priority should be a meeting between Ukraine and the US to discuss a plan to “stop” Putin. “I think it’s only fair to talk to the Russians after that,” he said.Peskov also said that the US would be Russia’s “main partner” in negotiations to end the war, although he added that Ukraine would “definitely take part in the negotiations in one way or another.”
Europe and Ukraine alarmed by implications of Trump-Putin call - The Washington Post— President Donald Trump’s phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin has deeply rattled Kyiv and its European partners, intensifying long-held fears that Ukraine could be excluded from peace talks determining its own future and security — as well as that of the rest of the continent. Trump, who spoke to Putin on Wednesday and then phoned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform him of the call, said he and his Russian counterpart will try to meet soon in Saudi Arabia, without the Ukrainian leader. Trump clarified Thursday afternoon that the meeting in Saudi Arabia would involve officials from the United States, Russia and Ukraine. “Not with myself or with President Putin, but with top officials,” Trump told reporters. The announcement of the Trump-Putin call, which made no mention of Europe, plays into the fears of European leaders that their defense interests will fall by the wayside if Trump sidelines them in talks with Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that it was “premature” to discuss a role for Europe in any talks. The reaction from Moscow, which has in the past maintained a reserved tone toward Trump’s statements, has been practically gleeful since the call. Peskov called the new U.S. position to end the conflict “impressive,” while Russian lawmakers hailed it as the start of a new era in relations. John Bolton, a former Trump national security adviser, told CNN that “they’re drinking vodka straight out of the bottle in the Kremlin tonight. It was a great day for Moscow.” Zelensky has long insisted that talks to end the war must include Ukraine, and European leaders have said they must include Europe. The Ukrainian president has also pushed for elusive NATO membership or equivalent security guarantees. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday in Brussels that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is unrealistic, that NATO membership should not be on the table and that U.S. troops in Ukraine would not be part of any security guarantee. On Thursday, after he appeared to soften his remarks on NATO membership for Ukraine, Trump weighed in on the subject, saying: “I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position … could allow them to join NATO. I don’t see that happening.” In Ukraine and Europe, such declarations were widely seen as weakening Ukraine’s stance at the bargaining table by announcing what Ukraine is expected to give up without clarifying what — if anything — Russia might be forced to concede. When asked about possible Russian concessions during a news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, Trump declined to offer specifics. “Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t,” he said. “The negotiation really hasn’t started.”
Hegseth Says No NATO Membership for Ukraine, Return to Pre-2014 Borders 'Unrealistic' - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday dismissed the idea of NATO membership for Ukraine as part of a peace deal with Russia and said the goal to restore Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders was “unrealistic.” Hegseth made the comments while addressing a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome for a negotiated settlement,” he said.Hegseth said the Trump administration’s goal is to end the war through diplomacy, which he said must start “by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”Restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders has been a war goal of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, although there have been signs in recent months that he’s accepted that’s unrealistic. But he is still calling for strong security guarantees from the US that involve the deployment of troops, which Hegseth also dismissed.“Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops. If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article 5,” he said.“There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact. To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine,” Hegseth added.On Monday, Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said Moscow would consider any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine that are not under the authority of the UN Security Council legitimate targets of the Russian military.“Peacekeepers’ cannot operate without a mandate from the UN Security Council. Otherwise, any foreign military contingents sent into the combat zone will be regarded as ordinary combatants under international law and a legitimate military target for our armed forces,” Nebenzia said,according to RT.Hegseth said that the US wanted to reduce involvement in Ukraine to focus on the border and a military buildup in the Asia Pacific aimed at China and claimed Beijing was a threat to the US homeland.“The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must, and we are focusing on the security of our own borders. We also face a peer competitor in the Communist Chinese with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland,” he said. Hegseth also said that going forward, European countries should provide the majority of funding to Ukraine and pushed President Trump’s call for NATO countries to increase military spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product.“We ask each of your countries to step up on fulfilling the commitments that you have made, and we challenge your countries and your citizens to double down and recommit yourselves, not only to Ukraine’s immediate security needs but to Europe’s long-term defense and deterrence goals,” Hegseth said.
Washington Drops Ukraine, Israel Backs Down On Hamas Demands -Caitlin Johnstone - The two big stories in the news today are the Trump administration saying Ukraine is going to have to give up territory and NATO ambitions in order to secure a peace deal, while Israel appears to retreat from its ceasefire standoff with Hamas.US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the US “does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome for a negotiated settlement,” and that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.” This comes as Trump announces that he is in talks with Vladimir Putin to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.Both NATO membership and recapturing all territory lost to Russia have been the goal of Ukraine’s President Zelensky and the NATO enthusiasts throughout the western world who adore him. Antiwar’s Dave DeCamp explains: Restoring Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders has been a war goal of Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, although there have been signs in recent months that he’s accepted that’s unrealistic. But he is still calling for strong security guarantees from the US that involve the deployment of troops, which Hegseth also dismissed.“Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops. If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article 5,” he said.“There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact. To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine,” Hegseth added. “Hundreds of thousands of people would still be alive had Biden been willing to say this three years ago,” Aaron Maté wrote on Twitter regarding Hegseth’s comments. “Instead, Biden refused, fueled a proxy war, presided over Ukraine’s decimation, and then turned around and said that Ukraine isn’t ready to join NATO anyway. It was all a bait and switch with one goal only: use Ukraine to bleed Russia. Whoever went along with this epic disaster — and that sadly includes progressive lawmakers and media — should ask themselves if it was worth it.” And now the US treasury secretary is meeting with Zelensky to negotiate a deal granting the US access to Ukraine’s considerable rare earth mineral wealth — not to continue the war, but to pay for a post-war “security shield” that the US would be supplying under President Trump’s plan. Ukraine has been scorched, shredded and spat on by its buddies in Washington, and now it’s being strip-mined. Everyone who knew anything about anything said from the very beginning of the war that this would happen. Professor John Mearsheimer warned back in 2015 that the west was leading Ukraine down the primrose path and that the result would be Ukraine getting wrecked. Many other experts and analysts warned that NATO provocations would lead to disaster for Ukraine, long before the war began. So much easily avoidable death. This war was provoked, and was provoked deliberately, solely to move a few pieces around on the grand chessboard to help the US secure planetary domination. The US and its allies refused off-ramp after off-ramp after off-ramp to this nightmare, both before Russia invaded and in the weeks immediately afterward. Imagine being a Ukrainian fighting on the front lines right now as the US secretary of defense says you’re going to lose your territory and you’ll never join NATO while Kyiv signs over your nation’s rare earth mineral wealth to Washington. I would desert so hard.
Trump: Military Spending Could Be Cut in Half and There's No Reason To Build New Nuclear Weapons - President Trump told reporters on Thursday that he believes US military spending could eventually be cut in half and that he wants to pursue the idea as part of an agreement with Russia and China. He also said there was no reason to build new nuclear weapons.“At some point, when things settle down, I’m going to meet with China and I’m going to meet with Russia, in particular those two, and I’m going to say there’s no reason for us to be spending almost $1 trillion on the military … and I’m going to say we can spend this on other things,” Trump said.“When we straighten it all out, then one of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China and President Putin of Russia, and I want to say let’s cut our military budget in half. And we can do that, and I think we’ll be able to do that,” he added.The US spends significantly more on its military than Russia and China combined. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in 2023, the US accounted for 37% of global military spending. China came in second but was still far behind, accounting for 12% of military spending, and Russia was in third at 4.5%.Discussing nuclear weapons, Trump said, “There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons. We already have so many you could destroy the world 50 times over or 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and [Russia] is building new nuclear weapons, and China is building new nuclear weapons.”The US has been working to modernize its nuclear triad, a project that’s expected to cost $1.5 trillion. Trump also repeated his call to seek “denuclearization” with Russia and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to do so “in a very big way.”
Two US Navy Ships Transit Taiwan Strait for First Time Under New Trump Admin - Two US Navy ships transited the Taiwan Strait this week, marking the first US naval passage through the sensitive waterway under the new Trump administration, which drew a rebuke from China.US Indo-Pacific Command said the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the survey ship USNS Bowditch carried out the transit from February 10 to February 12.While the presence of US warships in the Taiwan Strait is extremely provocative from the viewpoint of Beijing, the US always frames the transits as “routine.”China’s People’s Liberation Army said it monitored the US warships as they sailed through the Strait. “The US action sends the wrong signals and increases security risks,” the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command said.“Troops in the theater are on high alert at all times and are resolute in defending national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,” the Chinese command added.Justifying the transit, a spokesman for US INDOPACOM said it “occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state’s territorial seas.”The new Trump administration is stacked with China hawks and is expected to continue the Biden administration’s policies of building up the US military footprint in the Asia Pacific.Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that one reason why the US wants to wind down its support for the Ukraine proxy war is so more focus can be put on China, which he claimed posed a threat to the US “homeland.”
Pentagon pauses transgender recruit integration, medical care - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military to pause integrating new transgender recruits and suspend planned medical procedures meant to treat current service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria in compliance with an executive order signed by President Trump that effectively bans trans military service. “The Department must ensure it is building ‘One Force’ without subgroups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence. Efforts to split our troops along the lines of identity weaken our Force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated,” Hegseth wrote in a memorandum for senior Pentagon leadership, commanders of the combatant commands and Defense agency and DoD field activity directors dated Friday and unreported until now. The one-page memo is the latest step in implementing Trump’s order barring transgender people from serving openly in the military, part of a broader effort to combat what the administration has described as “gender insanity” in the federal government. The Jan. 27 order, titled “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” states, “Expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for Military Service.” “Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused,” Hegseth wrote.The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the memo as part of a lawsuit challenging Trump’s order. The plaintiffs in that case, six transgender active-duty service members and two individuals seeking to enlist in the military, had requested the department notify them whenever the administration issued guidance on implementing the executive order. DOJ identified three additional memos from the Navy, Air Force and Army directing recruiters to reject transgender applicants, and another memo from Hegseth dated Jan. 31 that instructs DoD to take steps to implement the order. “Biological sex is an immutable characteristic,” Hegseth wrote in the Jan. 31 memo. “It is not fluid, and it cannot transform. Gender ideology denies this fundamental reality, and places women at risk by allowing biological males to gain access to intimate, single-sex spaces.”
Trudeau says Trump’s push to annex Canada is “real thing” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told last Friday’s emergency “national economic summit” that US President Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to annex Canada is a “real thing.” Trudeau tied Trump’s push to “absorb” Canada to America’s drive to secure “critical minerals”—that is the minerals that are essential for the production of both high-value commodities, from cars to computers, and the making of the advanced weapons and weapon systems needed to wage global war. Addressing the assembly of business leaders and trade union bureaucrats after he thought all reporters had been ushered from the conference hall, Trudeau said: “Not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have, but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state.” “They’re very aware,” he continued, “of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those. But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing.” Trudeau’s remarks are a staggering admission from the head of a G-7 imperialist government. One, moreover, that has been a key military-strategic partner of Washington for more than eight decades, is America’s single biggest trading partner, and has long been touted as its “best friend” and “closest ally.” His comments are symptomatic of the extent to which inter-state relations have broken down as Washington under the fascist Trump and the banner of “America First” leads an increasingly frenzied struggle for the imperialist redivision of the world. This struggle is pitting the imperialist and great powers against each other, rivals and nominal “allies” alike, to seize hold of resources, production networks, pools of labour to exploit, and strategic territories. As in the two imperialist world wars of the last century, Canada’s capitalist ruling class is a protagonist in this conflict. With the aim of securing its own predatory imperialist interests, it has integrated Canada ever more completely into the US drive for global hegemony, including in the developing world war that Washington is waging on three fronts. Canada has played a major role in helping instigate and prosecute the US-NATO war against Russia, has staunchly supported the US drive in conjunction with its client Israel to create a “new Middle East,” and is an integral part of the US economic and military-strategic offensive against China. But to the dismay of Canada’s capitalist elite, predatory Canadian imperialism has now become prey for US imperialism under Trump. He is pushing to annex Canada as part of a drive to establish unbridled US domination over North America in preparation for world war with Russia and China, and intensifying trade and geopolitical conflict with Washington and Wall Street’s European NATO partners and rivals. This process is akin to Hitler’s push for Anschluss (the joining of Austria to his Third Reich) and subsequent dismemberment of Czechoslovakia—pivotal preparatory steps to Nazi Germany’s launching of a broader European war. Trump aims to “reorder” US imperialism’s “near-abroad” and thereby gain unfettered control of its strategic territories and abundant resources. Toward this end, he has threatened to militarily seize Greenland and the Panama Canal, and, in keeping with his inaugural vow that America will resume its territorial expansion, repeatedly declared that Canada should become the “51st state.”
Trump officials tell GOP lawmakers they need $175B to secure borders - Two senior Trump administration officials told Republican senators at a closed-door lunch meeting Tuesday that they’re running out of money to secure the borders and need Congress to immediately pass $175 billion to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall and hire more law-enforcement agents. Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan and his White House budget director, Russell Vought, warned GOP lawmakers that they can’t wait another few months for Republicans to reach agreement on a complex tax package before getting more money to secure the northern and southern borders. “The problem we have now, we’re running out of money,” Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters after the meeting with Homan and Vought. “Tom Homan said, ‘I am begging you for money.’ Russ Vought said, ‘We’re running out of money for [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], we can’t rob other accounts any longer,’” Graham said. Graham reported that Homan explained new money from Congress would help law enforcement agents track down an estimated 300,000 children who have been smuggled into the United States and separated from their parents. “There are 300,000 children that are missing that we want to find. The sooner we can find them, we’ll end their abuse,” Graham said. “To the American people, if you want your government to track down these 300,000 immigrant children that are missing, we’ll need more money to do it.” Graham said Congress also needs to provide more money to finish the U.S.-Mexico border wall and hire Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to deport migrants accused of criminal activity. He urged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to invite Homan and Vought to speak to House Republicans to convince them to break up Trump’s legislative agenda into two packages and move one focused on border security. Graham plans to mark up a budget resolution Wednesday that would lay the groundwork for the Senate to pass a budget reconciliation package with a simple majority vote that would fund border security, expand oil and gas drilling and boost defense spending. Johnson, however, wants to move Trump’s agenda in one package that includes border security, energy reform, defense and an extension of the expiring 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Johnson on Tuesday called Graham’s budget plan a “nonstarter” in the House.
Judge halts transfer to Guantanamo Bay for three Venezuelan migrants - A federal court on Sunday blocked the Trump administration from sending three migrants to the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.U.S. District Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales temporarily halted the transfer of three migrants from Venezuela, saying in a filing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was holding them in New Mexico.The three Venezuelan migrants began challenging their detention before the presidential election. They raised the Guantánamo transfer over the weekend, in light of the Trump administration beginning to transfer Venezuelans “depicting similar characteristics.”The judge in the case, who was appointed by former President Obama, noted that his decision “is limited in scope to these three Petitioners.”Late last month, President Trump signed a memo to prepare a facility at Guantánamo Bay for the use of housing deported migrants. The president had previously teased his intention to do so amid a signing ceremony for a bill related to immigration.“We have 30,000 beds in Guantánamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” Trump said at an event to sign into law the Laken Riley Act.“Some of them are so bad we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send them out to Guantánamo,” the president continued. “This will double our capacity immediately. And tough, it’s a tough place to get out of.”
Trump administration rapidly expands Guantánamo migrant concentration camp - Less than two weeks after ordering the detention of as many as 30,000 undocumented people at the US naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the Trump administration’s broader aim has become clear. It is arrogating to itself the power to jail anyone it pleases in what amounts to an offshore torture center subject to no legal restraints. On Sunday, the Washington Post published satellite imagery showing that military personnel have erected more than 185 tents and temporary structures at the site, which initially had a capacity for about 120 detainees. The Post also interviewed several human rights lawyers familiar with the detention center who warned that migrants held in Guantánamo have entered a “legal black hole” and that even their names are being withheld from the public. During the so-called “War on Terror,” Guantánamo became notorious as a military-CIA detention camp, where hundreds of suspected members of “terrorist groups” kidnapped from around the world were subjected to cruel and degrading methods of torture and abuse. The White House initially issued a memorandum on January 29 ordering the expansion to “full capacity” of Guantánamo’s migrant detention wing “in order to halt the border invasion, dismantle criminal cartels and restore national sovereignty.” Within a few days, military personnel began arriving at the base in Cuba to start pitching tents, and the first military flight with 10 detainees arrived on February 4. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed all detainees were known members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which Trump has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The following Friday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem personally traveled to Guantánamo, where she declared: “President Donald Trump has been very clear: Guantánamo Bay will hold the worst of the worst.” About 50 men have been sent so far to the island on five military flights, with a Pentagon spokesperson and DHS Secretary Noem making assurances over the weekend that migrants are being held under ICE custody—not military— as a “temporary solution” until transport is arranged to their countries of origin, and that “due process” and “international humanitarian standards” are being respected. But it only took hours for all assurances about democratic rights and claims that detainees are gang members to be exposed as outright lies. J. Wells Dixon, a lawyer for a current detainee in Guantánamo, explained to the Post that the distinction of being held under ICE custody at a military detention center is not a real one, noting that Camp 6, where deportees are being sent, “is inextricably intertwined with military detention.” Under current legislation, only people affiliated with groups allegedly behind the 9/11 attacks can be held under military custody. The prison, Dixon added, “was designed to break detainees psychologically.” Other interviewees pointed to the unsanitary and inhumane conditions in Guantánamo and noted that the combined capacity of the migrant and military sites is 220.
Pope rebukes Trump administration over immigrant deportations and appears to aim directly at Vance --- (AP) — Pope Francis issued a major rebuke Tuesday to the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations of migrants, warning that the forceful removal of people purely because of their illegal status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.” Francis took the remarkable step of addressing the U.S. migrant crackdown in a letter to U.S. bishops in which he appeared to take direct aim at Vice President JD Vance’s defense of the deportation program on theological grounds. U.S. border czar Tom Homan immediately pushed back, noting that the Vatican is a city-state surrounded by walls and that Francis should leave border enforcement to his office. History’s first Latin American pope has long made caring for migrants a priority of his pontificate, citing the biblical command to “welcome the stranger” in demanding that countries welcome, protect, promote and integrate those fleeing conflicts, poverty and climate disasters. Francis has also said governments are expected to do so to the limits of their capacity. The Argentine Jesuit and President Donald Trump have long sparred over migration, including before Trump’s first administration when Francis in 2016 famously said anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants was “not a Christian.” In the letter, Francis said nations have the right to defend themselves and keep their communities safe from criminals. “That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” he wrote. Citing the Book of Exodus and Jesus Christ’s own experience, Francis affirmed the right of people to seek shelter and safety in other lands and described the deportation plan as a “major crisis” unfolding in the U.S. Anyone schooled in Christianity “cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality,” he said. “What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he warned. The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, responded with a letter of thanks to the pope. “With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need,” Broglio wrote. “Boldly I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that more than 8,000 people had been arrested in immigration enforcement actions since Trump took office Jan. 20. Some have been deported, others are being held in federal prisons and still others are being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
‘No thanks’: White South Africans turn down Trump’s US immigration offer - Al Jazeera --United States President Donald Trump’s offer to rehouse white South Africans as refugees fleeing persecution may not spur quite the rush he anticipates, as right-wing white lobby groups want to “tackle the injustices” of Black majority rule on home soil. Trump on Friday signed an executive order to cut US aid to South Africa, citing an expropriation act that President Cyril Ramaphosa signed last month aiming to redress land inequalities that stem from South Africa’s history of white supremacy. Trump’s order provided for resettlement in the US of “Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination” as refugees. Afrikaners are mostly white descendants of early Dutch and French settlers, who own the majority of the country’s farmland. “If you haven’t got any problems here, why would you want to go?” asked Neville van der Merwe, a 78-year-old pensioner in Bothasig near Cape Town. “There hasn’t been any really bad [people] taking over our land, the people are carrying on like normal and you know, what are you going to do over there?” The act signed by Ramaphosa seeks to address racial land ownership disparities – which have left three-quarters of privately owned land in South Africa in the hands of the white minority – by making it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest. Ramaphosa has defended the policy. White people represent 7.2 percent of South Africa’s population of 63 million, statistics agency data shows. The data does not break down how many are Afrikaners. Before South Africa’s independence, its British colonial rulers handed most farmland to whites. In 1950, the apartheid-era National Party seized 85 percent of the land, forcing 3.5 million Black people from their homes. Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC), the biggest party in the ruling coalition, says Trump is amplifying misinformation propagated by AfriForum, an Afrikaner-led group. The group, which lobbied Trump’s previous administration regarding its cause, said it was not taking up the offer. “Emigration only offers an opportunity for Afrikaners who are willing to risk potentially sacrificing their descendants’ cultural identity as Afrikaners. The price for that is simply too high,” AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said on Saturday. Separately, the Solidarity Movement – which includes AfriForum and the Solidarity trade union and said it represents about 600,000 Afrikaner families and two million individuals – expressed commitment to South Africa. “We may disagree with the ANC, but we love our country. As in any community, there are individuals who wish to emigrate, but repatriation of Afrikaners as refugees is not a solution for us,” the Solidarity Movement said.
US sues New York officials over immigration enforcement (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has sued New York state officials including Governor Kathy Hochul over alleged failures to enforce federal immigration law, Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters on Wednesday. Bondi said the lawsuit, which also names Attorney General Letitia James and the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) head Mark Schroeder, takes aim at a "green light law" that bars the state from sharing vehicle and address information with federal immigration authorities. The complaint, filed in federal court in Albany, New York, alleges that the New York law violates a provision of the U.S. Constitution, which holds that federal law preempts state and local laws that may conflict with it. It seeks a court order barring New York from enforcing the law. Bondi said the law limits the state's ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement because it contains a "tip-off provision" that requires the state's DMV to inform someone when federal immigration officials request his or her information. "This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans," Bondi told reporters. "New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens." James said she was "prepared to defend our laws". "Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe," she said in a statement. The lawsuit comes just days after the Justice Department sued Illinois over immigration enforcement. In the Illinois case, the department targeted a so-called sanctuary law known as the TRUST Act, saying the law interferes with federal immigration enforcement and violates the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause. That clause states that federal law preempts state and local laws that may conflict with it. "We did it to Illinois. Strike one. Strike two is New York, and if you're a state not complying with federal law? You're next," Bondi said. The lawsuits are the latest actions by the administration of President Donald Trump to step up immigration enforcement. Prior to Bondi's confirmation, the department issued a memo to all federal prosecutors ordering them to prioritize immigration cases and to even criminally probe state and local officials who resist such efforts. To date, however, no such criminal charges have been filed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announces DOJ lawsuit against New York, Hochul and state AG James over 'sanctuary' status -The Justice Department announced Wednesday it was suing New York state over its policy of limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, with Gov. Kathy Hochul, state AG Letitia James and DMV chief Mark Schroeder in AG Pam Bondi’s crosshairs.“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi announced. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.” “As you know, we sued Illinois,” Bondi added. “New York didn’t listen. So now, you’re next.”The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of New York and obtained by The Post, targeted the Empire State’s “Green Light Law,” which grants driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.The 2019 law also bars inquiries into immigration status and bans the state DMV from sharing personal information with the feds and law enforcement unless ordered by a judge. Licensees are also alerted if a federal immigration agency requests their information. (16 page suit embedded - View this document on Scribd ) “The United States is currently facing a crisis of illegal immigration. And the Federal Government is set to put a stop to it,” the complaint said. “While States are welcome partners in that effort, it is the prerogative as separate sovereigns to refrain. But a State’s freedom to stand aside is not a freedom to stand in the way. And where inaction crosses into obstruction, a State breaks the law.“The State of New York is doing just that. It must be stopped.”The filing added that DMV information is “critical” for federal immigration agencies to “identify and remove those who are here illegally” and keep their officers safe.“From vehicle stops to border crossings to executing arrests and searches, immigration authorities depend on these records to assess real-time the situations they face and the people they encounter,” the complaint continued.“But New York’s Green Light Law deprives them of this insight; and in turn, unnecessarily forces brave law enforcement officers into dangers and uncertain circumstances.”Hochul “has been clear from day one: she supports deporting violent criminals who break our laws, believes that law-abiding families should not be targets, and will coordinate with federal authorities who have a judicial warrant,” her press secretary Avi Small said in a statement before the lawsuit was filed.James also fired back in a statement hours later.“Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe. I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have.” A source familiar told The Post that Hochul and Trump had “tentatively agreed” to meet next week when she is in Washington, DC, for the National Governors Association meeting.
Trump raises tariffs on aluminum, steel imports in latest trade war salvo (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump substantially raised tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday to a flat 25% "without exceptions or exemptions" in a move he hopes will aid the struggling industries in the United States but which also risks sparking a multi-front trade war.Trump signed proclamations raising the U.S. tariff rate on aluminum to 25% from his previous 10% rate and eliminating country exceptions and quota deals as well as hundreds of thousands of product-specific tariff exclusions for both metals. A White House official confirmed the measures would take effect on March 4.The tariffs will apply to millions of tons of steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other countries that had been entering the U.S. duty free under the carve-outs.The move will simplify tariffs on the metals "so that everyone can understand exactly what it means," Trump told reporters. "It's 25% without exceptions or exemptions. That's all countries, no matter where it comes from, all countries."Trump later said he would give "great consideration" to Australia's request for an exemption to the steel tariffs due to that country's trade deficit with the U.S.The proclamations were extensions of Trump's 2018 Section 232 tariffs to protect domestic steel and aluminum makers on national security grounds. A White House official said the exemptions had eroded the effectiveness of these measures.Trump also will impose a new North American standard requiring steel imports to be "melted and poured" and aluminum to be "smelted and cast" within the region to curb U.S. imports of minimally processed Chinese and Russian metals that circumvent other tariffs.
Trump imposes steel and aluminum tariffs as global economic war expands The economic war being waged by US president Trump against the rest of the world by means of tariff imposts and the threat of tariffs if foreign governments do not comply with US demands is expanding virtually on a daily basis. Having imposed a 10 percent tariff on China, to which Beijing responded with a series of duties on $14 billion worth of US goods, including liquified natural gas, coal and farm equipment, Trump announced he would impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminium imports into the US. The announcement was made to reporters as Trump was en route to the Super Bowl on Sunday. “Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25 percent tariff. Aluminium too.” Signing off on the executive order yesterday evening, Trump said the tariff would apply to all imports and there would be no exclusions for particular products as the measures were a response to “foreign players” who were “undermining US producers of steel and aluminium.” Trump officials said the previous product exclusion process was a “loophole” that was now being closed. The blanket coverage has led to a desperate scramble by steel exporters such as Australia, one of the most closely aligned countries with the US, to try to secure an exemption. How far that will go remains to be seen, but it appears that any exemptions will be few and far between because the tariffs will hit countries that are all nominally US allies. The main immediate targets of the steel tariff are Canada, the largest external supplier, followed by Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Germany. Canada is also the largest foreign source of aluminium with its smelters supplying about 44 percent of US needs. China is a relatively small exporter of steel and aluminium to the US, but in the longer run it is the main target, as drawn out by New York Times China correspondent Keith Bradsher in an article published yesterday. He noted that China “dominates the global steel and aluminium industry. Its vast, modern mills make as much of both metals, or more, each year as the rest of the world combined.” In the past much of this output has been consumed internally in manufacturing and construction. But with the slowdown in the Chinese economy—the official growth rate target of around 5 percent is the lowest in three decades—export markets have become more important. According to the article, Vietnam now buys “enormous quantities” of semi-processed steel from China which then completes the production process and exports it as Vietnamese steel. The measures introduced so far—the suspended imposition of 25 percent tariff against Canada and Mexico, the additional 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods and the 25 percent impost on steel and aluminium—are only the beginning. As a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article put it, whatever the outcome of the immediate tariff disputes “current and former Trump administration officials say they remain only a small slice of his trade agenda.” The next major target is Europe which could be hit as early as this week. Trump has denounced the treatment of the US by the European Union as an “atrocity,” saying that Europeans “don’t buy our cars, they don’t take our farm products, they take almost nothing and we take everything from them.” The EU accounts for about 15 percent of US imports with machinery, pharmaceuticals and chemicals prominent in its exports. The European auto industry is also a target. Trump has also threatened to hit back at European attempts to impose regulations and taxes on US high-tech and social media giants in Europe. “I think Europe is in for a massive trade war,” Robert O’Brien, Trump’s first-term national security adviser told the WSJ. “I do not believe the president is going to put up with this type of action against America’s biggest companies.”
Trump signs order to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum — here are the likely winners and losers - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an order that would impose 25% tariffs, targeting imports of steel and aluminum. The two metals are vital components in various industries, including transportation, construction and packaging. The levies will take effect on March 4. Trump had said on Sunday that he was planning on imposing these tariffs, which spurred a rally in shares of steel producers on Monday, including Cleveland-Cliffs , Nucor and U.S. Steel. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the biggest winner of the trade tariffs is likely to be the U.S. U.S. steel imports have declined substantially over the past decade, official data shows, falling 35% between 2014 and 2024 — despite a 2.5% annual uptick to 26.2 million metric tons last year. Many attribute this to tariffs introduced under Trump’s first administration. America’s aluminum imports, however, have risen 14% over the past decade, with U.S. exports of the metal rising progressively since 2020. On Monday, James Campbell, analyst at commodity pricing consultancy CRU, told CNBC that he expected the potential tariffs to have varying effects on the U.S. over time. “At the start, this could damage demand,” he said. “In the longer term, we can see investment coming through.” Since Trump’s first wave of tariffs in 2018, CRU’s Campbell said the U.S. had seen investment rise in both the steel and aluminum sectors. During his first presidency, Trump slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. His administration also placed volume limits on imports from various other nations, including South Korea, Argentina and Australia. A later report from the Congressional Research Service found that in the first five months of the policy, the Trump administration collected more than $1.4 billion in revenue. In 2024, the U.S. imported steel from 79 countries and aluminum from 89 countries. Those imports had a combined total value of just over $49 billion, according to government data. Canada and Mexico are among the biggest exporters of steel and aluminum to the United States, so are likely to be hurt by the tariffs if they come into effect — even after being granted temporary respite from blanket duties on all their exports into America. Germany is also a big steel exporter to the U.S. and is likely to be negatively affected by the tariffs. However, Thyssenkrupp, one of Europe’s largest steelmakers, told CNBC on Monday it expects “very limited impact” on its business if the U.S. levies additional tariffs on steel and aluminum. The German company said Europe remains its primary market for steel with only “high-quality” niche products exported to the U.S. where it maintains a “good market position.” “The majority of thyssenkrupp’s sales in the U.S. come from the trading business and the automotive supply business,” a spokesperson said via email. “In principle, Thyssenkrupp is well positioned in these businesses in the US with a significant share of local manufacturing for the local market. Much of the production for U.S. customers takes place within the U.S..” South Korea, Vietnam and Japan are also among the countries likely to see their metals hit with new import tariffs if Trump goes ahead with the policy. Imports from Vietnam grew by more than 140% from the previous year, according to CNBC’s analysis of U.S. trade data. Taiwan also exported 75% more steel to the U.S. in 2024 compared with the previous year.
Wall Street Journal says Donald Trump's tariffs creating uncertainty -- The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal is warning President Trump is making similar mistakes on trade to those during his first term in the White House. Noting Trump’s orders imposing 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, The Journal said the president “gave the economy another jolt of uncertainty.” “His advisers say these tariffs are economically ‘strategic’ rather than a bargaining chip for some other goal. Is the strategy to harm U.S. manufacturers and workers?” the outlet asked. “That’s what his first-term tariffs did, and it’s worth revisiting the damage of that blunder as he threatens to repeat it,” the newspaper wrote, saying automakers as well as steel and wire companies were negatively impacted by Trump’s first-term tariffs. “This is political rent-seeking at its most brazen, and it benefits the few at the expense of the many,” the Journal wrote. “None of this matters to Mr. Trump, whose dogmatic views on tariffs can’t be turned by evidence. But we thought our readers would like to know the rest of the story.” Monday’s editorial is the latest in a slew from the Journal knocking the president and his policies on trade, the economy and a number of other issues.
Trump tariff war exacerbates financial market fragility - Media coverage of the effect of US president Trump’s global tariff war has so far focused mainly on issues such as trade balances, global supply chains and the inflationary effect of the hikes. But there is another aspect which is no less important. That is what its effect will be on fragile global financial markets, bloated by record levels of debt and speculation, where unexpected developments and the uncertainty over what Trump might do next have the potential to set off a crisis. The global tariff war, which started with the threat of a 25 percent tariff against Mexico and Canada, is being extended almost on a daily basis. Yesterday Trump warned that tariffs could be imposed on its nominal ally Japan and announced that next week he would be unveiling “reciprocal” tariffs against a series of so far unnamed countries. The European Union is directly in the firing line. The kind of violent movement that can take place has already been seen on Wall Street. Last month’s announcement by the Chinese AI company DeepSeek that it had developed a cheaper way of developing AI caused the US chipmaker Nvidia to lose nearly $600 billion in market capitalisation in a single day—the largest one-day fall by any company in history. Currency markets, where as much as $7.5 trillion a day is traded, can also be subject to sharp movements. This has been seen in the shifts in the value of the dollar following Trump’s threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexico and Canada and then agreeing to a 30-day delay. This week the Financial Times (FT) reported that Wall Street analysts have been “bombarding US companies with questions over how they will cope with Donald Trump’s trade wars, in an early sign of how the president’s policies are ripping through corporate America.” The global banking and financial firm UBS has a Trump Tariff Losers basket of companies. It tracks the performance of companies likely to be impacted either by US tariffs or those that are imposed in retaliation. According to the FT, Goldman Sachs has said that hedge fund funds have “increasingly shorted” companies in Europe which are exposed to the Trump tariffs including big names in the auto industry such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Shorting a stock involves making a bet that its price will fall, bringing a profit. If it unexpectedly moves the other way, then a major loss can be incurred. There is growing turmoil in the markets, as no one is sure what executive order will be invoked by Trump from one day to the next. It is reflected in a report that trading in so-called zero-day options—contracts that last for just a day and are used to bet on very short-term market moves—hit a record high of $1.4 trillion on January 31. The uncertainty in currency markets was summed up in comments by Paul McNamara, investments director at the global financial firm GAM. “The big question is whether [Trump’s] got some master plan which involves taking things to the brink, or whether he’s just making it up as he goes along. Trying to read that man’s mind is just… It’s just incredibly difficult. [You’re] trying to trade on something which could go either way.” Therein lies the potential for extreme market turbulence if some significant bet goes wrong and sets off a chain reaction. The growing uncertainty is also reflected in the price of gold which this week hit a new record high of nearly $2,900 per ounce after rising by 26 percent last year. It has already risen by 8 percent so far this year. John Reade, chief market strategist at the World Gold Council, said the “unprecedented” level of political and economic uncertainty generated by Trump’s policies was leading to increased demand for gold as a safe haven. Central banks have been among the biggest buyers, purchasing more than 1,000 tonnes for each of the past three years. The increased potential for another financial crisis, triggered at least in part by the tariff war, comes on top of what is an already highly unstable situation in financial markets. Last month in an interview with the FT, Nick Moakes, the chief investment officer at the large charitable foundation Wellcome Trust warned there were “accidents waiting to happen” because of the flood of money into the private credit market. This market operates largely outside the regulated banking system—the International Monetary Fund and other global financial bodies have said they have relatively little knowledge of its activities and connections with the broader banking and financial system—and has expanded rapidly since the global financial crisis. In 2008 it was valued at around $2.5 trillion, quadrupling to $10 trillion by 2021 and is expected to reach $15 trillion this year. “If the world gets a little bit more difficult economically, I think that there are some accidents waiting to happen in the private credit world,” Moakes said. Some “quite high-profile investors,” many of whom had some kind of “systemic importance,” will be “quite badly damaged.” In an indication of the speed of events, the world has become significantly more difficult economically since mid-January when he gave the interview.
Donald Trump says he has talked to Xi Jinping since inauguration - President Trump said he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping since his swearing in last month, suggesting they have spoken in the days since he imposed tariffs on Beijing. “I happen to like him a lot, President Xi,” Trump said. He replied, “Yeah, I’ve talked to him,” when Fox News’s Bret Baier asked if he’s spoken to Xi since the inauguration. “We have a very good personal relationship,” Trump said, arguing that he knows Xi better than anybody. He added that he also knows North Korea leader Kim Jong Un “better than anybody.” Trump said he was in “no rush” to speak with Xi on Tuesday, which was the day the administration imposed 10 percent tariffs on Chinese inputs. He followed through on the tariffs on China after he delayed the 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month. He later signed an executive order that temporarily prevents low-cost packages from China from being slapped with his new tariffs. And, on Monday, Trump signed proclamations to bolster tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. and crack down on attempts by China, as well as Russia, to evade penalties. Beijing hit the U.S. last week with retaliatory tariffs across the board, imposing a 15 percent tariff on liquefied natural gas and coal and a 10 percent tariff on crude oil, pickup trucks, agricultural machinery and large-displacement cars. Meanwhile, Trump has said he would kick off reciprocal tariffs this week, arguing that he thinks reciprocal as opposed to a flat-fee tariff is the fair approach.>
Trump threatens new tariffs in bid to reshape trade (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has tasked his economics team with devising plans for reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes U.S. imports, raising the risk of a global trade war with American friends and foes. "On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them. No more, no less," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. Trump signed a memo ordering his team to start calculating duties to match those other countries charge and to counteract non-tariff barriers such as vehicle safety rules that exclude U.S. autos and value-added taxes that increase their cost. Thursday's directive stopped short of imposing more tariffs, instead kicking off what could be weeks or months of investigation into the levies imposed on U.S. goods by other trading partners and then devising a response. Wall Street is anxious further tariffs may accelerate U.S. inflation, prevent the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates and slow economic growth. The absence of further trade measures for now, drove global markets higher. "While global financial markets may be inclined to take some relief from the delay in the immediate imposition of reciprocal tariffs, it is not clear to us whether the delay necessarily reflects a lower likelihood that they will eventually be imposed," Barclays analysts said in a note. Trump's potential targets include China, Japan, South Korea and the European Union. Howard Lutnick, Trump's pick for commerce secretary, said the administration would address each affected country one by one and said studies on the issue would be completed by April 1. That is also the deadline Trump set on his first day in office for Lutnick and other economic advisers to report to him with plans to reduce the chronic trade imbalances that Trump sees as a U.S. subsidy to other countries. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to bring down consumer prices, said prices could go up in the short term as a result of the moves. "Tariffs are great," he said. A White House official, who spoke to reporters before Trump's event in the Oval Office, said the administration would study countries with the biggest trade surpluses and highest tariff rates first. Trump's tariffs would match the higher duties charged by other countries, he said, and would aim to counteract burdensome regulations, value-added taxes, government subsidies and exchange rate policies that can erect barriers to the flow of U.S. products to foreign markets. "They effectively don't let us do business. So we're going to put a number on that that is a fair number. We're able to accurately determine the cost of these non-monetary trade barriers," Trump said.
Trump signs a plan for reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday rolled out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports, possibly triggering a broader economic confrontation with allies and rivals alike as he hopes to eliminate any trade imbalances. “I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff,” Trump said in the Oval Office at the proclamation signing. “It’s fair to all. No other country can complain.” Trump’s Republican administration has insisted that its new tariffs would equalize the ability of U.S. and foreign manufacturers to compete, though under current law these new taxes would likely be paid by American consumers and businesses either directly or in the form of higher prices. The rates to be charged would be studied over the weeks ahead, which could create the potential space to resolve challenges or prolong a degree of suspense and uncertainty. The politics of tariffs could easily backfire on Trump if his agenda pushes up inflation and grinds down growth, making this a high stakes wager for a president eager to declare his authority over the U.S. economy. The tariff increases would be customized for each country with the partial goal of starting new trade negotiations. But other nations might also feel the need to respond with their own tariff increases on American goods. As a result, Trump may need to find ways to reassure consumers and businesses to counteract any uncertainty caused by his tariffs.The United States does have low average tariffs, but Trump’s proclamation as written would seem designed to jack up taxes on imports, rather than pursue fairness as the United States also has regulatory restrictions that limit foreign products, said Scott Lincicome, a trade expert at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.“It will inevitably mean higher tariffs, and thus higher taxes for American consumers and manufacturers,” he said. Trump’s tariffs plan “reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how the global economy works.”Trump’s proclamation identifies value-added taxes — which are similar to sales taxes and common in the European Union — as a trade barrier to be included in any reciprocal tariff calculations. Other nations’ tariff rates, subsidies to industries, regulations and possible undervaluing of currencies would be among the factors the Trump administration would use to assess tariffs.A senior White House official, who insisted on anonymity to preview the details on a call with reporters, said that the expected tariff revenues would separately help to balance the expected $1.9 trillion budget deficit. The official also said the reviews needed for the tariffs could be completed within a matter of weeks or a few months.The possible tax increases on imports and exports could be large compared to the comparatively modest tariffs that Trump imposed during his first term. Trade in goods between Europe and the United States nearly totaled $1.3 trillion last year, with the United States exporting $267 billion less than it imports, according to the Census Bureau.The president has openly antagonized multiple U.S. trading partners over the past several weeks, levying tariff threats and inviting them to retaliate with import taxes of their own that could send the economy hurtling into a trade war.Trump has put an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports due to that country’s role in the production of the opioid fentanyl. He also has readied tariffs on Canada and Mexico, America’s two largest trading partners, that could take effect in March after being suspended for 30 days. On top of that, on Monday, he removed the exemptions from his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs. And he’s mused about new tariffs on computer chips and pharmaceutical drugs.But by Trump’s own admission, his separate tariffs for national security and other reasons would be on top of the reciprocal tariffs, meaning that the playing field would not necessarily be level.In the case of the 25% steel and aluminum tariffs, “that’s over and above this,” Trump said. Autos, computer chips and pharmaceuticals would also be tariffed at higher rates than what his reciprocal plan charges, he said.The EU, Canada and Mexico have countermeasures ready to inflict economic pain on the United States in response to Trump’s actions, while China has already taken retaliatory steps with its own tariffs on U.S. energy, agricultural machinery and large-engine autos as well as an antitrust investigation of Google.The White House has argued that charging the same import taxes as other countries do would improve the fairness of trade, potentially raising revenues for the U.S. government while also enabling negotiations that could eventually improve trade.But Trump is also making a political wager that voters can tolerate higher inflation levels. Price spikes in 2021 and 2022 severely weakened the popularity of then-President Joe Biden, with voters so frustrated by inflation eroding their buying power that they chose last year to put Trump back in the White House to address the problem. Inflation has risen since November’s election, with the government reporting on Wednesday that the consumer price index is running at an annual rate of 3%.The Trump team has decried criticism of its tariffs even as it has acknowledged the likelihood of some financial pain. It says that the tariffs have to be weighed against the possible extension and expansion of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts as well as efforts to curb regulations and force savings through the spending freezes and staff reductions in billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative.But an obstacle to this approach might be the sequencing of the various policies and the possibilities of a wider trade conflict stifling investment and hiring amid the greater inflationary pressures.
Trump signs off on proposed reciprocal tariffs President Trump on Thursday signed a presidential memorandum proposing reciprocal tariffs that he maintains will crack down on unfair and discriminatory tariffs from both adversaries and allies. The reciprocal tariffs will be customized for each foreign trading partner, based on five different areas: tariffs the nation imposes on U.S. products, unfair taxes imposed, cost to U.S. businesses and consumers from another country’s policies, exchange rates, and any other practices the trade representative’s office determines is unfair. The tariffs will not be immediately imposed but the signing of the memo allows his administration to begin a review process to get them started. White House officials said that Trump wants to move rapidly on imposing the tariffs, suggesting it would be “weeks” and no longer than “a few months” until they are in place. The president in the memo directs Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and U.S. trade representative nominee Jamieson Greer to consult with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, among others, so they can “quickly” submit a report detailing their proposals for each country. Office of Management and Budget head Russell Vought would then submit a report within 180 days to assess the fiscal impact of the tariffs. Lutnick on Thursday predicted the new tariffs would be imposed on April 2. “Our studies should be all complete by April 1. So we’ll hand the president the opportunity to start on April 2, if he wants,” he said in the Oval Office. The president, meanwhile, suggested jobs will be positively impacted by these tariffs but that prices could temporarily get worse. “I think what’s going to go up is jobs are going to go up, and prices could go up somewhat short term, but prices will also go down,” Trump said. “Long term, it’s going to make our country a fortune.” Trump is focused on what officials call “nonmonetary barriers,” which officials defined as ways different countries “take advantage of the U.S.,” citing Japan’s high structural barriers and India’s particularly high tariffs. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s strategic competitors, like communist China, or allies like [the] European Union or Japan or Korea. Every one of those countries is taking advantage of us in different ways, and the president characterizes this as a lack of reciprocal trade,” a Trump official said.
Trump, Modi aim to cut U.S. trade gap with India amid global tariff concerns - The Washington Post - The United States and India are working toward a deal that aims to cut America’s sizable trade gap with India as New Delhi pledges to buy more U.S. energy, weapons and civil nuclear power, President Donald Trump said Thursday during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington.The meeting with Modi — the fourth foreign leader to visit Trump in the White House since his inauguration — was one of the earliest measures of how Trump will handle his relationship with New Delhi. The partnership is a pillar of Washington’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, but one that is beset with trouble spots on illegal immigration, visas, America’s large trade deficit with India and controversies over India’s attempted assassination of a Sikh activist on American soil.During the news conference, Trump sought to emphasize the friendship between Washington and New Delhi, even as he announced shortly before it that the United States would implement a “reciprocal” tariff policy that would tax foreign goods at the same rate that other nations apply to American products, potentially complicating talks with India. Trump said the United States will increase military sales to India by “many billions of dollars” and would consider providing New Delhi F-35 fighter jets. He reiterated his dismay with India’s tariffs toward the United States, but said the two countries will negotiate a trade deal that will ensure a “level playing field.” Trump said India will reform its laws to welcome U.S. nuclear technology into its domestic market.On the issue of immigration — which sparked outrage in India after the Trump administration sent deportees back to the country in shackles on military fights — Modi said New Delhi will comply with Trump’s desires. “We are of the opinion that anybody who enters another country illegally, they have absolutely no right to be in that country,” Modi said.In one of the few moments the Indian prime minister spoke English, Modi became the latest leader trying to foster a personal relationship with Trump. The Indian leader borrowed from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” rhetoric to announce his own vision: Make India Great Again, or MIGA, he said in English, adding that the two countries could continue to help each other. “When it’s MAGA plus MIGA, it becomes ‘mega’ — a mega-partnership for prosperity,” the Indian prime minister said, according to a translator.The United States is India’s largest trading partner, buying more than 18 percent of all its exports. India exported $45 billion more to the United States than it imported, and Trump is keen to shrink that deficit. The lack of parity, as well as lingering frustration from a trade deal that never materialized during his first term, drove Trump to describe India on the campaign trail last year as a “very big abuser” of tariffs. In a call with Modi last month — the second such conversation between the two leaders since the American election — Trump stressed the “importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship,” according to a White House readout.Modi visited Washington armed with concessions aimed at averting a trade war and staving off damaging tariffs on the world’s fifth-largest economy. The concessions include a commitment to significantly boost purchases of American energy. New Delhi has already reduced tariffs on high-end American motorcycles — a fixation for Trump, who repeatedly called the 100 percent duty on Harley-Davidsons “unacceptable.”India signaled it was open to offering tariff concessions for imports from the United States in several sectors, including electronics, medical equipment and chemicals, an analyst familiar with the matter said. The Modi administration is looking at potential deals on U.S. agriculture exports and nuclear energy investments, the analyst added, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Reuters earlier reported the possible concessions.Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Modi on Thursday met with the president’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz. He also held meetings with billionaire Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, according to Indian officials. On Wednesday, he held talks with Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
India, US agree to resolve trade and tariff rows after Trump-Modi talks (Reuters) - India and the U.S. agreed on Thursday to start talks to clinch an early trade deal and resolve their standoff over tariffs as New Delhi promised to buy more U.S. oil, gas and military equipment and fight illegal immigration. The series of agreements emerged after talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, just hours after Trump railed against the climate for U.S. businesses in India and unveiled a roadmap for reciprocal tariffs on countries that put duties on U.S. imports."Prime Minister Modi recently announced the reductions to India's unfair, very strong tariffs that limit us access to the Indian market, very strongly," Trump said. "And really it's a big problem I must say."The deal to resolve trade concerns could be done within the next seven months, said India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. A joint statement after the meeting said Washington welcomed New Delhi's recent steps to lower tariffs on select U.S. products and increase market access to U.S. farm products, while seeking to negotiate the initial segments of a trade deal by the fall of 2025.While both leaders "had their perspectives" on tariffs, "what is more remarkable...is the fact that we have a way forward on this issue," Misri said.Some of the leaders' agreements are aspirational: India wants to increase by "billions of dollars" its purchases of U.S. defense equipment and may make Washington the "number one supplier" of oil and gas, Trump said at a joint press conference with Modi.And Delhi wants to double trade with Washington by 2030, Modi said. Long-planned cooperation on nuclear energy, also discussed by the leaders, faces ongoing legal challenges."We're also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters," said Trump. Misri, the Indian official, later said the F-35 deal was a proposal at this point, with no formal process underway. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on any deal. Although Trump had a warm relationship with Modi in his first term, he again said on Thursday that India's tariffs were "very high" and promised to match them, even after his earlier levies on steel and aluminum hit metal-producing India particularly hard. "We are being reciprocal with India," Trump said during the press conference. "Whatever India charges, we charge them." Modi vowed to protect India's interests. "One thing that I deeply appreciate, and I learn from President Trump, is that he keeps the national interest supreme," Modi said. "Like him, I also keep the national interest of India at the top of everything else."The two leaders praised each other and agreed to deepen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a thinly veiled reference to competition with China, as well as to start joint production on technologies like artificial intelligence.Asked before the meeting about the steps India was taking, one source described it as a "gift" for Trump designed to lower trade tensions. A Trump aide said that the president sees defense and energy sales to India lowering the U.S. trade deficit.India's energy purchases from the U.S. could go up to $25 billion in the near future from $15 billion last year, India's Misri said, adding that this could contribute to reducing the trade deficit.
