week ending May 3

Inflation nears Fed target, but tariffs still loom large - The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation index inched toward the central bank's 2% target last month, but lingering uncertainty means interest rates are likely to remain unchanged next week. The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation reading fell in March, but the positive reading came before new trade policies hit the economy.

Robust jobs report gives Fed more reason to stay put -A robust employment report for April indicated that President Donald Trump's economic initiatives have not yet hampered the jobs market while giving the Federal Reserve little reason to change interest rates next week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy grew 177,000 jobs in April, beating expectations and giving the Federal Reserve little reason to adjust interest rates in the near term.

BEA: Real GDP decreased at 0.3% Annualized Rate in Q1 From the BEA: Gross Domestic Product, 1st Quarter 2025 (Advance Estimate)- Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025 (January, February, and March), according to the advance estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2024, real GDP increased 2.4 percent.The decrease in real GDP in the first quarter primarily reflected an increase in imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, and a decrease in government spending. These movements were partly offset by increases in investment, consumer spending, and exports. ...Compared to the fourth quarter, the downturn in real GDP in the first quarter reflected an upturn in imports, a deceleration in consumer spending, and a downturn n government spending that were partly offset by upturns in investment and exports.Real final sales to private domestic purchasers, the sum of consumer spending and gross private fixed investment, increased 3.0 percent in the first quarter, compared with an increase of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter.The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 3.4 percent in the first quarter, compared with an increase of 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index increased 3.6 percent, compared with an increase of 2.4 percent. Excluding food and energy prices, the PCE price index increased 3.5 percent, compared with an increase of 2.6 percent. PCE increased at a 1.8% annual rate, and residential investment increased at a 1.3% rate. The advance Q1 GDP report, with 0.3% annualized decrease, was below expectations.

Dollar collapse: The crisis is no longer just theoretical - -The standard textbook viewpoint implied that the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. would lead to a strengthening of the American dollar against the currencies of its major trading partners. Since tariffs make imports more expensive, they can potentially reduce the volume of imports and thus create less demand for foreign currencies to pay for them. Tariffs can also lead to higher domestic prices and possibly generate an increase in short-term inflation expectations. Consequently, the Federal Reserve would be expected to maintain a tighter monetary policy relative to other major central banks, which is usually a dollar-positive outcome.Furthermore, given the U.S. dollar’s status as a safe-haven currency, one would have expected that periods of heightened global uncertainty would generate a ‘flight-to-safety’ investment flow into Treasury securities and caused a strengthening of the world’s pre-eminent reserve currency.Yet reality has turned out to be quite different. Since its recent peak in January, the widely followed DXY dollar index has fallen quickly to a three-year low. Even as President Trump’s chaotic tariff policy has raised the risk of a global trade war and generated a dramatic surge in global policy uncertainty and market volatility, the U.S. dollar has weakened. For the first time in recent memory, the American dollar is not the automatic “flight-to-safety” currency, sought out by investors worldwide during crisis periods and in moments of acute uncertainty. Furthermore, foreign investors appear to be reappraising the role of U.S. Treasury securities as a global haven asset as concerns mount over the capricious and somewhat autocratic nature of Trump’s policymaking. Threats to academic freedom, rule of law and judicial independence, alongside fears of political interference curtailing the Fed’s ability to execute its price stability mandate, have left many wondering about the safety and solidity of Treasurys. The U.S. exceptionalism narrative (involving both equity market and economic performance) has been quickly replaced by recession fears. The notion that tax cuts and deregulation under Trump 2.0 would turbocharge economic growth has now given way to concerns that chaotic and poorly thought-out trade policies and extreme levels of policy uncertainty could generate an economic downturn. While recession fears typically drive down yields, the threat of stagflation is making investors reluctant to pile into Treasurys. Concerns about long-term U.S. fiscal sustainability may also be a factor. During fiscal 2024, the net interest payment on existing debt ($949 billion) actually exceeded defense spending ($826 billion). Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, well-aware of the challenges posed by an increasingly unsustainable interest burden, appears to have convinced President Trump to focus on driving down long-term Treasury yields. The risk that financial repression (and elevated inflation) may be utilized to reduce the historically high level of debt-to-GDP ratio should cause investors to seek out a higher term premium.The rising transatlantic gap in benchmark yields between U.S. Treasury securities and German Bunds (the benchmark Eurozone asset) is one manifestation of the current fears over the Trump 2.0 agenda. The euro rose sharply against the dollar even as the yield spread between the two-year Treasury note and two-year German bund rose above 200-basis points, indicating a break in usual market dynamics and suggesting a capital flight away from the U.S. and towards Europe. The Japanese yen has also gained against the dollar of late as overseas investors clamor for the safety of Japanese Government Bonds.Even as the dollar and Treasurys appear to have lost some of their cache as safe havens, gold prices have surged to record highs — crossing the $3,500 an ounce mark for the first time ever. Such developments raise a key question: Are the convulsions shaking the forex and Treasury markets a temporary aberration or do they portend fundamental risks to the dollar-centric global monetary order?

Dollar crisis dominated discussions at IMF meeting -- Whither the US dollar? That was the question which dominated discussion among the leaders of the global financial system as they gathered in Washington last week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. A report by Colby Smith in the New York Times captured some of the atmosphere. The article began by referencing remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to a crowd of policymakers, regulators, and investors at which he tried to calm their nerves by assuring them the US wanted a “strong dollar” and they would want to hold it. The aim was to provide a “salve,” the article said, after “violent swings in stocks, coinciding with the weakening of the dollar,” and moves by investors out of US government bonds, had “incited panic.” US dollar bills [AP Photo/Mark Lennihan] “The fact that Mr. Bessent found it necessary to emphasize the message in front of such a big crowd underscored how precarious the situation had become since Mr. Trump returned to the White House less than 100 days ago. What now looms large are uncomfortable questions about what happens if the international community starts to lose faith in the dollar and other US assets.” According to Nathan Sheets, the chief economist at Citigroup: “People are playing through scenarios that previously would have been judged unthinkable, and they’re playing them in a very serious kind of way in the spirit of contingency planning.” Regulators, government officials and investors would like to believe that the present turbulence is a passing phase, that things will settle down and there will be a return to “normalcy” before too much damage is done. But a historical analysis shows that whatever the ups and downs in the market in the coming period, a fundamental shift has taken place. The period of what is referred to as the global economic order falls into two phases: the period from 1945 to 1971 and from 1971 to today. In the first period, the international financial system was based on the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944 under which the dollar, backed by gold at the rate of $35 per ounce, became the global currency. It was aimed at ending the mayhem of the 1930s when the trading system all but collapsed, and the world was divided into rival blocs. That system ended on August 15, 1971, when President Nixon withdrew the gold backing from the dollar under conditions where the US could not honor its commitments because of a widening of its balance of payments and balance of trade deficits. After major finance turbulence and rampant inflation, the dollar continued to function as the global currency. But it did so on an entirely different foundation. No longer was it backed by gold—the embodiment of real value. It was a fiat currency resting on international confidence in the financial power of the US state. This system had major effects. Freed from the constraints imposed by its nexus with gold, the dollar became the center of a vast system of international credit that grew every year as finance capital sought to appropriate profit via market operations. As part of the Bretton Woods system, currency rates were fixed and, consequently, there were major restrictions on the flow of US and international finance capital. Now it was cut loose as the US, the UK and other major governments scrapped virtually all their previous regulatory measures, many of which went back to the 1930s. This system rested on confidence in the financial power of the US state. No less important was confidence in the stability of its political structure and the rule of law. Now they are all being called into question. As Mark Soble, the US chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, told the Times: “The dollar’s role in the system was not ordained from above. It’s a reflection of the properties of the United States.” Those included: a large economy transacting with the rest of the world; the financial system’s deepest, most liquid markets; a credible central bank, and the rule of law. These foundations have either been shattered or are in an advanced stage of disintegration. The policy of the Trump administration, in conditions of a globalized economy, is grounded on virulent economic nationalism, such that, with tariff hikes of 145 percent on China, it has placed a wall between the US and the world’s number two economy. And what future for “transacting with the rest of the world” when it is regarded as the enemy “ripping off” the US, as Trump endlessly repeats. And what of the “deepest and most liquid markets?” Ever since the global financial crisis of 2008, set off by the speculative activity of US banks and financial institutions, the stability of the now $29 trillion US Treasury market has been of increasing concern.

GOP stares down crucial stretch to pass Trump agenda - Republicans on Capitol Hill rolled the dice earlier this month when they pushed off decisions on a host of details for their package full of President Trump’s legislative priorities. Now, lawmakers must face the music. With the House aiming to pass the “one big, beautiful bill” by the end of May, and the Senate looking to follow suit quickly after, Republicans are staring down a key four-week stretch as the party works through a series of hot-button issues, headlined by spending cuts. “It’s going be busy,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a top ally of Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). But he added that the intensity can be kept in check “as long as we’re communicating with both sides and there’s an open line of communication and we don’t start isolating ourselves.” Mullin predicted there would be a few items that are “going to make the tension,” including the debate over how to score the cost of extending Trump’s tax cuts. But he said both chambers would work with the White House “and it’s just going to be a busy time trying to deliver some of the president’s priorities to the American people.” After a last-minute scramble, both chambers last month adopted a blueprint laying out the parameters for the final bill. But the blueprint contained differing instructions for House and Senate committees on a host of issues, and it left debates between conservatives and moderates over spending cuts and taxes unresolved. Republicans must now reconcile those differences into a single bill that, in a narrow majority, passes muster with almost every single member of the conference. House Republicans are hitting the ground running, with committees scheduled to mark up their parts of the package in the coming weeks. The House Armed Services, Financial Services, Oversight, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees are expected to kick off the process this week.

House Republicans propose $150 billion boost to Pentagon spending -- House Republicans released legislation Sunday that would increase Pentagon spending by $150 billion, pushing the total defense budget for fiscal 2025 to more than $1 trillion if passed. The bill, developed by the House and Senate Armed Services committees, includes nearly $25 billion earmarked for President Trump’s long-discussed Golden Dome missile defense initiative, a shield intended to protect the entire continental United States against advanced missiles. When combined with the already approved $886 billion defense budget, the added dollars would bring defense spending to more than $1 trillion for the first time in U.S. history. Republicans are pushing the $150 billion funding boost as part of the party’s sprawling package full of Trump’s domestic policy priorities. Republicans are planning to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill, which allows the party to circumvent Democratic opposition in the Senate. The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to consider the legislation and hold a vote on advancing it — a gathering known as a markup — Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT. The panel’s language will then be combined with different portions from other panels to create the party’s budget reconciliation bill. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) called the defense portion of the reconciliation bill “a historic investment” to restore U.S. military capabilities and strengthen national defense. “Our defense industrial base has weakened. America’s deterrence is failing and without a generational investment in our national defense, we will lose the ability to defeat our adversaries,” Rogers said in a statement accompanying the text of the bill. “With this bill, we have the opportunity to get back on track and restore our national security and global leadership.” Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), meanwhile, said the bill is a “generational upgrade” in military capability. “This is about building the future of American defense, achieving peace through strength, and ultimately deterring war,” Wicker said. The inclusion of the $150 billion defense funding boost puts to bed one of the disagreements between the House and Senate when it comes to the budget reconciliation bill. The budget resolution — which directs panels how to write their portions of the package — directed the House Armed Services Committee to appropriate $100 billion to increase defense spending, while the Senate Armed Services Committee was mandated to funnel $150 billion for defense. In the end, the Senate won out, with the panel’s language including the $150 billion figure.

A $1 trillion defense budget: GOP unveils proposal --House Republicans have released legislation that would increase Pentagon spending by $150 billion, pushing the total defense budget in FY-25 to more than $1 trillion if passed.The bill, developed by the House and Senate Armed Services committees, includes nearly $25 billion earmarked for President Trump’s long-discussed Golden Dome missile defense initiative, a shield intended to protect the entire continental United States against advanced missiles. When combined with the already approved $886 billion defense budget, the added dollars would bring defense spending to more than $1 trillion for the first time in U.S. history. Republicans are pushing the $150 billion funding boost as part of the party’s sprawling package full of Trump’s domestic policy priorities. Republicans are planning to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill, which allows the party to circumvent Democratic opposition in the Senate. The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to consider the legislation and hold a vote on advancing it — a gathering known as a markup — Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT. The panel’s language will then be combined with different portions from other panels to create the party’s budget reconciliation bill. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) called the defense portion of the reconciliation bill “a historic investment” to restore U.S. military capabilities and strengthen national defense. But Democrats have already begun to push back on what House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) called a “partisan budget reconciliation gimmick” that “will be paid for by devastating cuts that can only come from critical programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and student loan and grant programs at the Department of Education.” Also included in the bill are $33.7 billion for shipbuilding, $20.4 billion for munitions, $13.5 billion for “innovation,” $12.9 billion for nuclear deterrence, $11.5 billion for military readiness, $11.1 billion for Pacific deterrence, $7.2 billion for aircraft, $5 billion for border security, $4.5 billion for the B-21 bomber, $2 billion for military intelligence, and $380 million for the Pentagon’s annual audit.

Johnson says he believes House can pass Trump agenda by Memorial Day- - Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he believes the House can pass President Trump’s tax agenda by Memorial Day. Speaking with reporters on Monday, Johnson said he met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others to discuss where lawmakers were on their “aggressive timetable” to pass the ambitious agenda. “We’re still on schedule,” Johnson said. “I think we can meet it.” While Bessent announced Monday that July 4 is the new deadline for Congress to pass the agenda, Johnson said he believes it could happen sooner. He thinks once it passes the House, the Senate can work “expeditiously” to pass it. “He says July 4 because that’s a big, big birthday for us, and everybody knows that,” Johnson said of Bessent’s new deadline. “But I think, and I hope and believe, that we can get it done sooner than that.” “I believe we can pass it by Memorial Day,” he added. Trump and Republicans are set to include a range of tax goals in one package, including making the president’s 2017 tax cuts permanent and eliminating taxes for tips, overtime and Social Security. The bill could also contain immigration reform, defense funding, and an increase in the debt ceiling, in addition to spending cuts. Republicans originally wanted to pass the bill by Memorial Day, but some say the goal is unrealistic. Johnson expressed confidence and the desire to move quickly on raising the debt ceiling, knowing that the “X date is approaching.” “We want to reduce the deficit while also following through on all of our campaign promises,” he said.

Republicans to reveal, debate reconciliation text --House Republicans are putting pen to paper for their massive party-line bill and are beginning to unveil some of the text ahead of a crucial markup sprint that begins this week.Republican committee chairs will spend much of the next three weeks shepherding their portions of the tax, energy, defense and immigration package out of their committees with the goal of getting the final legislation to President Donald Trump’s desk before the end of May. It’s a deadline that may very well slip.The Oversight and Governmental Affairs Committee appears to be the first to unveil text. Language from that panel would roll back federal employee pension benefits to save billions of dollars. Text from the Homeland Security Committee includes millions for presidential home security reimbursements to local police. And the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee may create a fee on electric and hybrid vehicles, POLITICO reported. “The timeline to get this done is as quick as we can get it done,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) recently told reporters. “President Trump, as you know, he’s not somebody that wants to wait around for months.” Republicans want to pass their megabill through the budget reconciliation process, which allows the majority party to skirt the Senate filibuster and approve budget-related policies by a simple majority.The effort won’t be easy. The goal of passing the $4.5 trillion bill in the House and Senate before Memorial Day is ambitious, and Republicans are still finalizing the most complicated and politically perilous portions of the package. That includes sections that could include rollbacks of environmental regulations and clean energy tax credits. Indeed, the upcoming markup spree will see Republicans spell out some of their most substantive energy and environment plans this Congress. The effort will serve as the foundation for potentially sweeping changes to the government’s work on renewables, public lands and climate change. Republicans have said they want to use reconciliation to repeal or reform clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, undo certain climate rules, open up federal lands for more mining and fossil fuel production, and potentially sell off small parcels of public lands. “There’s so much that needs to be cut that they’re really going under the couch cushions here looking for stuff,” said Heather Reams, president of the center-right Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. Democrats, meanwhile, are promising an aggressive fight against the Republican proposals and are expected to force enough debate to drag some of the markups on for more than a day.The House and Senate adopted a budget blueprint earlier this month that tasks committees with finding billions of dollars in cuts or new revenues in order to pay for a permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts and a host of border security and defense provisions.House committees with relatively lighter and less complicated reconciliation instructions will hold their markups this week. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is aiming to meet Tuesday, along with Homeland Security and Armed Services.

Democratic negotiators say Trump has targeted at least $430 billion in funding - Top Democratic funding negotiators in the House and Senate on Tuesday published a tracker they say is aimed at documenting federal funding blocked under President Trump, while accusing his administration of targeting at least $430 billion in funds. Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), top Democrats on the Senate and House appropriations committees, released the tracker early Tuesday in an effort they say is intended to “shine a light on President Trump’s vast, illegal funding freeze and how it is hurting people in every zip code in America.” The tracker was compiled by Democratic appropriations staff and details what the offices say is the “minimum amount” of funds believed to be frozen, cancelled or that the Trump administration is fighting to block in court. It so far highlights 114 programs that Democrats say have seen their funds frozen, cancelled or terminated in the president’s first 100 days in office. That includes what Democrats say is roughly $1 billion in funding for HeadStart gone “frozen,” $400 million blocked funding for AmeriCorps State and National Grants, $2.4B in “frozen” funding for Wildfire Hazardous Fuels Management and $15 million in funding held back for the Social Security Administration Research. The tracker also catalogs what Democratic staffs have counted as billions of dollars in held up funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. “No American president has ever so flagrantly ignored our nation’s spending laws or so brazenly denied the American people investments they are owed,” Murray and DeLauro said in a statement on Tuesday. Democrats note that the tracker is “not comprehensive” and doesn’t detail other funding at risk of being blocked due to the wave of firings seen across federal agencies in recent months, or “the full range of fiscal year 2025 funding that has yet to be awarded or disbursed, but that should be flowing.” The figure could also change as the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government and cut spending have seen roadblocks in court.

House reconciliation bill includes billions for minerals - Portions of the Republicans’ party-line spending and tax bill released over the weekend includes $2.5 billion to boost the nation’s stockpile of critical minerals.The House Armed Services Committee’s section of the GOP’s budget reconciliation package, up for markup Tuesday, would spend $150 billion on President Donald Trump’s defense agenda. Part of that is countering China’s dominance over materials needed for military equipment. The bill would specifically dole out more than $20 billion for munitions and supply chain resilience, including $2.5 billion to improve the U.S. production of critical minerals through the National Defense Stockpile.The legislation would spend an additional $500 million for loan programs for “the development of reliable sources of critical minerals.”

House conservatives call for controversial Medicaid changes in reconciliation -A group of House conservatives is calling for significant “structural reforms” of Medicaid as part of the Republican reconciliation legislation, illustrating the seemingly intractable differences across GOP factions. In a “Dear Colleague” letter led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and signed by 19 others, the lawmakers said the GOP conference must pursue “meaningful reforms” in reconciliation, including eliminating the enhanced federal matching funds for states that expanded Medicaid. “Congress should ensure the FMAP [federal medical assistance percentage] for able-bodied adults matches everyone else,” they wrote. Medicaid is at the center of GOP concerns as they seek to craft the “one big beautiful bill” intended to fund President Trump’s domestic agenda. The budget resolution cleared by the House calls for the Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in savings over a decade, with most of it expected to come from health programs. Eliminating the enhanced federal match for the Medicaid expansion population is one of the most controversial plans floated by Republicans. It would save the federal government $626 billion over a decade, according to an analysis by health policy nonprofit KFF, but it would result in millions of people losing health coverage. Republicans this week appeared to be moving away from such a politically risky proposition and instead have been discussing a per-beneficiary cap on federal Medicaid spending. A cap would save federal money, but like eliminating the enhanced match, it would mean a significant cost shift to states. It would also likely result in millions of low-income people losing coverage if states cut benefits to make up the spending difference. The letter from Roy highlights the difficult path for Republicans to reach a consensus. While conservatives are clamoring for an end to the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, moderate and battleground-district Republicans have said they will not accept steep cuts to Medicaid benefits. The Energy and Commerce Committee had been planning a markup for next week, but that has now been pushed back to give leaders more time to find common ground. There is some consensus on certain policies, like instituting work requirements on “able bodied” adults, more frequent enrollment checks, and cutting coverage for immigrants lacking certain documentation — though there are very few, if any, who are currently receiving Medicaid.

House committee delays key vote amid disagreements over Medicaid --The House Energy and Commerce Committee is delaying a key vote on its portion of the package full of President Trump’s legislative priorities amid continued disagreements over potential cuts to Medicaid. The panel had initially been planning to hold a markup — where the group debates legislation and votes on advancing it — on May 7, a committee aide previously told The Hill. But on Thursday, the panel informed members that it is now eyeing a markup the week of May 12, a committee source told The Hill. Instead, the committee plans to hold member meetings Tuesday and Wednesday. “The Chairman had a very productive conversation with President Trump at the White House today. In order to follow up on a few requests we are not marking up next week,” committee staff told members, according to the source. “Please hold the week of May 12th for our reconciliation markup, with Committee meetings beginning prior to votes on Tuesday.” “We will have Member meetings next week on Tuesday and Wednesday in lieu of hearings/markups,” the message added. The delay comes after a week of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) holding meetings with a cross-section of House Republicans, which failed to help reach consensus on potential cuts to Medicaid. Guthrie met with moderates wary of such cuts Wednesday afternoon, House Freedom Caucus members pushing for steep slashes Wednesday night, and then traveled to the White House with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and others to meet with Trump on Thursday. The delayed markup deals a blow to Johnson, who was pushing to wrap up all markups next week. Another panel could also see its markup happen later in the month: The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which lawmakers are still at odds over. Republicans from high-tax blue states want to increase the SALT cap, which hard-line conservatives are opposed to. The panel never officially announced a markup, but Johnson said Wednesday it was his “expectation” that it would take place next week.

Republicans scramble on tax credits, climate cuts -Congressional Republicans are inching closer to determining exactly how many hundreds of billions of dollars worth of climate credits and other spending to scrap to pay for their tax, energy and security megabill. As they streamed out of various planning meetings Thursday, key lawmakers suggested they are still a ways away from settling the specifics. Indeed, leaders have moved away from holding markups before the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees — panels that will have the most say over how far the GOP will repeal the 2022 climate law. “We are discussing all of it,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a House Ways and Means Committee member known to support climate action, when asked about Inflation Reduction Act incentives. “Everybody’s talking about the merits of them, and the opponents are letting their thoughts be known as well. So it’s a good conversation, but no decisions have been made.” Republicans are working to pass their megabill through the budget reconciliation process, which allows the majority party to bypass the Senate filibuster on fiscal matters. A cornerstone will be an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. Republicans are said to be eyeing $400 billion in savings by tweaking credits and limiting transferability, according to Punchbowl News, but things are in flux. Members are also looking at phasing out certain clean energy tax breaks or implementing domestic sourcing requirements to generate some savings. Moderates in both the House and Senate have sent letters to Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) in favor of being careful when moving to repeal or modify credits for renewable energy and other sources. Incentives for biofuels, carbon capture and hydrogen are popular. On Thursday, 26 House Republican nuclear boosters, led by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), sent a letter pressing Smith to keep tax incentives in the IRA that benefit nuclear energy projects. Signers included people who had yet to sign letters in favor of keeping parts of the IRA, including Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee Chair Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Appropriations Energy-Water Subcommittee Chair Chuck Fleishcmann (R-Tenn.). Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who helps lead the Climate Solutions Caucus, said about the pressure on Smith: “I’ve met with his committee staff. I’ve met with members about thoughts about how to save money with some of the credits without throwing them out completely.” But also on Thursday, 38 conservatives — including Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — reiterated their desire to see the entire climate law repealed. They said doing so could amount to $1 trillion in savings.

Trump's fiscal 2026 budget: Defense spending up, non-defense cuts --The White House on Friday called for significant cuts to nondefense programs as part of President Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request, while proposing to beef up funding for defense and the president’s border priorities. The so-called skinny budget is not as detailed as usual presidential budget requests, which is not uncommon for a president’s first-year proposal. However, some budget hawks are already grumbling about what they say are key missing details.Republicans have said they expect more information about the president’s preferred spending direction in the coming weeks. The request is a wish list from the president, rather than a bill that would be enacted. But the latest request from the White House provides a critical look into the president’s funding priorities for the coming fiscal year as Republicans look to significantly reduce federal spending. Trump proposed eliminating or zeroing out funding for dozens of federal programs the administration says are either duplicative, underperforming or are out of line with the administration’s priorities. The wide-ranging list of programs includes the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education program, Job Corps, the Community Development Block Grant program, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the 400 Years of African American History Commission, and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which the administration said “is similar to the mandatory Personal Responsibility Education program.”The U.S. Agency for Global Media, the U.S. Institute for Peace and the National Endowment for Democracy would also see the chopping block, as development agencies find themselves in the administration’s crosshairs.The budget proposes a nearly $27 billion reduction for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with state rental assistance block grants on the chopping block. It instead calls for the transformation of the rental assistance programs into a “state-based formula grant which would allow states to design their own rental assistance programs based on their unique needs and preferences.”“The Budget would also newly institute a two-year cap on rental assistance for able bodied adults, and would ensure a majority of rental assistance funding through States would go to the elderly and disabled,” the request said. “A State-based formula program would also lead to significant terminations of Federal regulations.”The budget request unveiled Friday included a cut to nondefense discretionary spending amounting to $163 billion, or about 23 percent. Defense funding, meanwhile, would rise by about 13 percent, the White House said.That builds on the funding bill the government is currently operating under, which kept funding for 2025 roughly level with 2024, while increasing defense spending by $6 billion and cutting nondefense spending by $13 billion.A breakdown in the Friday request outlines the proposed cuts by agency, with the administration calling for cuts of about 18 percent for the Department of Agriculture, 17 percent for the Commerce Department, 15 percent for the Education Department, 9 percent for the Energy Department, 44 percent for the HUD, 31 percent for the Interior Department, 8 percent for the Justice Department, 35 percent for the Department of Labor, 84 percent for the Department of State and international programs, and 19 percent for the Treasury Department.At the same time, increases are proposed for several agencies, including a roughly 13 percent boost for the Department of Defense, a nearly 65 percent boost for the Department of Homeland Security, a roughly 6 percent jump for the Transportation Department, and an increase of about 4 percent for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Administration officials touted the request at putting defense spending above $1 trillion, but the budget assumes some of the increases for defense and the administration’s border plans would be provided through Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill that Republicans are working to assemble in Congress and that is crafted separately from the appropriations process. Republicans are using a process known as budget reconciliation to advance the president’s tax agenda, while also making further cuts to spending and boosting funding for defense and the president’s deportation plans. While the process can be time-consuming and restrictive, it would ultimately allow Republicans to jam through such a package without having to worry about likely Democratic opposition in the Senate. But some Republicans have come out against the gambit of counting funds from the reconciliation bill toward fiscal 2026 defense spending. “President Trump successfully campaigned on a Peace Through Strength agenda, but his advisers at the Office of Management and Budget [OMB] were apparently not listening,” Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in a statement Friday. “For the defense budget, OMB has requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms.”While the proposed budget does call for cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), OMB Director Russell Vought said Friday that the reductions do not include changes to Head Start programs, which provide early childhood education to low-income families. His comments come as the Trump administration is already facing ⁠legal challenges after previous reports that Head Start funding was set to be cut in the HHS’s budget amid office closures.However, the request does also outline notable reductions on the education side, including proposals to eliminate Preschool Development Grants and cuts funding for the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. More than $1.5 billion in spending reductions under a line item for TRIO programs and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) are also proposed for the Education Department.“TRIO and GEAR UP are a relic of the past when financial incentives were needed to motivate Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to engage with low-income students and increase access,” the request stated. “The lack of action by IHEs also meant that States and local school districts needed additional support to prepare low-income students for college.”

Trump proposes steep cuts in first budget request of second term President Trump unveiled the White House budget request for fiscal 2026 on Friday, a set of proposals that would make steep cuts to nondefense programs while boosting defense and border funding. In a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought announced the president’s budget would reduce base nondefense discretionary budget authority by 22.6 percent, cutting spending levels by $163 billion. That would include a roughly $18 billion reduction for the National Institutes of Health compared to fiscal 2025 levels. The request says the Department of Energy would see a reduction of more than $15 billion from what it described as the “cancellation” of former President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The budget also proposes a nearly $27 billion reduction for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with State Rental Assistance Block Grants on the chopping block. It instead calls for the transformation of the rental assistance programs into a “state-based formula grant which would allow states to design their own rental assistance programs based on their unique needs and preferences.” Vought argued funding for homeland security, veterans, seniors, law enforcement and infrastructure would be protected. “This is a pretty historic effort to deal with the bureaucracy,” Vought told reporters Friday. “You have heard and seen such action from our administration with DOGE, to be able to deal with the bureaucracy that we believe has grown over many years.” Vought also touted what he called a “historic” investment of $175 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security to implement Trump’s mass deportation and plans to secure the border. He said the nearly 65 percent increase for Homeland Security will lead to hiring ICE agents, funding the border wall and Coast Guard funding, among other boosts aimed to curb immigration. On the defense side, the administration proposes to increase funding by 13 percent, bringing the total to just more than $1 trillion. The administration said the budget “assumes enactment” of legislation being assembled by congressional Republicans that is expected to include north of $300 billion in funding for defense programs and advancing Trump’s border and immigration agenda. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) criticized the defense portion of the budget, saying the OMB “requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms.” Wicker added that the bill being crafted in Congress to further Trump’s tax and spending priorities was “meant to change fundamentally the direction of the Pentagon on programs like Golden Dome, border support, and unmanned capabilities – not to paper over OMB’s intent to shred to the bone our military capabilities and our support to service members.” When asked about the criticism, Vought said “13 percent is a very, very healthy increase and we want to make sure that it is going towards capabilities that DoD needs, says it wants, says are vital. And we are changing the way that this place works, and we’re happy to continue to explain that to the Hill. And I’m not surprised that we’ll have to do some work on that front.” The proposal is Trump’s first budget of his second term, which eclipsed its 100th day earlier this week.>

GOP defense hawks in Congress slam Trump budget as inadequate - Four prominent defense hawks on Capitol Hill on Friday slammed President Trump’s 2026 budget request as inadequate, arguing it would freeze defense funding for the second year in a row at a time when the nation faces growing threats from China, Russia and other adversaries. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said Friday he was “very concerned” about the president’s defense spending request. “We are currently at the lowest level of defenses spending as a percentage of GDP since before World War II. That is no longer sustainable in the threat environment we face,” he warned in a statement. “I am very concerned the requested base budget for defense does not reflect a realistic path to building the military capability we need to achieve President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda,” he said, adding he looks forward to working with the president and Senate allies to “achieve real growth in the defense budget.” Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who now chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said the White House request would extend the Biden administration’s “material neglect” of defense spending needs. “The Trump administration missed a tremendous opportunity to answer their predecessor’s chronic underinvestment in the U.S. military with robust, full-year funding for [fiscal 2025.] Now, it appears the Trump Administration’s FY26 defense budget request will double down on the Biden administration’s material neglect for the glaring national security threat challenges about which they speak with great alarm,” McConnell said in a statement. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she had “serious objections” to what she called “the proposed freeze in our defense funding,” citing the “security challenges” the nation faces.

New Budget Proposal Cuts Clean Energy Funding, Expands Fossil Fuel Research -President Trump’s newly released 2026 budget proposal aims to slash over $15 billion in federal support for carbon capture and renewable energy programs, signaling a sharp pivot toward fossil fuels and nuclear energy—and away from climate-focused policy. The White House plan, which proposes $163 billion in total cuts to non-defense spending, also scraps $6 billion in funding for electric vehicle (EV) chargers from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The administration blamed the lack of charger deployment on overregulation and climate justice priorities, arguing that EV infrastructure should be built “just like gas stations”—by the private sector.The Department of Energy would see its funding reoriented toward oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and critical minerals R&D—though specifics remain scarce. Offshore wind and Interior Department renewable programs face another $80 million in cuts. Meanwhile, $1.3 billion in NOAA climate-focused grants and contracts for satellite-based climate observations would also be eliminated.The Environmental Protection Agency is on the chopping block too. Trump’s plan would cut the EPA’s budget by 55%, gutting climate change research and completely eliminating its environmental justice program. The proposal follows the agency’s March announcement that it is reviewing the 2009 Endangerment Finding—the legal cornerstone that classifies greenhouse gases like CO? as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.If the EPA rescinds the finding, it could strip the legal basis for emissions regulations on power plants, vehicles, and oil wells. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldindefended the review, saying the agency would now follow “science, the law, and common sense,” while Energy Secretary Chris Wright called the Endangerment Finding “an enormously negative” policy tool.While the budget is a policy wish list and not yet law, its priorities are clear: less funding for climate, more for fossil fuels, and a regulatory rollback that could redefine U.S. energy strategy for years to come.

Trump budget would eliminate CISA disinformation offices, alleging censorship - President Trump proposed shuttering the disinformation offices and programs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), alleging in the White House budget request that they contributed to the censorship of the president and his supporters.The president’s budget proposal, released Friday, claimed CISA’s disinformation offices and programs “functioned as a hub in the Censorship Industrial Complex.”“CISA was more focused on cooperating with Big Tech to target free speech than our nation’s critical systems,” the White House wrote in a fact sheet. “Even CISA’s own systems have fallen prey to attacks.”CISA, formed in 2018 during the first Trump administration, is tasked with securing the nation’s infrastructure, including election voting systems. It is housed under the Department of Homeland Security.The proposal calls for slashing the agency’s budget by about $491 million. This would be a nearly 16 percent reduction in funding from what the agency received last year. It currently has a budget of about $3 billion.

US and Ukraine sign critical minerals deal - (AP) — The U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, finalizing a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia. The two sides offered only barebone details about the structure of the deal, which they called the United States-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund. But it is expected to give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals while providing Kyiv a measure of assurance about continued American support in its grinding war with Russia.“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine.”The announcement comes at a critical moment in the three-year war as Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with both sides. The signing comes two months after a different but similar agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a tense Oval Office meeting involving President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Trump has long criticized Zelenskyy, saying he didn’t “have the cards” to win the war and blaming him for prolonging the killing by not giving up Crimea, but in recent days has rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin as well, saying he was complicating negotiations with “very bad timing” in launching deadly strikes on Kyiv.Trump said Wednesday night on NewsNation that the deal, “in theory,” means that the U.S. will get more from Ukraine than it contributed. “I wanted to be protected,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to be looking “foolish” by not getting money back for the investment.

US, Ukraine sign minerals deal pushed by Trump | Al Jazeera --Ukraine and the United States have signed an agreement to provide Washington with access to valuable rare minerals and fund reconstruction efforts in the war-torn country. The two countries signed the accord in Washington, DC, on Wednesday after months of fraught negotiations, with uncertainty persisting until the last moment following reports of 11th-hour proposals to change aspects of the deal. The agreement marks a breakthrough in US-Ukraine ties after relations reached a nadir following a spectacular blow-up between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting at the White House in February. Announcing the agreement, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the creation of the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund was a signal to Russia that the Trump administration was “committed to a peace process centred on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term”. “President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine,” Bessent said in a statement. “And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” The Trump administration did not provide further details of the deal. Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy said the US would contribute to the fund directly or through military assistance, and Kyiv would contribute 50 percent of revenues from the exploitation of natural resources. The ministry said all of the fund’s resources would be exclusively invested in Ukraine for the first 10 years, after which “profits may be distributed between the partners”. The US and Ukraine would have equal decision-making power over the fund, the ministry said, with the deal only covering future US military assistance, not past aid. “We are gaining not only investment, but also a strategic partner committed to working with us to drive economic growth and innovation,” Ukrainian Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said in a statement. “This agreement is the outcome of extensive negotiations, and I am grateful to both negotiating teams for their professionalism and dedication. Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial framework. It also reflects the US commitment to lasting peace in Ukraine and recognition of Ukraine’s contribution to global security.” In a Telegram post shortly before the deal was signed, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the deal would leave Kyiv with “full control over subsoil, infrastructure, and natural resources”, and not interfere with its bid to join the European Union.

Treasury Announces Agreement to Establish United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund | U.S. Department of the Treasury— On April 30, the United States and Ukraine signed an agreement to establish the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to work collaboratively and invest together to ensure that our mutual assets, talents, and capabilities can accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery. Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the Treasury Department and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will work together with the Government of Ukraine to finalize program governance and advance this important partnership. “Thanks to President Trump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund,” said U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “As the President has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war. This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term. President Trump envisioned this partnership between the American people and the Ukrainian people to show both sides’ commitment to lasting peace and prosperity in Ukraine. And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” Both the United States and the Government of Ukraine look forward to quickly operationalizing this historic economic partnership for both the Ukrainian and American people.

Minerals Deal Will Count Future US Military Aid To Ukraine as Part of Investment Fund - The minerals deal that gives the US access to Ukraine’s natural resources will count future US military aid as a contribution to a joint investment fund, suggesting the agreement could increase US weapons shipments to Ukraine.According to the text of the agreement, once it goes into effect, if the US “delivers new military assistance to the Government of Ukraine in any form (including the donation of weapons systems, ammunition, technology or training), the capital contribution of the US Partner will be deemed to be increased by the assessed value of such military assistance.”The deal only counts future military aid as a contribution to the fund and does not reimburse the US for previous US assistance. President Trump initially demanded that the US get hundreds of billions of dollars back for weapons sent by the Biden administration.In another sign that US weapons shipments to Ukraine could ramp up, the administration notified Congress on Tuesday, the day before the minerals deal was signed, that it was going forward with its first arms sale to Ukraine.The administration said in a notification that it planned to authorize the export of “defense articles, including technical data, and defense services” to Ukraine in the amount of $50 million or more. The notification provided no information about the potential deal.According to the Kyiv Post, the weapons deal is being done as a direct commercial sale (DCS), which is when the State Department gives a private company permission to sell weapons directly to a foreign government. Under US arms export laws, the administration is required to notify Congress of a DCS sale of “defense articles” if it’s worth $50 million or more, meaning the actual sale could be worth more.While the Trump administration hadn’t previously approved new arms deals for Ukraine, it has continued weapons shipments to the country that were approved under President Biden. The shipments were briefly paused after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s contentious Oval Office meeting, but were quickly resumed after more talks between US and Ukrainian officials.

Greene furious over Ukraine minerals deal, Iran talks: ‘The base is not happy’ -- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) unloaded a heap of criticism Friday on recent actions and inactions by the Trump administration and fellow Republicans, bringing up the Ukraine minerals deal, talks with Iran, and more — while being sure to not criticize President Trump personally. “I represent the base and when I’m frustrated and upset over the direction of things, you better be clear, the base is not happy,” Greene said Friday in a lengthy post on the social platform X. “I campaigned for no more foreign wars. And now we are supposedly on the verge of going to war with Iran,” Greene said, in reference to ongoing talks with Iran over its nuclear program. A fourth round of talks that was slated to take place in Rome over the weekend has been postponed. “I don’t think we should be bombing foreign countries on behalf of other foreign countries especially when they have their own nuclear weapons and massive military strength,” Greene said. She then turned to the minerals deal the U.S. signed with Ukraine this week, which would give the U.S. a share of Ukraine’s natural resources if the U.S. sends more money to Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion. Greene argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “is a dictator who canceled elections” — which was due to the war — and was “involved of the first impeachment of Trump.” “Why on earth would we go over and occupy Ukraine and spend an untold amount of future American taxpayer dollars defending and mining their minerals as well as potentially putting American lives at risk and future war?” Greene said. “Why don’t we just mine our own rare earth minerals that are tied up on federal lands that the government confiscated years ago?” The post from the firebrand Georgia congresswoman is striking given that she has been one of Trump’s most vocal and prominent supporters. Greene also lamented that the COVID-19 vaccine “still has FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approval” and wondered if “those vicious attorneys and judges” who worked “against the American people in the last four years” would be “held accountable for the lives they ruined.” She also took aim at Republicans in Congress, wondering when there would be a vote on budgetary recessions to codify actions by the Department of Government Efficiency and saying there is enough “outrage and moral courage to dispose of this treason” by “rogue judges” blocking Trump actions. “When you are losing MTG, you are losing the base. And Trump isn’t on the ballot in the future, so do the math on that,” Greene said, implicitly dismissing the idea of Trump seeking a third term in 2028, which would require a constitutional amendment.

Rubio: Ukraine peace deal ‘closer,’ but sides still ‘a little far apart’ - Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Thursday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is still on the horizon but noted the eastern European nations are still very much at odds with “no military solution.” “I think we know where Ukraine is, and we know where Russia is right now and where [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is. They’re still far apart,” he told Fox News’s Sean Hannity. “They’re closer, but they’re still far apart.”“And it’s going to take a real breakthrough here very soon to make this possible, or I think the president is going to have to make a decision about how much more time we’re going to dedicate to this,” he added.During his time on the campaign trail, President Trump consistently vowed to end the conflict overnight. More than 100 days into the president’s second term, the administration has acknowledged that negotiations to end the war, now in its third year after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, would be more difficult than expected.Rubio — who took on the role of national security adviser Thursday after Mike Waltz was ousted and nominated for ambassador to the United Nations — has defended Trump’s moves on the matter. He, along with Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, have participated in direct talks with Kremlin officials.“There does come a point where the president has to decide how much more time at the highest levels of our government do you dedicate it, when maybe one of the two sides or both aren’t really close enough, when we have got so many, I would argue, even more important issues going on around the world, not that a war in Ukraine is not important,” the secretary of State said Thursday.U.S. officials signed a long-awaited minerals deal with Ukraine officials Wednesday in an effort to secure safety guarantees as the conflict continues. The deal was supposed to be signed in February, but an Oval Office spat between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky derailed the original plan.

Report: Putin Maintains Demand for Full Control of Ukrainian Oblasts Claimed by Russia for Peace Deal - Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to demand full control of four Ukrainian oblasts claimed by Russia as a condition for a potential peace deal, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.The report said that President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, sought to convince Putin to drop the demand and agree to a ceasefire that froze the current battle lines, but the Russian leader declined and maintained his demand for complete control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.The Financial Times reported last week that Putin was willing to freeze the current battle lines for a peace deal, but the Kremlin quickly signaled that this wasn’t the case.Military situation on April 29, 2025 (map from SouthFront.press)Ukraine has also appeared to reject the conditions of a US proposal for a potential peace deal. The Bloomberg report said that negotiations are now at an impasse as an agreement seems less and less likely.When Russian and Ukrainian officials held peace talks in the early days of Russia’s invasion in 2022, Russia’s main demand was for Ukrainian neutrality. Those efforts were discouraged by the US, and later that year, Russia declared its annexation of the four Ukrainian oblasts and added the recognition of that territory as Russia to its demands to end the war.Since Russia has the momentum on the battlefield, it’s unlikely that it would accept a peace deal with terms dictated by the US. If the negotiations fall apart, it remains unclear if the Trump administration would continue fueling the war by arming Ukraine. As time goes on, the terms of a settlement will likely get less favorable for Ukraine.On Monday, Russia declared a three-day ceasefire starting on May 8, but Ukraine rejected the idea and proposed a 30-day truce. Russia hasdismissed the Ukrainian counteroffer and is casting doubt on whether the three-day ceasefire will hold.

Hundreds of Zionist fascists riot through New York, chanting “death to Arabs” –video - A mob of over a hundred Zionist-fascist thugs violently assaulted pro-Palestinian protesters, a bystander and a police officer in Brooklyn last Thursday, April 24, during an appearance by fascist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a pro-Zionist religious group. The New York Police Department (NYPD) officers on the scene largely stood aside as the attacks occurred, and there is no clear evidence that any of the fascist rioters have been arrested or charged. The fascist rampage was effectively endorsed by Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who condemned the victims as “pro-terrorist antisemitic anarchists” and accused them of “attacking Jews.” But the only Jewish people who were attacked were those targeted by the Zionist mob. One 29-year-old Jewish Israeli-American woman, who identified herself as E., was hit in the head with what appeared to have been a brick hurled by the mob as she was protesting the appearance of Ben-Gvir. Footage published on social media showed E. bleeding severely and profusely, with blood dripping down her face. E. told Haaretz that “police largely stood by” as the assault took place. E. told Haaretz, “Many of us are Jewish. Israeli. We protested because we don’t think Ben-Gvir should be allowed to speak in our city.” I., an Israeli-American man, told Haaretz that he witnessed the mob violence on the way back from a sports game. “They were about ten times the number of the pro-Palestinian protesters,” he recounted, in the words of Haaretz. “NYPD officers were speaking with members of Chabad’s private security group, Shomrim.” Haaretz quoted him as saying, “It seemed like there was some personal connection.” He added, “I’ve never seen violence like this by Jews against other Jews.” S., a demonstrator, told Haaretz, “It was Jews attacking Jews—and they [the New York Police Department] let it happen.” In another incident shown in multiple videos published on social media, a local resident was chased by a mob of over 100 fascists, who repeatedly pushed and kicked her, and threw a traffic cone and a trash can at her. The whole time, the mob was chanting “death to Arabs.” The woman, who asked not to be named due to her fear of retribution, told the New York Times that she was not part of the demonstration but merely a local resident watching from the sidelines with neighbors. She said that she covered her face with a scarf when people started filming. “They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting ‘death to Arabs.’ I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene,” she told the Associated Press. The woman told the Associated Press, “I felt sheer terror. I realized at that point that I couldn’t lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do. I was just terrified.” Finally, an NYPD officer began escorting her through the hostile crowd. But the harassment continued and intensified. The Zionists shouted racist, sexist and anti-Arab profanities. She was shoved, kicked in the back, spat upon and had various objects thrown at her. She and the officer were followed by the mob for several blocks until they reached a police car in which she was driven home.

Former Israeli Ambassador Confirms Biden Never Pressured Israel for Gaza Ceasefire - Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog said in an interview that aired on Israeli TV this week that President Biden never pressured Israel to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.“God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period, because it could have been much worse,” Herzog told Israel’s Channel 13.“We fought [in Gaza] for over a year, and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did. And that’s not to be taken for granted,” Herzog added.Herzog’s comments contradict claims by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s allies that they were “tirelessly working” for a Gaza ceasefire. When a truce deal was reached in January, the incoming Trump administration’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was seen as the factor that led to the deal, although Israel has since completely violated the agreement with President Trump’s support.

US airstrike massacres 68 people in migrant detention camp in Yemen -- A US airstrike killed 68 people at a migrant detention facility Monday in Yemen’s Sa’ada province, in one of the greatest massacres of civilians to date in the Trump administration’s war on Yemen. In coordination with the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, the United States has carried out almost daily bombings of Yemen, as part of a drive to reorganize the Middle East under imperialist domination. In March, US President Donald Trump pledged to “completely annihilate” the Houthis in Yemen, declaring, “It’s not even a fair fight and never will be. They will be completely annihilated.” The US bombardment of Yemen was triggered by statements by the Houthi movement that it would block the passage of Israeli ships through the Red Sea, a waterway critical for US control of the region, in response to Israel’s deliberate mass starvation of the population of Gaza. Yemen’s Houthi government condemned the latest attack, calling it a “heinous crime committed by US aggression.” Reuters reported the scene was strewn with “bodies covered in dust amid blood-stained rubble. Rescue workers carried a man who was moving slightly on a stretcher. A survivor could be heard calling ‘My mother’ in Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia.” Christine Cipolla, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said: It is unthinkable that while people are detained and have nowhere to escape, they can also be caught in the line of fire. The detention center housed refugees fleeing Northern Africa for the relatively prosperous Saudi Arabia. More than 500 people drowned last year in the Red Sea while trying to reach Saudi Arabia through Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration. Saudi Arabia is home to approximately 750,000 Ethiopians.

US GBU-39 Bomb Remnants Found at Location of Strike on Yemen Migrant Facility -The remnants of a US GBU-39 bomb were found at the location of a US airstrike on a migrant facility in Saada in northwestern Yemen, Drop Site News reported on Thursday.According to Yemeni media, the US strikes on the facility killed 68 people, and all the casualties appear to have been African migrants who were detainees at the facility.In response to the reports of major civilian casualties in the strikes, a Pentagon official said Monday that the US was “currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims,” but so far, there have been no further comments from the US military.A Yemen-based Ethiopian activist who spoke with survivors of the attack told Drop Site that the detention center was hit by three separate strikes in slow succession. Trevor Ball, a munitions expert and former US Army ordnance specialist, said the facility was likely targeted intentionally since GBU-39 bombs are precise weapons, and it was struck multiple times.

Pentagon Says US Has Struck Over 1,000 Targets in Yemen Since March 15 - The Pentagon said on Tuesday that US Central Command forces have struck 1,000 targets in Yemen since March 15, a massive bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of civilians and failed to deter the Houthis.“USCENTCOM strikes have hit over 1,000 targets, killing Houthi fighters and leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials, and degrading their capabilities,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on the first 100 days of the Trump administration.On Sunday, CENTCOM said its forces had struck 800 targets in Yemen, suggesting a significant uptick in US airstrikes on the country in recent days. The Pentagon has shared virtually no details of its bombing campaign, which CENTCOM acknowledged, claiming it was protecting “operational security.”According to the Yemen Data Project, US airstrikes on Yemen killed at least 158 civilians and wounded 342 from March 15 to April 22. On Monday, the US bombed a detention facility for African migrants, killing 68 people. If all of the casualties were migrants, which appears to be the case, that would bring the total number of civilians killed by the US to at least 226.While the Pentagon claims the bombing campaign has been a success, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have shown no sign of backing down. In recent weeks, Yemeni air defenses have shot down seven US MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are worth $30 million each.On Monday, the US Navy said it lost a $60 million F/A-18 fighter jet when it fell overboard as the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman made a hard turn to avoid a Houthi attack, suggesting a missile or drone fired from Yemen came close to hitting the warship.

US fighter falls overboard aircraft carrier, sinks into ocean - A more than $60 million F/A-18E Super Hornet on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier fell overboard and was “lost” to the Red Sea, the Navy announced Monday. The fighter jet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136, “was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” according to a Navy statement. The service noted that the sailors towing the aircraft “took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard,” with only one individual sustaining minor injuries. An investigation into the incident is underway. The Harry S. Truman carrier strike group has been in the Middle East region since February, with aircraft aboard the vessel involved in ongoing strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen starting March 15. A U.S. official told CNN that initial reports indicate that the aircraft carrier, in evading Houthi fire, made a hard turn that led to the F/A-18E falling overboard. The Houthis claimed Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the Truman.

US Navy Loses F/A-18 Fighter Jet During Houthi Attack in Red Sea - A US official has told CNN that the US Navy lost a F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet that fell off the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea during a Houthi attack on the US warship.The Navy said in a statement that the $60 million jet was “actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard.” The Navy said the sailors “took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard” and that one sustained minor injuries in the incident. The US official speaking to CNN said the F/A-18 fell overboard while the Harry Truman was making a hard turn to avoid a Houthi attack.Earlier in the day, the military spokesman for the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, announced missile and drone attacks on the Harry Truman and its accompanying warships.The Houthi spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the attacks were in retaliation for the US strike that targeted a migrant detention facility in Saada, killing 68, and a US bombing of a residential area of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which reportedly caused dozens of civilian casualties.The Houthi attack on the Harry Truman marked the second time in the past year that the US lost an F/A-18 in the Red Sea. In December 2024, the US military announced that it lost an F/A-18 in a “friendly fire” incident in the Red Sea. According to reports at the time, the jet was shot down right after a Houthi missile and drone attack, suggesting it was mistaken for a projectile fired from Yemen.The US has also lost about 21 MQ-9 Reaper drones to Yemeni air defenses since October 2023. Each MQ-9 costs about $30 million a piece, which means the US has lost $630 million worth of drones in a year and a half. US officials have said the Houthis are getting better at targeting MQ-9s, as they’ve taken down seven in recent weeks.

US Imposes More Sanctions on Iran Despite Negotiations - On Tuesday, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on companies and individuals based in Iran and China over their alleged role in procuring missile “propellant ingredients” for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).“Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other weapons capabilities imperils the safety of the United States and our partners,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement on the sanctions.The administration has maintained its so-called “maximum pressure campaign” against Tehran by adding new sanctions on Iran and threatening potential military action despite the negotiations it has held with Iranian officials.Last week, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the increasing US sanctions amid the effort at diplomacy shows a lack of goodwill.“The continued imposition of sanctions against various economic sectors of Iran is in clear contradiction with the US claim for dialogue and negotiation and indicates the lack of goodwill and seriousness of the US in this regard,” said Iranian Foreign Minister spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.So far, the US and Iran have held three rounds of negotiations, but it remains unclear if a deal will be reached. Publicly, US officials have repeatedly called for an agreement that would eliminate Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program, which is a non-starter for Iran. But since negotiations continue to advance, it’s likely the US is not making that demand behind the scenes.President Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if a deal isn’t reached, even though there’s no evidence Tehran is working to build a nuclear weapon, a fact recently reaffirmed by US intelligence agencies.Israel, which has a secret nuclear weapons program and a stockpile of nuclear warheads, has been trying to influence Trump to demand the complete dismantlement of Tehran’s civilian nuclear program and wants US support for an attack on Iran.

