week ending Sept 13

Fed seen on track for rate cuts as job worries eclipse inflation fears (Reuters) - Concern about a softening job market will keep the Federal Reserve on course to resume its interest rate cuts next week, though the U.S. central bank is likely to move cautiously because of fresh signs that tariffs are pushing prices higher. That was the bet in financial markets on Thursday after government reports showed jobless claims jumped last week and consumer inflation rose more than expected in August, with particularly big increases in the prices of goods like furniture and cars that are heavily impacted by import duties. Consumer prices rose 2.9% last month on a year-over-year basis, matching the rise in the comparable period in July. The Fed targets 2% inflation by a different, though related, measure. "Inflation remains hotter than hoped, but the Fed's focus is jobs," James Knightley, chief international economist at ING, wrote in a note, adding that the weekly increase in unemployment claims was the biggest in almost four years. "On the face of it, this hints at a pick-up in the pace of layoffs in an environment of already weak hiring and will reaffirm expectations of a 25-bp (basis point) Fed rate cut next week." Rate futures pricing reflects expectations for quarter-percentage-point rate cuts at each of the Fed's three remaining policy meetings this year, starting with a reduction in the Fed's policy rate to the 4.00%-4.25% range at the September 16-17 gathering. Bets also rose on the prospect that the Fed would deliver a fourth consecutive rate cut in January, with the odds on that outcome approaching 50%, up from less than 40% before the data on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters before the latest data largely expected the Fed to cut rates twice in the rest of 2025. President Donald Trump has called for far steeper rate cuts.

Judge grants injunction; Fed Gov. Cook to remain on board -A federal district court judge granted an injunction allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain on the central bank's board pending the outcome of her legal challenge to President Donald Trump's move to fire her late last month.

• Key insight: A federal judge issued an injunction allowing Fed Gov. Lisa Cook to remain on the Federal Reserve Board pending the outcome of her suit challenging President Trump's effort to remove her.
• What's at stake: The ruling comes ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee's next meeting on Sept. 16-17.
• Forward Look: The ruling will likely be appealed and comes amid a broad campaign by the White House to assert greater authority over independent agencies.

A federal district court judge has granted an injunction allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to continue to serve on the Federal Reserve Board pending the outcome of her lawsuit challenging President Trump's effort to remove her. In a ruling late Tuesday, Judge Jia Cobb of the D.C. District Court found that, while the suit raises "many serious questions of first impression" that "will benefit from further briefing on a non-emergency timeline," Cook made a more convincing argument that the "for cause" protections afforded to Federal Reserve governors protect her from being removed under the circumstances that she was. To that end, Cobb ordered the Federal Reserve to "allow Cook to remain a member of the Board during the pendency of this litigation."

Lisa Cook Can't Be Fired, For Now: Judge --Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has been granted a reprieve after her sorority-sister judge, Jia Cobb, temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from firing her - allowing Cook to remain on the job amid allegations of mortgage fraud. Cobb granted Cook's request to continue in her role, finding that the alleged mortgage misconduct likely didn't amount to "cause" to fire her under the Federal Reserve Act. Cobb also found that the way Cook was fired likely violated her right to due process under the Constitution. "The best reading of the ‘for cause’ provision is that the bases for removal of a member of the Board of Governors are limited to grounds concerning a Governor’s behavior in office and whether they have been faithfully and effectively executing their statutory duties," Cobb wrote. The ruling means that Cook will likely be able to attend an anticipated Fed policy meeting Sept. 16-17 to vote on interest rates. The DOJ is expected to quickly appeal the ruling, leaving the final say to the US Supreme Court. Abbe Lowell, Cook's lawyer, said in a statement that tonight's ruling "recognizes and reaffirms" the Fed's independence from political interference. "Allowing the president to unlawfully remove Governor Cook on unsubstantiated and vague allegations would endanger the stability of our financial system and undermine the rule of law," said Lowell.

Trump appeals ruling allowing Fed Gov. Cook to remain -The White House has appealed a D.C. District Court ruling allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain on the Fed board pending the outcome of her challenge to President Trump's moves to fire her.

• Key insight: The White House has appealed a lower court ruling granting Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook an injunction that allows her to remain at her post pending the outcome of her lawsuit challenging the president's moves to fire her.
• What's at stake: The appeals process, even if expedited, is unlikely to affect Cook's participation in the Federal Open Market Committee's next meeting, which takes place Sept. 16-17.
• Forward Look: The suit is likely to make its way to the Supreme Court, and the outcome of the high court's decision on the legality of Trump's efforts to fire Cook could have dramatic implications for the political independence of the Fed.

The White House is appealing a federal district court ruling earlier this week that allows Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain at her post on the Fed board pending the outcome of her lawsuit challenging her purported removal by the president.

Trump seeks ruling on Cook injunction before FOMC meeting

• Key insight: The White House filed an appellate brief asking the DC Circuit Court to overturn an injunction granted by a lower court this week allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain on the board pending the outcome of her suit challenging her dismissal by Trump.
• Expert quote: The brief argues that the lower court's acknowledgement that prior conduct could serve as "cause" for removal shows that "pre-office misconduct is not categorically off limits."
• Forward look: The brief asks the appeals court to issue a ruling barring Cook from her duties at the central bank pending the outcome of the case before the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Sept. 16 and 17.

The White House has filed a brief requesting an appeals court to overturn a lower court injunction allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain in office pending the outcome of her challenge to President Trump's moves to fire her. The White House's appeal of a lower court injunction allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain on the Fed board is urging the court to rule in its favor ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Sept. 16 and 17.