Marco Rubio: US walking away from 'foreign aid that is dumb -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday the United States is walking away from “dumb” foreign aid, not from foreign aid entirely. “We’re not walking away from foreign aid,” Rubio said in an interview on SiriusXM’s “The David Webb Show” with guest host Scott Jennings. “We are walking away from foreign aid that’s dumb, that’s stupid, that wastes American taxpayer money.” “We’re just not going to continue to do those,” Rubio continued. Rubio said the State Department is reviewing American foreign aid commitments in accordance with President Trump’s executive order freezing new assistance for three months to allow the government to determine if programming aligns with Trump’s foreign policy. Rubio made clear the U.S. will continue to send aid to countries in certain contexts. “Are people going to starve to death? Are we going to have a famine? Is it going to destabilize a country in a way that would be negative to our national interest and open the door for radical jihadists or others to take advantage?” Rubio said. “We’re going to continue to do those.” Rubio said the State Department is looking at aid in places where, he said, the definition of “humanitarian aid” has grown too expansive. He said those programs should not be the burden of American taxpayers. “The problem is that the definition of ‘humanitarian’ has expanded beyond that — to all kinds of other things that do not make sense. That doesn’t mean they’re bad ideas. Someone should do it. It just shouldn’t be the American taxpayer,” he said. Trump’s executive order allowed the State Department to issue a waiver exempting certain programs from the funding freeze. Rubio announced a few days later that lifesaving treatments and medications would not be subject to the freeze. The waiver did not specify which programs would be exempt from the freeze, reportedly causing some confusion at clinics overseas. Some have specifically raised concerns about the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, which has saved more than 25 million lives since it launched in 2003. Asked about PEPFAR in the Monday interview, Rubio said he supports the program but expects to have questions about it. He said the program should be getting smaller if it’s effective.
White House fires USAID inspector general following critical report --President Trump’s White House fired the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on Tuesday, a day after the watchdog office issued a report that was critical of the foreign assistance freeze, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill. USAID’s Inspector General Paul Martin was reportedly fired around 6 p.m. local time. No reason was given for his termination, the source added. Martin’s office published a 6-page report on Monday outlining how the recent State Department’s pause on foreign assistance programs and cutting down the USAID’s staff created “risks and challenges to the safeguarding and distribution of USAID’s $8.2 billion in obligated but undisbursed humanitarian assistance.” “Specifically, USAID’s existing oversight controls—albeit with previously identified shortcomings—are now largely nonoperational given these recent directives and personnel actions,” the office wrote in the report. Under the law, the administration is required to give 30-day notice to Congress prior to terminating an inspector general and give reasons why. Inspectors general are tasked with leading investigations and audits into the abuse, fraud and waste of a government agency they are tied to. They can serve in multiple administrations and also release recommendations and findings of their probes. Two weeks ago, Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general, including those who worked in the State Department, Energy Department, Defense Department, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and others. The majority of the USAID staff has been placed on leave. The agency’s headquarters in Washington was closed. The administration has also cut ties with scores of contractors the agency worked with. The agency’s watchdog office said in the Monday report that “recent widespread staffing reductions across the Agency, particularly within BHA, coupled with uncertainty about the scope of foreign assistance waivers and permissible communications with implementers, has degraded USAID’s ability to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance.”
Federal judge extends block on Trump putting USAID workers on leave A federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary block on the Trump administration’s plan to place thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees on leave while he weighs whether a further pause is warranted. Unions representing government employees sued to stop the shutdown of USAID’s operations and restart the flow of foreign aid frozen by President Trump, who has accused the agency of fraud and corruption to justify its imminent shuttering. Trump issued the executive order freezing aid for 90 days pending review on his first day in office. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols previously halted the Trump administration’s plans until Friday but said he would extend the block through Feb. 21. He intends to rule on whether to issue a preliminary injunction before that date. However, Nichols appeared skeptical of the unions’ claim, repeatedly questioning why workers could not seek legal remedies against the government as their employer after they’ve been affected by the proposed changes. “What is the irreparable harm to those employees?” he asked. Karla Gilbride, a lawyer for the unions, called the administration’s efforts to swiftly shutter the agency an “unprecedented usurpation of power that does not belong to the executive branch.” She argued that, if allowed to move forward, the employees would have no agency to return to even if they won individual legal actions after the fact.
Musk, USAID, and a Crazy Conspiracy Theory -- Recently NBC and The Washington Post have reported that Elon Musk’s hatred of USAID and his decision to feed into a wood chipper (claiming authority that Trump let alone Musk doesn’t have) is based on an insane conspiracy theory spread by an conspiracy theorist called MIke Benz. According to the Post, when Musk tweeted that USAID was a criminal organization, viper’s nest run by extreme left marxists who hate the united states, which he had “fed into a wood chipper” he was adding comments to retweets of Benz’s tweets. The case against USAID has nothing to do with reality – it is based on the idea that USAID is a front for the CIA (which is an extremely leftist orgainization according to Benz).“Over the next two years, he [Benz] posted waves of tweets and dozens of hours of video presentations marked with highlighted texts and red notes, scribbles, circles and arrows, flicking at a sprawling narrative of USAID as a covert operations division of the CIA in which staff members sought to enrich themselves, spread leftist ideology at home and abroad and harm Trump. “ and“Benz also cites unspecified “source docs” as substantiation that USAID was censoring social media. From former President Barack Obama to the Bush family, “they’re all in on it,” he told a Newsmax host Tuesday. ““Few seemed to question Benz’s qualifications, and fewer still seemed to be aware of his identity as a former alt-right vlogger, a self-described white identitarian who posted videos under the alias Frame Game alleging a mass censorship conspiracy against white people, with links to Jewish organizations, the U.S. government and social media companies. “The Post reports “Musk’s intense focus appears to have begun only late last year, when he began publicly criticizing the agency after conservative activist Mike Benz appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast to rail against it. According to a Washington Post analysis, Musk did not mention USAID on X until Dec. 10, when he began sharing commentary from Benz’s appearance on Rogan’s show the week before.“Your brain is being tricked when you see the phrase ‘USAID.’ It’s not an aid organization,” Benz told Rogan on Dec. 3. Instead, Benz asserted, it is a front for the CIA.” In a way, I think this is good news. By themselves Musk’s comments on the retweets showed he was out of touch with reality. Musk blindly following a white identitarian with a history of crazy conspiracy theories *might* convince Republicans that going along with him is as dangerous as standing up to him. Certainly it provides support to arguments against Musk and his actionss which threaten the rule of law.I also dare to hope that an effort focused on eliminating USAID actions which never took place might leave room to accept the things it actually does. It is true that the publicly announced exceptions to the aid freeze for lifesaving work have not been followed by the actual flow of actual money notes the New York Times “Even when organizations have received approvals to continue, no money has flowed. One large organization received less than 5 percent of its expected budget for the period, but others have received nothing.“I obviously welcome that the secretary approved a waiver and put a post on the internet, but we cannot pay our bills with the post,” a senior official at a large organization said of Mr. Rubio.”But it’s still early (not too early for permanent damage but early enough to save some of the programs that USAID actually funds).I think it is clear that one or more of Musk’s 20 something aids has been unfortunate enough to be told to find proof of USAIDS missappropriation of funds for subversive purposes. It explains some crazy claims I have read (no links sorry — just memory). There is the crazy interpretation that USAID sends only 10% of the money it spends directly overseas. This is because they send money to US based contractors such as Catholic Relief Services (I imagine Benz asserting that it is an atheist organization whose princioal aim is to fight Christianity). Contracting out is one of the ways to keep the US federal government payroll down. Also to purchase goods (such as food) which it sends overseas. Many angry farmers will point this out.There is also the complaint that the money goes into a web of contractors and subcontractors ( I recall the claim that defence contracting is nothing in comparison). This now sounds like a complaint by someone who can’t find evidence of subversion.Finally it explains the mysterious claim that subscribing to Politico Pro and the New York Times is subversive. Some poor kid (or kids) has been instructed to find proof of crazy, false, paranoid assertions,If you want to hear them, here is a podcast of Benz
Microsoft Drops USAID-Funded NewsGuard After Ted Cruz Starts Digging -- Microsoft has dropped NewsGuard, a left-wing fact checking organization they partnered with that has helped the advertising industry justify blacklists for independent conservative media sites such as ZeroHedge. The move came after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) began investigating Microsoft for funding the online "media literacy" censorship tool created by NewsGuard to help guide "learners of all ages through the overwhelming landscape of online news and information."Now we come to find out that NewsGuard was funded by USAID...In response to Cruz, Microsoft claims their support of NewsGuard was limited to a one-time donation in 2018, and said it had asked NewsGuard to remove a claim on its website that read "NewsGuard's Media Literacy Programs are made possible thanks to generous support from Microsoft," Newsmax reports, citing a Senate Commerce Committee spokesperson.
Elon Musk calls for the US to ‘delete entire agencies’ from the federal government | (AP) — Elon Musk called on Thursday for the United States to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his push under President Donald Trump to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities. Musk offered a wide-ranging survey via a videocall to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, of what he described as the priorities of the Trump administration interspersed with multiple references to “thermonuclear warfare” and the possible dangers of artificial intelligence. “We really have here rule of the bureaucracy as opposed to rule of the people — democracy,” Musk said, wearing a black T-shirt that read: “Tech Support.” He also joked that he was the “White House’s tech support,” borrowing from his profile on the social platform X, which he owns. “I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.” While Musk has spoken to the summit in the past, his appearance on Thursday comes as he has consolidated control over large swaths of the government with Trump’s blessing since assuming leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. That’s included sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and inviting a constitutional clash over the limits of presidential authority. Musk’s new role imbued his comments with more weight beyond being the world’s wealthiest person through his investments in SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla. His remarks also offered a more-isolationist view of American power in the Middle East, where the U.S. has fought wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. “A lot of attention has been on USAID for example,” Musk said, referring to Trump’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. “There’s like the National Endowment for Democracy. But I’m like, ‘Okay, well, how much democracy have they achieved lately?’” He added that the U.S. under Trump is “less interested in interfering with the affairs of other countries.” There are “times the United States has been kind of pushy in international affairs, which may resonate with some members of the audience,” Musk said, speaking to the crowd in the UAE, an autocratically ruled nation of seven sheikhdoms. “Basically, America should mind its own business, rather than push for regime change all over the place,” he said. He also noted the Trump administration’s focus on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion work, at one point linking it to AI. “If hypothetically, AI is designed for DEI, you know, diversity at all costs, it could decide that there’s too many men in power and execute them,” Musk said. On AI, Musk said he believed X’s newly updated AI chatbot, Grok 3, would be ready in about two weeks, calling it at one point “kind of scary.” He criticized Sam Altman’s management of OpenAI, which Musk just led a $97.4 billion takeover bid for, describing it as akin to a nonprofit aimed at saving the Amazon rainforest becoming a “lumber company that chops down the trees.” A court filing Wednesday on Musk’s behalf in the OpenAI dispute said he’d withdraw his bid if the ChatGPT maker drops its plan to convert into a for-profit company.
Elon Musk calls for the U.S. government to delete entire agencies: 'Remove the roots of the weed' — The U.S. government needs to "delete entire agencies" in a cost and efficiency drive, tech billionaire and Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk said Thursday when asked about whether the changes he is implementing as part of President Donald Trump's administration will last beyond Trump's term. "I think we do need to delete entire agencies, as opposed to leave part of them behind. ... It's kind of like leaving a weed," Musk said. "If you don't remove the roots of the weed, then it's easy for the weed to grow back. But if you remove the roots of the weed — it doesn't stop weeds from ever going back, but it makes it harder." Musk, who also founded SpaceX and owns social media platform X, made the comments while speaking via video link to an audience at Dubai's annual World Governments Summit, as part of a conversation hosted by the UAE's artificial intelligence minister, Omar Sultan Al Olama. "So we have to really delete entire agencies, many of them," Musk said. "And that's not to say there won't be an increase over time of bureaucracy in some new administration, but it will be from a much lower baseline. So certainly it's a step in the right direction." "Nothing's forever," he added, "but I think we can strengthen the foundations of the United States substantially." Trump appointed the South African-born engineer and tech entrepreneur as a "special government employee" and the head of a new advisory body called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, under the administration. Musk has been vocal about his aims to improve government efficiency and reduce bureaucracy and regulations, and on Thursday said that such efforts could amount to a $1 trillion reduction in the federal deficit by 2026. Musk has already taken an axe to U.S. Agency for International Development, the international humanitarian and development arm of the U.S. government, by essentially furloughing the majority of its staff and freezing its funding. The sudden change is affecting millions of people around the world, particularly in poorer countries. The Trump administration in early February said that USAID would shut down as an independent agency and be moved under the State Department, a change that would require congressional approval.
GOP senators terrified of crossing Trump, facing Musk-funded challengers -- GOP senators are terrified over the prospect of facing primary challengers funded by Elon Musk if they stick their necks out by opposing President Trump’s agenda. The White House has signaled that Republicans who thwart Trump’s agenda by voting against his controversial nominees or opposing efforts by Musk to freeze government funding and slash federal agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, will pay a political price. And that’s a threat that carries a lot more weight when Musk, the world’s richest person, could easily pour tens of millions of dollars into a Senate Republican primary. Musk warned Republican lawmakers in December that he was compiling a “naughty list” of members who buck Trump’s agenda. He also pledged shortly after Election Day that his political action committee would “play a significant role in primaries” next year. At the time, the threat was seen as mostly aimed at rebellious House conservatives who loomed as an obstacle to reelecting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and threatened to derail Trump’s tax agenda by insisting on major spending cuts. But Republican senators have taken Musk’s warning to heart. “That’s one of the reasons why you see people who are close to an election — Bill Cassidy, Thom Tillis — voting for certain nominees,” said one Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the recent votes of GOP colleagues, including Louisiana’s Cassidy and North Carolina’s Tillis. “The White House hasn’t been too subtle about that. I think they’ve been fairly threatening,” the lawmaker added, noting Cassidy already faces a primary challenge from Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming. Since the inauguration, GOP senators have dutifully voted to confirm Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees, such as Pete Hegseth, who now leads the Pentagon, and Russell Vought, who will take over the White House budget office. Tillis, who is up for reelection in 2026, wavered on voting for Hegseth but finally announced his support for the embattled nominee after Hegseth posted a letter on social media denying allegations of abusive behavior and drunkenness made in a sworn affidavit by his former sister-in-law. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who is also up for reelection next year, initially said she wasn’t ready to support Hegseth in a Dec. 5 interview on Fox News. That ambivalence was met by a strong social media backlash from Trump supporters. The next day, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R) called out “DC politicians” for thinking “they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears,” though she didn’t name Ernst in her column for the conservative website Breitbart. A Democratic senator who organized opposition to Trump’s nominees said the threat of Musk-backed primary challengers helped Hegseth win confirmation and put two other controversial nominees — Tulsi Gabbard, who was tapped to serve as director of national intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is slated to head the Department of Health and Human Services —on the path to being confirmed. “I think my colleagues are under pressure to object occasionally but not too often,” the senator said, referring to conversations with Republican colleagues. “They’re all terrified of the power he’s wielding right now,” the Democrat said of Musk’s alliance with Trump. Gabbard and Kennedy received unanimous Republican support in the Intelligence and Finance committees, respectively, and are expected to win confirmation next week. Cassidy, the chair of the Senate, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said he was “struggling” over Kennedy’s nomination but eventually voted to report him to the floor. A second Republican senator who was involved in the confirmation process said Musk’s threat to fund primary challengers has weighed on colleagues who initially balked at Trump’s most controversial nominees. “He’s talked about that,” the senator said of Musk’s threat to primary GOP lawmakers who vote against Trump’s agenda. The senator noted Trump supported Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) primary challenger in 2022 after she voted to convict him on the impeachment charge of inciting insurrection, but the Alaska senator still won the nomination. But that was without Musk on his side to provide tens of millions of dollars to settle political vendettas. “The president’s gotten involved in primaries, but money does count,” the senator said. Musk spent at least $288 million to help elect Trump and other Republican candidates in 2024, according to The Washington Post’s analysis of public campaign finance reports.
Trump Suspends Funding to the National Endowment for Democracy - The Trump administration has frozen funding to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a US-funded organization that meddles in elections and pushes regime change around the world in the name of “promoting democracy.”According to The Free Press, an order from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the US Treasury Department that blocked the disbursement of funds to the NED has crippled the organization’s activities.“It’s been a bloodbath,” an NED staffer told the FP. “We have not been able to meet payroll and pay basic overhead expenses.”The NED, which was founded during the Cold War in 1983, received $315 million from the US government for the 2025 fiscal year, according to the report.In 1991, Allen Weinstein, a co-founder of NED, acknowledged to The Washington Post that a lot of what the organization did was done “covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.”Washington Post columnist David Ignatius listed some examples of the NED’s “overt” action that was previously done by the CIA, including “providing money and moral support for pro-democracy groups, training resistance fighters, working to subvert communist rule.”The NED has been targeted by Musk, who asked his followers in a recent post on X to list “all the evil things that NED has done.” Jim Bovard, a senior fellow at the Libertarian Institute, replied with an article about how he has been critical of the organization for 40 years.In a 2009 article for the Future Freedom Foundation, Bovard said the NED is “based on the notion that its meddling in foreign elections is automatically pro-democracy because the US government is the incarnation of democracy. NED has always operated on the principle that ‘what’s good for the US government is good for democracy.'”In a 2006 piece for The American Conservative, Bovard detailed NED’s efforts to push for regime change in Latin America. “In 2001, NED quadrupled its aid to Venezuelan opponents of elected president Hugo Chavez, and NED heavily funded some organizations involved in a bloody military coup that temporarily removed Chavez from power in April 2002. After Chavez retook control, NED and the State Department responded by pouring even more money into groups seeking his ouster,” he wrote.
Trump, allies attack courts as judges pause initiatives -Monday brought another legal setback for President Trump and his administration — and there is every indication it will add more fuel to the fire of MAGA grievances against the judiciary. The issue was federal spending and the new president’s desire to freeze huge swathes of it. U.S. District Judge John McConnell complained that the administration had, in effect, ignored an earlier order from him to unfreeze grants and other tranches of funds. The initial order, made at the end of January, had held that the Trump administration could not “pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate” funding right away. In Monday’s ruling, McConnell hit Trump and his allies for trying to flout his authority with “sweeping” funding pauses that he said “violate the plain text” of his previous order. He insisted that the administration must restore the funding right away. O’Connell’s ruling is one detail on a much bigger canvas. The courts have emerged as the path of most resistance to Trump’s aggressive agenda. And the result has been unsuppressed fury from the president and his allies. email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates On Sunday, en route to the Super Bowl, Trump took aim at judges who had slowed his moves, such as U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, who curbed access to the Treasury Department’s payment system for the quasi-department Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. Trump, using similar phrasing to his infamous speech on the Ellipse before the Capitol Riot of Jan. 6, 2021, contended that if the judiciary stopped what Trump characterized as a search for fraud and waste, it would mean “we don’t have a country anymore.” The president also contended that “no judge should, frankly, be allowed to make that kind of a decision” and insisted that doing so was “a disgrace.” Previously, Musk himself had responded to a critical post about Engelmayer’s ruling from conservative commentator Glenn Beck by alleging that this was a case of “a corrupt judge protecting corruption.” Musk added that Engelmayer should immediately be impeached. Impeachment is currently the only way to remove a judge, a situation that also meets with Musk’s displeasure. In a separate social media post, he proposed that “the worst 1 percent of appointed judges, as determined by elected bodies, be fired every year. This will weed out the most corrupt and least competent.”
Musk calls for impeachment of judge who blocked DOGE access at Treasury -- Elon Musk is calling for the impeachment of the federal judge who made a decision early Saturday morning that the Treasury Department should block access to anyone “other than civil servants with a need for access to perform their job duties” from its payment systems. The order explicitly prohibits special government employees and those detailed from outside the department from getting access to the systems, a designation that would cover Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That appeared to anger Musk, who expressed his irritation in a few Saturday posts on the social platform X, which he owns. “A corrupt judge protecting corruption,” Musk wrote in one post at 2:11 a.m. “He needs to be impeached NOW.” That post was written in reply to a post by the conservative media pundit Glenn Beck. Musk, the leader of DOGE, in an earlier post at 1:40 a.m. wrote “it’s time” in response to another post about impeaching judges who have ruled against actions by the Trump administration. pect' U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, an appointee of former President Obama, in his ruling ordered anyone who is now blocked from access to the Treasury Department payment system, which doles out trillions of dollars, to immediately destroy any material they’ve already downloaded. Engelmayer’s ruling came in response to a suit by by 19 Democratic state attorneys general worried over the access Musk and his team was getting to the information. Musk’s efforts have sparked concerns from Democrats and career public servants at the Treasury Department and other agencies that sensitive private information of citizens could be endangered. It has also raised questions about the end game behind Musk’s actions, including whether the access to the payment systems could be used to cut off appropriated funds by Congress that President Trump’s team feels are not in line with the new administration’s policies or objectives. The ruling from Engelmayer lasts until at least Friday, when another judge who is permanently overseeing the case will hold a hearing in New York about whether to grant a longer pause. “The Court’s firm assessment is that, for the reasons stated by the States, they will face irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief,” Engelmayer wrote in his decision. “That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking,” the judge continued. The state attorneys general had only filed their case on Friday before Engelmayer’s decision came down early Saturday. Musk’s efforts to win access to the systems of various federal agencies have provoked a number of legal actions in a whirlwind few weeks since President Trump’s inauguration.Murphy hammers Trump for 'attempting to seize control of power' --Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday that President Trump’s attempts to “seize control of power” were threatening democracy and causing a constitutional crisis with little precedent. “I think this is the most serious [constitutional] crisis the country has faced, certainly since Watergate. The President is attempting to seize control of power, and for corrupt purposes,” Murphy told ABC News’s Martha Raddatz on “This Week,” in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “This is a red-alert moment when this entire country has to understand that our democracy is at risk, and for what? The billionaire takeover of government,” he added later. Trump ally and tech billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has in recent weeks dispatched staff to multiple agencies to access databases, including the Office of Personnel Management and the Treasury Department. Government officials have sought to limit DOGE’s access to data and computer systems have faced punitive action or been pushed aside. David Lebryk, a top career Treasury Department official, retired recently after butting heads with Musk allies on government payment systems. Lebryk’s retirement followed a clash over a request from DOGE for access to a payment system used by Treasury Department officials to disburse funds. “The President wants to be able to decide how and where money is spent so that he can reward his political friends, he can punish his political enemies. That is the evisceration of democracy,” Murphy said Sunday. Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said last week that Democrats have appeared “surprised and flat footed” after actions taken by Musk and DOGE on the federal government. “I’m going to keep hitting this: the Democrats are THE ONLY political opposition. They had three months to prepare for these acts. And they seem surprised and flat footed,” Kinzinger posted on the social platform X.
Wildfire mitigation projects caught up in Donald Trump’s spending freeze -- Some forest management projects that aim to mitigate wildfire risk are among the projects that have been halted under President Trump’s executive order to freeze spending.In a letter to the Trump administration sent Monday, 14 Democrats wrote that they were hearing from constituents that “the Bureau of Land Management has issued stop work orders” for projects that aim to reduce wildfire risk. A statement from the land management bureau confirmed that some projects — those that were funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — are “undergoing review to ensure consistency with the Executive Order.” The Bureau of Land Management noted, however, that projects funded by the regular congressional appropriations process “are continuing forward across the West.”The Democrats’ letter was was led by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). In it, they and 10 colleagues raise concerns that halting the programs could raise wildfire risk — and argue that the order is unconstitutional. “We are imploring you to rescind the order to stop work on these hazardous fuels reduction efforts, as well as any other wildland fire management programs that are working to reduce risk and safeguard communities from catastrophic wildfire,” they wrote in their letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington.The Impoundment Control Act “prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently, without following the strictly circumscribed requirements of that law, which have not been honored in this instance,” they wrote. The letter comes after devastating wildfires recently hit California, killing at least 29 people. It also comes as a federal judge in Rhode Island is ordering the Trump administration to unfreeze some federal grants.
Cut federal taxes and let states handle their challenges - President Trump was on to something when he suggested that state governments should have the primary responsibility for handling disasters — and most other matters as well. The federal government taxes individuals who send their tax dollars to Washington, and then the feds hand back to the states more than a trillion dollars each year. Do we really need that federal middleman? Why not lower federal taxes, leaving more money with individuals? States could then access those funds to address their needs. In fact, if Trump succeeds in drastically shrinking the federal workforce, states may have little choice but to take the lead in meeting whatever challenges they may face. In fiscal 2023, federal transfers to state and local governments came to $1.1 trillion, about 17.6 percent of all federal spending, according to USAFacts.com. Federal government handouts to state and local governments had been gradually rising since 1990. However, 2020 saw a significant increase as the feds started shoveling out pandemic-relief money to the states, peaking at $1.4 trillion in 2021, then declining slightly to $1.3 trillion in 2022. It’s understandable why the government would ladle out money during the early days of the pandemic when much of the economy was shut down. But the pandemic has dramatically declined and is mostly an annoying blip today. Even so, federal handouts remain elevated. Over half of the 2023 distribution to the states, $634.2 billion, was for their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs. Some of the federal money went to education, highways and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as “food stamps”). And $286.4 billion went to various other purposes. Clearly, some of those funds provide important assistance for millions of Americans. But the point is the money initially belongs to people living in the states. The federal income tax extracts that money from those citizens and transfers it to Washington. Then federal politicians and bureaucrats return some of that money to the states — but only after Washington has extracted its pound of flesh. If federal taxes were lower, leaving that money with taxpayers, the states would still have access to that money — they would just have to appropriate it themselves. Thus, it is possible that taxes might go up in some states to offset the loss of federal handouts. But the amount needed would almost certainly be much less than what taxpayers are spending now because the current system is rife with distorted economic incentives.
California Governor Newsom goes to the White House to grovel at Trump’s feet - California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent pilgrimage to the White House was nothing short of a political debasement and a craven display of servility before President Donald Trump. In a performance as pitiful as it was revealing, Newsom eagerly sought to “turn a page” and “move past the rhetoric and noise” of the election cycle, demonstrating that when it comes to the interests of the ruling class, partisan divisions dissolve into thin air. Ostensibly, Newsom’s visit was to secure federal disaster aid for the Los Angeles County wildfires. But the real priority was the same as it always is for the Democratic Party: maintaining a seat at the oligarchic table. He was there not to defend the working class, not to advocate for the thousands who lost their homes and livelihoods, but to ensure an understanding of the agreement within the circles of power. His performance underscored his fundamental alignment with the financial elite rather than the workers of California. Newsom’s language throughout this meeting was drenched in deference. “There’s a familiarity, and there was a relationship that was born of a crisis around COVID,” he gushed, lauding Trump for having “come through for California” during the pandemic. It is a grotesque rewriting of history. The reality is that Trump’s COVID policies were criminal, resulting in mass death and suffering. That Newsom now seeks to find common ground on this subject is not just pathetic—it is damning. He insisted on emphasizing his “positive” and “substantive” conversation with Trump, a transparent attempt to ingratiate himself despite the fact the president openly despises him. Just two weeks ago, as Trump mocked him as “Newscum,” Newsom was waiting at the Los Angeles Airport, eager for a moment of presidential acknowledgment. But now the name calling is forgiven and the love affair has been restored, as Newsom stated: “When we got off the tarmac, I felt like we were in the middle of a conversation we had 4½ years ago.” This display was not about securing aid for Californians; it was about demonstrating to the ruling class that Newsom—a multimillionaire of his own right—can be trusted to play by their rules while Trump carries out massive attacks on social programs and democratic rights. What makes this meeting even more contemptible is what Newsom refused to say. He had a direct opportunity to confront Trump on his fascist attacks on the Constitution, his raids against immigrants and his plans to dismember social programs. Instead, he remained a sycophant at the feet of the führer, willingly playing his role in the complicity of bipartisanship. Newsom’s cowardice was not an oversight—it was an expression of the class interests he and the Democratic Party represent, which ultimately align with Trump’s reactionary agenda in the face of a rising tide of workers and students’ opposition.
Trump fires Office of Government Ethics chief -- President Trump has fired the director of the Office of Government Ethics, the agency announced Monday. The office posted on its website that it had been notified Trump was removing David Huitema, who had been nominated by former President Biden. He was confirmed last November by the Senate to a five-year term and officially started the job in December. Shelley Finlayson will serve as acting director of the office in the interim. She has been with the office since 2006.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Office of Government Ethics interprets ethics laws and regulations, trains executive branch officials to follow ethics laws and monitors compliance with those rules.Watchdogs and Democrats have expressed particular concern about potential conflicts of interest involving Elon Musk, a billionaire ally of Trump who has been leading efforts to cut government funding. Musk is the CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, which have received at least $15.4 billion in government contracts over the past 10 years, The New York Times reported in October. Trump has said Musk would not be allowed near a certain aspect of government if it was determined there was a potential conflict, though it’s unclear what specific guardrails exist.
Fired Inspectors General Sue Trump To Get Jobs Back -- A group of eight federal inspectors general has sued the Trump administration after they were ousted from their jobs last month. The IGs claim that their firings - which came in the form of a two-sentence email, were illegal because they violated a federal law requiring the White House to inform Congress with 30 days' notice, and provide "substantive rationale" for the firings, according to their 32-page complaint filed on Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia - where we're guessing they'll find a sympathetic judge. The plaintiffs are eight of the 17 Senate-confirmed inspectors general who were fired just four days into President Donald Trump's second term in what the White House cited as "changing priorities." They are seeking their jobs back at the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Labor and State, and the Small Business Administration. "IGs must be watchdogs, not lapdogs," reads the complaint, which names the Trump-appointed leaders or interim acting heads of each agency as defendants, according to the Washington Post. "Plaintiffs’ purported removals have sent shockwaves and a massive chilling effect through the IG community," the complaint continues, adding that they "have been sent a message that non-partisanship and truth-telling will not be tolerated. That message will have the effect of intimidating the [inspector general] workforce and thus chill their critical work for the American people." The fired IGs who joined the lawsuit are; Rob Storch (Defense), Michael Missal (VA), Christi Grimm (HHS), Sandra Bruce (Education), Phyllis Fong (Agriculture), Larry Turner (Labor), Cardell Richardson (State) and Hannibal “Mike” Ware (SBA). Only two cabinet-level watchdogs were spared their jobs - those at Homeland Security and the DOJ, after the Tuesday firing of another IG; USAID's IG Paul Martin, a Biden appointee. Martin was fired after his office issued a blistering report slamming the Trump administration for 'hobbling' USAID's mission (to enrich corrupt politicians and influence the news?), and shrinking its staff. The Wednesday complaint also claims that Trump has yet to communicate his intention to remove the watchdogs to Congress, in writing or otherwise, using any "substantive rationale for the removal of any IG — let alone the required detailed and case-specific reasons." "His only public explanation came during a press gaggle on January 25 … when he stated, ‘I don’t know them … but some people thought that some were unfair, some were not doing their job,’ and falsely asserted that ‘it’s a very standard thing to do."
White House claims 65,000 federal workers have accepted buyout offers, as judge imposes temporary hold - The Trump administration has reported that, after a week of threats and intimidation from the White House, 65,000 federal workers have agreed to leave their jobs ahead of a February 6 midnight deadline. The “buyouts” are part of a massive downsizing operation imposed by the White House and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will decimate vital public services, from healthcare to environmental protection and safety. A federal judge in Massachusetts ordered a temporary pause on the buyout program until Monday. The court did not rule on the merits of the case but only requested additional time to hear arguments. The cuts are being carried out in open defiance of Congress’s constitutionally defined power over spending, as well as civil service regulations. They are aimed at slashing hundreds of billions from the federal budget to fund the Pentagon war machine and provide further tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy. In a typically thuggish statement, Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, derided federal employees working from home, saying: “They don’t want to come into the office. If they want to rip the American people off, then they’re welcome to take this buyout, and we’ll find highly qualified people to replace them.” The federal buyouts represent only a fraction of the jobs targeted by Trump. Most of the 2.3 million federal workforce was eligible for the buyouts, excluding US military personnel, postal workers and those working in immigration enforcement and national security. A wide range of vital government functions will be impacted by the cuts. The Department of Education is on the chopping block, an agency that Trump has threatened to abolish entirely. One of the largest single groups of federal workers under attack includes more than 100,000 nurses employed through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The 10 percent workforce reduction proposed by Trump would have a devastating impact on the care of military veterans. The White House is also preparing an executive order to fire thousands of employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which currently employs more than 80,000 people. This agency includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Gutting these agencies would have catastrophic consequences for public health, including monitoring and preventing disease outbreaks, ensuring food safety, and conducting cancer research. These cuts are being made amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a severe flu outbreak and growing concerns over H5N1 avian influenza.Another target is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which employs nearly 19,000 people. The EPA performs critical functions, such as monitoring and regulating hazardous waste disposal, air quality, water pollution and chemicals. It also sponsors research into environmental health risks and climate change and responds to environmental disasters, such as oil spills, chemical leaks and industrial accidents. As of yesterday, more than 160 EPA employees were placed on administrative leave—the first step in terminating their jobs. Another 1,000 workers hired within the past year were told they could be “fired immediately” under Trump’s executive order ending Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. However, the vast majority, if not all, of these workers have jobs entirely unrelated to DEI.
OPM eases plans to target all federal workers on probation -- The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is instructing agencies that they do not have to fire all federal employees still on probation but is encouraging them to remove any low performers. The direction, confirmed by a source familiar, comes after the OPM asked agencies across government to turn over lists of employees hired within the last year or two. The probationary period lasts one or two years, depending on the agency, a status that makes some 200,000 federal employees slightly easier to fire. “The Trump Administration is encouraging agencies to use the probationary period as it was intended: as a continuation of the job application process, not an entitlement for permanent employment in the D.C. swamp,” an OPM spokesperson said in a statement. CBS News first reported the development. It was not immediately clear which employees still on probation might be targeted under the instructions. Agency grading scales place employees in various tiers, and it was unclear what criteria were passed to agencies. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday penned a letter to House and Senate leaders asking them to investigate potential plans to mass fire employees still in their probationary period. “We respectfully urge that you investigate the Administration’s rationale and legal basis for these planned layoffs. … Mass layoffs of federal employees of the sort that have been reported to be under consideration are presumptively and inherently illegal,” the ACLU wrote to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The ACLU argued the law requires reviewing each employee’s performance on a case-by-case basis, while any large-scale firings would have to follow existing law for shrinking the workforce. Despite their probationary status, the employees are still afforded much of the same protections as the broader federal workforce, meaning they must be informed of “inadequacies” in their performance before being fired. “While the law allows for the termination of probationary employees for performance or conduct reasons, a mass firing on this scale without any sort of individualized assessment or following of Reduction in Force (RIF) procedures raises serious legal concerns,” the ACLU wrote.
Trump administration starts firing probationary employees - The Trump administration fired federal employees on probationary status Thursday, affecting tens of thousands of staffers nationwide.The Department of Energy, Forest Service and Office of Personnel Management are among the agencies that axed staffers, several current and former federal employees said. All agency employees for this story were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “Per OPM instructions, DOE finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest,” said an email sent to a DOE employee Thursday and viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News. “For this reason, you are being removed from your position with DOE and the federal civil service effective today.”The Forest Service informed probationary employees — including those who had offered to leave as part of President Donald Trump’s “deferred resignation” program — that they would be terminated “for performance,” according to people within the agency. The notices came just hours after Brooke Rollins was confirmed as secretary at the Department of Agriculture, which oversees the service. E&E News reported Thursday on pending cuts at DOE, and those layoffs began at the Loan Programs Office and the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, a DOE staffer said. Another employee said the cuts were across the entire department. Federal jobs typically come with probationary periods, generally for those with less than a year of government service. During that period, employees can more easily be terminated. There are about 220,000 probationary workers in the federal government, according to March 2024 OPM data, the latest available numbers. A current employee, along with a former political staffer at DOE in the Biden administration who was also granted anonymity to speak freely, said dozens of people at the loan office were laid off Thursday. The office is now led by John Sneed, its executive director during President Donald Trump’s first term. DOE agencies were beefed up by the nearly $100 billion given to the department in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The loan office closed tens of billions of dollars in new projects under then-President Joe Biden. The total number of fired DOE staffers remains unclear. The Forest Service firings affect as many as 3,400 employees — some of whom live in government housing, according to agency staffers familiar with the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity. Wildland firefighters were spared from the cuts.Probationary employees at the service were told they were let go for performance, regardless of whether their performance was lacking, these staffers said.Firings at the Forest Service come as the agency already faces a backlog of work on the 193-million-acre forest system and on the heels of the Biden administration’s decision not to hire seasonal employees in 2025 due to a budget crunch.It wasn’t clear Thursday how probationary employees would be affected across the sprawling Interior Department, which oversees the nation’s public lands and national parks, mineral reserves and wildlife programs.Roughly 1,700 National Park Service employees alone are currently within their one-year probationary period, according to the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. Staffers feared that some if not all of those employees could face dismissal if the number of people taking the so-called Fork in the Road resignation program didn’t satisfy Trump administration officials.Congressional Democrats have warned Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that national parks are already understaffed due to congressional spending caps and the combined impact of the hiring freeze, deferred resignations and elimination of probationary employees that could strip the park workforce ahead of this year’s busy season.One career Interior employee, who had not heard of anyone being laid off yet at the department, said implementation of Trump’s personnel mandates has been “very disjointed.”“There is no real visible plan or organization,” that employee said. As of Thursday night, there was no indication that EPA’s probationary staffers were about to be forced out, said former and current agency employees. But anxiety remains high at EPA.As with employees at other agencies, EPA’s junior staffers have been identified, as directed underguidance from OPM. They were also warned in a Jan. 29 email that “the agency has the right to immediately terminate you.”That has resulted in high stress for employees.Gary Jonesi, a recently retired senior EPA enforcement attorney, told E&E News when a list of names of the agency’s probationary staffers was presented last week, it was found to have many errors. Some EPA employees said they were incorrectly deemed probationary. Some had started a new position at the agency within the past year but had additional federal service that was not accounted for. “It was causing emotional distress. Literally, they were crying,” Jonesi said. “They couldn’t get any help from the HR office to rectify the problem.” If EPA were to fire its probationary employees, the impact would be widespread. In a CNN interview earlier this month, Administrator Lee Zeldin said around 1,700 staffers received that January email. Firing the agency’s trial period staffers will strike at the previous administration’s campaign to rebuild EPA. More than 6,000 full-time employees were brought on at the agency during the Biden years, an EPA spokesperson said last month.
DOE project funding needs Trump lieutenants’ blessing - Approval from a Department of Energy “senior political appointee” is now required before any money tied to recent Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure awards goes out the door — the latest round in the ongoing struggle over Trump administration efforts to freeze federal spending.The Feb. 7 memo, viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News, applies to awards and obligations made during the post-election transition period, before President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The directive to steer specific payment obligations to Trump’s top political lieutenants comes after several federal judges ruled against administration efforts to halt spending on federal programs. On Friday, top EPA budget officials also issued a memo announcing plans to “temporarily” pause some programs to review whether they’re in “compliance” with new policies. Taken together, the memos fall in line with Trump’s promise to scrutinize and ultimately stop spending on clean energy projects. Billions of dollars run through climate provisions in the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. On the day Trump took office, acting DOE officials called for reviews of grants and loan guarantees, throwing into question spending tied to critical minerals, hydrogen and utilities. The latest DOE directive from Christopher Johns, the deputy chief financial officer, puts under a political microscope every payment tied to a DOE grant, loan or contract made at the end of the Biden administration — to ensure actions are “in line with the statutory mission of DOE,” according to the memo. “This is highly extraordinary — not normal housekeeping,” “The federal government, with its enormous number of payments, could not function if the checks all had to be run through a political employee. “They are free to have any officials they think appropriate read things before they go out the door,” he added, but “they cannot withhold funds. The essence of what they’re doing is not in accord with the law.”Friday’s DOE and EPA memos came after a U.S. district court ruling last month that ordered the administration to lift a blanket spending freeze on federal programs. Late Tuesday, a federal appeals court refused an emergency bid by the Department of Justice to lift the court restrictions. A three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the effort. The decision leaves the matter to Rhode Island-based U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who last month ordered the Trump administration to lift the freeze. On Monday, accusations that the Trump administration is essentially ignoring McConnell’s original order boiled over in court. McConnell issued a second sharply worded order that took government lawyers to task. In an interview with a Bloomberg podcast Tuesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he’s spending time examining the department’s portfolio of projects and spending. “I’ve got to follow the law and manage what I’ve inherited,” Wright said. “There’s a lot of monies uncommitted or early on, and of course those will be deployed to advance the president’s agenda.” POLITICO’s “Biden’s Billions” series, a detailed examination last year of the Biden administration’s unprecedented climate, clean energy and infrastructure initiatives, revealed both long-duration impacts and unfulfilled goals. While Congress provided $1.1 trillion for the package of programs, more than half of that amount — $561 billion — had not been obligated or made available to spend as of Dec. 23, the reporting found.
Trump slashes medical research funded by the National Institutes of Health -The Trump White House escalated its war on public health February 7, announcing a drastic reduction in research grants to major universities from the National Institutes of Health. NIH research grants presently fund $27 billion in direct research and $9 billion in facilities and administration (F&A) costs. The new directive would slash F&A spending by $4 billion, nearly 50 percent.Because research projects do not proceed in a vacuum but require extensive administrative support ranging from janitorial services to utilities to safety compliance reviews, research grants are accompanied by grants for “indirect support,” averaging about 28 percent of the direct grant. This figure will now be reduced to 15 percent, the rate of indirect support provided in many private foundation grants.This is a drastic cut, with a devastating impact on research institutions nationwide, crippling their ability to maintain laboratories, pay staff, and continue life-saving medical research. Not only that, it is to take effect over a single weekend, and applied to current research grants at a point that is nearly halfway through the federal fiscal year, making the cuts that much more disruptiveA February 7, 2025, social media post by Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, a leading epidemiologist, explained that the cuts will mean “[colleges] and universities won’t be able to support students, tuitions will increase, especially graduate students and researchers who find cures and preventions for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and more. This will not only raise tuition and hurt the pipeline of future scientists/doctors but completely decimate medical and public health research” (his emphasis).This attack on NIH funding is especially grievous given the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed deep structural weaknesses in the US healthcare system, which was unprepared to respond to the threat posed by emerging pandemics. The rapid development of vaccines through NIH-backed programs demonstrated the agency’s essential role in responding to public health crises.A 2022 study published in Lancet Infectious Diseases estimated that the COVID vaccines averted 19.8 million excess deaths worldwide, a reduction of 63 percent. In the first two years after the COVID vaccines were introduced, a Commonwealth Fund study estimated that cumulative effect of these treatments prevented more than 18 million additional hospitalizations and more than three million additional deaths.However, the Trump administration’s budget cuts threaten future research on emerging infectious diseases, vaccine advancements, and long-term studies on post-COVID conditions such as Long COVID, which has affected countless millions worldwide. The suppression of funding means fewer resources for research into the ongoing health complications of COVID-19, including its impact on neurological disorders, cardiovascular health, and immune system function.In parallel with these funding cuts, Trump has silenced public health agencies, issuing sweeping executive orders that prohibit government scientists from publishing research that does not align with the administration’s ideological agenda. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NIH have been ordered to withdraw manuscripts from scientific journals, while public health websites containing essential epidemiological data have been scrubbed of references to gender identity and racial disparities. This widespread censorship prevents scientists from accurately tracking the long-term effects of the pandemic and restricts access to vital health information that could help vulnerable populations. Moving forward, the veracity of the data being uploaded comes into question.
Susan Collins, Katie Britt raise concerns over NIH cuts - -- Two Republican senators, including a reliable ally of President Trump, have raised concerns about the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) decision to cut billions of dollars of “indirect” costs on university research grants.On Monday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called the move a “poorly conceived directive” that potentially violates federal law. “I oppose the poorly conceived directive imposing an arbitrary cap on the indirect costs that are part of NIH grants and negotiated between the grant recipient and NIH,” she said in a statement.Collins noted she had heard from several Maine institutions that the cuts, which in some cases would apply retroactively to existing grants, “would be devastating, stopping vital biomedical research and leading to the loss of jobs.”The controversy stems from the NIH decision announced late Friday to cap payments for indirect costs at 15 percent. Indirect funding can cover universities’ overhead and administrative costs, like electricity and utilities, janitorial services and rent. Billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and the Trump administration have made slashing federal budgets and eliminating entire agencies a priority. They argue research institutions should adapt to become leaner and more efficient because taxpayers don’t need to be spending money on overhead. The NIH is the nation’s top funder of biomedical research, and the move was met with shock and anger by universities, scientists and Democratic lawmakers. Experts have said the rate of indirect cost grants is negotiated far in advance between institutions and granting agencAttorneys general of 22 states challenged the move in federal court Monday, arguing it is illegal because Congress specifically prohibited the NIH from changing its grant formula without its approval.
Federal judge grants restraining order on NIH funding cuts - A federal judge in Massachusetts has granted a restraining order against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its recent research funding cut after 22 states filed a lawsuit to block the order. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley, nominated by former President Biden, granted a request for a temporary restraining order issued Friday on NIH’s Rate Change Notice, which cut indirect cost rates to a standard rate of 15 percent. This funding went toward administrative and facility costs of conducting research. On Monday, the attorneys general for 22 states filed a lawsuit to block the order, with Kelley’s order coming less than a day after it was filed. “Defendants and their officers, employees, servants, agents, appointees, and successors are hereby enjoined from taking any steps to implement, apply, or enforce the Rate Change Notice (NOT-OD-25- 068) within Plaintiff States until further order is issued by this Court,” Kelley’s order stated. The judge gave NIH until Friday to file an opposition to the motion. The Hill has reached out to NIH for comment, though federal health agencies typically do not comment on pending litigation. “The effects of the Rate Change Notice will be immediate and devastating,” the attorneys general warned in their suit. “Medical schools, universities, research institutions, and other grant recipients across the country have already budgeted for (and incurred obligations based on) the specific indirect cost rates that had been negotiated and formalized with the federal government through the designated statutory and regulatory legal process,” they added. “This agency action will result in layoffs, suspension of clinical trials, disruption of ongoing research programs, and laboratory closures.” Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Katie Britt (Ala.) expressed concern over the funding cuts on Monday, with Collins saying she opposed the “poorly conceived directive.” Britt said in an interview that the funding cuts should be carried out with a targeted approach in order to “not hinder lifesaving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama.”
Judge orders federal health agencies to restore data -- A judge ordered federal health agencies Tuesday to restore online datasets taken down after President Trump issued an executive order prohibiting the government from promoting “gender ideology.” U.S. District Judge John Bates agreed to issue the temporary order in favor of Doctors for America (DFA), a left-leaning physicians advocacy group that sued by claiming the scrubbing violated federal law.After holding a hearing Monday, the judge agreed it likely violated a provision requiring agencies to provide adequate notice before terminating significant information products. “This opinion has documented the harm DFA members have suffered and will continue to suffer absent intervention, but the harm extends beyond them,” Bates, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, wrote in his ruling. “DFA has also supplied declarations from doctors around the country who, although not DFA members themselves, are representative of the widespread disruption that defendants’ abrupt removal of these critical healthcare materials has caused,” he added. Federal health agencies were ordered to scrub the data by last Friday after Trump signed -an executive order on his first day in office stating that the U.S. will recognize only two sexes. Agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration removed various public datasets, like the Drug Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, the data and statistics webpage for Adolescent and School Health and the webpages for the Social Vulnerability Index. Several sites focusing on HIV/AIDS were also temporarily taken down as federal employees scrambled to comply with the order. Health care workers and researchers regularly use the data, leading them to rush to archive the information before the government pulled it down. Zachary Shelley, an attorney at Public Citizen, which represents the physicians’ group, told the judge at Monday’s hearing that doctors were already being harmed by the websites being taken down. “You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube that has already come out,” Shelley said. “You can stop it from flowing out going forward. Every day that this goes on, there’s harm to the doctors and their patients and public health.” James Harlow, a Justice Department senior trial attorney, urged the judge to not grant the emergency request. The government argued the physicians group lacks legal standing, it hasn’t shown it will face irreparable harm and the scrubbing was not a “final agency action” subject to the courts’ review. “Each argument has substance, but none prevail,” the judge wrote.
Progressive group sounds alarm on Medicaid cuts -A new report from Democratic-aligned group Protect Our Care highlights potential GOP changes to Medicaid. Congressional Republicans have floated the changes as part of a plan to slash hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars from the federal budget. The report, provided first to The Hill, outlines the consequences of policies like eliminating ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion, lowering the federal matching rate, capping the amount of federal spending per Medicaid enrollee and block grants. House Republicans are debating how deep they need to cut to pay for an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and his border enforcement funding. They are also eyeing hundreds of billions of dollars in savings from Medicaid changes. The Senate Budget Committee on Friday released a blueprint that calls for the Senate Finance Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee, which have jurisdiction over Medicaid, to find at least $1 trillion in savings. Medicaid covers about 72 million low-income Americans, and the report notes many would be at risk of losing health insurance under the GOP’s plan. Republicans see Medicaid as a program rife with fraud and abuse, and have long sought to rein in its spending. Work requirements, one proposal most often floated, would save about $100 billion over a decade. The most controversial changes, like lowering the federal match for the Medicaid expansion population and instituting a per capita cap, would save $561 billion and up to $900 billion over a decade respectively, according to House GOP estimates. But the report noted that ending the enhanced expansion match rate, which is currently at 90 percent, would lead to 12 states ending their Medicaid expansion completely because of “trigger” laws tied to federal funding levels. That means 4 million people will lose their health care, according to the report, and states could end up spending more money. GOP governors could object to the plan as a result.
DOGE officials hone in on Medicare, Medicaid offices- Representatives of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have turned their focus to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency confirmed Wednesday. It was unclear which systems DOGE had access to and whether any sensitive medical information was part of the efforts. The Wall Street Journal reported last Wednesday that DOGE aides had been granted access to key payment and contract systems. The CMS did not respond to a request to clarify. “CMS has two senior Agency veterans – one focused on policy and one focused on operations – who are leading the collaboration with DOGE, including ensuring appropriate access to CMS systems and technology,” the agency said in a statement. “We are taking a thoughtful approach to see where there may be opportunities for more effective and efficient use of resources in line with meeting the goals of President Trump.” The CMS is essentially the federal government’s insurance provider. The agency sets payment rates for doctors, hospitals and insurers, while also overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Affordable Care Act — programs that provide coverage for more than 150 million people. The CMS spent more than $1.5 trillion in 2024, around 22 percent of federal spending. Lawmakers often say the massive amount of spending on health care programs is rife with fraud and abuse, though bipartisan efforts to curb Medicare spending over the years have been met with political backlash. Musk confirmed his interest in the health agency Wednesday, posting on social platform X that Medicare was “where the big money fraud is happening.” He did not offer evidence. DOGE aides have been fanning out across the federal government, exerting control of agencies as part of a mandate to cut at least $1 trillion in federal spending, most recently at the Treasury Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. They have demanded, and received access to, highly sensitive information, raising alarms among Democrats and government employees. Republicans have largely backed DOGE’s moves, calling them long-needed efforts to weed out fraudulent spending by federal officials. “Obviously, everybody’s private health information needs to be kept private, but I think they need access and to see where we can be more efficient, effective. There’s a lot of money been spent by CMS,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) told reporters Wednesday. President Trump has nominated celebrity doctor and failed Senate candidate Mehmet Oz to lead the CMS, but he has not been confirmed yet. In a statement announcing his choice in November, Trump said Oz will “cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation’s Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget.”