Hegseth Threatens Iran Over Yemen - On Wednesday night, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened Iranover Tehran’s alleged support for the Houthis amid the US’s heavy Yemen bombing campaign.“Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” Hegseth wrote on X.“You know very well what the US Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing,” he added.While the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are aligned with Iran, the Yemeni group has its own domestic missile and drone program, meaning they’re not reliant on Tehran for military support. This has been acknowledged by US officials, including President Trump. “They’re experts on missiles. I mean, they actually make missiles. Nobody thought that, but they make missiles. It’s highly sophisticated,” President Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early April.In March, The Washington Post, citing US officials, reported that the Houthis have “established their own substantial, independent weapons production capability.”The Houthis also operate independently and aren’t likely to take orders from Tehran. Despite these facts, the Trump administration has been blaming Iran for the Houthis’ operations, and Hegseth’s threat comes after a month and a half of US airstrikes on Yemen have failed to deter Ansar Allah. The US has launched over 1,000 strikes on Yemen, killing more than 200 civilians, but the Houthis continue to launch attacks on Israel and on US warships.

Trump threatens sanctions on countries that buy oil from Iran -- President Trump has threatened sanctions on countries that are purchasing from Iran.“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” Trump said Thursday in a post online. “They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.” It’s unclear how Trump would implement the ban, but his alert is a threat that could escalate tensions with China, who is Iran’s top customer, during an already unstable time due to Trump’s tariffs, the Associated Press reported. The warning came after planned talks about Iran’s nuclear program were postponed. The discussion was set for this coming weekend, but Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said it was delayed for “logistical reasons.” New dates have not yet been mutually agreed to, he said.The talks were intended to constrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting some economic sanctions. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Iran in early April.Trump expressed confidence ahead of the third round of talks with Iran, but it was unclear if the two countries could find common ground about eliminating or scaling back Iran’s nuclear program.It was also unclear if the Trump administration would try to strike a deal that resembles the Obama-era nuclear agreement that restricted Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon but allowed the infrastructure to remain intact.

Trump Threatens Major Sanctions on Countries Purchasing Iranian Oil - President Trump on Thursday threatened major sanctions on any country that purchases Iranian oil as he continues to ramp up the “maximum pressure campaign” against Tehran.“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” the president wrote on Truth Social.“They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form. Thank you for your attention to this matter, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added.The post effectively amounts to a threat to impose major sanctions on China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil. At this point, it’s unclear exactly what type of sanctions the US may try to place on China in response to Iranian oil purchases.

Trump Says US Will Be 'Leading the Pack' in Any Attack on Iran - President Trump has said that the US would be “leading the pack” in an attack on Iran if a deal isn’t reached on Tehran’s nuclear program.Trump made the comment in an interview with Time Magazine that was published on Friday, when asked about the possibility of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dragging the US into a war with Iran.“You asked if he’d drag me in, like I’d go in unwillingly. No, I may go in very willingly if we can’t get a deal. If we don’t make a deal, I’ll be leading the pack,” Trump said.The president has been threatening to bomb Iran if a nuclear deal isn’t reached, even though there’s no evidence Tehran is working to build a nuclear weapon, a fact recently confirmed by US intelligence agencies.Trump said in the interview that he believes he can reach a deal with Iran. Since starting the talks earlier this month, the US and Iran have held three rounds of negotiations, and both sides continue to say there’s been progress.Netanyahu has been working against the possibility of a deal, saying any agreement must completely dismantle Iran’s civilian nuclear program, an unacceptable condition for Tehran.Netanyahu said on Sunday that any agreement must eliminate “all the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program” and that Israel “cannot live with anything short of that—anything short of that could bring you the opposite result.”

US Fires HIMARS Rockets Into the South China Sea in Drills With the Philippines - The US military fired munitions into the South China Sea this week using HIMARS rocket systems amid soaring tensions with China in the region.The live-fire drills occurred on the Philippine island province of Palawan as part of the annual US-Philippine Balikatan exercise, which has involved 9,000 US troops, 5,000 Philippine soldiers, 260 Australian service members, and smaller deployments from Japan, France, the UK, and several other countries, according to Stars and Stripes.According to the Philippine Armed Forces’ Western Command, the live-fire drills involved US, Philippine, and Australian troops and were conducted in Rizal, a municipality on Palawan’s west coast, which is on the South China Sea. Philippine forces also fired missiles and artillery into the sea.“The drill culminated with a precision strike from the HIMARS, highlighting the allied forces’ capability to deliver fast, accurate, and decisive responses to amphibious threats—an essential element of regional deterrence,” the Western command said.

Hegseth orders review of medical conditions that disqualify recruits -Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants individuals with certain medical conditions to be disqualified from joining the military, according to a new memo released Monday. “The standards for accession into the U.S. military are high, uncompromising, and clear,” Hegseth wrote in the memo, which was signed Thursday. “Young Americans seeking to serve in the greatest fighting force in history must be physically and mentally capable of performing their duties in the harshest conditions.” The directive, addressed to senior Pentagon leadership, orders the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness to review existing medical standards for enlistment and induction into the military services and identify any conditions that should be ineligible for a medical waiver. He is also ordered the identification of any medical conditions for which a waiver may only be granted by the secretary of a military department. He lists several conditions for which potential applicants can currently receive medical waivers, including schizophrenia, paraphilic disorders, congestive heart failure and chronic use of oxygen. “Individuals with such conditions are generally unlikely to complete initial military training or their first term of service,” he writes. The Pentagon has said Hegseth’s initiative is in response to concerns about current medical waiver policies and their impact on military readiness, though no specific examples were given. There has been a rise in medical waivers in the past decade, with about 17 percent of recruits receiving them in 2022, up from 12 percent in 2013, according to a review by the DOD inspector general. The rise can partly be attributed to the Pentagon’s 2022 expansion of medical conditions that no longer disqualify people from enlisting in the military. Under a program known as the Medical Accession Records Pilot, an initial 38 previously disqualifying conditions were identified, with another 13 added to the list last year — including childhood asthma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Defense officials in October told reporters more than 6,000 people had enlisted through the pilot program, which was meant to “address the changing health landscape” as recruiters struggled to find viable candidates also interested in serving. Only about 23 percent of young Americans are eligible to enlist in the military without some sort of waiver, said Katie Helland, then the Pentagon’s director of military accession policy, at the time.

Former Pentagon official speaks about Pete Hegseth's behavior - Colin Carroll, a former Pentagon official who was fired amid leaks at the Defense Department, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was focused on “weird details” after the Signal group chat scandal was exposed. Carroll joined “The Megyn Kelly Show” on Saturday, where he shared more about his experience working in the Pentagon and witnessing firsthand a “tale of two Petes.” “Do you think he’s OK?” Host Megyn Kelly questioned about Hegseth.“I honestly, I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Carroll replied.Carroll began telling a story about how once, when House Freedom Caucus members visited the Pentagon, Hegseth was sharp and performed well during the budget-related discussion.“The secretary crushed that meeting. I have never seen a meeting like that. There’s not a secretary in living memory that could have done as good a job with those guys,” Carroll said.“At the same time, I’ve seen the secretary in more internal meetings where he is super focused on, like, very, in my opinion, weird details and very agitated and kind of yelling and just, nothing’s good,” Carroll later said.Carroll, the former chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve A. Feinberg, noted he didn’t know Hegseth before he took his administration position.“I’m just telling you what I observed in the 90 days that I was there,” he said. Carroll was fired last week and placed on administrative leave earlier this month as the department held an ongoing investigation about leaks. It came after two of Hegseth’s advisers were suspended and escorted out of the Pentagon. The Defense Department said last month that it began an investigation into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information.”

Donald Trump backs Pete Hegseth, says he's 'gonna get it together' -President Trump says that he thinks Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will “get it together” as the Pentagon chief faces mounting scrutiny of his leadership. In an interview with The Atlantic, Trump was asked about the turmoil around Hegseth and reporting that he ordered a makeup room to be set up at the Defense Department.“I think he’s gonna get it together,” Trump said. “I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him.”Hegseth has denied that he ordered a makeup room after details emerged about a green room in the Pentagon being refurbished, calling it a “totally fake story” and said changes in the green room were “furniture modifications.”The secretary has been at the center of controversy around his usage of the Signal messaging app and over his management of the Defense department. The New York Times recently reported that sensitive military plans were disclosed by Hegseth in a Signal chat featuring his wife, brother and lawyer.That echoed a prior Signal chat controversy sparked by Hegseth sharing plans for a strike on the Houthis in Yemen with several top Trump administration officials. National security adviser Mike Waltz had inadvertently added The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat, which Hegseth and the White House has argued didn’t include any classified information. In The Atlantic interview, Trump also said he told his staff, “Maybe don’t use Signal, OK?”

Mike Waltz And Deputy Deleted After Signal Fiasco: Reports -- Trump national security adviser Mike Walz and his deputy, Alex Wong, are out of a job in the White House following an incident in late march in which Waltz 'inadvertently' added The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat which included discussions with top national security officials - and VP JD Vance - about plans for a military strike on Houthi targets in Yemem, CBS News and Politico report (so we're just waiting for the denial).According to 'multiple sources familiar with their departure,' following the Signal snafu, Waltz admitted behind closed doors to the authenticity of Goldberg's reporting - however he never offered to resign, and President Trump did not ask him to step down.Wong, meanwhile, served in the first Trump administration as deputy special representative for North Korea, as well as deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department.Among some 18 individuals listed as members of a Signal group that Goldberg was 'inadvertently' invited to included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President Vance, national security adviser Michael Waltz, Secretary of State is Marco Antonio Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.According to Politico, the White House has been discussing names for a replacement 'for weeks,' but 'the plans to remove Waltz potentially as soon as this week gained steam in recent days.'

Trump taps Mike Waltz as UN ambassador, names Rubio as national security adviser -President Trump is tapping national security adviser Mike Waltz to be his ambassador to the United Nations following reports of his ouster in the midst of a controversy over a group text chat. Trump also announced Thursday he naming his Secretary of State Marco Rubio to replace Waltz as national security adviser on an interim basis. “I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role,” Trump said on Truth Social. Trump added, “In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Waltz leaving his post at the National Security Council and moving to the ambassador role, which will require Senate confirmation, marks the first major shifting of positions in Trump’s second administration. \ The spot for ambassador to the United Nations is open after Trump yanked Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) nomination’s last month, a decision that he said was so the congresswoman could “rejoin the House Leadership Team.” .

Rubio's State Department shake-up: Criticism over foreign policy cuts -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement of a major reorganization of the State Department this week was meant to signal a leaner foreign policy machine, removing layers of bureaucracy that he says slowed down quick action in a crisis-ridden world. But critics are warning that the Trump administration is kneecapping America’s influence on the international stage, having already gutted U.S. foreign policy tools including U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Voice of America and offices focused on economic development abroad. “My concern is that we are eliminating some of our strongest assets,” said Esther Brimmer, senior fellow in global governance at the Council on Foreign Relations and who served as assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs during the Obama administration. “It could be that some of these changes actually are helpful and bring together people who’ve been in different cones of the department, but we’ll have to see in the implementation.” Tibor Nagy, who returned to retirement after four months serving as undersecretary for management under Rubio, said he was “gung-ho” about the secretary’s reorganization, even as he’s criticized the manner of the shut-down of USAID, which he called chaotic. “I’ve been with the State Department since 1978 and spent most of that time in the field in Africa, but of course, it’s given me an opportunity to see the State Department’s evolution. And the larger it got and the more bureaus that were established, the more dysfunctional it became,” he said. Rubio’s reorganization, which was announced on Tuesday, included eliminating 132 offices and transitioning 137 other offices to other locations within the agency — a move even critics concede may deliver some needed streamlining around policy development. “I used to shake my head that the single issue bureaus, whenever an important policy piece made it through the rounds, they would do what I came to call a Christmas tree, they would want to hang their ornament on it,” Nagy said. Rubio, in an interview with The Free Press’s “Honestly with Bari Weiss” Podcast, said the reorganization is meant to bring “stability, some organizational streamlining that allows us to further foreign policy in a way that balances all of the things we have to take into consideration when we pursue foreign policy, and we can deliver it efficiently and fast.”

PEPFAR funding cuts will lead to up to 74,000 excess HIV deaths in Africa by 2030, experts warn The Trump administration's executive order to suspend funds intended to prevent and treat HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will result in 60,000 to 74,000 excess deaths over the next 5 years—and possibly many more—a mathematical modeling study published late last week in eClinicalMedicineforecasts. On January 24, 2025, the US government froze all foreign aid programs, including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), for 90 days. The study authors, from Europe, Africa, and the United States, noted that a limited waiver to exempt PEPFAR programs that deliver life-saving HIV care and treatment and work to prevent mother-to-child transmission became available in February but that it hasn't been implemented completely. "Reports from African treatment programs, however, show that the possibility of obtaining a waiver has not yet resulted in treatment activities restarting in many cases, because of waiver application and implementation delays and organizational, administrative, and logistic constraints to restarting programs after they obtained a waiver," they wrote. In addition, the PEPFAR freeze has now extended beyond 30 days, with no signal from the Trump administration that funding will resume. To estimate the impact of funding cut, the researchers modeled the effect of these policy changes on HIV deaths and new infections from 2025 to 2030 in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which together account for roughly half of all HIV patients in SSA. They also accounted for time lags in seeing the true impact of stopping and restarting treatment. The team predicted changes in HIV deaths and new infections under four scenarios: (1) Executive order–proportional, in which treatment disruptions were proportional to the country-specific share of total PEPFAR HIV funding; (2) Executive order–realistic, which assumes near-total system collapse due to program dependencies; and (3 and (4) Waiver scenarios in which treatment restarts after 4 or 8 weeks, respectively. "Over the past two decades, PEPFAR has been essential to the success of the rapid worldwide scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the epicenter of the HIV pandemic," the investigators wrote. "In little over 20 years, the number of people receiving life-saving ART in SSA has increased from nearly zero in the early 2000s to about 21 million in 2023." As a result, HIV/AIDS–related mortality has fallen from roughly 2.2 million deaths in 2003 to 390,000. And because ART substantially lessens HIV patient infectiousness, the scale-up also contributed to a drop in new HIV infections, from 3.2 million in 2003 to 640,000 in 2023, the study authors noted. A 90-day funding freeze would result in 60,000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 49,000 to 71,000] excess HIV deaths under the Executive order–proportional scenario. This figure would climb to 74,000 excess HIV deaths (95% UI, 63,000 to 89,000) for the Executive order–realistic scenario. Under the 4- and 8-week waiver scenarios, predicted excess HIV deaths ranged from 21,000 (95% UI, 15,000 to 28,000) to 28,000 (95% UI, 22,000 to 36,000), respectively. Excess new infections ranged from 35,000 to 103,000 for 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. "First and foremost, the devastating impacts identified in our study call for a rapidly [sic] and full re-instatement of PEPFAR, one of the most successful health programs in the history of public health," the authors wrote. "Second, global partnerships should rapidly mobilize to develop and deploy mitigation strategies to prepare for a partial or full retreat of the United States from the global HIV response." "Third, local research and implementation programs should provide empirical evidence through measuring treatment defaults and HIV deaths in the coming months and years, and should work on implementing HIV treatment program innovations which can mitigate future, long-term funding reductions," they added.

Vance, Rubio blast Germany for labeling far-right party as ‘extremist’ -Vice-president J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasted Germany’s government for labeling the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party as an “extremist” political group. “Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise. What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes,” Rubio said in a Friday post on social media platform X. “Germany should reverse course.”Rubio’s condemnation came shortly after the German domestic spy agency designated AfD as an extremist entity that is a threat to democracy, permitting the government to bolster surveillance and oversight.

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins a Canadian election upended by Trump (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party won Canada’s federal election on Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats and trade war. After polls closed, the Liberals were projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservative Party, though it wasn’t immediately clear if they would win an outright majority — at least 172 — or would need to rely on one or more smaller parties to form a government and pass legislation. The Liberals looked headed for a crushing defeat until the American president started attacking Canada’s economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state. Trump’s actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power. “We were dead and buried in December. Now we are going to form a government,” David Lametti, a former Liberal Justice Minister, told broadcaster CTV. “We have turned this around thanks to Mark,” he said. The Conservative Party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose. But Trump attacked, Trudeau resigned and Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party’s leader and prime minister. Even with Canadians grappling with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street festival, Trump was trolling them on election day, suggesting on social media that he was on their ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state. He also erroneously claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada, writing, “It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!” Trump’s truculence has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel U.S. vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day. “The Americans want to break us so they can own us,” Carney said in the runup to election day. “Those aren’t just words. That’s what’s at risk.” As he and his wife cast their ballots in their Ottawa district on Monday, Poilievre implored voters to “Get out to vote — for a change.” After running a Trump-lite campaign for weeks, though, his similarities to the bombastic American leader might have cost him.

More than 100 immigrants detained in Colorado nightclub raid: DEA - Dozens of immigrants without legal status were detained by federal agents in a raid at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., early Sunday morning, officials said, as the Trump administration steps up its immigration enforcement efforts across the country. More than 100 people were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Jonathan Pullen, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division special agent in charge, said at a news conference. DEA officials said more than 200 people, including at least 114 who were in the U.S. illegally, were inside the underground nightclub before initial arrests were made shortly before 4 a.m. local time. Pullen said “a few” were detained on outstanding warrants. “Only those here illegally or those with warrants were taken into custody. Most partygoers were eventually released,” DEA Rocky Mountain wrote in a post on social platform X. About 300 law enforcement agents participated in the raid, according to Pullen; 10 federal agencies as well as the local sheriff’s office and police department assisted. President Trump touted the raid in a post on his Truth Social platform while seeking to tie the enforcement effort to some of his more controversial deportation moves that have sparked battles with various courts across the country, including the Supreme Court. “A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes, and Judges don’t want to send them back to where they came from. If we don’t win this battle at the Supreme Court, our Country, as we know it, is FINISHED! It will be a Crime ridden MESS. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump posted, along with video of agents confronting fleeing patrons.

More than 1,100 undocumented immigrants arrested in weeklong Florida operation - State and federal authorities arrested 1,120 immigrants lacking permanent legal status during a weeklong joint operation in Florida, officials said. The statewide effort, dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” took place April 21-26, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hundreds of individuals from Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras were taken into custody, and many were listed as alleged members of foreign gangs, officials said.Those arrested included 378 criminal immigrants with final orders of removal issued by an immigration judge, they noted, adding that others are in ICE custody awaiting due process before an immigration judge or pending travel arrangements for removal. “Florida is proud to work closely with the Trump administration and help deliver on the 2024 mandate from America that our borders be secured and our immigration laws be followed. We will continue to engage in broad interior enforcement efforts,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said. Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife Commission, National Guard and Division of Emergency Management personnel were involved in the operation, DeSantis said.Florida officials partnered with ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service also helped with the sting operation, which the Trump administration said was authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Pam Bondi Says Trump Just Saved 258 Million American Lives --President Donald Trump held a rare televised Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to commemorate the achievements of his first 100 days in office, which include gutting large parts of the federal government, starting an economically damaging trade war, and wrongfully deporting innocent people to El Salvador. “We have a lot of things going,” Trump said, accurately enough.Trump’s Cabinet members, including Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, spoke in glowing, sycophantic terms about their boss. But Attorney General Pam Bondi took it a step further, claiming that Trump had actually saved the lives of around two out of every three Americans. Bondi cited recent fentanyl seizures as the reason for this supposedly momentous accomplishment. Fentanyl seizures have undoubtedly prevented a number of overdose deaths. But the math here is more than a little fuzzy, as evidenced by the fact that Bondi’s estimate has doubled since Tuesday, when she claimed on X that the seizures had saved over 119 million lives. At this rate, the Trump administration will save all of America by the end of the week and will have to move on to other countries.

House panel advances sweeping bill of Trump immigration priorities -- House Republicans advanced legislation Wednesday to back a series of President Trump’s immigration priorities, raising fees on those seeking refuge in the United States and boosting resources to detain and deport a record number of migrants. The measure advanced by the House Judiciary Committee includes funding to support the removal of 1 million migrants per year — a lofty goal that would well outpace the number of deportations carried out by any prior administration. That was coupled with $45 billion in funding to detain 100,000 migrants — almost triple the daily average under former President Biden and more than double the rate currently detained under Trump. The Judiciary panel’s bill comes alongside one weighed in the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, where Republicans added more than $45 billion to construct Trump’s border wall, forecasting 700 miles of new construction, along with new river barriers and other barriers. Both measures, along with those crafted by other committees, will be combined into one massive package full of Trump’s domestic priorities that Republicans aim to pass with only GOP votes. The bills were excoriated by Democrats who called the package of immigration policies antithetical to American values, particularly as the Trump administration expels migrants — in some cases to a Salvadoran prison — without court hearings to review claims of criminality. “My colleagues say these extreme measures are necessary to deport gang members, violent criminals, ‘the worst of the worst.’ But the Trump Administration is not targeting the worst of the worst. They’re arresting judges. They’re using federal agents to round-up law-abiding members of our communities with no criminal records, parents of American children, husbands and wives of American spouses—people who pose no threat to public safety,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. “If Donald Trump can sweep noncitizens off the street and fly them to a torturer’s prison in El Salvador with no Due Process, he can do it to citizens too, because if there is no cue process, no fair hearing, you have no opportunity to object.”

Judge rules Donald Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act for gangs is 'unlawful' -A federal district judge ruled Thursday that the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) does not permit President Trump to swiftly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to a prison in El Salvador, extending a block on the law being used against migrants detained in South Texas. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a Trump appointee, said the rarely used law can only be invoked when an “organized, armed force” is entering the United States, rejecting the president’s claims that he can use it against alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).The ruling from Rodriguez offered a historical deep dive into the rarely used statute — used just three times prior in U.S. history, and all during times of war — while parsing terms central to igniting the power. Rodriguez determined Trump’s efforts to use the law to deport alleged gang members strayed from the strict war powers, writing that Trump’s invocation “exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful.” “The Proclamation makes no reference to and in no manner suggests that a threat exists of an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States at the direction of Venezuela to conquer the country or assume control over a portion of the nation. Thus, the Proclamation’s language cannot be read as describing conduct that falls within the meaning of ‘invasion’ for purposes of the AEA,” he wrote.

Trump seeks Supreme Court end to Venezuelan protections - The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to end deportation protections for more than 600,000 Venezuelans, the administration’s latest plea for the justices to intervene in President Trump’s sweeping immigration agenda. The emergency application seeks to lift a San Francisco-based federal district judge’s ruling that halted the administration’s plans as a legal challenge proceeds, with that decision finding the abrupt policy change “smacks of racism.” “Its order upsets the judgments of the political branches, prohibiting the Executive Branch from enforcing a time-sensitive immigration policy and indefinitely extending an immigration status that Congress intended to be ‘temporary,’” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the application. Known as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the program protects from deportation those already in the country who cannot return to their home due to unrest or dangerous conditions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “vacated” a renewal of TPS for Venezuelans shortly after taking office in January, saying she was not going to let the prior administration “tie our hands.” Noem announced the move in an interview in which she repeatedly referred to migrants as “dirtbags.” The National TPS Alliance and seven Venezuelans protected by the program are suing over the administration’s move, claiming it was motivated in part by racial animus and did not follow the proper procedure. TPS may only be designated — and revoked — after a review of conditions on the ground of the country in question. When former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas designated Venezuela for TPS, he described a “severe humanitarian emergency due to a political and economic crisis, as well as human rights violations and abuses and high levels of crime and violence, that impacts access to food, medicine, health care, water, electricity, and fuel, and has led to high levels of poverty.”

Trump executive order requires truck drivers to speak English - President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that requires commercial truck drivers in the United States to be proficient in English. The text of the order acknowledges the essential role that truck drivers play in the U.S. economy and the livelihood of American people. “Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently,” the order said. Trump designated English as the country’s official language in an executive order in March. In his order on Monday, the president said proficiency in English should be non-negotiable for professional drivers. “They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order said. “Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English.”

China on Trump tariffs: ‘They make up bargaining chips out of thin air’ - Chinese officials on Monday criticized the Trump administration’s approach to negotiating tariff policy and accused the U.S. of bullying other nations. “They make up bargaining chips out of thin air, bully and go back on their words,” said Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s main economic planning agency. That approach, Zhao continued, “makes everyone see one thing more and more clearly, that is the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ severely go against historical trends and economic laws, impact international trade rules and order and seriously impair the legitimate rights and interests of countries.” The remarks came at a briefing Monday by several senior Chinese officials across numerous government agencies. The officials sought to reassure the public of the nation’s ability to weather any potential economic fallout from President Trump’s tariffs of 145 percent on Chinese imports. The government said it would increase support for companies to help keep workers employed and would take steps to encourage entrepreneurship among unemployed individuals, according to Yu Jiadong, a vice minister of Human Resources and Social Security. The People’s Bank of China will also cut interest rates and relax reserve requirements as needed to encourage lending, Zou Lan, a deputy governor of the bank, said Monday.

China Factory Activity Tumbles To 16 Month Low As Exports Crater On Trump Tariffs China’s manufacturing activity in April saw its worst contraction since December 2023, exposing sharp signs of weakness in Asia’s biggest economy from the trade war with the US, and boosting calls for fresh Chinese stimulus, which is always "just around the corner" but never arrives. In the aftermath of significantly higher US tariffs, China's official NBS manufacturing PMI fell to 49.0 in April from 50.5 in March, much lower than consensus expectations, the lowest reading since May 2023. The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, fell to 50.4 from 50.8 also missed expectations driven by weakness in both construction and services sectors, but remained above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction. Separately, the unofficial Caixin manufacturing PMI also fell to 50.4 in April from 51.2 in March.

China shrugs off threat of US tariffs to economy, says it has tools to protect jobs China’s leaders are downplaying the potential impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, saying they have the capacity to protect jobs and limit damage from higher tariffs on Chinese exports. The briefing Monday by several senior officials of different government ministries appeared aimed at shoring up confidence with promises of support for companies and the unemployed, easier lending conditions and other policies to counter the impact of combined tariffs of up to 145% on U.S. imports from China. It followed a meeting of China’s powerful Politburo last week that analysts said had focused on ways to counter keep growth on track despite slowing exports. “Chinese policymakers are on heightened standby mode,” Louise Loo, lead economist at Oxford Economics said in a a report. She noted that the policies were similar to earlier pronouncements. The status of exchanges, if any, between the White House and Chinese leader Xi Jinping remains unclear. Trump said last week that he’s actively negotiating with the Chinese government on tariffs — while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said talks have yet to start. Beijing has denied that any such talks were underway, and China has retaliated against Trump’s tariffs by putting 125% import duties on products from the U.S., among other measures. The officials who spoke Monday reiterated China’s rejection of what leaders there call bullying. “They make up bargaining chips out of thin air, bully and go back on their words, which makes everyone see one thing more and more clearly, that is the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ severely go against historical trends and economic laws, impact international trade rules and order and seriously impair the legitimate rights and interests of countries,” said Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s main economic planning agency. The trade war between the world’s two largest economies has the potential to bring on a recession in the U.S., with repercussions across the globe. China has been struggling to recharge its own growth after the job losses and other shocks of the pandemic. Economists at the International Monetary Fund and some investment houses have downgraded their estimates for growth in China this year, to about 4%. Millions of export oriented jobs are at stake. Still, Chinese officials say they believe the economy has the momentum to expand at the target rate of about 5% this year, in line with growth in 2024. Yu Jiadong, a vice minister of Human Resources and Social Security, told reporters in Beijing that a full and objective analysis shows China’s “employment policy toolbox is sufficient.” The government will step up support for companies to help them keep workers and also encourage entrepreneurship among the unemployed, Yu said. China also can manage without energy imports from the United States, said Zhao, the NDRC deputy director. “Enterprises reducing or even stopping energy imports from the United States will have no impact on our country’s energy supply,” he said. China has been gradually cutting its imports of U.S. grains and other farm products, and Zhao said that stopping such purchases would not compromise the food supply. Most grain purchases were for livestock feed and the international market has adequate stocks to make up for any reduction in imports of corn, sorghum, soy and oil from American suppliers, he said. A deputy governor of the central bank, Zou Lan, said the People’s Bank of China will cut interest rates and relax reserve requirements as needed to encourage lending. “Incremental policies will be introduced in a timely manner to help stabilize employment, enterprises, markets, and expectations,” Zou said. China can expand domestic demand through various policies including rebates for swapping old vehicles, appliances and factory equipment for new ones, Zhao said, forecasting that demand for equipment upgrades will exceed 5 trillion yuan ($34.8 billion) a year. In the longer term, China also is promoting the shift of more people to cities from the countryside, Zhao said. “Every 1 percentage point increase in the urbanization rate can stimulate trillions of investment demand,” he said. “Our country has very real potential and space to expand domestic demand.”

Bessent: ‘We put China to the side’ in trade negotiations --Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said late Wednesday that the U.S. has “put China to the side” as administration officials work to negotiate deals with other major trading partners. In an interview on Fox News’s “Hannity,” Bessent said the U.S. is prioritizing striking deals with 17 of the 18 major trading partners — all but China — and said the process is moving along “as quickly as possible.” “We’ve got 18 important trading partners. We put China to the side. Seventeen have not escalated; we are in negotiations with them. There’s a process in place,” Bessent told host Sean Hannity. Bessent reiterated that “all 17” of those countries “have approached us.” “We are batching them in groups at a time,” he continued. “But, you know, we’ve had 100 approach us, and we are working with the top 17 to try to move them along as quickly as possible.” Bessent said President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs on individual countries unveiled April 2 illustrated the “high level” of what’s “possible,” and that the threat of returning to those levels has sped up negotiations. “President Trump has created the maximum optionality, maximum pressure for our trading partners. And, you know, by showing the high level of tariffs from April 2 that are possible, they’ve all come to the table to negotiate,” Bessent told Hannity.

Stephen Miller claims Americans likely ‘willing to pay more’ for US-made dolls -- White House senior advisor Stephen Miller speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 22, 2025.Top White House aide Stephen Miller claimed Thursday that Americans are likely to be “willing to pay more” for American-made dolls.On Wednesday, President Trump said that children could have fewer toys amid high tariffs on trading partners.“You know, someone said, ‘Oh, the shelves, they’re going to be open.’ Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally,” the president said.During a Thursday press briefing, NBC News’s Peter Alexander referenced Trump’s comments from the previous day.“He was making the point that I think almost every American consumer agrees with, what — if they had a choice between … a doll from China that might have, say, lead paint in it, that is not as well constructed as a doll made in America, that has a higher environmental and regulatory standard, and that is made to a higher degree of quality, and those two products are both on Amazon, that yes, you’d probably be willing to pay more for a better-made American product,” Miller said in response to Alexander.

Trump floats income tax cut to ease tariff impact -President Trump floated a new income tax cut Sunday as a way to mitigate the impact of his sweeping tariffs, which polls show Americans increasingly believe will lead to higher prices. “When Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated,” Trump wrote in a post Sunday on his Truth Social platform. “Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year,” he continued. Trump defended the strategy behind his steep tariffs in his post, maintaining “massive numbers of jobs are already being created, with new plants and factories currently being built or planned. It will be a BONANZA FOR AMERICA!!! THE EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IS HAPPENING!!!” The comments echo previous suggestions from the president about potentially getting rid of federal income tax altogether and replacing it with tariffs or other levies. Some economists have raised questions about the feasibility of generating sufficient revenue through tariffs.Trump announced several waves of tariffs since taking office in January, including a 10 percent baseline and higher “reciprocal” tariffs on individual nations. Those higher tariffs on dozens of countries were paused to let nations try to make deals to avoid facing the steep levies.Most of the country-specific tariffs proposed by Trump are slated to take effect in July — barring any new trade deals or policy shifts ahead of that deadline — after he paused them for 90 days.However, tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada, as well as global levies on items such as automobiles and steel and aluminum, have already taken effect and disrupted global markets. A recent Associated Press-NORC Research poll found 3 in 4 Americans expect Trump’s tariff policies to raise the price of consumer goods in the U.S. At least 6 in 10 Americans said in an NBC News Stay Tuned survey released Sunday they disapprove of Trump’s handling of trade and tariffs as well as inflation.

Trump threatens to veto Senate resolution blocking tariffs -- President Trump on Monday threatened to veto a Senate resolution aimed at thwarting his imposition of tariffs on a host of countries.In a statement of administration policy obtained by The Hill, the Office of Management and Budget said Trump would veto the resolution introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) because it “would undermine the Administration’s efforts to address the unusual and extraordinary threats to national security and economic stability” posed by the trade deficit.Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, introduced the resolution earlier this month as a way for Congress to step in and rein in Trump on trade.A Senate vote on the legislation is expected by the end of the week and could happen as early as Wednesday.The Wyden bill would reverse Trump’s 10 percent tariffs on all imported goods, and prevent him from imposing additional tariffs up to 49 percent on various countries Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have shown support for checking the president’s trade authority in light of Trump’s latest actions that have caused rising recession fears.Another Senate bill would limit Trump’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress; seven Republican senators, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the Senate’s president pro tempore, and Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the former Senate Republican leader, signed onto it. Trump imposed sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on trading partners on April 2, which the White House dubbed “Liberation Day,” in a move that rattled the markets and led to calls from lawmakers and Wall Street to back off. The president on April 9 paused the hefty tariffs on trading partners for 90 days, keeping 10 percent tariffs in place, and raised the tariffs on China to 145 percent total.Administration officials have been in conversations with trading partners to reach deals on tariffs before the 90 days expire, but no deals have been finalized.

Trump signs orders to scale back auto tariffs -President Trump signed executive orders Tuesday scaling back his 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles and auto parts that are scheduled to go into effect May 3. The Trump administration will spare foreign auto parts from facing a double hit from the president’s auto tariffs and his previously imposed import taxes on foreign metals, instead charging the highest available rate per product. The administration will also allow automakers to apply for 15 percent price offsets in the first year of the tariffs and a 10 percent offset in the second year in a bid to get companies to increase domestic production of automobiles. The cost reductions for carmakers — which the administration is calling offsets and distinguishing from rebates — will be phased out in the third year, by which time officials expect auto supply chains to be sufficiently reshored. After the end of the second year, the 25 percent import tax on auto parts will be levied in full. On a call with reporters hours before Trump signed the executive orders, White House and Commerce Department officials said that the 15 and 10 percent reductions would be applied to the manufacturer’s recommended car price. Walking through the calculations, officials multiplied the 15 and 10 percent offsets to the 25 percent auto part tariff rate, arriving at effective tariff reductions of 3.75 percent and 2.5 percent. The average value of the offset would be around $1,500 per vehicle, they said. The reductions would apply equally to foreign automakers and domestic automakers as long as production takes place within the United States and uses American workers.

"Inside the Auto Tariff Battle: What Washington Is Not Saying Out Loud" -- This substack is from a auto industry insider: Inside the Auto Tariff Battle: What Washington Is Not Saying Out Loud - The news is spinning a safe version of what is happening. They are missing the real pulse. Right now, April 2025, the Trump administration has dropped a hammer. ... Some midsize SUVs and pickup trucks are quietly getting new sticker prices. The big jump is expected by June. Most insiders are whispering five to fifteen percent increases depending on the model. Some high-volume imports could climb even higher. CR Note: From ABC News this morning: Trump to ease tariffs faced by US automakers - President Donald Trump is set to provide tariff relief for carmakers on Tuesday, just weeks after the onset of auto levies triggered warnings of price increases. An administration official confirmed that the 25% tariff on finished foreign-made cars and parts will remain -- but today's announcement will prevent tariffs from stacking on top of other tariffs he's imposed, such as duties on steel and aluminum. Trump's 25% tariff on foreign auto parts goes into effect on Saturday and automakers will also be reimbursed for those tariffs up to an amount equal to 3.75% of the value of a U.S.-made car for one year. Reimbursement would fall to 2.5% of the car's value in a second year, and then completely phased out altogether.

Trump says China ‘probably will eat those tariffs’ --President Trump said in an interview broadcasting later Tuesday that China “will probably eat those tariffs” when talking about the 145 percent overall tariff on its products. The president got into a heated back-and-forth with ABC’s Terry Moran when talking about the import tax, with Moran arguing the tariff is going to “raise prices on everything from electronics, to clothing, to building houses.” “You don’t know that, you don’t know whether or not China’s going to eat it,” Trump cut in at the end of Moran’s statement. “That’s mathematics,” Moran said, also cutting in at the end of Trump’s response. “China probably will eat those tariffs,” Trump replied. “But at 145, they basically can’t do much business with the United States. And, they were making from us a trillion dollars a year, they were ripping us off like nobody’s ever ripped us off.” Trump’s tariff policy in the first few months of his presidency has rattled markets across the globe, raised economic anxiety and strained relationships with trading partners across the globe. Chinese officials have gone after the Trump administration’s approach to negotiating tariff policy. “They make up bargaining chips out of thin air, bully and go back on their words,” Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of China’s main economic planning agency, said Sunday. Zhao added that the method “makes everyone see one thing more and more clearly, that is the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ severely go against historical trends and economic laws, impact international trade rules and order and seriously impair the legitimate rights and interests of countries.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked by reporters at the White House on Monday about trade talks with China. He did not detail the type of talks, if any, Trump’s administration was participating in alongside China but said that the tariffs would cause pain for Beijing instead of the U.S. “I think that, over time, we will see that the Chinese tariffs are unsustainable for China,” Bessent said.

Senators to force vote to claw back Trump's tariff authority -- Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said she will force a vote Wednesday on a bipartisan resolution to terminate the national emergency declaration Donald Trump is using to impose sweeping tariffs. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., will force the vote Wednesday on a bipartisan resolution aimed at terminating the national emergency declaration used by Donald Trump to impose sweeping tariffs.

Trump's shifting stance on tariffs amid economic concerns - President Trump is switching up his messaging on the economy amid growing concern from voters and even fellow Republicans about his trade agenda. After months of expressing unabashed confidence in his plans to impose sweeping tariffs, Trump is acknowledging the pain the U.S. economy may face under steep import taxes. The latest economic blow to Trump came through Wednesday’s disappointing report on economic growth, which fell sharply in the first quarter due to a surge of imports ahead of the president’s tariffs. While Trump and his top economic officials touted the strength of other areas of the economy and brushed off the tariff impact, the president also attempted to blame the decline on former President Biden. Trump conceded that tariffs could push up prices and potentially lead to goods shortages, urging business leaders Wednesday to be patient with him and acknowledging that American consumers might just have to grin and bear it. “Somebody said, ‘Oh, the shelves are going to be open.’ Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know. And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally,” he said during a Wednesday Cabinet meeting. Trump’s tariff comments run counter to his previous positions on their economic effects and represent a departure from his pledge to lower costs following the highest levels of inflation in 40 years. “Tariffs don’t cause inflation. They cause success,” Trump said earlier this year when announcing 25-percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada that the administration later halted. Trump’s new tone assumes that consumers will support the tariffs despite their price effects, a point that the president has acknowledged in the past. “There could be some temporary, short-term disruption, and people will understand that,” he said in the Oval Office in January. The messaging shift comes as Trump faces escalating backlash from the business community, concerns from Republican allies and steeply declining approval ratings.Trump’s perceived strength on the economy — his biggest selling point for U.S. voters in 2024 — has taken a hit in recent weeks.Pollsters for Pew found a 45 percent economic confidence rating for Trump in April, the lowest rating in such surveys since 2019. Economic confidence in Trump is at 44 percent in polling from Gallup, close to his first-term average. Trump’s economic approval rating is still higher than Biden’s, which bottomed out around 35 percent in 2023.

Trump: ‘I run the country and the world’ = President Trump shared his thoughts on how his two terms as president have differed, saying in a new interview with The Atlantic that this time around he’s leading “the country and the world.” “The first time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys,” Trump said in the interview published Monday. “And the second time, I run the country and the world.” Trump has taken broad executive action on a range of issues since returning to office in January, with his moves on immigration and trade drawing the most attention and producing intense pushback in courts and among global leaders, respectively. On trade, Trump sparked backlash globally by announcing tariffs on most countries, including top U.S. trading partners, though he has paused some of the country-specific levies until July. The rollercoaster action on trade has rattled global markets and raised economic anxiety. Relationships with longtime American allies have also seen strain with rhetoric rhetoric around acquiring Greenland and of Canada becoming part of the U.S. Meanwhile, Trump has focused much of his first few months in office on trying to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. While speaking with The Atlantic, the president also commented on the possibility of a third bid for the White House, something he has previously flirted with but which GOP lawmakers have largely dismissed as joking. “It’s not something that I’m looking to do. And I think it would be a very hard thing to do,” Trump said in the interview.

Trump posting apparent AI photo of himself as the Pope - President Donald Trump posted a seemingly artificially enhanced photo of himself depicted as the pope on Truth Social Friday night and it has sparked dueling backlash and praise on social media. Newsweek reached out to the Vatican via email Friday night for comment. Pope Francis' death on April 21 marked a time of mourning for millions of Catholics around the world. Francis died from complications related to a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. His funeral took place on Saturday in St. Peter's Square in front of heads of state. Francis' body was laid to rest in St. Mary Major, one of the four papal basilicas in Rome. The president posted the picture at 10:29 p.m. Friday, without a caption or comment. The post immediately garnered positive and negative reaction online. Trump was asked this week whom he'd like to see succeed Francis as the new pope. "I'd like to be pope," he quipped. Continuing, he added while speaking to reporters on Wednesday: "That would be my number one choice. No, I don't know, I have no preference. ... I must say, we have a cardinal [Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York since 2009] that happens to be out of a place called New York, who's very good.

Vance: Meeting 1 day before pope’s death ‘sign from God’ - -Vice President Vance said his meeting with Pope Francis one day before his death was a nod from a higher power.Vance met with the pontiff on Easter Sunday before attending mass with him at the Vatican, after which he departed to India for a four-day trip.“About an hour after we landed, a staffer came over and said, ‘Sir, the pope died.’ I obviously felt very sad, and my thought went immediately to the pope, but also to all these Catholics who love him,” Vance told Fox News Digital.“But then it kind of hit me — oh my God — I was one of the last people to talk to him. I just take it as a great honor and a sign from God to remember that you never know when your last day on this Earth is.” The vice president converted to Catholicism in 2019.Vance said he did not expect to meet the religious leader but described their interaction as a “gracious” encounter. He said Francis gave him three chocolate Easter eggs for his small children in addition to a Vatican tie and rosaries, according to the outlet.“The pope was very kind — he was obviously very frail,” Vance said.

Trump buyouts drive brain drain at federal agencies - Federal workers who once held energy and environment positions protecting national parks and public health or trying to bolster the electric grid to avoid disasters are heading for the exit as President Donald Trump’s campaign to shrink the government accelerates.Scores of staffers who’ve recently left jobs at the Interior, Agriculture and Energy departments, as well as EPA, are landing on social networking platforms like LinkedIn, embracing the hashtag #OpenToWork to pitch themselves for new careers. While Trump administration officials have applauded the staff downsizing as a much-needed curtailing of federal bloat, former and current employees say the overhaul is driving a historic loss of institutional knowledge. The losses could be hard to reverse, damaging the government’s ability to craft and implement energy and environmental policy for years to come, they warned. Potentially, the personnel losses could also undermine the president’s pursuit of his “energy dominance” agenda.“You can’t understate the expertise and institutional knowledge we’re losing,” said one career staffer at the Department of Energy. “Directors and senior leaders who have run programs and offices that release hundreds of millions of dollars annually.” After the first round of employees accepted the deferred resignation offer, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NewsNation the administration would end up saving hundreds of millions of dollars. “We are saving taxpayers money at the end of the day,” she said. “This is going to make our government more efficient. The staff losses are eye-popping. At the USDA, as many as 16,000 people are leaving the agency through the administration’s voluntary programs, GovExec reported. The DOE has yet to confirm how many staffers have opted to resign or retire early, but multiple career staffers watching the tally internally say the number is believed to have surpassed 3,200. Interior leadership has also shied away from releasing numbers. An estimated 2,700 Interior employees took the administration’s initial “Fork in the Road” deferred resignation offer, but the number of people leaving through additional voluntary separation programs has likely escalated in recent weeks at the more than 60,000-strong agency, according to staffers who spoke with E&E News. At EPA, almost 550 employees jumped on the first deferred resignation option offered in January that allows them to go on paid leave through the end of the fiscal year in September and then leave the agency.Meanwhile, “it’s a nightmare, so many good people have left,” said one EPA employee. “And so many new people — the future — are cut.”A sweep of resignations and retirements have emptied key leadership posts across Interior bureaus and agencies like the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, forcing other employees to take on the managerial responsibilities in an “acting” capacity, according to internal documents viewed by E&E News.In an April 18 memo, NPS acting Director Jessica Bowron said key leadership roles at the agency were “undergoing transitions” as a result of voluntary resignations and retirements.The memo shows 46 percent of the agency’s top leadership posts are currently in this state of limbo. Posts that have been temporarily filled include the deputy director of management and administration, four of the service’s seven regional directors and chief of the Office of International Affairs — that post is temporarily being filled by a former executive assistant to the NPS director..Still, a bleed of employees in high positions appears to be occurring across national park lands. NPS is trying to speed-hire 36 leadership positions in national parks across the country, mostly for superintendents and park managers, that are currently vacant, according to an April 21 email to the agency’sleadership from NPS’s deputy director of operations, Frank Lands.Those posts were open for “lateral” hiring, at an accelerated rate, meaning existing NPS workers could seek to take the roles. The posts include the deputy superintendent of Yosemite National Park. The rushed effort to fill emptying seats underscores Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s pledge to keep parks open to the public and preserve services, despite changes in Washington. It also comes on the heels of Burgum ordering the centralizing of administrative positions at Interior in the Washington headquarters, in a flip from the long-standing norm that agencies like the Bureau of Land Management or the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management would retain their own computer technicians, personnel managers and communications staff in the field.Thousands of workers leaving the DOE are spread across the department, working on bolstering the U.S. electric grid, deploying renewables, meeting national climate goals and even building out Trump’s own agenda around supply chains.Career staffers inside the agency say the losses are hitting policy offices hard, even those like DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, which works on supply chains, manufacturing and building out critical mineral capacity.One DOE career staffer who recently left their post said such a large number of employees leaving will put “enormous pressure” on those who remain and curtail the ability of department programs to function properly.

Duffy unveils air traffic controller recruitment, retention program --Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched a new cash incentive program aimed at recruiting and retaining air traffic controllers, he announced Thursday.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will give $5,000 bonuses to all academy graduates and new hires that complete initial qualification training. Academy graduates assigned to 13 facilities that have faced additional hiring struggles will get $10,000.Additionally, certified professional controllers who are younger than 56 and opt not to retire when eligible will receive bonuses equal to 20 percent of their basic pay for each year they continue to work.he new incentives are being offered for a limited time, but an FAA spokesman told The Hill a formal time frame has not been set.In our first 100 days, this administration has made more progress on addressing the air traffic controller shortage than the last one did in four years,” Duffy said in a statement. “But there’s more work to be done to secure our skies.”Duffy announced in February he was looking for ways to “supercharge” staffing, noting the shortages he saw just weeks after the Senateconfirmed him for the top transportation role.“This staffing shortage has been a known challenge for over a decade, and this administration is committed to solving it,” Duffy said at the time.

Almost half of layoffs this year driven by DOGE cuts: Report -Nearly half of all layoffs so far in 2025 have been driven by cuts related to the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to slash government funding and reduce the size of the federal workforce, according to a new report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. The report shows that “DOGE Actions” led to 283,172 job cuts in the first four months of 2025, and “DOGE Downstream Impact” was cited as the reason for another 6,945 job losses, which the report indicates largely come from non-profits and education organizations. Together, that accounts for 48 percent of all job cuts announced so far this year. The vast majority of job cuts related to “DOGE Actions” occurred in March, which saw 216,670 positions cut. Government job cuts last month also accounted for the vast majority of layoffs across all sectors, which totaled 275,240 in March. In April, job cuts attributed to DOGE plummeted, with just 2,919 announced cuts attributed to the government cost-cutting initiative spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk. But April still saw a high number of job cuts — 105,441 — the highest level since April 2020, which was the highest month ever recorded by the outplacement firm, which began reporting on job cuts in 1989. Reasons given for April cuts include “Market/Economic Conditions” and tariffs and restructuring. “Though the Government cuts are front and center, we saw job cuts across sectors last month. Generally, companies are citing the economy and new technology,” said Andrew Challenger, the firm’s senior vice president. “Employers are slow to hire and limiting hiring plans as they wait and see what will happen with trade, supply chain, and consumer spending.”

Trump rule would overhaul feds’ performance evaluations - -The Trump administration on Thursday announced a proposed rule that would revamp how senior federal employees’ performance is evaluated.The Office of Personnel Management’s draft rule would allow agencies to apply a “forced distribution” of performance rating levels for members of the Senior Executive Service, which includes some of the highest-ranking career government officials.Agencies are currently barred from using a forced distribution system, but the Trump team says enforcing limits on how many senior executives can achieve top ratings would “encourage excellence in performance.”This proposal marks the Trump administration’s latest move to overhaul how federal employees are evaluated while simultaneously making it easier to fire workers deemed poor performers.

Interior freezes personnel movement ahead of possible layoffs - The Interior Department has placed an indefinite hold on employee reassignments or changes to work locations as it determines what positions and staff could be cut in layoffs. A Friday memorandum from Stephanie Holmes, Interior’s acting chief human capital officer, follows a mandate issued last week directing Interior staffers to update their resumes and certify the accuracy of individual “employee data reports” listing staffers’ pay grades and job titles, as well as length of service. That information is being used to develop retention rosters that will determine what staff positions are cut in any layoff scenario. Holmes wrote that beginning “immediately” the decision to freeze “personnel actions within the Department” is being carried out “to ensure stability during our current employee data review processes and to streamline our operational focus associated with potential reductions in force (RIF),” according to the memo reviewed by POLITICO’s E&E News. The latest memo adds to the uncertainty agency staffers are facing as they brace for possibly large-scale layoffs.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security data -- The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to let the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access millions of Americans’ personal data stored by the Social Security Administration (SSA) while it appeals an order that iced the advisory group out. The emergency application asks the justices to lift a Maryland federal judge’s injunction blocking DOGE from poking around the SSA’s systems that contain personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, bank data, and earnings history. “This emergency application presents a now-familiar theme: a district court has issued sweeping injunctive relief without legal authority to do so, in ways that inflict ongoing, irreparable harm on urgent federal priorities and stymie the Executive Branch’s functions,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the application. Sauer argued that DOGE’s mission to “streamline government, eliminate waste, ferret out fraud and modernize outdated systems” is undermined by U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander’s order keeping the advisory group out of the SSA’s networks. “The government cannot eliminate waste and fraud if district courts bar the very agency personnel with expertise and the designated mission of curtailing such waste and fraud from performing their jobs,” he said. While the order still allows the SSA to provide DOGE with access to redacted or anonymized data and records, it requires DOGE agents to have received the necessary training for those systems. Hollander, an appointee of former President Obama, wrote in her April 17 opinion granting injunctive relief that DOGE’s objectives are “laudable” and taxpayers have “every right” to expect their government to ensure their “hard-earned money is not squandered.” But that work is not the problem. “The issue is about how they want to do the work,” the judge wrote. DOGE’s access to Social Security was challenged by a coalition of government unions, backed by the left-leaning legal group Democracy Forward. The unions claim DOGE’s unfettered access to the sensitive data flouts privacy laws and the SSA’s own rules and regulations. The coalition’s response to the emergency request is due Monday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in a divided 9-6 vote Wednesday said it would not pause Hollander’s injunction, prompting the administration to seek relief from the Supreme Court.

Trump administration plans to limit ‘forever chemical’ discharges -The Trump administration will set limits on the amount of “forever chemicals” producers of the toxic substances can discharge into the water, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Monday.The administration said it will set discharge limits for a class of toxic chemicals known as PFAS. The limitations will apply to companies that make these substances, as well as metal finishers.In a press release announcing the move, the EPA also said it will evaluate whether additional limits are necessary to reduce releases of PFAS. PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is the name of a family of thousands of chemicals that can persist in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years without breaking down.These chemicals have become pervasive in U.S. waterways and drinking water systems — as well as in all of us. In 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey Determined that they were in the tap water of 45 percent of Americans. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that they are in the bloodstream of at least 97 percent of Americans.Exposure to many PFAS has been linked to adverse health outcomes including cancer, kidney, liver and thyroid problems — as well as fertility and immune system problems. The Trump administration’s scrutiny of these chemicals comes as it seeks to implement its “Make America Healthy Again” agenda — under which the president and others have expressed concerns about Americans’ exposure to toxic chemicals. At the same time, however, the administration has taken other steps to deregulate the power and chemical industries, which could expose Americans to additional harmful substances. The Biden administration similarly announced in 2021 that it planned to propose a rule that limited releases of PFAS — but it never actually did so.