Trump asks court to let him fire Lisa Cook before next Fed meeting --Lawyers for President Donald Trump on Thursday asked a federal appeals court to let his bid to fire Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook take effect before the central bank's rate-setting committee meets next week.The request to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit came two days after a lower-court judge blocked Trump from removing Cook from her post while her lawsuit proceeds.The Federal Open Market Committee, which includes Cook, is set to convene Tuesday for a two-day policy meeting where members will decide whether to cut a benchmark interest rate.Trump's lawyers from the Department of Justice want the appeals court to issue a ruling by Monday afternoon because the FOMC "is scheduled to meet and may direct open market activities for Federal Reserve Banks" by Tuesday, their court filing says.Trump wants the Fed to slash rates in order to spur economic growth and reduce the cost of paying the nation's debts. He has frequently attacked Fed Chairman Jerome Powell for refusing to lower rates in 2025 so far, and at points considered trying to fire him.Trump has backed off the threats against Powell, but he has followed through on moving to fire Cook, an appointee of former President Joe Biden who has voted in lockstep with Powell.Trump cited allegations of mortgage fraud put forward by his administration's housing finance director, Bill Pulte, as the reason for ordering Cook's removal. He has since predicted that he will soon have a "majority" on the Fed board that will vote to lower interest rates. Cook has denied committing mortgage fraud.Thursday's filing asks the D.C. appeals court for a stay of Tuesday's ruling from U.S. Judge Jia Cobb, who barred Cook's firing while her lawsuit against Trump continues."The public interest in Federal Reserve independence weighs in favor of Cook's reinstatement," Cobb wrote then.

Experts: Pulte's disclosures on Cook may violate privacy law

• What's at stake: President Trump moved to fire Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook via social media on Aug. 25, five days after Housing FInance Agency Director Bill Pulte raised allegations that Cook had engaged in mortgage fraud. Cook challenged her removal in court and was granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday night.
• Key insight: Pulte publicly posted the criminal referrals on Cook as well as zip codes, part of a home address, loan amounts, and checks she wrote to pay her mortgages. Those disclosures may run afoul of the Federal Privacy Act, experts say.
• Forward look: Lawyers are questioning how Pulte received what he called a "tip" to investigate Cook, if it was directed by the White House, and if the FHFA is targeting Democrats who are perceived threats to the president.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte may have violated federal privacy law by disclosing personal information about Federal Reserve Board Gov. Lisa Cook on social media, lawyers said. The Federal Privacy Act of 1974 holds government employees to strict standards for dealing with and disseminating personal financial information in their possession, and employees receive extensive training to ensure that individuals' personal information is not disclosed to the public. Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, may have violated federal privacy laws by releasing personal information on mortgages taken out by Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook — actions that served as a basis for President Trump's efforts to remove her from office late last month.

Stephen Miran Fed nomination passes Senate Banking Committee - Key insight: Stephen Miran passes a key procedural step by having his nominated clear the Senate Banking Committee. The Senate Banking Committee voted 13-11 to favorably recommend Stephen Miran's nomination for the Federal Reserve Board to the full Senate.

Trump Fed nominee Stephen Miran advanced by Senate Banking Committee - The Senate Banking Committee voted Wednesday to advance the nomination by President Donald Trump of Stephen Miran, a top White House economic advisor, to become Federal Reserve governor for at least the next several months.The 13-11 vote along party lines came a day after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked Trump from firing another Fed governor, Lisa Cook, while her lawsuit challenging his removal of her plays out in court. And it came a week before the Fed board is set to meet to discuss possibly cutting interest rates, as Trump has demanded it do for months. "Just out: No Inflation!!! "Too Late" must lower the RATE, BIG, right now," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that criticized Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. "Powell is a total disaster, who doesn't have a clue!!!" Trump wrote.Every Republican on the Banking Committee voted to send Miran's nomination to the full Senate, and every Democrat voted no on that question.Trump tapped Miran, the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, to replace Adriana Kugler, who unexpectedly resigned in August. Kugler has given no reason for her departure from the seven-member board.If confirmed by the full Senate, Miran would serve until Jan. 31, the end of Kugler's term. Miran has said he will take an unpaid leave of absence from the Council of Economic Advisors if he is confirmed for the Fed post. That has rankled Democrats in the Senate, who want him to resign from the council if he becomes a Fed governor. Trump said in nominating Miran that "we will continue to search for a permanent replacement. That left open the door to nominating someone else for a full 14-year term on the central bank's board.

Hassett backs Fed independence --White House National Economic Council NEC Director Kevin Hassett endorsed insulating the Fed from political pressure but echoed Trump allies' calls for reevaluating its mission.

• Key Insight: Kevin Hassett, a top White House economist and possible successor to Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve, said political independence is critical to the Fed and the lack of independence drives inflation.
• What's at stake: President Trump has embarked on a campaign to gain a voting majority on the Fed's Board of Governors by moving to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook late last month.
• Forward look: Hassett's comments are broadly in line with comments made by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a recent opinion article, which held monetary policy independence as important but also called on the Fed to avoid political entanglements of its own.

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the Federal Reserve's monetary policy powers must remain independent from political influence.