GOP leaders downplay Medicaid cuts as they seek $2T in savings - House Republican leaders on Tuesday downplayed the possibility of cuts to Medicaid benefits as they seek a reconciliation bill with up to $2 trillion in savings. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) sought to reassure the public — and potential jittery members of their own caucus — that the Medicaid changes under discussion include work requirements and fraud reduction, not drastic cuts like lowering the federal match for Medicaid expansion states or instituting a per capita cap. House Republicans are debating how deep they need to cut to pay for an extension of President Trump’s tax cuts and border enforcement funding, and how much political backlash they can endure. One of the prime targets is Medicaid, the joint federal and state-funded program that provides health coverage to more than 72 million low-income Americans. Republicans see Medicaid as a program rife with fraud and abuse and have long sought to rein in its spending. Their attempt to cut Medicaid spending as part of an ObamaCare repeal during Trump’s first administration failed, and the ensuing controversy contributed to their loss of the majority in the 2018 midterm elections. But after winning control of both chambers of Congress and the White House in November, Republicans are trying again. “Look, Medicaid has never been on the chopping block,” Johnson said during a press conference. “If you eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid, you’ve got a huge amount of money that you can spend on real priorities for the country.”
CDC to face 10% workforce cut from Trump administration actions -Media outlets today, citing unnamed federal sources, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been notified that 1,300 probationary employees will be cut as part of the Trump administration's effort to cut the federal workforce.The number of employees represents about one tenth of the agency's workforce and comes as the nation grapples with one of the worst flu seasons in the past decade and amid an ongoing threat to animals and humans from H5N1 avian influenza. The CDC has some of the world's top scientists, known for their work on global health threats such as Ebola virus.CDC officials learned of the cuts this morning in a meeting with officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).Probationary employees include not just newer workers, but also those who were promoted to new management positions, according to the Associated Press.CBS News reported on social media that the cuts include the most recent class of Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, a group trained as the CDC's elite disease detectives. The job losses at the CDC are part of a broader cut of about 5,200 positions across other government public health agencies that also includes the National Institutes of Health, Stat reported today. They come a day after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as HHS secretary. In the past, Kennedy has suggested that the federal health agencies refocus away from infectious diseases and toward chronic diseases and lifestyle health actions.
Judge Temporarily Blocks DOGE From Accessing Federal Student Aid Data -- A federal judge has temporarily barred Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing federal student loan and financial aid information stored at the U.S. Department of Education. In an order issued Tuesday evening, Judge Randolph Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia barred any members or associates of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from seeing or using information from more than a dozen internal databases related to student finance until next Monday. Both sides of the lawsuit—a group of students at the University of California (UC) and the Education Department—have agreed to the halt as they prepare arguments. UC students a week ago accused the Education Department of violating the Privacy Act of 1974, a federal law that restricts federal agencies from sharing personally identifiable information with third parties unless specific legal exceptions apply. For example, the FUTURE Act of 2019 authorizes the Education Department to import tax return information from the IRS to streamline the financial aid application process. In their complaint filed at the D.C. federal court, the students allege that the Education Department has been providing DOGE with “continuous and ongoing access” to sensitive information “for an unspecified period of time” without clear oversight or legal authorization. “Because [the Department’s] actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals do not have even basic information about what personal or financial information Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used,” the complaint reads. The lawsuit comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Education Department, which operates on a multi-hundred-billion-dollar budget and oversees $1.5 trillion in federal student loans owed by more than 42 million Americans.
Trump administration's DOGE targets CFPB, halting work and funding -- The Trump administration is moving rapidly to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), halting the agency’s work, cutting off its funding and shutting down its headquarters. The push is not unlike the effort launched in the early years of President Trump’s first term to defang the agency, which has faced staunch opposition from Republicans throughout its brief existence. However, as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sweeps into one agency after another with the directive to slash wide swaths of government funding, the new assault on the CFPB has sparked concerns from consumer advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers about just how far the administration will go this time. “I think everyone assumes this is the USAID playbook, and I think everyone’s operating off of the assumption that we’re about to get annihilated, the way that they were annihilated,” a CFPB employee told The Hill, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The moves at the CFPB have drawn parallels with USAID, where staff were also told to stay out of headquarters and cease work before the Trump administration attempted to place thousands of employees on administrative leave. The effort was put on hold by a federal judge Friday night. “There is precedent for certain action, for certain ways in which they took CFPB off the beat during the first Trump administration,” said Graham Steele, former assistant secretary of financial institutions at U.S. Treasury under former President Biden. “The idea of trying to basically shut the agency down in all but name is a step farther,” he added. “It’s an escalation.” The Trump administration launched its blitz attack on the agency over the weekend, shortly after newly confirmed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought was appointed acting CFPB director on Friday. He took the place of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had been named acting director just days earlier. Bessent had reportedly directed staff to halt work on enforcement actions, rulemaking and litigation. Vought similarly ordered employees to “cease all supervision and examination activity” and “stakeholder engagement” Saturday, according to The Washington Post. That same day, he announced he would not take its next drawdown of funding from the Federal Reserve. “The Bureau’s current balance of $711.6 million is in fact excessive in the current fiscal environment,” Vought wrote in a post on the social platform X. “This spigot, long contributing to CFPB’s unaccountability, is now being turned off.” The agency’s chief operating officer, Adam Martinez, reportedly told staff Sunday that its headquarters would be closed for the week. On Monday, Vought ordered employees to “stand down from performing any work task,” according to Business Insider. The CFPB’s X account has since been deleted, and the homepage of its website shows a note that says “404: Page not found,” although the site remains functional.
Elizabeth Warren slams Musk's efforts to shut down CFPB -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday slammed the Trump administration’s reported efforts to shutter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as “another scam.” “If you have a bank account, or a credit card, or a mortgage, or a student loan — this is a code red,” Warren said in a video posted on the social platform X. “I am ringing the alarm bell.” “Elon Musk and the guy who wrote Project 2025, [Office of Management and Budget Director] Russ Vought, are trying to kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,” she continued. “If they succeed, CEOs on Wall Street will once again be free to trick, trap, and cheat you.” Warren, who helped establish the CFPB before joining Congress, criticized a series of steps taken over the weekend that have left the agency largely nonfunctional. Trump appointed Vought as acting CFPB director Friday, shortly after he was confirmed as director of the Office of Management and Budget. He took the place of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had similarly issued a stop-work order during his brief stint in charge of the agency. Vought ordered employees to “cease all supervision and examination activity” on Saturday, according to The Washington Post. That same day, he announced the CFPB would not be taking its next drawdown of funding from the Federal Reserve. The CFPB’s chief operating officer, Adam Martinez, reportedly told employees Sunday that the agency’s headquarters would be closed through Friday. On Monday, Vought ordered staff “not to perform any work tasks this week,” according to Business Insider. Employees affiliated with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have also gained access to the CFPB’s data, according to Bloomberg. “So why are these two guys trying to gut the CFPB?” Warren asked Monday. “It’s not rocket science: Trump campaigned on helping working people, but now that he’s in charge, this is the payoff to the rich guys who invested in his campaign and who want to cheat families — and not have anybody around to stop them.” “After the 2008 financial crash and the big bank bailout, Congress created the CFPB to protect people from getting swindled,” she added. “For years, Republicans have tried and tried again to repeal it in Congress — and they have failed every single time. Congress built the CFPB, and no one other than Congress — not the president, not Musk, not Vought — can shut it down.” Republicans have opposed the CFPB since its creation, suing the agency on numerous occasions in an effort to declare it unconstitutional. It has so far survived, with the Supreme Court rejecting yet another challenge over the CFPB’s funding structure last May.
‘We’re about to get annihilated’: Musk, DOGE descend on consumer bureau -- The Trump administration is moving rapidly to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), halting the agency’s work, cutting off its funding and shutting down its headquarters. The push is not unlike the effort launched in the early years of President Trump’s first term to defang the agency, which has faced staunch opposition from Republicans throughout its brief existence. However, as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sweeps into one agency after another with the directive to slash wide swaths of government funding, the new assault on the CFPB has sparked concerns from consumer advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers about just how far the administration will go this time. “I think everyone assumes this is the USAID playbook, and I think everyone’s operating off of the assumption that we’re about to get annihilated, the way that they were annihilated,” a CFPB employee told The Hill, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The moves at the CFPB have drawn parallels with USAID, where staff were also told to stay out of headquarters and cease work before the Trump administration attempted to place thousands of employees on administrative leave. The effort was put on hold by a federal judge Friday night. “There is precedent for certain action, for certain ways in which they took CFPB off the beat during the first Trump administration,” said Graham Steele, former assistant secretary of financial institutions at U.S. Treasury under former President Biden. “The idea of trying to basically shut the agency down in all but name is a step farther,” he added. “It’s an escalation.” The Trump administration launched its blitz attack on the agency over the weekend, shortly after newly confirmed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought was appointed acting CFPB director on Friday. He took the place of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had been named acting director just days earlier. Bessent had reportedly directed staff to halt work on enforcement actions, rulemaking and litigation. Vought similarly ordered employees to “cease all supervision and examination activity” and “stakeholder engagement” Saturday, according to The Washington Post. That same day, he announced he would not take its next drawdown of funding from the Federal Reserve. “The Bureau’s current balance of $711.6 million is in fact excessive in the current fiscal environment,” Vought wrote in a post on the social platform X. “This spigot, long contributing to CFPB’s unaccountability, is now being turned off.” The agency’s chief operating officer, Adam Martinez, reportedly told staff Sunday that its headquarters would be closed for the week. On Monday, Vought ordered employees to “stand down from performing any work task,” according to Business Insider. The CFPB’s X account has since been deleted, and the homepage of its website shows a note that says “404: Page not found,” although the site remains functional. Employees affiliated with Musk’s DOGE have also gained access to CFPB’s data systems, according to Bloomberg News. Despite initially receiving limited access, they now have access to the full scope of information stored at the agency, including sensitive bank examination and enforcement records. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, slammed Musk and Vought in a video posted to X on Monday for attempting to “kill” the CPFB, calling it “another scam.” “So, why are these two guys trying to gut the CFPB?” Warren asked. “It’s not rocket science: Trump campaigned on helping working people, but now that he’s in charge, this is the payoff to the rich guys who invested in his campaign and who want to cheat families — and not have anybody around to stop them.” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, took aim at Musk in particular. “Why the richest man in the world is working to gut the agency that has returned $21 billion to harmed American consumers is simple,” she said in a statement Saturday. She pointed to the billions of dollars’ worth of government contracts held by Musk’s companies, as well as his plans to turn X, which he owns, into a digital payment platform. “Such a platform would be regulated by — you guessed it — the CFPB,” Waters said. “So, in addition to having access to the consumer data of millions of Americans, Musk can now illegally steal sensitive business information about other American companies in the same industry. It doesn’t get any more corrupt and anti-American than that.”
Top consumer bureau officials depart after Trump admin halts work Two top officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) left the agency Tuesday and its No. 2 was placed on leave after the financial watchdog’s acting director ordered staff to halt all work. CFPB Deputy Director Zixta Martinez was placed on administrative leave Tuesday, an agency spokesperson told The Hill. Lorelei Salas, assistant director for supervision policy, and Eric Halperin, assistant director for the Office of Enforcement, also sent emails to their teams announcing their decisions to step down. “The Bureau has been instructed to stand down. I do not believe it is appropriate, nor lawful, to stop all supervisory activities and examinations, and I cannot longer serve as the Supervision Director,” Salas said in an email reviewed by The Hill. White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who was tapped late last week to serve as acting CFPB director, told staff Monday to “stand down from performing any work task.” Vought also announced over the weekend that he does not plan to take the agency’s next drawdown from the Federal Reserve, and employees were informed that the agency’s headquarters would be closed this week. Up Next - Judge adjusts ruling blocking Musk, DOGE from Treasury Department payment systems This series of events, which closely mirror those taken at the United States Agency for International Development last week, have left staff and outside observers nervous about the future of the CFPB. “I know you are concerned about your futures, the future of the bureau, and more importantly, the impact these sweeping changes will have on everyday consumers, on all of us,” Salas said in her email Tuesday. “You have had an incredible impact guaranteeing basic protections for consumers, and that legacy will endure,” she added. Halperin said in his message to staff Tuesday that he does not believe he “can effectively serve in [his] role, which is protecting American consumers,” under the current conditions at the agency. “There are millions of consumers who know that you had their back when it counted,” he added in the email reviewed by The Hill. “As I’ve said to you in the past, the road to justice for consumers is long, progress is not always linear, and success requires many hands. Your work has made an incredible difference in people’s lives.” A CFPB spokesperson told The Hill both Salas and Halperin were placed on administrative leave before emailing agency staff. The spokesperson also disputed whether the two officials resigned from the agency. “Halperin and Salas were placed on administrative leave this morning by Mark Paoletta. They sent those emails AFTER being placed on leave,” said the CFPB spokesperson, referring to the agency’s new chief legal officer. “Salas has also not submitted her resignation, she has just said she is resigning without actually doing so,” the spokesperson said. “Halperin was insubordinate and defied orders.” Both Salas and Halperin joined the CFPB in October 2021 under the leadership of former Director Rohit Chopra. Chopra warned Monday that shutting down the agency is “begging for another financial crisis.” “We had this experiment before in the years leading up to the subprime mortgage crisis, and as we all know, it was an absolute catastrophe,” Chopra told MSNBC. “We had a whole set of mortgage lenders and other companies that had basically no oversight, and we saw trillions of dollars of wealth in our country disappear.”
CFPB staff purge begins with dozens of employees terminated --The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sent termination notices to several dozen employees late Tuesday, according to people with knowledge of the situation.The affected staff were mostly those with probationary status, said the people, who asked for anonymity to speak candidly after orders to stop all agency work, including speaking with reporters. Being on probation means the employee is in a trial period, often lasting a year or two, after starting a new government position, and does not reflect performance, the people said. The move comes amid a broader effort under President Donald Trump to trim federal staff. The Office of Personnel Management asked federal agencies for lists of all recently hired workers because they are the easiest to terminate, NBC News has reported. That has stoked fears of layoffs at places as disparate as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency. CFPB staff have been on edge since late last week, when operatives of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency gained access to the agency. The CFPB headquarters have since been shuttered, while employees were told by acting CFPB director Russell Vought not to do any bureau work. Both Musk and Vought have called for the elimination of the CFPB."This is an unlawfully-executed mass firing," said Johanna Hickman, senior CFPB litigation counsel who said she received the agency's dismissal notice. "It's almost certainly the first salvo in the dismantling of this agency, and a significant percentage of the federal workforce."Hickman, who said she started in her CFPB role in June of 2023, said the agency's new leadership didn't follow established federal protocol for dismissing probationary employees. "A lot of us are prepared to fight, and we are examining all our legal avenues," she said.The terminations have sowed more confusion at the bureau, as several of those being laid off had already accepted federal buyout offers, said one of the people.Some being dismissed received form letters that did not include their specific names and titles, but left some fields filled with generic placeholders, said this person."Unfortunately, the Agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and skills do not meet the Agency's current needs," the CFPB told some who were dismissed, according to people who received the notices.The terminations hit the CFPB's enforcement division in particular because of a push under former director Rohit Chopra to boost hiring of enforcement lawyers, said another person. The agency had about 1,700 employees before the job cuts.
Donald Trump plans to become chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of his fascistic campaign against “degenerate art” -- On Friday evening, Donald Trump announced he was planning to fire multiple members of the federal government’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ board of trustees and name himself chairman. In a post, Trump claimed: At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture. We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP! Trump added: Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME! The Kennedy Center’s website indicated it was aware of the post made recently by POTUS [President of the United States] on social media. We have received no official communications from the White House regarding changes to our board of trustees. We are aware that some members of our board have received termination notices from the administration. Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members. There is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board. Trump’s attack is sinister and reactionary. He is again taking pages from Adolf Hitler’s playbook, attempting to whip up his fascist base with claims about “degenerate art.” Other measures taken by the new administration provide a clue as to what his cabal of fascists is planning. The January 29 executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” asserts that parents expect US schools “to instill a patriotic admiration for our incredible Nation and the values for which we stand.” “Patriotic education” means a presentation of the history of America grounded in: (i) an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational principles; (ii) a clear examination of how the United States has admirably grown closer to its noble principles throughout its history; (iii) the concept that commitment to America’s aspirations is beneficial and justified and (iv) the concept that celebration of America’s greatness and history is proper. In other words, Trump is ordering, as the WSWS suggested, “the transformation of K-12 education into a system of patriotic brainwashing—with the Pentagon given an unprecedented oversight role.” By a “golden age,” Trump is campaigning for a patriotic, national art, one that pays tribute to the greatness of American capitalism and its supposed achievements. Such an art is dishonest and insincere by definition, and, in fact, no art at all. It is intended to help create an American version of the Nazi “Volksgemeinschaft,” or “people’s” or “national community,” a mythological creation designed to cover over the class struggle and misdirect the population into chauvinist and nationalist channels. Art is to be oriented toward the “triumphant,” “monumental” and militaristic, toward the exclusion of other peoples and toward national insularity.
Donald Trump's decision to chair Kennedy Center stirs debate -- After dominating U.S. politics for nearly a decade, President Trump now appears to be setting his sights on the country’s cultural landscape. A Friday announcement that Trump is naming himself chair of the Kennedy Center’s board is a step toward giving his administration a much bigger role in and influence over the world of arts and entertainment overseen by the federal government. Political experts say the unprecedented move by a commander in chief could be just the beginning. “It’s like an assault on every kind of norm that has existed in American social and political and cultural life that he’s engaging in,” said Mark Wheeler, a political communications professor at London Metropolitan University in England. The surprise Kennedy Center news from Trump, Wheeler said, is one that both plays to his GOP base and is part of a “shock and awe” strategy he’s pursuing in “many different kinds of fronts in terms of public policy but also the cultural precepts.” “It’s the kind of disruptor process that Trump is engaged in, in terms of the kind of celebrity and political outsider image that he’s constructed or has been constructed for him,” said Wheeler, the author of “Hollywood: Politics and Society.” Trump, who on Sunday became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, has made it clear that he wants to prevent the Kennedy Center from putting on cultural works with which he disagrees, criticizing “drag shows” in a Truth Social post and raising questions over how much politics might influence Washington’s leading performing arts center, which opened in 1971. “Since bursting onto the political stage in 2015, President Trump has made culture the dominant issue in American politics and society — with some unwitting support from the Democratic left,” former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said. “Appointing himself to this position will allow him to continue casting himself as a cultural warrior undoing the excesses of the left and restoring what he would call traditional American culture.” Trump and the GOP on the campaign trail in 2024 successfully leaned into issues such as drag shows and transgender surgeries as talking points about how liberals had taken “wokeism” too far. And Republicans say growing the influence conservatives have in cultural institutions is essential. “I think there is a keen sense that conservatives should have a place at the table in cultural institutions again. And cultural institutions should welcome this,” said Patrick Wilson, a political appointee from Trump’s first term. “As this present era should remind everyone, including higher education and arts organizations, you need to be bipartisan and recruit friends and have patrons from across the political spectrum. It’s just smart. I think that’s actually what this is about,” Wilson added. In response to the president’s Friday night post, the Kennedy Center highlighted its historically “collaborative relationship with every presidential administration,” noting it had not received any information from the Trump administration about his move, which also involved terminating the terms of multiple board members. Trump is moving quickly to put his allies in positions at the Kennedy Center. He named Richard Grenell, his envoy for “special missions,” the interim executive director of the institution Monday. Even some Democrats pointed to the president’s authority to make changes at the Kennedy Center, while expressing weariness about what a Trump-controlled future might look like.
Stars flee Kennedy Center groups after Donald Trump seizes chair -- President Trump’s ascension to chair of the Kennedy Center on Wednesday led to multiple departures from the Washington, D.C., institution. Trump last week announced he was replacing several members of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees and would name himself chair. On Wednesday, the new board elected Trump as chair of the board. At approximately the same time that Trump announced his takeover, musician Ben Folds said he would resign as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, “given developments at the Kennedy Center.” “It’s been a wonderful 8 years” the former Ben Folds Five singer wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, saying he and the Kennedy Center’s staff encouraged “thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music.” Award-winning opera singer and actor Renée Fleming said she would depart from her role as artistic adviser at large to the Kennedy Center. She praised David Rubenstein, whom Trump replaced as chair, saying his leadership is “just one of the many ways he has contributed to America’s cultural and historic heritage. He is the greatest patriot I know.” Fleming also praised Deborah Rutter, whom the board fired Wednesday as president of the Kennedy Center, saying she “has been a tireless, creative leader, successfully expanding our National Center for the Arts in visionary ways.” “They have both been an inspiration to me; and out of respect, I think it right to depart as well,” Fleming continued. “I’ve treasured the bi-partisan support for this institution as a beacon of America at our best. I hope the Kennedy Center continues to flourish and serve the passionate and diverse audience in our nation’s capital and across the country.” Shonda Rhimes, the renowned television writer and producer, also reportedly resigned from the board after serving as the Kennedy Center’s treasurer. “Please be advised that as of today, Shonda Rhimes has resigned from the board of the Kennedy Center,” a spokesperson for Rhimes told Deadline. The Hill has reached out to her representation for comment. Trump said Wednesday it is a “Great Honor” to serve as chair of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, writing on social media, “We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” A White House official told The Hill the president participated in the board meeting Wednesday to elect him. The Kennedy Center confirmed Trump as its board chair in a Wednesday news release, saying that and other leadership changes were “effective immediately.”
Trump says transgender athletes will not be permitted entry to 2028 Olympic Games -- President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, fulfilling a key campaign promise that also could complicate the nation’s role as host of the next Summer Olympics. At a signing ceremony in Washington on Wednesday, Trump said his administration will not allow transgender athletes to compete in the Summer Games, which are set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028. “We’re just not going to let it happen,” Trump said Wednesday, flanked by supporters including Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who has crisscrossed the nation testifying against policies that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. “It’s ending right now, and nobody’s going to be able to damn thing about it because when I speak, we speak with authority.” An administration official told reporters earlier Wednesday that Trump’s order would target visas issued to professional and elite transgender athletes traveling to the U.S. to compete in women’s athletics competitions. “If you are coming into the country and you are claiming that you are a woman, but you are a male here to compete against women, we’re going to be reviewing that for fraud,” the official said. Trump on Wednesday repeated the false claim that two female boxers who competed in last year’s Paris Games, Imane Khelif of Algeria, where it is not legal for a person to change their gender, and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, are transgender. Up Next - Trump accelerates Guantanamo Bay migrant directive “Who could forget last year’s Paris Olympics, where a male boxer stole the woman’s gold medal after brutalizing his female opponent?” Trump said, referring to an Olympic bout between Khelif and Italy’s Angela Carini that ended in less than a minute and helped ignite a firestorm over Khelif’s gender identity. Wednesday’s order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review the nation’s visa policies “to address males falsely asserting they are females when entering the United States to compete in women’s sports,” according to a fact sheet. It charges DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with issuing guidance to prevent “such entry to the extent permitted by law.” The State Department has similarly stopped issuing U.S. passports with “X” gender markers and suspended processing applications from Americans seeking to update their passports with a new gender marker. Trump’s executive order charges Secretary of State Marco Rubio with demanding changes within the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bar transgender athletes from single-sex sports. As a Florida Republican senator, Rubio had said the concept of gender identity is “unscientific, subjective, and political.” The IOC issued new guidelines for transgender and intersex athletes in 2021, abandoning a prior framework that required competing athletes to undergo hormone treatments and procedures the new policy called “medically unnecessary.” The 2021 guidelines are not legally binding and are meant to help international sporting bodies determine eligibility criteria.
Culture Shift: Google Calendar Removes Pride, Black History Month, Other DEI Dates -- Google Calendar has erased so called ‘cultural’ dates including Pride, Black History Month, Indigenous People Month, and Hispanic Heritage, and will only display official public holidays and national observances going forward.
Nancy Mace alleges sexual abuse, rape in House floor speech - Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) made a series of allegations of sexual abuse, rape and voyeurism perpetrated against herself and other women by a group of four men in a personal — and highly unusual — speech on the House floor Monday evening. Mace, who has served in the House since 2021, spoke for nearly an hour in the lower chamber, accusing four South Carolina men of being “predators” and displaying their names and photos on a poster board on the House floor. “You have bought yourself a one-way ticket to hell. It is nonstop, there are no connections, so I and all your victims can watch you rot in eternity,” Mace said on the House floor, in a speech that she said she titled “Iron Sharpens Iron.” She made a number of specific allegations, like finding thousands of intimate photos and videos of women and underage girls that were captured without their consent. Mace also said she was raped herself after blacking out one night, and believes she was “purposefully incapacitated.” Mace pulled out props throughout the remarks, including handcuffs — “if anyone would like to arrest me for standing up for women, here are my wrists” — a glass to show the size of the two drinks she had the night she says she blacked out, and a camera she said was hidden at the property owned by two of the alleged assailants. Mace also went into further graphic detail, but The Hill has not independently verified the allegations. While Mace said she has evidence to back up her claims, she has not yet presented it. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed on Monday that it had opened an investigation into one of the men Mace named in December of 2023, shortly after Mace said she discovered the abuse, after being contacted by U.S. Capitol Police. “Since that date SLED has conducted multiple interviews, served multiple search warrants, and has a well-documented case file that will be available for release upon the conclusion of the case,” the department added. No criminal charges have been filed, and some of the men denied the allegations in statements to The Hill and said they were considering legal action. A provision of the Constitution known as the “speech or debate clause” gives members of Congress broad protection from prosecution for what they say while performing legislative duties. A press release from Mace about the speech referenced that protection, but defended the veracity of her allegations: “Any and all statements made by Members on the House Floor are quintessential ‘legislative acts,’ and protected by the Speech and Debate clause afforded under the Constitution of the United States. Her statements tonight are not conjecture, they are not allegations, they are facts based on information she uncovered and documents she accidentally discovered.” Mace also spent a significant portion of her speech criticizing South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R), who she said did not do enough to investigate and prosecute the alleged crimes. Both Mace and Wilson are considering running for governor of South Carolina in 2026. The South Carolina Attorney General’s office issued a statement after Mace’s speech that called her remarks “categorically false,” denying that the entity has received any reports regarding the matters she outlined. “Ms. Mace either does not understand or is purposefully mischaracterizing the role of the Attorney General,” the office wrote. “At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters. Additionally, the Attorney General and members of his office have had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements.” “It is clear that Attorney General Alan Wilson has built his career on protecting the most vulnerable in our state; any statement otherwise is blatantly false and politically motivated,” the office added. The speech made for a rather uncommon scene in the House chamber, where remarks are typically made to discuss legislation, honor constituents or comment on current events. She delivered the speech after votes Monday evening, when the chamber was largely empty. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) sat behind Mace for the entirety of her remarks, joined by Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) and a handful of staffers for parts throughout. Mace also said her mother and survivors of sexual assault were present in the gallery. At one point, Mace placed a red sticker that said “survivor” on her chest, which she said her staff had made. The congresswoman handed stickers to Boebert, Burchett and Luna, who put them on as well. Individuals watching the speech from the gallery also put on the stickers. Mace has made pushing back on rape and sexual abuse a key part of her political identity, invoking her personal experiences while doing so. Mace has long talked about being raped as a teenager while advocating for exceptions to anti-abortion legislation. And in the past several months, Mace has been very vocal about advocating against transgender women being allowed in women’s restrooms — taking direct aim at the first openly transgender member of Congress, Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), who was elected last year. In her speech Monday, she included several bills aimed at transgender women in a list of measure she said were aimed at protecting women and girls.
Manhattan US attorney resigns after DOJ orders Eric Adams charges dropped - The acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York has resigned from her post after the Justice Department (DOJ) directed her to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D). A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office confirmed Danielle Sassoon stepped down from her post Thursday afternoon. They didn’t elaborate on the reasoning behind her decision, but it comes just days after the DOJ told her that the charges against Adams should be dropped, arguing that the case “improperly interfered” with Adams’s reelection campaign and restricted his ability to address illegal immigration and violent crime. The memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove notably didn’t argue against the legitimacy of any evidence gathered against Adams or evaluate the strength of the case.
Tulsi Confirmed As DNI, With Glitchin' Mitch As Lone Republican 'No' Vote -- In what is hands-down the most surprising, and welcome, development concerning a Trump pick for a national security top post, Tulsi Gabbard has been confirmed as New Director of National Intelligence. It was narrow, and predictably along parisan lines... Mitch McConnell was the lone Republican no vote... in a post-vote statement he claimed that Gabbard is "tainted"."Tulsi Gabbard failed to demonstrate that she is prepared to assume this tremendous national trust. The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a DNI with a history of alarming lapses in judgment," he said, citing her refusal to condemn Edward Snowden, and her stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. She's been subject to years of media attacks branding her a 'Kremlin agent' and 'Assadist' etc... For example, right up through the voteThe New York Times was running its smear campaign in the following:Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii. She has taken a sympathetic stance toward Russia and Syria under the Assad family's rule.And she has defended Edward Snowden, an intelligence contractor who released classified information in 2013. These positions, at odds with the foreign policy establishment in both parties, have made her one of President Trump’s most divisive cabinet nominees.But she's long risen to popularity among military members and veterans especially, given her no compromise approach to blasting America's regime change wars abroad in the wake of Bush's Iraq war, taking neocons and liberal interventions alike to task. It's a new day in the world of the deep state intelligence blob in Washington, and without doubt the old powers that be are nervous, or else running scared. But time will tell.
Kennedy confirmed as US health secretary -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed today by the US Senate as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines who faced fierce questioning from Democrats and some Republicans over his views during his confirmation hearings, was confirmed by a vote of 52 to 48. All Democratic senators, along with two independents, voted against Kennedy. All Republicans, with the exception of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), voted in support.A lawyer and activist with no medical or public health training, Kennedy will now head up an agency that oversees 13 operating divisions regulating health and healthcare, food, and medicine, with a budget of $1.8 trillion. Among the agencies he will oversee are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. While Kennedy has also been a critic of the food and agriculture industries, pharmaceutical companies, and the healthcare industry and has said he wants to focus on fixing what he calls America's chronic disease epidemic, public health infectious disease experts say that his two decades of anti-vaccine advocacy are what concerns them the most about his confirmation. "We've got our work cut out for us," said Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, publisher of CIDRAP News. "The next 4 years are likely to be the challenge of our public health lifetimes." In a statement issued shortly after the confirmation vote, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) said experts in infectious disease are ready to offer to Kennedy and his staff objective insight and scientific, evidence-based recommendations on future health threats. But the statement highlighted the group's concerns about how Kennedy could undermine confidence in vaccines and upend US vaccine policy. "Secretary Kennedy's confirmation is an important opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding, overwhelming and settled science regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, which remain our best defense against many serious infectious diseases," said IDSA President Tina Tan, MD. "We look forward to working with lawmakers to hold Secretary Kennedy to his promise to maintain our nation’s vaccine approval and safety framework, including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Vaccines for Children program and other public health vaccine programs." Others warned that confirming Kennedy, with his history of spreading false information about vaccines and other public health issues, could be disastrous. "This is a person who evades the value of one of the greatest health innovations humans have ever invented and brazenly spreads misinformation," Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, said in an email. "I view him as a nihilist bent on destroying health." McConnell, a polio survivor, echoed those concerns in a statement to reporters explaining his "no" vote. "Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness," McConnell's statement said, according to the New York Times. "But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts." Even senators who voted to confirm Kennedy suggested they remain uneasy about his views on vaccines. "Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and I sought assurance that, as HHS Secretary, he would do nothing to make it difficult for people to take vaccines or discourage vaccination efforts," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said in a post explaining her intention to vote "yes" on the social media site X yesterday. "He has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research." Whether Kennedy upholds those commitments remains to be seen.
McConnell on RFK Jr.: ‘I will not condone the relitigation of proven cures’-- Sen. Mitch McConnell issued a blistering indictment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday, with the Kentucky Republican saying his childhood bout with polio heavily influenced his decision to vote against Kennedy as Health and Human Services secretary. “In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the relitigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell said in a statement. The Senate confirmed the longtime anti-vaccine activist to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday by a vote of 52 to 48. McConnell was the only Republican to vote no, despite other senators indicating they had lingering concerns about Kennedy’s vaccine views. “Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness. But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts,” the former Senate majority leader said. McConnell was also the lone GOP no vote against Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and one of only three Republicans who opposed Pete Hegseth as Defense secretary. During a pair of contentious confirmation hearings last month, Kennedy denied he was against vaccines, despite refusing to disavow his promotion of a debunked link between vaccines and autism. Instead, Kennedy painted himself as pro-vaccine safety, contending that vaccines aren’t tested enough, something experts say is not true. “This Administration — led by the same President who delivered a medical miracle with Project Warp Speed — deserves a leader who is willing to acknowledge without qualification the efficacy of life-saving vaccines and who can demonstrate an understanding of basic elements of the U.S. healthcare system,” McConnell said. “Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency”
Citing government overreach, Louisiana won't promote vaccination, surgeons general say --The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will no longer encourage mass vaccination, the state attorney general and his deputy said yesterday in a news release and on social media, alarming health experts amid a growing measles outbreak in neighboring Texas.And LDH has banned vaccine events and ordered staff not to promote vaccination, New Orleans Public Radio (NOPR) reported today, citing an internal memo to staff yesterday, the same day as the confirmation of vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. In December, NOPR reported that LDH employees had been instructed not to produce news releases, presentations, or social media posts urging vaccination against COVID-19, flu, or mpox."Government should admit the limitations of its role in people’s lives and pull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine," Ralph Abraham, DVM, MD, and Wyche Coleman III, MD, said in yesterday's release. Restoring public trust, they said, "requires returning medical decisions to the doctor-patient relationship, where informed, personalized care is guided by compassion and expertise rather than blanket government mandates."Abraham is a veterinarian, physician, and was a Republican US representative for Louisiana's fifth congressional district from 2015 to 2021. He made a failed bid for governor in 2019. Coleman is an ophthalmologist who practices in Shreveport.The statement noted that for much of last century, public health has worked to fill the gaps in the "broken" US healthcare system by providing guidance, information, and recommendations. "But when we get it wrong and overreach, the harm is often irreparable," it said, calling the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that 6-month-old children receive COVID-19 vaccinations "woefully out of touch with reality and with most parents." "Trust is built over years and lost in seconds, and we’re still rebuilding from the COVID missteps," namely the vaccine mandates that constituted an "offense against personal autonomy that will take years to overcome," they said.
US cracks down on Russian ransomware networks - The U.S. took aim at two separate Russian ransomware networks Tuesday, announcing new sanctions and arrests against a Russia-based internet service provider and several Russian nationals. The State Department said it is sanctioning Zservers — a bulletproof hosting (BPH) services provider that allegedly supported LockBit ransomware attacks — alongside Australia and the United Kingdom. Bulletproof hosting providers typically ignore or evade law enforcement requests and, as such, are highly sought after for cybercrime. “As a BPH service provider, Zservers provided cybercriminals access to specialized servers and other computer infrastructure designed to resist law enforcement action,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. “Russia continues to offer safe harbor for cybercriminals where groups are free to launch and support ransomware attacks against the United States and its allies and partners,” she added. Two Russian nationals who served as Zservers operators, Aleksandr Sergeyevich Bolshakov and Alexander Igorevich Mishin, were also targeted with sanctions. The LockBit group, which is considered one of the world’s most dominant ransomware groups, has received more than $120 million in ransom payments. The State Department is currently offering a reward of up to $15 million for information about LockBit. The Department of Justice (DOJ) separately announced Tuesday that it had arrested two Russian nationals, Roman Berezhnoy and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, for allegedly operating a cybercrime group using another ransomware called Phobos. They allegedly targeted more than 1,000 entities, including a children’s hospital, health care providers and educational institutions, and received more than $16 million in ransom payments, according to the DOJ.
Western Union cuts off Cuba; crypto draws global bulls -- The Trump administration's pressure on Cuba has led Western Union to discontinue its payment services in the country. The money-transfer company's move came after the U.S. State Department last week renewed sanctions against the island nation. That, plus Klarna and Standard Chartered get bullish on crypto; Trump's not the first politician to rail at pennies; and other international payments and fintech news.
Argentine Leader Draws Fire After Cratering of Crypto Coin He Promoted - The New York Times -- Argentina’s libertarian president, Javier Milei, has caused a political firestorm by promoting an unknown cryptocurrency token that shot up in value after his endorsement and then swiftly cratered. In a post on social media on Friday night, Mr. Milei said that the coin, called $LIBRA, would stimulate the economy and help small businesses grow. While the sudden attention gave the token an initial boost, the huge gains were erased as fear quickly spread that the coin was a scam. Mr. Milei deleted his social media post five hours later and attempted to distance himself from the venture. “I was not familiar with the details of the project,” he wrote on X, “and after having informed myself I decided not to continue disseminating it (that is why I deleted the tweet).” But Mr. Milei rapidly came under fire for his role in pushing people toward a risky investment. His dalliance with crypto also prompted comparisons with President Trump, who launched a memecoin, $Trump, last month. That token surged for a while and then crashed. A center-left coalition that opposes Mr. Milei’s libertarian government called his crypto foray “a scandal without precedent.” Another political bloc said it was seeking to create a commission in Congress to investigate what occurred. Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Mr. Milei’s main political nemesis, said that “thousands” who had trusted him lost millions of dollars in all, “while many made fortunes due to privileged information.” Mr. Milei’s promotion of $LIBRA was only the latest in a series of moves he has made in parallel with Mr. Trump. Mr. Milei withdrew Argentina from the World Health Organization earlier this month, and his staff has said that the government is examining whether to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. The coin promoted by Mr. Milei was presented as an investment tool that would be good for the country. In his initial post on X, he said that $LIBRA — a name that carries echoes of his political party, La Libertad Avanza — would “incentivize the growth of the Argentine economy, funding small companies and Argentine ventures.” “Liberal Argentina is growing!!!” Mr. Milei added, saying that “the world wants to invest in Argentina.” Not long after, a community note on X warned users to be cautious with $LIBRA. It urged people to “verify before interacting with the project” because of behavior consistent “with a rug pull.” That term refers to scam offerings by developers who create a crypto token, attract investors and then suddenly disappear, withdrawing all their money. Shortly after midnight, Mr. Milei deleted his post. He later said that he had no personal ties to the crypto token. He lashed out at his critics, who he said were trying to score political points. “I want to say that every day they confirm how lowly politicians are,” he said. Agustín Pantano, a 28-year-old lawyer and Milei supporter, said he had jumped on $LIBRA because of the president’s initial post on X. He said he wagered that Mr. Milei’s involvement could make him some quick money. At 1 a.m., he checked his phone and saw that he had lost about 90 percent of the $150 he had put in. “There were several red flags, and that’s why I only invested a little money,” Mr. Pantano said.
OpenAI rejects $97.4bn Musk bid and says company is not for sale -- OpenAI on Friday rejected a $97.4bn bid from a consortium led by billionaireElon Musk for the ChatGPT maker, saying the startup is not for sale.The unsolicited approach is Musk’s latest attempt to block the startup he co-founded with CEO Sam Altman – but later left – from becoming a for-profit firm, as it looks to secure more capital and stay ahead in the AI race.“OpenAI is not for sale, and the board has unanimously rejected Mr Musk’s latest attempt to disrupt his competition. Any potential reorganization ofOpenAI will strengthen our nonprofit and its mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity,” OpenAI said on X, quoting its chair Bret Taylor, on behalf of its board.On Tuesday, Altman told news website Axios that OpenAI was not for sale. He had rebuffed the offer on Monday with a “no thank you” on X, prompting Musk to retort: “Swindler.”The consortium led by Musk, including his AI startup xAI, would withdraw its bid for OpenAI’s non-profit arm if it drops plans to become a for-profit entity, the billionaire’s lawyers said in a court filing on Wednesday.“Two days ago, you filed a pleading in court adding new material conditions to the proposal. As a result of that filing, it is now apparent that your clients’ much publicized ‘bid’ is in fact not a bid at all,” the OpenAI board said, according to a letter signed by William Savitt, a lawyer representing the company, sent to Musk’s lawyer Marc Toberoff on Friday.Other investors in the consortium include Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital and Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel. Altman and Musk have been at loggerheads for years. After Musk’s departure in 2019, OpenAI created a for-profit arm that has drawn billions of dollars in funding, sparking allegations from Musk that the startup breached its original mission by putting profit ahead of the larger public good.Musk sued Altman, OpenAI, and its biggest backer Microsoft in August last year for the alleged breach of contract.In November, Musk asked a US district judge for a preliminary injunction to block OpenAI from moving to a for-profit structure.
Zelle payments top $1 trillion in 2024 -- Zelle, the payments network run by banks-owned Early Warning Services, crossed $1 trillion in total volumes last year, which it said was the most ever for a peer-to-peer platform.The firm said Wednesday that its user base jumped 12% to 151 million accounts in 2024, and that the total dollars sent on the platform jumped 27% from the year earlier. Last year's payment volumes were "by far the most money ever moved by a P2P payments service in a single year," Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle, told CNBC.Zelle, which was launched in 2017 in response to fintech platforms such as Venmo, PayPal and CashApp, has some key advantages over those players. EWS is owned by seven of the biggest U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, and Zelle allows for instant money transfers made within the apps of thousands of member institutions.Its growth rate last year exceeded that of PayPal, which reported that total P2P payments volumes reached more than $400 billion.Zelle's meteoric rise comes amid accusations that the network and the three biggest U.S. banks on it failed to properly investigate fraud complaints or give victims reimbursement. The company has introduced measures to reduce fraud and has said that 99.95% of transactions are free of fraud and scams. Growth is being driven as bank customers increasingly use Zelle instead of cash or checks, and as small businesses adopt the payment option, said Leonhard."People are using Zelle in order to do things like pay their rent or paying their nanny," Leonhard said. "We want to continue to be top of mind for those consumers to be able to use this every day," Leonhard added.
Master account policy tweak signals Fed shift toward crypto - Access to the Federal Reserve's payments systems will no longer be predicated on a financial institution's reputation, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress this week. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said reserve banks will no longer factor "reputational risk" into master account decisions. The crypto industry is encouraged by the commitment, but says more changes are needed.
SEC's Peirce says agency wants new approach to crypto -- Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce says the Wall Street watchdog is taking a close look at cases it has brought against crypto firms as it tries to strike a new tone on regulating digital assets. Hester Pierce, a Republican SEC appointee, said industry watchdogs had previously been practicing regulation by enforcement with digital assets.
'Massive visibility': Fintechs spent millions on Super Bowl -There are two types of people come the second Sunday in February – those who care about football and those who watch the Super Bowl for everything that comes with it. For those paying more attention to the nachos than the game, there was a lot to keep track of: Taylor Swift and Donald Trump in the stands; Kendrick's Americana performance; rumors of a Travis Kelce proposal; and, of course, the ads. Ramp, NerdWallet and Rocket all released commercials at this year's Super Bowl where the Eagles defeated two-time reigning champions the Chiefs.
Could Trump build lasting bridges between crypto and banks? --Cryptocurrency has been enjoying its time in the spotlight, as lawmakers empowered by the pro-crypto Trump administration work to build a more welcoming environment for digital-asset players to access financial services. But legislators across the aisle remain conflicted on whether the regulators or the institutions themselves are to blame for past friction. Following President Donald Trump's executive order to protect banking services for crypto firms, lawmakers ask if banks or regulators are to blame.
BankThink: The U.S. can catch up on crypto adoption, with Trump's help - It took the SEC all of four days under the new Trump administration to undo Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121, or SAB 121 — a major accounting obstacle to public company adoption of blockchain technology that set back institutions for years. The consequences of the change are significant, and could include an opening for Wall Street firms to enter into the digital assets space at scale. The end of SAB 121 marks a new beginning for banks and regulated financial institutions in particular. Taken together with the sweeping executive order on digital financial technology issued on Jan. 23, there is now every indication that the administration intends to fulfill President Trump's campaign promise, reiterated recently at Davos, to make the United States the "world capital" of crypto. The Trump administration has taken the first steps toward turning the U.S. into the world's crypto "capital" — but is it willing to go all the way?
Watchdogs to investigate DOGE Treasury payments access — The Government Accountability Office and the Treasury inspector general said that they will investigate the Department of Government Efficiency's access to Treasury's payments data. The probes come at the request of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., respectively the ranking members of the Senate Banking and Senate Finance committees.
Warren: Musk can 'knock his competitors out' with CFPB data— Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, told reporters Tuesday that Elon Musk might be able to access banks' confidential information and use that information to form his own X Money product. In comments to reporters, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., underscored what she said was a conflict of interest between Elon Musk's DOGE's actions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and his business interests with X Money.
SEC will not defend climate disclosure rule - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Tuesday that it will not defend a year-old rule requiring publicly held companies to disclose climate-related risks and in some cases the details of their emissions. “The Rule is deeply flawed and could inflict significant harm on the capital markets and our economy,” acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda said in a statement. The SEC rule, finalized in March 2024, required emissions disclosures in cases when that information might affect an investment decision. It passed 3-2 along party lines, with Uyeda one of the two Republican votes opposed to it. The rule represented a major compromise from the original 2022 SEC proposal, which would have required all public companies to disclose their direct emissions and in some cases required further information about indirect emissions within the supply chain. The final rule also scrapped a requirement to disclose emissions created by their products after they sold them. This could have had major implications for fossil fuel companies in particular, as it would have mandated that they spell out the emissions associated with burning oil and gas. The emissions disclosure requirements for the final rules would have kicked in starting in fiscal 2026 for large companies and 2028 for midsize firms. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, hailed the SEC decision in a social media post Tuesday: “The SEC’s overreaching climate rule would have burdened farmers, ranchers and small businesses with costly reporting requirements and red tape. I’m glad to see it revoked today.”
OCC exits Network for Greening Financial System -- The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced Tuesday it had withdrawn from an international body devoted to combatting climate-driven financial risk, saying it fell outside the agency's statutory remit.
Bankers say deregulation pros may outweigh cons of Trump tariffs - Banks may be willing to swallow the increasing costs of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs — if such policies come with the carrot of deregulation. While executives this week signaled they could accept policies that put pressure on the economy, analysts said the lighter regulatory touch is unlikely to offset Trump's tariff regime.
Powell backs leverage ratio update, Treasury market reform -Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell wants to see changes to a regulatory standard that many banks view as a binding constraint. During congressional testimony, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he supports changes to the supplemental leverage ratio to make it easier for banks to intermediate the Treasury market.
BankThink: Corporate Transparency Act enforcement needs an overhaul --The Corporate Transparency Act has been under assault on many fronts. Recently, theSupreme Court reimposed the stay of a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the CTA. Rather than continuing its current path, the Treasury Department should use the court's decision as an opportunity to revisit implementation of the CTA, particularly the Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule. The rule is deeply flawed and practically unworkable in its current form. Treasury should put compliance on hold while it revises the reporting rule to make it more effective and less intrusive and burdensome to law abiding citizens and companies. The rule requiring businesses to report their beneficial ownership is deeply flawed. Enforcement should be suspended until it can be revised to place fewer burdens on law-abiding people and companies.
FDIC likely subject to EO on federal workforce reduction -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will likely need to identify staff positions and any programs within the agency not explicitly required by law as part of an executive order signed Tuesday night by President Trump aimed at making deep cuts to the federal workforce. The FDIC and other independent agencies will likely need to identify positions not explicitly required by law under a new Trump administration executive order aimed at downsizing the federal workforce.
SBA fires staff, calls it an error, fires them again -- President Donald Trump's Small Business Administration told probationary staff members it had mistakenly sent them termination notices, and then informed some of them the next day that they were fired after all.
Powell: CFPB shutdown creates consumer oversight gaps - With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sidelined, there is no federal regulator examining large banks for consumer compliance, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers on Tuesday, and banking agencies can only do so much to pick up the slack. In his semiannual testimony before the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the effective shuttering of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau leaves no federal regulator in charge of policing large banks for consumer protection law compliance.
CFPB's acting director was illegally appointed: Lawsuit - Consumer and employee groups are seeking a temporary restraining order against Russell Vought, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying he was illegally appointed and that his actions to dismantle the agency have usurped the role of Congress. Consumer and employees groups are seeking a restraining order against CFPB acting Director Russell Vought, arguing that he was unlawfully installed and has "no power to direct" the bureau.
HFSC will hold hearing after new CFPB director confirmation -- A House Financial Services Committee spokesperson said the committee will hold its required semiannual hearing with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director after nominee Jonathan McKernan is confirmed rather than with interim director Russell Vought.
Trump officials fire dozens of Chopra's hires at CFPB -The Trump administration has fired dozens of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employees who were hired during the Biden administration, notifying them via email that they were terminated Thursday and citing an executive order signed by President Trump. On Thursday night, the Trump administration fired dozens of employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to an email obtained by American Banker. Most of the workers targeted had been hired by former CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.
Baltimore sues Trump officials to halt dismantling of CFPB -- The mayor and city council of Baltimore, along with a Maryland-based economic justice group, are suing the bureau and its acting director, claiming that the recent decision to "defund" the CFPB will leave it unable to support communities.
President Trump confirms his goal is to eliminate the CFPB -- President Donald Trump has confirmed that his goal is to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which he said "was set up to destroy people." Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, the president was asked if he wanted to eliminate the bureau. "I would say, yeah," Trump replied. "Because we're trying to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse."
Judge agrees to immediately halt further CFPB firings -- A federal judge on Friday agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration from firing more employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration from firing more CPFB employees and said the White House could not delete or destroy any of the bureau's data or databases.
TD Bank's $9B mortgage sale: one-off or industry shake-up? -- TD Bank is reportedly selling billions of dollars of mortgages due to a regulatory asset cap tied to anti-money laundering violations, raising questions about whether the circumstance is unique or reflective of a broader trend. North American banks face heightened anti-money laundering scrutiny and a few related variables will determine whether or not this leads to more mortgage sales.
Automated mortgage insurance cancellation is a dangerous plan --A proposal to tie cancellation of private mortgage insurance policies to automated valuation models would add unnecessary risk to mortgage portfolios and would result in less, not more, affordable housing. A recent proposal published here ("The FHFA could save borrowers billions with automated PMI cancellation," Jan. 15) by two former Freddie Mac employees to use automated valuation models, or AVMs, to cancel private mortgage insurance, or MI, prematurely is a short-sighted and risky move that could threaten housing affordability and financial stability in the mortgage finance system. The proposal would create new risk and financial loss exposure for thegovernment sponsored enterprises, or GSEs, which have benefited from taxpayer support in the past, and could make homeownership less affordable for prospective borrowers at exactly the wrong time.