EPA Says It Will Act on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Advocates Raise Red Flags - As the Environmental Protection Agency works to roll back multiple public-health protections, it announced Monday that it intends to take action to combat toxic forever chemicals. Advocates are skeptical, saying the language of the announcement raises red flags. The EPA announcement consists of a list of proposed actions to target contamination by per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The list includes plans to advance remediation and cleanup efforts for PFAS in drinking water, ramp up research and testing and designate an agency lead to oversee it all. The announcement does not name the person who will oversee this work, a timeline for action or a number of other specifics. The announcement also fails to mention last year’s landmark EPA standard on PFAS in drinking water, which the chemical industry and water utilities sued over. The Trump administration has until May 12 to decide whether it will continue to defend the Biden-era rule—which was accompanied by a $1 billion investment in state-level water testing and treatment—in court. EPA did not answer questions from Inside Climate News about the rule, the litigation or Monday’s announcement. This comes after President Donald Trump’s administration has already begun dismantling environmental protections across multiple agencies, including for clean air, public lands, waterways and wastewater. The administration has also eliminated future funding for climate and health research and canceled grants for research on environmental health, including millions of dollars in research on PFAS accumulation in the food chain. PFAS are toxic, long-lasting chemicals that are found in drinking water, soil, food, household products and more, and can come from everyday items like food packaging, clothing or cookware. They are called “forever chemicals” because they can take over a thousand years to break down. Almost all Americans have PFAS in their blood, and nearly half the country is drinking PFAS-contaminated water. PFAS exposure has been linked to severe health harms like cancer, reproductive problems, low birth weight, high cholesterol, developmental issues, decreased immunity and thyroid problems. Advocates flagged some of the word choices in the EPA’s announcement, pointing out potential openings for industry actors, who have lobbied hard against PFAS regulations.Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, said the announcement suggests the EPA will delay compliance obligations and provide exemptions for polluters. Benesh pointed to a promise in the announcement to address “compliance challenges” for PFAS in drinking water, noting that water utilities have often asked for more time to comply with health-related rules. “One way that the EPA could say that they are addressing compliance issues, quote-unquote, is through delays, by giving those utilities additional time,” Benesh said.

This might be Trump’s most absurd executive order yet -On April 9, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Directing the Repeal of Unlawful Regulations.” This document has mostly gone under the national radar, undoubtedly due to the ceaseless parade of headline illegalities pouring out of the White House. But the order’s legal and practical implications are massive. Trump purports to rely on a series of Supreme Court rulings to justify ordering agencies to identify and “begin plans to repeal” what he calls “unlawful” regulations that are “often promulgated in reliance on now-superseded Supreme Court decisions.” In short, he claims that any regulations that were put in place before the court issued rulings in a series of controversial cases are now automatically unlawful and must go. The myriad constitutional problems with this maneuver strike at the heart of the separation of powers. The order is also in line with the Republican Party’s pro-corporate “deregulation” agenda, which prominently began with President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Given the complexities of our system of government and its reliance on checks and balances and compromise, that agenda could not be fully achieved through lawful means. Then came Trump.For starters, the federal courts — not the president — have the authority under Article III of the Constitution to decide cases involving questions of federal law, including whether recent Supreme Court decisions undermine the legality of an existing federal regulation. Trump is pretending he has the power to issue a king-like proclamation condemning unidentified federal regulations as unlawful. Not so. He is not a federal judge.Moreover, Trump’s order baldly impedes on the authority of the legislative branch. Regulations are created pursuant to statutes, which fall within the province of Congress. Although regulations function like statutes, the Supreme Court has long upheld agencies’ power to enact regulations that function like statutes on the theory that the agencies themselves are creatures of Congress.So long as Congress includes an “intelligible principle” guiding how agencies promulgate regulations, the court has concluded that it can give that power to agencies, even though they are housed within the executive branch, which is headed by the president. Because Congress creates agencies and sometimes gives them the power to enact regulations, the legislature has the exclusive power to enact statutes that override those regulations, as well. Trump does not.A final option for repealing final regulations (which number 3,000 to 4,000 per year) is for agencies themselves to do it. Congress has given agencies a list of procedures they must follow for enacting or repealing regulations. Those procedures are contained in a statute called the Administrative Procedure Act. Enacting or repealing regulations with the force of law (i.e., the ones that function like statutes) is laborious, requiring the agencies to give notice to and get input from the public, among other hurdles. A decision to enact or repeal regulations is also subject to legal challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act. (See point above about the exclusive role of the courts here.)So, for Trump to lawfully repeal what he deems “unlawful regulations,” he must either go through Congress or invoke the Administrative Procedure Act’s time-consuming process for repeal. If he chooses that latter route, he must then defend those repeals in the courts, which can take years to resolve. And if he doesn’t like the tedium of the Administrative Procedure Act, which has been in place since 1946, he must persuade Congress to repeal or amend it. No Congress has been willing to do this in nearly 80 years, except to enhance executive accountability, as with the 1966 Freedom of Information Act.

Trump moves to tackle school discipline, but advocates divided on federal approach to classroom issue --President Trump is shining a spotlight on the issue of school discipline, which is closely related to the growing problems of learning loss and falling test scores, though it’s unclear how much can be done about classroom behavior from the federal level. As part of a recent list of moves on education, Trump signed an executive order to create new federal school discipline guidance for K-12 institutions, with those in school leadership positions saying the problem has grown steadily worse since the 2020 pandemic. While parents and educators agree something needs to be done, satisfying solutions for all parties are hard to find. “This is long overdue,” said Neeraja Deshpande, policy analyst and engagement coordinator at Independent Women. “I see this as a really good sign, that they’re really bluntly saying that discipline needs to come back in America schools, because it’s good for students, for teachers — it’s honestly best for the most disadvantaged students,” she added. The executive order from Trump, who has long talked about a need to get “tough” in U.S. schools, requires Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the attorney general to team up and create guidance regarding school discipline, along with coordinating with state officials on “the prevention of racial discrimination in the application of school discipline.” Since the pandemic and its related school closures, surveys year after year have shown concerns about student behavior in the classroom. Earlier this year, 48 percent of educators and school leaders said student behavior was a lot worse now than before the pandemic, according to the EdWeek Research Center. In 2023, about one-third of educators felt that way. In his order, Trump blamed the policies of former Presidents Obama and Biden for the increase in behavioral issues, saying the problem started with Obama in 2014 when a “Dear Colleague” letter was sent out warning schools they could be in violation of Title IX if more official punishments are handed out to students of one particular race or ethnicity. That 11-year-old letter pointed out Black students are three times more likely than White students to be expelled or suspended. “The Departments recognize that disparities in student discipline rates in a school or district may be caused by a range of factors. However, research suggests that the substantial racial disparities of the kind reflected in the CRDC [Civil Rights Data Collection] data are not explained by more frequent or more serious misbehavior by students of color,” it said.

Trump tightens the screws on education funding - Since Trump’s March 20 executive order to close the Department of Education (ED), the nationwide coordinated effort to dismantle public education is escalating, resulting in educator layoffs, school closures or consolidations and the sudden termination of tutoring and other essential services.On April 29, the ED announced it would terminate $1 billion in grants for mental health professionals in K-12 schools. On April 15, Trump canceled $400 million to AmeriCorps, which supplies more than 54,000 tutors, mentors, classroom assistants and reading or math specialists to schools and after-school programs. On April 1, five regional Head Start offices were closed, and it was then reported that Trump planned to eliminate the early childhood education program.On March 28, Education Secretary Linda McMahon abruptly reversed $4.4 billion in pandemic aid spending extensions.According to lawsuits filed by at least 20 states against the Trump administration, these escalating “catastrophic” cuts are causing “immediate and devastating harm.”The stage was set in 2024, when the Biden administration chose not to renew funding for schools under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, which allocated $190.5 billion to assist schools in three phases beginning in 2020. Instead, the Democrats prioritized the predatory US-NATO war against Russia, the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza and preparations for war with China.The loss of the ESSER fund is, by far, the most significant source of the decline in K-12 revenues. However, Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s abrupt layoff of half of the Department of Education staff and her sudden reversal of all state-approved ESSER III spending extensions have truly been a lethal blow.McMahon justified the immediate revocation of billions of dollars in reimbursements to districts for approved and incurred school expenses by claiming COVID-19 is “over.”This pretext is a particularly cruel lie. COVID-19 is far from over. Children continue to be infected and reinfected in schools, which were never retrofitted with devices essential for clean air and disease control. Other airborne diseases are also rife in out-of-date school buildings across the US. The 2024-2025 flu season took the lives of 188 children, a near record.Further, Congress had already appropriated the ESSER funds, making McMahon’s actions a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, a foundational piece of federal law. Baltimore, Maryland, presents a horrifying picture of the current assault on educators, children and families. After losing an estimated 100,000 manufacturing jobs—in steel and shipbuilding—in the second half of the 20th century, Baltimore now has a poverty rate of 20.3 percent and is among the nation’s poorest cities. Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) have long been underfunded. But the sudden revocation of federal pandemic assistance left City Schools with a shortfall of $48 million from unreimbursed ESSER expenditures. This amounts to 14 percent of the district’s budget. The results have been immediate and catastrophic, including:

House Republicans unveil higher education reform plans -House Republicans have unveiled their plans to reform higher education in the U.S. through budget reconciliation text released Monday. The text hits on a variety of issues as it looks to expand Pell Grants, change student loan repayment plans and put limits on how much some individuals can borrow. The measure will go to a full committee markup Tuesday as House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) was tasked with saving more than $330 billion to help President Trump’s tax plan. “For decades Congress has responded to the student loan crisis by throwing more and more taxpayer dollars at the problem — never addressing the root causes of skyrocketing college costs. Colleges have ridden this gravy train of taxpayer dollars without any accountability for the quality of the education they provide or whether students can find jobs when they graduate,” Walberg said in a statement. “This plan brings accountability and holds schools financially responsible for loading students up with debt. The bill also includes other reforms that will lower costs for students and families while ensuring the fiscal sustainability of targeted programs like the Pell Grant. Bottom line, it’s time to fix this broken cycle that is costly to taxpayers and leaves students worse off than if they never went to college,” he added. The reforms look to only offer borrowers two student loan repayment options, taking away other options available to those repaying student loans now. The two available options would be a Repayment Assistance Plan, an income-based repayment plan or a standard repayment plan. The text would also create a limit for how much different types of students, whether graduate, undergraduate or parents, can borrow from the federal government for school and expand Pell Grants to those who want to go into short-term training programs. Changes to the plans are still likely at this stage, but shifts to the student loan system come as the Trump administration recently announced it will restart involuntary collections against borrowers who are in default. “We really see this as an attack on students and working families with student loan debt. We’ve seen an array of really problematic proposals that are on the table for congressional Republicans,” Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for Student Borrower Protection Center, previously told The Hill when earlier versions of the potential budget reconciliation text were released.

Judge denies injunction on Trump's DEI executive orders-- A federal judge on Friday declined to block the enforcement of key provisions in President Trump’s executive orders involving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and gender in a challenge by three civil and human rights organizations. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly denied the advocacy groups’ request for a preliminary injunction, which would have prohibited the Trump administration from implementing parts of three executive orders against the challengers. The judge said they failed to establish standing for half of the challenged provisions, and on the other provisions, their constitutional claims “falter for various reasons.” “The motion before the Court is not about whether DEI policies, however defined in a given context, are good public policy. Nor is it about whether specific DEI initiatives comply with antidiscrimination law,” Kelly wrote in a 58-page order. “Instead, it is about whether Plaintiffs have shown that they are entitled to a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the executive orders at issue. “Because they are not likely to prevail on the merits, the Court will deny the motion,” he said.The three organizations — National Urban League, National Fair Housing Alliance and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago — sued earlier this year, contending that Trump’s orders violate their First Amendment rights by censoring their views on DEI, accessibility and transgender rights. They also said the orders limit their ability to provide social and health services, like HIV treatment, fair housing and civil rights protections. Donya Khadem, a lawyer for the groups, said during a hearing in March that the breadth of the orders has made it challenging to know how to comply. She pointed to the president’s executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

Trump orders Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end federal funding for NPR and PBS — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end federal funding for America’s two biggest public broadcasters, which have faced a series of attacks from the White House and Republican lawmakers accusing them of biased reporting. The order instructs the CPB’s board to terminate direct funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service to the “maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding.” It also orders the board to take steps to “minimize or eliminate” indirect funding to NPR and PBS. The executive order also directs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate NPR and PBS for possible employment discrimination, and it instructs the heads of all other federal agencies to “identify and terminate” any direct or indirect funding of the media organizations, as allowed by the law. The order follows previous attacks on the public broadcasters by the Trump administration and prominent Republicans. Each year, the CPB disperses $535 million in taxpayer funds to public radio and TV stations nationwide, stations provide free and universal access to educational shows, emergency alerts and a wide array of news and cultural content. This includes stations with PBS and NPR, as well as some lesser-known public media outlets. The White House has said it will soon ask Congress to claw back the money already allocated for CPB over the next two years. Without the federal funding, some local stations could be forced off the air, especially in rural areas that are Republican strongholds. In many cases “these are the last locally owned broadcasters in these communities,” Ed Ulman, the CEO of Alaska Public Media, told CNN last month. Earlier this week, the CPB filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after three of its five board members were terminated by email. The three board members who received the emails — Laura G. Ross, Thomas E. Rothman and Diane Kaplan — were appointed by then-President Joe Biden in 2022 (Ross was originally appointed by Trump in 2018 and then reappointed by Biden). Congress specifically set up the corporation as a private entity “to afford maximum protection from extraneous interference and control,” according to a law passed in 1967. The legislation expressly forbids the government from exercising “any direction, supervision, or control over educational television or radio broadcasting.”

Trump dismisses scientists writing the National Climate Assessment - - The Trump administration on Monday dismissed all of the scientists working on the newest version of the National Climate Assessment, a sweeping report that outlines the growing dangers of rising temperatures for lawmakers, policy experts and the public.The sixth installment of the congressionally mandated report, which was due to come out by 2028, has typically been put together by about 400 researchers, many of whom are top scientists at universities who volunteer their time. The assessment is used to craft environmental rules, legislation and infrastructure project planning. It seen by experts as the definitive body of research about how global warming is transforming the country.Work had already begun on the sixth version. The Trump administration ended that with a note sent to researchers Monday.“At this time, the scope of the NCA6 is currently being reevaluated in accordance with the Global Change Research Act of 1990,” contributors were told in an email obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The move was roundly criticized by climate scientists late Monday as the news spread. The assessments help Americans “understand how climate change is impacting their daily lives already and what to expect in the future,” said Rachel Cleetus, one of the researchers who was dismissed.“Trying to bury this report won’t alter the scientific facts one bit, but without this information our country risks flying blind into a world made more dangerous by human-caused climate change,” said Cleetus, a senior policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, in a statement. “The only beneficiaries of disrupting or killing this report are the fossil fuel industry and those intent on boosting oil and gas profits at the expense of people’s health and the nation’s economic well-being.”The plan closely tracks with a proposal by White House budget director Russ Vought, who has urged the Trump administration to toss out all work on the assessment that began under former President Joe Biden. Vought wants to help pick a new group of researchers to issue a report that reflects the administration’s claims that climate change is not a serious threat. That report might focus on how climate change “benefits” the U.S., according to a plan he outlined in Project 2025, the conservative policy proposal produced by the Heritage Foundation.

EPA to dissolve research office - EPA will cut staffing to Reagan-era levels and gut its stand-alone Office of Research and Development, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Friday. The agency will move some scientists in its research office to other divisions, with the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention set to gain “more than 130 scientific, bioinformatic, technical, and information technology experts,” the agency said in a news release. That office is charged with reviewing new chemicals and pesticides. “In this reorganization, the agency is shifting its scientific expertise and research efforts to program offices to tackle statutory obligations and mission essential functions,” Zeldin said in a video message. Zeldin has promised to cut agency spending by 65 percent to support the Trump administration’s broader government-slashing aims. The White House issued a proposal Friday that would cut the agency’s budget by 55 percent in fiscal 2026. EPA has not said how many jobs would be eliminated but that the agency’s employment levels will resemble those during President Ronald Reagan’s administration. The agency had on average between 1,000 and 3,000 fewer full-time staff during those years compared to over 15,000 at the end of the Biden administration. The agency said it’s creating a new “Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions,” to “elevate research efforts, put science at the forefront of the agency’s rulemaking, and enhance technical assistance service for states and local partners.” In addition, EPA will gain an “Office of State Air Partnerships” to focus on issuing permits to states, tribes and local governments “more efficiently,” he continued.

Zeldin’s plan for endangerment finding: Accept warming, contest its costs - One of the biggest mysteries surrounding President Donald Trump’s EPA is how it plans to revoke the endangerment finding — the lifeblood of most climate regulations.Hints about its strategy may have been hiding in plain sight for a month now — ever since EPA announced a slew of deregulatory actions in a single afternoon.Experts said EPA may be betting that it can upend the scientific finding — which paved the way for the nation’s rules on climate pollution on cars, power plants and across other sectors — without taking direct aim at the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases are driving up global temperatures. Instead EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and other officials whom the president tasked in January with undoing the finding could raise questions about whether a sector — or even the whole country — contributes enough climate pollution globally to warrant regulation.They may also try to redefine how air pollution can harm the public — a necessary predicate for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.“Maybe they’ll change their mind, but they seem to have an idea of how they want to go about revoking the finding,” said Jeff Holmstead, who served as EPA’s air chief under President George W. Bush. Jettisoning the endangerment finding could allow the Trump administration to tear out U.S. climate rules by the roots, helping it avoid years of painstaking work to finalize replacement rules that would likely be weaker, according to experts. It would also make it harder for future presidents to regulate other sectors that are contributing to climate change, because the scientific finding would have to be resurrected first. Experts see hints of that strategy in a relatively detailed press release the agency issued last month, when it announced a barrage of steps it plans to take to roll back climate rules. He and other experts say the administration may take aim at the cost increases that regulations have on energy and other pillars of Americans’ lives, not at atmospheric science directly. That could allow EPA to skip the cumbersome process of assembling panels of contrarian scientists to build an alternative record on the indisputable link between human emissions and global warming. “They can probably get it out in the next few months,” Holmstead said of a proposed endangerment finding that focuses on regulatory costs. “They won’t need to spend a lot of time — and Federal Register pages — reviewing the science.” EPA did not respond to requests for comment for this story, but Zeldin offered new details in a combative press conference last week about how he intends to revise the finding. He said the agency plans to undertake a formal rulemaking process with public comment. “As we go through the process with regards to the dozens of different actions that we are going to start rulemakings on, they each will follow the Administrative Procedures Act, and we’ll make sure that the actions that we take on everything are as durable as possible.” That indicates the endangerment finding won’t be killed overnight using an executive order, as Trump effectively did earlier this month on rules requiring showerheads to use less water. But EPA could still move quickly to revoke the finding. “It’s going to get done,” “It’s just a question of when and what it looks like, and how long is it going to take.”

DOJ sues blue states to block climate suits, laws - On Wednesday, the administration sued Michigan and Hawaii in an attempt to block them from suing fossil fuel companies over climate change.On Thursday, the administration also sued New York and Vermont over their “climate Superfund” laws — which require fossil fuel companies to pay for emissions stemming from their products.The administration argued that it’s up to the federal government — not states — to regulate climate pollution and that therefore these lawsuits are unconstitutional. It made similar arguments in its cases against New York and Vermont, asking the courts to strike down their laws.The moves come after President Trump in an executive order directed the Justice Department to target state and local climate policies. “These burdensome and ideologically motivated laws and lawsuits threaten American energy independence and our country’s economic and national security,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a written statement. “The Department of Justice is working to ‘Unleash American Energy’ by stopping these illegitimate impediments to the production oaffordable, reliable energy that Americans deserve.” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) in a written statement described the lawsuit against her state as frivolous, noting that the state has yet to file a lawsuit — though it has been working on a case.“As my office’s anticipated lawsuit in this arena is not yet filed and our claims unknown to the administration—as conceded directly in their complaint— this lawsuit is at best frivolous and arguably sanctionable,” Nessel said.

House GOP lays out billions in environment cuts, car fees - -The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is seeking to rescind more than $4 billion in unobligated climate funding. House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled the first significant energy and climate proposals for their budget reconciliation bill, outlining plans to go after electric vehicles, alternative fuels and low-carbon construction.The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s portion of the GOP’s sweeping party-line bill, set to be marked up Wednesday, aims to repeal almost $4.6 billion in unobligated grants and other funds from an array of transportation and fuels programs authorized under Democrats’ 2022 climate law, according to committee leaders.It would also impose new annual fees on hybrid and fully electric vehicles — as well as a smaller annual registration fee on all other vehicles — to generate new revenues for the Highway Trust Fund, which funds federal road projects.The proposals represent a relatively small but significant chunk of the climate rollbacks that Republicans are pursuing in their party-line tax, energy, defense and border security bill.

House votes to overturn California gas car ban — again defying internal watchdog The House voted Thursday to ax California’s electric vehicle mandate — defying Congress’s own internal watchdog for the second day in a row. The House voted to undo the Biden administration’s approval of the California rule, which bans the sale of new gas-powered cars starting in 2035, using a tool known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA allows Congress, with a simple majority in both chambers and presidential approval, to reverse recent regulations, evading the Senate filibuster’s 60-vote threshold. It’s sometimes used at the start of a new administration to eliminate regulations put forward by the last one. However, the 246-164 vote came in defiance of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan congressional watchdog that also issues legal opinions. That office has determined that because the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval came in the form of a waiver rather than a rule, it is not subject to the CRA. By holding the votes anyway, House Republicans are demonstrating that they are willing to carry out their agenda regardless of whether the nonpartisan arbiter deems them legal. It similarly voted to ax EPA waivers allowing California clean truck rules Wednesday — similarly defying the GAO. Senate Republicans, who also want to target California’s rules, are facing similar circumstances. The Senate parliamentarian, a rules authority for the upper chamber, has also determined that the waivers allowing the rules to go forward are not subject to the CRA.Senate Republicans have signaled they could seek to defy the parliamentarian but have not yet said definitively whether they actually plan to do so.If they do, they could be setting up a legal and procedural conundrum — especially as the parliamentarian also sets the rules for what provisions can go into a high-stakes budget package that also evades the filibuster.California is allowed to set its own vehicle pollution rules — with the approval from the EPA — because of a clause in the Clean Air Act that comes in response to historic smog problems in Los Angeles. That provision allows the EPA to waive laws that typically preempt states from setting regulations that go beyond the scope of those set at the federal level.More than 10 percent of the U.S. population lives in California — giving it a significant share of the auto market on its own. But, other states can also adopt California’s rules — and 11 other states and Washington, D.C., have adopted its gas-car phaseout — making its rules even more impactful.

38 Republicans call for ‘full repeal’ of Democrats’ energy tax credits -- A group of Republicans called for a “full repeal” of energy tax credits passed by Democrats in 2022 in a Thursday letter. Their letter comes after a different group of 21 Republicans, mostly moderates, called for changes to be “targeted and pragmatic” in March, and four senators expressed opposition to a “full-scale” repeal last month. The two letters underscore the challenges GOP leaders face amid divisions in their caucus as they try to come up with a major budget deal to advance their priorities. In the latest letter, the 38 Republicans criticized the approach of their colleagues, saying it would be hypocritical to retain some credits for low-carbon energy sources while eliminating others. “Despite our previously unified stance, some Members of our conference now feel compelled to defend wind and biofuel credits, advocate for carbon capture and hydrogen subsidies, or protect solar and electric vehicle giveaways. Keeping even one of these subsidies opens the door to retaining all eight. How do we retain some of these credits and not operate in hypocrisy?” the lawmakers wrote. “The longstanding Republican position has been to allow the market to determine energy production. If every faction continues to defend their favored subsidies, we risk preserving the entire IRA because no clearly defined principle will dictate what is kept and what is culled,” they added, referring to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ 2022 climate, tax and health care bill.Their letter, which was first reported by Fox News, also comes as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has struck a middling tone, saying in February that the Republican party’s approach would be “somewhere between a scalpel and a sledgehammer.”

Project cancellations threaten US clean energy manufacturing boom - The industry has lost a record $6.9 billion in investment this year as companies navigate an “unstable policy environment,” according to a new analysis. The U.S. clean energy manufacturing industry saw a record number of project cancellations in the first quarter of the year, as companies grappled with the “rising headwinds” of tariffs and potential tax credit rollbacks, according to a new report. At the same time, the Inflation Reduction Act helped spur $9.4 billion in new electric vehicle, battery and renewable manufacturing projects from January to March, according to the Clean Investment Monitor, a project of research firm Rhodium Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.The analysis underscores competing narratives shaping the energy sector: the IRA is sparking a build out of U.S. factories, but that growth is at risk of hitting a wall.“The uptick in new [clean manufacturing] announcements, coupled with significant cancellations, highlights both the progress achieved under the IRA and the risks posed by an unstable policy environment,” the report said. “The coming months will be critical for determining whether the US clean technology manufacturing boom picks up pace or stalls.”

EPA reups offers for staffers to quit -- EPA is once again offering staffers the chance to voluntarily leave the agency as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to shrink the federal footprint, according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.EPA has reopened its Deferred Resignation Program, or DRP — previously called the “Fork in the Road” — accompanied by voluntary early retirement authority, according to an email that Administrator Lee Zeldin’s office sent to agency staff Monday. The window to apply is open through 11:59 p.m. on May 5, according to the memo.“For those who choose to accept this offer and participate in the DRP, I thank you for your service at the EPA and wish you well in your future endeavors,” the email states.The memo is in direct response to Trump’s February order aimed at reducing government “waste” and “bloat,” the office wrote.But Nicole Cantello, a leader in EPA’s largest union, accused the administration of using the fear of layoffs “to drain EPA of key scientists and engineers tasked with protecting human health and the environment.”“An undermanned, depleted EPA only serves [the] interests of polluters who look to profit from fouling our air, water and soil,” added Cantello, who heads a Chicago-area local of the American Federation of Government Employees, in a text message Monday. Like workers at other federal agencies, EPA staffers were first granted the chance for a deferred resignation through the Fork in the Road program from the Office of Personnel Management in late January, shortly after Trump began his second term.About 545 employees took that initial offer, according to an agency spokesperson who declined in an email to say whether EPA has a target number it hopes will sign up for the new opportunity. Those that now opt for deferred resignation will go on administrative leave until the end of the fiscal year in September, unless they decide to leave earlier, the memo says.

Trump admin launches major overhaul of EPA ---The Trump administration announced a major shake-up Friday at EPA that includes axing the agency’s stand-alone research and science office, which could spur resignations and transform research priorities.In place of EPA’s Office of Research and Development, a centralized arm for research and science that employs over 1,500 people, the agency said it will reassign staff “to tackle statutory obligations and mission essential functions.”“Organizational improvements to the personnel structure” will affect four of EPA’s programs, under the administrator, air, chemicals and water offices, according to an agency news release.EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said the announcement “is a reorganization, not a reduction in force. No staff are being let go with this announcement.”Staffers were asked to attend program-specific town hall meetings late Friday afternoon, where more details would be revealed, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the meetings.Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who spent 40 years at EPA and previously was principal deputy assistant administrator in the Office of Research and Development, said getting rid of the office could create more redundancies at EPA and open up research and science to political influence.It could also spur staffers to quit, she said.“I think that’s the intent of all this,” Orme-Zavaleta said. “Between the second round of deferred resignations and the reorganization plan, that’s timed to drive as many people out of the agency as they can.”

Trump administration kicks off rewrite of LNG safety rules - The Trump administration said Tuesday it is renewing efforts to replace 45-year-old safety rules for the coastal terminals that chill natural gas into a cryogenic liquid and load it onto ships for export.The rewrite will be focused on deregulation and examine “cost savings for the industry,” according to a draft notice and a news release from the Department of Transportation.“Under this administration, America is building again,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, he said, “is laying the groundwork to revamp decades-old regulations and slash red tape to increase LNG exports, generate good-paying jobs, and allow the U.S. to safely send more of its natural resources around the world.”The LNG announcement comes as the Trump administration seeks to accelerate what is already a dramatic surge in exports of liquefied natural gas from U.S. terminals along the Gulf Coast. That surge is being met with growing opposition to exports from environmental groups. The rulemaking process could spur a heated debate about safety, U.S. energy security, energy costs and the role of natural gas in fueling the world.The country’s main pipeline safety advocacy group criticized focus on deregulation, saying the Trump administration approach leaves numerous gaps in safety. The Pipeline Safety Trust said PHMSA should focus on protecting communities near the massive terminals, mostly along the Gulf Coast.“While it’s wonderful to see PHMSA finally addressing the long-outdated LNG safety regulations, it’s hard to reconcile this effort with PHMSA’s references to this being deregulatory,” Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, said in a news release.The U.S LNG industry did not voice objections about the renewed regulatory effort Tuesday. Its main trade group, the Center for LNG, has long said the rules are outdated, and Executive Director Charlie Riedl cheered Tuesday’s announcement. “This effort represents a meaningful opportunity to update prescriptive regulations with a performance-based, risk-informed approach that improves safety outcomes while supporting continued U.S. LNG leadership on the global stage,” he said in an emailed statement, adding that the industry wants to ensure the rule is “effective, science-driven, and reflective of industry best practices.” PHMSA’s planned overhaul also arrives as the LNG industry continues to try to ramp up U.S. export capacity with complex industrial projects. On Monday, Australia-based Woodside Energy announced a final investment decision on three production lines of its planned Louisiana LNG export project, which includes a pipeline. On Tuesday, three workers died, and two were injured in a scaffolding incident at an LNG terminal construction site near Port Arthur, Texas. OSHA said it is investigating. Bechtel, the construction contractor, said all work at the site was stopped following the incident. DOT said Tuesday that PHMSA will also be revising regulations that cover when pipelines carrying crude oil and other hazardous liquids must be repaired, when pipeline companies must upgrade pipes in response to population growth and the rules about transportation of petroleum-based fuels. Tuesday’s announcement is technically a step backward in the process for LNG rules. PHMSA has for years been working on a new draft of the regulations called a “notice of proposed rulemaking.” But DOT is shifting to an information-gathering stage called an “advance notice of proposed rulemaking” to seek comment. When that is complete, the agency will start work on its proposed rulemaking. The effort to update the regulations stalled in Trump’s first term and made little progress during the Biden administration as emissions and other efforts took priority.The current LNG export industry bears little resemblance to what it looked like in 1980, when the current rule was published.That was the last full year of the Carter administration, and LNG was kept as backup fuel for gas-fired power plants when demand peaked. In the early 2000s, fear of gas shortages led to construction of terminals to potentially import natural gas liquefied abroad. But then the market changed because of a surge of U.S. gas production from shale formations using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Today, massive coastal terminals coasts handle billions of cubic feet of gas piped in every day from U.S. production fields. They shrink it six-hundredfold by supercooling it to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit and ship it overseas on vessels roughly the size of aircraft carriers. That brings a hazard that wasn’t present at import terminals. Heavier hydrocarbons — such as ethane and propane — are used as refrigerants to shrink the gas. Unlike methane, these gases are heavier than air and can create a vaporous, flammable fog if they leak.The industry has mushroomed since 2015, when there were essentially no LNG exports from the Lower 48 states. Today, eight terminals ship an average of 12 billion cubic feet every day overseas.Five more are under construction, and another dozen or so are in various stages of permitting. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says LNG exports could be double 2024 levels by around the end of Trump’s current four-year term.

Senate report alleges $2.37 billion in potential legal liability for Musk -Tech billionaire Elon Musk and his numerous companies could avoid more than $2.37 billion in potential legal liability as a result of his influential role in the federal government, a new Senate report alleges. The report, published Monday by the Democratic staff for the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, found Musk and his companies faced at least 65 “actual or potential” actions from 11 federal agencies and at least $2.37 billion in potential liability as of Inauguration Day. “The nature of Mr. Musk’s businesses, as well as their substantial earnings from government contracts, mean that he is deeply entangled in the regulatory functions of the government he is now empowered to shape,” the report stated. “President Trump could not have chosen a person more prone to conflicts of interest.” Musk is leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting initiative, which has led to mass layoffs or program spending cuts at numerous federal agencies. The subcommittee said it conducted a probe of the 65 actions to “understand the financial impact of President Trump’s delegation of power on potential liabilities and scrutiny” facing Musk and his companies. U “The goal of this analysis is to estimate the financial liability that Mr. Musk and his companies may stand to avoid through his efforts to gut the federal workforce and exert influence over federal agencies,” the report stated. The report claims to reveal the “vast risk Mr. Musk and his companies previously faced and may yet avoid as a result of his newfound influence.” The billions in potential liabilities stem from actions against his electric vehicle manufacturing company Tesla, aerospace firm SpaceX and Neuralink, his neurotechnology company. Neuralink and Tesla are accused of making false or misleading statements about some of their product features, while SpaceX allegedly failed to follow rocket launch requirements in 2023, according to the report. Neuralink is also facing action for allegedly violating the Animal Welfare Act, while Musk’s construction firm the Boring Company faces citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Trump's federal return-to-office orders are massively backfiring -- Chaos, frustration, and a deep sense of unease have swept through countless federal offices ever since President Trump announced a blanket return-to-office mandate.For many employees, it feels like an unexpected reversal of the remote work system they had come to rely on. Where some officials once found autonomy, focus and family balance, they now encounter daily commutes, cramped workspaces and a scramble for the most basic supplies. Many speak of sitting in offices with shaky internet while logging in to the same virtual meetings they previously attended from home. The order was intended to unify and boost productivity, yet numerous accounts from federal workers reveal a very different story.The Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the largest and most critical service agencies in the federal system, has found itself at the epicenter of the turmoil unleashed by the recent government-wide return-to-office mandates. More than twenty House Democrats recently raised alarm bells, warning that the mandate threatens not only the mental health of VA employees but also the quality of care delivered to veterans.These concerns stem from the abrupt shift away from remote work, a system that had, until recently, enabled a broad and efficient workforce to deliver services across the country—often from remote locations with limited physical infrastructure. The sudden transition has been anything but smooth. At some VA facilities, employees report being crammed into inadequate workspaces, including makeshift offices in converted showers, and crowded open-floor plans that threaten both professionalism and privacy.These are not isolated anecdotes but rather symptoms of a broader dysfunction. Mental health counselors who once led private, secure telehealth sessions now scramble to maintain confidentiality behind thin cubicle dividers while coworkers conduct noisy calls nearby.For a system built on trust, this erosion of professional standards isn’t just demoralizing — it directly affects veterans’ access to care.What’s more, thousands of these employees were hired with the understanding that their roles were remote by design. Forcing them into physical offices not only disregards operational efficiency but also threatens the continuity of care in such essential services as trauma counseling, case management, and behavioral health. As lawmakers push for exemptions and reexaminations of the blanket policy, one truth is becoming increasingly evident: A rigid one-size-fits-all approach is undercutting the very mission it aims to uphold.The Veterans Health Administration isn’t alone in facing operational gridlock. The American College of Radiology has voiced grave concerns about the impact of the mandate on the VA’s National Teleradiology Program, which processes more than 1.5 million imaging exams annually. These radiologists, previously functioning with precision and speed from decentralized locations, are now being asked to work from centralized offices—an adjustment that experts warn will bog down turnaround times and, ultimately, delay diagnosis and treatment for veterans. But even beyond medical services, the mandate has exposed severe infrastructure shortfalls across multiple agencies. At the IRS, for example, a federal spending cap of just $1 per purchase has led to startling shortages of basic office necessities, from soap to paper towels. At the Department of Agriculture, the chaos manifests in IT bottlenecks and wireless network failures as staffers struggle with unfamiliar on-site systems. In one case, employees hired for fully remote positions now find themselves conducting private meetings from parked cars outside agency buildings due to inadequate workspace. Ironically, many are still using Microsoft Teams and other virtual tools — only now with more stress, less efficiency, and significantly higher overhead.

Lawsuit alleges ‘unconstitutional dismantling’ of government - -A coalition of labor, environmental groups and local governments are suing the Trump administration over its moves to dramatically reshape the executive branch.In their complaint filed Monday in a federal court in California, the groups contend that President Donald Trump is attempting an “unconstitutional dismantling of the federal government” on a scale “unprecedented in this country’s history and in clear excess of his authority.”The groups suing the administration include the American Federation of Government Employees; the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees; the Natural Resources Defense Council; the American Public Health Association; and the cities of San Francisco, Chicago and Baltimore.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is one of many that have been filed challenging the Trump administration’s early maneuvers to slash the size of the federal workforce and broadly overhaul the government. The administration says its moves are part of a “critical transformation of the federal bureaucracy” that aims to slash “waste, bloat, and insularity” throughout the executive branch.

Michigan Democrat files articles of impeachment against Trump -- Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar announced Monday he had filed articles of impeachment against President Trump.“I have introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump,” Thanedar said in his announcement online. “When Trump ignores the Constitution, Congress, and the courts, he is not ‘fighting for America.’ He is tearing it down and endangering our democracy.” Thanedar said he was introducing seven articles of impeachment against Trump for various actions, including the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly sent to El Salvador, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting funds without congressional approval.The articles of impeachment are unlikely to go anywhere in the GOP House, where Republican support would be needed to win a vote on the articles. The House votes on whether to impeach a president, while the Senate votes on whether to convict a president. In the Senate, where the GOP also has a majority, a two-thirds majority is needed to win a conviction.Still, the introduction of the articles of impeachment highlights just how angry Democrats are with Trump on a range of issues.“Donald Trump has already done real damage to our democracy, but defying a unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court ruling, that has to be the one final straw,” Thanedar said, referencing a decision on the Abrego Garcia case. “It’s time we impeach Donald J. Trump.”Thanedar said among Trump’s impeachable actions were his steep tariff agenda impacting global markets, his treatment of reporters and the First Amendment, his bribery and corruption in the justice system, and his obtaining of Americans’ personal data.

David Hogg: More than a dozen Democratic incumbents could be primaried --- Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg said his organization “Leaders We Deserve” will focus on challenging more than a dozen Democratic incumbents in the next election cycle. He said the group will focus on mobilizing a younger generation of leaders geared towards change amid new policies implemented under the Trump administration. They’ve slated $20 million for the initiative. “Currently, we’re looking at over 12 districts, but there’s a lot of nuance that comes with that number, because there’s going to be people who retire,” Hogg told NewsNation. The organization will target Democrats in safe districts and will not aim to primary those in toss up races. Hogg emphasized the number is fluid and said that if they can’t find a young person to run against one of these incumbents, they won’t run someone. Hoggs said the push for change comes due to Democrats’ lack of resistance towards policies that are “eviscerating our economy, eroding the foundations of our democracy and literally disappearing people.” However, his movement has created a level of internal opposition. DNC Chair Ken Martin has warned against primarying fellow party members and encouraged Hogg and other officers to remain neutral on forthcoming elections. “No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election,” Martin told reporters on a press call earlier this month. “While certainly I understand what he’s trying to do, as I’ve said to him — if you want to challenge incumbents, you’re free to do that, just not as an officer of the DNC,” he continued. Martin is now looking to change the DNC rules to prevent officials in the organization from becoming involved in Democratic primaries.

Trump rips news organizations over polling: ‘These people should be investigated’ - President Trump tore into a number of leading news organizations over polling conducted in recent days showing his favorability with voters dipping. “These people should be investigated for ELECTION FRAUD,” Trump wrote, mentioning polling from The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC and Fox News in a post on his Truth Social website. “They are Negative Criminals who apologize to their subscribers and readers after I WIN ELECTIONS BIG, much bigger than their polls showed I would win, loose a lot of credibility, and then go on cheating and lying for the next cycle, only worse.”As the president approaches his 100th day in office Tuesday, a number of major polls have found his approval rating underwater and favorability with American voters slipping.The Times, for example, noted in an article Friday that Trump’s approval rating stands at 42 percent, “historically low for a president this early in a term.”Trump accused major pollsters and top media outlets of suffering “from Trump Derangement Syndrome, and there is nothing that anyone, or anything, can do about it.”“THEY ARE SICK, almost only write negative stories about me no matter how well I am doing,” he continued.Trump has ridiculed mainstream media outlets for years, and his administration has sought during his first 100 days to elevate conservative or “new media” members in the West Wing in favor of traditional legacy media outlets.

Trump: GOP should start thinking about expelling Democrats pushing impeachment President Trump said Republicans should start to think about expelling Democrats who file articles of impeachment against him from Congress, railing against two members who backed a recent resolution against him.“The Democrats are really out of control. They have lost everything, especially their minds! These Radical Left Lunatics are into the ‘Impeachment thing’ again,” Trump wrote late Thursday on Truth Social. “They have already got two ‘No Name,’ little respected Congressmen, total Whackjobs both, throwing the ‘Impeachment’ of DONALD J. TRUMP around, for about the 20th time, even though they have no idea for what I would be Impeached.”“Maybe it should be for cleaning up the MESS that they left us on the Border, or the Highest Inflation in our Country’s History or, perhaps, it should be the incompetent Withdrawal from Afghanistan, or Russia, Russia, Russia/Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, or the Attack of Israel on October 7th that only proceeded because they allowed Iran to regain Great Wealth,” he continued.The president added, “These Congressmen stated that, they didn’t know why they would Impeach me but, ‘We just want to do it.’ The Republicans should start to think about expelling them from Congress for all of the crimes that they have committed, especially around Election time(s).”Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar earlier this week announced that he had filed articles of impeachment. Thanedar said he was introducing seven articles of impeachment against Trump for various actions, including the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man mistakenly sent to El Salvador, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting funds without congressional approval.

Bill criminalizing deepfake revenge porn passes House, heads to Trump’s desk --The Take It Down Act, a measure that would criminalize the publication of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes, passed the House on Monday and now heads to President Trump’s desk.The measure cleared the House in an overwhelming 409-2 vote, with 22 members not voting. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Eric Burilson (R-Mo.) were the sole “no” votes.The bill would make it a federal crime to knowingly post or threaten to publish realistic, computer-generated pornographic images and videos that attempt to show identifiable, real people on social media and elsewhere online. Trump indicated last month he plans to sign the bill. “The Senate just passed the Take It Down Act. Once it passes the House, I look forward to signing that bill into law,” Trump told a joint session of Congress in early March. “And I’m going to use that bill for myself too if you don’t mind because nobody gets treated worse than I do online, nobody.” First lady Melania Trump also came out in support of the bill, attending a roundtable on the measure last month. She was quick to applaud the passage on Monday evening. “Today’s bipartisan passage of the Take It Down Act is a powerful statement that we stand united in protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children,” the first lady wrote in a statement.

Sen. Josh Hawley Introduces PELOSI Act To Stop Insider-Trading - Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has reintroduced the “Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments” (PELOSI) Act that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from trading stocks while in office. The name of the act is a direct nod in the direction of 20 term Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) whose net worth has soared from $160,000 when she was first elected in 1987 to more than $140 million in 2024. The bill to ban congressional stock trading is entitled the PELOSI Act, or "Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments." Pelosi’s husband Paul, who narrowly survived a hammer attack 2022, is an investor who has made significant financial gains on stock trades that some speculate may have been based on insider information. Hawley first introduced the PELOSI Act in 2023 but it failed to gain traction under the Biden administration. Since then, the proposal has gained support on both sides of the congressional aisle and Fox News reports that President Trump has said he would “absolutely” sign the ban if it arrives on his desk. Hawley has been a consistent critic of members of Congress being more focused on day-trading than they are on representing their constituents. In a statement, Hawley said, “Americans have seen politician after politician turn a profit using information not available to the general public. It’s time we ban all members of Congress from trading and holding stocks and restore Americans’ trust in our nation’s legislative body.”

OpenAI CEO Claims Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ to ChatGPT Costs ‘Tens of Millions of Dollars’ — Saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT costs “millions of dollars” — at least according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.Altman recently responded to an X user who posed the question, “Wonder how much money OpenAI has lost in electricity costs from people saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to their models.”“Tens of millions of dollars well spent,” replied Altman, whose company owns ChatGPT.Altman’s answer refers to the fact that powering the data centers that generate AI responses requires massive amounts of energy — a.k.a electricity. According to researcher Jesse Dodge, a single query in ChatGPT uses enough energy to power a lightbulb for “about 20 minutes,” per NPR.“So, you can imagine with millions of people using something like that every day, that adds up to a really large amount of electricity,” Dodge told the outlet in 2024. The additional niceties that many users include in their queries when using AI platforms add additional language computation to the request, which increases the energy used by the model. In 2024, Google released an emissions report that revealed its greenhouse gas emission levels had risen by 48% since 2019 — and it directly attributed the increase to the energy demanded by AI data centers.Microsoft, which launched Copilot, its own generative AI platform, in 2023, reported similar findings, with a 29% increase in its greenhouse gas emissions since 2020, per NPR.Many experts have voiced their concern over the amount of energy expended by these models — as well as the ensuing environmental impact — over the last several years. “There's a lot of people out there that talk about existential risk around AI, about a rogue thing that somehow gets control of nuclear weapons or whatever,” Alex Hanna, the director of research for Distributed AI Research Institute, told NPR for the same piece. “That's not the real existential risk. We have an existential crisis right now. It's called climate change, and AI is palpably making it worse,” she added.However, a number of AI researchers also stress the importance of using respectful etiquette when communicating with AI models like ChatGPT and Copilot, in large part because the models are actively learning from our communication cues.

Democratic Senators request probe into Trump's meme coin dinner - Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked a federal ethics watchdog Friday to investigate a dinner President Trump is set to attend next month with the top investors in his meme coin. The two Democratic senators requested that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who also serves as acting director of the Office of Government Ethics, open a probe into the dinner, which prompted a significant surge in the price of the president’s token, $TRUMP. “This latest action raises grave ethics and legal concerns, including the severe risk that President Trump and other officials may be engaging in ‘pay to play’ corruption by selling presidential access to individuals or entities, to include foreign nationals and corporate actors with vested interests in federal action, while personally enriching the President and his family,” Schiff and Warren wrote in the request. The official website for $TRUMP announced Wednesday that the president would attend the “intimate private dinner” with the top 220 holders of his meme coin at his golf club near Washington. The top 25 investors will also receive an invitation to an “exclusive” reception with Trump and a “special” White House tour. Immediately after the announcement, the price of $TRUMP jumped nearly 60 percent, rising from around $9 to almost $15. The token currently sits at about $14.5. The news of the dinner boosted the value of crypto wallets owned by a firm associated with the Trump Organization by about $100 million, according to an estimate from The Washington Post.

'Lightning speed': Trump's 100 days of stablecoin advocacy -- It didn't take long for President Donald Trump to join the cryptocurrency club. The administration has been dogged in its support of cryptocurrency regulation and a push for a stablecoin bill to be signed by the August recess.

Trump’s crypto presidency - The Trump administration in nearly 100 days reversed Washington’s tone on cryptocurrency, making good on many of its promises to the industry in a blitz of executive orders and regulatory shake-ups. From scrapping Biden-era lawsuits against crypto firms to greenlighting a strategic bitcoin reserve, President Trump’s first 100 days included a combination of both symbolic and concrete moves on digital assets. While crypto observers agree the long-term impacts of these moves are not yet clear, key players in the crypto industry see Trump’s early changes as wins in their own rights. The persistent positivity remains even as Trump’s other policy moves, from the trade war to the launch of meme coins, create new frustrations for some in the crypto industry. “The big picture here is tremendous, and we have a long-term perspective, we invest for the long term from our seat [and] it’s as good as it could possibly be,” said Nic Carter, a founding partner at crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures. After months of courting voters who own or support cryptocurrencies, Trump planted a flag for pro-crypto policies within days of his return to office. The president signed an executive order during his first week to create a working group focused on digital assets led by David Sacks, the White House czar for artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency.While pouring nearly $250 million into 2024 races up and down the ballot, the crypto sector has pushed for clearer rules on cryptocurrency trading and an end to the Biden administration’s aggressive regulatory approach. The industry’s investment is paying off, and the administration is listening, various crypto executives told The Hill. “Whether you support this administration or not, the fact is: regulators are starting to engage in a real dialogue. That matters,” said JP Richardson, the CEO of bitcoin and crypto wallet Exodus. “For years, we were left in a gray zone — building without clear guidance, always worried about getting blindsided. What we’re seeing now is a willingness to listen.”

Nexo announces return to U.S. market at event with Trump Jr. -- Crypto asset platform Nexo Capital is returning to the U.S. after previously pulling out amid regulatory friction.

Ousted NCUA member warns firings are test run for Fed purge --Ousted NCUA board member Todd Harper warned that President Donald Trump's decision to abruptly fire Tanya Otsuka and himself from the National Credit Union Administration board of directors was a strategic move to erode independence across the federal financial regulatory apparatus. Ex-National Credit Union Administration board member Todd Harper outlined legal, economic and political dangers of recent firings of independent regulators.

Bankers pessimistic about economy due to tariffs, rate risks -Nearly three-quarters of bankers believe the U.S. is either already in a recession or will enter one within the next year, according to a new survey of 427 community bank executives conducted by fintech firm IntraFi.A new survey conducted by IntraFi found that nearly three-quarters of bank executives say a recession is here or imminent, and tariffs now rank among their top three economic concerns.

Why banks aren't trimming their capital levels just yet -With changes likely coming to stress testing and the Basel III endgame, banks are facing a rosier outlook on capital requirements than they did two years ago. Just don't expect them to reduce their capital holdings anytime soon.After building capital for years in anticipation of higher requirements, banks now face a lighter regulatory outlook under President Trump. But experts don't expect capital levels to come down quickly.

Banks slow to follow Trump's lead on disparate impact --President Trump recently signed an executive order condemning "disparate impact" — the legal concept that a business can engage in illegal discrimination even if it does so unintentionally. Trump's order declares disparate impact unconstitutional and commands federal regulators to eliminate it "in all contexts to the maximum degree possible." In a recent executive order, President Trump tried to wipe out a legal concept used to root out discrimination. But banks, worried about what will happen the next time a Democrat is in the White House, may be reluctant to change their policies.

Wells Fargo exits another consent order. Is asset cap next? - Wells Fargo took its latest step out of regulatory purgatory on Monday, when the bank said that a 2018 consent order with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been terminated. In the megabank's latest sign of progress with regulators, it said that a 7-year-old CFPB order has been terminated.

What do the FDIC layoffs and CFPB limbo mean for bankers? -- Going into May, bankers are up against a host of industry changes such as mass layoffs at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., a major data breach at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the glimmer of enforcement action from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and more.President Donald Trump's shrinking of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau add to bankers' uncertainty into May.

GOP lawmakers mull eliminating 'management' from CAMELS -- House Republicans heard calls from banks to eliminate the "management" component from the CAMELS bank stability rating system during a blustery Tuesday hearing on bank regulation and oversight. At a House subcommittee hearing, Republicans proposed "tailoring" regulations for community banks while Democrats railed against Trump's tariffs and cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Warren, Waters say NCUA lacks quorum to govern - Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Representative Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Tuesday raised alarm over the firing of two National Credit Union Administration board members Tanya Otsuka and Todd Harper by President Donald Trump in a letter to the NCUA's Inspector General James Hagen. Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and House Financial Services Committee ranking member Maxine Waters, D-Calif., urged the National Credit Union Administration's Inspector general to look into President Trump's removal of two board members.

House finance budget bill nixes PCAOB, curbs CFPB funding -The House Financial Services Committee passed a budget bill Wednesday that eliminates the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and caps the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's budget at roughly $249 million, a drastic reduction from its recent budgets.A budget bill passed by the House Financial Services Committee would eliminate the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and cap the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's budget at roughly $249 million.

Appeals Court to CFPB: No layoffs before May hearing -- A federal appeals court prohibited the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from issuing any new reduction-in-force notices to its employees until after the court rules on the merits of the bureau's appeal of a lower court injunction blocking mass firings at the agency.A panel of federal appeals judges prohibited the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from issuing any further reduction-in-force notices to employees until after it hears arguments on the case next month.

CFPB, trade groups ask a court to drop the medical debt rule -The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and two trade groups have jointly asked a federal court to vacate a rule that would remove medical debts from credit reports. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sided with two trade groups in asking a federal court to vacate the medical debt rule. Consumer groups have asked to intervene and a judge has not yet ruled on the motion.

Trump's CFPB guts rule mandating small business loan data The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it will not take action against any companies to enforce or supervise the small business lending rule, which was finalized under the Biden administration and upheld after six years of litigation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will not enforce or supervise the 1071 small business lending rule, it announced in a press release. The rule requires collecting data on the race, ethnicity, gender and LGBTQ status of loan applicants.