IMF sees strains in US economy -The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday said the U.S. economy was showing signs of strain after a series of dismal job reports and uncertainty on tariff revenue. “What we’ve seen over the past few years is that the U.S. economy has proven to be quite resilient. We do see now that some strains are beginning to show,” IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said during a regular briefing, according to Reuters.“Domestic demand has been moderating in the U.S., and job growth is slowing.” Kozack said the country was on track to lower inflation rates to 2 percent but noted that fluctuating trade rates could impact the projected number.Over the summer, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, economic counselor and director of research at IMF, described trade conditions as “precarious,” highlighting the potential for negative supply disruptions. “Without comprehensive agreements, the ongoing trade uncertainty could increasingly weigh on investment and activity,” Gourinchas said during the World Economic Outlook update in July.“Further, while exports front-loading has supported global activity so far, firms could become vulnerable if the demand for stockpiled goods does not materialize,” he added. The Trump administration is currently awaiting approval for foreign tax rates after a federal judge determined tariffs set under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unlawful. The president is working to have the decision appealed in arguments before the Supreme Court.As President Trump awaits an answer on foreign policy constraints, his administration has raised concerns about inaccurate data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which has suggested a weakening economic outlook for the U.S.The U.S. economy added 911,000 fewer jobs over the 12 months ending in March than the BLS initially reported, according to newly released data.In response to the discrepancy, the Labor Department’s internal watchdog says it is initiating a review of how the BLS compiles economic data. On Thursday, Kozack noted mistakes should be mitigated to improve U.S. financial standing among the world.“This kind of data transparency strengthens the credibility of economic management in all countries,” she said.

Recession Watch Metrics – McBride - Early in February, I expressed my "increasing concern" about the negative economic impact of "executive / fiscal policy errors", however, I concluded that post by noting that I was not currently on recession watch. In early April, I went on recession watch, but I'm still not yet predicting a recession for several reasons: the U.S. economy is very resilient and was on solid footing at the beginning of the year, and perhaps the tariffs are not enough to topple the economy.In the short term, it is mostly trade policy that will negatively impact the economy. However, there other aspects of policy that bear watching - especially immigration.Here is some of the data I'm watching.

• Housing: Housing is the basis of one of my favorite models for business cycle forecasting.This graph shows the YoY change in New Home Sales from the Census Bureau. Currently new home sales (based on 3-month average of NSA data) are down 3% year-over-year.Usually when the YoY change in New Home Sales falls about 20%, a recession will follow. An exception for this data series was the mid '60s when the Vietnam buildup kept the economy out of recession. Another exception was in late 2021 - we saw a significant YoY decline in new home sales related to the pandemic and the surge in new home sales in the second half of 2020. I ignored that downturn as a pandemic distortion. Also note that the sharp decline in 2010 was related to the housing tax credit policy in 2009 - and was just a continuation of the housing bust.There are no special circumstances now, and if this measure falls to off 20% a recession seems likely.
• Yield Curve: The yield curve is a commonly used leading indicator. I dismissed it when the yield curve inverted in 2019 and again in 2022. Both times dismissing the yield curve was correct (the recession in 2020 was obviously due to the pandemic, so we will never know if the yield curve failed to predict a recession in 2019). Here is a graph of 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity from FRED since 1976.The yield curve reverted to normal a year ago and is currently positive at 0.59. If this inverts, this might suggest a recession is coming.
• Heavy Truck (and Vehicle Sales): Another indicator I like to use is heavy truck sales. This graph shows heavy truck sales since 1967 using data from the BEA. The dashed line is the August 2025 seasonally adjusted annual sales rate (SAAR). Note: "Heavy trucks - trucks more than 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight."Heavy truck sales were at 422 thousand SAAR in August, down from 442 thousand in July, and down 15.7% from 501 thousand SAAR in August 2024.Usually, heavy truck sales decline sharply prior to a recession and sales have been a little soft recently.
• Unemployment: Two other concurrent indicators are the unemployment rate (using the "Sahm Rule") and weekly unemployment claims. Here is a graph of the Sahm rule from FRED since 1959. The Sahm rule is a measure of changes in the unemployment rate. It compares the three-month moving average of the unemployment rate (U3) to the minimum of the three-month averages from the previous 12 months. The Sahm Rule was at 0.23 percentage points in August. If this increases to 0.5 it will suggest a possible recession.

House Passes Defense Spending Bill that Includes Repeal of Iraq Wars Authorizations - The House of Representatives passed its version of the annual Pentagon spending bill. The legislation includes the repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the Gulf and Iraq Wars. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House on Wednesday, 231 to 196. The vote mainly fell along party lines, with 17 Democrats voting for the legislation and 4 Republicans voting against. The NDAA is the annual Department of War funding bill. The House and Senate typically pass separate versions of the legislation. Then, the leadership of the Upper and Lower Chambers meet in a conference committee and roll out a compromise bill. Repealing the AUMFs may have support in the Senate. In 2024, the Senate passed legislation by a wide margin that repealed the 2002 and 1991 AUMFs.The House version of the NDAA includes a provision that will repeal the 1991 and the 2002 AUMFs. The laws were responsible for allowing the President to start the Gulf and Iraq Wars. While the AUMFs are rarely invoked today to justify military action, during his first term, President Donald Trump asserted the 2002 AUMF gave him the authority to assassinate Iranian General Qussam Soleimani in Iraq in 2020. The 2001 AUMF, passed in the days after the 9/11 terror attack, is the authorization that Presidents have relied on to wage war across Africa and Asia. The provision repealing the AUMFs was inserted into the text of a bill during the amendment process in the House Rules Committee. The repeal was introduced by Democrat Jim McGovern, and only passed with the support of three members of the Republican House Freedom Caucus. The full House also voted on the AUMF amendment 261 to 167. 49 Republicans joined most Democrats voting in support of the change. A top Democrat said his party largely voted against the NDAA because they did not get any of the amendments they offered into the bill. “We didn’t get any of the amendments or debates that we wanted. Not a single solitary one,” Rep. Adam Smith stated on the House floor.