How Climate Denial is Fueling a U.S. Homeowners Insurance Crisis and Risking a 2008-Style Financial Meltdown -- Yves here. This informative interview with political economist Tom Ferguson is consistent with our recent discussions of the climate change train that is bearing down on the real estate insurance and housing markets. Ferguson describes how insurers have been well aware of how climate change is set to make insurance unaffordable in many markets, yet have chosen to stay mum out of reluctance to have the fossil fuel industry target them (I would like to have learned more about exactly what the carbon emitters could do). Ferguson argues that insurers are acting just like mortgage lenders in the runup to the 2008 crisis. I don’t agree with that analogy with respect to property and casualty insurers: their policies are only for one year, unlike mortgages, so they can reprice or exit a market. Ferguson include the example of State Farm in California doing just that. No one has legally tested the legal validity of state regulators requiring insurers to issue new policies to existing customers after an adverse climate event. If that requirement also includes price restrictions and costly new “exit” provisions, that looks like a Constitutional “taking,” as in eminent domain lite. Mind you, I haven’t seen any evidence that regulatory pressure to keep insurance artificially affordable has yet gone that far. But you can see the direction of travel. Where the train wreck is coming, however, is in mortgages and home (and commercial real estate) prices. Mortgage lenders will first factor in higher insurance costs in their lending models, as in how much credit they extend in light of borrowers having less of their income remaining to service a mortgage. They may start requiring much higher down payments for mortgages in climate-afflicted areas. The end game, as we indicated, is that mortgages will become scarce and costly in climate-change exposed areas, leading to falls in housing prices. That in turn will cycle through to property tax revenues, wrecking municipal budgets. As Ferguson has said, “If you want a happy ending, watch a Disney movie.” Interview By Lynn Parramore, Senior Research Analyst at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website - Everyone’s freaking out about soaring homeowner’s insurance costs in the wake of devastating California fires. Right now popular anger focuses mostly on greedy insurance companies, but is that the whole story? Are they truly the main reason behind these rising premiums, or are other factors at play? Thomas Ferguson, Director of Research at the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET), dives into the growing crisis, arguing that climate change denialism is hiding its true extent. Insurance companies, he notes, are fully aware of the rising costs linked to climate change, but they avoid confronting the powerful political influence of the fossil fuel industry. When regulators don’t approve their demands for higher rates, private insurers simply pull out of high-risk markets. Meanwhile, local real estate and construction interests keep building in places that our increasingly unpredictable climate just can’t handle anymore.The result is a no-win scenario where everyone tries to shift the real costs of a warming planet onto someone else, while key players continue to pretend that climate change isn’t happening. The result? Homeowners are paying higher premiums for policies that provide less coverage, whether through private insurers or underfunded state-backed programs designed as a last resort.Ferguson highlights that the challenges homeowners face go beyond just rising insurance costs and limited coverage—they also include broader economic consequences, like being unable to secure a bank loan or mortgage without proper insurance. He warns that while the Federal Reserve and other regulators avoid addressing climate change, risky building practices continue at the local level, putting homeowners at even greater risk. Meanwhile, big banks keep investing in fossil fuel companies, worsening the overall threat to our financial stability. Together, these factors create a dangerous cycle that leaves homeowners and the broader economy vulnerable. Ferguson spoke to INET about what media reports are overlooking and what you really need to know about the problem – and how we can tackle it.
Mortgage Originations by Credit Score, Delinquencies Increase, Foreclosures Remain Low -- Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Q4 NY Fed Report: Mortgage Originations by Credit Score, Delinquencies Increase, Foreclosures Remain Low A brief excerpt: The first graph shows mortgage originations by credit score (this includes both purchase and refinance). Look at the difference in credit scores in the recent period compared to the during the bubble years (2003 through 2006). Recently there have been almost no originations for borrowers with credit scores below 620, and few below 660. A significant majority of recent originations have been to borrowers with credit score above 760. ... Solid underwriting is a key reason I’ve argued Don't Compare the Current Housing Boom to the Bubble and Bust, Look instead at the 1978 to 1982 period for lessonsThe NY Fed released the Q4 Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit this morning. Here are a few charts from the report.The first graph shows mortgage originations by credit score (this includes both purchase and refinance). Look at the difference in credit scores in the recent period compared to the during the bubble years (2003 through 2006). Recently there have been almost no originations for borrowers with credit scores below 620, and few below 660. A significant majority of recent originations have been to borrowers with credit score above 760.Solid underwriting is a key reason I’ve argued Don't Compare the Current Housing Boom to the Bubble and Bust, Look instead at the 1978 to 1982 period for lessons From the NY Fed:The volume of mortgage originations, measured as appearances of new mortgages on consumer credit reports and including both refinance and purchase originations, increased slightly with $465 billion newly originated in 2024Q4. …Credit quality of newly originated loans was mixed. The credit scores of newly originated auto loans and mortgages were mostly steady, although there was some deterioration in mortgages, as the tenth percentile score of newly originated mortgage loans declined by six points.Here is another way to look at the credit scores by origination over time. There was a significant decline in credit scores during the bubble.A possible concern is the increase in transition rates from current to 30-60 days late. This has been steadily increasing since mortgage rates increased and is now back to pre-pandemic levels. Further increases would be a little worrisome. And here is the transition to serious delinquencies. Most short-term delinquencies transition back to current, but there has been a slight increase in transitions to serious delinquencies. Although the transition rate to serious delinquent is generally increasing, foreclosures remain historically low and well below pre-pandemic levels. There is much more in the report.
MBA: Mortgage Refinance Applications Increased in Weekly Survey; Purchase Applications Declined From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly SurveyMortgage applications increased 2.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 7, 2025. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 6 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 10 percent from the previous week and was 33 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 4 percent compared with the previous week and was 2 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “Mortgage rates moved slightly lower last week, which led to the pace of refinance applications reaching its strongest week since October 2024,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The average loan size for refinance borrowers increased, as these borrowers tend to be more responsive for a given change in rates. Purchase applications were down from the previous week’s level but were slightly ahead of last year’s pace. The average loan size for a purchase application increased to its highest level since March 2022 at $456,100, partially driven by fewer FHA purchase applications but more VA loans compared to the previous week.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($766,550 or less) decreased to 6.95 percent from 6.97 percent, with points remained unchanged at 0.64 (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% year-over-year unadjusted. Purchase application activity is up about 22% from the lows in late October 2023 and is now 1% above the lowest levels during the housing bust. The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.
Housing Feb 10th Weekly Update: Inventory Down 0.4% Week-over-week, Up 27.8% Year-over-year Altos reports that active single-family inventory was down 0.4% week-over-week. Inventory always declines seasonally in the Winter and usually bottoms in late January or February. Inventory is now up 1.3% from the bottom four weeks ago. Inventory has been little changed over the last 4 weeks. The first 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 27.8% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 277%), and down 22.1% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 22.2%). Back in June 2023, inventory was down almost 54% compared to 2019, so the gap to more normal inventory levels has closed significantly!This second inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of Feb 7th, inventory was at 632 thousand (7-day average), compared to 635 thousand the prior week. Mike Simonsen discusses this data regularly on Youtube
Leading Index for Commercial Real Estate Increased 6% in January --From Dodge Data Analytics: Dodge Momentum Index Grows 6% in January -- The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, grew 5.6% in January to 225.7 (2000=100) from the revised December reading of 213.6. Over the month, commercial planning increased 4.2% while institutional planning improved 8.7%. “Nonresidential planning activity saw diversified growth in January, with every vertical experiencing positive momentum,” “Uncertainty over fiscal policies, ongoing labor shortages and elevated construction costs will continue to be headwinds to the construction sector. However, further monetary easing and the sizable number of projects in planning should support construction spending in the back half of the year.” On the commercial side, data center, traditional office building, and warehouse planning led this month’s gains. Education and healthcare planning, especially on the hospital side, supported the institutional portion. In January, the DMI was up 26% when compared to year-ago levels. The commercial segment was up 37% from January 2024, while the institutional segment was up 9% over the same period. The influence of data centers on the DMI this year remains substantial. If we remove all data center projects between 2023 and 2025, commercial planning would be up 13% from year-ago levels, and the entire DMI would be up 11%. This graph shows the Dodge Momentum Index since 2002. The index was at 225.7 in January, up from 213.6 the previous month. According to Dodge, this index leads "construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year". This index suggests a slowdown in early 2025, but a pickup in mid-2025. Commercial construction is typically a lagging economic indicator.
NY Fed Q4 Report: Household Debt Increased; High auto loan delinquency rates -- From the NY Fed: Household Debt Balances Continue Steady Increase; Delinquency Transition Rates Remain Elevated for Auto and Credit Cards The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. The report shows total household debt increased by $93 billion (0.5%) in Q4 2024, to $18.04 trillion. The report is based on data from the New York Fed’s nationally representative Consumer Credit Panel. It includes a one-page summary of key takeaways and their supporting data points. The New York Fed also issued an accompanying Liberty Street Economics blog post examining delinquency rates in the auto loan market. “While mortgage delinquency rates are similar to pre-pandemic levels, auto loan delinquency transition rates remain elevated.” “High auto loan delinquency rates are broad-based across credit scores and income levels.” Credit card balances increased by $45 billion from the previous quarter and reached $1.21 trillion at the end of December 2024. Auto loan balances saw a $11 billion increase and stood at $1.66 trillion. Mortgage balances increased by $11 billion and currently stand at $12.61 trillion. HELOC balances rose by $9 billion to $396 billion, representing the eleventh consecutive quarterly increase since Q1 2022. Other balances, which include retail cards and other consumer loans, grew by $8 billion. Student loan balances grew by $9 billion, and now stand at $1.62 trillion. The pace of mortgage originations increased slightly from the pace observed in the previous four quarters, with $465 billion of newly originated mortgages in Q4. Aggregate limits on credit card accounts increased moderately by $98 billion, representing a 1.3% increase from the previous quarter. Limits on HELOC continued to rise and saw an $8 billion increase. Aggregate delinquency rates increased slightly from the previous quarter, with 3.6% of outstanding debt in some stage of delinquency. Delinquency transition rates held steady for nearly all debt types, excluding credit cards which had a small uptick in transitions from current to delinquent. Transition into serious delinquency, defined as 90 or more days past due, edged up for auto loans, credit cards, and HELOC balances but remained stable for mortgages. . Here are three graphs from the report: The first graph shows household debt increased in Q4. Household debt previously peaked in 2008 and bottomed in Q3 2013. Unlikefollowing the great recession, there wasn't a decline in debt during the pandemic. From the NY Fed: Aggregate nominal household debt balances increased by $93 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, a 0.5% rise from 2024Q3. Balances now stand at $18.04 trillion and have increased by $3.9 trillion since the end of 2019, just before the pandemic recession.The second graph shows the percent of debt in delinquency. The overall delinquency rate increased in Q4. From the NY Fed: Aggregate delinquency rates increased slightly in the fourth quarter of 2024. As of December, 3.6 percent of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency, up from 3.5 percent in the third quarter. Transition into early delinquency held steady for nearly all debt types; the exception was for credit card balances, which saw a small uptick in the rate at which balances went from current to delinquent. Transition into serious delinquency, defined as 90 or more days past due, edged up for auto loans, credit cards, and HELOC balances but remained stable for mortgages. The third graph shows Mortgage Originations by Credit Score. From the NY Fed: The volume of mortgage originations, measured as appearances of new mortgages on consumer credit reports and including both refinance and purchase originations, increased slightly with $465 billion newly originated in 2024Q4. ... Credit quality of newly originated loans was mixed. The credit scores of newly originated auto loans and mortgages were mostly steady, although there was some deterioration in mortgages, as the tenth percentile score of newly originated mortgage loans declined by six points. There is much more in the report.
BLS: CPI Increased 0.5% in January; Core CPI increased 0.4% -- From the BLS: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, after rising 0.4 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter rose 0.4 percent in January, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the monthly all items increase. The energy index rose 1.1 percent over the month, as the gasoline index increased 1.8 percent. The index for food also increased in January, rising 0.4 percent as the index for food at home rose 0.5 percent and the index for food away from home increased 0.2 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in January. Indexes that increased over the month include motor vehicle insurance, recreation, used cars and trucks, medical care, communication, and airline fares. The indexes for apparel, personal care, and household furnishings and operations were among the few major indexes that decreased in January. The all items index rose 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending January, after rising 2.9 percent over the 12 months ending December. The all items less food and energy index rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index increased 1.0 percent for the 12 months ending January. The food index increased 2.5 percent over the last year. The change in CPI was above expectations. I'll post a graph later today after the Cleveland Fed releases the median and trimmed-mean CPI.
Beneath the Skin of CPI Inflation: Worst Month-to-Month Acceleration of CPI since Aug 2023, on Spikes in Used Vehicles, Non-Housing Services, Food, Energy by Wolf Richter •Inflation dished out another bad surprise with a big increase in January from December, which wasn’t a surprise because inflation, once it gets going, is known to do that. This time, the hot spots were durable goods, fueled by the continued massive month-to-month increases in used vehicle prices, and non-housing services, such as auto insurance, admissions, subscriptions, etc. Food and energy prices also jumped in January. Rent inflation accelerated. But at least the CPI for apparel and shoes dropped in January. The overall Consumer Price Index rose by 0.47% (+5.7% annualized) in January from December, the worst month-to-month increase since August 2023. It has been accelerating relentlessly since the low point in June (blue). This acceleration pushed the year-over-year increase to 3.0%, the worst increase since May.
- 3-month CPI: +4.5% annualized, sharpest increase since November 2022, and sixth month-to-month acceleration in a row (not shown in the chart).
- 6-month CPI: + 3.6%, worst increase since September 2023. Inflation is going in the wrong direction (red):
. Inflation is going in the wrong direction (red): Month-to-month “Core” CPI, which excludes food and energy components to track underlying inflation, jumped by 0.45% (+5.5% annualized) in January from December, the worst increase since April 2023, (blue in the chart below). The 6-month average “core” CPI accelerated to +3.7% annualized, the third month in a row of acceleration and the worst since May (red). The major components, year-over-year:
- Overall CPI: +3.0% (yellow), worst since May 2024
- Core CPI +3.26% (red), has not improved at all since June 2024
- Core Services CPI: +4.33% (blue). As we’ll see in a moment, month-to-month, it spiked by 6.35% annualized, the worst increase since February.
- Durable goods CPI: -1.21% (green). Month-to-month: +4.6% annualized on a spike in used vehicles, which sharply reduced the year-over-year deflation in durable goods.
Month-to-month, the core services CPI, which are all services less energy services, spiked by 6.35% annualized (+0.51% not annualized) in January from December, the worst increase since February 2024 (blue line in the chart below). The three-month core services CPI accelerated to +4.35% annualized, the worst increase since October. The 6-month core services CPI, which irons out a lot of the month-to-month squiggles, accelerated to 4.4% annualized, the worst since June (red). Some services raise their prices annually in January, and those price increases then help produce the spikes of the services CPI in January and February. But we did not see those kinds of price spikes in the Januarys and Februarys before the pandemic; they’re signs of persistent high inflation in services that had not occurred before the pandemic:
YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter --The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but is still elevated, and is now up 3.9% YoY.
This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through December 2024. Services were up 4.2% YoY as of January 2025, down from 4.4% YoY in December. Services less rent of shelter was up 3.9% YoY in January, down from 4.0% YoY in December. The second graph shows that goods prices started to increase year-over-year (YoY) in 2020 and accelerated in 2021 due to both strong demand and supply chain disruptions. Durables were at -1.2% YoY as of January 2025, up from -1.9% YoY in December. Commodities less food and energy commodities were at -0.1% YoY in January, up from -0.7% YoY in December. Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in shelter from the CPI report (through January) and housing from the PCE report (through December) Shelter was up 4.4% year-over-year in January, down from 4.6% in December. Housing (PCE) was up 4.7% YoY in December, down from 4.8% in November.This is still catching up with private new lease data.Core CPI ex-shelter was up 2.4% YoY in January.
Cleveland Fed: Median CPI increased 0.3% and Trimmed-mean CPI increased 0.4% in January The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% in December. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index increased 0.4%. "The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report".This graph shows the year-over-year change for these four key measures of inflation. On a year-over-year basis, the median CPI rose 3.6% (down from 3.7% YoY in December), the trimmed-mean CPI rose 3.1% (down from 3.2%), and the CPI less food and energy rose 3.3% (up from 3.2%). Core PCE is for December was up 2.8% YoY, mostly unchanged from 2.8% in November.
PPI Inflation Accelerates to +3.5% yoy, Worst in 2 Years, Driven by Services amid Massive Up-Revision of Services Inflation by Wolf Richter = As has been the case for many months, today’s Producer Price Index for January included big up-revisions of the prior month, driven by a whopper up-revision for services which account for two-thirds of the overall PPI. On top of these upwardly revised December figures, the PPI rose further in January. In January, the overall PPI accelerated to an increase of 3.51% year-over-year, the worst increase since February 2023, following a persistent zigzag line higher from the low point of near 0% in June 2023, driven largely by the services PPI. And December was revised up to an increase of 3.48%, from 3.31% as reported a month ago. This up-revision was powered by a massive up-revision in services. The PPI tracks inflation in goods and services that companies buy and whose higher costs they ultimately try to pass on to their customers. On a month-to-month basis, the PPI for final demand jumped by 0.40% (4.9% annualized) in January from December, seasonally adjusted. And December’s increase was revised up to +0.50% (+6.2% annualized) from the previously reported +0.22% (+2.7% annualized). The up-revision more than doubled the increase! This was driven by the whopper up-revision of the Services PPI. The up-revision for December plus January’s increase caused the 6-month PPI to surge to +4.0% annualized, the worst increase since October 2022 (red). The plunge in energy prices from mid-2022 through September 2024 had cooled the overall PPI increases into the pre-pandemic range, and papered over the inflationary forces in services. But since October, energy prices stopped dropping and flipped to increases. In January, energy prices jumped by 1.7% from December, which wiped out the remainder of the year-over-year drop, and the index was unchanged year-over-year. Food prices jumped by 1.1% in January from December and by 5.5% year-over-year. The avian flu’s impact on egg production had some impact here. Without food, energy, and eggs: “Core” PPI, which excludes food and energy, was revised up massively for December. The month-to-month increase for December had originally been reported as +0.04% (0.5% annualized). Today it was revised up by 36 basis points to an increase of +0.40% (4.9% annualized). All seasonally adjusted. On top of the up-revised December rates came January’s increase of 0.28% (3.4% annualized), which accelerated the 6-month PPI to 3.8% annualized, the worst since September. Year-over-year, core PPI for December was revised up by 20 basis points, from the previously reported +3.55% to today’s December figure of +3.75%. Year-over-year data are not seasonally adjusted since they cover 12 months and wash out any seasonal effects. Not seasonally adjusted, the January core PPI jumped by 0.49% (not annualized). But the January 2023 increase of +0.63% fell out of the 12-month window. So year-over-year in January 2025, the index rose by 3.61%, a notch slower than the upwardly revised increase of 3.75% in December (originally reported at 3.55%).
Egg Prices – A Continued Upward March? - by Menzie Chinn Tomorrow, we’ll get a reading on January egg prices at the consumer level. With futures prices at about $5.2 in December and $6.65 in January, I’d guess retail egg prices will have gone up. Futures are at $7.65 so far in February.Figure 1: Top panel – Consumer Price of Dozen Eggs (blue, left scale), ERS forecast of January 2025 for end 2024 (blue square, left scale), both in $, and PPI for fresh eggs (tan, right scale), 1991M12=100. Bottom panel: Trading Economics futures price for dozen eggs (blue), and TradingEconomics model and analyst based forecast (gray). Source: BLS, ERS, TradingEconomics.com.The USDA’s Economic Research Service January 2025 forecast indicates a $5/dozen price by end-2025. This forecast is based on a time series model. TradingEconomics’ forecast of $9.67/dozen futures price is based on their proprietary macroeconomic model, and analysts’ forecasts, of undisclosed weighting. However, their forecast clearly includes a judgmental component, such as egg-laying hen stocks, and projections of bird flu prevalence.Could egg prices be lower by end-2025 than in January 2025? The ERS forecast 95% confidence interval encompassed a price reduction. I’m dubious, although a miracle could happen with respect to to bird flu (although I suppose we ain’t gonna get a vaccine super-fast with all the cuts to medical research the Trump administration wishes to impose). A catastrophic recession could also push down prices. However, since eggs are a staple — rather than a luxury good — this is hardly seems implausible.Implications for grocery prices? My guess is that in the 2023 CPI weights, eggs account for about 2.2% of the food-at-home component of the CPI. A 13% December-to-December increase in egg prices accounts for a 0.3 ppts higher food-at-home CPI component.Addendum: Betting on February egg prices up relative to January. Source: https://kalshi.com/markets/kxeggs/egg-prices accessed 12:30 CT
Poor Weather Reduced Employment by About 90,000 in January --The BLS reported 143 thousand non-farm jobs were added in January. During the Winter months, I like to look at the weather impact on the report.The BLS reported 573 thousand people were employed in non-agriculture industries, with a job, but not at work due to bad weather. The average for January over the previous 10 years was 304 thousand (median 258 thousand), so more people than normal were impacted by bad weather. The BLS also reported 1.175 million people that are usually full-time employees were working part time in January due to bad weather. The average for January over the previous 10 years was 945 thousand (the median was 670 thousand). This series suggests weather negatively impacted employment more than usual. The San Francisco Fed estimates Weather-Adjusted Change in Total Nonfarm Employment (monthly change, seasonally adjusted). They use local area weather to estimate the impact on employment. For January, the San Francisco Fed estimated that weather reduced employment by 85 to 90 thousand jobs. It appears weather adjusted job gains were around 230 thousand in January (seasonally adjusted)
Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 213,000 - The DOL reported: In the week ending February 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 213,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 219,000 to 220,000. The 4-week moving average was 216,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 216,750 to 217,000. The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971. The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims decreased to 216,000. The previous week was revised up. Weekly claims were below the consensus forecast.
Two Detroit children freeze to death as homeless family shelters in vehicle - In a horrific tragedy, two young children—a girl aged two and a boy aged nine—froze to death early Monday morning as they slept with members of their homeless family inside a van parked at a downtown Detroit casino garage. The mother of the children, who has been identified as 29-year-old Tateona Williams, an unemployed medical assistant, has been living in the van with her five children and her own mother for three months. Police said Williams parked the van on the ninth floor of the Hollywood Casino Hotel garage at around 1:00 a.m. Monday morning, a time when outside temperatures were 12 degrees Fahrenheit. At some point, the van ran out of gas, leaving the family with no heat. Police Chief Todd Bettison said the family had been parking their van at various casino lots over the last three months, allowing the mother and children access to public restrooms. On Monday, the mother tried to wake up her children for school and noticed that her nine-year-old was not moving. She called a friend who rushed the mother and her child to Children’s Hospital. During this time, Williams’ mother called to inform her that the two-year-old had also stopped breathing. Both children, Darnell, 9, and Amillah, 2, were pronounced dead from apparent hypothermia. The shocking events provoked outrage throughout the city as the news spread. To deflect public anger, Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan called a press conference Tuesday at noon, largely to claim that the city had ample services to help homeless families, adding callously that the family “should have asked for help.” Duggan, however, acknowledged that the mother had repeatedly reached out for help over the last two years, including as recently as November 24, 2024. It was later revealed that this included to the city’s homeless and housing service, known as Coordinated Assessment Model, or CAM, but her pleas were either ignored or deemed non-emergency. On Tuesday evening, the young mother, distraught and visibly shaking, gave an interview to the local ABC-TV affiliate. “I asked everybody for help,” she said. “I called out of state, I called cities I didn’t know, I called cities people asked me to call. I even asked Detroit—I’ve been on CAM list for the longest.” Williams continued: “Everybody now wants to help after I lost two kids? I’ve been asking for help. … It took my two kids to die for ya’ll to help me? It’s too late, I lost two kids. The one that made me a mother. And the one that’s only two. She never got to live her life … She lost her life because I had to sleep in a car.” Williams said that she was scheduled to start a new job this week. “Everybody got this picture when I know in my heart, everybody who’s around me knows, I loved those kids more than I loved myself. … They had everything they wanted. The only thing they didn’t have is a house.”
Michigan teachers defend immigrants, oppose Democratic Party collusion in Trump’s attacks on education and social rights - At a board meeting of the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) February 11 a leading member of the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Committee (MERFC), spoke out in defense of immigrant workers and against the ongoing assault on funding for public education. Phyllis, a middle school teacher urged educators attending the meeting to join the committee and help mobilize the powerful Detroit-area working class against mass deportations of immigrant students and their families, xenophobia, and plans to destroy public education. “This government has already begun shipping undocumented workers to Guantanamo,” the teacher told the crowd. “We have in this school system parents, children, and teachers of all races and colors, from dozens of countries, and who oppose the efforts of the Trump administration to divide us between American born and foreign-born. “These fascistic measures start with the undocumented who are merely trying to work and provide their children a better chance in life, but these attacks are directed against us all. Immigrants and their children are being scapegoated for a crisis created by the billionaire oligarchy and their never-ending wars abroad that cost trillions.” She said, “We must defend each and every one. The old slogan ‘An injury to one is an injury to all’ has never been more important.” Phyllis pointed out that the attacks on immigrants did not begin with Trump. “The Democrats have paved the way for Trump, with Biden/Harris and Obama before them carrying out their own mass deportations and attacks on education. “For years, Democrats have joined with Republicans telling us there is no money to make schools and school workers whole for years of budget cuts. Trump won only a plurality, not a majority, of the popular vote, yet the Democrats bow before him like he’s a king, like everybody loves him and supports his policies.” In conclusion she said, “We are fighting a dictatorship of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich and that controls both political parties and serves the billionaire oligarchs, the Elon Musks and Betsy DeVoses and Ilitches and Dan Gilberts of this world.” The teacher’s remarks were greeted with warm applause and shouts of “That’s right” from the audience. The increasing hostility displayed by both educators and parents toward the Democratic politicians in charge of the city of Detroit, a city that has been under Democratic Party control for decades, is very significant.
Many Top Universities Have Yet To Comply With Trump's Order On DEI -President Donald Trump recently put the wealthiest U.S. colleges and universities on notice: If your endowment exceeds $1 billion, prepare for an investigation. The president said he plans to shut down what he called “illegal and immoral discrimination” conducted under the umbrella of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that involve racial or gender preferential treatment in student admission, financial aid, employment, and curricula at elite institutions. Under a Jan. 21 executive order that cites long-standing civil rights laws, identity-based functions such as so-called antiracism training or minority hiring initiatives are prohibited. Those who don’t scrap DEI face costly repercussions. More than 120 U.S. colleges and universities have $1 billion-plus endowments, including all Ivy League institutions and the most selective flagship state universities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Trump advised that up to nine schools in that category will be audited in the coming months, though any American higher education institution found in violation could lose federal money for research, student financial aid, and other programs under the executive order. “They are really worried about it—and they should be,” . “The federal government can do some things that are financially debilitating.”On Jan. 30, Boston University announced that its Center for Antiracist Research, which employs 13 people, will close at the end of this academic year. Many other schools across the country, in anticipation or response to Trump’s order or previous anti-DEI laws at the state level, have already rebranded their DEI offices with new descriptions such as “access,” “community engagement,” or “civil rights” to avoid scrutiny. Northeastern University in Boston, for example, now has an office of “Belonging.” “Our reimagined approach centers on embracing the experiences of individuals across the global university system to maximize impact at the institutional level,” the school’s new Belonging web page states. Louis Galarowicz, a research fellow at the National Association of Scholars, estimates that large flagship public universities in more populated states spend tens of millions on DEI departments that include investigators who investigate harassment, bias, and “microaggression” complaints. He said schools have been quick to rebrand themselves to avoid lawsuits, let alone layoffs or program cuts. Several institutions removed official DEI statements for faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions last year, but that doesn’t mean they scrapped all race-based initiatives. The University of Michigan, for example, still follows a five-year plan, DEI 2.0, according to its website. It details how more than a dozen major campus programs are embedded in DEI initiatives and that school leaders are advancing DEI-related ideas through “hundreds of activities.”The University of Michigan’s Museum of Art, for five years, will dedicate itself to anti-racism efforts and prioritize exhibits that expose colonial histories. The Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning will de-emphasize singular Western historical narratives and center on the global south and historically marginalized populations. The Center for Academic Innovation is responsible for identifying academic performance disparities by race and recommending curriculum changes for “fostering equitable outcomes,” according to the DEI 2.0 plan.The University of Michigan, with an undergraduate acceptance rate of about 17 percent and an endowment of $19 billion, is a leading academic research institution. The federal government is its primary sponsor for research and provided more than $1.4 billion last year, according to the school’s 2024 financial report. Under Trump’s executive order, the school stands to lose that amount if it doesn’t discontinue DEI 2.0.Harvard University eliminated its DEI pledge for hiring last year, but it still maintains a well-staffed Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and has a diversity administrator for each of its 12 schools. It also maintains a Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Academy with workshops on Understanding Unconscious Bias, Power and Privilege, Microaggressions, and Anti-Black Racism, according to its website.Harvard, with a $50 billion endowment and a 3.5 percent undergraduate acceptance rate, received $686 million for research last year from the federal government, according to its 2024 financial report.The University of Colorado Boulder’s Critical Needs Hiring Program, though it no longer has diversity in the title, is still centered around recruiting “BIPOC” (black, indigenous, and people of color), according to hundreds of memos from that office obtained and publicizedby the National Association of Scholars. That school, with an endowment of about $2 billion, received more than $1 billion in federal grants last year, according to its 2024 financial report.
Students, faculty attend meeting to oppose attacks on pro-Palestinian protesters and democratic rights at the University of Michigan -On Tuesday evening, the pro-Palestinian Tahrir Coalition hosted a public meeting at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor to address the growing attacks by the university administration on those opposing the genocidal war by US imperialism and Israel in Gaza and the free speech rights of the entire community. The meeting was called in response to recent developments, including U-M’s banning of the Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), the local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine; new charges brought against three protesters involved in a demonstration at U-M in August by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel; and U-M’s rollback of its “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” policies. Reflecting popular opposition to the murderous drive to “ethnically cleanse” Gaza and growing resistance to Trump’s attacks on immigrants and federal workers, billionaire Elon Musk’s gutting of social services, and Trump’s moves to establish a presidential dictatorship, over 150 students, workers and community members attended the meeting. High school students are continuing to walk out in Los Angeles and other cities to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, and on Wednesday thousands across all 50 states rallied against the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants and democratic rights. Attendees at the U-M meeting spoke to World Socialist Web Site reporters, expressing immense concern over the attack on SAFE, the charges brought against protesters and Trump’s escalating ICE raids. Students and workers reported seeing ICE agents around the campus, threatening thousands of international students and workers at U-M. Members of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth section of the Socialist Equality Party, distributed an article from the WSWS reporting on U-M’s ban on SAFE and the latest round of charges against protesters. The IYSSE is demanding the immediate lifting of the ban on SAFE and all restrictions on its right to function as a student club, as well as the dropping of all charges against anti-genocide protesters. The Tahrir Coalition organizers of the meeting had nothing to offer beyond more appeals to the Democratic Party-controlled U-M Board of Regents and Democratic Attorney General Nessel. The organizers presented a review, with slides, of the past year of protests against the Gaza genocide at U-M, which only substantiated the failure of their perspective of limiting the fight against war and genocide to the campus and to protest appeals to the very corporate forces and politicians who are responsible for the war crimes, first and foremost the Democratic Party and the Biden administration. The result has been an intensification of university attacks on the democratic rights of the entire student body and university community. This is part of a nationwide crackdown on free speech on university campuses that was launched and directed by the Biden administration and is being intensified under Trump.
Michigan ACLU files lawsuit against University of Michigan over anti-protest trespass bans -- On February 3, two organizations filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Michigan on behalf of five people who were issued “trespass bans” for protesting the genocide in Gaza on the university campus. The bans were part of U-M’s authoritarian and anti-democratic revision of its student code of conduct, aimed at suppressing opposition to war and genocide. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and the Detroit-based Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice (SLC) jointly filed the lawsuit in federal court on behalf of five anti-genocide protesters, including two students, two recent graduates and a community member. All five had taken part in protests last fall and were arrested by campus police and swiftly given bans on entering any campus property. One of the students named in the lawsuit, Jonathan Zou, was given a trespass ban simply for using a megaphone at an October 7 anti-genocide demonstration on the Ann Arbor campus Diag. The bans have the effect of blocking those cited from going to their classes, their dorms or their campus jobs. The university, following the lead of the Biden administration, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and now the fascistic Trump administration, has been steadily escalating its attacks on pro-Palestinian and anti-war protesters since October of 2023, systematically dismantling core democratic rights, including the right to free speech, in the process. The current “trespass bans” are directly related to authoritarian changes made by the administration to its student codes of conduct during the Summer of 2024. The new codes employ deliberately vague language regarding university facilities and alleged misconduct, stating that individuals and groups may not “disrupt University activities or operations.” This gives the university administration a free hand to interpret virtually anything as a “disruption.” The new policies also drastically narrow the appeals process for challenging “student misconduct” allegations and allow the university to more aggressively lodge complaints against students and others, including the ability to hire outside consulting firms to file complaints. A statement by the ACLU/SLC lawyers outlined the anti-democratic nature of the new policies: Those who attempt to challenge their bans (which can only be done after the ban goes into effect) face sham proceedings that lack essential due process protections, the lawsuit alleges. No evidence was presented at the plaintiffs’ hearings, and no explanation was offered; instead, the plaintiffs and others are merely given time to convince the university’s public safety department why it should amend or repeal their ban.>
Donald Trump seeks dismissal of all military academy boards - President Trump on Monday moved to dismiss the Board of Visitors for four military service academies, claiming the groups that help oversee student life and academic programs at the prestigious schools had been “infiltrated” by “woke” ideology. “Our Service Academies have been infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I have ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard.” Trump did not immediately say who would be appointed as new members of the boards, which are tasked with inquiring into the state of morale and discipline, the curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods, and other matters relating to the schools. The boards at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Coast Guard Academy consist of six members appointed by the president, three appointed by the vice president, four appointed by the Speaker, one designated by the Senate Armed Services Committee and one designated by the House Armed Services Committee. While the board members are meant to provide independent advice and recommendations on the operation and other matters relating to the schools, in recent years they have become targets in political jostling. Trump in December 2020, weeks before he was set to leave office, appointed a number of political allies to the boards of the service academies after removing long-standing experts. U President Biden in September 2021 then moved to purge the members appointed by Trump, a move that drew pushback, considering each individual’s term is meant to last three years. At the time, the White House defended the terminations by questioning the qualifications of several members, including former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who sat on the Air Force Academy board, and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, a Navy Reserve officer who had been appointed to the Naval Academy board. Trump signaled the same line of thinking with his dismissals, claiming new individuals must be appointed to “make the Military Academies GREAT AGAIN!”
Donald Trump plans to become chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of his fascistic campaign against “degenerate art” -- On Friday evening, Donald Trump announced he was planning to fire multiple members of the federal government’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ board of trustees and name himself chairman. In a post, Trump claimed: At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture. We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP! Trump added: Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME! The Kennedy Center’s website indicated it was aware of the post made recently by POTUS [President of the United States] on social media. We have received no official communications from the White House regarding changes to our board of trustees. We are aware that some members of our board have received termination notices from the administration. Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members. There is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board. Trump’s attack is sinister and reactionary. He is again taking pages from Adolf Hitler’s playbook, attempting to whip up his fascist base with claims about “degenerate art.” Other measures taken by the new administration provide a clue as to what his cabal of fascists is planning. The January 29 executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” asserts that parents expect US schools “to instill a patriotic admiration for our incredible Nation and the values for which we stand.” “Patriotic education” means a presentation of the history of America grounded in: (i) an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational principles; (ii) a clear examination of how the United States has admirably grown closer to its noble principles throughout its history; (iii) the concept that commitment to America’s aspirations is beneficial and justified and (iv) the concept that celebration of America’s greatness and history is proper. In other words, Trump is ordering, as the WSWS suggested, “the transformation of K-12 education into a system of patriotic brainwashing—with the Pentagon given an unprecedented oversight role.” By a “golden age,” Trump is campaigning for a patriotic, national art, one that pays tribute to the greatness of American capitalism and its supposed achievements. Such an art is dishonest and insincere by definition, and, in fact, no art at all. It is intended to help create an American version of the Nazi “Volksgemeinschaft,” or “people’s” or “national community,” a mythological creation designed to cover over the class struggle and misdirect the population into chauvinist and nationalist channels. Art is to be oriented toward the “triumphant,” “monumental” and militaristic, toward the exclusion of other peoples and toward national insularity.
Donald Trump's decision to chair Kennedy Center stirs debate -- After dominating U.S. politics for nearly a decade, President Trump now appears to be setting his sights on the country’s cultural landscape. A Friday announcement that Trump is naming himself chair of the Kennedy Center’s board is a step toward giving his administration a much bigger role in and influence over the world of arts and entertainment overseen by the federal government. Political experts say the unprecedented move by a commander in chief could be just the beginning. “It’s like an assault on every kind of norm that has existed in American social and political and cultural life that he’s engaging in,” said Mark Wheeler, a political communications professor at London Metropolitan University in England. The surprise Kennedy Center news from Trump, Wheeler said, is one that both plays to his GOP base and is part of a “shock and awe” strategy he’s pursuing in “many different kinds of fronts in terms of public policy but also the cultural precepts.” “It’s the kind of disruptor process that Trump is engaged in, in terms of the kind of celebrity and political outsider image that he’s constructed or has been constructed for him,” said Wheeler, the author of “Hollywood: Politics and Society.” Trump, who on Sunday became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, has made it clear that he wants to prevent the Kennedy Center from putting on cultural works with which he disagrees, criticizing “drag shows” in a Truth Social post and raising questions over how much politics might influence Washington’s leading performing arts center, which opened in 1971. “Since bursting onto the political stage in 2015, President Trump has made culture the dominant issue in American politics and society — with some unwitting support from the Democratic left,” former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said. “Appointing himself to this position will allow him to continue casting himself as a cultural warrior undoing the excesses of the left and restoring what he would call traditional American culture.” Trump and the GOP on the campaign trail in 2024 successfully leaned into issues such as drag shows and transgender surgeries as talking points about how liberals had taken “wokeism” too far. And Republicans say growing the influence conservatives have in cultural institutions is essential. “I think there is a keen sense that conservatives should have a place at the table in cultural institutions again. And cultural institutions should welcome this,” said Patrick Wilson, a political appointee from Trump’s first term. “As this present era should remind everyone, including higher education and arts organizations, you need to be bipartisan and recruit friends and have patrons from across the political spectrum. It’s just smart. I think that’s actually what this is about,” Wilson added. In response to the president’s Friday night post, the Kennedy Center highlighted its historically “collaborative relationship with every presidential administration,” noting it had not received any information from the Trump administration about his move, which also involved terminating the terms of multiple board members. Trump is moving quickly to put his allies in positions at the Kennedy Center. He named Richard Grenell, his envoy for “special missions,” the interim executive director of the institution Monday. Even some Democrats pointed to the president’s authority to make changes at the Kennedy Center, while expressing weariness about what a Trump-controlled future might look like.
Judge Temporarily Blocks DOGE From Accessing Federal Student Aid Data -- A federal judge has temporarily barred Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing federal student loan and financial aid information stored at the U.S. Department of Education. In an order issued Tuesday evening, Judge Randolph Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia barred any members or associates of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from seeing or using information from more than a dozen internal databases related to student finance until next Monday. Both sides of the lawsuit—a group of students at the University of California (UC) and the Education Department—have agreed to the halt as they prepare arguments. UC students a week ago accused the Education Department of violating the Privacy Act of 1974, a federal law that restricts federal agencies from sharing personally identifiable information with third parties unless specific legal exceptions apply. For example, the FUTURE Act of 2019 authorizes the Education Department to import tax return information from the IRS to streamline the financial aid application process. In their complaint filed at the D.C. federal court, the students allege that the Education Department has been providing DOGE with “continuous and ongoing access” to sensitive information “for an unspecified period of time” without clear oversight or legal authorization. “Because [the Department’s] actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals do not have even basic information about what personal or financial information Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used,” the complaint reads. The lawsuit comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Education Department, which operates on a multi-hundred-billion-dollar budget and oversees $1.5 trillion in federal student loans owed by more than 42 million Americans.
People with immune impairment accounted for 22% of COVID hospital stays, deaths, study suggests - People with weakened immune systems—most of whom were vaccinated—made up 4% of a random sample of more than 12 million people in England in 2023 yet represented 22% of both COVID-19 hospital admissions and deaths, according to new findings from the INvestigation oF cOvid-19 Risk among iMmunocompromised populations (INFORM) study. European researchers and representatives from the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca conducted a retrospective study using the electronic health records of participants aged 12 years and older from a random 25% sample of the English population from January to December 2023. The results were published in the Journal of Infection. Over the study period, 11,200 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 2,330 deaths occurred in the study sample. Immunocompromised participants accounted for 4.0% of 12.1 million people included in the sample but made up 21.7% and 21.9% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, respectively. Immunocompromised participants were more likely to have received at least four doses of COVID-19 vaccine than their non-immunocompromised peers (72.6% vs. 29.8%). The aIRRs for COVID-related consultations with a general practitioner and accident and emergency visits were 2.26 and 3.02 for immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised people, respectively.Of the immunocompromised subgroups, the risk of COVID-19 hospital admission was highest for recipients of a stem cell transplant in the 2 years before infection (aIRR, 19.18), followed by those who had a solid organ transplant in the 5 years before infection (aIRR, 6.53). Other groups with a threefold or higher risk than those without the immune-weakening condition included those with primary immunodeficiency, end-stage kidney disease or dialysis, or blood cancers.
Data: Despite high risk of poor outcomes, only 1% of pregnant COVID patients given antiviral --Only 1.3% of pregnant US COVID-19 patients received an antiviral drug to reduce the risk of severe illness in winter 2021 to fall 2022, 67% less than their nonpregnant counterparts, finds a study published last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases.University of California Los Angeles researchers analyzed claims data on antiviral drug prescriptions among 412,755 privately and publicly insured COVID-19 outpatients ages 18 to 49 years who were pregnant (33,855), recently pregnant (2,460), or nonpregnant (376,440) from December 2021 to September 2022. "The odds of admission to an intensive care unit and the need for invasive ventilation following COVID-19 illness are 2-fold higher in pregnant and recently pregnant people compared with nonpregnant women of reproductive age," the authors wrote. "Severe COVID-19 illness during pregnancy has been linked to increased risks of preterm birth, cesarean delivery, and fetal growth restriction."The National Institutes of Health recommend nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) as first-line treatment for nonhospitalized, high-risk pregnant COVID-19 patients. A total of 6.8% of all participants received an antiviral (1.3% of pregnant, 5.4% of recently pregnant, and 7.3% of nonpregnant women). Paxlovid was prescribed most often (90.9%), followed by molnupiravir (9.1%) and intravenous remdesivir (less than 0.1%). The rate of antiviral prescriptions was 67% lower in pregnant than in nonpregnant women (prevalence ratio [PR], 0.33), including those with one or more high-risk underlying conditions (PR, 0.29). Prescription rates were also lower among recently pregnant women who had at least one high-risk chronic condition (PR, 0.57).Antiviral treatment rates rose with age for recently pregnant and nonpregnant—but not pregnant—patients. In total, 64% of recently pregnant and 85% of nonpregnant antiviral recipients had private health insurance, relative to 55% of pregnant women."As with COVID-19 vaccine trials, pregnant people have been excluded from clinical trials evaluating COVID-19 therapeutics," the researchers wrote. "The evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 treatments during pregnancy is therefore limited, which may influence hesitancy to prescribe and/or use antiviral medications during pregnancy and lactation."
Nearly 15% of long-COVID patients have cardiovascular symptoms, most often chest pain -- A meta-analysis of 37 studies involving 3 million people suggests that those with long COVID are much more likely to experience chest pain, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure than their uninfected counterparts.For the analysis, published late last week in BMC Medicine, researchers from Central South University in Hunan, China, systematically reviewed literature on high blood pressure, palpitations, and chest pain published up to March 17, 2024. Study sample sizes ranged from 60 to 2.4 million, with follow-up periods of 3 to 12 months."Emerging evidence indicates that COVID-19 may lead to post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) with cardiovascular implications, potentially driven by factors such as ACE2 interaction with viruses, systemic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction," the researchers wrote. "However, there remains a limited amount of research on the cardiovascular manifestations of PACS, which may delay the development of optimal treatment strategies for affected patients."Nearly 15% of long-COVID patients experienced cardiovascular complications. Among the case-control studies, relative to uninfected controls, the odds ratios (ORs) of experiencing chest pain among COVID-19 patients was 4.0, while they were 3.4 and 1.7 for palpitations and high blood pressure, respectively. The percentages of PACS patients experiencing chest pain, palpitations, and high blood pressure were 22%, 18%, and 19%, respectively. The case-series studies identified chest pain as the most common cardiovascular symptom among long-COVID patients (22%), followed by high blood pressure (19%) and palpitations (18%). "Clinicians should maintain vigilance in monitoring cardiovascular symptoms, even in patients without a prior history of cardiovascular disease, as cardiovascular sequelae can emerge in previously healthy individuals following COVID-19," the study authors wrote. "More intensive monitoring of individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors, such as hyperglycemia, using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, may help detect early signs of cardiovascular dysfunction and improve long-term outcomes."
Long-COVID diagnosis may prompt patients to switch from acute to outpatient care - After a diagnosis of long COVID, patients in Colorado shifted from seeking care in hospitals and emergency departments (EDs) to outpatient and specialist visits, with a sharp rise in new prescriptions, suggesting that the diagnosis leads to improved patient care, although healthcare use in this group is still high.These findings, from a University of Colorado (UC) case-control study, were published this week in BMC Public Health.The retrospective, longitudinal study used the Colorado's All-Payer Claims Database to identify adults diagnosed as having long COVID and matched controls without the condition from October 2021 to August 2022, with a 1-year follow-up. During the study period, 26,358 of 3.9 million adults had ever received a long-COVID diagnosis, for a prevalence of 0.67% among the population at large. Of these adults, 12,698 were eligible for inclusion. The average age was 59.0 years, 65.3% were women, 60.1% were White, and 83.0% lived in an urban area. Long-COVID patients were matched with 25,376 controls.Before diagnosis, 17% of long-COVID patients were hospitalized at least once, and 40% had one or more ED visits. On average, these patients saw at least three specialists pre-diagnosis, excluding those seen during a hospitalization, and used nine different drugs. In the year post-diagnosis, the use of hospitalizations and ED visits declined significantly compared with controls (-6.1 and -7.7 percentage points, respectively). At the same time, outpatient services and new prescriptions rose (3.6, 4.7, and 5.2 percentage points for office visits, specialist visits, and prescriptions, respectively), compared with controls (2.8 percentage points). In total, 45% of long-COVID patients filled a new antibiotic prescription, and 34.3% filled a new pain prescription. Prednisone was the most commonly filled drug among long-COVID patients (37.8%), compared with 13.7% of controls. Before diagnosis, the most common reasons to seek care were exposure to an infectious disease, COVID-19, respiratory signs and symptoms, abnormal findings of the lungs or blood chemistry, and musculoskeletal pain. Compared with controls, long-COVID patients had statistically significant increases in COVID-19 diagnoses, malaise and fatigue, sleep/wake conditions, and respiratory symptoms but significantly lower rates of pneumonia, fluid and electrolyte conditions, and respiratory failure.
Primary care less accessible during COVID, but some practice types adapted more easily -Access to US primary care through extended weekday or weekend clinic hours fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, although hospital/health systems, practices with more integrated ownership, and participants in an accountable care organization (ACO) tended to adapt better than their counterparts, according to a Dartmouth-led study.The researchers surveyed 710 primary care practices across the country twice (2017 to 2018 and 2022 to 2023) about access to care, implementation of evidence-based care-delivery capabilities (eg, integration of screening for clinical conditions), practice ownership and structure, and participation in an ACO. ACOs are healthcare organizations that link reimbursements to quality metrics and lower costs of care."Recognizing the importance of timely access to care, many primary care practices have used advanced access models, which prioritize same-day visits, and offered extended weekday or weekend clinic hours, which can reduce wait times and decrease urgent and emergency care use," the researchers noted. The findings were published late last week in JAMA Health Forum.
Survey shows nurses around the world suffered high levels of pandemic stress - A recent study in International Nursing Review shows that the first 3 years of the pandemic were hard on nurses around the globe, leading to increased stress, burnout, and other mental health challenges in nurses from both high-, middle-, and low-income countries.Though pandemic-related healthcare worker stress and burnout have all been described in recent studies, most of that research is limited to high-income countries, the authors said. The study is based on respondents to a survey sent by the Global Consortium of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, and it includes nurses from 35 countries. In total, researchers surveyed 9,387 nurses from July 2022 to October 2023 about stress, loss, aggression, and home and professional life since the pandemic began. Most notably, nurses cited loss as the most consistent challenge in the pandemic era. Notably, 20% of nurses surveyed suffered the loss of a family member, 35% lost a friend, and 34% a coworker to COVID-19. "The staggering personal losses of friends, family, and coworkers and their effects on nurses’ mental health should not be underestimated," And despite high numbers of nurses saying they lost a friend or family member during the pandemic, overall participants said work was more stressful than home life since 2020. Only 24% said their workplace had adequate mental health services. Among those who reported work-related mental health issues, 57% noted increased fatigue, 44% cited anxiety, and 41% said they felt overwhelmed at work. Approximately 18% of the sample reported experiencing some symptoms of workplace burnout. Almost half of those surveyed, 48%, said they experiencing violence and aggression during the pandemic because they were a nurse. The study authors noted this was an extremely concerning finding. Overall, national rates of anxiety and depression in nurses ranged from 23% to 61% and were highly variable. Almost 70% of nurses in Brazil said they experienced workplace stress, compared with 23.8% in Indonesia."This study supports what ICN [the International Council of Nurses] has been reporting since the pandemic: we are seeing alarmingly high levels of stress and burnout in nurses across the world," said Pamela Cipriano, president of the ICN, in a New York University press release. "This is causing some nurses to leave the profession, which added to the aging workforce, will only exacerbate an already severe global shortage of nurses."