Trump's plan to aid U.S. manufacturing gets boost from SBA - The Small Business Administration emphasized small-dollar lending throughout Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman's nearly four-year tenure. It's now moving in the opposite direction under Guzman's successor, Kelly Loeffler. The Small Business Administration is backing new legislation that would double the size limit on its manufacturing loans. Supporters say the bill has support on both sides of the aisle in Washington.

Trump budget suggests eliminating some CDFI funds — The White House's proposed budget pitches eliminating Community Development Financial Institution Fund's discretionary awards. President Donald Trump's proposed budget would nix funding for Community Development Financial Institutions in minority heavy areas while expanding it for rural areas.

Trump seeks 43% cut to HUD in 2026 budget plan - The Trump administration wants to cut the Department of Housing and Urban Development's budget by 43.6%, a reduction that would require eliminating some programs. The administration is pitching a $26.7 billion reduction to the regulator's funding for rental assistance, public housing and elderly and disability housing.

Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Serious Delinquency Rates Decreased in March; Multi-Family Delinquency Rate Equals Highest Since 2011 (ex-Pandemic) --Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Serious Delinquency Rates Decreased in March Excerpt: Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate in March was 0.59%, down from 0.61% February. Freddie's rate is up year-over-year from 0.52% in March 2024, however, this is close to the pre-pandemic level of 0.60%. Freddie's serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 4.20% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.17% in August 2020 during the pandemic.Fannie Maereported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate in March was 0.56%, down from 0.57% in February. The serious delinquency rate is up year-over-year from 0.51% in March 2024, however, this is below the pre-pandemic lows of 0.65%.The Fannie Mae serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 5.59% following the housing bubble and peaked at 3.32% in August 2020 during the pandemic. There is much more in the article.

MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey --From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 4.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 25, 2025. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 4.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 4 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 4 percent from the previous week and was 42 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 4 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 3 percent compared with the previous week and was 3 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “Mortgage rates were little changed last week with the 30-year fixed rate at 6.89 percent. Mortgage application activity, particularly for home purchases, continues to be subdued by broader economic uncertainty and signs of labor market weakness, dropping to the slowest pace since February,” . “Even with the spring homebuying season underway, purchase applications decreased, as conventional and VA applications saw declines of 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively. , “Refinance activity dipped again, as mortgage rates remained close to 7 percent, and borrowers hold out for a bigger decline in rates. Given the pullback in refinancing, the average loan size for refinances declined to just under $290,000, the lowest level in three months.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.89 percent from 6.90 percent, with points increasing to 0.67 from 0.66 (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 3% year-over-year unadjusted. Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly). Purchase application activity is up from the lows in late October 2023 but is 3% below the lowest levels during the housing bust.The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.

Housing April 28th Weekly Update: Inventory up 1.3% Week-over-week, Up 31.0% Year-over-year --Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.3% week-over-week.Inventory is now up 16.7% from the seasonal bottom in January and is increasing. Usually, inventory is up about 9% from the seasonal low by this week in the year. So, 2025 is seeing a larger than normal pickup in inventory.The first graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015.The red line is for 2025. The black line is for 2019. Inventory was up 31.0% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 32.6%), and down 16.1% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 16.7%). Inventory will likely pass 2020 same week levels next week and also be close to the peak for 2024. It now appears inventory will be close to 2019 levels towards the end of 2025. This second inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of April 25th, inventory was at 729 thousand (7-day average), compared to 719 thousand the prior week. Mike Simonsen discusses this data regularly on Youtube

Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 3.9% year-over-year in February -S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for February ("February" is a 3-month average of December, January and February closing prices). This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and the monthly National index. From S&P S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index Records 3.9% Annual Gain in February 2025The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 3.9% annual return for February, down from a 4.1% annual gain in the previous month. The 10-City Composite saw an annual increase of 5.2%, down from a 5.4% annual increase in the previous month. The 20-City Composite posted a year-over-year increase of 4.5%, down from a 4.7% increase in the previous month. New York again reported the highest annual gain among the 20 cities with a 7.7% increase in February, followed by Chicago and Cleveland with annual increases of 7.0% and 6.6%, respectively. Tampa posted the lowest return, falling 1.5%. ... The pre-seasonally adjusted U.S. National, 10-City Composite, and 20-City Composite Indices presented slight upward trends in February, posting 0.4%, 0.8%, and 0.7% respectively. After seasonal adjustment, the 10-City and 20-City Composite Indices posted month-over-month increases of 0.5% and 0.4%. The U.S. National Composite Index posted a month-over-month increase of 0.3%. “Even with mortgage rates remaining in the mid-6% range and affordability challenges lingering, home prices have shown notable resilience,” The first graph shows the nominal seasonally adjusted Composite 10, Composite 20 and National indices (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000). The Composite 10 index was up 0.5% in February (SA). The Composite 20 index was up 0.4% (SA) in February. The National index was up 0.3% (SA) in February. The second graph shows the year-over-year change in all three indices. The Composite 10 NSA was up 5.2% year-over-year. The Composite 20 NSA was up 4.5% year-over-year. The National index NSA was up 3.9% year-over-year. Annual price changes were lower than expectations.

Newsletter: Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 3.9% year-over-year in February -Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 3.9% year-over-year in February Excerpt: S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for February ("February" is a 3-month average of December, January and February closing prices). January closing prices include some contracts signed in October, so there is a significant lag to this data. Here is a graph of the month-over-month (MoM) change in the Case-Shiller National Index Seasonally Adjusted (SA). The MoM increase in the seasonally adjusted (SA) Case-Shiller National Index was at 0.26% (a 3.1% annual rate), This was the 25th consecutive MoM increase in the seasonally adjusted index. On a seasonally adjusted basis, prices increased month-to-month in 14 of the 20 Case-Shiller cities. San Francisco has fallen 4.9% from the recent peak, Tampa is down 1.6% from the peak, and Denver down 1.1%.

NAR: Pending Home Sales Increase 6.1% in March; Down 0.6% YoY --From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Jumped 6.1% in March - Pending home sales increased 6.1% in March – the greatest month-to-month increase since December 2023 (+7.0%) – according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Northeast experienced month-over-month losses in transactions, while the Midwest, South and West saw gains, which were most substantial in the South. Year-over-year, contract signings grew in the Midwest but fell in the Northeast, South and West – with the Northeast undergoing the greatest decrease.The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – augmented 6.1% to 76.5 in March. Year-over-year, pending transactions lessened by 0.6%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001."Home buyers are acutely sensitive to even minor fluctuations in mortgage rates," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "While contract signings are not a guarantee of eventual closings, the solid rise in pending home sales implies a sizable build-up of potential home buyers, fueled by ongoing job growth."...The Northeast PHSI dropped 0.5% from last month to 62.5, down 3.0% from March 2024. The Midwest index expanded 4.9% to 77.7 in March, up 1.4% from the previous year.The South PHSI soared 9.8% to 94.1 in March, down 0.4% from a year ago. The West index climbed 4.8% from the prior month to 58.6, down 2.0% from March 2024.Note: Contract signings usually lead sales by about 45 to 60 days, so this would usually be for closed sales in April and May.

US Homeownership Rate Falls To Lowest Level In 5 Years -The homeownership rate in the United States declined to 65.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, 0.6 percentage points lower than in the previous quarter, the U.S. Census Bureau said in a statement on April 28.“This quarter’s homeownership rate is the lowest since Q4 of 2019,” real estate listings website Realtor said in an April 28report. “The homeownership rate spiked in early 2020 before settling in the mid 65% - 66% range through the pandemic and the years following.”Realtor attributed the decline in homeownership rate in the first quarter to a lack of affordable housing. “Though inventory levels continue to rise on an annual basis, the number of homes for sale is still below pre-pandemic levels, which has kept upward pressure on home prices and limited affordable options for many households,” it said. The homeowner vacancy rate, which is the proportion of properties owned that are vacant and for sale, was 1.1 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2024 but remained the same in the fourth quarter of 2024. This was higher in major cities compared to the suburbs. The vacancy rate was the lowest in the Northwest and highest in the West.

Freddie Mac House Price Index Mostly Unchanged in March; Up 3.0% Year-over-year -Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Freddie Mac House Price Index Mostly Unchanged in March; Up 3.0% Year-over-year A brief excerpt: Freddie Mac reported that its “National” Home Price Index (FMHPI) increased 0.01% month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis in March. On a year-over-year basis, the National FMHPI was up 3.0% in March, down from up 3.4% YoY in February. The YoY increase peaked at 19.0% in July 2021, and for this cycle, bottomed at up 0.9% YoY in May 2023. ...As of March, 25 states and D.C. were below their previous peaks, Seasonally Adjusted. The largest seasonally adjusted declines from the recent peaks are in D.C. (-4.9), Oregon (-1.6%), Arkansas (-1.6%), Delaware (-1.3%), Idaho (-1.2%) and Oklahoma (-1.2%).For cities (Core-based Statistical Areas, CBSA), here are the 30 cities with the largest declines from the peak, seasonally adjusted. Austin continues to be the worst performing city. However, 10 of the 19 cities with the largest price declines are in Florida.

Construction Spending Decreased 0.5% in March --From the Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending decreased:Construction spending during March 2025 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,196.1 billion, 0.5 percent below the revised February estimate of $2,206.9 billion. The March figure is 2.8 percent above the March 2024 estimate of $2,135.8 billion.Both private and public spending increased:Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,688.0 billion, 0.6 percent below the revised February estimate of $1,697.7 billion. ...In March, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $508.1 billion, 0.2 percent below the revised February estimate of $509.2 billion.This graph shows private residential and nonresidential construction spending, and public spending, since 1993. Note: nominal dollars, not inflation adjusted.Private residential (red) spending is 4.4% below the peak in 2022.Private non-residential (blue) spending is 0.8% below the peak in February 2025.Public construction spending (orange) is slightly 0.2% the peak the previous month.The second graph shows the year-over-year change in construction spending.On a year-over-year basis, private residential construction spending is up 2.8%. Private non-residential spending is up 1.6% year-over-year. Public spending is up 4.7% year-over year. This was below consensus expectations; however, spending for the previous two months was revised up.

Homebuilders will try to block global flood-protection standards - The National Association of Home Builders is expected Monday to try to block a proposed overhaul of international building codes that would protect newly built homes from flood damage. The overhaul — which is being considered by the International Code Council — would mark a turning point in global efforts to reduce flood damage, experts said. Floods destroy $46 billion in property a year in the U.S. alone.Supporters of the new building code say NAHB and its allies will try to derail or weaken the proposal at the council’s Monday hearing, as part of homebuilders’ ongoing efforts to block policies that increase construction costs.NAHB, which declined to comment, has for years fought federal and state efforts to impose stricter building codes for flood protection and energy efficiency. The powerful trade group is suing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to block building standards the agency adopted in May.

PCE Measure of Shelter Decreases Slightly to 4.3% YoY in March -Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in shelter from the CPI report and housing from the PCE report this morning, both through March 2025. CPI Shelter was up 4.0% year-over-year in March, down from 4.2% in February, and down from the cycle peak of 8.2% in March 2023. Housing (PCE) was up 4.3% YoY in March, down slightly from 4.3% in February and down from the cycle peak of 8.3% in April 2023.
Since asking rents are mostly flat year-over-year, these measures will slowly continue to decline over the next year as rents for existing tenants continue to increase.The second graph shows PCE prices, Core PCE prices and Core ex-housing over the last 3 months (annualized): Key measures are above the Fed's target on a 3-month basis. 3-month annualized change:
PCE Price Index: 3.1%
Core PCE Prices: 3.5%
Core minus Housing: 3.4%
Note: It is likely there is still some residual seasonality distorting PCE prices in Q1.

Update: Lumber Prices Up 11% YoY -This is something to watch again. Here is another monthly update on lumber prices. NOTE: The CME group discontinued the Random Length Lumber Futures contract on May 16, 2023. I switched to a physically-delivered Lumber Futures contract that was started in August 2022. Unfortunately, this impacts long term price comparisons since the new contract was priced about 24% higher than the old random length contract for the period when both contracts were available. This graph shows CME random length framing futures through August 2022 (blue), and the new physically-delivered Lumber Futures (LBR) contract starting in August 2022 (Red). On April 25, 2025, LBR was at $573.00 per 1,000 board feet, up 11% from a year ago.There is somewhat of a seasonal demand for lumber, and lumber prices frequently peak in the first half of the year.Last year, prices bottomed in July at $449.00 per 1,000 board feet. The recent year-over-year increase might be due to the tariffs.

Rollins says price drop for eggs is ‘coming’ - Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said a price drop for eggs has already hit some parts of the country, and for others, it is on the horizon. Rollins joined CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday and highlighted a major economic indicator: the price of eggs. m Egg prices rose to a record high in March at $6.23 per dozen, despite the Trump administration’s expressions of optimism that prices would be dropping under President Trump’s leadership.“When the president was sworn in, the price of eggs had increased 237 percent under the last administration,” Rollins said.“When you look at the wholesale cost of eggs — which drives the retail cost, the retail will follow soon — the actual wholesale cost of eggs is down 58 percent in the last six weeks,” she later said.In parts of the country, eggs have seen a “significant” drop in retail cost, she said. “Some parts of the country, it has not followed yet, but it’s coming,” Rollins added.The president has repeatedly noted that when he took office in January, egg prices were “through the roof.” He’s claimed that now, prices are down.As Rollins noted on CNN, the Agriculture Department has said wholesale prices of eggs dropped in March, but consumer prices have not entirely followed.Prices rose this year as outbreaks of bird flu forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to stop the virus from spreading.In February, Rollins outlined a “five-pronged strategy” to lower egg prices, partially by repurposing some of the department’s funds to find a long-term solution to bird flu. In late March, Rollins said the administration was importing millions of eggs from Turkey and South Korea to help drive down costs in the U.S.

Las Vegas in March: Visitor Traffic Down 7.8% YoY; Convention Traffic Up 10.2% YoY -- From the Las Vegas Visitor Authority: March 2025 Las Vegas Visitor Statistics With a slightly less‐packed event calendar and as‐yet unclear impacts of evolving federal policies rippling thru international and domestic markets, visitation saw a ‐7.8% YoY decline as the destination hosted approximately 3.39 million visitors in March. Rotation cycles helped convention attendance in March as the destination hosted roughly 534k attendees for the month, up 10.2% YoY, reflecting in part the calendar impact of the in‐rotation of the Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society conference (48k attendees) which was held elsewhere last year. Occupancy reached 82.9%, down ‐2.4 pts with Weekend occupancy of 90.8% (down ‐1.0 pts) and Midweek occupancy of 79.7% (down ‐2.5 pts). ADR for the month reached $184 (+3.1% YoY) with RevPAR of $152 (+0.2% YoY). . The first graph shows visitor traffic for 2019 (Black), 2020 (dark blue), 2021 (light blue), 2022 (light orange), 2023 (orange), 2024 (dark orange) and 2025 (red). Visitor traffic was down 7.8% compared to last March. Visitor traffic was down 8.4% compared to March 2019. Year-to-date (YTD) visitor traffic is down 10.4% compared to the same period in 2019. The second graph shows convention traffic. Convention traffic was up 10.2% compared to March 2024, and down 17.8% compared to March 2019. YTD convention traffic is down 5.8% compared to 2019.

Personal Income increased 0.5% in March; Spending increased 0.7% -The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays report for March: Personal income increased $116.8 billion (0.5 percent at a monthly rate) in March, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—increased $102.0 billion (0.5 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $134.5 billion (0.7 percent).Personal outlays—the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $136.6 billion in March. Personal saving was $872.3 billion in March and the personal saving rate—personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income—was 3.9 percent.From the preceding month, the PCE price index for March decreased less than 0.1 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased less than 0.1 percent.From the same month one year ago, the PCE price index for March increased 2.3 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 2.6 percent from one year ago.The March PCE price index increased 2.3 percent year-over-year (YoY), down from 2.7 percent YoY in February, and down from the recent peak of 7.2 percent in June 2022. The PCE price index, excluding food and energy, increased 2.6 percent YoY, down from 3.0 percent in January, and down from the recent peak of 5.6 percent in February 2022.The following graph shows real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) through March 2025 (2017 dollars). Note that the y-axis doesn't start at zero to better show the change.The dashed red lines are the quarterly levels for real PCE.Personal income and PCE were above expectations.Inflation was below expectations.

Light Vehicles Sales "Beat the tariff" at 17.3 million SAAR in April - Wards Auto released their estimate of light vehicle sales for April: Tariff-Induced Buying Pumps U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales for Second Month in April (pay site). Tariff-related buying lifted sales over the past two months to a seasonally adjusted annual selling rate of 17.6 million, well above the roughly 16.0 million they would have totaled otherwise. There was some indication that the surge was decelerating by the end of the month, probably due to tariff “exuberance” starting to dry up and because of a drain to inventory. There was more strength, in general, in demand for fullsize and luxury-segment trucks than for more affordable vehicles, including cars and small and midsize CUVs and SUVs. This graph shows light vehicle sales since 2006 from the BEA (blue) and Wards' estimate for April (red). Sales in April (17.27 million SAAR) were down 2.8% from March, and up 7.7% from April 2024. Sales in April were above the consensus forecast. The second graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967. This "beat the tariff" induced surge in buying was the best April since 2021.

Heavy Truck Sales Mostly Unchanged YoY in April --This graph shows heavy truck sales since 1967 using data from the BEA. The dashed line is the April 2025 seasonally adjusted annual sales rate (SAAR) of 505 thousand.Heavy truck sales really collapsed during the great recession, falling to a low of 180 thousand SAAR in May 2009. Then heavy truck sales increased to a new record high of 570 thousand SAAR in April 2019.
Note: "Heavy trucks - trucks more than 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight."Heavy truck sales declined sharply at the beginning of the pandemic, falling to a low of 288 thousand SAAR in May 2020. Heavy truck sales were at 505 thousand SAAR in April, down from 450 thousand in March, and up 0.8% from 501 thousand SAAR in April 2025 (essentially unchanged YoY). Year-to-date (NSA) sales are down 4.6%.Usually, heavy truck sales decline sharply prior to a recession and sales were solid in April. It is likely that some April truck buyers rushed to beat the tariffs - and we might see some weakness next month.As I mentioned yesterday, light vehicle sales were strong in April at 17.27 million SAAR as some buyers rushed to beat the tariffs. The second graph shows light vehicle sales since the BEA started keeping data in 1967. Light vehicle sales were at 17.27 million SAAR in April, down 3.1% from March, and up 7.8% from April 2024.

ISM® Manufacturing index Decreased to 48.7% in April - The ISM manufacturing index indicated expansion. The PMI® was at 48.7% in April, down from 49.0% in March. The employment index was at 46.5%, up from 44.7% the previous month, and the new orders index was at 47.2%, up from 45.2%. From ISM: Manufacturing PMI® at 48.7% April 2025 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in April for the second month in a row, following a two-month expansion preceded by 26 straight months of contraction.“The Manufacturing PMI® registered 48.7 percent in April, 0.3 percentage point lower compared to the 49 percent recorded in March. The overall economy continued in expansion for the 60th month after one month of contraction in April 2020. (A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.3 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.) The New Orders Index contracted for the third month in a row following a three-month period of expansion; the figure of 47.2 percent is 2 percentage points higher than the 45.2 percent recorded in March. The April reading of the Production Index (44 percent) is 4.3 percentage points lower than March’s figure of 48.3 percent. The index returned to contraction last month after two months of expansion preceded by eight months of contraction. The Prices Index remained in expansion (or ‘increasing’) territory, registering 69.8 percent, up 0.4 percentage point compared to the reading of 69.4 percent in March. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 43.7 percent, down 0.8 percentage point compared to the 44.5 percent recorded in March. The Employment Index registered 46.5 percent, up 1.8 percentage points from March’s figure of 44.7 percent.“The Supplier Deliveries Index indicated a continued slowing of deliveries, registering 55.2 percent, 1.7 percentage points higher than the 53.5 percent recorded in March. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM® Report On Business® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.) The Inventories Index registered 50.8 percent, down 2.6 percentage points compared to March’s reading of 53.4 percent. The index indicated expansion for a second consecutive month after six months of contraction.“The New Export Orders Index reading of 43.1 percent is 6.5 percentage points lower than the reading of 49.6 percent registered in March. The Imports Index dropped into contraction in April, registering 47.1 percent, 3 percentage points lower than March’s reading of 50.1 percent.” This suggests manufacturing contracted in April. This was slightly above the consensus forecast, however new export orders were weak and prices very strong.

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Increase to 241,000 -The DOL reported: In the week ending April 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 241,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 222,000 to 223,000. The 4-week moving average was 226,000, an increase of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 220,250 to 220,500.The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims increased to 226,000.The previous week was revised up.Weekly claims were above the consensus forecast.

BLS: Job Openings Decreased to 7.2 million in March -From the BLS: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary - The number of job openings was little changed at 7.2 million in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires held at 5.4 million, and total separations changed little at 5.1 million. Within separations, quits (3.3 million) were unchanged and layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) edged down. The following graph shows job openings (black line), hires (dark blue), Layoff, Discharges and other (red column), and Quits (light blue column) from the JOLTS. Note: The difference between JOLTS hires and separations is similar to the CES (payroll survey) net jobs headline numbers. This report is for March; the employment report this Friday will be for April. . Note that hires (dark blue) and total separations (red and light blue columns stacked) are usually pretty close each month. This is a measure of labor market turnover. When the blue line is above the two stacked columns, the economy is adding net jobs - when it is below the columns, the economy is losing jobs. The spike in layoffs and discharges in March 2020 is labeled, but off the chart to better show the usual data. Jobs openings decreased in March to 7.19 million from 7.48 million in February. The number of job openings (black) were down 11% year-over-year. Quits were unchanged year-over-year. These are voluntary separations. (See light blue columns at bottom of graph for trend for "quits").

ADP: Private Employment Increased 62,000 in April -- From ADP: ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 62,000 Jobs in April; Annual Pay was Up 4.5%“Unease is the word of the day. Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. “It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment.” This was well below the consensus forecast of 130,000. The BLS report will be released Friday, and the consensus is for 130,000 non-farm payroll jobs added in April.

Almost half of layoffs this year driven by DOGE cuts: Report -Nearly half of all layoffs so far in 2025 have been driven by cuts related to the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to slash government funding and reduce the size of the federal workforce, according to a new report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. The report shows that “DOGE Actions” led to 283,172 job cuts in the first four months of 2025, and “DOGE Downstream Impact” was cited as the reason for another 6,945 job losses, which the report indicates largely come from non-profits and education organizations. Together, that accounts for 48 percent of all job cuts announced so far this year. The vast majority of job cuts related to “DOGE Actions” occurred in March, which saw 216,670 positions cut. Government job cuts last month also accounted for the vast majority of layoffs across all sectors, which totaled 275,240 in March. In April, job cuts attributed to DOGE plummeted, with just 2,919 announced cuts attributed to the government cost-cutting initiative spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk. But April still saw a high number of job cuts — 105,441 — the highest level since April 2020, which was the highest month ever recorded by the outplacement firm, which began reporting on job cuts in 1989. Reasons given for April cuts include “Market/Economic Conditions” and tariffs and restructuring. “Though the Government cuts are front and center, we saw job cuts across sectors last month. Generally, companies are citing the economy and new technology,” said Andrew Challenger, the firm’s senior vice president. “Employers are slow to hire and limiting hiring plans as they wait and see what will happen with trade, supply chain, and consumer spending.”

April Employment Report: 177 thousand Jobs, 4.2% Unemployment Rate =From the BLS: Employment SituationTotal nonfarm payroll employment increased by 177,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in health care, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and social assistance. Federal government employment declined....The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February was revised down by 15,000, from +117,000 to +102,000, and the change for March was revised down by 43,000, from +228,000 to +185,000. With these revisions, employment in February and March combined is 58,000 lower than previously reported. The first graph shows the jobs added per month since January 2021.Total payrolls increased by 177 thousand in April. Private payrolls increased by 167 thousand, and public payrolls increased 10 thousand (Federal payrolls decreased 9 thousand).Payrolls for February and March were revised down by 58 thousand, combined . The second graph shows the year-over-year change in total non-farm employment since 1968.In April, the year-over-year change was 1.88 million jobs. Employment was up solidly year-over-year.The third graph shows the employment population ratio and the participation rate The Labor Force Participation Rate increased to 62.6% in April, from 62.5% in March. This is the percentage of the working age population in the labor force.The Employment-Population ratio increased to 60.0% from 59.9% in March (blue line). The fourth graph shows the unemployment rate.The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2% in April from 4.2% in March.This was above consensus expectations; however, February and March payrolls were revised down by 58,000 combined.

April jobs report: another good month, with little impact from “liberation day” tariffs – yet -My question over the past year had been whether “decleration” into a “soft landing”would turn into “deterioration” towards a recession. That has now been overtaken by events in the form of T—-p‘s tariffs and trade wars. So my focus now is looking for hard data, rather than reports of sentiment, indicating whether or not the effects of those stupefying actions have begun to hit.I had thought last month’s employment report would be the last good one. It was not, because April was another good employment month.Below is my in depth synopsis.

• 177,000 jobs added. Private sector jobs increased 167,000. Government jobs increased by 10,000, despite federal government layoffs. The three month average was an increase of +155,000, on par with the lowest average last summer.
• The pattern of downward revisions to previous months continued this month. February was revised downward by another -115,000, and March was revised downward by -43,000, for a net decrease of -58,000.
• The alternate, and more volatile measure in the household report, increased by 436,000 jobs. On a YoY basis, this series increased 2,449,000 jobs, or an average of 204,000 monthly.
• The U3 unemployment rate was unchanged at its repeated 12 month high of 4.2%. Since the three month average is 4.167% vs. a low of 3.9% for the three month average in the past 12 months, or an increase of 0.267%, this means the “Sahm rule” has been UN-triggered once again.
• The U6 underemployment rate declined -0.1%, to 7.8%, down -0.2% from its 3+year high in February.
• Further out on the spectrum, those who are not in the labor force but want a job now also declined sharply by -241,000 to 5.634 million, about average in the past four years.the average manufacturing workweek, one of the 10 components of the Index of Leading Indicators, declined -0.2 hours to 40.9 hours, and is down -0.7 hours from its 2021 peak of 41.6 hours.
• Manufacturing jobs decreased by -1,000. This series had been in sharp decline, but it has leveled off in the past six months.
• Within that sector, motor vehicle manufacturing jobs fell -4700.
• Truck driving continued its rebound for the second month, up 1,400.
• Construction jobs increased another 11,000.
• Residential construction jobs, which are even more leading, declined -700 from their post-pandemic high one month ago. Whether this is a decisive peak remains to be seen.
• Goods producing jobs as a whole increased 11,000, and are at their highest level in 17 years! This is especially important, because these typically decline before any recession occurs. But on a YoY% basis, these jobs are only up less than 0.3%, which is very anemic although not quite recessionary.
• Temporary jobs, which have declined by over -550,000 since late 2022, rose this month, by 3,600. The bottom for this metric remains October 2024.
• the number of people unemployed for 5 weeks or fewer declined -177,000 to 2,185,000, vs. its 12 month high of 2,465,000 last August, and its October low of 2,109.000.
• Average Hourly Earnings for Production and Nonsupervisory Personnel increased $.10, or +0.3%, to $31.06, for a YoY gain of +4.1%, up 0.2% for the month and an average YoY gain for the past 12 months. Importantly, this continues to be well above the 2.4% YoY inflation rate as of last month.
• The index of aggregate hours worked for non-managerial workers rose a small 0.1% to a new record high. This measure is also up slightly over 1.5% YoY, its highest such gain in three years.
• The index of aggregate payrolls for non-managerial workers also rose 0.4%, and is up 5.7% YoY, its biggest YoY gain since December 2022. This is also well above the inflation rate, meaning a continuation in the ability of households to increase consumption.
• Professional and business employment increased 17,000. These tend to be well-paying jobs. This series peaked in May 2023, but bottomed in October 2024, and is up 0.3% since then. It remains lower YoY by -0.1%, which in the past 80+ years - until now - has almost *always* meant recession. This is vs. last spring when it was down -0.9% YoY.
• The employment population ratio increased 0.1% to 60.0%, vs. 61.1% in February 2020.
• The Labor Force Participation Rate increased 0.1% to 62.6%, vs. 63.4% in February 2020.

SUMMARY:Although there were some negatives, this - like last month - was generally a good, positive report. Aside from the headline numbers, goods producing jobs in the aggregate held up quite well, as did several components including construction jobs. Several sectors that had been languishing — trucking, temporary jobs, and professional and business jobs — continued their rebound. Aggregate hours and payrolls also rose, and the latter in particular remains well ahead of inflation. The unemployment rate, employment population ratio, and the labor force participation rate also all improved. The only relatively weak spots were the slight downturns in manufacturing and manufacturing hours, as well as residential construction jobs. So this was once again good, positive report, with no signs of deterioration month over month. One special items to especially note this month is that the data for the report is gathered in the earlier part of the month, so the impact from tariff “liberation day” was only just beginning.

Comments on April Employment Report – McBride -The headline jobs number in the April employment report was above expectations, however, February and March payrolls were revised down by 58,000 combined. The participation rate and the employment population ratio increased, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%. Earlier: April Employment Report: 177 thousand Jobs, 4.2% Unemployment Rate Since the overall participation rate is impacted by both cyclical (recession) and demographic (aging population, younger people staying in school) reasons, here is the employment-population ratio for the key working age group: 25 to 54 years old.The 25 to 54 years old participation rate increased in April to 83.6% from 83.3% in March.The 25 to 54 employment population ratio increased to 80.7% from 80.4% the previous month.Both are down slightly from the recent peaks, but still near the highest level this millennium.The graph shows the nominal year-over-year change in "Average Hourly Earnings" for all private employees from the Current Employment Statistics (CES). There was a huge increase at the beginning of the pandemic as lower paid employees were let go, and then the pandemic related spike reversed a year later.Wage growth has trended down after peaking at 5.9% YoY in March 2022 and was at 3.8% YoY in April. From the BLS report:"The number of people employed part time for economic reasons, at 4.7 million, changed little in April. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs."The number of persons working part time for economic reasons decreased in April to 4.69 million from 4.78 million in March. This is above the pre-pandemic levels.These workers are included in the alternate measure of labor underutilization (U-6) that decreased to 7.8% from 7.9% in the previous month. This is down from the record high in April 2020 of 22.9% and up from the lowest level on record (seasonally adjusted) in December 2022 (6.6%). (This series started in 1994). This measure is above the 7.0% level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic).This graph shows the number of workers unemployed for 27 weeks or more.According to the BLS, there are 1.46 million workers who have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks and still want a job, up from 1.44 million the previous month.This is down from post-pandemic high of 4.171 million, and up from the recent low of 1.056 million. This is above pre-pandemic levels. Through April 2025, the employment report indicated positive job growth for 52 consecutive months, putting the current streak in 2nd place of the longest job streaks in US history (since 1939). Summary:The headline jobs number in the April employment report was above expectations, however, February and March payrolls were revised down by 58,000 combined. The participation rate and employment population ratio increased, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%.This was a solid employment report.

Trump moves to tackle school discipline, but advocates divided on federal approach to classroom issue --President Trump is shining a spotlight on the issue of school discipline, which is closely related to the growing problems of learning loss and falling test scores, though it’s unclear how much can be done about classroom behavior from the federal level. As part of a recent list of moves on education, Trump signed an executive order to create new federal school discipline guidance for K-12 institutions, with those in school leadership positions saying the problem has grown steadily worse since the 2020 pandemic. While parents and educators agree something needs to be done, satisfying solutions for all parties are hard to find. “This is long overdue,” said Neeraja Deshpande, policy analyst and engagement coordinator at Independent Women. “I see this as a really good sign, that they’re really bluntly saying that discipline needs to come back in America schools, because it’s good for students, for teachers — it’s honestly best for the most disadvantaged students,” she added. The executive order from Trump, who has long talked about a need to get “tough” in U.S. schools, requires Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the attorney general to team up and create guidance regarding school discipline, along with coordinating with state officials on “the prevention of racial discrimination in the application of school discipline.” Since the pandemic and its related school closures, surveys year after year have shown concerns about student behavior in the classroom. Earlier this year, 48 percent of educators and school leaders said student behavior was a lot worse now than before the pandemic, according to the EdWeek Research Center. In 2023, about one-third of educators felt that way. In his order, Trump blamed the policies of former Presidents Obama and Biden for the increase in behavioral issues, saying the problem started with Obama in 2014 when a “Dear Colleague” letter was sent out warning schools they could be in violation of Title IX if more official punishments are handed out to students of one particular race or ethnicity. That 11-year-old letter pointed out Black students are three times more likely than White students to be expelled or suspended. “The Departments recognize that disparities in student discipline rates in a school or district may be caused by a range of factors. However, research suggests that the substantial racial disparities of the kind reflected in the CRDC [Civil Rights Data Collection] data are not explained by more frequent or more serious misbehavior by students of color,” it said.

Trump tightens the screws on education funding - Since Trump’s March 20 executive order to close the Department of Education (ED), the nationwide coordinated effort to dismantle public education is escalating, resulting in educator layoffs, school closures or consolidations and the sudden termination of tutoring and other essential services.On April 29, the ED announced it would terminate $1 billion in grants for mental health professionals in K-12 schools. On April 15, Trump canceled $400 million to AmeriCorps, which supplies more than 54,000 tutors, mentors, classroom assistants and reading or math specialists to schools and after-school programs. On April 1, five regional Head Start offices were closed, and it was then reported that Trump planned to eliminate the early childhood education program.On March 28, Education Secretary Linda McMahon abruptly reversed $4.4 billion in pandemic aid spending extensions.According to lawsuits filed by at least 20 states against the Trump administration, these escalating “catastrophic” cuts are causing “immediate and devastating harm.”The stage was set in 2024, when the Biden administration chose not to renew funding for schools under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, which allocated $190.5 billion to assist schools in three phases beginning in 2020. Instead, the Democrats prioritized the predatory US-NATO war against Russia, the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza and preparations for war with China.The loss of the ESSER fund is, by far, the most significant source of the decline in K-12 revenues. However, Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s abrupt layoff of half of the Department of Education staff and her sudden reversal of all state-approved ESSER III spending extensions have truly been a lethal blow.McMahon justified the immediate revocation of billions of dollars in reimbursements to districts for approved and incurred school expenses by claiming COVID-19 is “over.”This pretext is a particularly cruel lie. COVID-19 is far from over. Children continue to be infected and reinfected in schools, which were never retrofitted with devices essential for clean air and disease control. Other airborne diseases are also rife in out-of-date school buildings across the US. The 2024-2025 flu season took the lives of 188 children, a near record.Further, Congress had already appropriated the ESSER funds, making McMahon’s actions a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, a foundational piece of federal law. Baltimore, Maryland, presents a horrifying picture of the current assault on educators, children and families. After losing an estimated 100,000 manufacturing jobs—in steel and shipbuilding—in the second half of the 20th century, Baltimore now has a poverty rate of 20.3 percent and is among the nation’s poorest cities. Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) have long been underfunded. But the sudden revocation of federal pandemic assistance left City Schools with a shortfall of $48 million from unreimbursed ESSER expenditures. This amounts to 14 percent of the district’s budget. The results have been immediate and catastrophic, including:

• Tutoring services were shut down effective April 8, with after-school programs ending April 11. At least 1,000 students lost tutoring services previously provided at 44 physical locations and through a virtual platform. The afterschool programs provided homework assistance, enrichment activities and meals. Special education students lost access to sensory-friendly after-school hubs. A majority, 63 percent, of Baltimore families relied on the after-school programs for childcare; 127 jobs were cut, including 89 tutors.
• Summer learning initiatives lost $12.7 million in planned funding. This will reduce the student capacity by 12,000, a devastating blow to children. Both the Career Exploration Camp and extended academic support will be cut.
• Asbestos remediation is being “paused” at 12 schools.
• Twenty-eight mental health professionals have been terminated.
• Infrastructure upgrades have been “paused.” HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades—critical for providing clean air and good learning conditions—may be left uncompleted in 11 buildings. Upgraded door-locking systems at 19 buildings are no longer funded.
• Bilingual education tutoring will be cut by 23 percent.
• Due to the overall end of ESSER funding, virtual learning options have been significantly reduced. In January, virtual learning in grades 2-5, which affects 138 children, were eliminated, and the secondary programs were restructured, resulting in teacher layoffs and a reduction in course offerings.

NYPD violently breaks up attempt by students to establish protest encampment at City College of New York - On the afternoon of Thursday, April 24, scores of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and security personnel from the City University of New York (CUNY) harassed and attacked students at the City College of New York (CCNY) who attempted to establish a pro-Palestinian “liberated zone” encampment on the school’s campus. The attempted encampment came exactly one year after the beginning of the five-day “CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment” protest at CCNY. Part of a wave of such protest actions against Israel’s genocide in Gaza on university campuses across the United States and internationally in the spring of 2024, the CCNY encampment was brutally torn apart by NYPD riot police and almost 200 students were arrested. Several dozen pro-Palestinian student protesters announced Thursday that they had established the “Hilmi Al Faqaawi liberated zone” on the quad of CCNY’s campus. Hilmi Al Faqaawi, a journalist for Palestine Today TV, was one of 10 journalists murdered in an Israeli airstrike targeting their press tent at Nasser Hospital in the city Khan Yunis in Gaza earlier this month. The group of students, apparently affiliated with the New York City Students for Justice in Palestine, wrote on Instagram: “In a time of escalated repression from the state and our universities, escalated resistance is a responsibility, a duty, and a necessity. We follow the lead of Palestine and the resistance, who show us what true bravery and courage means.” The students issued demands centered around pressuring CUNY to disclose its investments and divest from companies profiting from Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Their demands, focused around the five points, “Divest, Boycott, Solidarity, Demilitarize and a People’s CUNY,” were almost the same as those from the protests last year. Within 15 minutes of the beginning of the protest action, CUNY Public Safety officers dressed in riot gear and carrying batons were mobilized and began to forcefully move protesters off the quad. CUNY security and NYPD shut down the campus, reportedly searching through students’ bags as they entered the campus. Police and security reportedly used cars, batons, and fences—erected after the 2024 protests—to kettle protesters and move them to the edge of the campus. Once there, officers slammed students into barriers, indiscriminately shot off pepper spray and shouted threats of arrest and expulsion at students. At least one student was arrested and many more were injured. The events at CCNY occurred the day after a report by NBC News that a group of protesters was planning to set up a tent encampment at Columbia University at the end of last week. According to the report, students were planning to erect a tent encampment on Columbia’s main Morningside campus on the upper-west-side of Manhattan and another at the nearby Manhattanville campus. Fueled by the escalating genocidal onslaught of the Palestinians and Columbia’s collaboration with the Trump administration’s demands for mass repression of political opposition on campuses, an encampment at Columbia would have come a little over a year after the establishment of the mass “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at the university that sparked the wave of student encampments last year. Columbia’s administration responded swiftly to the reports of an incoming protest action. The university’s campus was locked down and potential protestors were threatened with arrest. An initial memo sent out by the university’s Public Safety department indicated that it would immediately crack down on any attempt to establish an encampment, including removal of tents, restricting campus access and identifying participants for disciplinary charges and arrest. As of this writing, no encampment has been attempted at Columbia University. However, the campus has seen a slew of protests and other actions in opposition to the genocide and attacks on basic democratic rights by the Trump administration in collaboration with the university administration.

House Republicans unveil higher education reform plans -House Republicans have unveiled their plans to reform higher education in the U.S. through budget reconciliation text released Monday. The text hits on a variety of issues as it looks to expand Pell Grants, change student loan repayment plans and put limits on how much some individuals can borrow. The measure will go to a full committee markup Tuesday as House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) was tasked with saving more than $330 billion to help President Trump’s tax plan. “For decades Congress has responded to the student loan crisis by throwing more and more taxpayer dollars at the problem — never addressing the root causes of skyrocketing college costs. Colleges have ridden this gravy train of taxpayer dollars without any accountability for the quality of the education they provide or whether students can find jobs when they graduate,” Walberg said in a statement. “This plan brings accountability and holds schools financially responsible for loading students up with debt. The bill also includes other reforms that will lower costs for students and families while ensuring the fiscal sustainability of targeted programs like the Pell Grant. Bottom line, it’s time to fix this broken cycle that is costly to taxpayers and leaves students worse off than if they never went to college,” he added. The reforms look to only offer borrowers two student loan repayment options, taking away other options available to those repaying student loans now. The two available options would be a Repayment Assistance Plan, an income-based repayment plan or a standard repayment plan. The text would also create a limit for how much different types of students, whether graduate, undergraduate or parents, can borrow from the federal government for school and expand Pell Grants to those who want to go into short-term training programs. Changes to the plans are still likely at this stage, but shifts to the student loan system come as the Trump administration recently announced it will restart involuntary collections against borrowers who are in default. “We really see this as an attack on students and working families with student loan debt. We’ve seen an array of really problematic proposals that are on the table for congressional Republicans,” Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for Student Borrower Protection Center, previously told The Hill when earlier versions of the potential budget reconciliation text were released.

Teenage years crucial for depression intervention, study finds -- Depression in young teens could be easier to treat than in adulthood due to the symptoms being more flexible and not yet ingrained, a study published in the journal Nature Mental Health shows.Researchers found that interactions between depressive symptoms—like sadness, fatigue and a lack of interest—are less predictable in teens but become more fixed in adults, which can lead to persistent depression.The findings highlight the importance of targeting depression at an early age, when symptoms are still changing, experts say. Depression is a complex condition, characterized by a range of connected symptoms. Current interventions treat overall depression severity and do not consider how symptoms interact and evolve over time.Scientists at the University of Edinburgh analyzed data from more than 35,000 young people to capture how depression symptoms interact throughout adolescence. Symptom patterns become more stable across adolescence, with individuals more likely to be persistently depressed or experience no depressive symptoms, while symptoms fluctuate at younger ages.Experts say the variability seen in teen depression is likely to be influenced by three main factors: puberty and hormones; ongoing brain development; and social and environmental influences.Researchers also found that among teenagers, depression symptoms stabilize faster in boys than girls, leaving less time for risk or protective factors to have an effect. Symptoms in teenage girls continue to fluctuate over a longer period.Targeted support for young teenagers while symptoms are flexible and more responsive to treatment could help to prevent persistent depression into adulthood, the research team says.

New data: Teens say social media is bad (just not for them) - In a new report out last week, Pew surveyed teens and their parents about their views on social media and mental health—and let me tell you, they’ve outdone themselves with this one. The report is also special because I was asked to serve on the Advisory Board, which, given the aforementioned nerd crush, was very exciting. I’d always imagined Pew researchers to be some kind of science superhumans1—and I am happy to report that after meeting my heroes, they are, in fact, normal humans, but also exactly as smart and rigorous (and kind) as I expected. What are we looking at here?

• Researchers conducted an online survey in September and October 2024
• 1,391 U.S. teens (ages 13 to 17) and one of their parents filled it out
• The sample was nationally representative, meaning it generally reflects the U.S. population on things like sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc.
• Some of the same questions were asked in 2022 and 2023, so we can look at trends

What did they find? Here are some of the most interesting findings (in my mind), and my take on each.

• 48% of teens say that social media has a “mostly negative” impact on people their age, up from 32% in 2022.
• When it comes to themselves, personally, teens are much less likely to cite negative impacts: only 14% say social media has a mostly negative impact on them (still up from 2022, when this number was 9%).

My take: This is fascinating to me! It’s not uncommon to see teens (and adults!) say that a certain behavior impacts others more negatively than it impacts them (yes, sure, other people should drive the speed limit, but *I* would never get in an accident).3 My question is: why has the number of teens who say social media is bad for their peers gone up over time, more than the number who says it’s actually bad for them, personally? I can think of at least two possibilities:

1. Maybe social media really is getting worse for teens, due to changes in the platforms and ways it’s used. If so, teens are likely to see that reflected in their friends.
2. Maybe this is about the messages teens are getting, which—I believe—have gotten more negative over time. Teens are being told social media harms people their age, so they’re more likely to report that it does, even if they don’t see it in themselves, personally.

Either way, teens’ concern about the effects of social media on their peers may be a good angle for media literacy efforts. Teens may be more likely to buy-in to efforts to help their peers (versus themselves) avoid online harms and use social media in healthier ways. 2. Parents and teens’ concerns about mental health

• 55% of parents are “extremely or very” concerned about the mental health of teens these days, compared to 35% of teens who feel the same.
• Among parents who are concerned, nearly half (44%) cite social media as the “one thing that has the most negative impact” on mental health (over things like bullying, pressures and expectations, and the state of society).
• Teens also cite social media as a number one cause (22%), but they’re less likely to do so than parents.

My take: Though the numbers are lower for teens than their parents, there’s still a lot of concern about teens’ mental health, and social media is cited as the factor that has the most negative impact. Social media pervades nearly all aspects of teens’ lives, so it makes sense that this would feel like a very visible, obvious precursor to mental health (both positive and negative). When I see stats like this, though, I worry that parents and teens are forgetting about the many other factors that influence mental health. Mental illness results from a complex combination of biology and environment—from genetics to personality to family and peer relationships. When we reduce it to oversimplified explanations (social media), we end up with oversimplified solutions (ban social media) that ignore other important factors.

Alzheimer's risk factors that can impact cognition in adults as young as 24 revealed - A new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia Butler Aging Center suggests that risk factors and biomarkers related to Alzheimer's disease are associated with cognition much earlier in life than previously recognized. The study highlights significant associations between cognition and Alzheimer's disease risk factors as young as ages 24 to 44 and underscores the importance of early prevention.This is the first study to systematically examine Alzheimer's disease risk factors, including biomarkers related to cognitive impairment in a large group of generally healthy middle-aged individuals in the U.S. The findings are published in The Lancet-Regional Health Americas."Previously, research on Alzheimer's disease risk factors has focused on individuals aged 50 and older," said Allison Aiello, Ph.D., James S. Jackson Healthy Longevity Professor of Epidemiology in the Butler Aging Center and Columbia Mailman School. "The potential impact of our findings is substantial, offering clinicians and health researchers a clearer understanding of the early emergence of Alzheimer's disease risk factors and their association with cognition before middle age.According to Aiello, the results reveal that several well-established risk factors and blood biomarkers are linked to cognitive function even before midlife. These earlier life associations provide a baseline for predicting long-term trajectories of cognitive decline. "Additionally, we learned that certain Alzheimer's risk factors—such as cardiovascular health, ATN (amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration), and immune biomarkers—are present and related to cognition in individuals in their forties and even earlier."

A meeting with the MAHA grassroots - by Katelyn Jetelina Your Local Epidemiologist -A few weeks ago, I got an invitation that stopped me in my tracks. Leaders and grassroots members* of a local Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) chapter wanted to meet—with me, and four public health leaders I deeply admire.** I sat with it for a long time. Honestly, my gut reaction was no. Not just because I’m busy, not just because it felt risky, but mainly because I’m angry. I’m heartbroken. Watching the world I spent my career in and the people I care about being destroyed—brick by brick and getting taken over by falsehoods and value systems I adamantly disagree with. To me, MAHA has been right at the center of that destruction.I didn’t know what this meeting would bring. Would it be a political ambush? Would I be able to hold back my grief and rage? Could I trust them not to twist my words and blast them on social media?But after a lot of wrestling—and, frankly, putting on my big girl pants—I decided to show up. My goals were simple: 75% listening, 25% speaking my truth.The meeting was last Friday. And it turned out to be one of the most raw, honest, and important conversations I’ve had in years. At first, we all agreed to keep it private. But afterward, everyone was surprised—pleasantly—by how constructive it was. With their permission, I’m sharing a glimpse of it with you. if we are truly honest with ourselves, the systems that public health and healthcare built in the 20th century are not keeping up with the needs of Americans today. The world has changed. The information landscape has shifted dramatically. The genuine power of a curiosity-driven public—one that expects faster information, more transparency, and more agency—has been unleashed. Those of us in the health world are now at a crossroads. We can either double down on what we know—the old systems, the old ways of doing things—or we can listen, learn, and evolve. Both instincts are understandable. Both instincts are necessary. But for me, I’m far more interested in the latter: figuring out better ways to serve Americans where they are now, not where we wish they were.Listening doesn’t mean agreeing with everything. It doesn’t mean validating falsehoods. It doesn’t mean abandoning evidence or the values that guide me. It simply means understanding—truly understanding—what is driving people’s fears, frustrations, questions, and hopes. Because if we don’t listen, we will continue to build systems that overlook the people we are supposed to serve. And if we keep missing them, decisions about public health will continue to be made without our input—and we’re already living with the consequences. I heard three powerful themes emerge from this meeting. First, the health system has failed them. Everyone in the room had a story with a common thread: heartbreak, betrayal, and thus, mistrust:

• A mom caring for an adult child with autism, navigating a system that constantly made things harder, not easier.
• A family ripped apart by the opioid epidemic, started by pharmaceutical greed and perpetuated by indifference.
• A small business owner who survived pandemic shutdowns, but felt invisible and expendable the entire time.

These weren’t abstract debates about policy. These were lived experiences—painful, messy, human. And the message was clear: when it mattered most, the systems built to protect people didn’t show up for them. Our communication isn’t connecting.Information dissemination, which many in public health and healthcare have been doing, is inherently different from communication, which involves listening. It’s not that people are always rejecting science outright. It’s that, mainly, no one is meeting them where they are—or taking the time to answer their real, everyday questions:

• Why does my newborn need the Hepatitis B vaccine if we’re not at high risk?
• Why did Covid-19 recommendations change so often?
• Why are we beholden to a pharmaceutical industry that fueled an opioid epidemic?

These are good-faith questions. When public health doesn’t show up with clear, empathetic answers, others do—Joe Rogan, RFK Jr., wellness influencers. If we stay silent, preach from a moral high ground, or offer one-size-fits-all answers, we leave a vacuum. And that vacuum is getting filled by louder, more relatable, more empathetic, and sometimes more dangerous voices. Something that genuinely surprised me: some acknowledged that hitching their movement to the broader MAGA movement was a risky bet. I heard that they are grappling with the consequences: cuts to public health research on diabetes, food access, maternal health, and more. Cuts that are hurting their ability to make progress. I heard that much frustration stems from the perception that “the system” should sometimes do more for people, at least where they see it working for them. For example, one mom was saying how much she was concerned about Medicaid being cut because she relies on it for her adult, autistic son. Without it, she would have to use her retirement savings to become a full-time caregiver for him. While they are fully supportive of Secretary Kennedy’s vision, some believe that blind allegiance to MAGA may be hindering the development of real solutions, rather than facilitating them.

Death certificate changes inflate US maternal fatalities, yet rates clearly peaked during height of COVID-19 --Changes to US death certificates during and after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic altered data on maternal morbidity, a fact that didn't obscure a clear increase during COVID-19, according to new research yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics.From 2000 to 2023, states added a "pregnancy checkbox" on death certificates to mark if a deceased person was pregnant at the time of death. Not all states implemented the changes to death certificates at the same time, but the addition of the checkbox affected reported maternal death rates.In the study, researchers analyzed death certificates during the 24-year study period for mothers aged 15 to 44 years for all definitions of maternal mortality.Overall, despite a reported spike in maternal mortality in 2020 and 2021, the authors found that the introduction of the checkboxes inadvertently inflated maternal mortality data, and maternal mortality has been largely stable in the United States from 2000 through 2023.The authors found that the introduction of the pregnancy checkbox was associated with an increase of 6.78 deaths (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47 to 12.09) per 100,000 live births in reported maternal mortality, as well as 66% (95% CI, 14% to 117%) of the total increase from 2000 to 2019.Maternal death rates peaked in 2021 as COVID-19 climbed, reaching 18.86 per 100,000 (95% CI, 17.48 to 20.32). But adjusted maternal death rates remained consistently from 6.75 (95% CI, 5.97 to 7.61) to 10.24 (95% CI, 9.22 to 11.34) per 100,000 live births from 2000 to 2021. Rates dropped in 2022 to 10.23 (95% CI, 9.22 to 11.32)."At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women died at significantly higher rates than they did before the pandemic," said Seth Flaxman, PhD, senior study author from the University of Oxford in a press release from the university. "But when we took a careful look at the two decades before the pandemic, we found remarkably little change: in 2019 and 2023, pregnant women died at roughly the same rates as they did a generation earlier."There were significant racial and ethnicity differences seen in the study. Overall, non-Hispanic Black women had approximately triple the death rate of non-Hispanic White women across the 23-year study period.Notably, from 2020 to 2022 the death rates of Native American or Alaska Native women increased the most, almost tripling from 2011 to 2019 (10.70 per 100 ,000 live births; 95% CI, 7.64 to 14.57) to 2020 to 2022 (27.47 per 100 ,000 live births; 95% CI, 18.39 to 39.45), the authors said.