Hamas Responds to Trump, Says It's 'Ready To Immediately Sit at the Negotiating Table' - Hamas said on Sunday that it’s “ready to immediately sit at the negotiating table” following a post on Truth Social from President Trump that demanded the Palestinian group agree to his “terms” for a Gaza ceasefire deal.“Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,” Trump wrote.“I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the president added. While Trump claimed Israel had agreed to the terms, Haaretz reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still considering it and that the full proposal hasn’t yet been conveyed to Israel. A source in contact with the US administration expressed reservations about the potential for a deal, saying that it appeared Washington was still allowing Netanyahu to realize his ambitions since the proposal didn’t include a guarantee for a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to the genocidal war, making Hamas unlikely to agree.According to a report from Axios, a new US proposal was sent to Hamas through an Israeli peace activist by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The proposal would involve Hamas releasing all remaining Israeli captives, both dead and alive, in exchange for the release of 2,500 to 3,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails. There would also be a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s current military operations, and the two sides would begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire.The Axios report said that if Hamas responded positively, the ceasefire would continue as long as negotiations did and that President Trump would work to end the conflict. But Hamas has reason to be skeptical of such an arrangement since Israel violated a similar deal earlier this year, and the US never increased the pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire deal after Hamas released Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American IDF soldier who was captured on October 7, 2023.Drop Site News reporter Jeremy Scahill said that a senior Hamas official informed him the US proposal lacks a comprehensive framework. “A senior Hamas official told me that the ‘Trump concept’ proposed to Hamas was that they release all Israeli captives immediately as an ‘initial gesture’ and Trump would promise to call for an end to the ‘war’ and push Israel to negotiate terms. No formal framework was provided,” Scahill wrote on X.“Hamas has said repeatedly it is ready to negotiate a comprehensive deal that involves releasing all Israelis at once. But the terms matter and the Hamas official cited the Edan Alexander situation where Trump did not uphold the US agreement after he was released from Gaza,” Scahill added.

Israeli Airstrikes Target Hamas Leadership in Qatar - The Israeli military launched airstrikes in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday in an attempt to target Hamas political leadership, marking a major Israeli escalation in the region that dims any hope of a ceasefire in Gaza.A source told Al Jazeera that the attack occurred while Hamas officials were gathered to discuss a ceasefire proposal from the US. Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said that Hamas’s leadership survived the attack, while the son of acting Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya was killed, along with several of his aides. Qatar’s Interior Ministrysaid that a Qatari security officer was also killed in the attack.Hamas later issued a statement that said none of its political leaders were killed in the attack. It said a total of six people were killed, including al-Hayya’s son, four office staff, and the Qatari officer.According to Israeli media, Israeli warplanes dropped more than 10 bombs on a residential building where Israel believed Hamas leaders were gathering, an area of Doha near schools and embassies. Qatar has hosted a Hamas office since 2012, a step it took at the request of the US. Sources told Middle East Eye President Trump “blessed” the attack on Qatar, which his a major non-NATO ally of the US and hosts about 10,000 US troops, although US officials speaking to other media outlets claim that the US was notified while Israeli warplanes were in the air.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later commented on the attack, saying it doesn’t advance US and Israeli goals while also backing the idea of targeting Hamas officials. “The Trump administration was notified by the United States military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar,” she said.“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace does not advance Israel or America’s goals. However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza is a worthy goal,” Leavitt added.

White House criticizes Israeli strike on Hamas in Qatar - The Trump administration on Tuesday criticized Israel's decision to launch a strike on senior Hamas officials in Qatar's capital city of Doha. "Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to reporters at the White House. "Eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal," she added. Asked if President Donald Trump believes the attack in Qatar — a mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas — undermines the ongoing negotiations, Leavitt reread the president's statement verbatim. Smoke rises after several blasts were heard in Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters The Trump administration was informed of the attack by the U.S. military, which learned of it just before it was carried out, Leavitt said. She declined to say if the U.S. military, which maintains a major base in Qatar, had been alerted in advance by Israel, or if it had learned of the impending strike through other means. Her comments appeared to conflict with a White House official's claim to CNBC earlier Tuesday that the Trump administration was notified by Israel just before the attack. Leavitt also said that Trump "immediately" ordered Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, to tell Qatar of the forthcoming attack, "which he did." But Majed al Ansari, the spokesman for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said later Tuesday, "The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless." "The communication received from one of the American officials came during the sound of explosions resulting from the Israeli attack in Doha," al Ansari said. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for clarification. Leavitt also said that Trump "views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States and feels very badly about the location of this attack." Trump assured Qatar's leaders that "such a thing will not happen again on their soil," she said. Trump also spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said "he wants to make peace and quickly" with Hamas. But the strike on the capital of a foreign sovereign nation is a significant escalation of Tel Aviv's efforts to destroy the group that orchestrated the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre of Israelis. On Tuesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces announced the "precise strike" in a social media post, accusing the targeted leaders of being "directly responsible" for Oct. 7. The IDF's post did not identify the location of the strike. But a senior Israeli official confirmed to NBC News that it occurred in Doha. Al Ansari condemned "the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential headquarters housing several members of the political bureau of the movement in the Qatari capital, Doha." "This criminal assault constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar," the spokesman said in a translated X post. A leading Hamas source told Al Jazeera, the Qatari media network, that the strike targeted the group's negotiating delegation, NBC reported. The delegation was attacked during a meeting to discuss Trump's proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to NBC. The U.S. embassy in Doha issued a shelter-in-place order at its facilities in response to reports of the strike, but lifted all restrictions later Tuesday.