Financial incentives did not increase COVID vaccine uptake, study finds -Among adults in Ravensburg, Germany, financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccination did not result in significant changes to vaccine uptake and may have inadvertently lowered community vaccination levels, according to a recently published study in JAMA Network Open.The randomized controlled trial compared vaccine outcomes in adults in the mid-sized city. One resident at each address among the entire adult population was mailed letters beginning in November 2021 alerting them to seven upcoming free vaccination events. Controls received just the letters, while those in the treatment group received the letters and an incentive of €40 (US $41.46) if they got vaccinated at one of the events.German health authorities recommended booster vaccinations for all persons 18 years or older on November 5, 2021, the authors said. "The availability of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination appointments for the general public were limited," they wrote. "Public vaccination events were intended to ameliorate this issue, especially as the start of the booster campaign created a considerable demand wave."Among 41,548 residents (average age, 49.96 years; 51.3% female), 796 (1.9%) were vaccinated at 1 of the 7 public vaccination events, the authors said. The effect of financial incentives on primary and booster vaccinations was nonsignificant."The individual-level incentive may have simply been unnecessary for those who already intended to be vaccinated," the authors wrote. They also noted that by the end of 2021, Ravensburg achieved a vaccination rate of 70%, which research showed was the proportion of people willing to be vaccinated in Germany.Of note, finical incentives had a significantly negative spillover effect of −0.29 percentage points (95% confidence interval, −0.53 to −0.06 percentage points) for first vaccination events. And adults who lived in homes with someone who had received a letter offering financial incentives were less likely to get a booster dose than those who lived with controls.
Prioritizing vaccine boosters for vulnerable patients could prevent emergence of new COVID variants - Vaccinations alone may not be enough to protect people with compromised immune systems from infection, even if the vaccine has generated the production of antibodies, new research from the University of Cambridge has shown.The findings, published in Science Advances, suggest that such individuals will need regular vaccine boosters to protect them and reduce the risk of infections that could be severe and also lead to new 'variants of concern' emerging.Almost 16 million people worldwide are estimated to have died from COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021, though nearly 20 million deaths are thought to have been prevented as a result of the rapid rollout of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the pandemic.During the pandemic, researchers discovered that immunocompromised individuals had difficulty clearing the virus, even when vaccinated.These are people whose immune systems are not functioning correctly, either as a direct result of disease or because they are on medication to dampen down their immune systems, for example to prevent organ transplant rejection. This meant that their infections lasted longer, giving the virus more opportunities to mutate.Research from early in the pandemic showed that chronic infections can give rise to variants of concern that can then cause new waves of infection in the wider population.When an individual is vaccinated, their immune systems produce antibodies that recognize and launch an attack on the virus. Such a process is known as seroconversion. Additional 'booster' vaccinations increase seroconversion and hence the likelihood of clearing infection.However, although most immunocompromised individuals will have received three or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, they still account for more than a fifth of hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units, and overall deaths associated with the disease. Every immunocompromised individual required at least three doses of the vaccine to protect them across a range of variants up to and including omicron (the variant that appeared towards the end of 2021 and caused a new wave of infections). In some cases, even four vaccinations were not sufficient to adequately protect them.
How SARS-CoV-2 evolved through the pandemic -- A new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 virus evolved from initially prioritizing increased transmissibility to enhanced immune evasion after the omicron variant emerged. Over the course of the pandemic, the virus has undergone rapid genetic mutations that have led to multiple variants with differing abilities to spread between individuals, cause severe infections and evade the immune system.The study, published in Nature, was conducted through a Qatar-based collaboration of six institutions and presents population-level epidemiological analyses on over 1.5 million people, covering the four-year span from when the pandemic began.The study revealed that before the omicron variant emerged in late 2021, natural immunity gained from a previous infection provided sustained and robust protection against reinfection with around 80% effectiveness. However, after omicron became the dominant strain, immune protection was strong only in recently infected individuals and rapidly declined to negligible levels within a year. These trends were consistent whether reinfection was considered as any infection or limited to symptomatic cases."This ongoing evolution and immune evasion make it challenging to achieve long-term population immunity against the virus," said Hiam Chemaitelly, first author of the study and assistant professor of research in population health sciences at WCM-Q. "The short-lived immunity leads to repeated waves of infection, mirroring patterns observed with common cold coronaviruses and influenza."The findings indicate that the emergence of omicron marked a turning point in the pandemic. Before omicron—when most of the population remained uninfected due to widespread public health interventions—the virus evolved by genetic mutations that increased its ability to spread from person to person. In this phase, more transmissible variants, such as alpha and delta, emerged.In contrast, during the omicron era, prior infections and vaccinations generated widespread immunity that pressured the virus to evolve mechanisms to escape a person's immune defenses, leading to a rapid decline in natural immunity against reinfection. This shift gave rise to highly genetically diverse subvariants of omicron, such as XBB and JN.1."This virus is here to stay and will continue to reinfect us," Chemaitelly said. "Regular vaccine updates are critical for renewing immunity and protecting vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions."
Monitoring wastewater from international flights could serve as early warning system for next pandemic -- Monitoring wastewater from international flights for pathogens would be a useful way to get ahead of the next pandemic or even a biological threat from abroad, scientists say. Researchers from Northeastern University show how such an early warning system could work in a paper published in Nature Medicine. The article on pandemic monitoring says networks of up to 20 "strategically placed" airport sentinel sites in locations including New York, London and Dubai would provide timely situational awareness of respiratory disease outbreaks and shorten the time of first detection of their international dissemination. "The point is to set up a monitoring system that tells us about the potential introduction of pathogens at a very early stage of an outbreak in the rest of the world," says Alessandro Vespignani, director of Northeastern's Network Science Institute and Sternberg Family Distinguished Professor, one of the paper's co-authors. "We don't want to be blindsided by knowing that something bad is happening only when there are already tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of cases like it was for COVID," he says. In that case, it wasn't until February or March that the U.S. had a good handle on what was happening, Vespignani says. "We were navigating blind." "The idea is that you will capture potential genetic traces of pathogens from travelers, especially international travelers," says Guillaume St-Onge, a physicist and research assistant professor at Northeastern. "We could have a lead time of about a month or two," he says. International flights are good places to test for disease-causing pathogens since hundreds of thousands of people use them daily to travel from one continent to another—and since many of them have to use the bathroom on a long flight, say St-Onge, a co-author on the study. "The idea is that we build a sentinel system so that we can see when something enters the country," he says. "It's not just for pandemics. It's for any biological threats including those that affect national security." "There's a lot of interesting things that we can get in terms of information about an emerging outbreak that can guide some potential response," St-Onge says. He says establishing 10 to 20 sentinel airports appears to be the right scale for developing the network. Testing 20 to 30% of aircraft arriving at those airports would give "very good results," Vespignani says. "It would be wonderful to do that for all the aircraft in all airports, but obviously we don't have the resources for that."
Flu activity now highest in 15 years: Ohio is one of the worst states – Influenza cases continue to mount with the virus reaching activity levels in the U.S. not seen for the last 15 years, according to the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010, when a swine flu pandemic hit the nation, according to data posted Friday morning by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Of course, other viral infections can be mistaken for flu. But COVID-19 appears to be on the decline, according to hospital data and to CDC modeling projections. Available data also suggests another respiratory illness, RSV, has been fading nationally.The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. The Godley Independent School District, a 3,200-student system near Fort Worth, Texas, last week closed for three days after 650 students and 60 staff were out Tuesday. Jeff Meador, a district spokesman, said the vast majority of illnesses there have been flu, plus some strep throat. He called it the worst flu season he could remember.“I always like to reiterate that if you have the flu, stay home from work or school and isolate yourself from your family as much as possible until fever free for 24 hours (without fever reducing medications) and your symptoms are starting to improve,” Cleveland Clinic Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Donald Dumford told Nexstar. “Even then, I’m a proponent of masking for the next several days after you are out of isolation.”So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including at least 57 children. Traditionally, flu season peaks around February.Overall, 43 states reported high or very high flu activity last week. Flu was most intense in the South, Southwest and western states.
Flu cases persisting across Northeast Ohio: ‘People are getting sicker’ · (WJW) – The seasonal flu is continuing to spread across the country and here in Northeast Ohio at levels not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.Nationally, the CDC is reporting at least 13,000 deaths from the flu and at least 24 million infections.The Ohio Department of Health is also reporting “very high” influenza activity with thousands of hospitalizations across the state. “We’ve had pretty consistent levels in the hospital, if not slightly rising, where I feel like in the past we would’ve peaked by now,” said Dr. Joseph Khabbaza, Cleveland Clinic pulmonary and critical care physician. “I don’t remember it being this persistent.” The volume of cases has led to longer wait times to be admitted of up to 12-hours and he says the severity of symptoms is notable.“People are getting sicker. Even young healthy people are getting hit really hard and just in bed for a week or so feeling poorly,” he said.Often the flu will come in waves where it may start as Influenza A, but then it typically slows down before the B strain ramps up. This year, however, is different. “I’ve seen headlines about another wave, but it hasn’t really left. We’re really in a plateau,” said Dr. David Margolius, Cleveland Director of Public Health. This has tragically led to deaths locally. He says in Cleveland alone through the end of January, 230 people have succumbed to the flu in the city. “This strain is hitting a lot of people really hard from a symptom standpoint,” he said. “The folks most prone to serious illness are absolutely the elderly.” As it continues to surge, doctors are encouraging people to take precautions like frequent hand washing with soap, proper cough etiquette, getting the flu shot and not touching your face because flu is spread through droplets entering the eyes, nose or mouth. “I think the most important thing for folks is if you’re sick, stay home,” said Dr. Margolius. “You’re most contagious when you’re at the beginning of your symptoms so please don’t spread it to other people.”
US flu reaches high severity status as deaths outpace COVID - With flu activity last week higher than or similar to the highest point of the season and hospitalizations and deaths on the rise, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)said today that it now classified the season as high severity for all age-groups for the first time since the 2017-18 season.Over the past 2 weeks, flu deaths have outpaced fatalities from COVID and now make up 2.6% of all deaths for the most recent week, compared to 1.5% for COVID.Outpatient visits for flulike illness have been above baseline for 11 weeks in a row, with very high or high activity reported in 46 states. Levels are highest in people ages 24 years old and younger. The CDC received reports of 11 more pediatric flu deaths, raising the season's total to 68. Ten were linked to influenza A, and, of 6 subtyped samples, 3 were 2009 H1N1 and 3 were the H3N2 strain.Test positivity at clinical labs and rate of lab-confirmed flu hospitalizations reported through the CDC’s FluSurvNet system are higher than peak weeks going back to the 2015-16 and 2010-11 flu seasons, respectively. Seniors are the most affected group, followed by adults ages 50 to 64 years old. Test positivity at clinical labs was 31.6% last week, similar to the previous week, with the highest level seen in the CDC's region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. At public health labs, nearly 97% of samples that tested positive were influenza A, and, of subtyped samples, 55.4% were H1N1 and 44.6% were H3N2.The CDC said it recommends everyone ages 6 months and older be vaccinated against seasonal flu and noted that antiviral flu drugs are available for treatment and should be started as early as possible, especially for those at higher risk for flu complications.Though wastewater levels for COVID-19 remain high, emergency department (ED) visits are low and declining and test positivity remains stable, the CDC said in its weekly respiratory virus snapshot. Levels are higher in the Midwest than for other US regions.Meanwhile, ED visits for RSV are at the moderate level, with a downward trend.
Measles outbreak in Texas rises to 24 cases as New Mexico reports illness -- The number of cases in a measles outbreak centered in Gaines County, Texas, has jumped to 24, as health officials in New Mexico investigate a case—the state’s first of the year—in neighboring Lea County. The Texas State Department of Health Services (TSDHS) said yesterday that the 24 patients, up from 6 reported on February 5, had symptom onsets within the last 2 weeks. All of the patients are unvaccinated and are residents of Gaines County. Sixteen of the patients are school-age children, and two are adults ages 18 and older.Nine patients have been hospitalized, and health officials are bracing for more cases. “Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities,” the TSDHS said, adding that it is working with the South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak. Meanwhile, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDH) yesterday issued an alert about potential measles exposure at a hospital emergency department and school gymnasium in Lovington due to a confirmed infection in an unvaccinated Lea County teenager.NMDH officials said Lea County borders Gaines County in Texas, however they added that the Lea County youth had no recent travel or exposure to any affected patients in the Texas outbreak.The case marks New Mexico’s first measles case of 2025. The state recorded two cases in 2024, which were its first since 2021.
Texas measles outbreak doubles, to 48 cases --The number of measles cases in an outbreak in the South Plains region of northern Texas has grown from 24 illnesses to 48 in just the past 3 days, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported today. Thirteen patients (27%) have required hospital care. All patients are unvaccinated, or their measles vaccine status remains unknown. The first cases in the region were confirmed on January 23. Since then, the DSHS reported 6 cases on February 5 and 24 cases on February 11.Gaines County is the hardest hit, with 42 of the 48 cases. Other affected counties are Terry (3 cases), Yoakum (2), and Lynn (1)."Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities," the agency said today. "DSHS is working with South Plains Public Health District and Lubbock Public Health to investigate the outbreak.""The best way to prevent getting sick is to be immunized with two doses of a vaccine against measles, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella [MMR] vaccine," the agency added. "Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at preventing measles."
Citing government overreach, Louisiana won't promote vaccination, surgeons general say --The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will no longer encourage mass vaccination, the state attorney general and his deputy said yesterday in a news release and on social media, alarming health experts amid a growing measles outbreak in neighboring Texas.And LDH has banned vaccine events and ordered staff not to promote vaccination, New Orleans Public Radio (NOPR) reported today, citing an internal memo to staff yesterday, the same day as the confirmation of vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. In December, NOPR reported that LDH employees had been instructed not to produce news releases, presentations, or social media posts urging vaccination against COVID-19, flu, or mpox."Government should admit the limitations of its role in people’s lives and pull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine," Ralph Abraham, DVM, MD, and Wyche Coleman III, MD, said in yesterday's release. Restoring public trust, they said, "requires returning medical decisions to the doctor-patient relationship, where informed, personalized care is guided by compassion and expertise rather than blanket government mandates."Abraham is a veterinarian, physician, and was a Republican US representative for Louisiana's fifth congressional district from 2015 to 2021. He made a failed bid for governor in 2019. Coleman is an ophthalmologist who practices in Shreveport.The statement noted that for much of last century, public health has worked to fill the gaps in the "broken" US healthcare system by providing guidance, information, and recommendations. "But when we get it wrong and overreach, the harm is often irreparable," it said, calling the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that 6-month-old children receive COVID-19 vaccinations "woefully out of touch with reality and with most parents." "Trust is built over years and lost in seconds, and we’re still rebuilding from the COVID missteps," namely the vaccine mandates that constituted an "offense against personal autonomy that will take years to overcome," they said.
Quick takes: Washington pertussis death, PAHO dengue alert, US SARS-CoV-2 variants | CIDRAP
- The Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) last week announced Washington state's first pertussis (whooping cough) death since 2011, which involved a child younger than 5 years old who died in November 2024. The death was recently confirmed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which in early January warned that cases in 2024 were higher than levels seen before the COVID pandemic. The SRHD said though pertussis was the cause of death, the child had other health factors that may have contributed. The child had received some doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) vaccine but had not gotten the whole series.
- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), one of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) regional offices, issued an epidemiologic alert on February 7 on increased dengue serotype 3 (DENV-3) circulation in the Americas, which could increase the risk from the disease during the peak of the season. It urged member countries to brace for a possible rise in cases and to ensure early diagnosis and timely care to reduce the number of severe illnesses and deaths. The region experienced record dengue activity in 2024, with more than 13 million cases spread over 50 countries and territories. "The reappearance of a serotype that did not circulate in the last decade, such as DENV-3, combined with the increase in the susceptible population, not only increases the probability of severe cases of dengue, but could also cause epidemics that overload health services, exceeding their capacity to respond," PAHO said.
- The CDC recently updated its SARS-CoV-2 variant proportion estimates, which show that, for the 2 weeks ending February 1, the proportion of KP.3.1.1 viruses continued to decline, with XEC holding steady and LP.8.1 rising. The proportion of XEC variants is at 43%, with LP.8.1 as the next most common, at 20%, up slightly from 15% for the period that ended on January 18. LP.8.1 is one of two SARS-CoV-2 variants on the WHO's list of variants under monitoring that are on the rise, according to the WHO's recent risk evaluation. The prevalence of the virus, along with XEC, is increasing globally, but the health risk is considered low. LP.8.1 is a descendant of KP.1.1.3, which is part of the JN.1 lineage and currently makes up 7% of available global sequences.
Third US clade 1 mpox case reported, in New Hampshire - The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said a person from Merrimack County has become the first person in the state to be diagnosed as having clade 1 mpox, also known as clade 1b. This detection raises the total US clade 1 cases to three."The individual recently traveled to Eastern Africa, where there is an ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox, and is currently self-isolating and recovering at home," the DHHS said in a press release issued late last week. "The individual's illness poses no current risk to the public."The DHHS said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission in this case, but contacts of the patient are being closely monitored and offered prophylactic (preventive) vaccination.The novel clade1b is different from the clade 2 virus that circulated globally in 2022 and 2023, primarily among men who have sex with men.In related news, Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) said an Irish resident has contracted the country's first case of clade 1 mpox. The person had recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where clade 1b mpox was first noted in 2024 is currently circulating in the community at high levels."The HSE is fully prepared to respond to this case, as work has been ongoing since August 2024," the HSA said in a statement. "We have been working alongside international partners and National Health Protection has been monitoring mpox closely since the outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo first emerged."Finally, according to a post on ProMed Mail, South Sudan has reported an mpox case, and though the clade isn't mentioned, clade 1b is a strong possibility, given the patient had recently traveled to Uganda.If the case is confirmed as clade 1b, South Sudan would be the 22nd affected African country.
Clade 1b mpox outbreak in DR Congo linked to sex workers; New York reports first case -New research on the epidemiologic and genomic evolution of the clade 1b mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) suggests 83% of cases were linked to sex work, three healthcare workers contracted the disease, and infected pregnant women frequently miscarried.Marion Koopmans, DVM, PhD, of Erasmus University in the Netherlands, and her colleagues published these findings yesterday in Nature Medicine.In related news, New York state officials have confirmed clade 1b in a resident, the first such case in New York state and the fourth clade 1b case confirmed in the United States. The observations from the Koopmans group involved patients at the Kamituga hospital in South Kivu, DRC, which saw its first clade 1b mpox case in September 2023. From September 2023 to June 2024, 670 mpox case-patients were admitted to the hospital from 17 surrounding health areas. Of the cases, 52.4% were in females, and 47.6% in males. The researchers collected samples from the patients and data on where patients lived and possible exposures. During the study period, seven deaths from mpox were noted among hospitalized patients, and three healthcare workers contracted the disease. Four of the seven deaths occurred in young adults, ages 20 to 30 years. Also of note, 14 patients were pregnant women, among whom 8 reported miscarriages after contracting mpox. Unlike other clusters in the DRC, only 15.5% of case-patients seen at Kamituga hospital were under the age of 15 years. Of those 104 patients, only 45 were less than 5 years of age. Overall, 83.4% of cases were linked to sex work, often linked to bars, with case-patients reporting transactional sex with both men and women. Genetic analysis showed three distinct clusters of viruses, all clade 1b, but no links between bars or health areas were observed. "These data suggest rapid spread mostly through sexual contact within densely populated areas," the authors said. "Spread to neighboring countries highlights the need for extended cross-border collaboration, health education strategies focusing on sex workers, contact tracing, clinical care and surveillance." Since 2023, the DRC has reported more than 50,000 suspected mpox cases in an outbreak that has spilled over to neighboring countries. Most cases are clade 1b, which is highly transmissible and more virulent than the clade 2 virus, that caused a global outbreak primarily among men who have sex with men in 2022. Today Reuters reported that New York state has its first case of clade 1b mpox. According to the news agency, the patient is in isolation and was diagnosed after a recent trip to East Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the case, the fourth clade 1b in the United States. All US cases have been travel related and are not linked, the CDC said. Earlier this week, officials reported a clade 1b case in New Hampshire.
US funding pause impedes mpox response in DR Congo -In a weekly briefing yesterday, officials from Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said they are starting to see significant impairment in response operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), specifically a disruption in the transport of samples from suspected cases to labs within and between provinces.The DRC is one of the main hotspots in Africa, where the virus has been reported from 22 countries, including 13 with ongoing active transmission. The DRC’s mpox response has also been disrupted by armed conflict in and around Goma, which has led to overwhelmed health systems, disruptions in lab testing, and movements of populations—including those isolated for mpox— fleeing violence.Ngashi Ngongo, MD, PhD, MPH, who leads Africa CDC's mpox incident management team, said the region has seen a slight downward trend in cases over the past 3 weeks, but he urged caution in interpreting the data, partly due to sample testing problems and insecurity in the DRC, which he said "has become a nightmare."He said US support for the outbreak response has come from USAID, which is in the midst of a funding freeze from a Trump administration executive order. Ngongo said it's unclear if the situation would qualify for a release of funds under a waiver for life-saving humanitarian assistance.At a meeting of African country heads of state this week, Ngongo said Africa CDC urged leaders to meet with their US ambassadors to clarify what constitutes a humanitarian waiver.With 84% of US global health assistance targeted to Africa, he said African countries are now taking stock of which programs are affected, making plans to mobilize other local resources, and considering innovative financing plans that would loop in the private sector.Funding options from countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan have been in advanced negotiations since before the US funding freeze, and Ngongo said African officials are exploring the possibility of repurposing unspent COVID funding that came from the European Union. He added that the US funding freeze comes against the backdrop of an overall decline in foreign investment over the last 4 years, which has resulted in a push for domestic support.In other mpox updates, he said testing is still under way on a clade 1 mpox sample from South Sudan, the country's first. Ngongo said the patient had traveled from a neighboring country, a sign that the region still has work to do regarding surveillance at ports of entry.Africa CDC is seeing a mix of spread patterns counties in different countries and even in different regions within countries. In the DRC, children younger than 15 years old are most affected in endemic provinces, mainly due to clade 1a, with young children and young adults most affected in South Kivu and North Kivu provinces.However, in the DRC capital of Kinshasa, adults are most affected, with clade 1a and 1b circulating in sexual networks. In Uganda, clade 1b is circulating, with nearly 57% of cases in males. Officials are seeing comorbidities of mpox and HIV in seven districts, with Kampala reporting the most cases.
Sexually transmitted infections continue to rise in Europe - A series of reports released today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Europe continued their upward trajectory in 2023. The data from the latest ECDC annual epidemiologic reports on STIs show the notification rate for confirmed gonorrhea cases in European Union/European Economic Area countries rose by 31% in 2023 compared with 2022 and has risen by 321% since 2014. The increase was observed across different age groups and demographics but was steepest in women aged 20 to 24 (46%). Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 58% of gonorrhea cases.The rate of syphilis cases rose 13% from 2022 and has doubled since 2014, with the highest rates seen in men aged 25 to 34 and 72% of cases reported in MSM. The increase in the rate of chlamydia infections slowed to 3% in 2023 after reaching record high notification rates in 2022, but is still up 13% since 2014.ECDC officials say that while increased STI testing could account for some of the increases, less condom use and higher numbers of sexual partners could also be to blame."ECDC emphasises the importance of proactive measures to address the rising STI rates," the agency said in a news release. "Using condoms consistently for vaginal, anal and oral sex is crucial for prevention. Open and honest communication about sexual health with partners can also help reduce the risk of STI transmission." The report also notes the continued emergence of drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea. While resistance to the first-line antibiotic ceftriaxone is rare, 25.2% of isolates analyzed by the European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Program in 2022 were resistant to azithromycin, which is frequently used in combination with ceftriaxone. In addition, one multidrug-resistant and one extensively drug-resistant gonorrhea isolate were detected in Germany and Austria, respectively.
Uganda Ebola Sudan outbreak total rises to 9 cases - Two more illnesses have been reported in Uganda's Ebola Sudan outbreak, raising the outbreak total to nine, according to a weekly infectious disease update from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The agency based its numbers on information from Uganda's health ministry. So far, the death total remains at one, putting the case-fatality rate at 11.1% Uganda is battling its first Ebola Sudan outbreak since 2022, with clusters reported in the family of the index patient—a male nurse who died in the middle of January—and another connected to a healthcare facility. The first patient's symptoms began on January 19, and he died 10 days later. The man had visited a traditional healer and three separate health clinics before he died in Kampala, all factors that pose a risk of further spread.
USAID funding freeze disrupts global tuberculosis control efforts - The Trump administration's freeze on foreign aid delivered through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the subsequent shutdown and dismantling of the agency altogether, has sent shockwaves throughout the community of people working on tuberculosis (TB) treatment, diagnosis, and prevention.The 90-day funding freeze, which sources tell CIDRAP News came with no warning or ability to make contingency plans, has left no parts of the global TB control community untouched. That's because, as the lead implementing agency for US funding for global TB control—an amount that reached $406 million in 2024—USAID is the leading bilateral donor for global TB efforts, accounting for roughly one third of international donor funding for the disease. The money flows to TB services through a network of nongovernmental organizations, contractors, faith-based groups, and other partners.According to an archived page from the now defunct USAID website, since 2000, USAID and its partners have saved the lives of more than 58 million TB patients. Name any country with a high burden of TB, and you can likely find a program that receives USAID funding. And many were stopped overnight. Sources say the funding freeze is affecting all parts of the TB ecosystem. Over the past 2 weeks, in high-burden TB countries around the world, USAID-funded TB diagnosis and treatment services have had to close after receiving "stop-work" orders, leaving patients unable to obtain medicine or receive prompt diagnosis. TB medications that have already been purchased aren't being distributed because USAID-funded workers in many countries are no longer getting paid. Collection and transportation of sputum samples—which are analyzed for diagnosis or to see if medication is working—have been interrupted. Community-based organizations that work to connect marginalized communities to TB services have had to stop their work. Clinical trials that could lead to shorter and better treatments for drug-resistant TB patients have been paused. "It's a disaster out there," an individual who was granted anonymity to speak freely told CIDRAP News. "All the work just comes to a grinding halt."While it's unclear yet if the funding will eventually be restored, and several lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration over the funding freeze and dismantling of the agency, the fear in the short term is that people with TB may die. Experts say that any interruption to TB services can have significant and deadly consequences for the patients and communities most affected by the world's leading infectious disease killer.
As Oropouche cases continue in the Americas, PAHO urges countries to keep their guard up -In an update on Oropouche virus activity, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) yesterday said in the first four weeks of the year, 3,765 cases have already been reported from six Americas countries, most of them from Brazil. Other countries reporting local cases include Panama, Peru, Cuba, and Guyana, as well as an imported case from Canada. PAHO also provided an overview of activity in 2024, during which the region reported 16,239 cases from 11 countries and 1 territory. Brazil was the hardest hit country, followed by Peru, Cuba, and Bolivia. Of countries reported importingcases, the United States reported 108, all involving travel to Cuba. The Americas region reported four deaths, three from Brazil. Health officials in Brazil confirmed five instances of Oropouche transmission from mothers to their fetuses, resulting in four fetal deaths and one congenital abnormality. Investigations are still underway into 22 fetal deaths, 5 miscarriages, and 4 congenital anomaly cases. Oropouche virus is spread to humans through the bite of certain midge species and possibly by some Culex mosquitoes. The illness causes febrile symptoms similar to dengue and in rare instances can lead to meningitis or encephalitis. In 2024, the virus spread beyond typically affected areas to new regions and countries, with rising reports of poor outcomes following transmission from pregnant women to their fetuses. “The current outbreak highlights the need to strengthen epidemiological and entomological surveillance measures, as well as to reinforce preventive measures aimed at the population,” PAHO said. It also encouraged countries to report any unusual events related to the disease, including deaths and poor pregnancy outcomes.
H9N2 avian flu infects 2 more in China -China has reported two more H9N2 avian flu infections in humans, both of them patients from Hunan province in the southern part of the country, according to a weekly avian flu update today from the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP). One of the patients is a 2-year-old boy whose symptoms began on December 27, which would raise the total for 2024 to 18.The second patient is a 15-year-old boy whose symptoms began on January 8, which would mark the first H9N2 case of the new year.The CHP report didn't say how the patients were exposed to the virus, though H9N2 infections are sporadically reported in people who have contact with poultry. H9N2 is known to circulate in poultry across parts of Asia, including China. Illnesses in people are often mild and reported in children.
Nevada reports H5N1 in dairy worker; USDA fleshes out D1.1 sequencing from affected herds - The Central Nevada Health District (CNHD) today said it has confirmed the state's first human infection from H5N1 avian flu, which involves a worker who was exposed to sick cows at a dairy farm in Churchill County.In its announcement, the CNHD said conjunctivitis was the only symptoms and that the worker is recovering. Close contacts and other people who may have been exposed are being contacted and monitored for symptoms. Officials have offered them personal protective equipment and antivirals. So far, no sign of human-to-human spread has been reported. "While the current public health risk to the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry, or cows, or have recreational exposure to them, are at higher risk," the CNHD said.The report didn't note a genotype from the patient's sample, but recent detections in Churchill County involved the D1.1 genotype, which marked the spillover of a second H5N1 genotype from cattle, one that's different from the B3.13 genotype implicated in earlier dairy cattle outbreaks. D1.1 is widely circulating in wild migratory birds and has been linked to a few illnesses in humans, some of them severe.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added the Nevada case to its list of confirmed human cases since early 2024, which now stands at 68 cases, 41 of them involving dairy workers.In other developments, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on February 7 published a technical briefing on the recent detection of the D1.1 H5N1 genotype in Nevada dairy cows, which also contained new details about the investigation and information from genetic sequencing.In the initial announcement, APHIS had said the detections came from milk testing in Nevada. It said 3 of 11 silo samples collected in early January were positive for avian influenza, which was confirmed on January 10 at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory.Investigators determined that as many as 12 dairies could have contributed milk to the silos that tested positive. On-farm bulk milk samples were collected and tested, and avian flu was found at two of the dairies. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed the H5N1 2.3.4.4 lineage and the D1.1 genotype in four bulk milk samples from one herd. Scientists also found a partial sequence consistent with D1.1 from a second herd. Clinical signs in the cows didn't develop until after the detections, and both producers reported large wild bird die-offs near their facilities. The D1.1 genotype found in dairy cattle is closely related to the virus circulating in wild migratory birds across different North American flyways. Though sequencing didn't identify any mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of the dairy cow virus that would make it more easily infect mammals, investigators did find the D701N mutation in the polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2) gene that has been linked to mammalian adaptation before in samples from four cows.APHIS scientists said D701N hasn't been found in D1.1 viruses from wild birds or in dairy cows with B3.13 genotype viruses. They added, however, that the mutation has turned up in human cases, with no evidence of onward spread.The group praised the quick action of the Nevada Department of Agriculture in enrolling herds in the national milk testing program and in quarantining the affected herd to prevent the spread beyond the local area.In its latest updates, APHIS today confirmed three more H5N1 detections in livestock, two in Nevada and one in California. The additions lift the national total to 962, including 739 in California and now 7 in Nevada.
Ohio announces human H5N1 avian flu case, state's first - A man from Mercer County, Ohio, is that state’s first human case of H5N1 avian flu, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The man is a farm worker who was in contact with deceased commercial poultry. “While the risk to Ohioans is low, the best way to prevent bird flu is to avoid unprotected exposures to sick or dead birds or to their environment,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, in a press release. “People should avoid direct contact with poultry or wild birds and take proper precautions, including reaching out for guidance regarding personal protection and safe handling, if you must be around sick or dead birds.” No information was provided on the condition of the man, but most human cases of H5N1 have been mild.So far, the United States has recorded 68 human cases of avian flu since 2024, with one death in a man from Louisiana.. Ohio is one of the epicenters of the US bird flu outbreak, with 54 outbreaks since the middle of January. The outbreaks have led to the loss of more than 10 million birds.
CDC: 3 veterinarians had recent H5N1 infections but didn't know they had been exposed -Today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports on recent avian influenza A (H5N1) infections in three veterinarians who work with cattle but didn't know they had been exposed to the virus.The CDC's analysis of blood samples from 150 bovine veterinarians in 46 US states and Canada during the current H5N1outbreak in dairy cows and poultry revealed that three asymptomatic US practitioners (2%) had antibodies to H5N1 in September, suggesting recent infection. Two of them reported no exposures to infected animals, and one practiced in Georgia and South Carolina, which have had no known cases in cattle."These findings suggest there could be U.S. states with A(H5)-positive people and animals that have not yet been identified," the study authors wrote, adding that the risk to the general public remains low.While the infected veterinarians reported wearing gloves or clothing covers when caring for cattle, none wore respiratory or eye protection, which are recommended when working with uninfected animals in regions with confirmed cases. "HPAI A(H5) virus is known to be present in high concentrations in milk produced by infected cattle, introducing infection risk through respiratory, ocular, and gastrointestinal exposure," the researchers wrote. The current outbreak of H5N1 in dairy cattle was first detected in March 2024, with human cases identified infected dairy farm workers beginning in April.
New York live bird markets ordered closed due to bird flu --All live bird markets in New York City and several neighboring counties were ordered to be closed on Friday after inspectors found seven cases of bird flu. New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) issued the closure order for live bird markets in New York City, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau counties. Westchester County includes New York City’s northern suburbs. Nassau and Suffolk counties cover all of Long Island to the east of the city. “Safeguarding public health is all about being proactive, and New York State is continuing our coordinated effort to monitor for the Avian Influenza,” Hochul said in a statement. “My top priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and I have directed our states agencies to use all available resources to ensure we are taking every measure necessary to keep the risk to the public low.” The seven cases of avian influenza were found in poultry in markets in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx during routine surveillance by New York state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) last week. Under the order, no poultry can be delivered to live bird markets or distributors in those areas until Feb. 14. Any market with birds showing clinical signs of bird flu must contact AGM immediately to undergo investigation and testing. The bird flu infections do not pose an immediate threat to public health and there are no known cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans in New York states, according to New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald. “Those who have regular contact with livestock and wild birds should safeguard their health by wearing personal protective equipment when in contact with these animals,” McDonald said in a statement. . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that bird flu poses a low risk to the public. As of Jan. 6, the agency has confirmed 67 cases of H5N1 bird flu in humans since 2022 with most cases ound in farmworkers in close contact with sick dairy cows or poultry. Since 2022, the virus has been spreading among dairy cows, poultry, goats, wild birds, and even seals. A Louisiana man became the first person to die in the United States from severe illness from bird flu in early January. The man was older than 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions. He contracted H5N1 bird flu after exposure to a combination of a backyard flock and wild birds.
Trump’s assault on public health and the growing threat of an H5N1 bird flu pandemic -Over the past week, a series of developments have reaffirmed the imminent danger of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 “bird flu”) pandemic, for which American and world capitalism are wholly unprepared. Historically, bird flu has had a 50 percent fatality rate among humans. Were such a pathogenic variant to begin spreading through society, the crisis could quickly dwarf that of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far killed nearly 30 million people and debilitated over 400 million more with Long COVID. The latest such development took place on Friday, when New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the temporary closure, cleaning, and disinfection of all live bird markets in New York City, as well as in Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The order came after bird flu was detected in seven birds at markets in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn during the past week. This followed the Monday issuance of an advisory to all health institutions in the state by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) recommending “accelerated subtyping of Influenza A in hospitalized patients,” as part of a belated attempt to detect cases of bird flu. The advisory, issued over two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a nearly identical statement on January 16, suggests that any patient hospitalized and found to have influenza A should have the culture tested for bird flu within 24 hours of their positive test. The US is presently mired in its worst flu season since 2009, with New York and 42 other states experiencing “High” or “Very High” levels of respiratory illnesses, including the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The CDC estimates that there have been at least 24 million illnesses from the flu alone, causing 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths so far this season. Over the past year, scientists have continuously warned of the dangers that patients co-infected with seasonal flu and bird flu could facilitate a reassortment of genes between the viruses, with bird flu evolving to become transmissible between humans. Given the minimal testing for bird flu to date, this could very well be taking place under the radar of public health authorities. Another critical development came on Wednesday, when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released data indicating that the more dangerous D1.1 genotype of bird flu is now spreading among at least six dairy herds in Nevada. This is the same genotype which recently killed an elderly man in Louisiana and placed a teenager on life support in British Columbia. Researchers studying the D1.1 strain are concerned with how quickly it is assuming dominance among cattle. They are still trying to determine its capabilities and to ascertain why it is spreading so fast and behaving aggressively. With hundreds of thousands of farm workers interacting with animals in the US poultry and dairy industry, the danger of spillover of this lethal strain could grow quickly in the weeks and months ahead. Finally, on Thursday the CDC released a redacted version of its longstanding Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) which makes no mention of bird flu whatsoever and is only a third of the normal length. When the report was initially published online, it included data showing that bird flu can likely spread from cats to humans, and vice versa within households. But these data were quickly taken down and not included in the version of the report sent to news agencies. For the first time in the agency’s history, the release of the MMWR was delayed by over two weeks, due to a sweeping gag order imposed by the Trump administration to suppress virtually all public communications from numerous federal agencies. Prior to the issuance of the gag order, at least three reports on bird flu were slated for publication in the MMWR, and their removal was not explained. This is redolent of Trump’s heavy-handed censorship of the CDC in mid-2020, when he blocked the publication of multiple studies on COVID-19 in MMWR reports. All of these ominous developments take place on the eve of the looming Senate confirmation of the quack anti-vaccine zealot Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., slated to become Trump’s Health Secretary on Monday. The only Republican who was briefly undecided, Bill Cassidy, cast the decisive vote in Kennedy’s favor on the Senate Finance Committee, making his confirmation in the full Senate all but guaranteed. In the weeks ahead, the rest of Trump’s gang of anti-science charlata
Avian flu strikes more poultry flocks in 7 states and more cats --As H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in commercial and backyard poultry across the United States continue at a brisk pace, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported a few more detections in domestic cats.Also, APHIS confirmed 5 more detections in dairy cattle, all from California, and more than 50 in wild birds across several states. Over the last 2 days, APHIS reported the virus in more poultry flocks across seven states, with several involving commercial farms.In hard-hit Ohio, outbreaks were confirmed on four more layer farms and three more turkey farms. And in neighboring Pennsylvania, the virus struck five more commercial farms. Elsewhere, outbreaks struck two more farms in Missouri, including a turkey farm in Lawrence County and a broiler farm in Newton County.Meanwhile, federal officials confirmed findings at two more live bird markets in New York’s Queens and Bronx counties. Earlier detections at live markets in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn prompted New York’s governor last week to announce a temporary closure of live bird markets in New York City, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau counties.APHIS also reported new outbreaks in backyard flocks in Louisiana’s Calcasieu County, Washington’s Mason County, and Connecticut’s New London County.Since the virus first emerged in US poultry in early 2022, outbreaks have led to the loss of a record 157.7 million birds across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.With detections continuing in domestic and wild birds, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development today urged poultry owners to continue to take steps to protect their birds, especially as wild birds begin their spring migration.Officials added that though it’s impossible to predict what will happen in the spring, “it is certain that this disease will continue to impact Michigan's animal agriculture, and taking preventative measures to keep HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] away from domestic birds remains essential.” In related developments, APHIS confirmed 5 more detections in dairy cattle, all from California. The latest additions lift the national total to 962 and California’s total to 744. The virus also continues its heavy toll in wild birds. APHIS today added more than 50 H5N1 confirmations to its list of birds found dead in several states, which includes gulls, geese, ducks, and birds of prey. The list also includes hunter-harvested and live-sampled waterfowl from states including Louisiana, Indiana, Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon, and Michigan.APHIS today confirmed three more H5N1 detections in domestic cats, which includes an infected stray cat in California’s San Mateo County announced by county officials on February 6. The cat was taken in for medical care by a family in Half Moon Bay when it developed symptoms. It’s not known how the cat was infected, and the animal was euthanized due to its condition. The other confirmations involve a cat from Montana’s Flathead County that was sampled on December 5, 2024, and a cat from Oregon’s Multnomah County that was sampled on February 3.
Second strain of bird flu found in Nevada dairy cows -- Dairy cows in Nevada have been infected with a new strain of bird flu virus different from the one circulating in other herds throughout the past year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. The strain found in the Nevada cattle raises new questions about the spread of the avian influenza virus in dairy cows, which many assumed began after the virus jumped from birds in Texas. The newer version of the virus matches the strain currently found in wild birds and domestic poultry, as well as in the severe human cases — a Louisiana man who died in January, and a Canadian teen who was hospitalized for more than two months and nearly died. The virus has never before been seen in cattle, ruling out the possibility that the Nevada cows caught it from another infected herd. Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona, said the initial hope was that a rare mutation allowed the virus to jump from birds and settle in cattle. “Now, we know that’s not true,” Worobey said. “It means that we might be playing Whac-A-Mole with it just jumping in over and over again, and the tools that we hoped to use to get rid of [the virus] might not work as well.” This is also the second known instance of cattle becoming infected after the virus jumped from wild birds, which experts said shows that cattle are susceptible to other H5N1 viruses, not just the specific subtype that started in Texas and has since infected 950 dairy herds in 16 states, according to USDA. “Right now it’s unclear how widespread this is. But given D1.1’s prevalence in wild and domestic birds right now, we should be aggressively testing exposed dairy cattle who are near H5-positive poultry premises to see whether this phenomenon is present beyond Nevada,”
Avian flu explodes in Ohio | The Transmission | University of Nebraska Medical Center -- More than 10 million birds have been affected in the past 45 days. Ohio is the hot spot for avian flu right now in the U.S. It has lost more than 10 million birds to the H5N1 virus in the past 45 days on commercial operations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. It’s the most of any state.As of Feb. 6, 50 commercial flocks have been affected since Dec. 27, starting with an egg-layer operation of 931,300 birds.The virus has spread swiftly in Darke and Mercer counties (10,103,500 total birds), affecting not only commercial egg-layer operations, but also turkey meat, egg pullet and duck meat farms. Turkey meat operations in Van Wert and Auglaize counties have also been confirmed positive with 21,400 and 11,000 birds, respectively. Here’s the breakdown in Darke County, according to rounded numbers from the CDC:
- 9 turkey meat operations, for a total of 106,500 birds
- 6 egg-layer operations, for a total of 4,670,800 birds
- 2 egg-pullet operations, for a total of 545,200 birds
Here’s the breakdown in Mercer County, according to rounded numbers from the CDC:
- 21 turkey meat operations, for a total of 237,000 birds
- 7 egg-layer operations, for a total of 4,443,100 birds
- 1 egg-pullet operation, for a total of 88,300 birds
- 1 duck meat operation, for a total of 12,600 birds
Avian influenza, or "bird flu," is a contagious viral disease. It's a major threat to the poultry industry, animal health, trade and the economy worldwide.The disease is found in an array of wildlife and domestic animals — most recently affecting cats — and was first detected in Ohio in a backyard flock in March 2022. Since then, a total of 56 commercial operations, 11 backyard flocks and 19.7 million birds have been affected.To date, 67 human cases of HPAI and one death have been confirmed, according to the Centers for Disease Control, including six Michigan farmworkers who have all recovered and none from Ohio.HPAI is a highly contagious virus that spreads in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected animals, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of farmworkers. Many believe the spread is triggered by migratory birds.The affected premises are under quarantine, and the birds will be depopulated to prevent disease spread.The outbreak follows a period of a year of no commercial operations contracting H5N1. The last Ohio outbreak was a couple backyard flocks in late February 2024, and the last commercial (egg pullets) operation outbreak occurred Dec. 23, 2023, with 1,363,900 affected birds.Mutation of the virus, possibly allowing it to spread between people, which it currently doesn’t, remains a top concern.The Ohio Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to intensify biosecurity and best management practices.
Avian flu hits more commercial and backyard poultry in 9 states - Over the past 2 days, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported more H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in nine states, including more layer farms in Ohio, one of the states hit hardest over the past several weeks.Other states reporting outbreaks at commercial poultry farms include Colorado, as well as Pennsylvania and Indiana—two states that have also reported numerous recent outbreaks. Pennsylvania’s latest outbreaks include duck and broiler farms, and the latest event in Indiana affected a layer farm in Jay County that has nearly 1 million birds.Separately, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship yesterday reported an outbreak in a turkey flock in Buena Vista county, the state’s third of 2025.APHIS said the virus also continues to hit backyard flocks in several states, with the most recent detections in Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, Wyoming, and New York.Since the virus first emerged in US poultry in early 2022, outbreaks have led to the loss of a record 159 million birds across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, states continue to note detections in wild birds and have urged the public to avoid handling wild birds. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources today said a wild merganser from Milwaukee County has tested presumptive positive for H5 avian flu and that it has received reports of sick or dead waterfowl, mostly mergansers, along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties.Since the middle of December, the state has reported wild bird detections in six counties, mostly involving swans and Canada geese.
On the Front Lines Against Bird Flu, Egg Farmers Say They’re Losing the Battle -- Greg Herbruck knew 6.5 million of his birds needed to die, and fast. But the CEO of Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch wasn’t sure how the family egg producer (one of the largest in the U.S., in business for over three generations) was going to get through it, financially or emotionally. One staffer broke down in Herbruck’s office in tears. “The mental toll on our team of dealing with that many dead chickens is just, I mean, you can’t imagine it,” Herbruck said. “I didn’t sleep. Our team didn’t sleep.” The stress of watching tens of thousands of sick birds die of avian flu each day, while millions of others waited to be euthanized, kept everyone awake. In April 2024, as his first hens tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus, Herbruck turned to the tried-and-true U.S. Department of Agriculture playbook, the “stamping-out” strategy that helped end the 2014-15 bird flu outbreak, which was the largest in the U.S. until now. Within 24 to 48 hours of the first detection of the virus, state and federal animal health officials work with farms to cull infected flocks to reduce the risk of transmission. That’s followed by extensive disinfection and months of surveillance and testing to make sure the virus isn’t still lurking somewhere on-site.Since then, egg farms have had to invest millions of dollars into biosecurity. For instance, employees shower in and shower out, before they start working and after their shifts end, to prevent spreading any virus. But their efforts have not been enough to contain the outbreak that started three years ago. This time, the risk to human health is only growing, experts say. Sixty-six of the 67 total human cases in the United States have been just since March, including the nation’s first human death, reported last month.“The last six months have accelerated my concern, which was already high,” said Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician and the founding director of Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases.Controlling this virus has become more challenging, precisely because it’s so entrenched in the global environment, spilling into mammals such as dairy cows, and affecting roughly 150 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks in the U.S.Because laying hens are so susceptible to the H5N1 virus, which can wipe out entire flocks within days of the first infection, egg producers have been on the front lines in the fight against various bird flu strains for years. But this moment feels different. Egg producers and the American Egg Board, an industry group, are begging for a new prevention strategy.Many infectious disease experts agree that the risks to human health of continuing current protocols are unsustainable, because of the strain of bird flu driving this outbreak.“The one we’re battling today is unique,” said David Swayne, former director of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and a leading national expert in avian influenza.“It’s not saying for sure there’s gonna be a pandemic” of H5N1, Swayne said, “but it’s saying the more human infections, the spreading into multiple mammal species is concerning.”For Herbruck, it feels like war. Ten months after Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch was hit, the company is still rebuilding its flocks and rehired most of the 400 workers it laid off.Still, he and his counterparts in the industry live in fear, watching other farms get hit two, even three times in the past few years. “I call this virus a terrorist,” he said. “And we are in a battle and losing, at the moment.”
Nebraska identifies CWD in 60 deer, 4 elk in 10 previously unaffected counties --Sixty hunter-harvested deer and four elk in 10 more eastern Nebraska counties tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) during the 2024 hunting season, an increase of over 50% from 2023 that likely reflects a 42% rise in deer tested, according to talliesposted on Outdoor Nebraska.Nebraska conducts CWD surveillance in four to seven regions each year, rotating to a different part of the state each season. CWD was first identified in Nebraska in 2000 in Kimball County. Since 1997, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) has tested more than 58,000 deer and 400 elk, with 1,347 deer and 23 elk testing positive for the fatal neurodegenerative disease. So far, CWD has been detected in free-ranging deer and elk in 68 of 93 counties (73%).Thirty of 600 deer tested were positive for CWD in 2023. In 2024, NGPC tested 1,419 hunter-harvested deer samples at check stations in the Missouri, Elkhorn, Loup East, Wahoo, Blue Northwest, and Blue Southeast deer-management units. The 60 deer and four elk that tested positive for CWD in 2024 were found in 10 previously CWD-negative counties: Antelope, Butler, Greeley, Jefferson, Madison, Merrick, Platte, Richardson, Seward, and York. Thus far, no population declines have been attributed to the disease. CWD is a disease of cervids such as deer and elk caused by prions, infectious proteins that trigger abnormal folding in normal proteins, especially in the central nervous system. Infected animals shed CWD prions in body fluids, which can spread to other cervids through direct contact or the environment. Although no CWD cases have been detected in people, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against eating infected animals and advises taking precautions when handling carcasses.
CWD spreads to Carbon County, Pennsylvania, with first detection in free-ranging deer - A buck in Packer Township, Pennsylvania, has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), marking the first case for Carbon County, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reported yesterday.The severely emaciated deer was found dead on private property located more than 10 miles away from any other CWD-positive cases. Carbon County is in the east-central part of the state.Last week, the state announced the first CWD detections in adjoining Luzerne County in two bucks, one harvested by a hunter and one identified on a deer-breeding farm. Pennsylvania's first CWD case was found in Adams County in 2012.A fatal neurologic disease of cervids such as deer, moose, and elk, CWD is caused by infectious misfolded proteins transmitted through direct contact or environmental contamination. Standard sterilization methods and cooking temperatures cannot kill prions, and hunters are urged to have their harvested cervids tested before eating meat from them.
Two more Arkansas counties note CWD in deer for first time - Cleburne and Baxter have become the latest Arkansas counties to report chronic wasting disease (CWD)-positive deer, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) announced yesterday. The two 2.5-year-old bucks in Cleburne County, located within a quarter-mile of each other, and a 3.5-year-old buck in Baxter were harvested during the hunting season, which ends Feb 28. Baxter County is in the north-central part of the state, abutting Missouri. Cleburne County, located one county southeast of Baxter, was added to the CWD management zone in February 2024 after a deer in Craighead County, northeast of Cleburne, tested positive.In Cleburne County, a CWD-positive deer was found close to the Van Buren County line in 2022, along with a detection in neighboring Independence County. Baxter was added to the zone in 2019 after positive cases were reported in adjoining Marion and Searcy counties. In November, the AGFC reported one CWD case each in Conway and Stone counties, in the southeastern part of the state; it was the first detection for Conway. "The probability of finding CWD in these counties eventually was high, given their proximity to other known positive cases," AJ Riggs, AGFC wildlife health biologist, said in yesterday's news release. "These new cases confirm that our protocols for early detection are effective."AGFC said it has tested more than 67,500 deer and elk across the state to date, identifying CWD in 1,970 deer and 56 elk.CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of cervids such as deer, elk, and moose caused by infectious misfolded proteins called prions. The infection spreads from animal to animal through direct contact and environmental contamination.While no human CWD cases have been reported, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization advise against eating meat from sick cervids and urge taking precautions when handling carcasses.