COVID patients who don't receive remdesivir not more likely to die, data suggest -A study at a Minnesota healthcare system finds that limiting the use of the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients didn't result in a greater risk of death."There is limited data to support routine remdesivir use in the contemporary era of SARS-CoV-2 with widespread seropositivity [evidence of previous infection or vaccination]," the HealthPartners researchers wrote. The team compared COVID-19 patients' 14-day risk of death 12 months before and after implementation of remdesivir restrictions at the system's eight hospitals (June 2022 to May 2023 and July 2023 to June 2024, respectively). Of the 4,774 patients with healthy immune systems included in the analysis, 3,323 and 1,451 participated before and after the intervention, respectively. The findings were published late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases.Significantly fewer patients in the post-implementation group were given remdesivir (37.7% pre-intervention vs 4.1% post-intervention). Models of medium-risk covariates found no difference in 14-day all-cause death rates between the two groups (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.54 to 5.8) or in 28-day all-cause death rates, 30-day readmissions, or length of hospital stay. But remdesivir use was linked to a lower risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and need for mechanical ventilation (MV) before the intervention and a higher risk of these outcomes after."Remdesivir use was associated with an unexpected increased risk of ICU admission and MV within the post-intervention group only, which is likely explained by the higher-risk patient population that received remdesivir," the study authors wrote. "Prospective studies would be needed to definitively determine if highly vaccinated, immunocompetent patients benefit from remdesivir."

Long COVID has unique symptoms, persistence not seen in flu, pneumonia, research suggests Post-COVID symptoms, prevalence, and time to resolution are different from those seen after flu or pneumonia, better characterizing long COVID, University of Texas investigators say.The study team analyzed health claims dat- a from Medicare Advantage–covered and commercially insured US adults diagnosed as having symptomatic COVID-19 in 2020 (121,205 patients) and similar groups with flu (20,844) and pneumonia (29,052) diagnosed before the pandemic. Symptoms were evaluated 1, 3, and 6 months after post-diagnosis.The findings were published yesterday in PLOS One.Over time, only most severe cases still caused symptomsAfter 1, 3, and 6 months post-diagnosis, the odds ratios [ORs] of any symptom in the flu cohort relative to the COVID-19 group were 0.77, 0.77, and 0.68, respectively. In contrast, the respective ORs among pneumonia patients were 2.24, 2.41, and 2.46, meaning more than double the risk at those points in time.The most common symptoms persisting beyond 4 weeks post-infection among COVID-19 patients were fatigue (25.4%), shortness of breath (24.7%), and joint pain (24.7%). Among flu patients, the most common symptoms were joint pain (19.8%), fatigue (18.2%), and cough (17.7%). In the pneumonia group, shortness of breath (42.2%), fatigue (34.8%), and cough (33.9%) were noted most often.The odds of having any symptom didn't differ significantly between illness severity levels 4 and 3, but the ORs for severity levels 5, 6, 7, and 8 were 1.12, 1.16, 1.46, and 2.64 times those for severity level 3, respectively. With increasing time since diagnosis, only the most severe infections (severity levels 7 and 8) continued to cause symptoms. For level 7, the OR of having a symptom versus level 3 was 1.19 and 1.10 after 3 and 6 months, respectively. Likewise, the level-8 OR was 1.84 and 1.53 at the same time points. Underlying medical conditions resulted in higher odds for all time points and comorbidities. The chronic conditions with the greatest increased odds of symptoms after 4 weeks were rheumatoid arthritis (OR, 2.15), ischemic heart disease (OR, 1.80), and asthma (OR, 1.80)..

Analysis: Long-COVID burden reduced 7 months after acute infection A new study conducted in Italy reveals a reduction in long-COVID burden 7 months following the acute phase. The study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, also shows that one-third of patients experienced long-lasting symptoms during almost 2 years of follow-up.The study was based on the outcomes of 853 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and outpatients who had at least one follow-up visit after acute infection at San Paolo Hospital of the University of Milan from February 2020 to June 2023,.The average age of patients was 62 years. Overall, 64.6% of the participants showed signs of persistent COVID at 3 months, 36.4% at 7 months, and 30.4% at 26 months.Fatigue, respiratory symptoms, brain fog, and chronic pain were the most common post-COVID conditions (PCCs) noted in follow-up visits. Loss of smell and taste were persistent symptoms seen only in patients infected with the original 2020 strain of the virus.“While anosmia/dysgeusia is prevalent in the first post-acute period, fatigue, respiratory sequelae, and to a lesser extent, brain fog emerged as the predominant long-term PCC phenotypes,” the authors wrote. A number of factors were associated with persistent symptoms, including female sex and longer hospital stay. But acute infection in 2020 was the factor most associated with long COVID after adjusting for sex, disease severity, and preexisting conditions.“Having had SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first pandemic phases appears to be associated with persistent PCC,” the authors wrote. This could be for a number of reasons, the authors said, including no vaccine history in that cohort and more severe clinical presentation.

Novavax confusion, food dyes, measles, dengue, and a new backup plan for vaccines --Your Local Epidemiologist | Katelyn Jetelina -- Measles cases are still rising fast, dengue season is heating up early, and food dyes may be on their way out. Plus, a lot of confusion around Novavax Covid-19 vaccine approval and a new backup plan for vaccine policy.

• Measles: We’re now at 923 cases nationwide. It’s hard to determine whether we’re at the beginning or middle of these outbreaks, given significant underreporting, but we’re quickly approaching theA new KFF poll shows a stark divide in public concern: 76% of Democrats say they’re worried about the measles outbreak, compared to just 28% of Republicans. For a deeper dive, check out the SITREP report: 2.01MB ∙ PDF file Download
• Dengue (also known as breakbone fever), traditionally considered a neglected tropical disease, is creeping northward due to a warming Earth, resulting in more locally acquired cases and an increase in cases from international travel. Last year, Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency. Most infections are asymptomatic, but 1 in 4 infections cause flu-like symptoms and can occasionally (1 in 20 infections) cause more severe disease like hemorrhagic fever.This year, CDC has reported 1,568 cases—mostly from international travel and mostly in Puerto Rico. But Hawaii made news last week as they already reported 7 travel-related cases—higher than expected for this time of year: highest number of cases recorded in the past 25 years.
• What’s happening with Novavax? This is a good question. Unlike Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, Novavax uses a more traditional protein-based platform. It has been available under emergency use authorization while working toward full FDA approval—the gold standard for maintaining market access. Manufacturing delays have slowed that process. But a lot has changed in just the past month. Here’s what I know:
  • Full approval was originally scheduled for April 1, but that decision was paused—eerily, just after Dr. Peter Marks was forced to resign—sparking speculation of political interference.
  • Last week, Novavax announced it’s back on track for full approval.
  • Then, over the weekend, the FDA said that it is requiring a clinical trial to reevaluate the effectiveness of Novavax.
  • And now, more recent comments suggest that the same bar might be applied to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as well.

This is… not normal. A new clinical trial could cost millions of dollars—which isn’t my main concern, given the financial position of these companies—but it would also take time, and that is a concern. Fall is around the corner, and designing, recruiting, conducting trials, and manufacturing doses typically take years—unless we’re in a declared emergency.Since the original Covid-19 vaccine trials, we have shifted to a model similar to flu vaccines: anticipate the virus mutating quickly and test a small number of people’s blood to confirm an immune response. The strain changes in the vaccine formula are minor—more like tweaking a few letters in a Word doc than changing the document’s content, length, or format. Meanwhile, real-world data from CDC continues to show that updated Covid vaccines offer additional protection, especially for those over 65. Here’s what I don’t know: Are these just FDA talking points to the media, or will this actually become policy for fall approval? What kind of trial is being required—tens of thousands of participants? And why are Covid-19 vaccines now being treated so differently than flu?There’s a lot we still don’t know. And until we get clarity, it’s unclear whether updated Covid vaccines will be available this fall—or if they’ll be delayed by shifting expectations and new rules.

CDC: 12 more children die of flu, reaching new season high for a nonpandemic year Twelve more US children have died of influenza, surpassing theprevious high for a flu season outside of a pandemic year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its weekly update today.The pediatric deaths push the season total to 216, surpassing last season's total of 207. Ten of the children died of influenza A, and two died from influenza B. Subtyping showed that eight of the influenza A deaths were caused by the H1N1 strain, and four were H3N2.Flu activity as a whole, however, continues a slow decline, with outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) down to 2.2% from 2.4% last week. Hospitalizations have also dropped to 2,857 from 3,601.No states reported moderate, high, or very high ILI levels; last week, one state each noted high or moderate ILI activity. Flu test positivity slid from 5.6% last week to 4.6%, but the cumulative hospitalization rate edged up slightly from 126.6 per 100,000 last week to 127.4 cases per 100,000—the highest since 2010-11.CDC data updates today show low levels of COVID-19 activity. Two states, Minnesota and Missouri, recorded high levels of COVID-19 concentrations in wastewater, up from one (Louisiana) last week. The proportion of overall deaths caused by COVID-19 was 0.6%, compared with 0.7% last week and 0.2% for flu.The percentage of COVID-19 infections caused by the dominant Omicron subvariant, LP.8.1, was the same as last week, at 69%, followed by XEC (10%) and LF.7.7.2 (6%), the CDC variant tracker shows.Utah is the only state reporting moderate levels of influenza A wastewater activity, while the rest are low or very low, as are all respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) levels.

Measles cases in Europe, the Americas skyrocket --Measles cases across Europe were up 10-fold in 2024 compared to 2023, while cases in the Americas so far this year are 11-fold higher, according to updates today from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).Moreover, the ECDC said the 2024 measles cases in the European region followed a seasonal pattern, which was not noted in 2021 through 2023. In 2024, a total of 35,212 measles cases were reported across the European region, compared to 3,973 in 2023.The reports come as US states continue to confirm more infections. About 87% of the European cases were reported in Romania, which had the highest notification rate, at 1,610.7 cases per 1,000,000 population, followed by Austria (59.5), Belgium (44.9) and Ireland (39.6). Twenty-three measles-related deaths were confirmed in 2024, of which 22 were in Romania, and 14 of the 23 were in children aged 5 years or younger. Children under the age of 1 year represented 13% of measles cases, and children 1 to 4 years represented 33.1% of cases. Among the 90% of case-patients with known vaccine status, 87% were unvaccinated, and 98% of infected babies (younger than 1 year) and 90% of children 1 and 4 years old with measles were unvaccinated.The ECDC said dropping vaccine rates are contributing to the post-pandemic spike in measles activity across the county: In 2024, only three countries, Hungary, Malta, Portugal, had had coverage of 95% or more for both doses of the measles vaccine.Most cases last year in the European region were reported in February through July, with a decline in the second half of the year. 'The marked resurgence in 2024 emphasizes a return to more typical measles seasonal patterns, but at significantly elevated levels compared to the pandemic and pre-pandemic years," the ECDC said.Today the WHO warned that, compared with late April of last year, measles cases have increased 11-fold in the Americas, with six countries reporting 2,318 measles cases, including 3 deaths—all in the United States—so far this year. From January 1 tto April 18, 2024, only 205 cases of measles were reported in the region. The six countries reporting measles case this year are Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the United States reporting the largest outbreak, at 900 cases. "Difficulty in maintaining adequate levels of vaccination in the migrant population, vaccine-hesitant groups and other at-risk populations within the Region are big challenges," the WHO said. "Given that several countries in Europe, Central Asia and Africa have areas of circulation of the virus, the identification of imported cases from these areas is expected." In US developments, Austin, Texas, health officials reported the second case in Travis County, in a vaccinated adult who had traveled to a state outside Texas that is experiencing a measles outbreak. The patient is isolating at home.Late last week Colorado reported its fifth case, involving a vaccinated adult who had traveled to an outbreak area in Chihuahua, Mexico.And Los Angeles County is reporting a measles case in a resident who had recently traveled to Texas.

Texas measles total grows to 663 as Arkansas reports local spread -The Texas Department of State Health Services todayreported 17 more measles cases from the West Texas outbreak, bringing the state's total to 663. . Along with more cases in the West Texas outbreak, the state reported 23 more hospitalizations from earlier in the outbreak, putting that total at 87. The number of deaths remain at 2.So far, 26 Texas counties have measles cases linked to the outbreak, which began in Gaines County in January. Ten are still experiencing active transmission. The state also reported 1 more measles case that doesn’t have any known link to the West Texas outbreak, raising that total to 30. No new cases were reported in New Mexico and Oklahoma, where illnesses have been linked to the West Texas outbreak. The Arkansas Department of Health today reported its fourth case, which involves a Faulkner County resident who had no travel history, signifying the state's first case of the year involving community spread. The patient, like the previous three, is younger than 18 years old. Officials also noted that the child wasn't fully vaccinated and visited a medical clinic and a dance studio while infectious. Based on community spread in Faulkner County, the health department updated its vaccine recommendations for anyone living in or traveling to the county and six neighboring counties. All children ages 6 to 11 months old can receive a "zero dose" measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, meaning it doesn't count as one of the two recommended doses for kids ages 12 months and older.Mexico's government on April 25 issued a yellow (medium) health notice about travel to Canada and the United States because of measles outbreaks in both countries.Officials noted that, as of April 17, Canada has reported 880 cases this year in six provinces, though 804 of them (91%) are in Ontario. They also said that, as of the same date, the United States has reported 800 cases in 25 states, though mostly in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, and Ohio. They urged travelers to ensure that they are up to date with MMR vaccination and to avoid travel and limit contact with others if symptomatic.Mexico is also experiencing a measles outbreak, with 421 cases in eight states, but with 96% of them (403) in Chihuahua, according to an update yesterday from the World Health Organization on measles activity in the Americas.

US measles total passes 900 as CDC responds to alternative treatment push -The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today in its weekly update reported 51 more measles cases, bringing the national total to 935 from 30 states, though most are part of a large outbreak with an epicenter in West Texas.The nation is now experiencing 12 outbreaks, one more than the previous week, and 93% of illnesses reported are connected to outbreaks.The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) today reported 20 more cases since its last update on April 29, lifting the state’s total at 683. Three more counties reported cases linked to the outbreak, putting the total at 29. Of the 683 cases reported from Texas, 396 are from the Gaines County hot spot. Of the state’s total, 653 patients were unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. So far, 89 people have been hospitalized since the start of the outbreak, and the number of deaths remains at 2.In related developments, CBS News reported yesterday that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would ask the CDC to develop new guidance for treating measles with drugs and vitamins. Today, the CDC posted new resources for public health departments and parents, along with a fact sheet for clinicians that covers two alternative treatments that Kennedy has pushed, including vitamin A, antibiotics, and inhaled steroids. The vitamin A treatments that Kennedy has supported in the response to the Texas outbreak have putsome kids in the hospital after they were given toxic amounts of the vitamin. In the fact sheet, the CDC said vitamin A doesn’t prevent measles and isn’t a substitute for vaccination but has been shown to reduce measles mortality in children living in areas with high levels of vitamin A deficiency. “In the U.S., prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is very low,” the group said. It added that vitamin A can be administered to infants and children with measles in the United States under the supervision of a health provider as part of “supportive management,” with age-specific daily dose limits. “Overuse of vitamin A can lead to toxicity and cause damage to the liver, bones, central nervous system, and skin,” the CDC said. “Pregnant women should avoid taking high levels of vitamin A as it has been linked to severe birth defects.”The CDC said there is no evidence for using antibiotics to treat measles, which is a viral disease. It notes that treatment decisions should be based on the clinical assessment of health providers. As for inhaled steroids, the CDC said they are useful for patients who have a history of reactive airway disease and again said use should be based on individual decision-making by health providers.

Whooping cough cases surging towards 70-year high in US - Cases of whooping cough—or pertussis as it’s more formally known—have been quietly but strongly surging to pre-pandemic levels and beyond. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) found there have been 8,845 cases of pertussis in the United States so far this year, and the number is rapidly expanding. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), when extrapolated out for the remainder of 2025, the total number of cases of whooping cough will very likely exceed the 74,715 cases seen in 1948, the year the pertussis vaccine was first introduced. The number of cases so far this year already exceeds the total number seen in any year between 1968 and 2001. Pertussis is a respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Bordatella pertussis. It typically causes violent bouts of coughing that leave its victims desperately gasping for air between coughing fits. This often results in a high-pitched sound as the victim draws breath, or “whooping” sound, giving the disease its informal, common name. Oftentimes, the coughing is so violent that it causes rib fractures. The broken ribs can then cause punctures of the lung, known in medical terms as pneumothorax. Pneumothorax is a medical emergency. The mortality rate in infants (less than one year old) is 2 percent and this age group accounts for 96 percent of deaths due to pertussis. Fully one third of infants with pertussis require hospitalization. Antibiotics are not curative and are given primarily to reduce transmission from infected to uninfected individuals. Last year, there were 35,435 cases of pertussis, the highest level seen since 2012. Of those, 7,689 (21.7 percent) were in children aged 6 months to 6 years. Of that age group, 5,696 (74.1 percent) were either unvaccinated, under vaccinated, or had an unknown vaccination status. That means that 25.9 percent of young children who contracted the disease were fully vaccinated. This year’s surge in cases so far is concentrated in Pacific, Mountain, and Midwestern states. The state of Washington leads the nation with 917 cases followed by Oregon with 617 cases and Michigan with 525 cases. Texas, which is the epicenter of a large ongoing measles outbreak, has reported only 11 cases of pertussis thus far in 2025. This number is improbably low given that Texas reported 1,156 cases total and 108 cases by this point last year. The overall numbers of pertussis cases have risen dramatically in the 21st century due to the impact of the anti-vaccination movement. Per CDC data, vaccination rates for pertussis were only approximately 80 percent of children 24 months old for the years 2010-2019. The CDC recommends vaccination rates of 95 percent to prevent transmission levels resulting in outbreaks. Unlike measles vaccination, the childhood pertussis vaccinations do not provide lifelong immunity. Pertussis is combined with other vaccines, and the most common booster for adults is the tetanus, diptheria, and acellular pertussis or Tdap vaccine. According to CDC data, in 2019 only 43.6 percent of adults 18 years old or older received this booster. All adults are urged to insist on a Tdap booster if they have not received one in the last 10 years.

Quick takes: Louisiana pertussis rise, yellow fever in Ecuador, polio cases in 2 countries | CIDRAP

• The Louisiana Department of Health today said that the state’s cases could reach a record high this year, part of national rise in cases. So far, the state has identified 164 cases in the first 4 months of 2025, putting it on track to record the most cases in at least 35 years. Cases have already passed the 153 pertussis cases reported for all of 2024. Since September 2024, 40 Louisiana residents have been hospitalized, 70% of them young babies. Two infant deaths have been reported, the state’s first since 2018. Officials urged parents to ensure that they and their children are up to date on recommended vaccine doses and that pregnant women receive the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine and that people who have contact with infants talk to their doctors about vaccination. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said pertussis activity has returned to prepandemic levels, noting that cases in 2024 exceeded those levels and were six times higher than the previous year.
• Following an announcement of three confirmed yellow fever cases earlier this week, Ecuador’s health ministry yesterday announced that it will begin requiring certain travelers to be vaccinated against the disease starting on May 12. They include visitors from Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil and others who have spent more than 10 days in those countries before coming to Ecuador. Officials also said Ecuador residents who are traveling to high-risk areas on the country’s Amazon region must be vaccinated against yellow fever at least 10 days before traveling. In March, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned of a rise in cases and an expansion of the disease in some parts of South America. In mid-April, Colombia issued a public health emergency due to yellow fever circulation in several regions of the country.
• Two countries reported more polio cases this week, including Pakistan, with two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said in its latest weekly update. The patients are from two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising the country’s total for the year to eight cases. Elsewhere, Nigeria reported three circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases with paralysis onsets in March. The patients are from Sokoto and Yobe states, pushing the country’s total for the year to 14 cases.

Report: Kids with maternal, congenital syphilis more likely to be hospitalized | CIDRAP -Children younger than 5 years exposed to maternal syphilis in utero, including those with congenital syphilis detected at birth, were at higher risk for all-cause hospitalization and had longer hospital stays, according to a studyconducted in Brazil and published yesterday inJAMA Network Open.Led by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the study involved data from the Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health Birth Cohort on 8.3 million single births from January 2011 to December 2015, with a 3-year follow-up. Of all children, 30,039 had been exposed to maternal syphilis, and 36,443 had congenital syphilis.The incidence of syphilis, a bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidum, has increased more than 200% among women of child-bearing age in high-income countries in recent years, the researchers noted."Syphilis can be transmitted sexually or vertically from mother to child during pregnancy, affecting the developing fetus," they wrote. "It is estimated that globally, maternal syphilis has caused 350,000 adverse birth outcomes every year, including stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, neonatal deaths, and congenital infection." During the study, 65.1% of children with congenital syphilis and 31.3% with maternal syphilis were hospitalized at least once, compared with 19.0% in the unexposed group. Relative to unexposed children, those with congenital syphilis were at a 6-fold increased risk for first hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR], 6.19), and those exposed to maternal syphilis were at nearly twice the risk (HR, 1.90). The highest risk of hospitalization was noted in the first month of life among congenital syphilis patients (HR, 11.53). Although risk declined with increasing age, syphilis-exposed children had higher hospitalization rates than the unexposed group until age 36 months. Those exposed to syphilis in utero also had more and longer hospital stays."These results suggest the need for close monitoring of exposed children and stress the importance of preventing syphilis in women of childbearing age," the study authors wrote.

Tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest disease, could be America’s next outbreak == Earlier this month, a high school student in Joliet, Ill. tested positive for a highly contagious disease that has claimed more lives than any other throughout human history. Many mistakenly believe this pathogen was eradicated decades ago. It not only still exists but is thriving, especially in some of the poorest countries around the world. The ability to monitor this disease, save lives and protect the health of Americans grows weaker by the day as the U.S. deprioritizes international funding to combat it. It’s tuberculosis. Since its diagnosis in 1882, it’s killed more than a billion people — more than malaria, HIV/AIDS, smallpox, influenza, cholera and the plague combined. Tuberculosis has taken the lives of notable figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, George Orwell, Frederic Chopin and Charles IX, among others. And it’s still being transmitted in astonishing numbers today. Over 1 million people worldwide died from TB in 2023. Ten million had active symptoms the same year, including nearly 10,000 Americans, a number that’s been climbing steadily since the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly 13 million people in the U.S. have “latent TB infection.” Up to 10 percent will develop active TB if they aren’t treated. Despite TB’s existence for over 4,000 years, there’s still much we don’t know about it. In his book “Everything is Tuberculosis,” author John Green gives a vivid account of the unpredictable way patients in poor countries react to TB infection. Some who are untreated or mistreated die within a few months; it kills others slowly, subjecting them to years of unspeakable pain and suffering. Tuberculosis can also remain dormant for decades, even across a person’s entire lifetime. A vaccine for TB provides some protection for infants and children, but is less effective for adults and adolescents. Leaders of every Western nation should question their priorities when, after a century-and-a-half, we still don’t have a modern vaccine that can prevent infection from the world’s largest pathogenic killer. Green’s book chronicles the inherent challenges that poor countries, where transmission rates are disproportionately higher, face in fighting the disease. These include widespread drug resistance to TB treatment, as patients are often prescribed the wrong drug regimen to treat their symptoms over and over again. Others stop taking their prescriptions altogether once they begin to feel better, which, akin to antibiotics, can lead to drug efficacy intolerance and the development of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Additional factors, including deficiencies in early TB detection, which increase rates of disease transmission, and malnutrition, promote the disease’s unabated spread in densely populated areas. Successful therapies to fight tuberculosis have been available for nearly 75 years, yet it remains the deadliest infectious disease around the globe. Over 150 million people have died since a cure has been found. Why?

Quick takes: Feds probe Listeria outbreak, Burkina Faso reports first Zika case, more H5N1 in US poultry | CIDRAP

• Federal food-safety officials are investigating the source of a new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has been linked to 10 illnesses so far, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday on its foodborne illness investigation website. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the FDA are both involved in the probe.
• Burkina Faso has reported its first Zika case, which involves a 6-year-old girl from Ziniare who was hospitalized for a suspected dengue infection but was negative for the disease, according to the latest weekly infectious disease bulletin from the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Follow-up testing at the country’s reference lab confirmed the Zika infection. The patient had no history of travel in the 15 days before her symptoms began.
• The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today reported one more H5N1 avian flu detection in poultry, which involves a commercial layer facility in Aurora County, South Dakota. The farm has 700,000 birds. Since the virus began striking poultry in February 2022, outbreaks have led to the loss of 169 million birds across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

PEPFAR funding cuts will lead to up to 74,000 excess HIV deaths in Africa by 2030, experts warn The Trump administration's executive order to suspend funds intended to prevent and treat HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will result in 60,000 to 74,000 excess deaths over the next 5 years—and possibly many more—a mathematical modeling study published late last week in eClinicalMedicineforecasts. On January 24, 2025, the US government froze all foreign aid programs, including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), for 90 days. The study authors, from Europe, Africa, and the United States, noted that a limited waiver to exempt PEPFAR programs that deliver life-saving HIV care and treatment and work to prevent mother-to-child transmission became available in February but that it hasn't been implemented completely. "Reports from African treatment programs, however, show that the possibility of obtaining a waiver has not yet resulted in treatment activities restarting in many cases, because of waiver application and implementation delays and organizational, administrative, and logistic constraints to restarting programs after they obtained a waiver," they wrote. In addition, the PEPFAR freeze has now extended beyond 30 days, with no signal from the Trump administration that funding will resume. To estimate the impact of funding cut, the researchers modeled the effect of these policy changes on HIV deaths and new infections from 2025 to 2030 in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which together account for roughly half of all HIV patients in SSA. They also accounted for time lags in seeing the true impact of stopping and restarting treatment. The team predicted changes in HIV deaths and new infections under four scenarios: (1) Executive order–proportional, in which treatment disruptions were proportional to the country-specific share of total PEPFAR HIV funding; (2) Executive order–realistic, which assumes near-total system collapse due to program dependencies; and (3 and (4) Waiver scenarios in which treatment restarts after 4 or 8 weeks, respectively. "Over the past two decades, PEPFAR has been essential to the success of the rapid worldwide scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the epicenter of the HIV pandemic," the investigators wrote. "In little over 20 years, the number of people receiving life-saving ART in SSA has increased from nearly zero in the early 2000s to about 21 million in 2023." As a result, HIV/AIDS–related mortality has fallen from roughly 2.2 million deaths in 2003 to 390,000. And because ART substantially lessens HIV patient infectiousness, the scale-up also contributed to a drop in new HIV infections, from 3.2 million in 2003 to 640,000 in 2023, the study authors noted. A 90-day funding freeze would result in 60,000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 49,000 to 71,000] excess HIV deaths under the Executive order–proportional scenario. This figure would climb to 74,000 excess HIV deaths (95% UI, 63,000 to 89,000) for the Executive order–realistic scenario. Under the 4- and 8-week waiver scenarios, predicted excess HIV deaths ranged from 21,000 (95% UI, 15,000 to 28,000) to 28,000 (95% UI, 22,000 to 36,000), respectively. Excess new infections ranged from 35,000 to 103,000 for 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. "First and foremost, the devastating impacts identified in our study call for a rapidly [sic] and full re-instatement of PEPFAR, one of the most successful health programs in the history of public health," the authors wrote. "Second, global partnerships should rapidly mobilize to develop and deploy mitigation strategies to prepare for a partial or full retreat of the United States from the global HIV response." "Third, local research and implementation programs should provide empirical evidence through measuring treatment defaults and HIV deaths in the coming months and years, and should work on implementing HIV treatment program innovations which can mitigate future, long-term funding reductions," they added.

Quick takes: Ebola Sudan outbreak over, H5N1 in Arizona cows, France modifies chikungunya vaccine approval | CIDRAP

• After passing two incubation periods with no new cases, Uganda’s health ministry on April 26 declared the end of its sixth Ebola Sudan outbreak, which began in late January and led to 14 cases, 12 confirmed and 2 probable. Four people died from their infections. In a statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, “Although the outbreak has been declared over, health authorities are maintaining surveillance to rapidly identify and respond to any re-emergence. Risk communication and community engagement will also continue to ensure the community stay informed and stigma to those who were affected is minimized.”
• The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed one more H5N1 avian flu detection in dairy cattle, a herd from Arizona. The state has now reported three detections since the middle of February, and the latest confirmation lifts the national total since March 2024 to 1,032 detections from 17 states.
• Valneva today announced that French drug regulators have updated their recommendation for the company’s chikungunya vaccine (Ixchiq) following reports of severe adverse reactions in older people with underlying health conditions who were immunized on a priority basis during the response to a large ongoing chikungunya outbreak in La Reunion and Mayotte. Officials are investigating three adverse events that required hospitalization, one of them fatal. The hospitalized patients were older than 80 years old and had preexisting conditions. In early March, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert, noting that it was investigating five hospitalization for cardiac and neurological events following Ixchiq vaccination in people ages 65 and older. Earlier this month, the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel recommended chikungunya vaccines from Valneva and Bavarian Nordic for certain at-risk groups, but added wording that being age 65 years and older is a precaution for receiving Valneva’s live-attenuated vaccine.

One person, dozens of animals dead of anthrax in Congo, officials say -- An anthrax outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has left one person and dozens of animals dead, health officials said.To date, one confirmed and 16 suspected human cases have been reported in the outbreak, which is occurring in Kivu province, in northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to WHO.The outbreak is linked to an ongoing anthrax outbreak in Uganda, where an additional seven suspected human cases have been reported in the Kabale District, WHO said.Health officials initially became concerned about a potential anthrax outbreak after the deaths of dozens of buffaloes and hippopotamuses in the DRC’s Virunga National Park. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the deaths of 52 hippopotamuses and seven buffaloes were reported by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature in the Lake Edward sector of Virunga National Park as of April 18.WHO said it is helping the two countries coordinate their response to the outbreaks, which includes vaccinating livestock in communities near rivers while veterinary teams safely dispose of animal carcasses to avoid additional infections.There are human vaccines for anthrax, but their supply is limited and they are primarily recommended for groups at increased risk for exposure because of their jobs, such as lab workers, WHO noted.“Our efforts are focused on swiftly breaking the animal-to-human transmission,” Boureima Hama Sambo, MD, PhD, MPH, WHO representative in the DRC, said in a press release. “We’re working closely with the government, communities and partners to strengthen response measures to protect public health now and in the future.”Anthrax has three forms of human infection — all of which require prompt medical attention and hospitalization, according to WHO. These are: cutaneous anthrax, which occurs when spores come into contact withbroken skin; gastrointestinal anthrax, which is caused by eating infected meat; and inhalation anthrax, which results from breathing in spores.WHO has not confirmed which form of anthrax is causing the ongoing outbreaks but said officials are investigating the cause and modes of transmission.

Top virologists urge world leaders to act on rising avian flu threat --In a commentary in The Lancet Regional Health–Americas, leading virologists from more than 40 countries are exhorting global leaders to address the increasing threat of H5N1 avian flu by boosting surveillance, enhancing biosecurity, and preparing for potential human-to-human viral transmission.The Global Virus Network (GVN) scientists review the US outbreak status, discuss the importance of robust surveillance systems to detect emerging strains with pandemic potential, spotlight the risks facing the dairy and poultry industries, and recommend risk mitigation strategies. The authors note that more than 995 dairy cow herds and at least 70 people have been infected with H5N1, including severe cases and the first reported US death. "In the U.S. sporadic human infections with no known contact with infected animals highlight the possibility of viral adaptation for efficient human-to-human transmission," they write. "Concurrently, the virus continues to circulate in wild birds, backyard flocks, and hunted migratory species, further amplifying the risk to humans and domestic animals." The researchers recommend:

• Continuously monitoring animals, including testing milk, wastewater, and people working with infected animals, to track virus evolution that may lead to human-to human transmissibility.
• Accelerating the sharing of genomic data among global research networks to track virus evolution and spread.
• Using personal protective equipment and strict farm-cleaning protocols.
• Advocating for self-administered diagnostic tests for farm workers and healthcare access for frontline medical workers.
• Providing more funding for response mechanisms, especially in high-risk regions.
• Investing in predicting traits of avian flu viruses from genetic data rather than from genomic sequences alone.
• Developing and rapidly deploying vaccines for people and animals.
• Conducting clinical studies on the properties of emerging virus strains and on potential therapies and vaccines.

"Continued investment in surveillance at the human-animal interface, and immediate sharing of unusual field observations and sequence data is essential for researchers worldwide to monitor virus dynamics effectively," senior author Marion Koopmans, DVM, PhD, of Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, said in a GVN news release.

H5N1 avian flu surges in Idaho's dairy cattle -The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) todayreported 15 more H5N1 avian flu detections in Idaho dairy cattle, which over the past several weeks have become the nation's epicenter of virus activity.The pace of detections picked up in March, and the state has now reported 86 confirmations in dairy cows, the nation's second most behind California. The latest detections push the national total since March 2024 to 1,047 from 17 states.The Idaho State Department of Agriculture said 59 herds in four counties are in quarantine. Most are in Gooding (34 herds) and Jerome (17) counties, but there are also a few in Twin Falls (7) and Cassia (1) counties. All are located near each other in the far south-central part of the state. Idaho is the nation's third-largest milk producer and has more than 350 family-owned dairy farms, according to the agriculture department's dairy bureau. In other H5N1 developments, APHIS reported 10 more H5H1 detections in mammals besides livestock from six different states. Most positive samples were collected in late March and into April. One case involved a domestic cat in Weld County, Colorado. The others were wildlife, including skunks from California and Colorado, a raccoon from New York, foxes from Virginia and Texas, and a weasel from Washington state.Elsewhere, the European Commission this week announced a procurement commitment with CSL Seqirus that would allow 17 countries the opportunity to buy up to 27,403,200 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine as part of pandemic flu preparedness. The agreement would secure the vaccine if the World Health Organization or European Union declares a flu pandemic.

Hidden transmission of avian influenza virus H5N1 found in Texas dairy cattle - Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Disease Center, with multiple academic, state and federal collaborators, identified the emergence and interstate spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle.Genetic analysis confirms that a reassortment event in wild birds preceded a single transmission to cattle, after which asymptomatic or presymptomatic cattle facilitated the virus's spread across the United States. Viral genome sequencing revealed low-frequency mutations linked to transmission efficiency and mammalian adaptation, raising public health concerns about future zoonotic spillover.Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses cause critical damage to animal health and the agricultural economy and may carry pandemic risk. Viruses related to the goose/Guangdong 2.3.4.4 hemagglutinin H5NX clade have spread to nearly 100 countries, creating a recognized panzootic.After a trans-Atlantic introduction in late 2021, clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 caused widespread outbreaks across North America, leading to extensive mortality among wild birds, poultry, and mammals..In the study, "Emergence and interstate spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in dairy cattle in the United States," published in Science, researchers conducted a genomic and epidemiological investigation to determine the source, spread, and implications of the outbreak among cattle.Samples were obtained from 26 dairy farms across eight states and six poultry farms across three states during the initial outbreak.Researchers performed whole-genome sequencing on viral samples collected from cattle and poultry. Phylodynamic analysis and Bayesian phylogenetic modeling traced the source and spread of infection.Epidemiological investigations documented animal movement patterns associated with virus dissemination. Within-host evolutionary assessments characterized genomic diversity among cattle isolates. Transmission chains were reconstructed using custom genomic analysis software. H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b genotype B3.13 influenza A virus was confirmed in milk samples with limited detection in nasal swabs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that virus sequences isolated from cattle clustered within a single group, supporting a single wild bird-to-cattle spillover event in late 2023, with several months of silent cattle transmission before a March 2024 confirmation. A reassortment event in wild birds preceded the spillover.After introduction into cattle, the virus persisted with evidence of transmission from cattle into poultry, raccoons, cats, and wild birds, including common grackles, blackbirds, and pigeons.

Analysis reveals exposure, health risks of antibiotic resistance genes in farm air -- A study of Chinese farms suggests livestock air could be a significant source of exposure to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) for farmworkers and surrounding residents, researchers reported yesterday in PNAS.While several studies have identified the presence of ARGs in the air of livestock farms, the comprehensive health risk presented by antibiotic resistomes (the collection of acquired ARGs) in livestock air is less well understood. To evaluate human exposure and the health risks of air resistomes on livestock farms, Chinese researchers sampled total suspended particles from pig farms, chicken farms, near-farm residential areas, and urban areas and conducted metagenomic analysis on extracted bacterial DNA. They also compared the air resistomes on Chinese farms with those in Europe, which has a longer history of restricting antibiotic use in food-animal production than China.The analysis found that livestock air on Chinese farms was highly enriched with ARGs. The resistome abundance observed on chicken and pig farms and near-farm residential areas was more than seven times higher than found in urban air samples, and the daily ARG inhalation of farm workers was equivalent to several years of ARG inhalation by urban residents. Residents living near two of the farms inhaled over 10 times more ARGs per day than urban residents. The ARGs identified in livestock air were highly associated with mobile genetic elements. The diversity, abundance, and risk score of air resistomes on Chinese farms were also significantly higher than those on farms in nine European countries, a finding the researchers say suggests long-term restrictions on antibiotic use mitigates antibiotic resistance in the livestock environment. But they note that, even with more judicious antibiotic use, the resistome risk score on European farms was significantly higher than in other known ARG hot spots, including hospital and sewage plant air, animal manure, and soil."Our results underscore the high exposure of farm workers to ARGs via farm air and highlight its role in ARG dissemination, supporting the importance of antibiotic stewardship practices in combating antibiotic resistance," the authors concluded.

WHO: Global data highlight overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics - A new report on global antibiotic use from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests many countries are overusing antibiotics that are more likely to promote resistance.The findings are from an analysis of 2022 data from the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Use and Surveillance System (GLASS), which seeks to standardize the collection and sharing of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU) surveillance data across the globe. One of the aims of GLASS is to monitor how countries are using antibiotics and to help move them toward more appropriate use. "The data on antimicrobial use is to identify the problematic areas, inform and design interventions, and assess their impact," WHO technical officer Verica Ivanovska, PhD, MPH, said in a webinar held to review the findings.The AMU data were analyzed using the WHO's AWaRe (Access, Watch, and Reserve) classification system, a framework developed by the WHO in 2017 to guide responsible antibiotic prescribing, curb development of resistance, and ensure that antibiotics remain effective and available when needed.Overall, among the 60 countries, territories or areas (CTAs) that provided data for 2022, a total of 16.6 billion defined daily doses (DDD) of antibiotics were consumed. The median total AMU was 18.3 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID), with higher use observed in countries in the Southeast Asian (26.6 DID) and Eastern Mediterranean (23.0 DID) regions and in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs; 25.5 DID). There was nearly a ninefold difference in the countries with the lowest AMU (Oman, 7.7 DID) and the highest (Iran, 67.7 DID).Of the 16.6 billion DDD in 2022, only 52% were Access antibiotics, which are the drugs recommended as first- and second-line options for common bacterial infections. The political declaration that emerged from the 2024 United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR called for countries to commit to ensuring that Access antibiotics would account for 70% of total antibiotic use by 2030. Only 19 (31.7%) of the 60 CTAs hit that target, while only 35 (58%) of CTAs hit the 2023 Access target of 60%.Reaching the 70% Access antibiotics target is considered critical for efforts to address AMR, because Access antibiotics are safe, are inexpensive, can treat the most common bacterial infections, and have a narrow spectrum of activity, which means they have a lower risk of promoting resistance. Of the other antibiotics analyzed, 45.3% belonged to the Watch category, which includes broader-spectrum, more expensive antibiotics that are recommended for patients with more severe infections. Median use of Watch antibiotics was 33%, but it exceeded 45% in 45 CTAs and was higher than 70% in 18 CTAs. The data also indicated that countries with higher overall AMU used more Watch antibiotics.

Climate change could increase global levels of antimicrobial resistance, study finds -A new forecasting study by Chinese researchers suggests the long-term impacts of climate change could include higher global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) levels. In a study published today in Nature Medicine, the researchers projected that if countries continue to pursue fossil fuel-intensive development strategies that push up global temperatures, global AMR prevalence could rise by more than 2% globally by 2050, with poorer nations bearing more of the burden than wealthier nations. But the model created by the researchers also projected that if the low-resource countries where AMR is already a significant problem worked to meet sustainable development goals, they could cut global AMR levels by more than 5% by 2050—more than twice the impact estimated from cutting human antibiotic use in half. The researchers say the findings highlight the need for a multifaceted and collaborative approach to effectively managing AMR, particularly in countries that are already facing substantial AMR burdens and have limited resources.

Groups urge Kennedy to reduce antibiotic overuse in meat production -A coalition of food safety, public health, and consumer advocacy groups are urging Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to curb the use of antibiotics in the meat industry.In a letter sent last week, the Food Animal Concerns Trust and 36 other organizations called on Kennedy to take four actions to reduce the amount of medically important antibiotics used by US farmers for food-animal production, which accounts for nearly two thirds of all medically important antibiotics sold in the United States. The groups have been warning for several years that widespread use of these antibiotics—which are also used in human medicine—in cows, pigs, and poultry is accelerating the antibiotic-resistance threat."The spread of superbugs, and the threat it represents, cannot be slowed without curbing the overuse of antibiotics," they wrote.The groups note that while sales of antibiotics for human medicine have declined in recent years with better antibiotic stewardship, US sales for animal use rose by more than 10% from 2017 to 2023. They contrast that with Europe, where use of antibiotics in food-animal production has steadily declined since 2010. The letter calls on Kennedy to prohibit the use of medically important antibiotics to prevent disease in food-animals in the absence of a diagnosed illness, a use that stewardship advocates have long argued is inappropriate and driven by unhealthy conditions on industrial farms. It also urges him to set national targets for reducing antibiotic use both in agriculture and human medicine, finalize guidance that limits durations of antibiotic use in food animals, and create a national monitoring system to track antibiotic use in food-animal production."As Secretary, you have the opportunity using existing authorities to make our food system much safer by implementing these steps to stop the overuse of antibiotics by the meat industry that is leading to the spread of deadly antibiotic-resistant pathogens," the letter states.

Wisconsin sampling uncovers 10% overall CWD rate, 21% in south A summary of chronic wasting disease (CWD) sampling results from the 2024 Wisconsin deer-hunting seasons reveals that 10% of the state's deer had the fatal neurologic disease.In a news release today, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said that 89% of the positive cases were found in the Southern Farmland Zone, which had 21% positivity (1,583 of 7,680). The Southern Farmland Zone includes counties close to the border with Illinois and Iowa.Of the 17,399 deer sampled throughout the state, 1,786 (10.3%) tested positive for CWD. The 2024 efforts focused on sample collection in areas near recent wild and/or captive CWD-positive cases, primarily in central and northern Wisconsin. Two counties in these areas, Pierce and Menominee, had first-time detections in wild deer. Outside of the priority sampling and endemic areas, Chippewa and Manitowoc saw their first positive detections in wild deer."Although we have detected CWD in new areas of the state in recent years, many of these areas are at a low prevalence rate, and opportunities still remain to slow the spread and growth of the disease statewide," Erin Larson, DNR deer herd health specialist, said in the release.The 242 sampling locations included 166 self-sampling kiosks and 76 staffed sites, and the 154 carcass-disposal sites included dumpsters, landfills, and transfer stations. The average time from sample drop-off to hunter result notification was 8.4 days.CWD, which affects cervids such as deer and elk, is caused by infectious misfolded proteins called prions, which can spread during direct contact or through environmental contamination. While no human CWD infections have been reported, public health officials advise against eating meat from infected animals and recommend having harvested deer tested before consumption—especially in endemic areas.

Texas Attorney General Paxton expands fluoride wars to toothpaste --Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced investigations Thursday of leading toothpaste companies, accusing them of misusing fluoride in their products. “I will use every tool available to protect our kids from dangerous levels of fluoride exposure and deceptive advertising,” Paxton, who is also a Senate candidate, said in a statement.The investigation — announced three weeks after Paxton declared his campaign to primary Sen. John Cornyn (R) in next year’s midterm elections — marks an expansion of the culture war over fluoride from drinking water into toothpaste.Fluoride is an element that strengthens tooth enamel, in part by bonding with phosphate and calcium in teeth to fight the process that causes cavities to form — and its addition to drinking water and toothpaste has slashed tooth decay in the U.S.That’s why most mainline physicians group — including the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Dental Association — support fluoridation of toothpaste and drinking water.Research from the 1990s suggests that fluoride in water cuts cavities by up to 25 percent in children; mid-20th century studies found reductions of up to 70 percent.But at high enough doses — meaning much higher than the amount in U.S. drinking water or properly used toothpaste — some federal findings suggest that fluoride can lower IQ in children.

Trump administration plans to limit ‘forever chemical’ discharges -The Trump administration will set limits on the amount of “forever chemicals” producers of the toxic substances can discharge into the water, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Monday.The administration said it will set discharge limits for a class of toxic chemicals known as PFAS. The limitations will apply to companies that make these substances, as well as metal finishers.In a press release announcing the move, the EPA also said it will evaluate whether additional limits are necessary to reduce releases of PFAS. PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is the name of a family of thousands of chemicals that can persist in the environment for hundreds or thousands of years without breaking down.These chemicals have become pervasive in U.S. waterways and drinking water systems — as well as in all of us. In 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey Determined that they were in the tap water of 45 percent of Americans. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that they are in the bloodstream of at least 97 percent of Americans.Exposure to many PFAS has been linked to adverse health outcomes including cancer, kidney, liver and thyroid problems — as well as fertility and immune system problems. The Trump administration’s scrutiny of these chemicals comes as it seeks to implement its “Make America Healthy Again” agenda — under which the president and others have expressed concerns about Americans’ exposure to toxic chemicals. At the same time, however, the administration has taken other steps to deregulate the power and chemical industries, which could expose Americans to additional harmful substances. The Biden administration similarly announced in 2021 that it planned to propose a rule that limited releases of PFAS — but it never actually did so.

EPA Says It Will Act on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals.’ Advocates Raise Red Flags - As the Environmental Protection Agency works to roll back multiple public-health protections, it announced Monday that it intends to take action to combat toxic forever chemicals. Advocates are skeptical, saying the language of the announcement raises red flags. The EPA announcement consists of a list of proposed actions to target contamination by per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The list includes plans to advance remediation and cleanup efforts for PFAS in drinking water, ramp up research and testing and designate an agency lead to oversee it all. The announcement does not name the person who will oversee this work, a timeline for action or a number of other specifics. The announcement also fails to mention last year’s landmark EPA standard on PFAS in drinking water, which the chemical industry and water utilities sued over. The Trump administration has until May 12 to decide whether it will continue to defend the Biden-era rule—which was accompanied by a $1 billion investment in state-level water testing and treatment—in court. EPA did not answer questions from Inside Climate News about the rule, the litigation or Monday’s announcement. This comes after President Donald Trump’s administration has already begun dismantling environmental protections across multiple agencies, including for clean air, public lands, waterways and wastewater. The administration has also eliminated future funding for climate and health research and canceled grants for research on environmental health, including millions of dollars in research on PFAS accumulation in the food chain. PFAS are toxic, long-lasting chemicals that are found in drinking water, soil, food, household products and more, and can come from everyday items like food packaging, clothing or cookware. They are called “forever chemicals” because they can take over a thousand years to break down. Almost all Americans have PFAS in their blood, and nearly half the country is drinking PFAS-contaminated water. PFAS exposure has been linked to severe health harms like cancer, reproductive problems, low birth weight, high cholesterol, developmental issues, decreased immunity and thyroid problems. Advocates flagged some of the word choices in the EPA’s announcement, pointing out potential openings for industry actors, who have lobbied hard against PFAS regulations.Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, said the announcement suggests the EPA will delay compliance obligations and provide exemptions for polluters. Benesh pointed to a promise in the announcement to address “compliance challenges” for PFAS in drinking water, noting that water utilities have often asked for more time to comply with health-related rules. “One way that the EPA could say that they are addressing compliance issues, quote-unquote, is through delays, by giving those utilities additional time,” Benesh said.

Toxic algal bloom impacting marine animals in Southern California - A toxic algal bloom impacting marine animals has been observed along the Southern California coast in late April 2025, according to experts. The event, producing the neurotoxin domoic acid, has resulted in the most severe dolphin stranding associated with a toxic algal bloom ever recorded in the region. More than 50 dead and dying dolphins have been found along beaches in Los Angeles County over the past week, local authorities report. Other marine animals, including sea lions, minke whales, and gray whales, have also been affected. The toxic algal bloom, stretching from San Diego County to San Luis Obispo County, is described by experts as the most severe dolphin stranding linked to a toxic bloom ever recorded along the Southern California coast. Additionally, this marks the fourth consecutive year with an algae bloom affecting Southern California’s marine life. NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center reported recovering 16 dead dolphins from San Diego beaches on April 20. Most were adult male long-beaked common dolphins, with a few short-beaked common dolphins and two pregnant females. Since March, the San Diego team alone has collected more than 50 dolphins affected by the bloom. Of the 14 dolphins tested so far, 11 showed high levels of domoic acid, and one tested positive for both domoic acid and saxitoxin, another marine neurotoxin. Domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by certain species of marine algae such as Pseudo-nitzschia, accumulates in fish and shellfish and moves up the food chain to marine mammals and seabirds. Affected animals often exhibit symptoms such as disorientation, seizures, and death. Scientists attribute the bloom’s development to a combination of natural ocean upwelling, elevated sea surface temperatures, and nutrient runoff. Additional contributing factors may include increased nutrient loads from recent wildfire debris and urban runoff entering coastal ecosystems.

Rapid snowmelt threatens US West water supply outlook - Rapid melts across the U.S. West have caused snowpack to disappear up to four weeks early in some areas — wreaking potential havoc on the region’s water supply, federal meteorologists warned Thursday. These conditions have particularly affected parts of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, causing some basins to shift from above-average snowpack to “snow drought,” according to an update from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). That transition occurred in under a month, with snow disappearing one to four weeks earlier than usual, the NIDIS updated stated. Tracking snow drought — a period characterized by abnormally little snow for a given time of year — is critical to assessing potential impacts to water supply, soil moisture and wildfire potential, the meteorologists noted. Washington state and Utah have already declared drought emergencies due to low snowpack, as well as below-average streamflow forecasts and long-term impacts of dryness, according to the NIDIS.

Floods claim one life in Lawton as severe storms sweep through Oklahoma - (videos) Deadly flooding struck Lawton, Oklahoma, claiming at least one life on Saturday, April 26, 2025, as severe storms brought heavy rains to the region. Intense rainfall submerged roads, entered homes and businesses, and prompted closures of key routes. Heavy rains and deadly flooding struck Oklahoma on Saturday, April 26, leading to multiple road closures and localized damage as storms moved through the region. The Lawton Police Department (LPD) reported one fatality after a person drove into standing water near 2nd Street and F Avenue in Lawton, one of the worst-hit areas. Authorities were unable to reach the vehicle in time, and an LPD dive team later recovered the victim. Rainfall totals between 51 and 102 mm (2 to 4 inches) were reported across Oklahoma, submerging roads and causing multiple rivers to reach Action and Minor flood stages. The rain reports are preliminary and awaiting verification by the National Weather Service (NWS). While heavy rainfall was the main impact in Lawton, strong winds exceeding 95 km/h (60 mph) and hail were reported in other parts of Oklahoma. Videos shared on social media showed vehicles being washed off the roads in Lawton, one of the hardest-hit areas. Floodwaters entered homes and businesses across the region. Some areas reported over 90 to 120 cm (3 to 4 feet) of standing water on roads. Voluntary evacuation orders were issued by the local authorities across the region, including Turtle Creek and Garden Village. The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was also closed through Saturday due to the flooding.