US Officials Threaten Lebanon With New Israel Invasion If Hezbollah Isn’t Disarmed Soon - The Lebanese government is under growing threat internationally despite having already approved of a plan to disarm Hezbollah, with US officialswarning they face another invasion by Israel if Israel decides it’s taking too long. The Lebanese cabinet ordered the Army to draw up a plan for such disarmament, and the threats of another invasion came hours before the cabinet was to vote on the Army’s plan. The cabinet backed the plan on Friday, though once again all Shi’ite cabinet members walked out in protest. Complicating this matter is that Israel is already actively attacking Lebanon, and has been carrying out near daily strikes for months now, and Israeli ground troops remain in southern Lebanon despite a 2024 ceasefire mandating their removal. It is unclear, then, whether a new Israeli war on Lebanon would differ much from the status quo.Hezbollah is opposed to the disarmament plan as presently constructed,insisting that the plan should be frozen until Israel stops attacking. They maintain that they don’t intend to give up the right to defense given Israel’s recent invasions and ongoing military actions. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with the US CENTCOM Chief Admiral Bradley Cooper Sunday, cautioning that the presence of Israeli troops inside Lebanon is preventing Lebanon’s Army from completing its takeover of the south, which is itself part of the plan to shutter Hezbollah sites and ultimately disarm the group. The US has been pushing an idea to see the southernmost part of Lebanon turned into a “Trump zone,” which would mean the total destruction of a number of Lebanese villages and the forcible removal of civilians from their homes. Under that plan, Israeli ground troops would be permitted to build multiple new outposts within the Trump zone, with an eye toward giving the Lebanese government some state-run industry within the zone, subsidized by Gulf states.The creation of the Trump zone has been presented as being contingent on a total monopoly of arms in the hands of the Lebanese state, putting aside the Israeli and American occupation forces envisioned within the zone itself. Assuming such a plan was desirable for Lebanon, the expectation is that they totally preclude private militias from retaining any right to self-defense within the country, and get no real assurance Israel wouldn’t continue to attack and/or invade the country every once in awhile, as they’ve historically tended to.This lack of assurance is a big part of why Hezbollah continues to oppose the disarmament idea, and trying to incentivize the forced disarmament through threats of invasion that will exist either way seems to hope to force the Lebanese Army into action, even if their actual ability to disarm Hezbollah against the group’s will is very much in doubt.

Donald Trump issues warning to EU leaders: Stop buying Russian oil -- President Trump joined a call Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and world leaders during which he urged Europe to stop purchasing Russian oil as a way to undercut Moscow’s war in Ukraine.French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelensky met in France, while roughly 20 other leaders joined the meeting virtually to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, which has been raging since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.“President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war — as Russia received €1.1 billion [$1.28 billion] in fuel sales from the EU in one year,” a White House official said in a statement. “The president also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts.”The call took place as progress has appeared to stall on efforts by Trump and others to end the war in Ukraine. The president has sought to arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but there has been little progress on getting the two leaders together.Trump has bristled at the suggestion that he has not taken action against Russia as it continues to bombard Ukraine with drone strikes, pointing to tariffshe imposed on India over its purchase of Russian oil and gas.Trump told CBS News in an interview late Wednesday that he remained optimistic there would be a conclusion to the war, even if it was not imminent. “Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet,” the president said. “But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done.”Leaders from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan and several other nations joined Thursday’s call, members of what is dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing.”Zelensky said following the meeting that the group discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and additional sanctions on Russia.“We share the same view that Russia is making every effort to drag out the negotiation process and prolong the war,” Zelensky posted on social platform X. “Support for Ukraine must be increased and pressure on Russia must be intensified. Preparations for the 19th EU sanctions package are underway. Japan is also working on sanctions measures.” Putin has in recent days met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, raising concerns that those nations are forging a close partnership to counter the U.S. and Europe.

Trump: European Leaders Will Return This Week To Discuss Russia–Ukraine War - President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that European leaders would return to the United States in the coming days to discuss the administration’s ongoing efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine War. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after a quick visit to New York, Trump said that leaders would be coming to the White House “individually” to meet with him. He didn’t provide specifics on who would be visiting but suggested that the meetings would be held across Monday and Tuesday. Discussing the ongoing Russia–Ukrainian conflict, Trump said he was “not happy” about the current state of negotiations, Russia, or “anything having to do with that war.” “I’m not happy. I’m not happy about the whole situation,” he said. He said that the two Eastern European nations were losing, “between Ukraine and Russia, 7,000 soldiers every single week. It’s such a horrible waste of humanity. So no, I am not thrilled with what’s happening.” Pursuing an end to the conflict—which began with Russia’s invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and escalated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s mainland in February 2022—was a pillar of Trump’s 2024 campaign. Speaking to reporters, Trump expressed confidence that the conflict “is going to get settled.” Since his first term, Trump has sought to negotiate peaceful resolutions to international conflicts. He admitted that he had thought the Eastern European conflict “would have been maybe the easiest one to settle of all. But with war, you never know what you’re getting.” Nevertheless, Trump reiterated, “I believe we’re going to get it settled.” Across August, Trump has escalated his efforts to bring an end to the conflict. On Aug. 16, Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss an end to the conflict. Though Putin announced some broad areas of agreement between the two superpowers, no formal agreement was reached. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said at the time. He added, “We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there.” The two leaders did not mention a cease-fire or other key elements of negotiations, such as security guarantees for Ukraine or further U.S. sanctions on Russia and its supporters. When later asked what key points the two sides disagreed on, Trump declined to say. A few days later, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a contingent of other European leaders at the White House. At the time, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to bring an end to the war and wanted a face-to-face meeting with Putin. He said such meetings are the only way to move forward with the “complicated and painful issues” the discussions will entail.