PFAS in fertilisers blamed for killing livestock in Texas and wreaking havoc - The mystery of why farmers had started falling ill in Johnson County, Texas and what killed the fish in their ponds and livestock on their ranches may have been solved. The culprit is claimed to be a fertiliser contaminated with dangerous levels of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that was spread on adjacent farmland, according to the findings of an ongoing criminal investigation.The case began in late December 2022 when Dana Ames, an environmental crimes investigator for Johnson County, received a complaint from a farmer who said a neighbour was spreading what appeared to be fertiliser that had been smoking for days. He reported that the valley surrounding his property had filled up with smoke, which was creating breathing problems for himself, his wife and neighbours. Further, the farmer alleged that previous spreading of this material by the same neighbour had caused the fish in his pond and other nearby ponds to die and that it had led to his animals becoming ill too.When Ames arrived on the scene, she observed a dozen or more large, black smouldering piles emitting large plumes of smoke with a smell so pungent that Ames recalls almost vomiting. She reported that the smoke also made it hard for her to breathe. Although it is unclear why the product was smoking, Ames says there are ‘a couple of different theories’ having to do with microplastics and composting.Ames observed the product being spread by tractor and quickly discovered that it was a Synagro fertiliser made from biosolids – municipal wastewater-treated sewage sludge from the city of Fort Worth, Texas. She immediately opened an investigation and began collecting samples of soil, pond water, well water, as well as fish and animal tissue, for analysis. The Synagro fertiliser itself was also tested.Synagro has denied that its fertilisers have harmed the health of farmers or livestock and is contesting the lawsuit.In a statement, the firm said: ‘None of the plaintiffs themselves used Synagro products and the biosolids applied by a farmer working with Synagro met all [US Environmental Protection Agency] and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements. US EPA continues to support land application of biosolids as a valuable practice that recycles nutrients to farmland and has not suggested that any changes in biosolids management is required.’‘As a matter of fact, without any response from Synagro, the plaintiffs amended the complaint to drastically reduce the concentrations of PFAS alleged in the complaint when it was originally filed,’ the company added.In the two years since the investigation began, Johnson County Commissioner Larry Woolley, a lifelong farmer and rancher with a degree in agriculture, cites reports of hundreds of fish and about35 cattle and five horses dying that were blamed on PFAS-contaminated biosolids.Since 2016, more than 866,000 tonnes of sewage sludge has been applied to US farmland,according to an analysis by the Environmental Working Group. The organisation estimates that 5% of all arable land in the US has had fertiliser applied to it that contains PFAS-contaminated biosolids. A recent draft report from the EPA appears to show that high levels of PFAS in sewage sludge applied to farmland can cause cancer and other diseases in those living near farms where it is applied.Overall, 32 individual PFAS chemicals were identified on the victims’ properties, including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA), also known as GenX. PFAS levels in drinking water wells on the plaintiffs’ properties were found to range from 91 nanograms per litre (ng/l) up to 268ng/l and their soils ranged from 97ng/l to about 6291ng/l (1ng/l is equivalent to 1 part per trillion).Some of the fish and animal tissue results were much higher. A stillborn calf had PFAS levels approaching 1500ng/l and its liver held more than 613,00ng/l of PFAS, the vast majority of which was PFOS. The tissue of another calf that died at a week old held 3200ng/l of PFAS, including 320ng/l of PFOS, though its liver was not tested.Meanwhile, two fish tested at more than 74,000ng/l and 57,000ng/l of PFOS, respectively. And the actual fertiliser product itself tested at 13,000ng/l of PFOS in about 100g of the product. The source of the PFAS contaminating these biosolids isn’t entirely clear, but it is likely to be from runoff entering drains. This wastewater could be contaminated by PFAS-containing firefighting foams, industrial effluent, landfill leachate and other unknown sources.Earlier this year, the EPA released long-awaited regulations that set national and enforceable drinking water standards for six PFAS, known as maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), which specified 4ng/l for both PFOA and for PFOS individually, as well as 10ng/l for GenX. The agency also proposed health-based, non-enforceable MCL goals of zero for PFOA and PFOS because ‘there is no dose below which either chemical is considered safe’. Those thresholds are dramatically lower than the non-regulatory 70ng/l lifetime health advisory for drinking water that the EPA established in 2016 for PFOA and PFOS.
Higher PFAS levels detected in veteran firefighters after Maui fires: Report --Veteran firefighters who responded to the 2023 blazes in Maui, Hawaii, had greater levels of “forever chemicals” in their blood in comparison to those of shorter-term recruits, new research has shown. The more seasoned first responders presented with these higher concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) a month after fighting the fires, according to the research, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. After a series of fatal fires struck the town of Lahaina on Maui’s northwest coast in August 2023, Maui County requested technical assistance from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to assess firefighter exposures to selected chemicals. Among those were PFAS, an umbrella acronym for thousands of synthetic materials, many of which are key ingredients in household items, specific kinds of firefighting foams and industrial waste, as well as waterproof, stain-resistant and certain first-responder gear and equipment. Notorious for their inability to break down in the human body or in the environment, some types of PFAS have been linked to cancers, reproductive issues and other serious illnesses. Following the Maui wildfires, investigators collected and analyzed blood specimens from Maui County employees who had been involved in the response efforts, according to the report. In total, 258 county employees — including 178 firefighters — submitted blood samples. One particularly persistent type of PFAS that appeared in a wide range of concentrations was PFHxS, which has been a known component in certain foams and fabrics. The researchers detected the highest levels of PFHxS in the firefighters, with one individual presenting with concentrations that were 2.5 times the CDC’s 95th percentile for the compound — or 2.5 times the levels deemed higher than that of 95 percent of the U.S. population.
Wausau files federal lawsuit over PFAS contamination, citing long-term environmental and health risks - Wausau in January initiated a comprehensive legal battle against multiple corporations doing business in the city to address PFAS contamination affecting its public water system, a move that is seeing mixed reaction in the community.The lawsuit, lodged in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, targets companies like Georgia-Pacific LLC, Graphic Packaging International LLC, and Wausau Chemical Corporation among others, alleging their operations contributed to the ongoing pollution with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The city’s complaint details the presence of PFAS—often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and the human body—in Wausau’s municipal water supply, which serves approximately 40,000 residents.The move took some business leaders by surprise, some of whom say suing organizations that provide hundreds of jobs in Wausau could have a chilling effect on future activities in the city. Dave Eckmann, president and CEO of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, said the litigation “most certainly impacts business mindsets as to whether Wausau is a business-friendly community.”“As local and outside firms look to a community it is but one of the many boxes they will check when they are deciding to expand or locate their business in Wausau,” he said. “Other boxes they consider are workforce, taxation, housing, etc. The interesting aspect of this situation is the number of legacy firms that are involved in the lawsuit. Many are no longer in business – dissolved.”Wausau Mayor Doug Diny, who was on the City Council when the resolution was unanimously approved, has not responded to multiple invitations to comment for this story. But City Council President Lisa Rasmussen, in an email to Wausau Pilot & Review, staunchly defended Wausau’s right to take such action.“The business community should support our work to provide safe water to residents, customers and workforce,” Rasmussen said. “I’d be far more concerned about what it says about Wausau if we make ratepayers absorb the cost of complying with water standards while letting polluters off the hook. Cities nationwide have filed similar litigation. Wausau is not alone and was wise to file litigation to recover. Whether we can recover from them all is yet to be seen, but the effort needs to be made. We can’t turn a blind eye to the proven impacts.”PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in a wide range of products for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. Despite their useful properties, PFAS compounds are linked to numerous health risks, including cancer and liver damage.
Toxic legacy: Maryland lawsuit alleges WL Gore took no action amid awareness of PFAS violations — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown recently sued the maker of Gore-Tex, accusing the company of harming the state's environment by releasing toxic forever chemicals.Brown told 11 News Investigates that W.L. Gore and Associates sold billions of dollars' worth of products for decades. The attorney general also accused the company of releasing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the air, soil and groundwater while being aware of and concealing their danger."A complete disregard for the harmful effects of PFAS, and the fear is that, for decades to come, you're going to see the injuries caused by their conduct," Brown told 11 News Investigates.So, Brown filed a lawsuit in December against W.L. Gore and Associates on accusations it contaminated the areas around 13 of its Cecil County facilities with PFAS.| DOCUMENT: Read Maryland's lawsuit (PDF) "We've undergone an investigation, which is not complete because that's part of litigation. We see violations of the law by W.L. Gore," Brown told 11 News Investigates. "It's pretty striking, the extent to which W.L. Gore has contaminated the soil, the groundwater in Maryland."Last week, 11 News Investigates revealed a first-of-its-kind studythat tested the blood of Maryland residents from across the state for PFAS and found contamination in all 41 volunteers. Researchers told 11 News that the vast majority of the volunteers are at risk for serious health problems.The attorney general's lawsuit focuses on PFOA, one of the almost indestructible toxins manufactured by W.L. Gore for decades. Research has linked PFOA to kidney and testicular cancer, pregnancy complications and more."There are a number of claims that we're alleging against W.L. Gore for their misconduct. So, we believe it's a strong case both on legal grounds and the facts," Brown told 11 News Investigates.One of the claims cited in the lawsuit alleges that W.L. Gore knew about the dangers of PFOA by 1990 — at the latest — when one of DuPont's scientists "took his years of knowledge and experience working with PFOA issues at DuPont to Gore." W.L. Gore didn't stop using the toxin in its manufacturing process until the end of 2013."I'm not going to go much beyond the complaint because we are in the middle of litigation. It's our belief, and we've got strong information to show it, that they knew of the violations and they didn't do anything about it," Brown told 11 News Investigates.Another theme of the complaint seems to be that while W.L. Gore would go as far as looking into a problem, the Maryland Department of the Environment had to come in and pick up the tab to really check everything that it wanted checked."That's an accurate assessment," Brown told 11 News Investigates. "It's not just about the money. Certainly, (we) don't want taxpayers to pick up the tab for investigations, for remediation, for abatement, for the sampling. But perhaps even more important, we want to address the damages that were done to Maryland."This isn't the first time Maryland's attorney general has sued companies over forever chemicals. In May 2023, Brown filed two lawsuits, suing 3M, DuPont and more than a dozen other companies for "environmental contamination and public health harm" as a result of their use of PFAS."It was the first affirmative litigation that I authorized as attorney general," Brown told 11 News Investigates.Part of the complaint alleges that water testing found 200 to 250 times the legal limit of PFAS in the drinking water at Cherry Hill, Fair Hill and Appleton South, which comprise part of W.L. Gore's 13 Elkton-area facilities."It's certainly astonishing. It's not seen, it's not smelled, and it's so often just unknown to your typical Marylander, right? You don't know when and where you'll be exposed," Brown told 11 News Investigates. "It's striking and alarming that you have a company that knew the dangers of PFAS."In a company statement sent to 11 News Investigates, W.L. Gore cited actions that it said have reflected the emerging science of PFAS.The statement reads, in part, "W.L. Gore and Associates (Gore) denies the allegations in the complaint and is surprised by the Maryland attorney general's decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years."W.L. Gore's website provides data about the company's work, showing maps of where it has tested the soil and where it has offered to sample residential wells, as well as listing data about how many residents have been offered bottled water or were paid to connect to the water utility.The statement reads, in part, "This demonstrates Gore's continuous, proactive engagement with the Maryland regulators since learning two years ago about the presence of PFOA in ground water near our Cherry Hill facility."
Georgia Republicans seek to shield carpet companies, cities from costly toxic PFAS lawsuits --As northwest Georgia’s carpet manufacturing industry faces a barrage of potentially costly lawsuits, a new proposal introduced in the state legislature would grant broad immunity to carpet companies and municipalities accused of tainting the public water supply with the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. House Bill 211, introduced recently by several northwest Georgia Republicans, comes as the area’s carpet industry faces at least half a dozen lawsuits accusing them of contaminating local drinking water with PFAS — compounds connected to a host of negative health effects, including fertility problems and certain cancers.Last year, the EPA set its first limits on PFAS levels in drinking water.The battle over PFAS contamination in Georgia has primarily centered on the state’s northwest corridor, including Dalton, which is known as the “carpet capital of the world.” For years, flooring companies purchased PFAS-laden Stainmaster and Scotchgard products from chemical manufacturers to add stain and water resistance to their own products. Wastewater from these plants then was discharged into nearby waterways or sprayed on land, according to complainants in court filings.The name “forever chemicals” is a nod to the molecules’ strong bonds, which makes them resistant to breakdown in nature and allows them to accumulate in soil, water and even the human body.The legislation would classify the carpet manufacturers, municipalities and others as so-called “PFAS receivers” and shield them from liability. The bill would not protect chemical manufacturers and therefore not shut the door on future lawsuits against companies that manufactured the chemicals, such as 3M and DuPont.It is unclear whether the new law would affect current litigation or only apply to future lawsuits. State Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton — one of the five Northwest Georgia Republican lawmakers sponsoring the bill — said carpet manufacturers were unaware that PFAS chemicals were dangerous, and liability ultimately falls on the chemical’s manufacturers.“At the end of the day, we’re sick and tired of lawsuits being brought against everybody when the chemical was made by a company and was professed to be safe by a company.” Carpenter said.He said the bill does not protect PFAS receivers from Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia Environmental Protection Division actions.Last year, Georgia-based Mohawk Carpet sued 3M, DuPont and others for fraud, alleging the chemical manufacturers concealed the risks of PFAS in their products.
Trump signs executive order restoring plastic straw use in government - President Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to return to using plastic straws. “We’re going back to plastic straws,” he said, adding that paper straws “don’t work.” The move comes after former President Biden set a goal of phasing out the government’s use of single-use plastics. At the time, the Biden White House said that an increase in plastic production and waste has been “littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health.” Plastics are produced using oil and gas, and promoting the use of the material could be a win for Trump’s allies in the energy industry as well as the plastics industry. Plastic’s opponents raise concerns about the prevalence of tiny microplastics in the environment. Exposure to microplastics has been linked to issues with brain and reproductive development in animal studies. While it’s not totally clear what type of straws, if any, would have replaced plastic in federal use under the Biden directive, other types, including paper, may also pose environmental and health concerns. A 2023 study found that compounds known as PFAS, which make materials water resistant but can be toxic, were found in almost all types of straws, including paper and bamboo.
Storm Eowyn brings Ireland’s rural electricity distribution to near collapse -Two people in Ireland were killed by January’s Storm Eowyn. A 20-year-old Polish man, Kacper Dudek, was killed in County Donegal when a falling tree struck his car. Days later, while electricity was still out and essential medical equipment not functioning, an elderly man died in front of his family in County Mayo. Another young driver was killed in Scotland. Thus far, no other fatalities have been reported, but the storm’s impact has been profound, particularly in the West of Ireland, exposing the near collapse of the island’s rural electricity distribution system, its vulnerability to intense storms, one of the consequences of global warming.At the peak of the “storm of the century” 750,000 premises in the Republic of Ireland and 250,000 in Northern Ireland had no power. One day later, according to the Irish government’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group, some 460,000 households were still without electricity. 200,000 were without water, another 300,000 were at risk of losing their water supply. 281,000 landline telephone customers had no services as did 1,760,000 mobile phone users. Nearly a fortnight later, some 18,000 rural houses still have no power, with reconnection times still measured in days due to extensive damage to power lines and infrastructure. In the North, one week after the storm, 6,500 premises still had no power, although most have now been reconnected. Hundreds of skilled workers were mobilised from across Europe to assist in efforts to restore power across the island, while emergency generators were sourced with the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, including 10 generators from Poland. In the storm’s immediate aftermath over 300 emergency centres offering heat, hot food, showers, charging services and telephones were opened. Many families were forced to drive miles to find something to eat, while less mobile isolated, vulnerable and elderly people were deprived of heat, light, water and any communication with the outside world for days.Many of the emergency centres, particularly in the Northwest, remain open. Residents in County Kildare told the Irish Times of their concerns over elderly residents in the Broadford estate, trapped for days with no contact from either the local authorities or the ESB power provider. Over the course of the outages, emergency calls could not be made, vital medical equipment stopped working, cash could not be accessed.According to Met Éireann, the storm was among the most powerful to ever hit Ireland. Hurricane force winds hit a number of location, including Mace Head, in County Galway where one gust reached 184 kilometres per hour and sustained wind speeds, lasting over 10 minutes, of 142 kilometres per hour were recorded. Record speeds were also recorded in Finner, Athenry and Gurteen. Offshore, a weather buoy recorded a wave height of over 20 metres. The storm, the fifth in a turbulent season which started in September, was driven by cold air displaced to the North East of the US meeting warmer tropical air. The intersection of the two, combined with a fast-moving transatlantic jet stream, resulted in a sudden collapse in atmospheric pressure, high wind speeds and a localised “sting jet” air system near where the highest wind speeds were recorded. Estimates of the cost to insurers of repairing the damage to houses, sports centres, churches and public buildings are currently running to around €200 million, based on estimates and claims received to January 31 by Irish insurers. Many houses have had roofs blown off and been damaged by falling trees to compound the impact of power failures. Connacht Airdome, reportedly the largest indoor sports dome in the world, was destroyed. Estimates of the insurance costs across Europe ranged as high as €1 billion, reflecting the storm’s impact beyond Ireland, particularly in the UK and Spain. In Ireland, a limited, means tested, compensation scheme is being rolled out.
7 dead as extreme rainfall causes flooding and landslides in Pernambuco, Brazil - Heavy rainfall exceeded 300 mm (11.8 inches) in the northeastern Brazil on February 6, 2025, leading to 7 deaths in the state of Pernambuco including 5 in the capital, Recife, and 2 in nearby cities. The torrential rain has caused damage, submerging homes and vehicles, toppling trees, and triggering landslides. Several municipalities in Pernambuco experienced water supply issues, with 18 cities affected, according to the Pernambuco Sanitation Company (Compesa). In Recife, flooding has disrupted traffic and prompted authorities to advise residents to stay indoors. The Brazilian Urban Train Company (CBTU) suspended operations on the Recife Metro’s Centro Line which serves approximately 150 000 commuters daily. An 18-year-old man died from electrocution in a flooded area in Recife’s Jardim São Paulo neighborhood, becoming the latest casualty of the extreme weather. A landslide in the city also killed a 55-year-old mother and her 23-year-old daughter as confirmed by Recife’s municipal government. Data from the National Disaster Monitoring Center (Cemaden) shows that Abreu e Lima received 325 mm (12.8 inches), Goiana 284 mm (11.2 inches), Igarassu 271 mm (10.7 inches), Paulista 270 mm (10.6 inches), Itapissuma 268 mm (10.5 inches), Olinda 261 mm (10.3 inches), Recife 243 mm (9.6 inches), and Jaboatão dos Guararapes 212 mm (8.3 inches). Over 48 hours, Pernambuco’s rainfall included 233 mm (9.2 inches) in Abreu e Lima, 177 mm (7 inches) in Paulista, 157 mm (6.2 inches) in Camaragibe, 157 mm (6.2 inches) in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, and 148 mm (5.8 inches) in Recife. Rio Grande do Norte recorded 50 mm (2 inches) of rain within 12 hours in Natal, leading to flooding and road blockages. In the neighboring state of Paraíba, heavy rain over the past three days led to a landslide along the urban train tracks in Greater João Pessoa, causing partial service interruptions. In the state capital, João Pessoa, fallen trees and storm-related damage were reported. The extreme rainfall is linked to an Upper-Level Cyclonic Vortex, a meteorological system that forms between 10 and 15 km (6.2 to 9.3 miles) in altitude. The system, typical in summer and autumn, creates wind divergence at high altitudes, which enhances the lifting of warm, moisture-laden air, resulting in heavy cloud formation and persistent downpours. Cemaden data from February 5 recorded substantial rainfall in multiple regions, with Barra do São Miguel and Maceió in Alagoas receiving 108 mm (4.3 inches) and 84 mm (3.3 inches), respectively.
Australia: Flooding devastates northern Queensland, two confirmed dead --For over a week, towns in northern Queensland have been devastated by intense flooding that have so far killed at least two people and have driven hundreds more from their homes. From January 28 onwards, the severe flooding event has mostly impacted the cities of Townsville and Ingham, around 1,500 km north of Queensland’s capital city of Brisbane. The rainfall levels, though not officially forming cyclones, were compared to cyclone levels by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). By February 2, hard-hit areas recorded over 1m (40 inches) of rain in 48 hours. One resident of South Mission Beach near Cairns reported 600mm of rain in 12 hours. The flood levels are close to record levels. The Herbert River rose at one point to 14.89 metres, only half a metre shy of the record level of 15.2 metres caused by Cyclone Dinah in 1967. Two deaths have been confirmed so far. The first was a 63-year-old woman who died last Sunday morning when an emergency services boat was capsized after hitting a tree. The second was when the body of an 82-year-old woman was tragically found on Tuesday in cane fields. The town of Ingham, close to where the elderly woman was found dead, was hit particularly hard. Homes were cut off from running water when the water treatment plant malfunctioned from the floodwaters. The Ingham substation was also switched off from floodwaters on Tuesday, affecting thousands of people. Power was restored for a number of residents on Friday afternoon, but there remain about 5,000 homes that are still without power. Hundreds of emergency calls have been made for flooding, evacuations, felled trees, and leaking home ceilings. According to the Insurance Council of Australia, at least 2,500 claims have been made for flood damages to homes. Those who have been unable to return to their flooded homes have been sleeping in accommodation shelters, and in some cases in tents or in their cars. Towns have also been isolated and cut off from crucial supplies. The Ollera Creek Bridge on the Bruce Highway collapsed from the flooding, cutting off the route of supplies to regions north of the bridge. The threat for the region is far from over. Senior meteorologist for the BOM Dean Narramore stated on Friday that “over the next three or four days we could see falls of 100mm to 200mm over northern Queensland.” Another senior meteorologist, Sarah Scully, stated that by Saturday “we are expecting there to be a burst of widespread heavy rainfall about the northeast tropical Queensland coast extending further inland.” There remains the potential for Ingham and Townsville to face life-threatening flash flooding over the weekend. The Herbert River, which has flooded the town of Ingham, remains categorised with a “major flood warning” by the BOM. Scully stated that the heavy expected rainfall will likely result in “rapid rises and lead to a return of more significant flooding across the Townsville area.”
Severe storms batter NSW and Victoria, triggering flash floods and emergency rescues, Australia - Severe thunderstorms struck New South Wales (NSW) and eastern Victoria on Monday, February 10, 2025, bringing heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and large hailstones, with emergency services responding to over 500 calls for assistance. The storm moved over Sydney’s central business district (CBD) around noon, bringing 52.8 mm (2.08 inches) by mid-afternoon. Horsley Park registered 88 mm (3.46 inches) in the same period. In the 24 hours leading up to 09:00 LT on Monday, Murrumburrah, north of Gundagai, recorded 89 mm (3.50 inches) of rainfall. Coonabarabran received 61 mm (2.40 inches) overnight, while Gunnedah recorded 43 mm (1.69 inches), and Mount Palmer in the Hunter region measured 54 mm (2.13 inches). Shortly after 16:00 LT on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall, large hailstones, and damaging winds across the northern interior of NSW. The warning covered parts of the north-west and central-west slopes and plains, as well as the Riverina and the upper and lower western districts. Orbost in Victoria recorded approximately 28 mm (1.10 inches) of rainfall on Monday. The storm also produced hailstones measuring 2 – 6 cm (0.79 – 2.36 inches) in Boorowa, Harden, and Temora. Between 12:00 and 14:00, the State Emergency Service (SES) rescued 21 people from vehicles trapped in flash flooding across the Sydney metropolitan area. Since midnight, the SES had responded to over 500 calls for assistance due to fallen trees, roof damage, and sandbag requests, particularly in southern and central western NSW and metropolitan Sydney. A low-pressure trough extending through NSW fueled the storm, drawing moisture from the north and the ocean, intensifying showers, storms, and rainfall across multiple areas. The system remains stationary and could bring severe weather conditions into February 11, 2025.
Category 5 Cyclone Zelia to make landfall over Pilbara coast, bringing very destructive winds and flooding, Western Australia -- Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia rapidly intensified after forming off the coast of Western Australia on February 11, 2025, reaching Category 5 strength at 03:00 UTC on February 13. The system remains slow-moving over warm ocean waters north-northwest of Port Hedland and is expected to maintain Category 5 intensity until landfall on February 14.
- Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is expected to make landfall on the night of February 14 (local time) along the Pilbara coast of Western Australia, most likely between Port Hedland and Roebourne. The system will remain slow-moving and maintain its Category 5 intensity until landfall.
- At landfall, gusts up to 320 km/h (200 mph) are expected, capable of causing widespread destruction, including uprooted trees, structural damage, and disruptions to power and communication networks.
- Heavy rainfall is expected to intensify as the cyclone nears the coast, with its slow movement contributing to high rainfall totals over a short period. Flood watches and warnings have been issued, particularly for the De Grey River catchment, where recent heavy rainfall increases the risk of rapid river rises and flooding. Additional flood risks extend to the Pilbara coastal catchments, Onslow coast, and Fortescue and Ashburton river systems, with potential impacts on roads and transport infrastructure.
- Residents in the Pilbara region, especially between Port Hedland and Roebourne, should prepare for severe impacts, including prolonged power outages, impassable roads, and potential evacuations.
Zelia makes landfall near De Grey River as a powerful Category 5 cyclone, Australia Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall over Western Australia’s coast between Pardoo and Port Hedland at 12:30 local time (LT) on Friday, February 14, 2025, with winds up to 290 km/h (180 mph). The cyclone caused extensive damage and prompted emergency response efforts. Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall between Pardoo and Port Hedland in Western Australia at 12:30 local time (LT) on Friday, February 14 as a Category 5 storm. The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 290 km/h (180 mph) at landfall. It then moved southward, weakening to Category 4 strength. As of 00:02 LT on Saturday, February 15, the system was moving south over the inland eastern Pilbara and weakening rapidly. YouTube video According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the system had weakened to a Category 1 storm by 23:00 LT on Friday, with 10-minute sustained winds near the center at 85 km/h (53 mph) and gusts reaching 120 km/h (75 mph). It was located 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Marble Bar and 85 km (53 miles) northwest of Nullagine. Zelia is expected to weaken to a tropical low by 11:00 LT on Saturday. There is still a risk of flash floods due to the heavy rain associated with the system along with the potential for widespread wind damage. Severe weather warnings remain in effect for inland areas of the eastern Pilbara, including Marble Bar, Nullagine, and Munjina. Port Hedland, one of the world’s busiest iron ore export hubs, narrowly avoided the storm’s most destructive core. However, emergency services are responding to extensive damage in surrounding areas.
Flash Flood Watch issued for Los Angeles ahead of strong atmospheric river, California - A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Los Angeles through Thursday, February 13, 2025, ahead of the atmospheric river forecast to bring heavy rainfall to the region. Precipitation forecast map till Thursday night, February 13, 2025, for California. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of Los Angeles through Thursday, February 13, as an atmospheric river approaches California. The watch will be in effect from 13:00 local time (LT) on Thursday to 04:00 LT on Friday, February 14, covering all recent burn scars due to the risk of debris flows and flash flooding. According to the NWS, there is a high risk of urban flooding on some roads and parking lots, as well as a high risk of swift-water rescues. There is also a moderate risk of small stream flooding. Residents are advised to avoid roads, adjust travel plans, and stay out of streams, creeks, and rivers.
Debris flows and flash floods strike California as atmospheric river sweeps through -An atmospheric river triggered multiple debris flows and flash floods across California after it brought heavy rains and mountain snow to much of the state on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Multiple flood alerts and evacuation warnings were issued, with the local authorities reporting widespread damage and multiple rescues.Millions of California residents were placed under flood alerts as an atmospheric river (AR) brought heavy rain and mountain snow through Thursday, February 13, triggering flash floods and debris flows that caused widespread damage across the region.Flood warnings were issued for Los Angeles and flood advisories were in effect for areas around San Francisco as thunderstorms moved through, bringing winds of 97 km/h (60 mph) on Thursday evening, February 13.The fast-moving cold front delivered 25 – 50 mm (1 – 2 inches) of rain across the flatter coastal and valley regions, while coastal slopes received 75 – 150 mm (3 – 6 inches). Interior areas recorded approximately 13 – 25 mm (0.5 – 1 inch) of rainfall.The cold front generated heavy convective cells, producing rainfall rates of 25 – 32 mm (1 – 1.25 inches) per hour, which led to urban flooding and debris flows in burn scar areas. The snow and flooding also created hazardous travel conditions across the region
Roofs ripped off and powerlines downed as possible tornado rips through Pensacola, Florida - A possible tornado ripped through Pensacola, Florida on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, damaging buildings and vehicles, and downing powerlines. A severe storm moved through Escambia County at approximately 16:30 local time (LT) on Tuesday, producing a possible tornado near Pensacola. The storm damaged multiple structures and caused several injuries as it passed through the area. At least three people were reported injured by the possible tornado, with two taken to the hospital. The severity of their injuries was not disclosed. The possible tornado moved through a neighborhood in Pensacola, northeast of Ferry Pass, tearing roofs off buildings and bringing down power lines. Visuals shared online showed flipped-over containers, torn roofs, and damaged vehicles in the wake of the storm. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Mobile, Alabama, will send a storm survey team to the area on Wednesday morning, February 12, to assess the damage and determine whether it was a tornado. There were some reports of a funnel cloud that was generated in Laurel Hill, in Florida Okaloosa County at around 17:27 LT on Tuesday.
Polar vortex threatening Great Plains with record-low temperatures -- The polar vortex is stretching southwards for the 10th time this season threatening to bring record-breaking cold temperatures across the United States through the next week. A significant cold outbreak is expected as Arctic air spreads over the Great Plains from Saturday, February 15, to Wednesday, February 19. During this period, daytime high temperatures in the Central Plains will range from -17.2 to -7.2 °C (1 – 19 °F), potentially tying or breaking previous records. The cold outbreak is expected to first impact the northern Rockies and northern Plains on Saturday before persisting throughout the following week. The cold will likely concentrate east of the Rockies, with only the far western U.S. and central and southern Florida avoiding the temperature drop. The Lower 48 states could experience average low temperatures of -8.6 °C (16.6 °F), dropping further to -10 °C (14 °F) on Wednesday, February 19. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 89% of the United States will experience temperatures below freezing, while 27% of the Lower 48 states will be below -18 °C (0 °F).
Copernicus: January 2025 was the warmest on record globally, despite an emerging La Niña | Copernicus - January 2025 – Surface air temperature and sea surface temperature highlights
- January 2025 was the warmest January globally, with an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 13.23°C, 0.79°C above the 1991-2020 average for January.
- January 2025 was 1.75°C above the pre-industrial level and was the 18th month in the last nineteen months for which the global-average surface air temperature was more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level.
- The last 12-months period (February 2024 – January 2025) was 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average, and 1.61°C above the estimated 1850-1900 average used to define the pre-industrial level.
- *Datasets other than ERA5 may not confirm the 18 months above 1.5°C highlighted here, due to the relatively small margins above 1.5°C of ERA5 global temperatures observed for several months and differences among the various datasets.
- The average temperature over European land for January 2025 was 1.80°C, 2.51°C above the 1991-2020 average for January, the second warmest after January 2020, which was 2.64°C above average.
- European temperatures were most above the 1991-2020 average over southern and eastern Europe, including western Russia. In contrast, they were below average over Iceland, the United Kingdom and Ireland, northern France, and northern Fennoscandia.
- Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average over northeast and northwest Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. They were also above average over southern South America, Africa, and much of Australia and Antarctica.
- Temperatures were most notably below average over the United States and the easternmost regions of Russia, Chukotka and Kamchatka. The Arabian Peninsula and mainland Southeast Asia also had below-average temperatures.
- The average sea surface temperature (SST) for January 2025 over 60°S–60°N was 20.78°C, the second-highest value on record for the month, 0.19°C below the January 2024 record.
- SSTs were below average over the central equatorial Pacific, but close to or above average over the eastern equatorial Pacific, suggesting a slowing or stalling of the move towards La Niña conditions. SSTs remained unusually high in many other ocean basins and seas.
January 2025 – Hydrological highlights
- January 2025 saw predominantly wetter-than-average conditions over regions of western Europe, as well as parts of Italy, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries; heavy precipitation led to flooding in some regions.
- Conversely, drier than average conditions established in northern UK and Ireland, eastern Spain, and north of the Black Sea.
- Beyond Europe, it was wetter than average in Alaska, Canada, central and eastern Russia, eastern Australia, south-eastern Africa, southern Brazil, with regions experiencing floods and associated damage.
- Drier than average conditions established in southwestern United States and northern Mexico, northern Africa, the Middle East, across Central Asia and in eastern China as well as in much of southern Africa, southern South America and Australia.
January 2025 – Sea Ice highlights
- Arctic sea ice reached its lowest monthly extent for January, at 6% below average, virtually tied with January 2018.
- In the Arctic region, sea ice concentration anomalies were well below average in the eastern Canadian sector, including Hudson Bay and the Labrador Sea, and in the northern Barents Sea.
- Antarctic sea ice extent was 5% below average and thus relatively close to average compared to other recent years. This contrasts with the record or near-record values observed in 2023–2024.
- In the Antarctic region, sea ice concentrations were above average in the Amundsen Sea and generally mixed in other ocean sectors.
More information about climate variables in January and climate updates of previous months as well as high-resolution graphics can be downloaded here.
January temperature marks new global milestone | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- Earth started 2025 with its warmest January on record, according to data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).Last month was also notable for the low amount of sea ice covering both ends of the world.The average global land and ocean surface temperature was 2.39 degrees F (1.33 degrees C) above the 20th-century average, ranking as the warmest January in the 176-year global climate record. This was 0.05 of a degree F (0.03 of a degree C) above the previous record-warm January of 2024.The new January global record is particularly notable for having occurred during a La Nina episode, the cold phase of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Global temperatures tend to be cooler during periods of ENSO-neutral conditions and even cooler during La Nina.According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a 7% chance that 2025 will rank as the warmest year on record.An annotated map of the world plotted with the most significant climate events of January 2025. See the story below as well as the report summary from NOAA NCEI at http://bit.ly/Global202501offsite link. (Image credit: NOAA/NCEI) Download Image Other notable climate events:
- Arctic sea ice coverage was second lowest on record: Arctic sea ice extent (coverage) was below average (by 330,000 square miles), ranking second lowest on record. Antarctic extent was slightly below average (by 130,000 square miles). Globally, sea ice extent was the seventh smallest in the 47-year record at 6.89 million square miles, which was 1.17 million square miles below the 1991–2020 average.
- Global tropical cyclones were below average: Five named storms occurred across the globe in January, which was below the average of seven named storms. Three named storms formed in the southwestern Indian Ocean, the most impactful being Intense Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi, which made landfall on Madagascar and Mozambique. The storm brought high winds and heavy rains to the region.
January wasn't expected to break global temperature records. But it did : NPR - January 2025 was officially the hottest January ever recorded globally, according to new data released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), one of the federal agencies tasked with keeping track of the world's weather and climate.Both 2023 and 2024 shattered previous temperature records, hovering near or above 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the Earth's temperature in the late 1800s, a time before humans began burning vast amounts of fossil fuels that have inexorably heated up the planet.But the forecast was projected to ease slightly, primarily because a strong El Niño — a part of a natural climate cycle that had contributed to the intense heat — had faded by late last year. During El Niños, the planet is often warmer than usual. But during the other half of the cycle, called La Niña, it usually cools down. Earth flipped into the La Niña phase last year.But the expected reprieve hasn't shown up. Instead, January broke yet more records: NOAA reported the month was the hottest January in its 176-year-long record. Copernicus, the European meteorological service that tracks global climate change, reported that January was 1.75 C (3.15 Fahrenheit) above historic levels."There's a pretty dramatic jump in temperature that started in mid-2023, and it has really persisted through the present," says Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist with the group Berkeley Earth. The persistence, he says, has surprised many climate scientists and caused them to wonder if climate change may have begun to push Earth's oceans and atmosphere into new, potentially unforeseen behaviors.A hot January doesn't mean the rest of the year will necessarily keep on breaking records, Hausfather says. But it does increase the odds that 2025 could continue the extraordinary pattern from the past few years.The fundamental reason behind the record-setting temperatures from the past few years, as well as this January, is simple, says Samantha Burgess, the director of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service."We've burned a lot of fossil fuels, we've deforested and urbanized a lot of areas. And this has changed the chemicals in the atmosphere, on the land and in the ocean," causing the planet as a whole to heat up, Burgess says.But the progression isn't always perfectly smooth: Sometimes the warming slows briefly, and other times it jumps forward. The upward trend, though, is clear, says Columbia University climate scientist Radley Horton."The last 10 years have been the 10 warmest years on record," a direct outcome of ongoing fossil fuel emissions, Horton says.The past two years — 2023 and 2024 — leapfrogged ahead. They were about 0.2 degrees Celsius hotter than expected — a number that sounds small but represents about a decade's worth of warming at current rates. As soon as scientists started to see those numbers, they have been scrambling to understand why."I think there's a lot of concern that we may have underestimated just how hot the surface of the ocean can get, or the lower atmosphere, at these current levels of greenhouse gases," Horton says. Underestimating the potential warming could mean underestimating the risks associated with it, such as more extreme heat waves or hurricanes.One major factor scientists considered was the El Niño phenomenon. That probably added a significant bump of heat in 2023 and through 2024, but Hausfather says that by now, he would expect planetary temperatures to dip a little more than 0.1 degrees Celsius during this La Niña. So far, that hasn't happened.A smorgasbord of other factors likely fed into last year's heat and could still be contributing. Among them, a stronger-than-expected solar cycle is pumping a little extra sun energy into the atmosphere. And air pollution from ships crossing the ocean, as well as major industrial areas in East Asia, has been dropping. A drop in pollution could, scientists suspect, lead to fewer clouds over key parts of the ocean, which could lead to more solar heat being absorbed.Most countries agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally keep warming below 1.5 C. That goal slips further from possibility with every passing year of continuing fossil fuel emissions, says Burgess. Many countries were required by international climate negotiators to submit new, stricter national climate plans by this week. Almost all of them missed that target. President Trump recently announced he was withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement, though to do so requires a full year under the terms of the accord.
Over 12 800 earthquakes hit Santorini-Amorgos zone in 10 days, Red Cross mobilizes to aid residents, Greece - Over 12 800 earthquakes were recorded in the Santorini-Amorgos zone between February 1 and 10, 2025, with the strongest, an M5.3 event, registered at 22:16 LT (20:16 UTC) on February 10. In response, the Hellenic Red Cross (HRC) has deployed rescue teams, social workers, and psychologists to assist residents in the affected region. The HRC’s Social Welfare Unit is prioritizing psychological support for vulnerable groups including the elderly, chronically ill individuals, and children experiencing distress from the ongoing seismic events. Teams have also been stationed at the Municipality of Thira’s Community Center in Mesaria to offer assistance to residents in Santorini. The Seismology Laboratory at EKPA has been closely monitoring the seismic sequence, noting that 102 earthquakes occurred on February 9 alone. Among them, 14 had magnitudes above 4.0, and two exceeded M4.5. The strongest earthquake recorded during the period was M5.0, occurring at 21:05 LT (19:05 UTC). On February 10, at 22:16 LT (20:16 UTC), an M5.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Santorini and Amorgos, marking the strongest event in the region so far. The epicenter was located 14 km (8.7 miles) south-southwest of Arkesini, Amorgos, at a depth of 17 km (10.56 miles), as confirmed by the Geodynamic Institute. The earthquake was felt in Attica and Crete. An M5.0 earthquake was recorded 16 km (9.94 miles) south of Arkesini, at at 00:37 local time (22:37 UTC) on February 11 at a depth of 5 km (3.11 miles), followed seven minutes later by an M4.3 earthquake. Greek seismologist Akis Tselentis added that the current seismic sequence could persist for months, drawing comparisons to the M6.0 Arkalochori earthquake in Crete which was preceded by four months of seismic buildup.
State of emergency declared on Amorgos, second Greek island after Santorini, as undersea earthquakes continue - The Greek island of Amorgos was placed under a state of emergency on February 13, following a similar declaration for Santorini on February 7, due to an intense earthquake swarm near Santorini, Amorgos, Ios, and Anafi. The measure will remain in place at least until March 11. The declaration aims to mobilize emergency services and resources as seismic activity continues to intensify. An M4.2 earthquake struck the sea between Santorini and Amorgos at 01:02 LT (23:02 UTC) on February 13. The Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens recorded the epicenter 23 km (14.3 miles) southwest of Arkesini, Amorgos, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). Just a minute later, another M4.2 earthquake with the same epicenter occurred, measuring 229 km (142 miles) southeast of Athens. Seismologists had initially anticipated a decline in earthquake frequency but the emergence of multiple earthquakes exceeding M5 has raised concerns. The epicenters of the earthquakes are shifting northward, approaching Amorgos, increasing the likelihood of further earthquakes in the region. The University of Athens’ crisis management committee has recorded approximately 12 000 earthquakes exceeding M1 in the southeastern Aegean since January 26, 2025. While Greece is among the most seismically active regions in Europe, this extended sequence of earthquakes is considered highly unusual. The swarm’s location suggests the potential involvement of the Kolumbos submarine volcano, located just 6.5 km (4 miles) northeast of Santorini. Kolumbo is part of the larger Santorini volcanic complex and is known for its major eruption in 1650 which caused damage and fatalities because of pyroclastic flows, tsunamis, and gas emissions. The volcano remains active, with hydrothermal activity and periodic seismic swarms, making it a key focus for monitoring in the region. Investigations are underway to determine whether the seismicity is caused by tectonic stress along the Kolumbos and Kameni fault systems or deeper magmatic processes. Emergency responders including fire departments, police, coast guard, and armed forces, have been mobilized to the affected islands. In Santorini, many residents and seasonal workers have voluntarily evacuated. Authorities continue to assess the structural integrity of buildings and critical infrastructure across multiple islands.
State of emergency declared on Anafi, third Greek island after Santorini, as undersea earthquakes continue - The Greek island of Anafi was placed under a state of emergency on February 13, 2025, due to ongoing intense seismic activity. This makes it the third island in the Aegean Sea to receive this designation following Amorgos and Santorini (Thera). A state of emergency was declared for the Greek island of Anafi on February 13, following a similar declaration for Santorini and Amorgos. The emergency declaration enables Greek authorities to mobilize resources more efficiently. This includes deploying disaster response teams, conducting structural assessments of buildings, and ensuring rapid support for affected communities. The ongoing seismic swarm, now in its third week, has produced over 13 000 earthquakes of up to M5.3, raising concerns among residents and local officials and prompting emergency measures. Scientists from the Institute of Geodynamics at the National Observatory of Athens are analyzing the seismic patterns to determine whether the activity is linked to deeper geological processes. While earthquakes in this region are not unusual, the recent concentration and frequency of tremors have drawn increased attention. The seismic unrest is occurring near the Santorini caldera, a known volcanic system that has been monitored for signs of potential activity.
Strong explosive eruption at Etna, Aviation Color Code raised to Red, Italy - A strong explosive eruption started at Etna volcano, Italy at 09:30 UTC on Wednesday, February 12. As a result, the Aviation Color Code was raised from Orange to Red. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) is reporting the phenomenon is observed by their personnel on the field and by visible and thermal surveillance cameras. The volcanic ash cloud is not estimable at this time, INGV said in the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) published at 09:30 UTC. A new VONA will be issued if conditions change significantly or the Aviation Color Code changes. A new eruptive phase began at Etna on February 6, 2025, after approximately three months of variable degassing activity following the last lava fountaining event on November 10, 2024. The explosive activity commenced with modest and episodic Strombolian explosions from a vent on the western sector of the Southeast Crater (SEC). The volcanic tremor amplitude was at a medium-low level until the evening of February 4, then increased to a medium-high level on February 5, remaining stable for the rest of the week. The tremor source was localized beneath the Southeast Crater at depths between 2 800 and 3 000 m (9 180 – 9 840 feet) above sea level. On February 8, an effusive phase began from a fissure at the base of the Bocca Nuova crater, at approximately 3 050 m (10 000 feet) above sea level, producing a lava flow advancing southward toward Mount Frumento Supino. Due to adverse weather conditions, INGV surveillance cameras first detected the lava emission at 17:35 UTC, though it may have begun earlier. Field observations on February 8 confirmed that the lava flow was well-fed, and Strombolian activity persisted at the SEC. By February 11, the lava flow had reached a length of 2 600 m (8 530 feet), with the most advanced front at 2 200 m (7 200 feet) elevation. The lava field covered an area of approximately 130 000 m² (32 acres), with an estimated volume of 250 000 m³ (8.8 million ft3) — ±40% uncertainty. No significant deformations were recorded by the high-frequency GNSS monitoring network during the past 7 days. Small variations were observed in clinometric data at Cratere del Piano (CDP) during the onset of summit effusive activity on February 8.
Eruption at Kilauea producing lava fountains up to 100 m (330 feet) high, Hawai’i -- Episode 9 of the ongoing volcanic activity at Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu summit began at 10:16 LT (20:16 UTC) on February 11, 2025, producing lava fountains up to 100 m (330 feet) high. The eruption is part of the activity that started on December 23, 2024. The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has maintained the Volcano Alert Level at Watch and the Aviation Color Code at Orange, indicating ongoing activity with heightened volcanic hazards. The eruption was preceded by sporadic spatter fountains on February 10, gradually increasing in intensity overnight. Lava fountains from the north vent of Halema’uma’u summit reached an estimated height of 100 m (330 feet) by mid-morning on February 11, covering about a quarter of the summit floor. Slow lava effusion from the south vent began at approximately 20:50 UTC. Tiltmeter readings at the summit indicate an inflationary tilt recovery of 9 micro radians since the previous eruption episode. Seismic tremors have increased, and the UWD tiltmeter registered a shift from inflation to deflation starting at 20:25 UTC. Thermal Image of Halemaʻumaʻu crater from the west rim A thermal image captured from the west rim of Kīlauea’s summit caldera at 01:28 HST on February 12, 2025, shows heat distribution within Halemaʻumaʻu crater during the ongoing eruption. Image credit: USGS The episode follows a pattern observed since December 23, 2024, where each eruptive event has lasted between 13 hours and 8 days, separated by pauses ranging from less than 24 hours to 12 days. The ongoing eruption is confined within the closed area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. High concentrations of volcanic gases, mainly water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) continue to be released. SO2 emissions contribute to vog (volcanic smog) which can affect air quality downwind. Another key hazard is Pele’s hair, thin strands of volcanic glass produced by lava fountains. Strong winds can carry these delicate, sharp filaments over long distances, where they settle on the ground. Pele’s hair can cause skin and eye irritation, and residents and visitors are advised to avoid contact. Lava flows from this episode remain confined to Halema’uma’u and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera. No activity has been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone, unlike previous eruptions. Geological instability around the Kīlauea caldera remains a concern, as Halema’uma’u’s walls are prone to rockfalls, ground cracking, and collapses, during earthquakes. The summit area remains closed to the public since 2007 because of these risks.
SpaceX To Switch Capsules To Bring 2 Stranded Astronauts Back To Earth Sooner NASA said Tuesday they have revised their strategy in order to expedite the homecoming of two astronauts s--tranded on the International Space Station (ISS), the space agency said on Feb. 11. Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the space station for eight months, are now slated to return to Earth in mid-March—two weeks earlier than the previously anticipated late March or April timeframe, according to NASA.The change in plans involves SpaceX altering its capsule assignments for upcoming missions.“Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said in a statement released by the agency.The extended stay of Williams and Wilmore stems from a series of setbacks that began in June 2024. Initially, the pair was scheduled to return after a brief June 5 test flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, the Starliner experienced major issues during the flight, including helium leaks and problems with its reaction control thrusters, as it approached the ISS.The issues led to NASA’s decision to return the Starliner to Earth without crew members, leaving Williams and Wilmore safe but stranded on the ISS.
New radiation belts found following G5 - Extreme geomagnetic storm in May 2024 - Two new radiation belts, one containing electrons and another containing protons, were detected by NASA’s CIRBE CubeSat after the May 10, 2024, G5 – Extreme geomagnetic storm. The May 2024 solar storm created two extra radiation belts, sandwiched between the two permanent Van Allen Belts. One of the new belts, shown in purple, included a population of protons, giving it a unique composition that hadn’t been seen before.
- Scientists identified two previously unknown radiation belts containing high-energy electrons (1.3–5 MeV) and protons (6.8–20 MeV) after the May 10, 2024, geomagnetic storm.
- NASA’s CIRBE CubeSat, after suffering an anomaly, resumed operations on June 16, 2024, allowing researchers to study the new radiation belts with high-resolution data from the REPTile-2 instrument.
- The long-lived proton belt, expected to persist for a year or more, poses radiation risks for satellites and spacecraft in low-Earth and geostationary transfer orbits, requiring improved shielding and space weather models.
NASA makes emergency decision over 'city-killer' asteroid heading for Earth --NASA is making emergency preparations to deal with a ‘city-killing’ asteroid after the odds of it smashing into Earth continue to rise.Astronomers are keeping a close eye on Asteroid 2024 YR4, which currently has a 2.3%chance of colliding with the Earth in 2032.The 300ft wide rock is roughly the same size as the Statue of Liberty or Big Ben, and has shot to the top of NASA’s watch list after it was first discovered in December 2024.With the ‘time-critical meteor hurtling towards our atmosphere at an alarming rate, the space agency has enlisted the help of the James Webb Space Telescope to study YR4 and gauge how much damage it would cause if it did strike our planet, the European Space Agency reports.Based on current calculations, a strike from YR4 would be roughly equivalent to the Tunguska asteroid, which flattened 830 square miles (2,150 square km) of Siberian forest in 1908. However, early estimates of the asteroid’s size could prove incorrect. Scientists currently predict the size of asteroids by using powerful telescopes to measure the light reflected from its surface. \ In general, the larger an asteroid, the brighter it will appear, but this is not always the case, and as all earth-based telescopes have to contend with the earth’s atmosphere, which bends and distorts light passing through it, the exact size of celestial bodies can be unclear. To overcome this, astronomers are preparing to use the James Webb Telescope – the largest and most powerful telescope ever made, which was launched into space in 2021 and currently resides 1 million miles (1.5 million km) away from Earth. Using its suite of infrared sensors, the JWST will also look at the heat radiating off the asteroid, which gives a much more accurate estimate of its size. This information will allow Earth’s planetary defence organisations to determine whether action is needed to deflect the asteroid. Astronomers have deployed the James Webb telescope to observe the giant asteroid (Picture: NASA / SWNS) Astronomers have deployed the James Webb telescope to observe the giant asteroid (Picture: NASA / SWNS) An ESA spokesperson said: ‘Astronomers around the world are using powerful telescopes to measure the asteroid’s orbit as accurately as possible. But knowing its orbit will only tell us the asteroid could impact Earth, not how significant an impact could be. ‘It is very important that we improve our size estimate for 2024 YR4: the hazard represented by a 40 m asteroid is very different from that of a 90 m asteroid,” ESA added.’