Train derailed near Ashby as 10 tornadoes strike Nebraska - (videos) A powerful wedge tornado derailed a BNSF freight train near Ashby, Nebraska, on Sunday, April 27, 2025, during a severe weather outbreak that produced more than 10 tornadoes across the state. Derailed BNSF train in Ashby, Nebraska on April 27, 2025. Image credit: Nebraska State Patrol More than 10 tornadoes were reported across Nebraska on Sunday, April 27, with reports coming in from the Cherry, Grant and Garden Counties. The severe weather event also produced large hail and damaging winds, resulting in widespread damage to infrastructure and property. A powerful tornado measuring over 1.6 km (1 mile) wide derailed approximately 130 railcars near mile marker 132 along Highway 2, west of Ashby, at around 18:27 CDT on Sunday. Officials from BNSF Railway, the largest freight railroad in the United States, were on the scene along with the Nebraska State Patrol. Power lines, which briefly went down in the area, have been restored, Nebraska State Patrol spokesperson Cody Thomas said. Highway 2 also remained open for drivers. A large wedge tornado was sighted between Bingham and Hyannis. Reports indicate that the twister was first seen about 55 km (34 miles) northwest of Arthur, moving east at 32 km/h (20 mph). Multiple videos of the tornado were posted on social media. Teacup-sized hail was reported near Whitman, and a tornado was observed about 32 km (20 miles) north of Whitman shortly before 21:00 local time (LT). Quarter-sized hail was reported at Box Butte Dam, while radar confirmed another tornado southwest of Merritt Reservoir late Sunday night. Chadron recorded a wind gust of 92 km/h (57 mph). Storm chasers reported another tornado 4.8 km (3 miles) west-southwest of Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County at 21:51 LT. In addition, large hail of over 7.6 cm (3 inches) in diameter was reported as the storms passed through. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Warning for parts of Cherry and Grant Counties, while a Tornado Watch was in effect for parts of Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Tornadoes cause damage in Minnesota and Wisconsin - Tornadoes were reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday, April 28, 2025, as severe storms swept across the Midwest, producing winds exceeding 120 km/h (74 mph) and teacup-sized hail. A tornado touched down approximately 10 km (6 miles) west of Kenyon, in Minnesota’s Rice County, at 17:55 LT on Monday, April 28, causing structural damage to a farm and scattering debris across the area. Reports indicate that a barn and silos were destroyed, a semi-truck was tipped over, and a large commercial warehouse in Kenyon sustained roof damage. Another tornado touched down near Augusta in Eau Claire County. The National Weather Service (NWS) announced plans to conduct a damage survey on Tuesday, April 29. According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), the tornado touched down at approximately 19:55 LT, roughly 16 km (10 miles) southwest of Fall Creek. “Structure damage and photos confirm a tornado in southern Eau Claire County. The path may stretch to the east of Augusta,” the SPC said. More than 10 000 customers across northern Wisconsin experienced power outages due to the storms, according to First Alert. Multiple other tornadoes have also been reported, but are yet to be confirmed by the NWS. Damaging wind gusts equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane were reported in some areas. A wind gust of 124 km/h (77 mph) was recorded in Rush Springs, Oklahoma, while a gust of 119 km/h (74 mph) was recorded at the Estherville Airport in Emmet County, Iowa, on Monday. YouTube video. The tornadoes were part of a larger weather system that affected much of the Midwest on Monday. Large hail was reported across multiple states, including Kansas and Oklahoma, with the SPC reporting teacup-sized hail in parts of Oklahoma.Multiple tornado warnings and severe weather alerts were issued across the Midwest on Monday as the system moved into Minnesota after producing more than 10 tornadoes in Nebraska, including one that derailed a coal train near Ashby.

At least 2 dead in Pittsburgh as severe storms sweep through Northeast and Mid-Atlantic - At least two people died in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, after a derecho swept through the area, downing power lines and trees. The storm was part of a larger severe weather system that affected the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. (YouTube videoa) A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm associated with a line of fast-moving thunderstorms. To be classified as a derecho, the event must produce a continuous swath of damaging winds extending at least 400 km (250 miles), with wind gusts of at least 93 km/h (58 mph) along most of its path. Unlike tornadoes, which produce rotating winds, derechos generate straight-line winds that can cause extensive damage similar to that of a hurricane. One fatality was reported near St. Martin after a man got electrocuted by live wires from a downed power line, according to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department. According to CBS, a live wire fell onto the man’s vehicle around 19:00 local time (LT), and he was electrocuted while attempting to remove it with a stick. Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the second fatality was associated with the severe weather or not, and the details are yet to be released. More than 700 000 customers across the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast experienced power outages on Tuesday as the storms brought winds exceeding 112 km/h (70 mph), equivalent to Category 1 hurricane strength. This is approximately 1.7 to 2.1 million people left without electricity. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Pittsburgh International Airport recorded a wind gust of 114.7 km/h (71.3 mph), the third strongest ever measured at that location. Strong winds knocked down trees and power lines across the affected regions, causing over 20 000 hazard incidents, according to Duquesne Light Company. As of late Tuesday evening, more than 240 000 customers were without power in Allegheny and Beaver counties alone. The company described Tuesday’s storm as an “unprecedented event” in its history due to the scale of damage and widespread outages. Forest Hills Mayor Frank Porco declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, urging residents to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Wind damage was reported across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, New York, and West Virginia. Multiple structures sustained damage, with roofs torn off and trees and power lines falling on homes and other buildings. On Pittsburgh’s South Side, a roof was torn from a furniture store and landed at the intersection of East Carson Street and the Birmingham Bridge. Strong winds also removed the roof of a pizza shop on West Liberty Avenue. Oakmont Country Club’s setup for the 2025 U.S. Open sustained damage as strong winds tore through a hospitality tent erected for the June golf tournament. YouTube video The severe weather threat remains, as a low-pressure system is forecast to track northeast into the Great Lakes, bringing a cold front to the Pittsburgh region on Thursday, May 1. Strong winds and large hail are expected, with the most significant impacts likely from afternoon through evening, particularly in northwestern Pittsburgh.

Oklahoma flooding leaves two dead, breaks April rainfall record in Oklahoma City - Two drivers drowned in Oklahoma on April 30, 2025, as slow-moving thunderstorms triggered severe flash flooding across southern and eastern regions. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued multiple flood warnings and watches, with heavy rainfall increasing risks through early May. Two drivers drowned in Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties on April 30 when their vehicles were swept away by floodwaters. In Pottawatomie County, a sheriff’s deputy attempted a rescue but was caught in the current; he was hospitalized and later released. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported the Lincoln County incident near Prague, where floodwaters trapped a vehicle on a highway. The National Weather Service (NWS) Tulsa issued a Flash Flood Warning for southeastern Muskogee, Sequoyah, eastern Haskell, and northern Le Flore counties until 10:15 local time (LT) on May 2. Subsequently, a Flood Warning was issued to replace the Flash Flood Warning, extending until 23:05 LT on May 2, affecting areas in northeast Oklahoma, including Creek, Okmulgee, and Wagoner counties. NWS office in Norman issued a Flash Flood Warning for southern Oklahoma counties, including Comanche and Cotton, as well as parts of northern Texas, valid until 09:00 LT on May 2. The warning specifically highlights the dangers of flooding during nighttime hours. Additionally, a Flood Warning was issued for portions of central, east central, southeast, and southern Oklahoma, encompassing counties such as Grady and Hughes. Between 25 and 65 mm (1 to 2.5 inches) of rain had already fallen. Oklahoma City set a record for April rainfall, reaching 319 mm (12.55 inches), surpassing the 1947 record of 302 mm (11.91 inches). Statewide, Oklahoma approached the 1942 record for monthly average rainfall of 210 mm (8.3 inches), according to Oklahoma State Climatologist Gary McManus.

Homebuilders will try to block global flood-protection standards - The National Association of Home Builders is expected Monday to try to block a proposed overhaul of international building codes that would protect newly built homes from flood damage. The overhaul — which is being considered by the International Code Council — would mark a turning point in global efforts to reduce flood damage, experts said. Floods destroy $46 billion in property a year in the U.S. alone.Supporters of the new building code say NAHB and its allies will try to derail or weaken the proposal at the council’s Monday hearing, as part of homebuilders’ ongoing efforts to block policies that increase construction costs.NAHB, which declined to comment, has for years fought federal and state efforts to impose stricter building codes for flood protection and energy efficiency. The powerful trade group is suing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to block building standards the agency adopted in May.

Severe thunderstorm hits Delhi-NCR, brings second-highest May rainfall since 1901 and leaves 7 dead across northern India - Severe weather swept across Delhi and surrounding regions on Friday, May 2, 2025, as a powerful thunderstorm dropped 77 mm (3.03 inches) of rain—the second-highest single-day rainfall for May since 1901. At least seven people were reported dead due to storm-related incidents across northern India, while road and air traffic were severely disrupted. Severe thunderstorms and strong winds struck Delhi-NCR on Friday morning, May 2, resulting in significant waterlogging. At least four deaths were reported in Delhi, with additional fatalities in other parts of North India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red Alert due to the extreme weather, which was later downgraded to a Yellow Alert. Four deaths occurred in Kharkhari Nahar village near Jaffarpur Kalan in Dwarka. A woman and her three children were killed when a neem tree fell on the room they were in due to strong winds. Emergency teams from the police and fire department pulled them from the rubble and took them to Rao Tularam Memorial Hospital in Jaffarpur Kalan, where they were declared dead. Three other people were reported dead in a separate lightning-related incident, along with multiple other injuries across the region. The victims included two laborers in Firozabad, after a lightning struck the Shikohabad-Nanemau road. The third person, working with them, was injured and rushed to the hospital, police said. A family trying to cover a haystack with a tarpaulin sheet to protect it from rain was also hit. A 17-year-old girl was reported dead after a lightning strike in Etah district’s Bhagwantpur village. Her younger sister suffered critical burn injuries, while her father and brother were also injured. Delhi experienced its second-highest single-day rainfall for May since 1901, with the Safdarjung Observatory recording 77 mm (3.03 inches) between 02:30 and 08:30 local time on Friday. The highest on record remains 119.3 mm (4.7 inches) on May 20, 2021.

Major agricultural losses after severe hailstorms hit Romania - Romania’s farmlands have taken a hard hit from a wave of violent spring storms this week, with hail and flooding wiping out large portions of this season’s crops. As temperatures plunge and weather alerts remain in place, the Environment Minister has warned of a possible year without Romanian-grown produce. Urban areas saw dramatic scenes, but the lasting scars are on the fields. Crops across Romania suffered severe and possibly irreversible damage after violent storms struck the country on April 26, 2025. Fields were pelted with hail and flooded by heavy rains, leaving many harvests destroyed beyond recovery. The National Meteorological Agency (ANM) had issued a warning for thunderstorms and intense rainfall, which also left streets underwater and coated residential areas in thick ice. But while urban disruptions were temporary, the agricultural losses are expected to have lasting effects. Ad ends in 7 Romania’s Environment Minister warned that if conditions don’t improve soon, there may be no Romanian-grown food on the market this year. The frost has already devastated crops like cherries, sour cherries, apricots, and peaches. In the Doicești commune of Dâmbovița County, intense storms left public spaces submerged, and a white crust settled over cars and private properties, giving the area a winter-like appearance during the transition from spring to summer. The issued weather alerts have particularly emphasized the counties and cities of Brașov, Vâlcea, Dâmbovița, and Arad. Further adversely affected areas include Brașov, where the Râșnov region experienced intense rainfall that submerged entire streets, with hailstones scattered across the area. In the Nicolae Bălcescu commune of Vâlcea county, a layer of hail covered the yards. The region of Arad, specifically the commune of Vărădia de Mureș, was also hit by big chunks of hail. The National Meteorological Agency also issued an orange warning on April 26 itself for intense rainfall and storms across nine counties. Over half of the country was placed under a yellow warning for storms, lightning, and strong winds on Saturday.

Wildfires rage near Jerusalem, major road closed, communities evacuated (Reuters) - Wildfires raged on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of communities and the closure of a main highway as Israel appealed for international assistance to help fight the blaze. TV footage showed fires burning along the main Route 1 Jerusalem to Tel Aviv highway and people abandoning cars and running away from the flames as thick smoke billowed over the surrounding hilltops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Italy and Croatia were expected to send three firefighting planes to help extinguish the flames. Israel has also appealed to Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, the Foreign Ministry said. Wildfires due to extreme heat and winds broke out in central Israel Israeli media reported that 120 fire and rescue services had mobilised dozens of teams, aircraft and helicopters to try to contain the fires and the military said its search and rescue forces were assisting the operations. Three communities were evacuated, police said, and at least 13 people were injured. There were no reports of fatalities. The fire broke out on Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and many ceremonies marking the eve of its Independence Day were cancelled, including the main state event due to be held in Jerusalem.

Israel Ablaze in National Emergency Believed To Be Terrorist Act -A massive wildfire broke out on Wednesday in Israel in the forests between Eshtaol and Latrun, west of Jerusalem, forcing evacuations and road closures as thousands gathered across the Jewish state for Memorial Day observances. Fanned by high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, the fire, believed to have been set intentionally, spread rapidly through multiple locations across Israel. “It’s a terror attack on Israel,” Eli Beer, president of the United Hatzalah emergency response organization, told The Media Line. He noted that fires were started in 20 separate locations. A security source also confirmed to The Media Line that a terrorist act was likely behind the fires, adding that several people had been arrested. A map circulating in Israeli security circles depicts the locations of the fires, almost all of which are marked on the Israeli side of the Green Line separating the West Bank from Israel and Gaza—not in the areas inhabited by Palestinians. Hamas posted on social media a call for Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel to “burn whatever you can of groves, forests, and settler homes” and “set their cars ablaze.” Several individuals from East Jerusalem have been arrested by Israeli police on suspicion of attempting to ignite fires in the area, including a man in his 50s from Umm Tuba who was arrested after allegedly trying to set fire to an open field in southern Jerusalem. When confronted by police, the suspect attempted to flee but was apprehended after a brief chase. Authorities found a lighter, cotton, and other incendiary materials in his possession. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Transportation Minister Israel Katz described the situation as a national emergency. On social media, Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz called for “an immediate closure of Judea and Samaria and an iron-fisted response” to the fires. “We don’t wait for an attack—we thwart it,” he wrote. “We have learned the lesson, from both old and new history.” In an interview with The Media Line, Chaim Rafalowski, disaster management and EU projects coordinator for Magen David Adom emergency services, described the situation as “very serious.” “We’re hoping that the National Fire Service will manage to get things under control so it doesn’t escalate into a full-blown disaster,” he said. Authorities shut down major arteries including Highway 1, the main road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and Highway 3. Drivers abandoned their cars and fled on foot as smoke engulfed the roads. “People found themselves in immediate danger as fires approached their vehicles,” Rafalowski said. Beer described the sight of abandoned cars as reminiscent of scenes from the October 7, 2023, attacks. “A lot of our volunteers were running through the cars to see if anyone’s there. We’re so happy to see that they were empty and no people were there. That was the happy part of it. But the sad part, it brought us back to October 7,” he said. Police have evacuated six communities within a 19-mile radius of Jerusalem, while firefighters battled intense flames from the ground and air. Rafalowski said that the number of evacuated communities is expected to grow. “These are preventive evacuations ordered when there is a clear threat,” he said. Beer said that United Hatzalah helped to evacuate several schools, including special education institutions, and was preparing to evacuate an old age home.

Jerusalem Hills wildfires live: Israel declares national emergency and appeals for international aid over devastating blaze Wildfires raging near Jerusalem have prompted evacuations and closures as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the situation a national emergency, asking for international aid. Videos and pictures on social media showed the fires burning along the main Route 1 Jerusalem to Tel Aviv highway, with thick smoke billowing over the surrounding hilltops. Many people were seen abandoning their cars and running away from the flames, and at least a dozen have been hospitalised. “This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem’s district fire department commander Shmulik Friedman told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. He warned that winds of 60 miles an hour were making the situation challenging and could dramatically increasing the risk of the fires “in the near future”. “It will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control.” Mr Netanyahu warned that the wildfires could reach Jerusalem. "The western wind can push the fire easily toward the outskirts of (Jerusalem) - and even into the city itself," he said in a video sent by his office. President Isaac Herzog referred to the ongoing fires outside of Jerusalem in an Independence Day ceremony at his residence. “This fire is part of the climate crisis, which must not be ignored,” he said, per The Times of Israel. “It requires us to prepare for serious and significant challenges and to make decisions – including appropriate legislation.” The president then thanked the firefighters who were “risking their lives for almost a full day now to save lives and contain the great fire.” He said: “We cannot celebrate independence with a whole heart when our brothers and sisters [who are held hostage in Gaza] are not with us. Israel as a nation longs for them, for their freedom.” Herzog added that “even in times of deep disagreements, our courage and our unity are intertwined, dependent on one another. One thing is clear: Even when we have differences of opinion, we must keep the IDF — which belongs to all of us — above and outside all political disputes.”

Israel facing ‘national emergency’ as it battles worst fires in a decade, says Netanyahu | Israel The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned that rapidly spreading wildfires near Jerusalem could reach the city, as he declared the situation a “national emergency”. Thick smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem on Wednesday as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted the military to deploy troops to help. Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the worst fires in years. MDA said it had provided treatment to around 23 people, 13 of whom were taken to hospital, the majority suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. Among them were two pregnant women and two infants under a year old, it added. It said the alert level had been raised to the highest tier. Speaking from near the city of Modiin as fires burnt on a nearby hillside, resident Yuval Aharoni, 40, said: “It’s just very sad because we knew the weather, we kind of knew that would happen and still we feel like they weren’t ready enough with the big planes that can drop large amounts of water.” Netanyahu warned that “the western wind can push the fire easily towards the outskirts of [Jerusalem] – and even into the city itself. “We need to bring as many fire engines as possible and create firebreaks well beyond the current fire lines ... We are now in a national emergency, not just a local one,” he said in a video statement on Wednesday. “The priority right now is defending Jerusalem,” he added. Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route as brushfires broke out again in an area ravaged by blazes a week ago. Communities housing thousands of people have been cleared out. “A lot of police arrived, a lot of firefighters, but it didn’t really help. The fire had already completely taken over the whole area here,” student Yosef Aaron told AFP, speaking on the side of a highway with flames visible in the distance. Fire chief Eyal Caspi warned at a televised press conference that “our aircraft can’t do anything right now due to the weather conditions... Our goal is to save lives”. “We are apparently facing the largest fire in Israel in a decade.” The police said on X that they had deployed in force around the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and the Jerusalem Hills, asking the public to “avoid travelling to the area”. An AFP journalist at the scene earlier on Wednesday said the blaze was sweeping through wooded areas near the main road between Latrun and Bet Shemesh, and that helicopters were working to extinguish the flames. Soldiers arrived on the scene mid-afternoon, with many drivers abandoning their vehicles to flee the fire. Communities located about 30km (19 miles) west of Jerusalem were evacuated, Israeli media reported, airing images of firefighting teams battling fierce flames. National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir hinted that arson could be behind the fires. Police said they had arrested a resident of east Jerusalem who was caught “attempting to set fire to a field in the southern part of the city”. There was no official declaration directly linking the two. MDA said ambulance teams had been positioned near communities close to the fires and were ready to provide medical treatment and assist residents. High temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly, prompting evacuations from at least five communities, the police said in a statement.

Wildfires near Jerusalem trigger national emergency, disrupting Independence Day celebrations in Israel - Wildfires erupted near Jerusalem on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, prompting a national state of emergency as fast-moving fires burned over 2 500 ha (6 170 acres) in the Latrun and Sha’ar Hagai areas, located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. At least 12 communities were placed under evacuation orders as the fires intensified under strong winds and dry vegetation. The Israeli emergency medical service Magen David Adom reported treating more than 20 individuals, 13 of whom were transferred to hospitals since the fires began on April 30. Two pregnant women and two infants were among those taken to hospitals. The alert level remains the highest, with hundreds of citizens remaining at risk across the region. At least 17 firefighters sustained injuries while more than 150 firefighting teams from various agencies continued operations across the affected areas. The fires caused structural damage across several locations and disrupted Independence Day celebrations on Thursday, May 1, with most official events canceled and hundreds of residents evacuated. At least 12 towns were placed under evacuation orders as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the incident a “national emergency”. Local authorities went door to door asking citizens to evacuate areas at risk from the fires. A nationwide ban on outdoor fires was implemented for Thursday, including barbecues, which are traditionally held during Independence Day celebrations in Israel. Multiple roads were closed due to the fires, including the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Eyewitnesses reported people abandoning their vehicles and fleeing on foot as flames approached on Wednesday and Thursday. Although the cause of the fires remains unknown, a man was arrested in East Jerusalem for attempting to start a fire, but authorities haven’t linked him to the larger blazes yet. The individual was arrested for trying to start a fire in an open field amid the burn ban. Israeli authorities provided conflicting information regarding the cause of the fires. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that 18 individuals were arrested on suspicion of arson, while police reported that only three people were detained, none of whom were directly linked to the wildfires.

Hot mudflows destroy rubber and rice crops in North Sumatra, sparking fears of another Lapindo disaster, Indonesia - Hot mudflows struck Indonesia’s Roburan Dolok village in North Sumatra on April 25, 2025, damaging crops across the region and contaminating the water supply of four villages. Hot mudflow eruption in, Roburan Dolok North Sumatra on April 25, 2025 Hot mudflow eruption in Roburan Dolok, North Sumatra on April 25, 2025. Image credit: BNPB Hot mudflows struck the Roburan Dolok village, South Panyabungan District, Mandailing Natal Regency on April 25, with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) confirming 15 eruptions spread across five locations on April 30. According to the BNPB, the eruptions have destroyed or damaged about 5 ha (12 acres) of rubber plantations. Meanwhile, some local reports indicate that the damage has extended to a much greater area, affecting rice crops as well, and leaving some lands infertile. According to the locals, the village is no stranger to hot mudflows, but their frequency has been increasing since 2018, and it has intensified in the last few months. The mud has contaminated the water supply of 4 villages, while the gas emissions consisting of sulfur have polluted Roburan Dolok. The BNPB assured the residents that, though the emissions consist of sulfur, they are free from its toxic form, Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). Teams from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources have collected samples for the analysis of the constituents of the mud flow’s sludge. Rianda Purba, Executive Director of the North Sumatra office of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), reported that 21 active eruptions have been identified in Roburan Dolok village so far. “Most of these mudflow eruptions are located just 10 to 15 m (32 to 50 feet) from a drilling site operated by PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power (SMGP),” he said on Monday. “The company claims they drilled the site in 2017 but halted their activities because of a lack of geothermal resources. It is suspected that the spreading mudflow is linked to the company’s operations,” Rianda added. He noted that PT SMGP has been linked to several disasters in the region since the company began operations in 2017.

Landslide claims 4 lives and leaves 13 injured in Oran, Algeria - A deadly landslide struck Oran, Algeria, on Saturday, April 26, 2025, destroying multiple homes, claiming 4 lives, and leaving 13 injured. A landslide in the western Algerian city of Oran claimed four lives and left 13 injured, according to official reports on Sunday, April 27. The civil defense agency reported that the landslide occurred late on Saturday, April 26, in the Hai Essanouber district. Reportedly, more than 150 personnel from multiple agencies were at the scene to assist the victims and clear out debris. The four deceased were between 5 and 43 years old, while the injured ranged between 12 and 75 years in age. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for immediate treatment. The cause of the landslide remains unknown. At least five tin houses collapsed due to the incident. Local authorities confirmed that no missing people had been reported, and the toll was final.

Powerful M7.4 earthquake hits near the coast of Argentina, hazardous tsunami waves possible - A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.4 hit Drake Passage, near the coast of southern Argentina, at 12:58 UTC on May 2, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The epicenter was located 222 km (138 miles) S of Ushuaia (population 56 825) and 334 km (208 miles) S of Rio Grande (population 52 681), Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. 1 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking, and 284 000 light. Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km (180 miles) of the earthquake epicenter, NWS PTWC said. According to the updated tsunami threat forecast, tsunami waves reaching between 1 and 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 feet) above tide level are possible along some parts of the coast of Chile. Tsunami waves reaching heights of 0.3 to 1 m (1 to 3.3 feet) above tide level are possible along some coastal areas of Antarctica. It is important to note that actual wave amplitudes at the coast may differ from forecast values due to uncertainties in the model and the influence of local geographical features. In particular, maximum tsunami amplitudes observed on atolls or at locations with fringing or barrier reefs will likely be significantly lower than those indicated in the forecast. For other regions within the coverage area of this advisory, a forecast has not yet been computed, PTWC said at 13:40 UTC. The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and rubble/field stone masonry construction. The USGS registered three strong aftershocks over the next 15 minutes — M5.4 at 13:07, M5.7 at 13:09, and M5.6 at 13:10 UTC, all three at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).

7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Chile and Argentina -- A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said. The quake triggered a tsunami warning, but it was later canceled, and there were no reports of damage or casualties. The quake hit at 8:58 a.m. local time and was followed by at least a dozen aftershocks. Chilean authorities issued an evacuation alert for the entire coastal section of the Strait of Magellan, in the far south of the country, as a precaution. "We call for evacuation of the coastline throughout the Magallanes region," Chile's President Gabriel Boric posted on social media after an emergency service alert, which also ordered evacuations in the nearby Antarctic areas. Photos and social media videos showed people calmly evacuating as sirens blared in the background, Reuters reported. In Punta Arenas, located in Chilean Patagonia and on the Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the streets quickly filled with residents searching for shelters, according to images broadcast on local television. The evacuation proceeded calmly and without panic. "We received the alert and we had to evacuate at work, but people are calm and well prepared," Roberto Ramírez told the 24-hour channel. The USGS said the quake's epicenter was under the ocean 219 kilometers (173 miles) south of the Argentinian city of Ushuaia, in the Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica. In Ushuaia, considered the world's southernmost city, local authorities suspended all types of water activities and navigation in the Beagle Channel for at least three hours. No damage was reported. "The earthquake was felt primarily in the city of Ushuaia and, to a lesser extent, in towns across the province," the local government reported. "In the face of these types of events, it is important to remain calm." Chile's Antarctic Institute told Reuters that bases there were also being evacuated. A tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas within 185 miles of the epicenter soon after the quake. Chilean authorities withdrew the warning later Friday after determining that no tsunami was occurring, allowing people to trickle back to their homes even as officials continued to caution the public to steer clear of boardwalks and beaches.

Bulusan volcano erupts, triggers pyroclastic flow and ashfall in Sorsogon Province, Philippines - (videos) A phreatic eruption occurred at Bulusan volcano, Philippines, on April 28, 2025, generating a 4.5 km (1 650 feet) high ash plume and resulting in ashfall over nearby communities. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the Alert Level to 1. A phreatic eruption lasting approximately 24 minutes started at Bulusan volcano in Sorsogon Province, Philippines, at 04:36 local time on April 28 (20:36 UTC, April 27). The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported that the event generated a voluminous bent plume reaching an altitude of 4.5 km (1 650 feet) above the crater, drifting west to southwest. Ashfall was reported in Barangays Cogon and Bolos in Irosin, Barangays Puting Sapa, Guruyan, and Buraburan in Juban, and Barangay Tulatula Sur in Magallanes. In addition to ashfall, a pyroclastic density current, locally known as “uson,” traveled approximately 3 km (1.8 miles) down the southwestern slopes of the volcano. Prior to the eruption, PHIVOLCS recorded 53 volcanic earthquakes over a 24-hour observation period. Rumbling sounds were reported by local government officials approximately 15 minutes before the eruption and were recorded by infrasound sensors. In response, PHIVOLCS raised the alert status for Bulusan from Alert Level 0 to Alert Level 1. This alert level indicates low-level unrest with the potential for additional phreatic eruptions. PHIVOLCS maintains a strict no-entry policy within a 4 km (2.5 miles) radius of the summit, alongside a 2 km (1.2 miles) Extended Danger Zone on the southeast sector due to potential hazards, including sudden phreatic eruptions and sediment-laden stream flows. Residents and visitors are advised to take precautions against ashfall and to remain vigilant for potential lahars, especially during periods of heavy rainfall.

Mount Etna eruption intensifies with lava fountains and ash emissions, Italy - Strombolian activity at Mount Etna’s Southeast Crater evolved into lava fountaining on April 30, 2025, producing ash emissions and prompting a temporary elevation of the Aviation Color Code to Red. This was the 11th eruptive episode at Etna since March 15. According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Etna Observatory (INGV-OE), eruptive activity at Etna intensified in the early hours of April 30. Several vents within the summit area of the Southeast Crater produced explosive activity and lava flows directed to the southeast and south. Around 00:45 UTC, the activity transitioned from Strombolian explosions to lava fountains, reaching heights between 200 and 300 m (650 to 980 feet). At approximately 01:30 UTC, small clastic fragments (lapilli) were reported falling in the Piano Vetore area, located on the upper southwestern slope of the volcano. The emission of volcanic material remained largely confined to the summit area. Seismic observations showed that the average amplitude of volcanic tremor peaked near 00:00 UTC and remained at elevated levels. Volcanic tremor was centered beneath the Southeast Crater at approximately 2 700 m (8 860 feet) above sea level. Infrasonic activity was also elevated, both in frequency and energy, originating from the same sector. Ground deformation data from the DRUV dilatometer station recorded a decrease of approximately 40 nanostrains as of 22:40 UTC on April 29. At 03:01 UTC, the INGV-OE issued a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) raising the Aviation Color Code from Yellow to Orange, following the onset of Strombolian activity at the summit craters, with negligible ash emission. Just over two hours later, at 05:48 UTC, the alert level was raised from Orange to Red as explosive activity intensified. At that time, strong ash emissions were observed with the volcanic plume reaching approximately 5 000 m (16 400 feet) above the summit and drifting to the southwest. The alert level was downgraded back to Orange by 07:39 UTC as explosive intensity subsided and ash emissions became weak and confined to the summit area.

Axial Seamount showing signs of approaching eruption as magma builds up off Oregon coast - Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano off the Pacific Northwest coast, could erupt soon for the first time in a decade. Scientists at the University of Washington have detected a sharp increase in small undersea earthquakes and seafloor inflation — signs of magma buildup within the volcano. Despite the activity, experts say there is no threat to coastal communities. The site remains under constant observation through one of the world’s most advanced ocean monitoring systems. Microbes and their waste material stream from this “snowblower” vent on Axial Seamount three months after its eruption in 2011. Credit: Ocean Observatories Initiative Latest observations by scientists at the University of Washington’s Cabled Array indicate that Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano off the Pacific Northwest coast, could be approaching its first eruption in a decade — possibly within months to a year if current trends continue. Axial Seamount was the focus of one of the world’s first long-term underwater volcano observatories — the New Millennium Observatory (NeMO) — established by NOAA in the late 1990s. Today, the site is continuously monitored through the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s Regional Cabled Array, which provides real-time data via a network of submarine cables. The system includes 20 seafloor instruments deployed around the volcano, collecting data on seismic activity, seafloor deformation, vent chemistry, and ocean conditions. Data from the Cabled Array shows the seafloor has inflated more than 20 cm (7.9 inches) in recent months — approximately twice the rate observed prior to previous eruptions, including the 2015 event.

Kosmos 482 spacecraft, built for Venus landing, to reenter Earth’s atmosphere after 53 years - Kosmos 482, a highly durable Soviet descent module engineered to survive Venus’s atmosphere, is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between May 8 and 11, 2025, after 53 years in space, with a high probability of debris survival due to its robust design. Originally intended to land on Venus, the spacecraft became stranded in Earth’s orbit after a premature engine cutoff during its launch phase. The descent module, weighing approximately 495 kg (1 090 pounds), was designed to survive the extreme conditions of Venus’s dense and hot atmosphere. Due to its robust construction, experts consider it likely that some parts of the spacecraft will survive atmospheric reentry and could reach Earth’s surface, unlike most reentering space debris, which disintegrates entirely. Kosmos 482 comprised a carrier bus and a descent module with a total mass of 1 184 kg (2 610 pounds) at launch. After achieving an elliptical Earth orbit of approximately 210 km x 9 800 km (130 x 6 090 miles), an incomplete engine burn left the spacecraft stranded instead of transferring to Venus. The descent module, a spherical pressure vessel similar to that of the Venera 7 probe, was equipped with scientific instruments, including temperature and pressure sensors, a gamma-ray spectrometer, and radio transmitters. Following the Soviet practice, the mission received a “Kosmos” designation after failing to leave Earth’s orbit. The spacecraft’s orbital inclination of 52 degrees means it could reenter anywhere between 52°N and 52°S latitude. This reentry zone covers most of Earth’s populated regions, excluding far northern areas such as northern Canada and Scandinavia, and far southern regions such as Antarctica — basically the entire world. However, statistical models indicate that most debris from uncontrolled reentries falls into oceans or sparsely populated regions. Kosmos 482’s original mission was part of the Soviet Union’s Venera program, aimed at exploring Venus. After the failure to escape Earth’s orbit, the spacecraft entered a slow orbital decay, which is now culminating in reentry after 53 years in space. Tracking organizations, including the Aerospace Corporation and SatTrackCam Leiden, are monitoring the spacecraft’s trajectory closely. As of now, no official statements have been issued by Russian authorities regarding Kosmos 482’s reentry. Predictions on exact reentry timing and location will likely improve as the date approaches.

Solar geoengineering is possible with existing aircraft, study says - -A futuristic geoengineering proposal might be easier to accomplish in the real world than scientists previously thought.New research suggests that a planet-cooling strategy known as solar radiation management is already possible with existing commercial airplanes. Until now, many experts suggested the technology probably would require specialized high-altitude aircraft. And assembling a large enough fleet of these machines could take a decade or more.The new study, published Monday in the scientific journal Earth’s Future, makes the case that solar geoengineering — currently a hypothetical strategy — could overcome the vehicle hurdle without a major technological leap.But the concept remains deeply controversial among both scientists and climate activists. And the new study’s authors cautioned the strategy needs more study before world leaders move forward.

Trump dismisses scientists writing the National Climate Assessment - - The Trump administration on Monday dismissed all of the scientists working on the newest version of the National Climate Assessment, a sweeping report that outlines the growing dangers of rising temperatures for lawmakers, policy experts and the public.The sixth installment of the congressionally mandated report, which was due to come out by 2028, has typically been put together by about 400 researchers, many of whom are top scientists at universities who volunteer their time. The assessment is used to craft environmental rules, legislation and infrastructure project planning. It seen by experts as the definitive body of research about how global warming is transforming the country.Work had already begun on the sixth version. The Trump administration ended that with a note sent to researchers Monday.“At this time, the scope of the NCA6 is currently being reevaluated in accordance with the Global Change Research Act of 1990,” contributors were told in an email obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The move was roundly criticized by climate scientists late Monday as the news spread. The assessments help Americans “understand how climate change is impacting their daily lives already and what to expect in the future,” said Rachel Cleetus, one of the researchers who was dismissed.“Trying to bury this report won’t alter the scientific facts one bit, but without this information our country risks flying blind into a world made more dangerous by human-caused climate change,” said Cleetus, a senior policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, in a statement. “The only beneficiaries of disrupting or killing this report are the fossil fuel industry and those intent on boosting oil and gas profits at the expense of people’s health and the nation’s economic well-being.”The plan closely tracks with a proposal by White House budget director Russ Vought, who has urged the Trump administration to toss out all work on the assessment that began under former President Joe Biden. Vought wants to help pick a new group of researchers to issue a report that reflects the administration’s claims that climate change is not a serious threat. That report might focus on how climate change “benefits” the U.S., according to a plan he outlined in Project 2025, the conservative policy proposal produced by the Heritage Foundation.

Zeldin’s plan for endangerment finding: Accept warming, contest its costs - One of the biggest mysteries surrounding President Donald Trump’s EPA is how it plans to revoke the endangerment finding — the lifeblood of most climate regulations.Hints about its strategy may have been hiding in plain sight for a month now — ever since EPA announced a slew of deregulatory actions in a single afternoon.Experts said EPA may be betting that it can upend the scientific finding — which paved the way for the nation’s rules on climate pollution on cars, power plants and across other sectors — without taking direct aim at the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases are driving up global temperatures. Instead EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and other officials whom the president tasked in January with undoing the finding could raise questions about whether a sector — or even the whole country — contributes enough climate pollution globally to warrant regulation.They may also try to redefine how air pollution can harm the public — a necessary predicate for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.“Maybe they’ll change their mind, but they seem to have an idea of how they want to go about revoking the finding,” said Jeff Holmstead, who served as EPA’s air chief under President George W. Bush. Jettisoning the endangerment finding could allow the Trump administration to tear out U.S. climate rules by the roots, helping it avoid years of painstaking work to finalize replacement rules that would likely be weaker, according to experts. It would also make it harder for future presidents to regulate other sectors that are contributing to climate change, because the scientific finding would have to be resurrected first. Experts see hints of that strategy in a relatively detailed press release the agency issued last month, when it announced a barrage of steps it plans to take to roll back climate rules. He and other experts say the administration may take aim at the cost increases that regulations have on energy and other pillars of Americans’ lives, not at atmospheric science directly. That could allow EPA to skip the cumbersome process of assembling panels of contrarian scientists to build an alternative record on the indisputable link between human emissions and global warming. “They can probably get it out in the next few months,” Holmstead said of a proposed endangerment finding that focuses on regulatory costs. “They won’t need to spend a lot of time — and Federal Register pages — reviewing the science.” EPA did not respond to requests for comment for this story, but Zeldin offered new details in a combative press conference last week about how he intends to revise the finding. He said the agency plans to undertake a formal rulemaking process with public comment. “As we go through the process with regards to the dozens of different actions that we are going to start rulemakings on, they each will follow the Administrative Procedures Act, and we’ll make sure that the actions that we take on everything are as durable as possible.” That indicates the endangerment finding won’t be killed overnight using an executive order, as Trump effectively did earlier this month on rules requiring showerheads to use less water. But EPA could still move quickly to revoke the finding. “It’s going to get done,” “It’s just a question of when and what it looks like, and how long is it going to take.”

DOJ sues blue states to block climate suits, laws - On Wednesday, the administration sued Michigan and Hawaii in an attempt to block them from suing fossil fuel companies over climate change.On Thursday, the administration also sued New York and Vermont over their “climate Superfund” laws — which require fossil fuel companies to pay for emissions stemming from their products.The administration argued that it’s up to the federal government — not states — to regulate climate pollution and that therefore these lawsuits are unconstitutional. It made similar arguments in its cases against New York and Vermont, asking the courts to strike down their laws.The moves come after President Trump in an executive order directed the Justice Department to target state and local climate policies. “These burdensome and ideologically motivated laws and lawsuits threaten American energy independence and our country’s economic and national security,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a written statement. “The Department of Justice is working to ‘Unleash American Energy’ by stopping these illegitimate impediments to the production oaffordable, reliable energy that Americans deserve.” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) in a written statement described the lawsuit against her state as frivolous, noting that the state has yet to file a lawsuit — though it has been working on a case.“As my office’s anticipated lawsuit in this arena is not yet filed and our claims unknown to the administration—as conceded directly in their complaint— this lawsuit is at best frivolous and arguably sanctionable,” Nessel said.

Carbon capture and storage involves many steps for safety - Weirton Daily Times— Omaha-based energy company Tenaska is continuing to develop a multi-state carbon capture and storage hub in the Upper Ohio Valley to help local industries reduce their emissions and stay operational.The hub presents a solution for carbon dioxide-producing businesses — power plants, refineries and manufacturing facilities, for example — that want to remain stable in the long term, amid growing environmental concerns.Fundamentally, carbon capture and storage entails collecting CO2 emissions and sequestering them deep in the Earth. The compressed CO2 is typically transported by pipeline to an injection well, which places it underground for potentially permanent storage.Tenaska’s hub would offer transportation and storage services to industries in the Upper Ohio Valley, specifically Jefferson and Harrison counties in Ohio, Hancock and Marshall counties in West Virginia and Washington County in Pennsylvania. Although the exact number of wells hasn’t been finalized, Tenaska has submitted permits for two wells in northern Hancock County, with Carroll County permits anticipated for submission within the next month, as of February.Company officials are still early in pursuit of agreements to execute the hub, according to project manager Scott Murray. Agreements fall into three categories: Surface injection well locations, subsurface space and right-of-way for transport pipelines.In April 2024, Murray estimated that operations in the hub could begin fully as soon as 2027. The project aims to transport 5 million metric tons of CO2 per year, once operational.CCS technology could be in local residents’ backyards very soon, depending on the hub’s progress. That may be frightening to some, considering such development is novel in the Ohio Valley, but Tenaska officials and independent experts claim much thought and many steps ensure CCS projects function properly and pose minimal risk to neighbors.CCS should be evaluated in context: Accidents like pipeline leaks are rare, he said, noting that pipelines have been transporting CO2 since the 1970s. Today, there are between 4,000 and 5,000 miles of CO2 pipeline, and their safety record is comparable or better than oil and gas pipelines. “In any area of industrial activity, accidents do happen,” Rubin said. “They’re rare but never a zero-risk. I think one of the things you have to grapple with is putting risk into perspective. It’s very easy to focus on a particular event and give the false impression that things like this happen every day.” Under Class XI regulations, Tenaska must identify other wells — separate, abandoned oil and gas wells passing through the pore space, for example — that could affect CO2 storage. The company must calculate critical pressures and monitor existing wells, repairing any that are problematic and maintaining financial assurance to fix any issues and properly plug wells after project completion.

Ohio citizens assume costs and risks of carbon capture - Randi Pokladnik -- Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is a process where supercritical carbon dioxide (1070+ psi and 88 degrees Fahrenheit) is injected into Class VI injection wells, into underground subsurface rock formations to a depth of at least 5,000 feet. The CO2 gas fills pore spaces located within these formations.Recently, Ohio’s legislators introduced bills HB 170 and SB 136, which will give the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) primacy (primary control) over Ohio’s Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells. Currently, theU.S. EPA has control and issues the permits for Class VI wells. H.B. 170 and S.B. 136 will allow the ODNR chief to force non-consenting property owners to surrender use of the “pore space” under their private property.“A storage operator who has obtained the consent of owners of at least 70 percent of the pore space proposed to be used in a storage facility may submit a statutory consolidation application for the operation of the entire proposed storage facility to the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management,” H.B. 170 states.If the bills pass, private landowners could have no rights or the ability to stop this dangerous asphyxiant from being stored under their homes. CCS does not remove any existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but rather captures carbon dioxide from industrial processes, including ethanol fermentation, methane reforming, Portland cement production, and emissions from fossil fuel power plants. The process is energy intensive and expensive. The CCS equipment can require up to 30% of the energy that a power plant produces. A recent report by the International Panel on Climate Change found “the levelized costs of electricity (LCOEs) for thermal power generation with CCS are at least 1.5 to 2 times above current alternatives, which include renewable energy plus storage.”In addition to increased electricity bills, taxpayers will be picking up the costs for the 45Q tax credits for carbon dioxide captured. The Inflation Reduction Act established rates per ton of CO2 sequestered at $85 per ton. Considering that a large coal power plant emits 15 million tons of CO2 per year; the subsidy would be $1.25 billion in taxpayer dollars per year for one power plant. There are many concerns about safety throughout the entire process, including the toxic chemicals needed to sequester the CO2 gas, the pipelines used to transport the gas, and issues with Class VI wells leaking CO2 gas. Some estimates say at least 900 miles of pipelines would be required to carry CO2 across the state from sources to injection wells in eastern Ohio. In 2020, the Mississippi town of Satartia experienced a pipeline rupture in a 24-inch pipe. The pipe spewed out CO2 at a pressure of 1300 psi for more than three hours. The accident resulted in 200 people being evacuated and 45 taken to the hospital, with many having resulting chronic illnesses.Nearby cars shut off or failed to start because of lack of oxygen needed to operate internal combustion engines. Carbon dioxide gas is odorless, colorless, doesn’t burn, is heavier than air. It is also an asphyxiant and intoxicant, which makes releases from CO2 pipelines harder to observe and avoid especially when it spreads and migrates off the pipeline right-of-way.There is no guarantee that the CO2 will remain in the rock strata in perpetuity. Several factors could contribute to leaking of the super-critical CO2 gas from the underground storage locations. One of these is seismic activity.“The presence of seismic activity, both natural and induced, is of great importance when evaluating CO2 sequestration potential. Extensive fault zones may provide leakage pathways along which CO2 could migrate,” according to a study published in Environmental Geosciences.Additionally, the very act of injecting high-pressure CO2 into continental crusts could induce earthquakes and jeopardize carbon storage.“Deep borehole stress measurements at the Mountaineer coal-burning power plant on the Ohio River in West Virginia indicate a severe limitation on the rate at which CO2 could be injected without the resulting pressure build-up, initiating slip on preexisting faults,” according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.The fact that Ohio has over 36,000 orphan oil wells also adds to the risks of injecting high pressure CO2 into Ohio’s Appalachian counties.Finally, current CCS projects have shown that the process fails to capture the promised amounts of CO2 and many of the taxpayer subsidized projects have been terminated.According to the Geoengineering Monitor, after decades of research, “there is no evidence that CCS can address the causes of the climate crisis or significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” CCS is too risky and too expensive.

New Budget Proposal Cuts Clean Energy Funding, Expands Fossil Fuel Research -President Trump’s newly released 2026 budget proposal aims to slash over $15 billion in federal support for carbon capture and renewable energy programs, signaling a sharp pivot toward fossil fuels and nuclear energy—and away from climate-focused policy. The White House plan, which proposes $163 billion in total cuts to non-defense spending, also scraps $6 billion in funding for electric vehicle (EV) chargers from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The administration blamed the lack of charger deployment on overregulation and climate justice priorities, arguing that EV infrastructure should be built “just like gas stations”—by the private sector.The Department of Energy would see its funding reoriented toward oil, gas, coal, nuclear, and critical minerals R&D—though specifics remain scarce. Offshore wind and Interior Department renewable programs face another $80 million in cuts. Meanwhile, $1.3 billion in NOAA climate-focused grants and contracts for satellite-based climate observations would also be eliminated.The Environmental Protection Agency is on the chopping block too. Trump’s plan would cut the EPA’s budget by 55%, gutting climate change research and completely eliminating its environmental justice program. The proposal follows the agency’s March announcement that it is reviewing the 2009 Endangerment Finding—the legal cornerstone that classifies greenhouse gases like CO? as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.If the EPA rescinds the finding, it could strip the legal basis for emissions regulations on power plants, vehicles, and oil wells. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldindefended the review, saying the agency would now follow “science, the law, and common sense,” while Energy Secretary Chris Wright called the Endangerment Finding “an enormously negative” policy tool.While the budget is a policy wish list and not yet law, its priorities are clear: less funding for climate, more for fossil fuels, and a regulatory rollback that could redefine U.S. energy strategy for years to come.

House GOP lays out billions in environment cuts, car fees - -The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is seeking to rescind more than $4 billion in unobligated climate funding. House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled the first significant energy and climate proposals for their budget reconciliation bill, outlining plans to go after electric vehicles, alternative fuels and low-carbon construction.The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s portion of the GOP’s sweeping party-line bill, set to be marked up Wednesday, aims to repeal almost $4.6 billion in unobligated grants and other funds from an array of transportation and fuels programs authorized under Democrats’ 2022 climate law, according to committee leaders.It would also impose new annual fees on hybrid and fully electric vehicles — as well as a smaller annual registration fee on all other vehicles — to generate new revenues for the Highway Trust Fund, which funds federal road projects.The proposals represent a relatively small but significant chunk of the climate rollbacks that Republicans are pursuing in their party-line tax, energy, defense and border security bill.

House votes to overturn California gas car ban — again defying internal watchdog The House voted Thursday to ax California’s electric vehicle mandate — defying Congress’s own internal watchdog for the second day in a row. The House voted to undo the Biden administration’s approval of the California rule, which bans the sale of new gas-powered cars starting in 2035, using a tool known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA allows Congress, with a simple majority in both chambers and presidential approval, to reverse recent regulations, evading the Senate filibuster’s 60-vote threshold. It’s sometimes used at the start of a new administration to eliminate regulations put forward by the last one. However, the 246-164 vote came in defiance of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan congressional watchdog that also issues legal opinions. That office has determined that because the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval came in the form of a waiver rather than a rule, it is not subject to the CRA. By holding the votes anyway, House Republicans are demonstrating that they are willing to carry out their agenda regardless of whether the nonpartisan arbiter deems them legal. It similarly voted to ax EPA waivers allowing California clean truck rules Wednesday — similarly defying the GAO. Senate Republicans, who also want to target California’s rules, are facing similar circumstances. The Senate parliamentarian, a rules authority for the upper chamber, has also determined that the waivers allowing the rules to go forward are not subject to the CRA.Senate Republicans have signaled they could seek to defy the parliamentarian but have not yet said definitively whether they actually plan to do so.If they do, they could be setting up a legal and procedural conundrum — especially as the parliamentarian also sets the rules for what provisions can go into a high-stakes budget package that also evades the filibuster.California is allowed to set its own vehicle pollution rules — with the approval from the EPA — because of a clause in the Clean Air Act that comes in response to historic smog problems in Los Angeles. That provision allows the EPA to waive laws that typically preempt states from setting regulations that go beyond the scope of those set at the federal level.More than 10 percent of the U.S. population lives in California — giving it a significant share of the auto market on its own. But, other states can also adopt California’s rules — and 11 other states and Washington, D.C., have adopted its gas-car phaseout — making its rules even more impactful.

EPA allows high-ethanol gasoline to be used all year -The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Monday it will allow gasoline containing a higher percentage of ethanol to be used year-round.The move follows President Trump’s energy emergency declaration, which required the EPA to consider allowing year-round high ethanol gas, known as E15. This type of gasoline is typically restricted in the summer due to concerns about smog — which can form more easily from evaporation in the heat.However, the government can choose to issue a waiver to allow E15 gas nationwide in the summer. “This move to allow the summer sale of E-15 will provide immediate relief to consumers, provide more choices at the pump, and drive demand for corn grown, processed, and used right here in America,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement, thanking the EPA for its decision. As of Monday, the nationwide average price for gasoline was a relatively low $3.15, down about 50 cents from this time last year.During its tenure, the Biden administration also allowed E15 to be sold in the summer during 2022, 2023 and 2024 — as it faced high gasoline prices, particularly in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Why Navajo activists oppose a proposed hydrogen pipeline that could be the world’s longest -Navajo activists, led by Jessica Keetso of Tó Nizhóní Ání, are opposing a proposed hydrogen pipeline by Tallgrass Energy that would stretch from New Mexico to north of Flagstaff, Arizona, following an existing Navajo-owned pipeline. Discussed at the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 34th Annual Conference in Tempe, the project raises concerns about environmental justice and the historical exploitation of Navajo resources, including coal, uranium, and oil. Keetso emphasized the lack of Navajo consent and the potential environmental risks, such as hydrogen leaks, which are difficult to detect and could harm the region’s water-scarce environment. The pipeline, potentially the world’s longest for hydrogen transport, is part of a broader push for clean energy but faces skepticism due to the Navajo Nation’s history of bearing the costs of energy projects without equitable benefits. Activists argue for community-led solutions and stricter oversight to protect Navajo lands and sovereignty.

38 Republicans call for ‘full repeal’ of Democrats’ energy tax credits -- A group of Republicans called for a “full repeal” of energy tax credits passed by Democrats in 2022 in a Thursday letter. Their letter comes after a different group of 21 Republicans, mostly moderates, called for changes to be “targeted and pragmatic” in March, and four senators expressed opposition to a “full-scale” repeal last month. The two letters underscore the challenges GOP leaders face amid divisions in their caucus as they try to come up with a major budget deal to advance their priorities. In the latest letter, the 38 Republicans criticized the approach of their colleagues, saying it would be hypocritical to retain some credits for low-carbon energy sources while eliminating others. “Despite our previously unified stance, some Members of our conference now feel compelled to defend wind and biofuel credits, advocate for carbon capture and hydrogen subsidies, or protect solar and electric vehicle giveaways. Keeping even one of these subsidies opens the door to retaining all eight. How do we retain some of these credits and not operate in hypocrisy?” the lawmakers wrote. “The longstanding Republican position has been to allow the market to determine energy production. If every faction continues to defend their favored subsidies, we risk preserving the entire IRA because no clearly defined principle will dictate what is kept and what is culled,” they added, referring to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ 2022 climate, tax and health care bill.Their letter, which was first reported by Fox News, also comes as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has struck a middling tone, saying in February that the Republican party’s approach would be “somewhere between a scalpel and a sledgehammer.”

Project cancellations threaten US clean energy manufacturing boom - The industry has lost a record $6.9 billion in investment this year as companies navigate an “unstable policy environment,” according to a new analysis. The U.S. clean energy manufacturing industry saw a record number of project cancellations in the first quarter of the year, as companies grappled with the “rising headwinds” of tariffs and potential tax credit rollbacks, according to a new report. At the same time, the Inflation Reduction Act helped spur $9.4 billion in new electric vehicle, battery and renewable manufacturing projects from January to March, according to the Clean Investment Monitor, a project of research firm Rhodium Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.The analysis underscores competing narratives shaping the energy sector: the IRA is sparking a build out of U.S. factories, but that growth is at risk of hitting a wall.“The uptick in new [clean manufacturing] announcements, coupled with significant cancellations, highlights both the progress achieved under the IRA and the risks posed by an unstable policy environment,” the report said. “The coming months will be critical for determining whether the US clean technology manufacturing boom picks up pace or stalls.”