Trump says he’s ready to move to second phase of sanctions against Russia -- President Trump said Sunday he’s ready to move forward with the second phase of sanctions against Russia amid stalled peace talks to end the war with Ukraine.“Yeah, I am,” Trump told a reporter, who asked whether he’s ready to move forward with Phase 2 of the sanctions.Trump has bristled at the suggestion he has not taken action against Russia, which has continued to bombard Ukraine with drone strikes amid efforts by Trump and others to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Asked on Wednesday why he’s not taken action against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump objected to the premise, pointing to the tariffs he imposed on India over its purchase of Russian oil, and he suggested that step was merely the first phase.“How do you know there’s no action? Would you say that putting secondary sanctions on India — the largest purchaser outside of China, they’re almost equal — would you say there’s no action?” Trump said, referring to the additional 25 percent tariffs placed on India for purchases of Russian oil. “That cost hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia. You call that no action? And I haven’t done Phase 2 yet or Phase 3,” the president added. The move toward additional sanctions on Russia comes as progress has appeared to stall on efforts to broker a deal to end the war in Eastern Europe. The president has sought to arrange a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but there has been little progress on getting the two leaders together.

Trump Ready To Hit China, India With 100% Tariffs To Pressure Putin, But Only If Europe Joins --In a curious reverse twist on a global trade war theme, President Trump told European officials he would impose draconian and sweeping new tariffs on India and China to push President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table with Ukraine, but on one condiciont - EU nations do so as well. Trump made the ask when he called into a meeting with senior US and EU officials in Washington, Bloomberg and FT reported citing people. The US is willing to mirror tariffs imposed by Europe on either country, one of the people said. The proposal, which will never be accepted, amounts to a very public dare for Europe and is meant to show who really is the bad guy in the public perception war, given that several nations - including Hungary - have blocked more stringent EU sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector in the past. Such measures would require the backing of all member states. Other potential measures discussed by US and EU officials include further sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers as well as restrictions on its banks, financial sector and major oil companies, according to the people. Trump’s suggestion, first reported by the Financial Times, comes after his deadline for Putin to hold a bilateral meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy passed without indication that the Russian leader - who is now advancing rapidly deep inside Ukraine territory and may be knocking on Kiyv's door soon - has any interest in engaging in face-to-face peace talks. Instead, Moscow has stepped up its Ukraine bombing campaign, with a strike Tuesday killing at least two dozen pensioners as they collected payments in eastern Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, any US action would ultimately depend on Trump, who has so far refrained from punishing Russia directly despite skating through several self-imposed deadlines and Putin’s continued reluctance to negotiate an end to the war. Trump has, however, already doubled tariffs on India to 50% over its continued purchase of Russian oil. He has so far refused to punish China for doing as much energy trade with Russia as India. Later Tuesday, Trump wrote a social media post that the US and India were continuing negotiations to address their trade barriers, and expressed optimism the two would reach an agreement to resolve their dispute. He also said he looked forward to “speaking with my good friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming weeks. Trump’s tariff proposal contrasts with a softer tone he has taken in recent months on China as part of apparent efforts to secure a summit with President Xi Jinping and a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy. Last month, he extended a pause on higher tariffs on Chinese goods into early November, a move that stabilized trade ties. And yet, offering a token olive branch has done nothing to alienate Russia and China, which last week swore loyalty to each other during the 80 year anniversary of World War II. Signaling Xi’s defiance against attempts at isolating Putin, Russia last week announced China had signed an agreement on the Power of Siberia 2, a vast energy pipeline that Beijing had sought to delay for years. That came after photos of Xi, Putin and Modi smiling and holding hands at a summit in Tianjin were beamed around the world.

Putin Doesn't Seem Worried As EU's 19th Sanctions Package Would Hit Russian Banks, Oil -The United States, Europe and Ukraine are still pinning their hopes on witnessing a Russian economic "collapse" that theoretically will hasten a desperate Putin to the negotiating table, where he'll make significant compromise. That's according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a Meet the Pressinterview Sunday. He said: "We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our partners in Europe to follow."Urging Europe to act more aggressively, he said, "We are talking about what the two, the EU and the U.S., do together. But we need our European partners to follow us."At this moment the European Union is considering a new round of sanctions targeting several Russian banks and energy firms - which would mark its 19th package. The newest round would take aim at Russia’s payment and credit card networks, cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as impose additional restrictions on its oil trade. In total it would target about half a dozen Russian banks and energy companies.The action is expected to be coordinated, after EU representatives meet this week in Washington with Trump admin officials. Have nearly twenty rounds of sanctions really put the squeeze and hurt on Russia, enough to impact Putin's war aims? So far, the evidence has not been compelling.With each new round of sanctions going back to 2022, it remains the same mantra from people like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who previewed starting early last month, "We have adopted 18 packages so far, and we are advancing preparation for the 19th. This package will be forthcoming in early September."She reasoned, "We need to prepare the 19th package so that Russia sees that we are serious. We must continue to limit Russia’s potential." The EU's position is that the sanctions pressure will eventually "President Putin to the negotiation table."The state of the battlefield in eastern Ukraine strongly suggests that the Kremlin could care less if Europe and the US are 'serious' - as Russian forces have kept slowly advancing piecemeal, and even last month penetrated into the central oblast of Dnipropetrovsk. This also comes off Putin's time in Beijing, which sent a message to the world doubling down on trade commitments in defiance of Washington, also involving India.As far as another round of major sanctions, it's looking like President Trump will probably pull the trigger, given events like Sunday's record-breaking drone and missile attack on Kiev and across Ukraine will only ramp up the pressure on him to act, amid the urgings of hawks. He might be more interested in salvaging bilateral US-Russia ties, however. Certainly the Russians have had a favorable approach to this.