Grain Journal | U.S. Ethanol Exports Reach New Highs - The United States exported record volumes of ethanol in marketing year 2023/24 (September-August), surpassing the record set in 2017/18. In the last decade, export volumes and destinations have shifted. Brazil was once the top U.S. destination, but as Brazil expanded corn ethanol production, the volume of U.S. exports shrank. The United States largely offset reduced sales to Brazil by expanding into markets where biofuel mandates increased domestic demand. In the last 5 marketing years, Canada has become the top destination for U.S. ethanol exports, accounting for 37% of the total in 2023/24. Ethanol demand has grown in Canada with the implementation of mandates on use of low carbon and renewable fuels. Similarly, post-Brexit renewable fuels targets in the United Kingdom have driven growth in U.S. ethanol exports, and the United Kingdom became the second largest destination for U.S. ethanol in 2023/24. Other significant U.S. ethanol export destinations are the European Union, India, Colombia, and South Korea. Exports to the European Union have been steady to slightly growing during the past 7 years, but exports to India, Colombia, and South Korea have varied. So far for marketing year 2024/25, U.S. ethanol exports through November remain 37% higher than the same period a year ago. U.S. ethanol exports accounted for 11% of U.S. corn used for ethanol production and 4% of total U.S. corn demand in 2023/24.
On The Road Again - Cellulosic Biofuel Industry Rebounds With Focus on Biogas, Heavy-Duty Trucking | RBN Energy - A primary objective of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) implemented in 2007 was to stimulate the production of at least 16 billion gallons/year of gasoline and diesel made from cellulosic biomass, or non-food crops and waste biomass like corn stalks, corncobs, straw, wood, wood byproducts and animal manure. But the vision of making gasoline from wood chips never materialized and today’s cellulosic biofuel is a whole different ballgame. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the evolution of cellulosic biofuels and the D3 Renewable Identification Number, aka the D3 RIN. Part 1 of this series focused on the history of the D3 RIN, the federal subsidy designed to stimulate cellulosic biofuel production. The D3 RIN started as part of a high-profile vision to make liquid fuels from wood chips and other cellulosic biomass. But because that industry never got off the ground, the D3 RIN was effectively deactivated in 2010 by a workaround called the Cellulosic Waiver Credit (CWC), a recognition that it was close to impossible to stimulate the growth of a non-existent industry. But the CWC eventually disappeared from the picture and the D3 RIN was put back into service. That change at the start of 2023 — along with the budding of a new cellulosic biofuel industry — has put the D3 RIN back into the spotlight and raised the question of how high its price might go. The cellulosic biofuel industry of 2025 looks very different than the wood-to-gasoline vision of 2007. It consists of the gathering and upgrading of biogas generated at landfills and dairy farms, transporting that gas through natural gas pipelines, and eventually delivering it for use in heavy-duty vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). But before going deeper into the cellulosic biofuel industry of today, let’s rewind to 2007 and tell the story of Kior Inc., the most prominent case study of the cellulosic biofuel world in the early days of the RFS. […] Despite Kior’s crash, some still believe the concept of producing liquid fuels from forest product residues is feasible and economical. Arch BioEnergy LLC is one such company. It plans to produce renewable diesel (RD) in Arkansas from forest products that previously fed the paper industry. Its business strategy enables it to capture the feedstock at a very low delivered cost. It will be converted to RD, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other byproducts using commercially proven, patented technology. Other such projects are in the hopper. Higher D3 RIN prices would further subsidize and accelerate such innovation and could eventually make a real industry out of cellulosic liquid fuels made from wood chips. In response to input from industry and other sources, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July 2014 opened the door to higher subsidies for biogas. The original rules allowed biogas production from landfills, sewage/waste treatment plants and manure digesters to generate advanced biofuel (D5) RINs instead of the more lucrative D3 RINs. In response to questions from multiple companies, the EPA evaluated whether biogas from those sources could be considered not just an advanced biofuel but also a cellulosic biofuel. The EPA’s revised ruling allowed CNG/LNG derived from biogas from landfills and other specified sources to generate D3 RINs when used as a transportation fuel. That decision resulted in the rapid growth in D3 RIN generation, from only 33 million RINs in 2014 to more than 900 million RINs in 2024, as shown in Figure 1 above. (To date, more than 98% of all cellulosic RINs generated in the RFS program have been for CNG/LNG derived from biogas.) As we explained in Part 1, with rare exceptions, D3 RINs have higher value than D5 RINs, often much higher. And today, without their price cap, they have the potential to rise in price to whatever level is necessary to subsidize production of the mandated volume. The route to making CNG/LNG from biogas for use as a transportation fuel has emerged as the dominant way to generate D3 RINs and capture that large subsidy. More than 2,000 landfills in the U.S. could theoretically produce biogas to be upgraded to pipeline-quality natural gas that would be eligible to earn D3 RINs, although large dairy farms are the top source of biogas. As we noted in our earlier blog, Clean Energy Fuels, based in Newport Beach, CA. produces, procures and distributes renewable natural gas (RNG) and conventional natural gas in the form of CNG to more than 48,000 vehicles across 1,000 fleets through the more than 600 fueling stations it owns, operates or supplies in the U.S. and Canada. Many of those fueling stations are for private fleets like transit agencies or sanitation companies, but more than 200 are accessible to other fleets of natural-gas-fueled vehicles, increasing sales volumes. Many of these fueling stations are located near interstates and distribution centers with high fleet traffic. Amazon serves as the anchor customer for 19 fueling stations, which are increasingly being used by other fleets as well. With its partner BP, Clean Energy Fuels is participating in efforts to develop RNG production from animal manure through anaerobic digestion operations at large dairy farms. Clean Energy Fuels’ revenue has grown steadily and is approaching $1 billion/year. BP, with its purchase of Archaea Energy in 2022, became the largest RNG producer in the U.S. Chevron and Total are among others investing in RNG production from landfills and/or dairy farms. The 18-year quest to make commercial transportation fuels from cellulosic feedstocks is an unfinished story that would not be happening without the RFS and the D3 RIN. This leaves the big question: What does the future hold for cellulosic biofuel and the D3 RIN? We will take a shot at answering that in the next blog in this series.
‘Clean’ hydrogen hubs in limbo as Trump eyes DOE overhaul - The Department of Energy’s “clean” hydrogen hubs are setting up a critical test for President Donald Trump on how to handle funding for one of the signature climate initiatives from the bipartisan infrastructure law. DOE canceled multiple meetings scheduled this week on the program, which is backed by $7 billion from the 2021 law to produce low-carbon fuel at seven hubs. One meeting was to discuss an environmental review for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub. That followed similar cancellations for public meetings on the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub and a webinar to discuss funding for the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub. The cancellations “might be the first indication of a change in posture towards the hydrogen hub program in the new administration,” said Tom Torres, an organizer with the Ohio River Valley Institute, a nonprofit group opposed to the Appalachian Hub (ARCH2) spanning parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. The moves come as DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which funds the program, has taken down multiple hub pages from its website since Trump was inaugurated, including links to fact sheets and announcements outlining the program.
‘We have real lives at stake’: Trump impedes Arizona tribe’s energy lifeline - -Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma, chair of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona, saw the unprecedented gusher of federal clean energy money as a potential lifeline for his community still reeling after the closure of a job-creating coal plant in 2019. After applying for and receiving some $90 million in federal funding for solar power projects, battery installations and microgrids, Nuvangyaoma hoped the support would finally bring power to the 30 percent of homes that are not served by the local utility. He predicted on-site clean power would end blackouts in some areas that led to food spoiling and medical equipment blinking offline. Advertisement Now, President Donald Trump’s broad funding freeze covering some of the Biden administration’s clean energy spending has thrown tribal projects into limbo. As of Thursday morning, funding for the Hopi Tribe that had been approved remained suspended. Two awards — $4 million for a solar-powered microgrid to run wells and pump water and $4 million for a battery project — had not been finalized before Trump’s inauguration, meaning it’s possible they could be rescinded. “We have real lives at stake. The funding freeze is truly having an impact on living, breathing individuals,” Nuvangyaoma said in an interview. “I can’t even think of a strong enough word, this is so important for us. We had part of a solution come our way, and now it’s taken away.” After taking office, Trump sought to stop all climate spending tied to the Joe Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law. The administration also targeted programs it placed under a broad category of social equity. Federal courts have since ordered the White House to lift any blanket spending freeze on appropriated funds. And a federal judge this week admonished the administration for appearing to ignore the order. The chaotic and uneven attempts under Trump to put a hard stop on spending programs enacted by Congress are setting up a legal battle over executive power. Administration policy is also sowing confusion inside some of the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Among the Hopi’s grants that remain suspended is more than $25 million from EPA’s Solar for All program, which is designed to install rooftop solar and battery power for roughly 550 households on the Hopi Reservation. Another $12 million for a solar-and-battery microgrid for government buildings comes through the Energy Department’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. Then another $20 million to help connect solar to the electric distribution system is EPA funding through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. Work on those projects has largely gone dark, said Fletcher Wilkinson, energy manager for the Hopi Utilities Corp. The tribe is continuing to do community meetings and small-scale work, Wilkinson said, but the tribe does not have room in the budget to continue working with contractors and partners without federal support. “We’re doing our best to not miss deadlines, but if the freeze drags on for months, that’s just inevitable,” Wilkinson said.
Wildfire mitigation projects caught up in Donald Trump’s spending freeze -- Some forest management projects that aim to mitigate wildfire risk are among the projects that have been halted under President Trump’s executive order to freeze spending.In a letter to the Trump administration sent Monday, 14 Democrats wrote that they were hearing from constituents that “the Bureau of Land Management has issued stop work orders” for projects that aim to reduce wildfire risk. A statement from the land management bureau confirmed that some projects — those that were funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — are “undergoing review to ensure consistency with the Executive Order.” The Bureau of Land Management noted, however, that projects funded by the regular congressional appropriations process “are continuing forward across the West.”The Democrats’ letter was was led by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). In it, they and 10 colleagues raise concerns that halting the programs could raise wildfire risk — and argue that the order is unconstitutional. “We are imploring you to rescind the order to stop work on these hazardous fuels reduction efforts, as well as any other wildland fire management programs that are working to reduce risk and safeguard communities from catastrophic wildfire,” they wrote in their letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington.The Impoundment Control Act “prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently, without following the strictly circumscribed requirements of that law, which have not been honored in this instance,” they wrote. The letter comes after devastating wildfires recently hit California, killing at least 29 people. It also comes as a federal judge in Rhode Island is ordering the Trump administration to unfreeze some federal grants.
DOE project funding needs Trump lieutenants’ blessing - Approval from a Department of Energy “senior political appointee” is now required before any money tied to recent Inflation Reduction Act and infrastructure awards goes out the door — the latest round in the ongoing struggle over Trump administration efforts to freeze federal spending.The Feb. 7 memo, viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News, applies to awards and obligations made during the post-election transition period, before President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The directive to steer specific payment obligations to Trump’s top political lieutenants comes after several federal judges ruled against administration efforts to halt spending on federal programs. On Friday, top EPA budget officials also issued a memo announcing plans to “temporarily” pause some programs to review whether they’re in “compliance” with new policies. Taken together, the memos fall in line with Trump’s promise to scrutinize and ultimately stop spending on clean energy projects. Billions of dollars run through climate provisions in the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. On the day Trump took office, acting DOE officials called for reviews of grants and loan guarantees, throwing into question spending tied to critical minerals, hydrogen and utilities. The latest DOE directive from Christopher Johns, the deputy chief financial officer, puts under a political microscope every payment tied to a DOE grant, loan or contract made at the end of the Biden administration — to ensure actions are “in line with the statutory mission of DOE,” according to the memo. “This is highly extraordinary — not normal housekeeping,” “The federal government, with its enormous number of payments, could not function if the checks all had to be run through a political employee. “They are free to have any officials they think appropriate read things before they go out the door,” he added, but “they cannot withhold funds. The essence of what they’re doing is not in accord with the law.”Friday’s DOE and EPA memos came after a U.S. district court ruling last month that ordered the administration to lift a blanket spending freeze on federal programs. Late Tuesday, a federal appeals court refused an emergency bid by the Department of Justice to lift the court restrictions. A three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the effort. The decision leaves the matter to Rhode Island-based U.S. District Judge John McConnell, who last month ordered the Trump administration to lift the freeze. On Monday, accusations that the Trump administration is essentially ignoring McConnell’s original order boiled over in court. McConnell issued a second sharply worded order that took government lawyers to task. In an interview with a Bloomberg podcast Tuesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he’s spending time examining the department’s portfolio of projects and spending. “I’ve got to follow the law and manage what I’ve inherited,” Wright said. “There’s a lot of monies uncommitted or early on, and of course those will be deployed to advance the president’s agenda.” POLITICO’s “Biden’s Billions” series, a detailed examination last year of the Biden administration’s unprecedented climate, clean energy and infrastructure initiatives, revealed both long-duration impacts and unfulfilled goals. While Congress provided $1.1 trillion for the package of programs, more than half of that amount — $561 billion — had not been obligated or made available to spend as of Dec. 23, the reporting found.
Visiting judge assigned to hear cases involving explosion at Realty Building – WFMJ -- A visiting judge has been assigned to hear several cases involving the explosion at the Realty Building in downtown Youngstown from May of 2024. According to court records, retired Trumbull County Judge Wyatt McKay will be hearing several cases filed in Mahoning County against several parties including YO Properties LLC and LY Property Management, who owned the building, as well as Enbridge Gas Ohio, who was doing work on a gas line in the basement. These suits were filed by several residents of the apartments housed on the upper floors of the building who suffered from injuries as a result of the blast, as well as property damage and lost wages. The suits slam Enbridge Gas Ohio for having an unsupervised crew working in the basement, as well as the building's owners for not securing the premises following the explosion and allowing for alleged thefts to occur. McKay will be hearing these cases between February 7 and May 7 of 2025. You can read much more about these suits in our related coverage below.
Cold Weather Alert Issued for Feb. 17–18 for PJM Western Region --- PJM Inside Lines PJM has extended a Cold Weather Advisory for its Western Region through Feb. 20 ahead of expected cold weather beginning Presidents Day and lasting through the middle of the week. A Cold Weather Alert was previously issued for the same area and is in effect from Feb. 17–18, but could be extended if needed. When PJM expects significantly cold weather to impact all or parts of the PJM footprint, it issues a Cold Weather Advisory to provide a two-to-five-day notice that forecast temperatures may call for a Cold Weather Alert. This is meant to give generation owners ample time to proactively prepare their units to operate during pending cold weather and to provide information to PJM about their operating availability, capabilities and limitations to help PJM operators plan for the extreme weather. A Cold Weather Alert is a routine procedure PJM issues in advance of significantly cold weather conditions expected for all or parts of the region PJM serves. When a Cold Weather Alert is issued, PJM communicates with generation owners to tell them to be prepared to call in additional staff to get all units running for when electricity use begins to increase. Generation owners must take extra care to maintain equipment so that it does not freeze in the cold and are reminded to provide updated information to PJM on limitations to their units, including time required to start and the maximum and minimum times that their units can run once started. A Cold Weather Alert can also be used to defer or reschedule planned generation maintenance outages and/or transmission outages and/or recall transmission/generator outages, if necessary.
Nation's Largest Grid To Fast-Track NatGas Power Plants To Fuel Next AI Trade - Common sense has returned, and the adults are back in the White House. This time, they are not wearing toxic "climate-crisis blinders" that de-growth the economy, spark inflation, and push power grids into near points of failure with unreliable green energy. As "The Next AI Trade" unleashes massive power demand from data centers, electric vehicles, and other electrification trends through the decade's end and into 2030, electricity will have to become reliable and cheaper. To achieve this, PJM Interconnection—which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity and ensures power supplies for 65 million people across all or parts of 13 Eastern and Midwestern US states, as well as Washington, DC—will analyze 50 new projects aimed at improving grid stability in April, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission stated in an order on Tuesday. Bloomberg was the first to report this. Forget solar and wind—PJM will prioritize massive natural gas generators in upcoming projects to ensure grid stability and lower power costs, which is one of the mandates the American people gave the president. These proposed projects will join 55 gigawatts of legacy projects, including batteries and renewables, all set for review this spring. The urgent move comes less than one month after PJM issued a Level 1 emergency and "Maximum Generation Alert" across the grid, as the polar vortex caused heating demand to surge.FERC said last year that PJM warned of "resource adequacy concerns" on the grid after a surge in new data center construction and other electrification trends, including electric vehicles and on-shoring. "PJM is in grave danger of not having enough generation to meet demand," Commissioners David Rosner and Willie Phillips wrote in a statement.
Study finds headroom on the grid for data centers - If data centers can be flexible and limit their power demands for a handful of hours each year, the U.S. could add some 100 gigawatts of new load without expanding generation, according to a new report from Duke University.The findings published this week add a wrinkle to the dire warnings that the load from data centers training artificial intelligence models could crash the grid. It’s been forecast that electricity use from data centers could double or triple by 2028. According to the North American Electric Reliability Corp., tech demand could drive up peak load by 20 percent over the next decade.The grid, however, has “existing headroom,” the study found, since operators try to plan enough generation to meet the hours where demand is at its highest with a small reserve on top. Outside of those few peak periods, that headroom would be sufficient to accommodate constant new loads. That, in turn, means that more data centers could go online without needing to build new fossil fuel plants. Researchers from Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability modeled a number of curtailment scenarios and found that if data centers limited their load even 0.5 percent of the time — less than 44 hours — the grid could handle 98 GW of new load. That’s roughly equivalent to powering about 70 million homes.
Duke Removes Climate Language as It Builds More Gas Plants news.bloomberglaw
- Company drops reference to emissions goals in earnings release
- Demand for electricity is surging on data centers, AI boom
Duke Energy Corp., one of the biggest US power providers, removed a mention of climate targets in its latest earnings release as the company builds more natural gas plants and reconsiders its coal plans.
World coal demand remains at record high as power demand surges --The world won't be able to release its grip on coal anytime soon."Nothing can destroy coal," U.S. President Donald Trump said at the recent World Economic Forum. "Not the weather, not a bomb."U.S. exports of coal have been rising steadily to satisfy growing global demand for the world's dirtiest fossil fuel, even though its domestic consumption has decreased.On top of that, the world's coal capacity reached a new record high of nearly 2,175 gigawatts in 2024, data from Global Energy Monitor showed on Feb. 6. Coal capacity is the overall power output that can be generated from coal-fired power plants."The global shift away from coal remains challenging, largely driven by rising demand in Asia, even as Europe and the U.S. see significant declines in coal consumption," said Dorothy Mei, project manager for Global Energy Monitor's Global Coal Mine Tracker. Global coal demand is also expected to have breached another fresh record high of 8.77 billion tonnes in 2024, and will remain at similar levels until 2027, the International Energy Agency predicted. China recently reported that its coal imports surged 14.4% to a record high in 2024, amounting to 542.7 million metric tons compared with 474.42 million tons the year before. The world's second largest economy is also the largest coal consumer globally, accounting for more than 56% of global demand in 2023, latest figures by IEA showed. China's record-high coal stockpiling strategy is largely geared toward preparing the country for potential power shortages caused by extreme weather events, said Mei. Hydropower, wind and solar energy made up almost 30% of China's electricity mix in 2023, data from energy think tank Ember Energy showed. When hydropower output drops as a result of insufficient rainfall, the Chinese government often relies on coal power to ensure energy security, Mei added."Additionally, another major barrier is not the availability of renewable energy infrastructure, but the difficulty of transmitting solar and wind power across provinces," she said, adding that coal will continue to be a "critical energy backbone" in China until grid integration and management is fully developed across the entire country.In India, climate-induced extreme heat has led to soaring energy demand for cooling, and clean energy sources are not built fast enough to meet the country's growing power demand, said Mei.India's focus on economic and infrastructure development has also boosted the consumption of cement and steel, industries that are heavily reliant on coal, according to analysts CNBC spoke to.The South Asian nation's demand for steel is set to grow by 8-9% in 2025, outpacing that of other economies, owing to a pickup in steel-intensive construction in the infrastructure and residential sectors, data from consulting firm Crisil showed.As recently as last December, India extended its directive for imported coal-based power plants to run at full capacity until Feb. 28.
Anti Groups “Demand” OH Governor Pause Drilling Under State Parks - Marcellus Drilling News - - We’ve made this observation many times over the years, but here we go again. Ever notice how lefty environmentalists “demand” this and “demand” that? They’re a very demanding bunch, which is why nobody pays them any attention (except us). Here’s the latest example. A group of 30 “organizations” (many of them fronts for one or two people) sent a letter to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine demanding that he block/suspend/pause shale drilling under (not on) Ohio state lands, including parks. The letter uses factual inaccuracies and outright lies to try and scare DeWine into blocking legal drilling under state-owned land.
OH Legislators, New Bill, Encourage More Gas-Fired Power Plants -- Marcellus Drilling News - Ohio lawmakers are grappling with how to prepare the state for a surge in new power demand from AI data centers. In January, MDN told you that five Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) commissioners will decide some important guidelines about who should pay to build out new electricity sources for data centers—how much current ratepayers should be on the hook for with expanded power generation (see 5 PUCO Commissioners to Decide the Future of Data Centers in Ohio). We said the five commissioners would decide the future of Ohio’s data centers. However, that’s not quite accurate. It would be more accurate to say they will decide how the risk is distributed between data centers and power generators in cases where data centers want to connect to the local grid. There’s a whole other world of power plants on-site.
Energy bill signals Ohio is 'open for business,' natural gas, nuclear lobbyists say - Cleveland.com – A state legislative plan to address an expected explosion in energy demand in the coming decades is drawing unusual battle lines among energy generators, utilities and consumer advocates.
Hit the Lights - Utica Shale Condensate Production Is Up. Where's It Going and How's It Getting There? - RBN Energy - Wells operated by a half-dozen E&Ps in eastern Ohio’s Utica Shale are now churning out more than 100 Mb/d of superlight crude oil — aka condensate — more than twice as much as they were just three years ago, and there’s talk that condensate production in the play’s “volatile oil window” could increase significantly over the next few years. This surge in condensate output raises three relevant questions: (1) how is the condensate being transported to market, (2) where is it headed and (3) what is it being used for? In today’s RBN blog, we continue our series on Utica condensate with a look at the approaches used to transport the commodity to refineries and others in the Midwest and points beyond. As we said in Part 1, five counties in eastern Ohio have been generating fast-increasing volumes of crude oil, almost all of it “light condensate” with an API gravity of 55 to 59 degrees (and sometimes as high as 65 or even 70 degrees), but with a rising share of “heavy condensate” (API of 50 to 52) that is more like a super-light crude and therefore more desirable to some refiners. In November 2024 (the latest data from EIA), Ohio produced a record 120 Mb/d — 140% more than in November 2021 — with another 46 Mb/d produced in Pennsylvania and Ohio. And the buzz among E&Ps and market watchers in the play is that Ohio production alone may well rocket past 150 Mb/d and even 175 Mb/d or 200 Mb/d over time. That optimism is reflected in the results of the January 30 initial public offering (IPO) by Infinity Natural Resources (NYSE symbol: INR), which valued the seven-year-old company at a heady $1.3 billion. Infinity, which has both condensate- and natural-gas-focused assets in the broader Marcellus/Utica production area, ranked fourth among the six leading Utica condensate producers we discussed in Part 2, with Q3 2024 production averaging a modest 10 Mb/d.After Infinity’s IPO, Reuters reported that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), which holds a 98% ownership interest in Encino Acquisition Partners (EAP), the largest condensate producer in Ohio (Q3 2024 production of 45 Mb/d), is studying the possibility of either selling its stake or initiating an EAP IPO that would value the E&P at more than $7 billion. (CPPIB and Encino Energy, which owns the other 2% of EAP and oversees its operation, have declined comment.) Also, EOG Resources, the third-largest condensate producer in Ohio (and by far the largest Utica condensate player by market capitalization), has been talking up the potential of its Utica position, which the company has said is “almost reminiscent of what we saw nearly a decade ago happening in the (Permian’s) Delaware Basin.”
24 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Feb 3 – 9 | Marcellus Drilling News - For the week of Feb 3 - 9, the number of permits issued in the Marcellus/Utica to drill new shale wells remained healthy. Two weeks ago, 22 new permits were issued. Last week, the number increased to 24 new permits issued. The Keystone State (PA) issued 11 new permits last week. Nine permits went to Range Resources for two pads in Washington County. One permit each went to Snyder Brothers and EQT in Armstrong and Greene counties, respectively. ANTERO RESOURCES | ARMSTRONG COUNTY | CARROLL COUNTY | ENCINO ENERGY | EQT CORP | GREENE COUNTY (PA) | GULFPORT ENERGY | HARRISON COUNTY | RANGE RESOURCES CORP | SNYDER BROTHERS | TYLER COUNTY | WASHINGTON COUNTY |
ENBRIDGE INC SEC 10-K Report - Enbridge Inc., a leading energy infrastructure company, has released its annual Form 10-K report, providing a detailed overview of its financial performance, business operations, strategic initiatives, and the challenges it faces. The report highlights Enbridge's diverse revenue streams, significant infrastructure investments, and commitment to transitioning towards a lower-carbon economy.
- Total Revenue: $53.5 billion, reflecting an increase driven by higher commodity sales and gas distribution sales.
- Earnings before interest, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA): $16,885 million, showing growth due to contributions from acquisitions and favorable market conditions.
- Net Income: $5,053 million, impacted by non-cash, net unrealized losses on derivative financial instruments and other non-operating factors.
- Earnings per Common Share (EPS) attributable to common shareholders: $2.34, decreased from the previous year due to certain infrequent or other non-operating factors.
- Diluted EPS attributable to common shareholders: $2.34, consistent with basic EPS, reflecting the same factors affecting net income.
- Revenue Segments: Enbridge operates through four main business segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission, Gas Distribution and Storage, and Renewable Power Generation. Each segment contributes to the company's diverse revenue streams.
- Geographical Performance: Enbridge's operations span North America and Europe, with significant infrastructure in Canada and the US for Liquids Pipelines and Gas Transmission, and renewable energy projects in both North America and Europe.
- Sales Units: The Liquids Pipelines segment delivers approximately six million barrels per day, making it the largest global crude oil and liquids network. The Gas Transmission segment includes a peak day capacity of 12.0 billion cubic feet per day on the Texas Eastern system.
- New Product Launches: The Renewable Power Generation segment announced the Seven Stars Energy Project, a renewable power indigenous partnership focused on wind energy generation in Saskatchewan.
- New Production Launches: Enbridge completed the acquisition of US Gas Utilities, creating the largest natural gas utility franchise in North America. Additionally, the company sanctioned the expansion of the Gray Oak pipeline and incremental capacity at the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center.
- Future Outlook: Enbridge aims to continue investing in both conventional and lower-carbon platforms, with a focus on extending growth through secured projects and exploring new opportunities in LNG exports and offshore gas. The company is also committed to advancing its renewable energy footprint and supporting the energy transition.
- Strategic Initiatives: The company has undertaken several strategic initiatives to diversify and expand its operations. Key initiatives include the acquisition of US Gas Utilities, which involved acquiring The East Ohio Gas Company, Questar Gas Company, and Public Service Company of North Carolina. These acquisitions are aimed at diversifying and complementing existing gas distribution operations. Additionally, the company formed a joint venture with WhiteWater/I Squared and MPLX to develop natural gas pipeline and storage assets, enhancing its presence in the US Gulf Coast market. The acquisition of six Morrow Renewables operating landfill gas-to-RNG production facilities aligns with the company's lower-carbon strategy.
- Capital Management: The company completed long-term debt issuances totaling US$5.7 billion and $1.8 billion in 2024 to support its strategic initiatives and maintain liquidity. It also established an at-the-market equity issuance program, raising $2.5 billion through the issuance of common shares. The company renewed and extended approximately $17.6 billion of its credit facilities and increased its letter of credit facilities by $346 million. Additionally, the company paid $7.9 billion in dividends in 2024, reflecting an increase in its quarterly dividend rate.
- Future Outlook: The company plans to continue its focus on strategic acquisitions and joint ventures to enhance its operational footprint and support its growth strategy. It aims to maintain financial strength and flexibility by ensuring sufficient liquidity to meet future capital requirements. The company is also committed to its lower-carbon strategy, as evidenced by its investment in renewable natural gas facilities. Looking ahead, the company expects to fund its capital projects and acquisitions without needing to access capital markets for the next 12 months, should market conditions be unfavorable.
- Climate Change Risks: Enbridge faces significant challenges in transitioning to a lower-carbon economy, which involves policy, legal, technology, and market changes. The company is exposed to both physical and transition risks related to climate change, which could impact its reputation, strategic plan, business operations, and financial results.
- Operational Integration: The integration of recent acquisitions, such as the US Gas Utilities, presents challenges in terms of operational integration and achieving anticipated results.
- Regulatory Risks: Regulatory risks are significant, with potential changes in environmental laws and regulations that could increase compliance costs and impact operations.
- Market Risks: Enbridge is exposed to market risks, including fluctuations in commodity prices and interest rates, which could affect financial results. The company uses financial derivatives to manage these risks but acknowledges that its risk management policies cannot eliminate all risks.
CNX Resources Corp SEC 10-K Report - CNX Resources Corp, a leading natural gas exploration and production company focused on unconventional shale formations, has released its 2024 10-K report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the company's financial performance, operational highlights, strategic initiatives, and the challenges it faces in the current market environment. CNX Resources Corp reported a total revenue of $1,266.8 million for 2024, a significant decrease from the previous year's $3,434.9 million. This decline was primarily due to lower natural gas prices and reduced sales volumes. The company recorded a net loss of $90.5 million, a stark contrast to the net income of $1,720.7 million in the prior year, largely driven by an unrealized loss on commodity derivative instruments. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) also saw a substantial decline, coming in at $(0.60) compared to $8.99 in the previous year, reflecting the net loss incurred during the period.CNX Resources Corp's operations are primarily centered on unconventional shale formations, including the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The company also has operations in Coalbed Methane (CBM) properties in Virginia. In 2024, CNX achieved total sales volumes of 550.8 Bcfe, with an average production of 1,504,956 Mcfe per day. The production mix was 90% natural gas and 10% liquids, with 93% of production coming from shale and 7% from coalbed methane.CNX holds approximately 528,000 net Marcellus Shale acres and 606,000 net Utica Shale acres, along with rights to extract natural gas from other shale and shallow oil and gas formations across several states. The company also has rights to extract CBM in Virginia from approximately 283,000 net CBM acres, primarily from the Pocahontas #3 seam.CNX owns or operates approximately 2,700 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines and several processing facilities, providing significant operational flexibility and cost advantages. The company is actively exploring environmental attributes such as carbon credits and methane capture credits, with a focus on monetizing waste methane capture through various programs. As of December 31, 2024, CNX employed 458 people, emphasizing training, safety, and diversity to support its operations and community engagement.Looking ahead to 2025, CNX expects annual sales volumes to be approximately 605-620 Bcfe, with capital expenditures projected between $450 million and $500 million. The company also anticipates sales of environmental attributes, net of fees, to be around $75 million.
Cabot tops list of Marcellus operators: Baird -- Cabot last month said it plans to spend $950mn on capital expenditures this year and will operate three rigs and employ two completion crews in the Marcellus. Cabot will soon have increased takeaway for its output on the 1.7 Bcf/d (48mn m³/d) Atlantic Sunrise pipeline, and through a deal to sell 338mn cf/d through the Cove Point LNG terminal. Cabot's fourth quarter production sales volumes reached 1.77 Bcf/d.EQT recently became the largest gas producer in the US by volume, unseating ExxonMobil, after it acquired Rice Energy late last year. EQT expects to bring its 1.9 Bcf/d Mountain Valley pipeline project and a related expansion of its Equitrans line into service in the fourth quarter. EQT's fourth quarter output topped 3.2 Bcf/d.All of the Marcellus producers analyzed by Baird had an increase in productivity over the past two years. Conversely, all operators in the nearby Utica shale had a decline in productivity.Chesapeake Energy topped the firm's Utica shale list, with an index value of negative six, showing the smallest downward trend. Chesapeake had an average gross revenue per well of $1.8mn.
East Coast Manufacturers Left in Cold Amid Scarce Natural Gas Pipeline Capacity - A lack of available natural gas pipeline capacity along the East Coast is hurting the productivity of manufacturers in the region, according to the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA). (Image showing map of East Coast and Transco natural gas pipeline with key projects.) With rising consumption by power generators and LNG export terminals signing firm transport agreements, industrial end users with secondary firm or interruptible service increasingly face curtailed deliveries during demand spikes, such as the one provoked by Winter Storm Enzo last month. “From Georgia to New York, due to inadequate interstate natural gas pipeline capacity, the lack of coordinated decision making by states for the use of natural gas for new power generation, and decisions to shut down existing coal-fired power plants, there is no firm pipeline capacity available for the manufacturing sector,” IECA President Paul Cicio said in a letter to FERC.
Williams CEO Touts Record Transco Natural Gas Volumes, Says 2025 Drilling Uptick Unlikely - Williams transported record amounts of natural gas on its flagship Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. (Transco) asset in January amid stout heating, LNG and power generation demand, CEO Alan Armstrong said Thursday. Graph and chart showing Williams' estimates for Lower 48 natural gas demand growth. Transco this winter “has experienced unprecedented demand for both natural gas and, importantly, for peak capacity on our system,” Armstrong told analysts during the fourth quarter earnings call. The 10,200-mile Transco system spans from South Texas to New York City, and includes an extensive gathering and processing network for offshore production along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Energy Transfer Targeting Lake Charles LNG FID by Year’s End Amid Natural Gas Market Momentum - Energy Transfer LP is pushing toward a final investment decision (FID) for its Lake Charles LNG project in Louisiana by the end of the year as the natural gas market is seen being propelled by regulatory changes and a deep hunger for the fuel, according to management. However, before it locks in partners and the last volumes of its 16.45 million ton/year (Mt/y) capacity project, it may have to revisit previous agreements. While there is still work ahead, Co-CEO Marshall McCrea said the “stars are kind of aligning” for the proposed terminal he described as the “compelling LNG project on the Gulf Coast,” during a fourth quarter earnings call with analysts.
ConocoPhillips Still Mulling Sale of Port Arthur LNG Equity Stake - ConocoPhillips management said Thursday the company is making progress toward selling $2 billion of assets, including noncore properties in the Lower 48. The company acquired Marathon Oil Corp. in November and has been working to cut costs since then. Andy O’Brien, senior vice president of strategy, said ConocoPhillips already has agreements in place to sell some Permian Basin assets for $600 million, a deal set to be completed in the first half of this year.The company is also continuing to explore the sale of part of its 30% equity stake in the first 1.8 Bcf/d phase of Sempra Infrastructure’s Port Arthur LNG project under construction southeast of Houston.
FERC Cites Trump EOs to Reverse Court Rulings on Rio Grande, Texas LNG --As the U.S. LNG industry awaits a boost in development from the Trump administration’s regulation-cutting blitz, FERC argued the president’s executive orders (EO) should also bring an end to a judicial roadblock for two developing export projects in South Texas. Last year was a decisive one for environmental groups challenging LNG authorizations in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (DC) Circuit, with judicial panels moving to vacate or remand Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approvals for three projects. Two projects, Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG, were sidelined in the DC Circuit for a second time and threatened with vacatur as the court questioned FERC’s environmental justice (EJ) analysis process.
Polar Vortex Forces EIA To Hike 2025 US NatGas Price Forecast By 20% The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) for February, which boosted its outlook for natural gas by 20% for 2025 after a polar vortex in January led to some of the largest withdraws from underground storage in years. "The Henry Hub spot price averaged $4.13 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in January and reached a daily high of $9.86/MMBtu on January 17 ahead of a cold snap that spread across the United States, leading to above-average inventory withdrawals," EIA wrote in the STEO report. Here is EIA's outlook on NatGas prices, which was revised higher: "We expect the spot price to rise through 2026, averaging almost $3.80/MMBtu in 2025, up 65 cents from our January 2025 Short-Term Energy Outlook, and reaching nearly $4.20/MMBtu in 2026." This revision follows a massive cold blast across the Lower 48 in January, significantly increasing energy consumption.
Winter Weather, LNG Demand Raises Forecast Natural Gas Benchmark Prices — The Offtake -- A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers
20%: The U.S. Energy Information Administration has increased its forecast average for spot Henry Hub to $3.80/MMBtu this year, a 20% increase from the prior estimate. Above average cold weather and larger than anticipated natural gas withdrawals are set to collide with increased LNG feed gas demand later in the year.
$15.184: Speaking of tightening markets, Goldman Sachs raised its forecast for Europe’s Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark. Analysts cited competition for LNG and the continent’s rush to fill depleted gas storage facilities as driver for spot TTF price spikes this summer. Goldman Sachs raised its forecast average by $3.
1,457,860 Dekatherms: Feed gas nominations to Venture Global LNG Inc.’s Plaquemines LNG have reached new highs as the company continues to commission liquefaction blocks. Nominations reached 74% of operational capacity Tuesday, according to NGI calculations, surpassing rivaling nominations to Calcasieu Pass LNG. FERC on Monday granted the company permission to commission its eighth of 18 blocks.
2 cargoes: Kpler data indicates two ships are set to leave Sabine Pass LNG for import facilities in China despite the country’s tariffs on U.S. gas volumes. A cargo marketed by Cheniere Energy Inc. and purchased by Beijing Gas Group is expected to leave Louisiana Thursday. A second cargo contracted to Chinese private energy firm ENN Group is anticipated to leave berth on Saturday.
2.42 million tons (Mt): U.S. LNG terminals are anticipated to ship out 2.42 Mt the week of Feb. 10-16, according to predictive Kpler data. That would be a 0.35 Mt increase over last week and position the United States for a 0.91 Mt gain in LNG exports versus February 2024. The gain in LNG sendouts comes as additional spot cargoes hit the market from Plaquemines LNG and European buyers exponentially increase their activity compared to the last two winters.
US natgas prices climb 4% to one-week high on rising LNG flows, colder forecasts — U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 4% to a one-week high on Monday on rising flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants and forecasts for colder weather and higher heating demand next week than previously expected. Front-month gas futures for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 13.5 cents, or 4.1%, to settle at $3.444 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since January 29. Even though prices were up about 5% last week, speculators cut their net long futures and options positions on the New York Mercantile and Intercontinental Exchange for the first time in nine weeks, according to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Commitments of Traders report. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to 106.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in February, up from 102.7 bcfd in January when freezing oil and gas wells and pipes, known as freeze-offs, cut production. That compares with a monthly record of 104.6 bcfd in December 2023. But with the return of extreme cold and freezing wells in some parts of the country, daily output slid by 1.2 bcfd over the past four days to a preliminary one-week low of 105.5 bcfd on Monday. That compares with a daily record high of 106.7 bcfd on February 6. Analysts noted preliminary data is often revised later in the day. After extreme cold last month boosted heating demand to an all-time high, analysts said energy firms may have pulled a record amount of gas out of storage in January. The current record monthly storage withdrawal is 994 bcf in January 2022, according to federal energy data. Without calling it a new all-time high, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report on Monday that energy firms pulled nearly 1,000 bcf of gas out of storage in January. Meteorologists projected weather in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly colder than normal through February 25. With colder weather coming, LSEG forecasts average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will rise from 132.9 bcfd this week to 138.9 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Friday, while its forecast for next week was higher. The amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants rose to an average of 15.2 bcfd so far in February, up from 14.6 bcfd in January. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023. Gas was trading at a two-year high of around $18 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark in Europe and an eight-week high of around $15 at the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) benchmark in Asia.
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Jump 6% to Two-Week High on Rising LNG Flows, Big Storage Draw -- (Reuters) — U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 6% to a two-week high on Thursday on a slightly bigger-than-expected storage draw last week, rising flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants, a drop in daily output and forecasts for cold weather and higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms pulled 100 billion cubic feet of gas out of storage during the week ended February 7. That was a little over the 95-Bcf draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with a drop of 60 bcf during the same week last year and a five-year average draw of 144 bcf for this time of year. Analysts said energy firms pulled less gas out of storage last week than the five-year normal because mild weather kept heating demand low. Front-month gas futures for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 21.2 cents, or 6.0%, to $3.777 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at 10:33 a.m. EST (1533 GMT), putting the contract on track for its highest close since January 24. That would be the front-month's biggest daily percentage gain since February 3 when it jumped about 10% and puts the contract up for a fourth day in a row for the first time since December 2024. Before EIA released the storage report, the contract was trading up about 5%. Looking ahead, the 12-month futures strip was trading at $4.15 per MMBtu, its highest since December 2022. With mostly colder weather coming, LSEG forecasts that average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will rise from 138.4 Bcf/d this week to 145.9 Bcf/d next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Wednesday. The amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants rose to an average of 15.3 Bcf/d so far in February, up from 14.6 Bcf/d in January. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 Bcf/d in December 2023. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to hit 15.9 Bcf/d on Thursday, up from 15.6 Bcf/d on Wednesday and an average of 15.3 Bcf/d over the prior seven days. If correct, LNG flows on Thursday would top the current daily record of 15.8 Bcf/d on January 18. The latest LNG feedgas high came with flows to Venture Global's 2.6-Bcf/d Plaquemines export plant under construction in Louisiana set to hit a record 1.4 Bcf/d on Tuesday-Thursday.
U.S. Natural Gas Climbs to Three-Week High on Rising LNG Flows, Colder Temps (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% to a three-week high on Friday on rising flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants, a drop in daily output and forecasts for colder weather lifting expected heating demand next week. Front-month gas futures for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 9.7 cents, or 2.7%, to settle at $3.725 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since January 24. That also put the front-month up for a fifth day in a row for the first time since November 2024. For the week, the contract was up about 13% after gaining about 9% last week. Looking ahead, the 12-month futures strip was trading at $4.16 per mmBtu, its highest since December 2022. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to 105.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in February, up from 102.7 bcfd in January when freezing oil and gas wells and pipes, known as freeze-offs, cut production. That compares with a monthly record of 104.6 bcfd in December 2023. But with the return of extreme cold that is again freezing wells in some parts of the country, daily output was on track to drop by around 3.2 bcfd over the last eight days to a preliminary three-week low of 103.6 bcfd on Friday. That compares with a daily record high of 106.7 bcfd on February 6. Analysts noted that preliminary data is often revised later in the day. Meteorologists projected weather in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly colder than normal through February 23 before switching to near normal levels from February 24-March 1. With mostly colder weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will rise from 138.7 bcfd this week to 147.9 bcfd next week, before dropping to 134.4 bcfd in two weeks as the weather warms. The forecasts for this week and next were higher than LSEG's outlook on Thursday. The amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants rose to an average of 15.3 bcfd so far in February, up from 14.6 bcfd in January. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023. On a daily basis, LNG feedgas hit a record 16.0 bcfd on Thursday, topping the prior all-time daily high of 15.8 bcfd on January 18. That fresh record came as flows to Venture Global's 2.6-bcfd Plaquemines LNG export plant under construction in Louisiana hit a fresh high of 1.4 bcfd.
Entergy Texas Secures More Natural Gas Supplies to Meet ‘Extraordinary’ Power Demand -- An Entergy Corp. affiliate has reached a deal with Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) and Golden Pass LNG to receive natural gas supplies on the Trident Intrastate Pipeline to help meet growing power demand in Southeast Texas. None Entergy Texas said it has secured an unspecified volume of supplies on the 216-mile KMI system that would transport Permian Basin and other natural gas from the Katy hub to the LNG and industrial corridor near Port Arthur, TX. The utility, which serves three million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas with mostly gas-fired power, said the supply deal would improve reliability across Southeast Texas and be a “critical component” of its energy plan for the region.
Enbridge ends investigation into oil spill west of Madison – On the morning of Nov. 11, Enbridge, an international energy corporation, shut down their 6A oil pipeline after a worker discovered a loose valve at their Cambridge Exchange station. The station located in Oakland, WI — about 20 miles southwest of Madison — leaked 1,650 barrels of crude oil, roughly 69,300 gallons. This makes it one of the largest oil spills in Wisconsin history.Enbridge initially estimated to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that only two gallons of oil had been spilled. Enbridgerevised their estimate to the DNR to 126 gallons Nov. 14. Then, on Dec. 13, Enbridge notified the public that they estimated 69,300 gallons of oil had leaked from the pipeline.The spill originated in an underground pump transfer pipe within the station. Enbridge spokeswoman Juli Kellner said in an emailed statement to The Badger Herald that a faulty connection between pipes in the transfer station was the cause of the spill. She said the connection had loosened over time and the spill occurred over a period.According to Enbridge’s final report to federal investigators, 0.10 barrels (4.2 gallons) of oil were believed to have seeped into groundwater. Enbridge claimed it has recovered only 960 (40,000 gallons) of the 1650 barrels spilled and has not stated if there would be an additional risk of oil leaching into groundwater.In the statement, Keller said no oil had been found in wells in nearby homes or on-site during testing after the spill.University of Wisconsin professor and expert on groundwater and underground aquifers Michael Cardiff said the amount of oil leaking into groundwater was not a significant amount. With 30,000 gallons yet to be recovered, more oil may leak into groundwater, Cardiff said.
Trump taps US oil advocate to lead public land bureau (Reuters) - The Trump administration has named Kathleen Sgamma, a vocal oil and gas advocate for Western states, to head up the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management, which manages the use of the country's nearly 250 million acres of public lands. Sgamma heads the Western Energy Alliance, which represents oil and gas companies that operate on federal lands, and had been critical of Biden and Obama administration efforts to set aside public land for conservation instead of opening more acres for energy development. As head of the BLM, Sgamma will oversee federal leasing programs for oil and gas, mining, grazing and renewable energy development. Biden's administration slashed new oil and gas leasing on federal lands as part of his climate change agenda, and implemented a program to lease land specifically for conservation. Sgamma is expected to take steps to boost the number of quarterly oil and gas auctions in Western states as well as the acreage offered. Oil production on federal land accounts for about 11% of U.S. output. The administration also nominated Brian Nesvik, the recently retired director of Wyoming's Game and Fish Department, to be the director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Nesvik had been critical of the Biden administration's decisions not to delist grizzly bears and other species from the endangered species list. The two nominees will serve under Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who earlier this month unveiled a suite of orders aimed at carrying out President Donald Trump's "energy dominance" agenda to maximize domestic energy and minerals production and slash red tape. That order also called for revoking three Endangered Species Act regulations that were finalized under the Biden administration and roll back a rule protecting migratory birds from unintentional killing. Conservation groups criticized the appointments, saying the nominees would damage environmental and wildlife protections in favor of more energy development. "Everyone who treasures the outdoors should oppose her nomination," said Taylor McKinnon, southwest director for the Center for Biological Diversity.
LNG Consumption Driving Natural Gas Demand, with AI Enhancing All-of-the-Above Energy, Says Shell -- LNG demand across the world is surging through the near term, with natural gas overall undergoing more moderate growth and oil peaking in the early 2030s, according to Shell plc. Shell's global LNG demand outlook. The world’s top natural gas trader issued its first indepth forecast in two years offering its view on global energy. Shell’s 2025 Energy Security Scenarios reviews primary energy resources, including natural gas and oil. And for the first time, researchers analyzed how the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) could positively impact energy systems. In 2023, “the focus of the world was on high energy prices, with the cost of electricity at record levels in much of Europe,” the researchers noted. “ChatGPT was four months old at the time, and while it is barely the tip of the AI iceberg, it has nevertheless been a game-changer in terms of public awareness of a new technology wave.”
TTF Rally Enters Fifth Week as Cold Weather Continues Across Europe –-- Cold weather and declining storage inventories continued to push European natural gas prices higher on Monday, extending a rally that’s lasted more than four weeks as the market remains fixated on supply concerns. Image of Gulf Coast netback pricing data. The prompt Title Transfer Facility (TTF) contract gained 4% on Monday to finish at $17.54/MMBtu, its highest since February 2023. Storage inventories are at 49% of capacity, compared to 67.5% at this time last year and an average of 57% over the past five years. A cold weather forecast in Northwest and Southeast Europe early this week, as well as for parts of central Europe, southern Scandinavia and the UK, along with lower renewable power output, could further strain inventories.
EU shoots down rumors it will revive divisive gas price cap - — The European Union is not planning to include a gas price cap in its upcoming strategy to slash energy prices, a European Commission official said, pushing back on chatter that the EU executive was eyeing the measure.A proposal to limit the price of gas imports is “not on the cards” for the EU’s upcoming green industrial plans later this month, said the official, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely.The denial came after Europe’s energy traders and fossil fuel firms sounded alarm bells over talk that Brussels might return to the emergency gas price measure. On Tuesday, 11 industry groups — including Energy Traders Europe, Eurogas and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers — sent a letter to Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressing their “strong concerns” around the move. Doing so would have “far-reaching negative consequences for the stability of European energy markets and the security of supply across the Continent,” they said, arguing it would undermine Europe’s credibility as a gas customer and shift trading outside the bloc.
Equinor Expects European LNG Demand to Surge, Sparking Asian Competition, Price Volatility - Equinor AS expects a tight global natural gas market in 2025 as European buyers try to pull more LNG cargoes to the continent this summer. Bar graph showing estimated LNG exports to the EU by trade type. Falling levels at European Union (EU) storage facilities and brief interruptions of Norwegian supply have contributed to pushing Europe’s Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark to the mid-$16/MMBtu mark. TTF gains have also helped boost Asian LNG prices to the highest point in more than a year. CEO Anders Opedal said the company is monitoring what could be just the start of a volatile year in global gas markets amid the backdrop of surging demand in Asia.
TTF Rally Ends Amid Talk of Easing EU Natural Gas Storage Targets — Three Things to Know About the LNG Market Japan’s Inpex Corp. is aiming to boost its LNG trading volume from 7.5 million tons/year (Mt/y) to 8.5 Mt/y by 2027 by procuring additional supplies from North America and elsewhere, the company said in its year-end earnings report. The move comes as more governments across Asia have signaled a willingness to purchase more LNG from the United States amid rising tariff threats from President Trump. Inpex also said it is aiming to reach a final investment decision by 2027 on the 9.5 Mt/y Abadi LNG project and begin operations by the beginning of the 2030s. The company owns a 65% stake in the project.
Asian Buyers Increasingly Embrace U.S. LNG Contract Talks as Tariff Threats Rise - Natural gas buyers in several Asian countries, including Japan, India and Taiwan, are in talks to buy more LNG from the United States as the Trump administration targets the nation’s trade deficit with tariff threats. Bar chart showing global natural gas demand forecast by region.Government officials from the three Asian countries, among the world’s top LNG importers, have indicated they are willing to import more U.S. LNG.Trump met with Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last week, while Taiwan signaled interest in more American imports after the president raised the possibility of tariffs. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to meet with the president on Thursday.