Major power outage hits Spain, Portugal and southern France after ‘rare atmospheric phenomenon’ - A major power outage affected Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France on April 28, 2025, resulting in widespread disruptions to transportation, communication, and public services. A major power outage occurred in Europe on Monday, April 28, affecting Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France. The blackout began around midday, resulting in widespread disruptions in major urban centers, including Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona. In Spain, the national grid operator Red Eléctrica reported a sudden drop of over 10 gigawatts in electricity demand, representing more than one-third of the country’s total demand. As a result, metro services in Madrid were halted, traffic lights malfunctioned, and airports experienced operational difficulties. Portugal’s national grid operator REN confirmed that the entire Iberian Peninsula was impacted. Portuguese authorities suggested that the disruption likely originated outside the country, potentially linked to issues within the Spanish distribution network. In southern France, regions bordering Spain experienced brief but significant power losses. French grid operator RTE reported disturbances attributed to the interconnected nature of the European power grid, where failures in one region can have cascading effects across neighboring systems. The precise cause of the blackout remains under investigation. Preliminary reports suggest a failure in the interconnected European power grid, possibly exacerbated by high electricity demand and challenges in balancing renewable energy sources. Emergency protocols have been activated to restore electricity and maintain essential services. Restoration efforts were ongoing as of the latest updates. Updates: Further clarification from REN and ongoing investigations In a follow-up statement issued late on April 28, REN suggested that a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” was responsible for triggering the Iberian Peninsula blackout and provided additional technical clarification regarding its potential effects on the grid. According to REN, rapid and localized temperature fluctuations in Spain’s interior regions generated mechanical instabilities in several critical 400 kV lines, causing a rare form of conductor vibration. These vibrations, identified as a variant of aeolian vibration exacerbated by thermal gradients, led to transient shifts in electrical impedance along multiple transmission corridors. As the disturbances propagated, they triggered an automatic desynchronization from the broader European electricity grid, managed by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), in an effort to prevent a wider grid collapse. REN noted that the phenomenon, while rare, had been modeled theoretically in past risk assessments but had not been previously observed at this scale in real-world grid operations. The event was classified internally as a “Type 2 Induced Oscillation Event,” a designation within REN’s contingency protocols for rare but high-impact grid disturbances. At a joint press conference with Portugal’s energy regulator ERSE, REN officials emphasized that there was “no indication of malicious interference, technical failure, or cyberattack,” reinforcing that the cause was atmospheric and mechanical in nature.

Chris Wright plays politics with European blackout - Spain and Portugal were still in the dark Monday when U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright went on television to blame a widespread power outage on renewable energy.“It’s very sad to see what’s happened to Portugal and Spain and so many people there. But you know, when you hitch your wagon to the weather, it’s just a risky endeavor,” Wright told CNBC.The remark represented a thinly veiled swipe at wind and solar, which were powering almost three-quarters of the Spanish grid at the time it went dark. The comments stood in contrast to those made by the CEO of the Spanish grid operator, who said no “definitive conclusions” for the outage had been reached.But they fit a broader pattern for Wright, a former oil field services executive who has sought to paint wind and solar as costly, unreliable energy sources that threaten the reliability of the electric grid.Renewables could have played a role in an outage that left tens of millions without power, grid experts said. But they cautioned against rushing to conclusions, saying that a series of systematic factors likely were needed for the power systems of two countries to go black inside five seconds Monday.“What I would say is this has the hallmarks of being a very complicated event,” said Eamonn Lannoye, managing director for Europe at the Electric Power Research Institute, which works with the utility industry. “It’s not going to be cut and dry.”Grid disasters have become political fodder in recent years, fueling debates over the role of intermittent resources such as wind and solar.In 2021, when a winter storm slammed into Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was quick to blame wind and solar for rolling blackouts that left 4.5 million without power. An investigation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission later concluded the state’s power system was insufficiently winterized to survive such a storm. It pinned much of the blame on the state’s natural gas system, which reported widespread freezes during the event.

Europe’s massive blackout a warning sign for US grid - The causes of Monday’s massive power outage in Spain and Portugal are still under investigation. But facts on the ground so far point to inconvenient truths as Europe and the United States bring more renewable energy onto their electric grids.Momentary disruptions are managed all the time in Spain’s heavily wind- and solar-based grid. And while the U.S. system is fundamentally different, grids that serve Texas, California, Florida, Iowa and Great Plains states also manage relatively high levels of renewable penetration. Still, the shift from traditional power generators to solar, wind and batteries has made it harder — but not impossible — for high-voltage grids to absorb sudden disruptions.The issue involves inertia, the energy stored in the spinning generators used to produce electricity in coal-fired and gas-burning plants, nuclear reactors and hydroelectric dams. Those generators tend to keep spinning when a disruption starts, giving systems the critical seconds they need to respond to a failure.Solar and wind power and battery storage that lack built-in inertia increase the risk of outages if no other defense is in place, according to a report by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Power from traditional generators is synchronized with the rising and falling cycles of alternating currents. Technology known as inverters convert direct current produced by solar and wind farms to the alternating current that delivers electricity to customers. “The grid is the largest machine on the planet,” said Mario Garcia-Sanz, a program director at DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). “As we reduce the number of synchronous generators and the associated inertia,” he said, “the normal grid contingencies can lead to more dramatic swings in frequency, which could result in large blackouts.” When Monday’s blackout hit, Spain was drawing 59 percent of its electricity from solar panels, nearly 12 percent from wind turbines, 11 percent from nuclear reactors and 11 percent from gas-fired turbines, according to Spanish transmission system operator Red Eléctrica, Reuters reported. The collapse of the grid covering the Iberian Peninsula happened at 12:38 p.m. local time Monday, according to Eduardo Prieto, head of system operation services of Red Eléctrica. Portugal’s grid operator REN said unexpected fluctuations across high-voltage lines caused parts of the grid to fall out of sync, “leading to successive disturbances across the interconnected European network.” A U.S. technology company that has monitors installed in the Madrid area recorded unusually sharp swings in voltage levels beginning three hours before the grid collapse “an indication of stress and instability,” said Bob Marshall, chief executive of Maryland-based Whisker Labs. “We saw those oscillations in voltage increase in frequency and amplitude over the next three hours until the grid failure and collapse.” Once the precisely synchronized currents across Spain’s grid began to gyrate dangerously, it was like a heart arrhythmia: the fluctuations had to flatten out or mechanical systems would cut off power to prevent serious damage to generators Critics of climate policies aimed at integrating more zero-carbon wind and solar power jumped on the outage as evidence that relying on renewables is too dangerous — “lunacy,” President Donald Trump calls it. Following Trump’s playbook, Energy Secretary Chris Wright pointed a finger at wind and solar power. “It’s very sad to see what’s happened to Portugal and Spain and so many people there,” Wright said. “But you know, when you hitch your wagon to the weather, it’s just a risky endeavor.” For engineers and grid experts, the first instinct hasn’t been to blame a single power source for an outage across a large network. The triggers for a blackout can be complicated. Imbalances and dangerous electricity fluctuations across a large, integrated, diverse network of energy resources are usually complicated.In fact, renewable energy is not intrinsically unreliable, according to NREL’s report, ARPA-E scientists and other experts. Solar, wind and battery systems can be designed and equipped with devices and software that provide the fast response needed for dangerous grid upsets. But investments in more support for voltage, frequency and reactive power won’t happen without companies and regulators across a decentralized U.S. system getting behind the effort. Inverters are the essential tools.“The speed of this change continues to challenge grid planners, operators, protection engineers, and many other facets of the electricity sector. Implemented correctly, inverter technology can provide significant benefits,” wrote experts at the North American Electric Reliability Corp., the grid monitor, in a report in 2022. “However, the new technology can introduce significant risks if not integrated properly.”The grid monitor has issued guidelines on how to address some of these technology issues. But in a 2021 NERC report, it said its advice was too often falling on deaf ears. After an incident in Texas when instability in the surrounding grid caused solar plants with a total capacity of 1,112 megawatts to unexpectedly shut down, NERC said solar operators are not following its guidance. The recommendations “are not being widely and comprehensively adopted” by transmission system operators, either, NERC said.

Central US power market tightens as fossil fuel capacity shrinks -The price of ensuring adequate electricity supply across much of the central U.S. during the summer months soared twentyfold as coal retirements, power plant capacity losses and the effect of market reforms outweighed the contribution of new power generation.The results of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) annual capacity auction highlight a challenge for utilities and grid operators across much of the country — adding enough new power generation to replace aging coal plants and meet rising demand from data centers and advanced manufacturing.The MISO auction offers a snapshot in time, reflecting the ability of utilities across the 15-state region to meet peak demand and maintain adequate reserves in case power plants unexpectedly go offline. The regional grid stretches from the Canadian province of Manitoba to the Dakotas, into the Midwest, and as far south as Louisiana and a portion of Texas. Auction results show there’s adequate capacity for the coming 12 months plus more than adequate reserves. Most consumers across MISO are insulated from higher costs, but officials say rising prices are a signal of a tightening market and growing reliability risk.

Trump admin speeds permitting for 10 more mineral projects - The Trump administration on Friday released a list of 10 additional mining projects to undergo expedited federal permitting, including projects in Minnesota and Nevada that are mired in fights over water quality and endangered species.The projects will now be placed on a public dashboard and undergo streamlined permitting under the FAST-41 process in response to an executive order Trump inked in March, calling for boosting domestic production.While the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, which oversees the dashboard, has touted the process as a way to bolster transparency and accountability, a number of the proposals and projects have faced legal pushback and environmental and local concerns ranging from contamination to their effect on vulnerable species.“The transparency that these projects will receive as a result of being featured on the Federal Permitting Dashboard will be transformative, allowing stakeholders across government and industry the ability to track the progress of these projects, ensuring a level of accountability in environmental review that is often missing from the traditional process,” Manisha Patel, the acting executive director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, said in statement.

Things to know about the US coal industry and proposed changes under the Trump administration — President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed several changes that would affect the struggling U.S. coal industry. Trump issued executive orders this month to allow mining on federal land. He has used his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to keep producing electricity to meet the rising demand amid the growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. The Republican president also granted nearly 70 older coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals. Trump’s government efficiency team, run by Elon Musk, made plans earlier this year to terminate the leases of 34 U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration offices in 19 states. The coal industry once provided more than half of U.S. electricity production. But it has been in steep decline for decades as operators went out of business and utilities installed more renewable energy and converted coal-fired plants to be fueled by cheaper and cleaner-burning natural gas. U.S. coal production was at 1 billion tons (907 million metric tons) in 2014 and fell to 578 million tons (524 million metric tons) by 2023, the latest year available, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Coal employment nationally peaked in the 1920s when there were about 900,000 miners. It was at about 350,000 in 1950 and has declined steadily since 1980. After the coronavirus pandemic, employment rebounded from 2022 to 2023, rising 4.2% to 45,476. West Virginia employed the most miners at 14,000, followed by Kentucky at 5,000. About half of the nation’s 560 coal mines are located in West Virginia (165) and Kentucky (112). Despite having just 15 mines, Wyoming was the highest-producing coal state due to mechanization and more accessible coal. Mining fatalities over the past four decades have dropped significantly. There have been 11 or fewer deaths in each of the past five years, according to MSHA. MSHA is responsible for enforcing U.S. mine safety laws. It is required to inspect each underground mine quarterly and each surface mine twice a year. The cuts proposed by Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency would require MSHA inspectors to travel farther to get to a mine, and that could mean less thorough inspections, said Jack Spadaro, a longtime mine safety investigator and environmental specialist who worked for that agency. According to the DOGE website, ending the MSHA leases is projected to save $18 million. It is unclear whether inspectors’ positions and other jobs from those offices would be moved to other facilities. Seven of the MSHA offices set for closing are in Kentucky and four are in Pennsylvania. West Virginia is among the states with two targeted offices. Also under consideration for closure are the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement facilities in Lexington, Kentucky, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, shrinking the national footprint of an agency created during the Carter administration to restore land damaged by strip mining, and reclaim abandoned and damaged mine lands. A recent review of publicly available data by the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center indicates that nearly 17,000 health and safety inspections were conducted from the beginning of 2024 through February 2025 by MSHA staff in the facilities on the chopping block. Industry advocates have long contended that there are other uses for coal, some of which use cleaner technology. Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-based Core Natural Resources is working to develop a process using West Virginia coal to create a synthetic material that can be used as an anode for lithium-ion batteries, reducing U.S. dependence on countries such as China, according to Matthew Mackowiak, the company’s director of government affairs. Core recently acquired a company that turns coal into carbon foam that produces composite tooling used to make nose cones and plane wings for the U.S. defense industry. “Whether or not there is any more coal-fired generation in the future, obviously that’s something else to talk about in the future,” Mackowiak said. “But at the very least, we need to be focused on maintaining our current coal fleet.”

Bringing farms back to Chernobyl-affected lands: New protocol offers hope - Thousands of hectares of Chernobyl-affected farmland, long deemed too dangerous for cultivation in northern Ukraine can safely return to production, according to new research.The study, led by the University of Portsmouth and the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, developed a method for the safe reassessment of farmland abandoned after the 1986 nuclear accident.Published in the Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, the research opens the door to potentially reclaiming large areas land for agricultural use—land that has remained officially off-limits for over three decades due to radioactive contamination.Since the Chernobyl disaster, large regions of northern Ukraine were designated as too hazardous for farming. The 4,200-square-kilometer "Chernobyl Exclusion Zone" around the nuclear site remains uninhabited and is now one of Europe's largest nature reserves.A second 2,000-square-km area—the "Zone of Obligatory Resettlement"—was never fully abandoned. The area is home to thousands of people, has schools and shops, but no official investment or use of land is allowed.Since the 1990s, scientists in Ukraine and overseas have been saying that the land can be safely used again despite contamination by radiocesium and radiostrontium. But political complexities have meant that the land remains officially abandoned. That hasn't stopped a few farmers taking matters into their own hands and beginning unofficial production in some areas. The new study has confirmed that the farmers were right—crops can be grown safely in most areas.Using a 100-hectare test site in the Zhytomyr region, the researchers developed a simple yet robust protocol to evaluate contamination levels and predict the uptake of radioactive substances by common crops such as potatoes, cereals, maize, and sunflowers.By analyzing soil samples and measuring external gamma radiation, the researchers confirmed that the effective radiation dose to agricultural workers is well below Ukraine's national safety threshold, and significantly lower than background radiation levels experienced naturally all over the world.The findings show that, with proper monitoring and adherence to Ukrainian food safety regulations, many crops can be safely grown in these previously restricted zones.

Ohio lawmakers pass sweeping energy reform bill to encourage new power plants, end coal and solar subsidies Cleveland.com —Ohio lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a sweeping energy bill that backers say is the state’s answer to a looming energy demand crisis.House Bill 15 would, among other things, increase oversight over what electric utilities charge customers, repeal coal and solar subsidies from 2019’s scandal-ridden House Bill 6, and lower property taxes on electricity and pipeline infrastructure.Proponents of the bill, which now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine after clearing final Ohio Senate and House votes by overwhelming margins, say it’s designed to encourage the construction of more power plants in Ohio – particularly natural gas plants – at a time when tech companies are looking to build numerous power-gobbling data centers around the state.Many parts of the Republican-authored bill would also be an unusual rebuff of politically powerful electric utilities, who led most of the opposition to the legislation. Among the critics was FirstEnergy Ohio CEO Torrence Hinton, who stated in written testimony that the legislation would limit his company’s flexibility to address changes like extreme weather, economic trends, or new technology.HB15 has the support of an unusually wide array of industries and interest groups, including power producers, environmentalists, consumer advocates, the natural gas industry, and business associations.One of the main ways HB15 seeks to promote new power plants in Ohio would be to reduce local property taxes on power producers and distributors.Right now, power-plant operators and utilities in Ohio have to pay property tax on 85% of the assessed value of their transmission infrastructure (such as poles and wires) and 24% of the value of their power generation property.Pipeline companies pay property tax on 88% of their infrastructure’s assessed value.Under HB15, that assessment percentage would drop to 25% for all newly built pipelines or electric distribution assets, and 7% for newly built electric generating property. The bill wouldn’t change how existing energy infrastructure is taxed.If signed into law, the electric and gas distribution tax reductions would take effect in 2027 and cost local governments a total of somewhere between $49 million to $74 million per year, according to a state fiscal analysis. The analysis stated it’s not yet clear how much revenue would be lost from the tax changes on power generation infrastructure.Separate from the proposed property tax changes, the bill would also accelerate the state’s approval process for proposed new power plants, transmission lines, and natural-gas pipelines in the state.The legislation would repeal ratepayer subsidies for two coal-fired power plants along the Ohio River, as well as for several solar power facilities around Ohio. Both subsidies were codified as part of House Bill 6, a 2019 energy law later found to have been passed with $60 million in bribes from Akron-based utility FirstEnergy, which landed a $1 billion-plus nuclear plant bailout in the bill. While Ohio lawmakers repealed the nuclear bailout after the 2020 arrest of then-House Speaker Larry Householder (who’s now serving a 20-year prison sentence for his role in the bribery scandal), until now they have left the lower-profile coal and solar subsidies untouched.The two coal plants are operated by the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, a consortium of more than a dozen utility companies, including American Electric Power, Duke Energy, AES Ohio (formerly called Dayton Power & Light), and two subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. HB15 would require electric utilities’ rates and surcharges to undergo a comprehensive regulatory review every three years, and it would close an alternative that utilities have increasingly favored to impose new customer fees on a case-by-case basis. In exchange for being allowed to operate as legal monopolies, Ohio electric utilities’ customer rates and fees must be approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Typically, the PUCO does this via “rate reviews,” in which state regulators conduct an across-the-board evaluation of each utility’s proposed costs and charges. But in recent years, utilities have increasingly filed “electric security plans,” which allow them to add new fees and surcharges on customers’ bills for infrastructure expenses without needing a full-blown rate review. Critics say those infrastructure improvements allow utility companies to save money without passing those savings on to their customers.Other parts of HB15 would, if signed into law:

• Require electric utilities to produce annual reliability reports with detailed information on things like the average number of outages, how long those outages last, and how many customers faced multiple outages.
• Mandate that utility companies issue refunds for charges found to be improper by the Ohio Supreme Court -- at least, when the charges are still imposed after the court’s ruling. The proposed change follows a 2019 Supreme Court decision that struck down a FirstEnergy charge that cost customers more than $150 million annually, but the court didn’t order FirstEnergy to return the money it collected. Senate President Rob McColley, a Northwest Ohio Republican, said he anticipates the issue will become less important if HB15 becomes law, as it would ban one-off utility surcharges.
• Make electric utilities, when seeking a permit to build a new power transmission line, provide a summary of studies into how “advanced transmission technologies” could allow the company to improve existing transmission lines instead of needing to build a new one.

- Why Canadian utilities are looking past the Trump threat to continue a U.S. spending spree -- For all the political talk of the need for a “Canada First” strategy on infrastructure investment, the county’s largest utilities continue to pour money into U.S. expansion. And investors large and small are lining up to support these cross-border growth strategies on the theory that U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war will leave the infrastructure sector unscathed. Two weeks ago, Edmonton-based Capital Power Corp. CPX-T spent $3-billion to acquire two natural-gas-fired power plants, one in Ohio and a second in Pennsylvania. The week before, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP BIP-UN-T agreed to buy Colonial Enterprises, owner of pipelines connecting Texas oil fields to New York customers, for US$9-billion, including debt. Both investments took place against the backdrop of sweeping tariffs from Mr. Trump and increasingly frosty relations between Canada and United States. The deals follow billions’ of dollars worth of investments in American and Mexican infrastructure by Canadian heavyweight utilities such as TC Energy Corp. TRP-T, Enbridge Inc. ENB-T and Fortis Inc. FTS-T, all launched before Mr. Trump’s election victory last November. Capital Power’s acquisition is significant because it’s the latest in a series of well-received deals meant to shift what was once a city-owned utility away from its roots as a supplier to the Alberta grid. This month’s purchase of two U.S. gas-fired power plants gives Capital Power its first access to North America’s largest electricity market, a 13-state grid known as the PJM Interconnection, which has roots in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. The deal also cements the utility’s standing as one of the continent’s top five natural-gas-fired power producers. Capital Power is buying the U.S. gas-fired plants from New York-based LS Power Equity Advisors LLC, a privately-owned asset manager. The deal is expected to boost Capital Power’s adjusted funds from operations – a standard measure of performance at utilities – by an impressive 17 per cent to 19 per cent a year. To pay for the acquisition, which is expected to close within six months, Capital Power raised $150-million by selling stock to Alberta Investment Management Corp., the $168-billion asset manager owned by the Alberta government.

6th Circuit Reverses Lower Court, Blocks EOG from Surface Drilling -Marcellus Drilling News - This is news of a lawsuit with implications for drillers, rights owners, and surface land owners that we were not previously aware of. EOG Resources, an oil and gas drilling giant with nearly half a million leased acres in Ohio, holds drilling rights on land owned by Lucky Land Management in Ohio—we could not determine the exact location or county. The two sides couldn’t agree on whether EOG’s rights to drill included the right to drill from Lucky Land’s surface out to adjacent properties as well. So EOG sued. EOG then asked a district court to grant a preliminary injunction, allowing the company to access the land to cut down trees and begin constructing wells. The district court did so, finding that EOG would probably succeed on the merits of the case.

Expand: 2%-Plus Gas OFS Deflation if Permian Cuts Rigs, Frac Crews - Expand Energy sees net gas-field drilling and completion (D&C) cost deflation of up to 2% and possibly more in the wake of $60 oil as OPEC+ plans to up its output, while U.S. tariffs on most imported goods may further squeeze oil-basin associated gas producers’ margins. The pureplay gas operator is the nation’s largest, putting 6.8 Bcfe/d net into pipe in the first quarter from its 1.9 million net acres in the Haynesville, Marcellus and Utica shale plays. Some of Expand’s D&C cost savings are coming from merging with Southwestern Energy in October, giving it a stronger negotiating position for gas-field goods and services, Josh Viets, COO, said in an investor call April 30. But what may create “a little bit of a tailwind for us as well is the outlook in the oilier basins, specifically within the Permian,” Viets said. J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Arun Jayaram reported oil-focused E&Ps may drop 50 rigs if $60 oil persists—and to up to 100 rigs may go idle at $55. “There are a lot of predictions out there right now of cuts to rigs in the Permian,” Expand Energy President and CEO Nick Dell’Osso said. “We've seen anything from 20 to 50, but we haven't seen a lot of specific plans just yet. So we're going to be watching that really closely.” The Permian Basin is the U.S.’ No. 2 gas producer behind Appalachia (36 Bcf/d) and ahead of the Haynesville (15 Bcf/d), putting 25 Bcf/d of associated gas into the market from its oil wells, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “If we see any material pullback in activity there, I think you could expect some additional deflation showing up across our [gas] business,” Viets said. Dell’Osso said the pattern in the Permian has been that operators have plenty of associated gas to put into pipe—when new pipe is built. “We saw how quickly Matterhorn [Express pipeline] filled, even though it didn't appear that there were a lot of DUCs in the basin leading into that,” Dell’Osso said. “And so I think … the basin continues to prove that associated gas is available when pipeline capacity is available.” If Permian drillers start dropping rigs, though, “that'll change and that could be a really interesting development for the dynamics of Lower 48 [gas] supply,” Dell’Osso said. OCTG cost With 11 rigs drilling, Expand is already seeing some weakness in oilfield service costs, Viets said. “And so, as we look out to the rest of the year and specifically around tariffs, there is clearly going to be a little bit of pressure … that is going to show up within our casing cost.” Roughly 80% of Expand’s casing—that is, oil country tubular goods (OCTG) used in making oil and gas wells—is manufactured in the U.S., though. “So there is some level of insulation,” Viets said. “But we know, as import costs rise, that will likely bleed into some of the domestic cost as well.”

24 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Apr 21 – 27 - Marcellus Drilling News - For the week of April 21 – 27, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica was down nine from the previous week. Last week, 24 new permits were issued in the M-U. In the Keystone State (PA), 17 new permits were issued. Both Coterra Energy in the northeastern part of the state and EQT Corporation in the southwestern corner received six permits each. Coterra’s permits were all issued for the same pad. EQT received five permits for a single pad in Greene County, and one permit for a pad in Washington County. Range Resources received four permits for a single pad in Beaver County, and Olympus Energy scored one permit in Westmoreland County. ARSENAL RESOURCES | BEAVER COUNTY | CARROLL COUNTY | COTERRA ENERGY (CABOT O&G) | ENCINO ENERGY | EQT CORP | GREENE COUNTY (PA) | HARRISON COUNTY | OLYMPUS/HUNTLEY & HUNTLEY | RANGE RESOURCES CORP | SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY | TUSCARAWAS COUNTY |WASHINGTON COUNTY | WESTMORELAND COUNTY

FERC chair said ready to fast-track natural gas permitting - FERC Chairman Mark Christie expressed support for the Trump administration’s energy dominance agenda, which aims to expedite natural gas infrastructure approvals by removing regulatory barriers, as outlined in a recent executive order declaring a national emergency to boost U.S. energy production. Speaking at a press conference, Christie emphasized FERC’s commitment to efficient permitting under the Natural Gas Act, a focus since his appointment as chairman. He highlighted the need for adequate staffing to handle an expected increase in project proposals and noted that the time-consuming National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process is being adjusted, with the withdrawal of prior environmental justice guidelines to focus on broader community impacts. Addressing concerns about potential dismissals of FERC’s Democratic members, Christie referenced a 1935 Supreme Court ruling limiting presidential removal powers, suggesting any such action would face legal scrutiny.

Fossil fuels back in play as Amazon, Nvidia power AI ambitions -- The surging energy demands of artificial intelligence have prompted major tech firms like Amazon (AMZN) and Nvidia (NVDA) to consider fossil fuels, including natural gas, as viable power sources for their data centers, according to CNBC. At a recent gathering of tech and energy leaders at the Hamm Institute for American Energy in Oklahoma City, executives emphasized the urgency of securing reliable power to meet AI’s immediate needs, even as they navigate a shifting political landscape under President Donald Trump, who has prioritized fossil fuel production over climate commitments. Amazon, the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, is investing in advanced nuclear and carbon capture technologies but acknowledges these won’t be available until the 2030s, leaving natural gas as a necessary interim solution to ensure steady power, as stated by Kevin Miller, Amazon’s vice president of global data centers.Nvidia’s Josh Parker, senior director of corporate sustainability, underscored the need for an “all options on the table” approach, noting that while some customers prioritize clean energy, others are less concerned, highlighting the pressing need for power to sustain AI growth. Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark estimated that AI will require 50 gigawatts of new power by 2027, equivalent to the output of 50 nuclear reactors, and urged realism about current energy options while suggesting AI’s demand could spur innovation in novel power sources over time. Despite Trump’s push to boost coal production citing AI needs, executives expressed reluctance to embrace coal, with Clark noting it’s not a top priority but part of a broader set of options. Amazon remains committed to its goal of net-zero carbon by 2040, Miller affirmed, but meeting customer demand for capacity takes precedence, necessitating a pragmatic reliance on thermal generation in the short term. The discussions, as reported by CNBC, reflect the tech industry’s balancing act between environmental goals and the immediate energy realities of powering AI’s rapid expansion.

Will U.S. LNG Exports Lose Out to Demand for Gas from Power Plants? - Marcellus Drilling News -- Speaking of gas turbines and our current inability to produce them quickly enough, we came across a somewhat related story from Reuters. The reporters from Reuters are sounding the alarm that U.S. LNG export facilities may soon have to compete for natural gas supplies with power plants needed to power AI data centers. The result is that the price of natural gas will increase, and in some cases, it may not be available for exports. Of course, the free market (capitalism) will sort this out on its own, but in the meantime, there may be some tension.

TC Energy approves $900m pipeline expansion in US Midwest to serve data center market - TC Energy, a Calgary based natural gas and energy company, has approved a $900 million natural gas pipeline project in the Midwest of the US to serve gas-fired power plants which intend to power the region's growing data center market. The Northwoods pipeline expansion project is expected to add 400,000 million British thermal units - equivalent to 117,228MWh - of new capacity, and increase the storage capacity of the system by 0.4 billion cubic feet per day. The project will expand the ANR pipeline, which covers more than 10,600 miles delivering natural gas from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma to Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. “We have approved the Northwoods project on our ANR system, designed to serve electric generation demand in the US Midwest, including data centers and overall economic growth," said Francois Poirier, president and CEO at TC Energy. The project will include pipeline looping, compressor facility additions, as well as other systems updates. It has an anticipated in-service date of late 2029 and is tied to 20 year take-or-pay contracts with Midwest utilities. The Midwest is emerging as one of the fastest-growing data center hubs in the US. The growth is the result of significant tax incentives and cooler temperatures, which make it an ideal location for large-scale data centers. For example, Ohio currently has 179 operational data centers, making it the fifth-largest market in the US. Amazon Web Services is the dominant player in the market, with 56 planned or already in operation across Ohio, according to Data Center Maps. TC also said it is considering options in powering the Alberta, Canada data center market. Unlike projects in the US, where it is broadly seeking behind-the-meter agreements to power data centers, in Canada, TC is seeking utility partners to provide natural gas directly to the grid. "Strictly from a pipeline perspective, it's a little bit different in Canada, a little bit more of an 'if you build it they will come' kind of approach," said Poirier. "So we are working with producers, developers as well to see what the solution set might look like." . "We're going to be very thoughtful in our approach and of course we must compete for capital among all the other great opportunities," Grant said. Alberta is increasingly becoming a hotbed for AI data centers seeking available and affordable gas power. The province produces more than half of the country’s natural gas, reaching 11.2 billion cubic feet per day in 2023, the highest level since 2010.

Commonwealth LNG Requests FERC Authorization by June -Commonwealth LNG LLC has asked FERC to speed up the remand process for its final authorization, citing regulation-cutting executive orders by the Trump administration. Since last year, Commonwealth has been waiting for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to answer a court order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit) to revisit the agency's environmental analysis for the project. Commonwealth’s authorization, along with two other projects, were remanded to FERC last year by the DC Circuit. However, Commonwealth lawyers argued FERC has already defended its analysis process in other cases and should be clear to make a final authorization decision by June.

Woodside FIDs $17.5B Louisiana LNG in Another Sign of U.S. Export Project Momentum --Woodside Energy Group Ltd. will move ahead with the first $17.5 billion phase of the Louisiana LNG facility and is aiming to start up by 2029. The first phase will have the capacity to produce 16.5 million tons/year (Mt/y), but the project is fully permitted to produce up to 27.6 Mt/y. The decision to move ahead would create the largest single foreign direct investment in Louisiana’s history, Woodside said. It also marks the first greenfield U.S. LNG project to be sanctioned since July 2023, when NextDecade Corp. gave the greenlight to the Rio Grande LNG project.

Woodside Taps BP Natural Gas Assets in Louisiana LNG Supply Agreement — The Offtake A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers

• 640 Bcf: Fresh off of its final investment decision for the Louisiana LNG export project, Woodside Energy Group Ltd. has also disclosed a natural gas supply agreement for the facility. Woodside has agreed to purchase up to 640 Bcf of natural gas from BP plc starting in 2029. Gas would be sourced from production areas managed by BPX Energy, which has assets in the Eagle Ford and Haynesville Shales, as well as the Permian Basin.
• $12.68/MMBtu: Goldman Sachs Commodities Research is tracking how a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia could impact its global natural gas forecast. Specifically, researchers assume a deal that lifts sanctions on Russian LNG could dip Title Transfer Facility prices lower than its current assumption of $12.68/MMBtu for the balance of the year. More supplies from Russia also boosts the likelihood of market oversupply in 2027.
• 80%: Germany is taking steps to lower mandatory natural gas storage targets ahead of a European Union (EU) decision on bloc-wide energy security policies. German policymakers lowered targets for critical underground infrastructure from 90% by Nov. 1 to 80%. Less critical infrastructure was lowered to 45%. EU member countries are expected to vote in May on whether to lower targets in order to reduce market speculation during the winter filling season.
• 1 cargo: China National Offshore Oil Co. (CNOOC) has sold a contract LNG cargo from Calcasieu Pass LNG for delivery in May, according to Kpler data. CNOOC holds a 1.5 million ton/year sales and purchase agreement with Venture Global LNG Inc. that was supposed to begin at the end of 2024. The diversion of U.S. cargoes by Chinese buyers to other markets and an overall drag on economic outlooks due to trade tensions helped lower European and Asian natural gas benchmarks this week to the lowest point in about a year.

Golden Pass LNG Receives Greenlight to Commission Key Liquefaction Equipment - Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC has received federal approval to commission major liquefaction components at its Texas export project, signaling the next major addition of Gulf Coast feed gas demand. In an order Monday (April 28), FERC granted the Houston company’s request to commission compression systems, LNG storage, pumps and liquefaction systems at the 15.6 million ton/year (Mt/y) capacity facility (No. CP14-517-000). Golden Pass’ request to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had been pending since late December. The order followed approvals earlier in April for Golden Pass to commission gas treatment components, flaring equipment and refrigeration systems. Three requests had been pending since 2023.

Venture Global Secures More Financing for CP2 Project as FID Process Continues — Three Things to Know About the LNG Market - Venture Global LNG Inc. has secured a $3 billion loan from 19 banks for development of its CP2 export terminal in Louisiana. The company initiated the final investment decision (FID) process for the project in March. CEO Mike Sabel said the facility is scheduled to receive its first two liquefaction trains soon. He added that $4 billion has already been invested in the project and said the loan would allow fabrication, manufacturing and procurement to continue at “an accelerated pace.” CP2 is designed with a peak production capacity of 28 million tons/year (Mt/y).

Trump administration kicks off rewrite of LNG safety rules - The Trump administration said Tuesday it is renewing efforts to replace 45-year-old safety rules for the coastal terminals that chill natural gas into a cryogenic liquid and load it onto ships for export.The rewrite will be focused on deregulation and examine “cost savings for the industry,” according to a draft notice and a news release from the Department of Transportation.“Under this administration, America is building again,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, he said, “is laying the groundwork to revamp decades-old regulations and slash red tape to increase LNG exports, generate good-paying jobs, and allow the U.S. to safely send more of its natural resources around the world.”The LNG announcement comes as the Trump administration seeks to accelerate what is already a dramatic surge in exports of liquefied natural gas from U.S. terminals along the Gulf Coast. That surge is being met with growing opposition to exports from environmental groups. The rulemaking process could spur a heated debate about safety, U.S. energy security, energy costs and the role of natural gas in fueling the world.The country’s main pipeline safety advocacy group criticized focus on deregulation, saying the Trump administration approach leaves numerous gaps in safety. The Pipeline Safety Trust said PHMSA should focus on protecting communities near the massive terminals, mostly along the Gulf Coast.“While it’s wonderful to see PHMSA finally addressing the long-outdated LNG safety regulations, it’s hard to reconcile this effort with PHMSA’s references to this being deregulatory,” Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, said in a news release.The U.S LNG industry did not voice objections about the renewed regulatory effort Tuesday. Its main trade group, the Center for LNG, has long said the rules are outdated, and Executive Director Charlie Riedl cheered Tuesday’s announcement. “This effort represents a meaningful opportunity to update prescriptive regulations with a performance-based, risk-informed approach that improves safety outcomes while supporting continued U.S. LNG leadership on the global stage,” he said in an emailed statement, adding that the industry wants to ensure the rule is “effective, science-driven, and reflective of industry best practices.” PHMSA’s planned overhaul also arrives as the LNG industry continues to try to ramp up U.S. export capacity with complex industrial projects. On Monday, Australia-based Woodside Energy announced a final investment decision on three production lines of its planned Louisiana LNG export project, which includes a pipeline. On Tuesday, three workers died, and two were injured in a scaffolding incident at an LNG terminal construction site near Port Arthur, Texas. OSHA said it is investigating. Bechtel, the construction contractor, said all work at the site was stopped following the incident. DOT said Tuesday that PHMSA will also be revising regulations that cover when pipelines carrying crude oil and other hazardous liquids must be repaired, when pipeline companies must upgrade pipes in response to population growth and the rules about transportation of petroleum-based fuels. Tuesday’s announcement is technically a step backward in the process for LNG rules. PHMSA has for years been working on a new draft of the regulations called a “notice of proposed rulemaking.” But DOT is shifting to an information-gathering stage called an “advance notice of proposed rulemaking” to seek comment. When that is complete, the agency will start work on its proposed rulemaking. The effort to update the regulations stalled in Trump’s first term and made little progress during the Biden administration as emissions and other efforts took priority.The current LNG export industry bears little resemblance to what it looked like in 1980, when the current rule was published.That was the last full year of the Carter administration, and LNG was kept as backup fuel for gas-fired power plants when demand peaked. In the early 2000s, fear of gas shortages led to construction of terminals to potentially import natural gas liquefied abroad. But then the market changed because of a surge of U.S. gas production from shale formations using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Today, massive coastal terminals coasts handle billions of cubic feet of gas piped in every day from U.S. production fields. They shrink it six-hundredfold by supercooling it to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit and ship it overseas on vessels roughly the size of aircraft carriers. That brings a hazard that wasn’t present at import terminals. Heavier hydrocarbons — such as ethane and propane — are used as refrigerants to shrink the gas. Unlike methane, these gases are heavier than air and can create a vaporous, flammable fog if they leak.The industry has mushroomed since 2015, when there were essentially no LNG exports from the Lower 48 states. Today, eight terminals ship an average of 12 billion cubic feet every day overseas.Five more are under construction, and another dozen or so are in various stages of permitting. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says LNG exports could be double 2024 levels by around the end of Trump’s current four-year term.

U.S. Natural Gas Summer Outlook Flat as LNG, Industrials Support Demand Growth -Rising natural gas production is expected to meet LNG and industrial demand growth this summer, while more renewable generation may help satisfy light power sector demand driven by mild weather, analysts said. Add in economic uncertainty, and fundamentals create a relatively flat scenario for natural gas this summer. NGI's Henry Hub natural gas spot price. “Despite wild wildcard factors, like energy policy, global events and the economy, the summer outlook predicts flat pressure compared to last summer, when the average Henry Hub price of natural gas was $1.880/MMBtu,” Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) Chairman Freeman Shaheen said Wednesday. The 2024 summer season began with about 3.21 Tcf in underground storage. Weighed down by supply 17% above the five-year average, Henry Hub prices fell to a $1.335 low last April and reached only as high as $2.800 throughout the April-October period, NGI data show.

U.S. Natural Gas Prices Surge 5% Ahead of Contract Expiration (Reuters) — U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 5% to a one-week high on Monday in light trade ahead of the expiration of the front-month contract on forecasts for higher demand this week than previously expected. Earlier in the day, prices slid about 2% to a five-month low on rising output and forecasts for mild weather through mid-May that will limit heating and cooling demand, allowing utilities to keep putting more gas than usual into storage. On its last day as the front month, gas futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange were up 15.1 cents, or 5.1%, at $3.09 per million British thermal units at 10:06 a.m. EDT (1406 GMT). Despite the price jump, the front-month remained in technically oversold territory for an eighth day in a row for the first time since February 2024. The June contract, which will soon be the front month, jumped about 6.5% to $3.31 per MMBtu. One factor pressuring prices in recent weeks has been fast growth in the amount of gas in storage. After falling below normal levels in mid-January, analysts project gas inventories will rise above the five-year average in the next week or two. After cold weather in January and February boosted demand for gas, the total amount in storage was about 1% below normal for this time of year. With gas futures down about 33% over the past seven weeks, speculators cut their net long futures and options positions on the New York Mercantile and Intercontinental exchanges for a seventh week in a row to their lowest since January, 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 has risen to 106.5 billion cubic feet per day in April from a monthly record of 106.2 Bcf/d in March. Meteorologists projected temperatures in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly warmer than normal through May 13. LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will slide from 99.2 Bcf/d this week to 97.4 Bcf/d next week. The forecast for this week was higher than LSEG's outlook on Friday, while its forecast for next week was lower. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big LNG export plants operating in the U.S. has climbed from a monthly record of 15.8 Bcf/d in March to 16.0 Bcf/d so far in April on rising flows to Venture Global's 3.2-Bcf/d Plaquemines export plant, under construction in Louisiana. Gas was trading near a nine-month low of around $11 per MMBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark in Europe and at an 11-month low of around $11 at the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) benchmark in Asia.

US natgas prices jump 5% to 2-week high on output drop, despite big storage build — U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 5% to a two-week high on Thursday on a drop in output over the past few days and forecasts for more demand next week than previously expected. Prices increased despite a federal report, which was delayed due to a software problem, showing last week's storage build was, as expected, much bigger than usual for this time of year. The build returned the amount of gas in stockpiles to normal levels for the first time since January. Gas futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 15.3 cents, or 4.6%, to settle at $3.479 per million British thermal units, their highest close since April 11. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms added 107 billion cubic feet of gas into storage during the week ended April 25. That was in line with the 107-bcf build analysts forecast in a Reuters poll, and compares with an increase of 64 bcf during the same week last year and a five-year average build of 58 bcf for this time of year. The build boosted the amount of gas in storage to near normal levels for this time of year. Gas stockpiles had been below normal since mid-January as utilities pulled a record 1.013 bcf of gas from storage to keep homes and businesses warm during extreme cold weather this winter. Some analysts said mild weather and record output so far this spring could allow energy firms to add record amounts of gas into storage in May, breaking the all-time monthly injection high of 494 bcf set in May 2015. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to a record 105.8 billion cubic feet per day in April, up from the prior monthly all-time high of 105.6 bcfd in March. On a daily basis, however, gas output was on track to drop by 3.5 bcfd over the past four days to a preliminary two-month low of 102.0 bcfd on Thursday. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big liquefied natural gas export plants operating in the U.S. climbed to a record 16.0 bcfd in April, up from the prior monthly all-time high of 15.8 bcfd in March, on rising flows to Venture Global's VG 3.2-bcfd Plaquemines export plant under construction in Louisiana. Gas was trading at a nine-month low of around $11 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) (TRNLTTFMc1) benchmark in Europe and near an 11-month low of around $11 at the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) (JKMc1) benchmark in Asia.

Oil Spill Occurs In Louisiana Marshes The US Coast Guard, operator Spectrum OpCo and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (LOSCO) have established a Unified Command in response to an oil and gas mixture release in a marsh environment near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility company's well in Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. An overflight by an LOSCO aircrew on Saturday confirmed the presence of crude oil. The operator is implementing its federal and state approved emergency oil spill response plan. There have been no reports of injuries or wildlife impacts. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Crews race to clean up oil spill along Louisiana coastline– Nearly 200 personnel are working to contain an oil spill along the coast of Louisiana that threatens to pollute marshes around Plaquemines Parish. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the agency was alerted to a leaking well about 20 miles southeast of Venice over the weekend. A unified command was established and deployed thousands of feet of boom in an attempt to contain the oily residue. The agency reports that more than 23,000 gallons of oily water have been collected so far, and drone video shows streaks of a brownish-black substance along the shoreline. "Our top priority remains the safety of the public and our responders," Gregory Callaghan, a captain with the U.S. Coast Guard, said in a statement. "The Unified Command is working around the clock to secure the source of the discharge as safely and quickly as possible. We are committed to minimizing further impacts to the environment." The exact amount of discharged oil remains unknown as crews continue efforts to plug the once-active well. Aerial surveillance by drones and helicopters has not detected any immediate health concerns for humans, as the impacted area is located some distance from communities. Officials remain concerned about the potential impact on wildlife, including birds, fish and other species that inhabit the marshlands. Authorities have not reported any significant harm to animal populations at this time, though the situation is still developing. Officials have not disclosed what may have triggered the well to start leaking, nor whether elevated water levels from the Mississippi River are complicating containment and cleanup efforts.

US Coast Guard Takes Over Major Oil Spill Cleanup Near Louisiana Coast -The U.S. Coast Guard has taken charge of the oil spill cleanup near Garden Island Bay, Louisiana, after a major leak of oil and natural gas posed a threat to both the environment and public safety. On May 1, the Coast Guard officially stepped in, taking over from Spectrum OpCo, LLC, the company responsible for the spill. Using federal emergency funds, the Coast Guard hired a cleanup company called Environmental Safety & Health Consulting Services Inc. to lead the response. A team called the Unified Command, made up of the Coast Guard and Louisiana’s Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office, is managing the cleanup. They’re working closely with local, state, and federal agencies to stop the leak and protect the area. As of 11 a.m., more than 180 people were working on the response. Cleanup teams have already placed over 11,700 feet of containment boom in the water and are using skimmers and other tools to collect the oil. Another 2,300 feet of boom is on standby. So far, about 32,700 gallons of oily water have been recovered, but officials don’t yet know how much oil has spilt. A contractor specialising in well control is at the site trying to stop the leak. Equipment like cranes, piping, cutting tools, and storage barges is being brought in for the job. Teams are also monitoring the weather carefully to make sure cleanup efforts can continue safely. Aerial surveys are underway to track the spread of the spill, and air tests so far show no serious health risks. For safety reasons, vessels are being kept out of a one-nautical-mile area, and aircraft are restricted from flying too close. So far, there haven’t been any confirmed cases of animals harmed by the spill. Authorities are asking anyone who sees oil in the water to report it to the National Response Centre at 800-424-8802. If anyone spots wildlife that looks affected, they should call the Wildlife Hotline at 832-514-9663. People or businesses impacted by the spill can call 1-866-601-5880 for help. The cleanup team is working with a long list of agencies, including NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and local Louisiana departments. The cause of the spill is still being investigated.

Oil spill off Louisiana's Gulf Coast raises alarm as DOGE cuts may threaten response efforts - Former federal disaster response specialists and national environmental groups warn that DOGE job cuts may hamper the response to a major oil spill off Louisiana's Gulf Coast this week, a leak that is fast contaminating marshlands and threatening vital wildlife habitats and fisheries.Although the amount of crude oil currently leaking out of the well is not yet known, a report from the U.S. Coast Guard's National Response Center earlier this week said "the amount discharged could potentially reach the threshold of a major spill for coastal waters (over 100,000 gallons)." The leak was first reported on Friday, April 26, as a "well blowout." The cause is not yet known. On Thursday, the Coast Guard reported more than 30,000 gallons of an "oily watery mixture" had been collected from the spill site, and while more than two miles of booms had already been deployed, crews were waiting for more containment materials to arrive. More than 1,000 employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were laid off or have taken early retirement in recent days. That is in addition to around 1,000 that were cut earlier this year, according to sources familiar with the reduction in forces. This week eight of 28 staff members from NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division — the very team tasked with addressing the oil spill — left the agency. The office handles approximately 150 oil and chemical spills annually. According to NOAA, the office has helped recover $10.8 billion from responsible parties over the past three decades to support environmental restoration. A recently retired NOAA senior manager involved in spill responses told CBS News that the agency has undergone "substantial reductions" in the team that provides scientific support to the Coast Guard, which is currently in charge of coordinating operations, and is the lead agency investigating the cause of the spill in Garden Island Bay. Adriana Bejarano until this week was a chemical scientist in that Emergency Response Division and was let go because of her probationary status. Although Bejarano had been in the job for under a year, she was previously a senior eco-toxicologist at Shell Oil who holds a Ph.D. and had been in this field of work for 20 years. "If this continues and other disasters happen at the same time, I don't think NOAA will have the expertise or personnel to respond," Bejarano told CBS News. Gib Brogan, who is with the nonprofit group Oceana, told CBS News that the equivalent of "27,000 years of NOAA experience are walking out the door this week with early retirement.""We are very concerned about staff and expertise that won't be able to respond to this oil spill," Brogan said. "No part of NOAA has been spared from DOGE and early retirements, we know the expertise is not there and the support from the agency and the support isn't there for the responses." Currently, what has been described by witnesses as a geyser of oil is shooting 30 to 40 feet into the air from a well operated by Spectrum Opco LLC. Clean-up crews have been spraying the airborne oil with water to push it back to the surface to more easily collect it, and prevent the oil from drifting further away from the spill site. The well, known as Well 59, was drilled in 1942 to a depth of nearly 7,000 feet and has changed ownership multiple times. It was capped in 2016 and has not been operational since then, the Coast Guard said. But according to Scott Eustis of Healthy Gulf, a nonprofit that monitors the health of the region and advocates for moving away from oil and gas extraction, it should have been plugged a decade ago. That's a process that involves injecting concrete into the well to permanently seal it off. The leaked oil appears to have reached critical habitats, including areas used by the threatened loggerhead sea turtle, although no harm to wildlife has been reported. This incident is part of a larger issue that has concerned experts for years: a study in 2023 identified 14,000 unplugged, abandoned wells in the Gulf. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pushed to expand offshore oil drilling and accelerate the permitting process, reducing timelines to just weeks. The leak is occurring near the Garden Island Bay area of the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area, a sensitive ecological zone in southeastern Louisiana.According to Eustis the spill threatens a range of species including black terns, bottlenose dolphins, larval yellowfin tuna, marsh birds, spring pogies, and young fish migrating into the estuaries for spring growth. There are also potential threats to the region's shrimp industry, with the shrimping season scheduled to start in just a couple of weeks, including in the marsh where the spill is still actively spraying. The Coast Guard announced yesterday that response efforts have been "federalized," allowing federal agencies to take full control of the containment and cleanup operation. A capping stack and other well control equipment were en route on Thursday. An update on operations Thursday said that 32,718 gallons of oily water mixture had been recovered.

Court agrees to dismiss oil group’s lawsuit over offshore leases - A federal court has granted the American Petroleum Institute’s request to scrap its lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s five-year plan for offshore oil and gas development. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit approved the trade group’s request Wednesday, just days before the court is set to hear oral arguments on the Interior Department’s plan to hold three offshore auctions from 2024 to 2029. API said this week it no longer needs to pursue its legal claim after the Trump administration announced it would revisit the leasing plan. The appeals court’s May 6 hearing is still set to continue, with adjusted argument times, as API’s challenge had been consolidated with another lawsuit led by the environmental group Healthy Gulf.That lawsuit takes the opposite position from the fossil fuel trade group, which had asserted that the Biden administration had failed to offer sufficient offshore auctions.

US shale patch slows down as oil prices sink (Reuters) - Some small U.S. shale producers are putting the brakes on oil drilling as crude prices sink to multi-year lows and steep tariffs drive construction costs higher. Less drilling could slow future output growth from the world's top oil producer. Total U.S. production is forecast to reach a new record this year at 13.7 million barrels per day (bpd), with some 9.7 million bpd coming from shale. Both U.S. and international energy watchdogs have, however, cut their forecasts for 2025 total U.S. production growth. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) cut its output growth forecast by 100,000 bpd to 300,000 bpd. Pointing to President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) cut its U.S. supply growth forecast for 2025 by 150,000 bpd to 490,000 bpd, and also predicted global oil demand growth would fall to its slowest rate in five years. "We're paring back on drilling until we see what happens with the tariffs and demand for oil, and where oil prices go," said Bill Daugherty, co-founder and managing partner of Blackridge Resources, an independent operator working in the Appalachian basin in the eastern U.S., producing around 500 bpd. Blackridge will drill only 10 of the 15 prospects it had planned at the start of the year because of the recent slump in oil prices, Daugherty said. U.S. crude futures tumbled to a more than four-year low of $55.12 a barrel on April 9 as investors worried that tariffs could prompt an economic slowdown. The benchmark rebounded to over $62 that day after Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for countries other than China, but remains pressured by the escalating trade war. On Thursday, U.S. crude settled at $62.79. West Texas Intermediate crude futures closed at their lowest on April 8 since 2021, at $59.58 as investors priced in an increasing likelihood of a recession due to the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, the world's two biggest economies. "There are people in the administration touting that oil should be in the $50s. Even the best acreage in the Permian isn't going to make much money in the $50s," said Dan Doyle, president and owner of Arena Resources, a Wyoming-based operator producing around 1,000 bpd, and fracking firm Reliance Well Services. The Permian is the largest U.S. oilfield. Doyle is looking to delay plans to drill three wells next month at a drilling pad built in Powder River, Wyoming, potentially risking a large penalty. "Nobody's going to make money at $60 oil," he said. Powder River breakeven costs are among the highest in the U.S., according to research firm Wood Mackenzie, at around $58 a barrel, compared with the Permian basin, where operators can make money at $38-42 a barrel. Matador Resources, which operates in the Delaware basin in the Permian, and produced 115,030 bpd in the first quarter, said on Wednesday it would drop one drilling rig by the middle of 2025 in response to recent price volatility, leaving the company with nine rigs. Oil producers are set to report their first quarter earnings in the coming days. U.S. oilfield service firms Baker Hughes and Halliburton already warned in earnings this week of the hit to their revenues from less drilling. Baker Hughes also flagged cost impacts from tariffs. Oil and gas producer spending in the U.S. and Canada is set for a low-double digit decline, Baker Hughes said on Thursday, compared with a previous forecast for a drop in the mid-single digits. Morningstar analysts estimate that for every $5 decline in crude prices, U.S. shale spending falls by about 5%.