Russia Brushes Off Threats of New US and EU Sanctions - While US and European officials are threatening to impose more sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin is brushing off the possibility, pointing to the fact that Western sanctions have done nothing to stop Russia’s military operations so far.“In general, one thing can probably be said: this unprecedented number of sanctions that have been imposed against our country over the past four years has had no effect,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russia’s TASS news agency. “No sanctions will be able to force the Russian Federation to change this stalwart position.” Peskov’s comments came after President Trump said that he was ready to impose more sanctions on Russia following a heavy Russian bombardment of Ukraine. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said that the US must partner with the EU to “collapse” the Russian economy. “We are in a race now between how long can the Ukrainian military hold up versus how long can the Russian economy hold up,” Bessent said on Sunday. “And if the US and the EU can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in total collapse, and that will bring President Putin to the table.”Despite the threats from US officials, Peskov focused his criticism on Ukraine and its European supporters. “We intend to continue moving in line with the peacekeeping efforts that the United States is undertaking, President Trump personally. We welcome these efforts, and we hope that these efforts will continue to be applied in a constructive manner,” he said.“Actually, sanctions are an agenda that is diligently supported, first of all, by the Kiev regime and also by European countries. And, of course, they are doing everything possible to draw Washington into their orbit and impose these sanctions. Various representatives from Washington also make relevant statements, and we take them into account,” Peskov added.

Trump suggests Russian drones in Poland could have been a 'mistake' --President Trump on Thursday brushed off Russian drones that flew into Poland’s airspace earlier this week as a possible mistake, while European leaders have described it as an intentional provocation by Moscow.“Could have been a mistake. Could have been a mistake,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for New York City. “But regardless, I’m not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation. But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.”Multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland’s airspace earlier this week while Russia was carrying out strikes on neighboring Ukraine. The development raised fears of a potential escalation of the war in Ukraine, which began in 2022 when Russian forces invaded.NATO fighter jets were deployed to shoot the drones down, marking the first time the alliance has scrambled planes to address a threat in allied airspace.Russia’s Defense Ministry said it did not target Poland with the drones. Trump’s comments on Thursday were his first on the incursion since a cryptic Truth Social post on Wednesday.

Polish officials dismiss Trump's 'mistake' claim on Russian drones -- Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski on Friday rejected President Trump’s suggestion that a Russian drone incursion into Poland earlier this week was a mistake. Russia said it was attacking Ukraine when at least 19 of its drones crossed over into Polish airspace, triggering Polish and NATO aircraft to scramble and shoot down the drones. Trump told reporters in Washington on Thursday, “It could have been a mistake,” mirroring Russian statements playing down the incursion. Sikorski shot back on social media, posting in Polish, “No, that wasn’t a mistake.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also responded, writing on social platform X, “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.” Poland invoked NATO’s Article 4 pillar for consultations over the threats to its territory. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said at the time that a full assessment of the incident ongoing, adding allies “are resolved to defend every inch of Allied territory.” Trump told “Fox & Friends” Friday morning that his patience is running out with Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to agree to a ceasefire and halt his war in Ukraine. Trump has imposed 50 percent tariffs on India to punish its purchase of Russian oil, but he has held back from more punitive measures targeting Russia’s war economy, despite threats of additional sanctions.

China-led 'anti-Western alliance' is worrisome, security expert warns The potential threat arising from an "anti-Western alliance" is reaching unsettling levels, according to a top security expert — with analysts warning Washington and its allies should not underestimate the significance of warming relations between China, North Korea, India and Russia. Speaking to CNBC's Steve Sedgwick on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti forum in Cernobbio, Italy on Friday, Wolfgang Ischinger, president of the Munich Security Conference Foundation Council, labeled a recent convening of world leaders in China "worrisome." Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted more than two dozen foreign leaders at a military parade in Beijing. Among them was North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Xi was also pictured laughing with Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in China. "I'm worried about these pictures," Ischinger told CNBC. "We know that there is not total harmony between India and China … but the world is moving in the wrong direction here." Ischinger holds a number of foreign policy-focused posts, including positions at the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., and was formerly the German ambassador to the United States. He told CNBC that concern had shifted away from the rise of authoritarian regimes and the decline of democracies toward worrying about the extent to which totalitarian leaders were willing to join forces. "I think we need to accept the fact that there is at least the potential for a kind of anti-Western alliance that's going to be built to create some kind of a different global order — not the one that we like, one that's more built on power, on military strength, on repressive regimes," Ischinger said. "That's not the kind of scenario that I think is in our interest. So, I think these pictures from China are worrisome." On Monday, China, India and Russia reconvened at a virtual summit for BRICS nations — the bloc that is also comprised of Brazil and South Africa, which has drawn scorn from U.S. President Donald Trump over alleged "anti-American policies." During the BRICS summit, delegates for each nation took swipes at the White House's tariffs regime and spoke of ways to deepen trade ties within the alliance. In an article published on Monday by Seong-Hyon Lee, a senior fellow at the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations and an associate-in-research at the Harvard University Asia Centre, warned that those who dismissed these strengthening bonds due to a lack of formal alliance between Beijing, North Korea and Russia "are missing the substance of a deeply functional partnership." "The summit and parade [last week] were the public manifestation of a profound shift in China's strategic posture: a deep 'psychological decoupling' from the West," he said. "Beijing has concluded that strategic reconciliation with Washington is no longer a viable goal and is now actively pursuing a new world order." Lee labeled the "triumvirate" comprised of Xi, Putin and Kim "the hard-power nucleus of this new posture." "The most dangerous mistake Washington and its allies could make is to misdiagnose the nature of this challenge," he said. "To fixate on the lack of a formal alliance is to prepare for the last war. The threat is … a fluid, adaptable network that operates in the seams of international law, leveraging ambiguity and plausible deniability." However, Evgeny Roshchin, a visiting scholar at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said he was doubtful the alliance could ever go much further than its current form. "The SCO summit is not, and likely will never become, a traditional military alliance," Roshchin said of the events last week in China. He told CNBC in an email that concerns about ties between the countries were "well founded," particularly where Russia is involved, as continued trade with Moscow was underpinning Russia's wartime economy. But Roshchin noted that Beijing had not committed to providing military support to Russia, and both China and India had voiced unease with Russia's nuclear rhetoric. "What the summit revealed was less a cohesive bloc than a gathering of states with distinct ambitions, capable of aligning tactically in certain domains but lacking the unified commitment one would expect under a NATO-style Article 5 framework," he said. "China … does not appear intent on forging such unity. Rather than building political solidarity or a shared values-based alliance, it promotes flexible, multi-level engagement—encouraging cooperation where interests converge and allowing space for disengagement elsewhere." Roschchin did concede, though, that China was looking at these alliances as part of a long-term strategy, in which it could establish a new "pole" to help advance its interests at multinational platforms like the United Nations. "It is no coincidence that President Xi consistently expresses strong support for the UN," he said. "The influence of this emerging pole could translate into broader backing for Chinese positions in global governance."