India LNG Imports: India's LNG imports likely to more than double by 2030 -- The International Energy Agency (IEA) Wednesday forecast India's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to more than double by 2030, fuelled by steady demand growth and slower-than-expected increase in local production.
LNG demand in the country will grow 11% annually between 2023 and 2030, twice the average rate of the past 10 years, IEA said in its latest report on India's natural gas sector. It predicts LNG consumption to rise to 64 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year by 2030, while overall gas consumption will surge 60% from the 2023 levels to 103 bcm. The city gas distribution sector is expected to drive the country's gas consumption growth. Heavy industries and refiners are also expected to aid gas demand.Domestic gas production is forecast to grow modestly. "Overall growth will be tempered by plateauing output from the (Reliance-BP's) KG-D6 fields and declining production from legacy assets like ONGC's Mumbai offshore fields, leaving production in 2030 (at just under 38 bcm) only around 8% higher than 2023 levels," IEA said.
IEA says Russia's oil and fuel exports revenues rose in January to $15.8 billion --Russia's commercial revenues from sales of crude oil and oil products in January rose by $900 million from December to $15.8 billion due to higher oil prices and stable export volumes, despite sanctions, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.The United States introduced the broadest package of sanctions so far in early January against Russian oil companies and tankers carrying Russian oil over Moscow's conflict in Ukraine. Some of the sanctions take effect later in February or in March.US President Donald Trump also pledged a policy of maximum pressure against Iran that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "Fresh US sanctions on Russia and Iran roiled markets at the start of the year but they have yet to materially impact global oil supply," the IEA, which advises industrialised countries, said in a monthly report."Iranian crude oil exports are only marginally lower, while Russian flows so far continue largely unaffected."According to the IEA, Russia's crude oil and oil products exports last month were broadly on par with December's volumes, at around 7.4 million barrels per day, with crude oil supplies increasing by 100,000 bpd to 4.6 million bpd.Exports of oil products declined by the same amount to 2.8 million bpd.Year-on-year, Russia's crude oil and oil products exports declined in January by 60,000 bpd, IEA data showed.The agency also said that all the Russian oil was sold above the Western-imposed price cap of $60 per barrel last month. According to the IEA, Russia's oil production last month rose by 100,000 bpd to 9.2 million bpd, above the OPEC+ quota of 8.98 million bpd.The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said on Wednesday that Russia's crude oil output declined by 0.3 per cent to 8.977 million bpd in January from 9.004 million bpd in December.
Russia investigates blast on oil tanker near St. Petersburg -Rosmorrechflot, Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport, shared in a Telegram post on Sunday that an investigation was underway over an explosion that happened on the Koala oil tanker in Ust-Luga port west of St. Petersburg. The blast happened in the engine room, as per preliminary information. Rosmorrechflot added that the crew was evacuated and no one was injured. It further added that there was no "spill of the cargo or a leak of oil products." It was also mentioned that oil spill containment booms were installed around the tanker, with authorities to now inspect "the underwater part of the vessel."
Finland Braces for Potential Oil Spill After Tanker Explosion in Northwestern Russia - Authorities in Finland said they are preparing for a potential oil spill in the Gulf of Finland after Russian officials reported an explosion aboard an oil tanker in the northwestern Leningrad region.“We’re closely following the news about the oil tanker damaged in the port of Laukaansuu,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo wrote on social media Sunday, using the Finnish name of Russia’s port of Ust-Luga on the Gulf of Finland.“Finnish authorities are investigating the situation. Finland has increased its oil spill response readiness,” Orpo added.The explosion occurred in the engine room of the oil tanker Koala at the port of Ust-Luga, west of St. Petersburg, on Sunday morning, according to Russia’s Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot).The crew evacuated the ship, which was built in 2003 and sails under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, Rosmorrechflot said.Finland’s Gulf Coast Guard said it sent an inquiry to authorities in Russia but had not received a response as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.“Typically, we do get replies to such inquiries,” field commander Tomi Waltari was quoted as saying.
No Leaks Detected After Oil Tanker Explosion, Russian Officials Say - The Moscow Times - An explosion aboard an oil tanker in the Gulf of Finland off the coast of northwestern Russia has not resulted in an oil spill, Russia’s Transportation Ministry said Tuesday.The Koala tanker, built in 2003 and flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, is currently moored at the port of Ust-Luga with 130,000 metric tons of fuel oil.Fears of a potential spill emerged after an explosion occurred in the tanker’s engine room on Sunday morning. Neighboring Finland had said it was preparing for a possible oil spill and accused Russian authorities of failing to provide updates.“No oil product leaks were detected,” Russia’s Transportation Ministry said in a statement on Telegram, adding that booms had been installed around the tanker to contain any potential leaks.Emergency authorities delivered pumps from the Arctic city of Murmansk to begin the complex task of offloading the 130,000 tons of fuel oil.The Transportation Ministry also confirmed that the Koala was not at risk of sinking, its crew members were unharmed and the vessel’s cargo fuel tanks had not been damaged in the explosion.
Tanker in Russian Oil Trade Involved in Bunkering Spill off Turkey - An Indian-managed crude oil tanker that has been transporting Russian oil was involved in a bunkering accident today near Istanbul. Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety (KEGM) reports its teams are cleaning the surface waters. The tanker named Jag, was in the Ahirkapi Anchorage near Istanbul when the incident occurred. KEGM did not report how much oil was spilled but reported that it dispatched vessels in response. Two Turkish rescue boats, KEGM-3 and KEGM-4 were at the scene of the spill along with a tugboat and an environmental barge. AIS signals show the Jag had been holding off Turkey. It was bunkering with the vessel Gokdeniz alongside according to the pictures released online. Built in 2005, Jag has passed through multiple owners and managers operating with this identity and registered in Liberia since 2023. Its current manager is listed in the databases as Rhine Marine Services based in India. The vessel is 70,400 dwt. The tanker is reported to have made several calls in Russia. Last October, it took a cargo from Primorsk in Russia to Brazil’s Paranagua port. The tanker has a spotty history with its last listed inspection as 2023. At the time, it was in Aqaba, Jordan, and listed with 12 deficiencies which resulted in a two-day detention. The emergency generator was reported as not operating while the fire doors, the main, and auxiliary engines were listed as “not as required.” It was also cited for a lack of cleanliness in the engine room and oily mixtures. The ships three prior inspections were all in Russia and each also found a few deficiencies. No additional details were released by KEGM on today’s incident. The vessel’s AIS signal shows it remains at the anchorage off Istanbul.
Dark fleet tanker involved in oil spill in Türkiye :: Lloyd's List - A DARK fleet* tanker has leaked fuel oil after bunkering at anchorage at Ambarli, near Istanbul, in Türkiye. The Liberia-flagged, 70,426 dwt crude oil tanker Jag (IMO: 9266762) experienced a fuel leak while bunkering due to a technical failure on February 10, a Lloyd’s List Intelligence casualty report said. Pollution barriers were placed around Jag following the incident and an investigation opened. The LLI casualty report said a pollution fine was issued by the local municipality under Marpol regulations, and the harbour master temporarily suspended the tanker’s departure until the fine and cleaning expenses were paid. The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged suezmax Koala experienced several explosions in its engine room before preparing to sail but Russian authorities said there was no damage to its cargo tanks Read the full article here The Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety (KEGM) yesterday confirmed its patrol boats attended the scene, and said its teams were cleaning oil from the water’s surface. KEGM did not disclose how much oil had entered the water but said patrol boats KEGM-3 and KEGM-4 attended the scene along with a tug and environmental barge. Jag is on the Lloyd’s List Intelligence dark fleet watchlist, as it meets criteria such as being more than 15 years old and anonymously owned. Jag has made several calls to Russian ports in the past months, including Primorsk and Taman, near Kerch. The tanker remained at anchorage off Ambarli as of 1000 hrs on February 12.
Two more ships carrying Russian oil sinking in Pacific and Baltic - Maritime incidents occurred at opposite ends of Russia involve a Chinese cargo ship and Russian shadow fleet’s Antigua-flagged tanker, both carrying fuel oil, with one vessel grounded near Sakhalin and another at Ust-Luga port.On 15 December 2024, two Russian river tankers – Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 – sank in the Kerch Strait, spilling 4,300 tonnes of fuel. By January, oil-blackened beaches stretched from Russia’s Krasnodar Krai to occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol.Under Western sanctions, Russia increasingly relies on aging, foreign-flagged tankers in its shadow fleet, facing frequent technical failures and posing growing environmental and security risks, with these unregulated vessels also linked to the Baltic Sea sabotage. In a Pacific incident, a Chinese bulk carrier An Yang2 has run aground near Sakhalin island coast close to the Russian port of Nevelsk, Russian Telegram channels Baza andAstra reported on 9 February.According to Baza, the vessel, carrying 56 tons of diesel fuel, 706 tons of mazut – a low-quality heavy fuel oil, and 1,000 tons of coal, sustained hull damage in southern Sakhalin Oblast’s Nevelsk district facing northern Japan. The ship with 20 crew members reportedly ran aground south of Nevelsk port.Russia’s Emergency Ministry claimed there are no fuel spills, and work is underway to refloat the vessel. Local sources report communication difficulties with the Chinese crew due to translation issues, Telegram channels noted.In a Baltic incident, the Koala crude oil tanker, carrying the mazut, is sinking at the port of Ust-Luga in Leningrad Oblast, Fontanka reported.Baza says the vessel carries 130,000 tons of fuel. While the channel’s sources claim multiple explosions occurred in the engine room, Fontanka has not confirmed this information.Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed a “technical incident during engine start-up” damaged the vessel’s engine room.The tanker, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, has a crew of 24, including four Russians, eight Georgians, and 12 Indonesians. The Mash Na Moike Telegram channel reports the vessel has run aground and the crew has been fully evacuated. Preliminary data indicates no fuel leaks.
Vast majority of Niger Delta oil spills due to third parties, Shell says before UK trial -- Shell should take responsibility for environmental damage in Nigeria caused by oil spills, a community leader said on Thursday as a pivotal hearing in lawsuits brought against the British oil major began at London's High Court. Godwin Bebe Okpabi, leader of the Ogale community in the Niger Delta, told Reuters that he was appealing to Shell's conscience to remediate the damage, which he said had, "destroyed our way of life." Thousands of members of the Ogale and Bille communities are suing Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC over oil spills in the Niger Delta, a region blighted by pollution, conflict and corruption related to the oil and gas industry. Decades of oil spills have caused widespread environmental damage, which has destroyed the livelihood of millions in the local communities and impacted their health. Shell, however, says the vast majority of spills were caused by illegal third-party interference, such as pipeline sabotage and theft, which is rife in the Niger Delta. A Shell spokesperson said the litigation, "does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to theft, illegal refining and sabotage, which cause the most environmental damage." Shell's lawyers said in court filings that SPDC recognises it is obliged to compensate those harmed by oil spills even if SPDC is not at fault, but not where it has already done so or where spills were caused by, "the malicious acts of third parties." But Okpabi said Shell had made billions of dollars in Nigeria – which he called "blood money" – and had a moral responsibility to prevent and remediate oil spills. "As we speak, people are dying in Ogale, my community," he said. "It is sad that Shell will now want to take us through this very expensive, very troublesome trial, claiming one technicality or the other." He was speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London ahead of a four-week hearing to determine issues of Nigerian law and whether SPDC can be held liable for oil spills caused by third-party interference, ahead of a further trial in 2026. The case, parts of which began nearly a decade ago, has already been to the United Kingdom's Supreme Court, which ruled in 2021 that the case should be heard in the English courts. The lawsuit is the latest example of multinationals being sued in London for the acts of overseas subsidiaries, following a landmark 2019 ruling in a separate case.
OPEC Oil Output Falls in January on Nigeria, Iran Production Dip – The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil output fell in January for a second month, a Reuters survey found, as a drop in exports from Nigeria and Iran offset a rebound from the United Arab Emirates where field maintenance had curbed output in December. OPEC pumped 26.53 million barrels per day last month, down 50,000 bpd from December’s revised total, with Nigeria and Iran posting the largest drops, the report said. The modest decline in output came as the wider OPEC+ group is keeping production cuts in place until the end of March due to global demand concerns and rising output outside the group. OPEC+ last Monday decided to stick with its plan to start raising output in April. Nigerian production slipped by 60,000 bpd, the survey found, reflecting lower exports, although domestic usage is increasing as the Dangote refinery ramps up. Iran’s output, which hit the highest since 2018 last year despite US sanctions, also fell by 60,000 bpd. It may soon be curbed by tighter sanctions from the administration of the US President Donald Trump, Goldman Sachs and other analysts have forecast. Output in OPEC’s top two producers, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, edged lower. OPEC’s biggest rise of 90,000 bpd, came from the UAE. A source said partial field maintenance continued in January, having started in December. While the survey indicated the UAE and Iraq are pumping below their targets and December data provided by OPEC’s secondary sources puts them not far above, other estimates such as those of the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest they are pumping significantly more. Libya’s output rose by 40,000 bpd, continuing a recovery after the resolution of a dispute over control of the central bank that had led to production cuts. The country is exempt from OPEC+ agreements to limit output.
Oil lifts; investors await clarity on tariffs, sanctions - Oil prices climbed on Monday, even as investors weighed United States President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats, which could dampen global economic growth and energy demand.By 3 pm AEDT (4 am GMT) Brent crude futures rose $0.47 or 0.6%, to $75.09 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $0.37 cents, or 0.5%, to $71.37 per barrel. Despite Monday’s uptick, the market remains under pressure after logging a third consecutive weekly decline over global trade concerns.Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, further escalating trade tensions. The move follows last week’s tariff announcements on Canada, Mexico, and China, though duties on U.S. neighbours were temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, China’s retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. exports are set to take effect on Monday, with no signs of progress in negotiations between Washington and Beijing. Oil and gas traders are reportedly seeking waivers from Beijing for U.S. crude and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.Trump stated on Sunday that the U.S. is making progress with Russia on ending the Ukraine war but did not provide specifics regarding discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Further complicating supply dynamics, the U.S. Treasury last week imposed new sanctions targeting Iranian crude shipments. The measures apply to individuals and tankers involved in transporting millions of barrels of Iranian oil annually to China.
Oil Futures Rose Despite Prevailing Tariff Concerns -- Oil futures climbed higher Monday after hitting their lowest level following the announcement of higher-than-expected build on crude and gasoline stocks in the week ended Jan. 31, despite the uncertainty fueled by the trade tariff war led by the Trump administration. Oil futures moved to bullish ground Monday morning, reversing multi-day losses experienced over the past three weeks due to concerns on trade tariffs the Trump administration imposed on imported goods from China last week. The one-month delay on retaliatory tariffs over imports from Canada and Mexico contributed also to the uncertainty regarding the potential impact of those actions on the U.S. economy, particularly with respect to inflation. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Monday "the United States will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico and other import duties later in the week," the AP reported. Trump is also expected to announce "reciprocal tariffs"-- "probably Tuesday or Wednesday," which means the U.S. would impose import duties on products in cases in which another country has levied duties on U.S. goods, as reported by the AP. Analysts anticipate that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady until there is more clarity about the economic implications of tariffs in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, the market will be focused on the release of the Consumer Price Index for January, which is expected to be around 2.8%, compared to 2.9% recorded in December. Last week, the Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on an international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to China, as part of the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, aiming to reduce its oil exports to zero. Additional sanctions on Russian and Iranian crude are expected to put upward pressure on global oil prices due to expectations of tight supplies. The front-month NYMEX WTI futures contract rose by $0.84 to $71.84 barrel (bbl) while the April ICE Brent futures contract increased by $0.81 to $75.47 bbl. March RBOB futures contract rose by $0.0036 to $2.1086 gallon while ULSD futures contract for March delivery increased by $0.0200 to $2.4508 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index rose by 0.20% to 108.130 against a basket of foreign currencies.
Concerns Over a Potential Global Trade War - The oil market moved higher on Monday following three weeks of losses despite concerns over a potential global trade war following U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff plans of targeting steel and aluminum. Over the weekend, President Trump said he would announce 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. The market seemed to dismiss the latest statement after President Trump previously suspended the tariffs he had announced on Canada and Mexico until March 1st. Traders mainly dismissed the expected announcement as they see an equal chance the tariffs could be walked back or even increased at some point in the near future. The oil market posted a low of $70.84 on the opening and retraced some of its previous losses posted last week. The market extended its gains to $1.54 as it posted a high of $72.54 in afternoon trading. The March WTI contract traded sideways during the remainder of the session and settled up $1.32 at $72.32. The April Brent contract settled up $1.21 at $75.87. Meanwhile, the product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling up 2.01 cents at $2.4509 and the RB market settling down 8 points at $2.1042. U.S. President Donald Trump said he will introduce new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., in addition to existing metals duties. He is expected to sign executive orders on the new tariffs on Monday or Tuesday. He also said he will announce reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday or Wednesday, to take effect almost immediately, applying them to all countries and matching the tariff rates levied by each country. According to government and American Iron and Steel Institute data, the largest sources of U.S. steel imports are Canada, Brazil and Mexico, followed by South Korea and Vietnam. In a separate Fox News interview, Trump said Canada’s and Mexico’s actions to secure their U.S. borders and halt the flow of drugs and migrants are insufficient ahead of a March 1st tariff deadline. He has threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on all Mexican and Canadian imports unless America’s two largest trading partners take stronger actions. He paused the tariffs until March 1st after some initial border security concessions from the two countries, with Mexico pledging to add 10,000 National Guard troops to its border and Canada deploying new technology and personnel and taking new anti-fentanyl steps.IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 1.5 million bpd of capacity in the week ending February 14th, increasing available refining capacity by 84,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 1.29 million bpd in the week ending February 21st.The U.S. Climate Prediction Center reported Monday morning that the U.S. saw a total of 248 HDDs on an oil home heating customer weighted basis during the week ending February 8th. This was 9 HDs less than normal for the week but 34 HDDs more than the same week a year ago. For the current week the CPC is predicting a total of 258 HDDs, 9 HDDs more than normal and 58 HDDs more than the same week a year ago.
Oil prices tick higher following US tariffs on metals -Oil prices ticked higher on Tuesday as markets absorbed the latest round of U.S. tariffs, with Washington imposing a 25% levy on all steel and aluminium imports. The move, aimed at supporting domestic industries, raised fears of an economic slowdown that could weigh on global energy demand.By 3:00 pm AEDT (4:00 am GMT), Brent crude futures edged up $0.20 or 0.3%, to $76.07 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for April gained $0.14 or 0.2%, to $72.15.President Donald Trump’s decision to enforce the tariffs “without exceptions or exemptions” is expected to affect millions of tons of imported steel and aluminium from key suppliers, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea. The trade measure heightens concerns about a broader economic impact, as tariffs tend to slow industrial activity and could weaken oil demand.Adding to market unease, Trump recently postponed a 25% duty on Mexican and Canadian imports, as well as a 10% tariff on Canadian crude, until March 1, pending further negotiations. Meanwhile, the U.S. has introduced additional 10% tariffs on Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own levies, including a 10% duty on US crude imports. In the energy sector, preliminary data suggested a rise in U.S. crude oil and gasoline stockpiles last week, while distillate inventories likely declined. Investors awaited reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA) for confirmation.Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analysts noted that U.S. trade policies, combined with its commitment to enforcing tougher sanctions on Iran, could disrupt demand in oil-intensive sectors. The bank suggested that ongoing economic uncertainty might prompt OPEC+ nations to extend current production cuts."Over just the last five weeks, oil market participants have had to deal with new sanctions on Russia's oil industry, tariffs on Mexico and Canada - which were quickly suspended - additional tariffs and counter-tariffs on China, and more sanctions on Iran, including a return to the 'maximum pressure campaign' with the stated aim of 'driving Iran's oil exports to zero'," Morgan Stanley stated in a client note.The investment bank warned that escalating trade disputes could disproportionately impact oil-reliant industries, dampening global demand and influencing market stability in the months ahead.
Concerns That Trade Tariffs Could Affect Global Economic Growth - The oil market on Tuesday extended its gains amid concerns over oil supply despite worries that trade tariffs could affect global economic growth. The market was well supported by a Bloomberg News report on Monday regarding Russia’s oil production in January declining further and falling below its OPEC+ quota. According to the Bloomberg, Russia’s output declined to 8.962 million bpd in January. The market was also supported amid the news of a power outage at the Johan Sverdrup oilfield in the North Sea, which in the past has caused a cut to the field’s output. The crude market posted a low of $72.31 in overnight trading before it rallied higher. The market retraced almost 38% of its move from a high of $79.39 to a low of $70.43 as it traded to a high of $73.68 early in the morning. However, the market’s gains were limited by the news of U.S. President Donald Trump raising tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. to 25%, a measure that could trigger a global trade war. It erased some of its sharp gains and traded in a sideways trading range ahead of the close as it awaits the release of the weekly petroleum stocks reports. The March WTI contract settled up $1.00 at $73.32 and the April Brent contract settled up $1.13 at $77.00. The product markets ended the session in positive territory, with the heating oil market settling up 6.37 cents at $2.5146 and the RB market settling up 4.31 cents at $2.1473. The EIA reported in its Short Term Energy Outlook that world oil output in 2025 is forecast at 104.6 million bpd, up 200,000 bpd from a previous estimate, while output in 2026 is forecast to increase by 1.6 million bpd to 106.2 million bpd, which is up 300,000 bpd from a previous estimate. U.S. oil production is poised to set a larger record this year than previous estimates. It said now expects U.S. crude oil production to average 13.59 million bpd in 2025, up from its previous estimate of 13.55 million bpd. It forecast that U.S. oil output in 2026 will increase by 140,000 bpd on the year to 13.73 million bpd. The EIA sees U.S. oil demand in 2025 at 20.5 million bpd, unchanged from a previous forecast and is expected to increase by 100,000 bpd to 20.6 million bpd in 2026. The EIA sees 2025 world oil demand at 104.1 million bpd, unchanged from a previous estimate and demand in 2026 is forecast to increase to 105.2 million bpd, up 100,000 bpd from a previous forecast. The EIA sees WTI averaging $70.62/barrel in 2025, up from a previous forecast of $70.31/barrel and its 2026 forecast at $62.46/barrel, unchanged from a previous estimate. The 2025 price of Brent crude is forecast at $74.50/barrel, up from a previous forecast of $74.31 and the 2026 price at $66.46/barrel, unchanged from a previous estimate.OPEC’s Secretary General, Haitham Al Ghais, said decisions made by OPEC take a long-term view of the global markets and are aimed at providing price stability.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday a ceasefire deal would end and the Israeli army would resume its offensive in the Palestinian enclave until the militant group is defeated. Earlier, On Monday, Hamas announced it would stop releasing Israeli hostages until further notice over what it called Israeli violations of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, raising the risk of reigniting the conflict.Iran alerted the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to what it described as “reckless and inflammatory statements” by U.S. President Donald Trump threatening the use of force against the country and warned that “any act of aggression will have severe consequences.”
Oil prices climb to 2-week high on supply worries, US tariffs check gains (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up to a two-week high on Tuesday as sanctions raised concerns about Russian and Iranian oil supplies and on rising Middle East tensions, outweighing worries that trade tariffs would boost inflation and dampen global economic growth.Brent futures rose $1.13, or 1.5%, to settle at $77.00 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.00, or 1.4%, to settle at $73.32.That put both crude benchmarks up for a third day and at their highest closes since Jan. 28."With the U.S. bearing down on Iranian exports and sanctions still biting into Russian flows, Asian crude grades remain firm and underpin the rally from yesterday," PVM oil analyst John Evans said.U.S. sanctions targeting tankers, producers and insurers have significantly disrupted shipments of Russian oil to leading importers China and India.Also supporting crude prices were U.S. sanctions on networks shipping Iranian oil to China after U.S. President Donald Trump restored his "maximum pressure" on Iranian oil exports last week.Adding to supply jitters is the possibility of renewed fighting in the oil-rich Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday a fragile ceasefire in Gaza would end. Those comments followed a demand by Trump on Monday for Hamas to release all hostages by midday Saturday or he would propose cancelling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and "let hell break out." Trump also said he might withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not take Palestinian refugees being relocated from Gaza. Trump is meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday. Oil price gains were kept in check by fears that Trump's latest tariffs could dampen global growth and energy demand.On Monday, Trump raised tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the United States to 25% "without exceptions or exemptions."Mexico, Canada and the European Union condemned Trump's decision to impose tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports next month, a move that has fanned fears of a trade war."Tariffs and counter-tariffs have the potential to weigh on the oil-intensive part of the global economy in particular, creating uncertainty over demand," Morgan Stanley said in a note. U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers that free trade still makes sense, though it was not the central bank's role to comment on tariff or trade policy but to react to how it impacts the economy. Tariffs can cause prices and inflation to rise. The Fed uses higher interest rates to combat rising prices. So long as the Fed and other central banks keep interest rates higher for longer, borrowing costs will remain elevated, which can slow economic growth and ultimately demand for oil.
Oil prices drop 1% as U.S. crude stockpiles rise by 9.4 million barrels - -- Oil prices declined by 1% on Wednesday, reversing a three-day rally, as industry data showed rising U.S. crude stockpiles, while the Federal Reserve signaled a slower pace of interest rate cuts this year. Brent crude fell 67 cents (0.87%) to $76.33 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 75 cents (1.02%) to $72.57 per barrel. The drop comes after three consecutive sessions of gains, with Brent rising 3.6% and WTI increasing 3.7%.Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that the U.S. economy remains strong, and the Fed is not in a rush to cut interest rates, though it will act if inflation slows or labor market conditions weaken. Higher interest rates typically increase borrowing costs, which can reduce economic activity and lower oil demand.American Petroleum Institute (API) data reported a 9.4 million barrel increase in U.S. crude stockpiles for the week ending February 7. Gasoline inventories declined by 2.51 million barrels, while distillate stocks dropped by 590,000 barrels.The Energy Information Administration (EIA) will release official inventory data later on Wednesday.Investors are awaiting U.S. consumer price index (CPI) data with forecasts indicating core inflation may slow to 3.1% annually, while the headline rate is expected to remain at 2.9%. Meanwhile, the EIA increased its U.S. crude production estimate, projecting output to reach 13.59 million barrels per day in 2025, up from its previous forecast of 13.55 million bpd, while leaving its demand forecast unchanged.
WTI Extends Losses After 3rd Straight Weekly Crude Build After a strong run in the last week, oil prices are lower this morning following API's report last night indicated a large increase in US crude stockpiles adding to pressure as the market continued to watch for more trade salvos from President Trump. Also contributing to the decline was US consumer price data that came in hotter than expected, causing a surge in the dollar surged that makes commodities priced in the currency less appealing. “The oil market is trading with marginal declines this morning as the API numbers released overnight were largely bearish,” ING analysts including Ewa Manthey said in a note. Will the official data confirm API's? API
- Crude +9mm
- Cushing +400k
- Gasoline -2.5mm
- Distillates -600k
DOE
- Crude +4.07mm (+4.5mm exp)
- Cushing +872k
- Gasoline -3.035mm
- Distillates +135k
The official crude inventory data showed a sizable build but less than expected and less than half that reported by API (which appears to have played catch up from the prior week). Gasoline stocks tumbled for the first time in 13 weeks... Graphs Source: Bloomberg Including the 249k barrel addition to SPR, total crude inventories rose for the 3rd week in a row... Source: Bloomberg US Crude production rose modestly last week, back up near record highs... Source: Bloomberg WTI was trading around $72.00 ahead of the official print and is holding it for now...
Oil sinks 2% after Trump calls Putin, Zelenskiy to discuss end to war in Ukraine (Reuters) - Oil prices settled down more than 2% on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump took the first big step toward diplomacy over the war in Ukraine he has promised to end, a war that has supported oil prices on concerns about global supplies.Brent futures settled down $1.82, or 2.36%, at $75.18 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled down $1.95, or 2.66%, to $71.37.U.S. crude futures fell more than $2 at their session low. The declines follow three days of gains, during which Brent climbed 3.6% and WTI rose 3.7%.U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the war in Ukraine in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "Trump doing peace talks, I think that has taken some of the risk premium out of oil prices right now," In a post on his social media platform, Trump said he and Putin had "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskiy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now."Zelenskiy's office said Trump and Zelenskiy had spoken by phone for about an hour. Investors also tried to gauge the Federal Reserve's next moves on cutting interest rates following comments on Tuesday by Fed Chair Jerome Powell and after data on Wednesday showed U.S. consumer prices increased more than expected in January."The combination of higher inflation and the possibility of peace (in Ukraine) is causing a bit of a sell off in the market at the moment," said Price Futures Group's Flynn.Powell said the economy is in a good place and the Fed is not rushing to cut rates further, but is prepared to do so if inflation drops or the job market weakens.Consumer price data released by the U.S. Labor Department showed surprisingly strong U.S. inflation in January, stoking fears that a heating economy and looming tariffs could undercut hopes for rate cuts. Higher rates can slow economic activity and dampen demand for oil."The inflation numbers came in hot, reducing the chances of the Fed cutting rates from September to December," said Price Futures Group's Flynn.U.S. crude oil stocks posted a larger-than-expected build last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday. Gasoline inventories meanwhile posted a surprise draw while distillate stocks posted a surprise build. Elsewhere, Russia may be forced to throttle back its oil output in the coming months as U.S. sanctions hamper its access to tankers to sail to Asia and Ukrainian drone attacks hobble its refineries.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said in a monthly report that global oil demand will rise by 1.45 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025 and by 1.43 million bpd in 2026. Both forecasts were unchanged from last month.The EIA increased its estimate for U.S. crude production while leaving its demand forecast unchanged. It now expects U.S. crude oil output to average 13.59 million bpd in 2025, up from its previous estimate of 13.55 million bpd.The Trump administration named Kathleen Sgamma, a vocal oil and gas advocate for Western states, to head up the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management, which manages the use of the country's nearly 250 million acres of public lands.
Oil Prices Drop Below $75 As Trump Pushes For Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks --Oil prices took a hit, falling below $75 per barrel, after former U.S. President Donald Trump announced his efforts to broker peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Trump stated on social media that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin peace negotiations, with their teams set to start discussions immediately. Trump also mentioned that he would be reaching out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to inform him about the planned talks. As news of the potential peace discussions spread, oil prices reacted immediately:
- Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, dropped by 0.8%, settling at $74.24 per barrel.
- The U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), fell by 0.9%, closing at $70.47 per barrel—down from its previous session price of $71.16 per barrel.
One major reason for the drop in prices was the unexpected increase in U.S. crude oil stockpiles. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories grew by 4.1 million barrels last week, reaching a total of 427.9 million barrels. This was much higher than the 2.8 million barrels increase that analysts had predicted. The larger-than-expected increase in oil storage suggests that demand for oil in the U.S.—the world’s biggest oil consumer—may be slowing down, putting downward pressure on prices. Additionally, concerns over U.S. economic policies also played a role in the decline of oil prices. Investors are worried that Trump’s potential return to the White House could disrupt the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) ongoing efforts to control inflation. Recent U.S. inflation data showed that:
- The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the average change in prices over time, rose by 0.5% in January compared to the previous month.
- On a yearly basis, inflation stood at 3%, exceeding market expectations.
- This was the fastest monthly increase in prices since August 2023 and the highest annual inflation rate recorded since July 2024.
The rising inflation means that interest rates in the U.S. could remain high for longer than expected, increasing fears of an economic slowdown. A slowing economy typically results in lower energy consumption, which can reduce demand for oil. Meanwhile, the possibility of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine also influenced the oil market. If a peace agreement is reached, it could lead to the lifting of some Western sanctions on Russian oil exports. This would increase the global oil supply, further pushing prices down. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy confirmed that he spoke with Trump about the prospects of peace. Trump also stated that he had discussed the matter with Putin, who reportedly supported the idea of working towards a resolution. Adding to the downward pressure on oil prices, OPEC’s latest monthly report revealed that its crude oil production had declined in January. The organization reported a drop of 121,000 barrels per day, bringing its total production to 26.6 million barrels per day. This supply reduction may help prevent further price declines but is unlikely to offset the larger forces affecting the market. In summary, oil prices are facing downward pressure due to multiple factors: rising U.S. crude inventories, concerns about economic policies and inflation, and the potential for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which could lead to increased oil supply from Russia.
Talks on a Potential Peace Deal Continued to Pressure the Oil Market The news regarding U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin agreeing to hold further talks on a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine continued to pressure the oil market on Thursday. The oil market extended Wednesday’s losses and breached its previous lows as it posted a low of $70.22 in overnight trading. In addition to the possibility of Russia-Ukraine peace talks, the market was also pressured by the expectations that President Trump will outline plans for reciprocal trade tariffs on countries that impose duties on U.S. goods. The builds in crude oil stocks reported by the API and EIA also continued to weigh on the market. The market, however, bounced off its low and retraced its losses and posted a high of $71.48 ahead of the close. The March WTI contract settled in a sideways trading range and ended the session down 8 cents at $71.29 and the April Brent contract settled down 16 cents at $75.02. The product markets settled in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling down 33 points at $2.4487 and the RB market settling up 2.11 cents at $2.1107. U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a roadmap on Thursday for charging reciprocal tariffs on every country that puts duties on U.S. imports. He said “We want a level playing field.” A White House official said the tariffs were not going into effect on Thursday but could begin to be imposed within weeks as Trump’s trade and economic team study bilateral tariff and trade relationships. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary, said the administration’s studies on the issue would be completed by April 1st. The IEA, in its latest monthly oil market report, made a minor upward revision to its oil demand forecasts, pegging 2025 global demand growth at 1.1 million bpd, up from a previous view of 1.05 million bpd. It continues to see supply growing faster. It said global supply is on track to increase by 1.6 million bpd in 2025, led by the Americas, even in the absence of OPEC+ unwinding output cuts. The Kremlin said that there is political will on both the Russian and U.S. sides to find a settlement and end the Ukraine war, following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Later, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump might speak again by phone before meeting in person. Russia said that Ukraine would “of course” be involved in talks to end the war, but there would be a separate U.S.-Russian strand to the negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said it could take up to several months to arrange a meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, possibly in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Ukraine and its European allies demanded that they be included in any peace negotiations, after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and said Ukraine could neither have all of its land back nor join NATO. The leader of Yemen’s Houthis, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said they will immediately take military action if the U.S. and Israel attack Gaza.
Oil settles flat, pares early losses as tariffs delayed (Reuters) - Oil prices settled flat on Thursday, paring early losses of more than 1% as U.S. tariff announcements were delayed until at least April, feeding hope that the world could avoid a trade war that would pressure economies and energy demand. Brent crude futures settled at $75.02 a barrel, down 16 cents, or 0.21%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) finished down 8 cents, or 0.11%, at $71.29 a barrel. Prices had tumbled earlier as a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine kept traders concerned that an end of sanctions on Moscow could boost global energy supplies. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered commerce and economics officials to study reciprocal tariffs against countries that place tariffs on U.S. goods. Their recommendations are not due until April 1, allowing more time for negotiations with trading partners, market participants said. "We saw a big recovery in prices on tariffs not going into effect until April," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group. "That will allow time for negotiation." On Wednesday, Brent and WTI fell more than 2% after Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed a desire for peace in separate phone calls with him. Trump ordered U.S. officials to begin talks on ending the war in Ukraine. The oil price decline over the past 24 hours looks to be driven by a change from worries about tight supplies to concern about sufficient supply, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo, adding that some expect an increase in Russian energy exports. Russian oil exports could be sustained if workarounds to the latest U.S. sanctions package are found, after Russian crude production rose slightly last month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest oil market report. The Ukraine news and Wednesday's U.S. oil inventories data offset higher U.S. inflation numbers that could drive the Federal Reserve to take a cautious approach to interest rate cuts in 2025, said PVM analyst John Evans. Russia is the world's third-largest oil producer and sanctions imposed on its crude exports after its invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago have supported higher prices. ANZ analysts said on Thursday that oil prices declined on news of the potential peace talks because of "optimism that risks to crude oil supplies would ease", pointing to the U.S. and EU sanctions. A build in crude oil inventories in the United States, the world's biggest crude consumer, also weighed on the market. U.S. crude stocks rose more than expected last week, data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Wednesday.
Oil settles lower, supply worries ease on hopes for Ukraine peace deal (Reuters) - Oil prices settled down on Friday on prospects for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that could ease global supply disruptions by ending sanctions against Moscow, but losses were limited by a delay in U.S. immediate reciprocal tariffs.Brent futures settled down 28 cents, or 0.37%, at $74.74 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 55 cents, or 0.77%, to $70.74.For the week, Brent gained 0.11% while WTI lost around 0.37%. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. officials this week to begin talks on ending the war in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed a desire for peace in separate phone calls with him.Lifting sanctions on Moscow in the event of a peace deal should boost global energy supplies.Russian oil exports could be sustained if workarounds to the latest U.S. sanctions package are found, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest oil market report.This week, Trump ordered commerce and economic officials to study reciprocal tariffs against countries that place tariffs on U.S. goods and to return their recommendations by April 1."Positive development on the trade front in light of U.S. tariff delays paves the way for some recovery in oil prices this morning, as the risk environment warms up to the prospects of further trade consensus being reached," Also limiting the losses, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview that the U.S. could apply maximum economic pressure on Iran.Trump had driven Iran's oil exports to near zero during his first term after reimposing sanctions.Global oil demand has surged to 103.4 million barrels per day (bpd), up by 1.4 million bpd from the prior year, JPMorgan analysts said on Friday."Initially sluggish demand for mobility and heating fuels picked up in the second week of February, suggesting the gap between actual and projected demand will soon narrow," the bank said.U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for a third week in a row for the first time since December 2023, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by two to 588 in the week to February 14.
Brent oil prices eke out weekly gain as U.S. targets Iran exports and tariff fears fade Global benchmark crude prices posted their first weekly gain in a month Friday, finding support as the U.S. looked to reduce Iranian crude exports and after President Donald Trump did not immediately impose reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners. Prices for both global and benchmark crude, however, ended the trading session lower as traders continued to fret over uncertainty surrounding tariffs and their impact on oil demand.
- -- April Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell by 28 cents, or 0.4%, at $74.74 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe, settling 0.1% higher for the week, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
- -- West Texas Intermediate crude CL00 for March delivery fell 55 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $70.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, ending down 0.4% for the week. That was its fourth weekly fall in a row.
- -- March gasoline RBH25 shed 1% to $2.09 a gallon, down 0.7% for the week, while March heating oil HOH25 added 0.5% to $2.46 a gallon, contributing to a weekly rise of 1.3%.
- -- Natural gas for March delivery NGH25 settled at $3.73 per million British thermal units, up 2.7% Friday, for a 12.6% rise on the week.
Global benchmark crude prices ended slightly higher for the week while U.S. oil prices posted a weekly loss - but both have fallen in the month so far as traders weigh Trump's day-to-day comments and policy changes, and how they could impact the supply of, and demand for, oil. Trump's tariff threats "continue to pose a notable risk to global oil demand," Han Tan, chief market analyst at Exinity, told MarketWatch. "Crude's downtrend since mid-January may also extend on further progress in talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, along with the potential ramp-up in U.S. and OPEC+ output." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. wants to reduce Iran's oil exports by more than 90%, according to Bloomberg, which cited a Friday interview with Fox News. That would further Trump's expressed desire for "maximum economic pressure" on Tehran. Meanwhile, Trump on Thursday ordered his administration to study ways to impose tariffs that would match levies on U.S. products imposed by other countries - a process that Howard Lutnick, Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, is charged with completing by April 1. That proved a relief to investors, who had feared the immediate imposition of tariffs. Oil had seen pressure previously on fears that tariffs would dampen economic growth and crude demand. "Tariffs, at least for the short term, are on the backburner," with levies on Canada to be decided at the end of the month and other tariffs still to be determined, . Risks for oil prices are to the "downside from here," . Crude had also seen pressure after Trump earlier this week said he and President Vladimir Putin of Russia had agreed to begin talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The news of progress toward negotiations to end the war in Ukraine shaved off part of the "fear bid" in prices over oil supplies from Russia. But prices haven't completely tanked yet, . "As always, it boils down to the basics: supply and demand," he said. "Nothing has fundamentally shifted on that front yet." Prices likely have more room to run lower, Innes told MarketWatch. But while they may trend lower, "expecting an immediate freefall would be a mistake," because "getting a deal inked is far from a slam dunk." A resolution to end the Russia-Ukraine war may lead the U.S. to lift sanctions on Russia, leading to more supply on the global market, analysts have said. But even if greater supply is on the horizon, global demand, along with OPEC+ policies and broader macroeconomic forces, will remain the key drivers of oil prices, Innes said. Natural-gas prices, meanwhile, climbed nearly 13% for the week to mark their highest settlement in three weeks. "More winter weather reports are shaking up the market - in fact, we might not see spring until March or even April, which is causing a dramatic shift in the natural-gas world and an end to the supply glut,"
Saudi Arabia Slams Netanyahu for Suggesting Its Territory Be Used for Palestinian State - Saudi Arabia has rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that Saudi land could be used for the establishment of a Palestinian state.In a recent interview, Netanyahu suggested the Saudis could create a Palestinian state, saying they have “a lot of land over there.”The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Riyadh “stresses its categorical rejection to such statements that aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to.”The ministry said that the Kingdom “affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes.”Saudi Arabia has also strongly rejected President Trump’s calls for the US to “take over” Gaza and his claim that it would normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state. In its statement rejecting Netanyahu’s comments, the Saudi Foreign Ministry reiterated its support for a two-state solution.The ministry also thanked “brotherly countries” for condemning Netanyahu’s suggestion since it received widespread denunciation from other Arab states.The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that it “condemns in the strongest terms the irresponsible and totally rejected statements issued by the Israeli side, which incite against Saudi Arabia…in direct violation of Saudi sovereignty and a flagrant violation of the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
Israel Expands 'Open Fire Order' in West Bank, Resulting in Surge of Civilian Killings - The Israeli military command overseeing operations in the occupied West Bank has expanded its “open fire orders,” leading to a surge in the killing of Palestinian civilians by IDF troops, Haaretz reported on Monday. One of the orders allows Israeli troops to fire on unarmed Palestinians if they are “messing with the ground.” The claim is that this order is necessary to prevent explosives from being planted, but sources toldHaaretz it has made soldiers “trigger happy.”The other order allows Israeli troops to open fire on any vehicles approaching Israeli military checkpoints that are leaving combat zones to force them to stop. Since the combat zones are residential areas, this means the IDF can open fire on civilians trying to flee.These orders led to the killing of a husband and his wife, Sundus Shalabi, who was eight months pregnant. Initial reports said Shalabi’s husband was “critically injured” by the Israeli military attack, but Haaretz said he was shot dead.Sources told Haaretz that the husband was shot and killed while driving near Tulkarm, and Shalabi was shot dead after managing to get out of the car. According to an IDF investigation, Shalabi was shot because she “looked suspiciously at the ground.” No weapons or explosives were found in the car, which was carrying their two children. Palestinian officials said paramedics couldn’t attempt to save Shalabi’s unborn baby because IDF troops blocked the ambulance. There have been many other incidents of civilian deaths in the Israeli military’s current operation in the West Bank, dubbed “Iron Wall,” which was launched on January 21. In one incident, IDF troops shot a two-year-old girl in the head while she was inside a house eating dinner with her family.On Saturday, Saddam Hussein Iyad Rajab, a 7-year-old boy, died of wounds he sustained by Israeli gunfire 10 days earlier. The boy was shot over the claim that he was “messing with the ground.”The Haaretz report also revealed the Israeli military has been using Palestinian civilians as human shields to check for explosives inside buildings, a practice that became common in Gaza.The report said another Palestinian woman, 21-year-old Rahaf al-Ashkar, was killed on Sunday by an explosive charge placed at the entrance of her home that was placed by the IDF. The Israeli troops placed the explosive charge after they ordered anyone inside to leave over claims a “terrorist” was inside. The explosive was set off when al-Ashkar opened the door.
Israel Expands Syria Occupation, Bombs Several Military Sites in Southern Syria - Concern among residents of southern Syria continues to grow as the Israeli occupation of the area escalates, and gives the appearance of being long-term, if not permanent. More Israeli ground troops have entered Syria in recent days, and expanded control over villages near the city of Quneitra.Israel invaded Syria after the regime change in December, and has taken a large amount of land, mostly in the demilitarized zone which previously existed between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. That invasion has expanded into parts of Syria’s regular territory since then, particularly in Quneitra Governorate. Israeli troops took the Quneitra courthouse and main governorate building, but withdrew from them last week after destroying a number of the records held there. That withdrawal may have been temporary though, as troops have since taken the village of Ain al-Nourieh.(Map of situation in Syria from Southfront.press) Israel has recently been constructing military outposts inside Syrian territory. New building and demolition of existing infrastructure in the area gives the appearance that this is indeed a military adventure they don’t intend to end any time soon.In addition to expanding the ground operation, Israel has been launching a growing number of new airstrikes and drone strikes against military sites across southern Syria. This included an attack on a military airport in Suwayda Governorate, and a drone strike against a former military storage site in Daraa Governorate.Details are scant on what was targeted in either of those cases, but the IDF has talked about a third attack carried out on Saturday just south of Damascus. They claim that strike was targeting a Hamas weapons depot. They further said that they would continue to attack Hamas sites on all fronts.Israel had carried out airstrikes against Syria intermittently for decades, and after the regime change in December, attacking military sites at an increasing rate. The strikes were meant to destroy the former government’s military assets, though such strikes seem to be picking up the pace again this weekend, particularly in the south.
Syria Warns Kurds Will Be Excluded From National Dialogue If They Don’t Disarm and Submit - The fighting between the Kurdish SDF and the forces of Turkey and its proxy the SNA continues apace in northern Syria with no signs of ending. Turkey targeted civilian infrastructure, leading to power outages and water cutoffs for some 100 Kurdish villages around Tabqa.Turkey’s interest in Syria is driven by the Erdogan government’s desire to tamp down Kurdish autonomy in the region. Turkey is pushing the new Islamist government to do more against the Kurds, and the Turkish Defense Ministry has offered to “relocate” Turkish ground troops into northern Syria to that end.So far, the al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the new government in Syria, hasn’t moved militarily against the Kurds directly, but it has repeatedly denounced the idea of Kurdish autonomy and is stepping up the rhetoric. (Map of the situation in Syria from Southfront.press)The Syrian government has issued a statement warning that if the Kurds don’t agree to disarm and submit, they will be excluded from the meetings on national dialogue between various Syrian parties. The meetings are meant to produce a statement related to the eventual creation of a constitution.The spokesman of that national dialogue committee meanwhile has insisted that the Kurdish SDF “do not represent our people,” and that only groups that the HTS believes do represent Syria will be allowed to participate.Turkey is keen for the new Syria to eliminate all autonomy, particularly the Kurdish sort. In the past month Turkey has threatened a full invasion of Syria if the SDF isn’t totally eliminated. Turkey has also urged the HTS government to take control of the ISIS prison camps in the northeast, which are also run by the SDF. Groups within the Kurdish autonomous government in Syria, the AANES, have emphasized the importance their ability to continue protecting their rights within the new Syria. This includes ongoing training exercises for their fighting forces, which runs contrary to Turkey’s vision for the region.
UN Says Israel Must Stop Killing Lebanese Civilians Trying to Return Home - A group of UN experts have issued a statement on the ceasefire in Lebanon today, expressing outrage at Israel’s flagrant violations, including the killing of civilians trying to return to their homes, and the systematic destruction of those homes during the nominal cessation of hostilities.In the first 60 days of what was intended to be a 60-day ceasefire, Israel killed at least 57 civilians, and destroyed 260 properties across southern Lebanon. The number killed has only grown since the ceasefire was extended by the US and Israel in late January, with 24 killed and 120 wounded in a two-day period when the ceasefire was supposed to be ending.Destroying civilian homes has also been on the uptick during the extended period of the ceasefire, and hardly a day goes by where there is not a new report of bombing or burning civilians homes isn’t reported.The extension bumped the ceasefire, and by extension the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, up to February 18. That date is fast approaching though, and Israeli officials are confirming they’re not leaving then either. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Derner confirmed Thursday that Israel would at the least retain five hill-top surveillance posts they started establishing just in the last couple of weeks.The details of this additional extension of the “ceasefire” remain up in the air. Lebanon is rejecting any further extension, though Israeli media is reporting that the US has agreed to a “long term” Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil. The US has yet to confirm this.Whatever the details of Israel’s continued occupation after February 18, however, IDF spokesman Avichai Adraee has declared that Lebanese civilians are still forbidden from returning to their villages of origin “until further notice.”This policy is part of what the UN experts warn has “precipitated a humanitarian crisis” in Lebanon’s south and prevented people from coming up with any durable solutions for the large number of people displaced by the war.
Israel amassing troops in and around Gaza ahead of Hamas hostage release deadline --Israel is amassing troops in and around the Gaza Strip ahead of the upcoming Hamas hostage release, which the Palestinian militant group threatened to delay after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages this upcoming weekend. “In light of Hamas’ announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I instructed the IDF last night to amass forces inside and around the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said in a Tuesday statement, referring to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “This operation is currently underway and will be completed as soon as possible.” Hamas announced on Monday that they would delay the release of hostages slated for the upcoming weekend, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire. President Trump said over the weekend and on Monday that if Hamas does not release all of the remaining hostages by Saturday, he might end the fragile ceasefire agreement that went into effect on Jan. 19, warning “all hell is going to break out.”“The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is as follows: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense combat until Hamas is decisively defeated,” Netanyahu said Tuesday following a four-hour meeting with his security Cabinet. Hamas has released 21 hostages. In exchange, Israel has freed hundreds of prisoners in return. Hamas took around 250 people hostage during their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which initiated more than 15 months of fighting before the three-phase agreement was struck between the two sides. As part of the first phase of the plan, which is scheduled to last for six weeks, Hamas, a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., released three Israeli hostages on Saturday. All of them appeared to be in worse condition than those who were freed previously, prompting concerns from Israeli officials. “We all expressed outrage at the shocking condition of our three hostages who were released this past Saturday,” the Israeli prime minister said Tuesday. Netanyahu also “welcomed” Trump’s demand for the release of hostages on Saturday, and he said we “all welcomed the president’s revolutionary vision for Gaza’s future.” Trump has floated the idea of the U.S. taking control of the war-torn enclave and rebuilding it from scratch. The White House has said the Palestinians living there would be temporarily relocated while the rebuilding takes place. He also suggested the Palestinians would not want to return, but then said during a Fox News interview that they would not be allowed to come back to Gaza.
No comments:
Post a Comment