Colorado must consider oil and gas in emissions plan, court rules - A federal appeals court handed a win Monday to an environmental group challenging Colorado’s plan to comply with federal air quality standards for new emissions sources. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that EPA’s approval of part of the state’s plan to comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards improperly allowed the state to not consider air pollution from drilling and hydraulic fracturing from oil and gas wells before production begins. Colorado is the fourth-biggest state for oil production.The appeals court sent that part of the plan back to EPA, but it declined to set an “arbitrary deadline” for the agency to provide “fuller explanation of its decision.”The court agreed with the Center of Biological Diversity’s claims “concluding that the EPA acted arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to address the potential emissions during drilling, fracking, and well completion,” said Judge Robert Bacharach, an Obama appointee, writing the opinion for the court.

Close to 100 litres of heating fuel spilled in Baker Lake - Residents of Baker Lake have been advised by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Nunavut’s Petroleum Products Division (PPD) that a diesel heating fuel spill of about 96 litres occurred on April 4 at the Baker Lake tank farm. The fuel spill occurred at the tank farm in front of the diesel dispenser building as a result of human error while filling a fuel delivery truck, stated a press release issued by Greg Belanger, manager of policy, legislation and communications with Transportation and Infrastructure Nunavut. The news release said the contractor responsible for the fuel spill — Arctic Fuel Services — is working under the direction of the regulator (Department of Environment) to contain the spill and remediate the area. The Government of Nunavut stated that it became aware of the fuel spill on April 9. “The PPD is providing additional oversight through the work of an environmental specialist being dispatched to the tank farm property,” stated the news release. “The fuel spill occurred downstream from the raw water intake for the Baker Lake water treatment plant. “While PPD does not typically oversee fuel spill response, in this case the incident occurred on tank farm property, so PPD dispatched an environmental specialist to provide on-site support. “Immediately following the spill, the contractor collected the contaminated snow into two Quatrex bags, which were then transferred into three 45-gallon drums for secure containment and storage. The department will continue to monitor the site until regulatory agencies are satisfied with cleanup efforts.” PPD stated that there is no evidence to suggest that any fuel got into the water. It stated while hydrocarbon testing is a part of routine water sample testing, the GN has increased monitoring during remediation efforts. “Water sample analysis of both raw and treated drinking water is completed by a qualified independent laboratory, with test results being provided directly to the drinking water regulator (Department of Health), which is actively monitoring and ensuring the safety of the community drinking water supply. “The community is asked to continue following the current boil-water advisory put in place this on Feb. 26. Residents will be updated of any changes and will continue to be informed as more information becomes available.” Listed below are the recorded spills in Kivalliq region so far this year, according to the Government of Nunavut's spill data base.

Amigo LNG Project Adding Offtake Deals as North America Export Projects Get Woodside Boost - Singapore-based LNG Alliance Pte. Ltd., sponsor of the proposed Amigo LNG export project on the west coast of Mexico, has signed two new commercial agreements in recent weeks. Map showing the location of the proposed Amigo LNG export facility. One is with Nigeria-headquartered multinational Sahara Group. The sales and purchase agreement (SPA) would be for 0.6 million tons/year (Mt/y) for 20 years. The LNG would go to Asian markets with delivery to start in the third quarter of 2028, according to LNG Alliance.

Europe Focuses on Energy Security, U.S. LNG Imports as Russian Natural Gas Exit Plan Reignites -- Europe has not forgotten how the United States “immediately stepped in with LNG” after Russia halted shipments of pipeline gas to the bloc, according to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen. Image showing a comprehensive market analysis of the European Union’s gas storage levels with graphs representing trends in inventories, highlighting key insights into energy market dynamics and gas data projections for the near future.U.S. imports remain “of strategic importance for the European Union,” von der Leyen said at an energy event in London sponsored by the UK government and the International Energy Agency (IEA).She said Europe must phase out all imports of Russian natural gas and oil and that a roadmap would be published in the next two weeks. The EC had previously committed to end Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027.

Return of Egyptian LNG Exports to Europe Could Take Years, Leaving Global Natural Gas Markets Tight, Eni Says -Eni SpA is betting big on natural gas investments to build a robust international LNG portfolio from South America to the Middle East that can help buoy its long-term cash flows. Bar graph showing Egypt's annual LNG imports. In the near-term, though, the Italian integrated major expects prolonged energy security issues in Egypt and global trade tensions to keep the market tight and LNG prices elevated until more supply hits the water in the coming years. During the first quarter, Eni accelerated its strategy of replacing Russian gas volumes with equity supply by signing deals for exploration projects in Cyprus and the Vaca Muerta Shale formation in Argentina.

Supply Disruptions Not Enough to Lift Global Natural Gas Prices as Asian Demand Remains Weak — Global natural gas prices again failed to gain any traction on Monday despite a series of supply outages that have limited exports in recent weeks. Chart and map of Lower 48 LNG export facilities tracking daily natural gas feedstock flows to sites for market intelligence. Both European and Asian natural gas prices have fallen over much of the past month, and the declines continued as this week got underway. Mild shoulder season weather in Asia, along with macroeconomic concerns amid a global trade war have limited restocking efforts in the region. “Liquefaction outages in Asia and Europe were not enough to raise gas and LNG prices significantly,” said Rystad Energy analyst Masanori Odaka. “Despite the non-peak gas consumption season, spot prices remain significantly higher than long-term LNG contract levels.”

Offshore oil platform pollution exposed in world-first for ocean - A groundbreaking investigation led by SkyTruth has plotted and ranked the world’s most polluting offshore oil and gas facilities using advanced satellite technology to highlight the worst persistent oil slicks and greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Researchers from the global non-profit, SkyTruth have published a new report, identifying and exposing the biggest sources of pollution from offshore oil, including oil leaks, transportation emissions, and methane flaring, as well as the most polluted locations across the global ocean. This groundbreaking investigation has plotted and ranked the world’s most polluting offshore oil and gas facilities using advanced satellite technology to highlight the worst persistent oil slicks and greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Until now, this alarming pattern of environmental damage wrought by the oil and gas industry has gone largely undetected. The report – Exposing the Environmental Costs of Offshore Oil: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Oil Slicks, and Flaring – provides the first-ever public data about threats from offshore oil infrastructure. And it’s just been brought to the world’s stage. The report has been launched to coincide with the 2025 Our Ocean Conference where the team behind the investigation has been presenting its findings as part of the Digital Oceans: Actions for Advancing Sustainable Ocean through Digital Technology theme of the annual event. Based on 16 months of monitoring, the report comes with a series of downloadable maps and charts of the top polluters across the globe. It’s research that has been conducted using Cerulean, the world’s first free, publicly available technology developed by SkyTruth that uses artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to track ocean oil pollution and identify the potential sources of it. “Despite the urgent climate crisis, offshore oil production continues to expand globally, often with little public scrutiny,” said Christian Thomas, Geospatial Engineer at SkyTruth and co-author of the report. “By making this critical data publicly available, we aim to empower communities, regulators, and advocacy organisations with the information needed to hold polluters accountable and ensure marine protection.” Among the report’s key findings, several sources of what it has called chronic oil pollution have been identified. Ten of these stood out in particular for the frequency and extent of oil slicks, collectively responsible for at least 216,000 gallons of oil (over 5,100 barrels) detected on ocean surfaces. Floating production and storage vessels also rank among the most severe polluters, accounting for four out of ten of the most polluting assets observed globally, despite making up a small fraction of the total infrastructure. The most polluting offshore oil infrastructure is, however, concentrated in West Africa, in particular Nigeria, which hosts five of the ten most polluting floating production and storage vessels observed by the study. The United Kingdom, Norway, Angola, and the United Arab Emirates also host multiple facilities among the worst polluters. In 2023, offshore oil and gas operators flared over 23 billion cubic metres of natural gas, generating approximately 60 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide. The largest sources of this were linked to infrastructure in Iran, Nigeria, and Mexico. Finally, vessel traffic to offshore oil and gas facilities generated at least nine million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in the same year. That’s a carbon footprint larger than many small countries.

Guyana To Make Companies Liable For Oil Spill Damages -Guyana's government has submitted an oil pollution bill to the Parliament proposing to make responsible parties liable for damages caused by oil spills, including from vessels, according to a copy of the act published in the Official Gazette. The South American country, whose oil production is controlled by an Exxon Mobil-led consortium is expected to surpass 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) this year, is trying to reinforce oversight of its nascent energy industry, where all crude and gas output comes from offshore fields. Responsible parties shall provide financial assurance to cover spills, conduct regular inspections and audits, and address any issues found, according to the bill, to be discussed by lawmakers in coming weeks. The bill includes penalties for companies that fail to comply with regulations, including the suspension of licenses to explore and produce oil for those that do not provide the financial assurance required. According to legislation previously approved, the net-zero carbon emission country does not allow routine flaring from vessels producing crude and gas offshore. More than 80% of Guyana's land is covered by forest. Guyana last year became Latin America's fifth largest oil exporter after Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. The Exxon group, which includes U.S. Hess and China's CNOOC, produced an average of 631,000 bpd of oil in the first quarter, 3% higher than in the same period last year. Under the proposed measure, the country's Oil Spill Committee would be assigned more formal duties to oversee the industry and coordinate response to any spills.

2015 oil spill: Nema orders KPC to clean Makueni river afresh | Daily Nation -The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has walked back on a 2018 directive that had given oil polluted River Thange in Makueni County a clean bill of health. The agency on Friday con´rmed that soil and water sources in the area were still contaminated with oil. The environment agency directed the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) to clean the environment polluted by oil from its punctured pipeline. The leakage was ´rst discovered in 2015, prompting a raft of measures to restore the environment. "Citizens have a right to a clean environment. From Monday, we shall look into the restoration order so that KPC will undertake proper clean-up and follow the laws and regulations that are in place to safeguard citizens.We shall relook the whole thing now that we have new evidence coming up.We shall not allow citizens to utilise this environment in its current form," Nema boss Boru Mano told reporters when the agency toured the affected region in the company of the Senate Energy Committee and local leaders.

Vessel collision in Vietnam leads to oil spill -On April 25, containership KMTC Surabaya and bulk carrier Glengyle collided on Vietnam’s Long Tau River near Ho Chi Minh City, resulting in an oil spill. The collision happened at around 10:40 p.m. local time at milepost 15 on the Saigon–Vung Tau waterway. KMTC Surabay struck the port side of Glengyle, causing significant damage to the bulker’s after hold and stern. The force of the collision punctured Glengyle’s hull, and resulted in severe flooding, causing the vessel to partially sink and settle on the river’s shallow bottom. A fuel oil spill was observed leaking from the bulker’s tanks. Meanwhile, the KMTC Surabaya’s bow sustained visible damage and remained interlocked with Glengyle, with tugs on scene monitoring the situation as of Saturday. Despite the serious structural damage, no casualties or cargo losses were initially reported. Vietnamese authorities dispatched rescue vessels to separate the ships and launched oil spill containment efforts. Additionally, authorities issued maritime notices to restrict traffic near the accident site and warned vessels to avoid the area, while cleanup and salvage operations continued.

Fitch Ratings lowered its oil price forecast for this year -- International rating agency Fitch Ratings has updated its forecast for average oil prices for the years 2025–2028, APA-Economics reports citing Fitch’s base forecast.The price of Brent crude oil is expected to be: $65 per barrel in 2025 (previous forecast – $70), $65 in 2026, $65 in 2027 (no changes in forecasts for 2026–2027), and $60 in 2028 (no change for 2028). According to the forecast, the price of WTI crude oil is projected to be: $60 per barrel in 2025 (previous forecast – $65), $60 in 2026, $60 in 2027, and $57 in 2028 (forecasts for 2026–2028 remain unchanged).The report also notes that in 2024, the average price of Brent was $80.5, while WTI averaged $76.6.

Oil edges lower amid uncertainty over US-China trade talks - Oil prices slightly decreased on Monday amid uncertainty over trade talks between the US and China, as well as concerns about a potential oversupply in global oil markets. International benchmark Brent crude fell by around 0.06%, trading at $65.83 per barrel at 10.37 am local time (0737 GMT), down from $65.87 at the previous session's close. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate declined by about 0.13%, reaching $62.85 per barrel, compared to its prior session close of $62.93. US President Donald Trump, in an interview with Time magazine published Friday, stated that tariff negotiations were underway with China, though Beijing denied any talks were taking place. This adds to a series of mixed signals about the progress of efforts to ease a trade war. Trump mentioned that the US had made 200 tariff deals and claimed that China's President Xi Jinping had called him. Conflicting statements on US-China trade talks are fueling concerns about the global oil demand outlook. Concerns over a potential oversupply in global oil markets also weighed on prices. Eight OPEC+ countries are reportedly considering accelerating production hikes for a second consecutive month in June. This comes after the group's decision to raise output by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) from May, up from the initially planned 138,000 bpd. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman are scheduled to hold a video conference on May 5 to decide on supply plans for June. Moreover, diplomatic developments related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, are raising concerns about increased oil supply. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Saturday—their first face-to-face encounter since a tense White House meeting in February—at the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City. Discussing the meeting, Trump told reporters, 'I think the meeting went well. We'll see what happens over the next few days.' Regarding nuclear talks with Iran, Trump expressed optimism, stating, 'The Iran situation, I think we're doing very well. I think a deal is going to be made there... We'll have something without having to start dropping bombs all over the place.' The third round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US in the Omani capital Muscat concluded on Saturday, Iranian state media reported. Delegations from both countries returned to their capitals for consultations before reconvening for another round next Saturday.

Brent crude oil prices drop on demand fears (Reuters) - Brent crude oil prices fell more than $1 a barrel on Monday morning as economic worries from the U.S.-China trade war were pressuring demand. Brent crude futures settled at $65.86 a barrel, down $1.01, or 1.51%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $62.05 a barrel, down 97 cents or 1.545%. Brent futures rose marginally in the previous two sessions, but finished last Friday with a weekly loss of more than 1%. The U.S.-China trade war is dominating investor sentiment in moving oil prices, said analyst John Evans of brokerage PVM, superseding nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran and discord within the OPEC+ coalition. "This wait-and-see attitude coming out of the U.S.-China talks is leaving a bad taste in peoples' mouths," said Gary Cunningham, director of market research for Tradition Energy. "If the talks go bad, you could see a drop in demand for oil from China." Markets have been rocked by conflicting signals from U.S. President Donald Trump and Beijing over what progress was being made to de-escalate a trade war that could sap global growth. In the latest comment from Washington, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday did not back Trump's assertion that negotiations with China were underway. Earlier, Beijing denied any talks were taking place. "A lot of the feeling in the market is how is it going to be playing out in the next 24 to 48 hours?" said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group. "Are we going to be bombing Iran? Is China going to be buying more crude?" Some members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, known as OPEC+, are expected to suggest that the group accelerate oil output hikes for a second consecutive month when they meet on May 5. "Sentiment has turned more bearish since our forecast last month with OPEC+'s more aggressive unwind – and accompanying doubts about unity within the cartel – the key change," said BNP Paribas analyst Aldo Spanjer in a note. BNP Paribas expects Brent in the high $60s per barrel in the second quarter of this year, the note said. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he remained "extremely cautious" about the success of the negotiations, asnuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Oman continue this week. In Iran, a powerful explosion at its biggest port of Bandar Abbas has killed at least 40, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday.

Uncertainty Over Trade Talks and the Prospect of Increased OPEC+ Supply - The crude market on Monday posted another outside trading day as the market continued to weigh the uncertainty over trade talks and the prospect of increased OPEC+ supply continue to cast a shadow on the overall outlook. The market rallied higher on the opening and quickly breached its previous high of $63.41 as it posted a high of $63.92. However, the market just as quickly erased its sharp gains. The market remained pressured throughout the day, breaching its previous low of $61.80 as it posted a low of $61.48 ahead of the close. Concerns over weaker global demand due to the U.S.-China trade war continue to drag on sentiment, with mixed signals surrounding the status of negotiations. U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, did not back President Donald Trump’s assertion that negotiations with China were underway. The market was also pressured by expectations that some OPEC+ members will suggest that the group accelerate oil output increases for a second consecutive month when they meet on May 5th. The June WTI contract settled down 97 cents at $62.05 and the June Brent contract settled down $1.01 at $65.86. The product markets ended the session in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling up 82 points at $2.1755 and the RB market settling down 1.31 cents at $2.1058. On Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not back President Donald Trump’s assertion that tariff talks with China were under way and said he did not know if the U.S. President had talked to Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Trump himself has said talks on tariffs were taking place with China and that he and China’s President have spoken. The U.S. Treasury Secretary said he had interactions with his Chinese counterparts last week during International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington, but did not mention tariffs. In a separate television interview on Sunday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the U.S. was holding daily conversations with China over tariffs, but did not elaborate. Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry said President Xi Jinping had not spoken to Donald Trump recently, nor were their respective administrations trying to strike a tariff deal, contradicting the U.S. President’s claim. S&P Global Commodities at Sea is estimating European imports of diesel and gasoil in April should reach 3.8 million mt some 8% less than March levels. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 1.33 million bpd of capacity in the week ending May 2nd, increasing available refining capacity by 293,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 971,000 bpd in the week ending May 9th. The Trump administration issued an emergency waiver to allow the sale of a higher-ethanol gasoline blend to be sold this summer nationwide, saying it will add to fuel supply during the peak U.S. driving season and bring down costs. The government currently restricts sales of E15 gasoline in summer months due to environmental concerns over smog, which the biofuel industry says are unfounded. The emergency waiver will go into effect on May 1st. The Environmental Protection Agency, which issued the waiver, said it expects to extend the waiver until it no longer deems it necessary.

Oil prices decline as trade war clouds demand outlook - Crude oil prices declined during Asian trade on Tuesday as investors scaled back their expectations for demand growth amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. By 2:50 pm AEST (4:50 am GMT), Brent crude futures fell $0.53 or 0.8% to US$65.33, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined $0.47 or 0.8% to $61.58 a barrel. Markets have been unsettled by mixed messages from U.S. President Donald Trump and Beijing regarding the progress of efforts to ease a trade war that threatens global economic growth. Bessent said he spoke with his Chinese counterparts at last week’s International Monetary Fund meetings about “traditional things like financial stability, global economic early warnings”, without directly addressing tariffs. Meanwhile, Chinese officials continue to deny any tariff negotiations with the U.S., stating that no discussions have taken place and refuting Trump’s claim that President Xi spoke with him on the matter. ANZ analysts observed: "Easing geopolitical risks also weighed on the market. The U.S. and Iran reported signs of progress in talks on a deal over Tehran’s nuclear program. The two sides agreed to meet again in Europe." Meanwhile, several members of OPEC+ — the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies — are expected to propose accelerating output increases for a second consecutive month at their June meeting. In terms of upcoming data, the American Petroleum Institute is scheduled to release its estimates on U.S. oil inventories later in the session (Wednesday AEST), with official figures from the Energy Information Administration set to follow on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

Oil Slumps as Consumer Confidence Sinks | Rigzone - Oil dropped as the global trade war hurt the outlook for demand, with data indicating signs of strain in the US economy. West Texas Intermediate slipped 2.6% to settle around $60 a barrel, the lowest close in more than two weeks. The widely referenced US consumer confidence gauge weakened significantly in data released Tuesday, another sign of the pessimism stemming from President Donald Trump’s levies. Additional reports due this week, including manufacturing data out of China, will shed further light on the economic strength of the world’s biggest importer of crude. A handful of spreads along the futures curve traded in contango on Tuesday as traders brace for a “meaningful surplus” in the future, according to Morgan Stanley. At present, Brent’s nearer months are still pricier than those next in sequence, forming a rare configuration with little historical precedent, according to the firm. US crude is on track for the largest monthly loss since 2021, with prices battered by tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and its trading partners, as well as by OPEC+’s plans to revive more production. While many countries are entering into trade negotiations with Washington, Beijing says it has so far declined to engage. There is now an “elevated probability” that Saudi Arabia and other key OPEC+ nations opt to accelerate planned supply increases at the upcoming May 5 meeting, JPMorgan analysts led by Natasha Kaneva said in a note. “It is becoming clear to the market that growth over recent months has primarily been driven by stockpiling and pre-tariff hoarding,” said Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at A/S Global Risk Management. “That effect is fading, which could lead to a sharp decline in US growth as consumption starts drawing down existing inventories instead of boosting production.” Geopolitical tensions are showing signs of cooling, increasing the prospect of supplies from some nations. Discussions about the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activity have signaled progress, with the country also pitching its sanctioned economy as an investment opportunity to the US. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a new three-day truce in his war on Ukraine that will start on May 8. Still, Putin is insisting that Russia must take control of four regions of Ukraine it doesn’t fully occupy as part of any agreement to end his war. Elsewhere, Spain and Portugal returned to some semblance of normality after suffering Europe’s worst blackout in years, which forced several oil refineries to halt. WTI for June delivery retreated 2.6% to settle at $60.42 a barrel in New York. Brent for June settlement fell 2.4% to settle at $64.25 a barrel.

Concerns Over a Protracted Trade War Could Reduce Global Economic Growth Recap: The oil market on Tuesday continued to trade lower as the concerns over a protracted trade war between the U.S. and China could reduce global economic growth and demand. The market was also pressured by expectations that OPEC+ will increase its output by accelerating its output hikes for the second consecutive month. The market also traded lower as expectations that progress in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations could lead to lifted sanctions and thus an increase in supply. The crude market traded sideways and posted a high of $62.07 in overnight trading. However, the market breached its previous low and sold off throughout the session to a low of $60.23 ahead of the close. The June WTI contract settled down $1.63 at $60.42 and the June Brent contract settled down $1.61 at $64.25. The product markets ended the session sharply lower, with the heating oil market settling down 5.51 cents at $2.1204 and the RB market settling down 3.46 cents at $2.0712. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an order giving automakers building vehicles in the U.S. relief from part of his new 25% vehicle tariffs to allow them time to bring parts supply chains back home. He said automakers would receive credits for up to 15% of the value of vehicles assembled in the U.S. that could be applied against the value of imported parts. Analysts at Goldman Sachs see oil demand as resilient for now. Based on its global tracking, oil demand is on par with where it was a year ago. It said one of the positives on the global demand side and thus prices is that Chinese officials are looking to provide support for industries and exports that are especially impacted by tariffs. According to Morgan Stanley, Brent futures prices are pointing to near-term tightness while also showing a “meaningful surplus” further out. Morgan Stanley analysts said the Brent forward curve is downward sloping across the first nine contracts and upward sloping thereafter. The analysts said the contango after the ninth month signals a rapid weakening later this year, with slowing demand and strong supply growth driving a surplus. Morgan Stanley estimates that Brent is expected to fall back into the low $60s/barrel later this year. U.S. consumer confidence fell to a nearly five-year low in March as increasing concerns over tariffs weighed on the economic outlook. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell 7.9 points to 86.0 in March, the lowest reading since May 2020. Economists had forecast the index falling to 87.5. The Present Situation Index, based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions, fell 0.9 point to 133.5. The Expectations Index fell 12.5 points to 54.4, the lowest level since October 2011 and well below the threshold of 80 that usually signals a recession ahead..

Crude Oil Prices Extend Losses as Oversupply and Trade Worries Hit Sentiment -The oil market continued to decline for a third straight session this morning. WTI is trading back below $60/bbl while ICE Brent is down about 15% this month, with prices about to witness their record monthly loss. Lingering tariff risks and expectations of OPEC+ loosening output curbs continue to pressure oil prices. Meanwhile, a bearish inventory report from the American Petroleum Institute (API) further weighed on prices. Numbers overnight from the API show that US crude oil inventories increased by 3.8m barrels over the last week, in contrast to the 0.8m barrel draw the market was expecting. Cushing crude oil stocks increased by 674k barrels. As for refined products, the API estimates that gasoline stocks decreased by 3.1m barrels, while distillate inventories fell by 2.5m barrels. Despite the recent weakness in the oil market, demand for Middle East crude appears to remain stable, with the market expecting Saudi Arabia to raise the official selling price by around US$0.3/bbl for Asian buyers for June deliveries. Earlier, Saudi Arabia reduced its official selling price for its Arab Light grade into Asia for May loading by US$2.30/bbl – the biggest cut since 2022. In its latest forecasts, the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) expects the global copper market to see a supply surplus of 289kt in 2025, largely on higher mine supply and rising smelting capacity, compared to the 194kt of surplus projected earlier and 138kt of surplus seen last year. However, the surplus is expected to ease slightly to 209kt in 2026 amid a continued demand recovery. On the supply side, global mine production is expected to grow by 2.3% year-on-year this year and by a further 2.5% YoY in 2026 following the additions from new mines. Global refined output is projected to increase by 2.9% YoY this year and 1.5% in 2026, primarily due to the continued expansion of Chinese capacity and the start-up of new capacity in other countries, most notably Indonesia, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Total apparent refined copper consumption is forecasted to increase by 2.4% YoY in 2025 and would see a further expansion of 1.8% YoY in 2026, with Asian nations driving most of the demand growth. In China, the recent US tariffs diverted copper away from the country, leading to a significant decline in domestic inventories and eventually encouraging the buying interest and lifting prices. Recent data from Shanghai Metals Market shows that the Yangshan copper premium (amount paid by Chinese consumers above the exchange price) continued to expand and stood at $94/t (the highest level since 18 December 2023) as of 29 April, compared to just $35/t at the end of February. This rise was largely driven by market tightness, supported by strong domestic demand and declining exchange inventories. The threats of recent US copper tariffs have driven a large flow of copper into the US. Chinese warehouse inventories fell by 54,858 tonnes (the biggest weekly decline on record) for a fifth consecutive week to 116,753 tonnes as of last Friday (the lowest since the end of January 2025). The latest LME COTR report released yesterday shows that speculators decreased their net long position in copper by 3,529 lots to 64,806 lots for the week ending 25 April, the lowest since the week ending 17 January 2025. Similarly, net bullish bets for aluminium fell by 1,649 lots for an eighth consecutive week to 79,412 lots at the end of last week. This is the lowest net long since 15 September 2023. Meanwhile, money managers increased net bullish bets for zinc by 772 lots after declining for five consecutive weeks to 4,339 lots as of last Friday.

WTI 'Off The Lows' After Large Crude/Gasoline Inventory Draws; Pump-Prices Set To Tumble - Oil prices extended their recent plunge this morning as traders expect Saudi Arabia to steer OPEC+ to agree on another supply surge next week as the kingdom continues its campaign to discipline the cartel’s errant members.“History shows that when OPEC+ leadership decides to encourage compliance by supply pressure, it does not stop until it achieves its goal,” said Bob McNally, president and founder of Rapidan Energy Advisers LLC and a former White House energy official.Overnight we saw a mixed bag from API (big crude build and bid product draws). Now let's see what the official data has to show... API

• Crude +3.8mm
• Cushing +674k
• Gasoline -3.1mm
• Distillates -2.5mm

DOE

• Crude -2.696mm
• Cushing +682k
• Gasoline -4.003mm
• Distillates +937k

The official data was just as mixed but showed a sizable draw in crude inventories and gasoline stocks (fell for the ninth week in a row)... Graphics Source: Bloomberg. Even including a large 1.065mm barrel addition to the SPR, total US Crude stocks fell last week... US crude production remains near record highs but 'drill baby drill' is not so obvious in the rig count data...

Oil Plunges On Report Saudis Bracing For Price War, Can "Live With Lower Oil Prices" It had already been a miserable month for oil, which has suffered its worst monthly performance since 2021 and also is on pace for its month of April on record... and then it got even worse when shortly before noon ET, when Reuters reported, citing multiple sources, that Saudi Arabian officials are briefing allies and industry experts to say the kingdom is unwilling to prop up the oil market with further supply cuts and can handle a prolonged period of low prices. This shift in Saudi policy could suggest a move toward producing more and expanding its market share, a major change after five years spent balancing the market through deep output as a leader of the OPEC+ group of oil producers. Those cuts had supported prices, in turn bolstering the oil export revenue that many oil producers rely on, but many OPEC+ members - most notably Kazakhstan - took advantage of the production restraint and blew away through their export quotas, infuriating other cartel members. Sure enough, Reuters notes that Riyadh has been angered by Kazakhstan and Iraq producing above their OPEC+ targets. And after pushing members to adhere to those targets and to compensate for oversupply in recent months, a frustrated Riyadh is changing tack, OPEC+ sources said. Saudi Arabia pushed for a larger-than-planned OPEC+ output hike in May, a decision that helped send oil prices below $60 a barrel to a 4-year low.

Is Saudi Arabia Preparing for Another Oil Price War? --US benchmark WTI crude is down nearly 4% as Saudi Arabia reports emerge that not only can the Saudis sustain today’s low oil prices, but output increases are likely to be announced next week, for June output, sources speaking to both Reuters and Bloomberg have indicated. On Wednesday, Reuters cited five unnamed sources as saying that the Saudis have no intention of boosting oil markets with further supply cuts, as Riyadh’s budget can tolerate sustained low prices.On the contrary, sources are suggesting that the Saudis could start producing more to grab more market share after sacrificing production for OPEC+ voluntary cuts for so long. Additionally, Bloomberg on Wednesday cited oil traders as saying they expect the Saudis to now push the cartel for another supply boost next week for June, and that this time it will be exponentially larger. “History shows that when OPEC+ leadership decides to encourage compliance by supply pressure, it does not stop until it achieves its goal,” Bloomberg quoted Bob McNally, president and founder of Rapidan Energy Advisers LLC and a former White House energy official, as saying on Wednesday.Earlier this month, OPEC+ announced it would advance the cartel’s planned phase-out of voluntary oil output cuts by ramping up output by 411,000 barrels per day in May--equivalent to three monthly increments. That move was our first indication that the Saudis may be prepared to give up their role as swing producer, having for too long picked up the slack for OPEC+ quota violators who continue to overproduce, including Kazakhstan, the UAE and Iraq. Traders are also eyeing geopolitical motivations here, according to Bloomberg, with the Saudis attempting to appease Washington, which has called on OPEC to intervene to lower fuel costs by pumping even more. At 1:31 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Brent crude was trading at $63.14, down 1.79%, while the U.S. crude benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), was trading down a sharp 3.53%, to trade at $58.29.

The Oil Market Posted its Largest Monthly Decline Since November 2021 --The oil market continued to trend lower on Wednesday and posted an 18.56% decline in April, its largest monthly decline since November 2021 as the Trump administration’s tariff policy eroded the outlook for fuel demand while concerns over increasing supply also weighed on market sentiment. The market posted a high of $60.43 in overnight trading and continued on its downward trend amid some negative Chinese economic data showing China’s factory activity contracted at the fastest pace in 16 months in April. The crude market remained pressured by data showing the U.S. economy contracted for the first time in three years during the first quarter, deepening concerns over the impact of U.S. tariffs and the global trade war. The market extended its losses to over $2.50 and retraced more than 62% of its move from a low of $54.57 to a high of $64.87, as it posted a low of $57.91 in light of Saudi Arabia signaling it can live with lower oil prices, a possible shift that could suggest a move towards producing more and increasing its market share. The oil market later bounced off its low and retraced some of its losses ahead of the close. The June WTI contract settled down $2.21 at $58.21 and the June Brent contract settled down $1.13 at $63.12. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 8.37 cents at $2.0367 and the RB market settling down 3.42 cents at $2.0370. The EIA reported that total U.S. crude oil production increased to 13.16 million bpd in February, up about 29,000 bpd from January. Crude oil output from New Mexico increased about 72,000 bpd to a record 2.13 million bpd. Meanwhile, oil output in North Dakota fell by 35,000 bpd on the month. Crude oil output in Texas increased by 41,000 bpd on the month to 5.62 million bpd and output in offshore Gulf of Mexico fell by 39,000 bpd on the month. It reported that U.S. oil exports in February increased to 4.294 million bpd, up from 3.931 million bpd in January and total refined oil product exports fell to 2.779 million bpd in February from 2.914 million bpd in January. U.S. total oil demand in February increased by 1.4% or 276,000 bpd to 20.225 million bpd, with distillate demand increasing by 2% or 78,000 bpd to 3.997 million bpd and gasoline demand increasing by 0.9% or 80,000 bpd to 8.681 million bpd.IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 1.32 million bpd of capacity in the week ending May 2nd, increasing available refining capacity by 302,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to fall to 971,000 bpd in the week ending May 9th.Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said Iran will hold nuclear talks with the U.K., France and Germany in Rome on Friday, ahead of nuclear negotiations with the U.S. this weekend also to be held in Italy.The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, weighed down by a flood of goods imported by businesses eager to avoid higher costs, amid President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its advance estimate of first-quarter GDP that U.S. GDP fell at a 0.3% annualized rate last quarter. Economists had forecast that GDP increased at a 0.3% pace in the January-March period. The economy grew at a 2.4% pace in the fourth quarter. It reported that imports increased at a 41.3% rate, the largest increase since the third quarter of 2020. That offset a modest increase in exports, resulting in a large trade gap that cut a record 4.83 percentage points from GDP.

Oil settles lower, posts steepest monthly decline since 2021 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled down on Wednesday and recorded the largest monthly drop in almost 3-1/2 years after Saudi Arabia signaled a move toward producing more and expanding its market share, while the global trade war eroded the outlook for fuel demand. Brent crude futures settled $1.13, or 1.76%, lower at $63.12 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped $2.21, or 3.66%, to close at $58.21, the lowest settlement since March 2021. For the month, Brent settled down 15% and WTI was down 18%, the biggest monthly percentage declines since November 2021. Both benchmarks slumped after Saudi Arabia, one of the world's biggest oil producers, signaled it was unwilling to prop up the oil market with further supply cuts and could handle a prolonged period of low prices. "It raises concern that we could be headed towards another production war," "Are the Saudis trying to send a message that they are going to get back their market share? We'll have to wait and see." Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia pushed for a larger-than-planned OPEC+ output hike in May. Several OPEC+ members will suggest a ramp-up of output increases for a second straight month in June, sources told Reuters last week. The group will meet on May 5 to discuss output plans. "The trade war directly reduces oil demand and hinders travel by consumers. Combined with OPEC’s unwinding of output cuts, the risk of oversupply is escalating," U.S. President Donald Trump's announced tariffs on all U.S. imports on April 2 and China responded with its own levies, stoking a trade war between the world's top two oil-consuming nations. Concerns over the global economy weakening continued to pressure oil prices. Data on Wednesday showed the U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, weighed down by a deluge of goods imported by businesses eager to avoid higher costs. Trump's tariffs have made it probable the global economy will slip into recession this year, a Reuters poll suggested. U.S. consumer confidence, meanwhile, slumped to its lowest in nearly five years in April on growing concerns over tariffs, data showed on Tuesday. U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly last week on higher export and refinery demand, limiting some price losses. Crude inventories fell by 2.7 million barrels to 440.4 million barrels in the week ended April 25, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 429,000-barrel rise.

Rebound in the Equities Market and a Postponement of U.S.-Iran Talks -- The oil market ended higher after it retraced some of its previous losses amid a rebound in the equities market and the postponement of U.S.-Iran talks offset any concerns over the U.S. economy and the possibility of increased OPEC+ output. The crude market continued its downward trend in overnight trading and posted a low of $56.39 early in the session in follow through selling seen on Wednesday. However, the market bounced off its low and retraced its losses as the equities market rallied on strong tech earnings from Meta and Microsoft. The market was also supported by the news that the fourth round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran, previously scheduled for Saturday, were postponed. Also, the possibility of additional sanctions on Russian crude lifted prices after U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said he has “broad support” for a bill that would enact new sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries that buy its oil if Russia does not engage in serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The market’s gains further accelerated when President Trump said any country that buys any amount of oil or petrochemicals from Iran will be subject to secondary sanctions immediately. The market rallied to a high of $59.50 ahead of the close. The June WTI contract settled up $1.03 at $59.24 and the July Brent contract settled up $1.07 at $62.13. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 1.02 cents at $2.0120 and the RB market settling up 3.15 cents at $2.0492. U.S. President Donald Trump said all purchases of Iranian oil and petrochemical products must stop and any country or person buying any form the country would be immediately subject to secondary sanctions.Earlier, Oman’s foreign minister posted on X today that a new round of talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for Saturday will be delayed due to “logistical reasons” and “new dates will be announced when mutually agreed.” U.S. officials though reportedly have said the U.S. never agreed to join the latest round of talks this weekend but that talks could still be held in the near future. Meanwhile Iranian news media was reporting Thursday the talks were being rescheduled at the request of Oman, which is hosting the talks.On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran that it will face consequences for supporting the Houthis, even as the United States has relaunched talks with Iran over its nuclear program.A social media account affiliated with Chinese state media said the United States has approached China seeking talks over President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs.The U.S House of Representatives voted Thursday to bar California’s landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035 that has been adopted by 11 other states. The House backed legislation to repeal a waiver granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Joe Biden in December, allowing California to mandate at least 80% electric vehicles by 2035. The Senate now has until mid-May to vote on the California waivers.

Oil up 2% as Trump threatens new sanctions on Iran (Reuters) - Oil prices settled nearly 2% higher on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened secondary sanctions on Iran after a fourth round of U.S.-Iran talks was postponed. Brent crude futures settled at $62.13 a barrel, up $1.07, 1.8%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures closed $1.03, or 1.8%, higher at $59.24 a barrel.Trump said all purchases of Iranian oil or petrochemical products must stop and any country or person buying any from the country would be immediately subject to secondary sanctions.His comments follow the postponement of talks. which had been due to take place in Rome on Saturday, over Iran's nuclear program. A senior Iranian official told Reuters a new date will be set depending on the U.S. approach."If the Trump administration is successful in enforcing secondary sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil that could lead to a reduction in supply of about a million and a half, barrels per day," "These low prices of oil are giving the Trump administration cover to more strictly enforce those sanctions, especially at a time that OPEC+ is producing well over their quota and looking to increase production." Several OPEC+ members are set to suggest the group accelerates output hikes in June for a second consecutive month, three people familiar with OPEC+ talks have said. Eight OPEC+ countries will meet on May 5 to decide a June output plan.Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is telling allies and industry experts that it is unwilling to prop up the oil market with supply cuts and can manage a prolonged period of low prices, sources told Reuters.On the demand side, however, the U.S. economy contracted for the first time in three years in the first quarter, data showed on Wednesday, swamped by a flood of imports as businesses raced to avoid higher costs from tariffs and underscoring the disruptive impact of Trump's unpredictable trade policy. Trump's tariffs have made it probable the global economy will slip into recession this year, a Reuters poll suggested.

Oil prices fall as traders adjust ahead of OPEC+ meeting and U.S.-China trade talks - Oil prices dropped on Friday as traders adjusted their positions ahead of an upcoming OPEC+ meeting and with caution surrounding a potential de-escalation in the U.S.-China trade dispute. Brent crude futures declined by 56 cents, or 0.9%, to $61.57 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 61 cents, or 1%, to $58.63 per barrel. For the week, both Brent and WTI were on track to record 7% declines, marking the largest weekly drops in a month. China’s Commerce Ministry stated that it was “evaluating” a proposal from Washington to engage in talks over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, raising hopes for a possible easing of the ongoing trade tensions. However, oil markets remain cautious, as the broader trade war between the U.S. and China has raised concerns over global economic growth and oil demand. Additionally, the situation is complicated by President Trump’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil, with China being the largest importer of Iranian crude. These developments follow the postponement of U.S. talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Oil prices had briefly risen late on Thursday, following Trump’s comments, but concerns about a potential increase in OPEC+ output and the broader trade tensions kept prices under pressure. OPEC+ is preparing for a meeting on May 5 to decide on its output strategy for June. Several members are expected to push for accelerated output increases after the group raised production in April. However, Saudi Arabia has indicated that it may not take additional steps to support oil prices through further supply cuts.

Oil posts biggest weekly loss in a month ahead of OPEC+ meeting (Reuters) - Oil prices fell over 1% lower on Friday and recorded for their biggest weekly losses since the end of March, as traders turned cautious ahead of an OPEC+ meeting to decide the group's output policy for June. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures settled 95 cents, or 1.6%, to settle at $58.29 a barrel. Brent crude futures closed down 84 cents, or 1.4%, at $61.29 a barrel. For the week, Brent fell over 8% and WTI lost about 7.7%. The OPEC+ meeting was moved up to Saturday from the original plan of Monday, three sources told Reuters on Friday, although it was not clear why the meeting was rescheduled. Members of the group, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, are deliberating whether to make another accelerated oil output increase in June or stick with a smaller hike, two of the sources said. Either way, oil traders braced for more supply from the group, at a time when fears of an economic slowdown caused by a trade war between the U.S. and China have prompted market experts to lower demand growth expectations for this year. Reuters reported this week that officials from Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of OPEC+, have briefed allies and industry experts that they are unwilling to prop up oil markets with further supply cuts. OPEC+ is currently cutting output by over 5 million barrels per day. Traders were also cautious given the possibility of a de-escalation of the trade dispute between China and the U.S. States, after Beijing on Friday said it was evaluating a proposal from Washington to hold talks to address U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. "There is some optimism when it comes to U.S.-China relations but the signs are only very tentative," Friday's oil price decline was kept in check by rising equity markets, as Wall Street climbed after U.S. jobs data showed payrolls increased more than expected last month. A threat by Trump on Thursday to impose secondary sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil also helped ease some of the pressure on oil prices, as it could tighten global supply. The threat, which came after U.S. talks with Iran over its nuclear programme were postponed, could also complicate trade talks with China, which is the world's largest importer of Iran's crude. Signs of slowing U.S. oil output growth could also be somewhat supportive for oil prices from a longer-term point of view, U.S. drillers cut the number of oil rigs operating for the first time in three weeks, data from oilfield services provider Baker Hughes showed. The oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by four to 479 this week.

Trump threatens sanctions on countries that buy oil from Iran -- President Trump has threatened sanctions on countries that are purchasing from Iran.“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” Trump said Thursday in a post online. “They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.” It’s unclear how Trump would implement the ban, but his alert is a threat that could escalate tensions with China, who is Iran’s top customer, during an already unstable time due to Trump’s tariffs, the Associated Press reported. The warning came after planned talks about Iran’s nuclear program were postponed. The discussion was set for this coming weekend, but Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said it was delayed for “logistical reasons.” New dates have not yet been mutually agreed to, he said.The talks were intended to constrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting some economic sanctions. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Iran in early April.Trump expressed confidence ahead of the third round of talks with Iran, but it was unclear if the two countries could find common ground about eliminating or scaling back Iran’s nuclear program.It was also unclear if the Trump administration would try to strike a deal that resembles the Obama-era nuclear agreement that restricted Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon but allowed the infrastructure to remain intact.

Trump Threatens Major Sanctions on Countries Purchasing Iranian Oil - President Trump on Thursday threatened major sanctions on any country that purchases Iranian oil as he continues to ramp up the “maximum pressure campaign” against Tehran.“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” the president wrote on Truth Social.“They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form. Thank you for your attention to this matter, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added.The post effectively amounts to a threat to impose major sanctions on China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil. At this point, it’s unclear exactly what type of sanctions the US may try to place on China in response to Iranian oil purchases.

Amnesty International: Israel Carrying Out 'Live-Streamed Genocide' in Gaza - Amnesty International said in its annual human rights report that Israel is carrying out a “live-streamed genocide” as the world looks on.“Since 7 October 2023 – when Hamas perpetrated horrific crimes against Israeli citizens and others and captured more than 250 hostages – the world has been made audience to a live-streamed genocide,” Amnesty Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said in an introduction to the report.“States watched on as if powerless, as Israel killed thousands upon thousands of Palestinians, wiping out entire multigenerational families, destroying homes, livelihoods, hospitals, and schools,” Callamard added.The report said that Israel was committing the crime of genocide by “killing Palestinian civilians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inciting conditions of life calculated to bring about Palestinians’ physical destruction by causing mass forced displacement, obstructing or denying lifesaving aid, and by damaging or destroying life-sustaining infrastructure.”Amnesty first concluded Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in a report published in December 2024. The US has rejected the conclusion and has opposed the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice since US officials are implicated due to US military aid and other types of support for Israel.The new Amnesty report criticized some aspects of the domestic situation in the US and the US government’s support for Israel. “The continued supply of munitions to Israel violated US laws and policies regarding the transfer and sale of arms, intended to prevent arms transfers that risk contributing to civilian harm and violations of human rights or international humanitarian law,” Amnesty said.Amnesty said that it had identified US-made bombs used in “unlawful deadly airstrikes by the Israeli military on residential homes and a makeshift camp for displaced people in the occupied Gaza Strip.”

Mass starvation looms in Gaza as World Food Program says stocks have run out - After seven weeks of a full blockade of food, water, medical supplies and electricity, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned that it had delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meal kitchens in Gaza, raising the prospect of imminent famine for the enclave’s remaining population. Israel, with the support of the Trump administration, has imposed a policy of deliberate mass starvation upon the people of Gaza, with the aim of ethnically cleansing them from their homeland in preparation for its annexation. As a result, nearly 3,700 children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, an 80 percent increase over the 2,000 who were diagnosed in February. In a statement Friday, the World Food Program said that the final stocks it is distributing to hot meal kitchens are expected to fully run out within a matter of days. The hot meal kitchens are the last functional food distribution system operated by the United Nations in Gaza. On March 31, all of the World Food Program’s bakeries were forced to shut down. The same week, all remaining food parcels distributed by the WFP, containing two weeks of rations, were exhausted. The UN reported that over 116,000 metric tons of food—enough to feed the entire population of Gaza for two months—is stationed outside the borders of Gaza and is being blocked by Israeli forces. In its statement, the World Food Program said, “This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, exacerbating already fragile markets and food systems.” “Right now, it is probably the worst humanitarian situation ever seen throughout the war in Gaza,” UN spokesperson Jens Laerke said last week, noting that the entire population of Gaza is facing acute shortages of food, medicine, fuel and clean water. In a statement published earlier this month, the Oxfam charity, together with other aid agencies, declared that “Famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts of Gaza.” Michael Fakhri, the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food, told Al Jazeera Sunday that “the United States is complicit in the genocide, in the starvation of civilians.” He added, “On March 3, Netanyahu announced that Israel would stop all goods and humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. This was over 50 days ago.” He continued: Let’s recall that there is an international criminal warrant against Netanyahu and former minister Gallant for the crime of starvation, for crimes of humanity, for mass murder, and yet they continue announcing their intentions and executing this starvation campaign with no repercussions under international law. There is no condition in which anyone can deny humanitarian aid to civilians. He added: Who controls the borders, who controls the flow of goods and humanitarian aid? Who controls everything that goes in and out of Gaza? It is Israel. What we saw in the last month alone, child acute malnutrition increased by over 80 percent, so they’re using children’s lives and the death of thousands in this negotiation process.

Israel Bombs Humanitarian Aid Flotilla on Way to Gaza -A ship carrying supplies bound for the Gaza Strip was attacked by Israeli drones in international waters on Friday, according to the activist group that organized the flotilla. The vessel reportedly took at least one direct hit to its hull and sustained damage from fire, forcing its crew to issue an urgent call for help.Organizers with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said one of their vessels was attacked by an unidentified drone in the early hours of Friday morning, noting the ship was not far off the coast of Malta when it was hit.“At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship, came under direct attack in international waters,” the group said in a press release. “Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull. [. . .] The drone strike appears to have deliberately targeted the ship’s generator, leaving the crew without power and placing the vessel at great risk of sinking.”An FFC spokesperson, Caoimhe Butterly, later told Reuters that the ship was struck en route to Malta, where it was scheduled to pick up other activists, among them climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright. The group said it had arranged the aid shipment “under a media black out to avoid any potential sabotage.”The FFC also shared footage which allegedly shows the aftermath of the strike, with smoke and flames seen on the ship. At one point in the brief video, an apparent explosion can be heard.In a second press release, the group later shared a photo of the damage sustained in the strike.Maltese authorities said they received an SOS call from a vessel in international waters soon after midnight local time, adding that a nearby tugboat assisted the ship, according to Reuters. Officials added that the crew of the Conscience declined to board the tugboat, and also confirmed to CNN that the fire on the ship had been extinguished. No casualties have been reported in the attack.

Smotrich: Israel Will Stop Fighting Once 'Hundreds of Thousands' of Palestinians Are Removed from Gaza -Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said Israel would stop its military operations only if “hundreds of thousands” of Palestinians are removed from Gaza and Syria is partitioned, among other conditions, The Times of Israel reported on Tuesday.“With God’s help and the valor of your comrades-in-arms who continue to fight even now, we will end this campaign when Syria is dismantled, Hezbollah is severely beaten, Iran is stripped of its nuclear threat, Gaza is cleansed of Hamas and hundreds of thousands of Gazans are on their way out of it to other countries, our hostages are returned, some to their homes and some to the graves of Israel, and the State of Israel is stronger and more prosperous,” Smotrich said in a speech at a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.Smotrich, a West Bank settler himself, is a major proponent of the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the collective punishment of the civilian population. He said last year that it may be “moral and justified” for Israel to starve millions of Palestinians in Gaza to death.Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, has significant power in the Israeli government and threatened to quit the coalition if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t break the ceasefire deal that was signed in January and restart the genocidal war after the first phase was completed.Smotrich recently visited the US and received a warm welcome from the Trump administration. He met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and thanked the administration for the “unequivocal support of the State of Israel in the critical war of existence we are waging.”

Israel Strikes Metro Damascus, Say They Will ‘Protect’ Druze - Sectarian fighting in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana left at least 18 dead yesterday, and Israel is already looking to parlay that into a new excuse for military action against the Syrian government, with the idea that they need to “protect” the Druze minority militarily.The Israeli military reported attacking the Damascus suburb of Sahnaya, and that they targeted an “extremist group” that was planning new attacks on the Druze. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz issued statements demanding the Syrian government take action to prevent further attacks on the Druze.Details of the strike are still scant. Indeed, Syria’s Interior Ministry said they had yet to receive word that the Israeli attack even took place at all. Since Israel launches a large number of attacks inside Syria regularly, it’s not necessarily improbable that they launched one on Sahnaya, but it appears not to have been particularly large.

Pakistan Shoots Down Indian Spy Drone Over Kashmir As Forces On High Alert -Pakistan's military says it shot down an Indian spy drone in the Kashmir region, soon after the country's defense chief warned that intelligence shows an Indian army incursion is 'imminent'. The unmanned drone reportedly breached the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir, Pakistani state-run media said, and it was subsequently shot down amid the air space incursion. Pakistani defense officials described to The Associated Press that the drone flew hundreds of feet into Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif the day prior confirmed the nation's military is currently on high alert and he had "reinforced our forces" - after multiple days of sporadic exchanges of gunfire along unspecified border posts. "In that situation, some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken," Asif told Reuters, also ominously describing that Islamabad would only consider using its nuclear arsenal in response to "a direct threat to our existence." There's as yet been no noticeable incursion, and it remains unclear what evidence for this forecast Pakistan's military and intelligence services might have. Last Tuesday's deadly militant attack on tourists in Kashmir, which saw 26 Indian tourists get executed after the gunmen sought to identify Hindus among the group, resulted in the Indian government promptly accusing Pakistan of harboring the Islamist terrorists which committed the atrocity, which Islamabad angrily rejected.

China Factory Activity Tumbles To 16 Month Low As Exports Crater On Trump Tariffs China’s manufacturing activity in April saw its worst contraction since December 2023, exposing sharp signs of weakness in Asia’s biggest economy from the trade war with the US, and boosting calls for fresh Chinese stimulus, which is always "just around the corner" but never arrives. In the aftermath of significantly higher US tariffs, China's official NBS manufacturing PMI fell to 49.0 in April from 50.5 in March, much lower than consensus expectations, the lowest reading since May 2023. The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, fell to 50.4 from 50.8 also missed expectations driven by weakness in both construction and services sectors, but remained above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction. Separately, the unofficial Caixin manufacturing PMI also fell to 50.4 in April from 51.2 in March.

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins a Canadian election upended by Trump (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party won Canada’s federal election on Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats and trade war. After polls closed, the Liberals were projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservative Party, though it wasn’t immediately clear if they would win an outright majority — at least 172 — or would need to rely on one or more smaller parties to form a government and pass legislation. The Liberals looked headed for a crushing defeat until the American president started attacking Canada’s economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state. Trump’s actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power. “We were dead and buried in December. Now we are going to form a government,” David Lametti, a former Liberal Justice Minister, told broadcaster CTV. “We have turned this around thanks to Mark,” he said. The Conservative Party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose. But Trump attacked, Trudeau resigned and Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party’s leader and prime minister. Even with Canadians grappling with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street festival, Trump was trolling them on election day, suggesting on social media that he was on their ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state. He also erroneously claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada, writing, “It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!” Trump’s truculence has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel U.S. vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day. “The Americans want to break us so they can own us,” Carney said in the runup to election day. “Those aren’t just words. That’s what’s at risk.” As he and his wife cast their ballots in their Ottawa district on Monday, Poilievre implored voters to “Get out to vote — for a change.” After running a Trump-lite campaign for weeks, though, his similarities to the bombastic American leader might have cost him.