Trump Prioritising End to Ukraine War Over Russia LNG Sanctions, US Energy Secretary Says - (Reuters) – U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said President Donald Trump’s priority is to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end, without larger disruptions, when asked how the U.S. would react to Chinese purchases of sanctioned Russian LNG cargoes. “President Trump’s single greatest goal is prosperity in America and peace abroad,” Wright said in a press conference at the Gastech conference in Milan. “He’s looking at every possible avenue to get that war to end without overly large disruption”. Arctic LNG 2 was set to become one of Russia’s largest LNG plants, with eventual output of 19.8 million metric tons per year. The project is 60%-owned by Russia’s Novatek. But it had been included in Western sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and has struggled to sell LNG from the project despite beginning production and loading cargoes in August 2024. Three cargoes from the project have discharged in China so far this year.

DOD says Venezuelan aircraft flew near U.S. Naval vessel in 'highly provocative move' - The Pentagon said late Thursday that two Venezuelan aircraft flew close to a U.S. Navy vessel in what it called a “highly provocative move.” “Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters. This highly provocative move was designed to interfere with our counter narco-terror operations,” the Defense Department said in a post on the social platform X. “The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the US military,” the department added. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that his country was at “maximum preparedness” in light of the U.S. military recently boosting its Caribbean maritime force to fight against threats from Latin American drug cartels. Maduro called the deployment of multiple U.S. ships, a submarine and Marines “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.” Last Tuesday, President Trump said that the U.S. military strike that killed 11 “terrorists” on a “drug vessel” in the Caribbean hit a boat with members of the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational gang that is also designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

Hegseth and Caine visit Puerto Rico as Trump ramps up fight with cartels - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine made a surprise trip to Puerto Rico on Monday, amid the Trump administration’s push to counter drug cartels in Latin America and the Caribbean Sea via the U.S. military.The visit — announced by Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón (R) in a social media post — comes after President Trump last week claimed a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean killed 11 drug smugglers. Trump has asserted the vessel was carrying narcotics from Venezuela and headed to the United States. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denied these accusations. The U.S. also in recent weeks has moved forces and lethal assets into the Caribbean, including at least eight warships, an attack submarine, and more than 4,000 sailors and Marines. In addition, 10 F-35s were sent to the island late last week and are reportedly meant to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations.The Pentagon did not announce Hegseth and Caine’s trip ahead of it happening and did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill. Reuters first reported the Pentagon is considering plans to use Puerto Rico in its operations against cartels in the region, including possibly conducting military flights out of the U.S. territory. In her post to the social platform X, González-Colón hinted at the plans by thanking Trump “for recognizing the strategic value Puerto Rico has to the national security of the United States and the fight against drug cartels in our hemisphere, perpetuated by narco-dictator Nicolas Maduro.”

Pentagon sets its sights on Puerto Rico in combatting cartels -- Top Pentagon officials made a surprise trip to Puerto Rico on Monday amid the Trump administration’s push to counter drug cartels in Latin America and the Caribbean Sea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine visited the island territory in a trip announced by Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón (R) in a social media post. The visit comes after President Trump last week claimed a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean killed 11 drug smugglers. Trump has asserted the vessel was carrying narcotics from Venezuela and headed to the United States. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denied these accusations. The U.S. also in recent weeks has moved forces and lethal assets into the Caribbean, including at least eight warships, an attack submarine, and more than 4,000 sailors and Marines. In addition, 10 F-35s were sent to the island late last week and are reportedly meant to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations.The Pentagon did not announce Hegseth and Caine’s trip in advance and did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill. Reuters first reported that the Pentagon is considering plans to use Puerto Rico in its operations against cartels in the region, including possibly conducting military flights out of the U.S. territory. In her post to the social platform X, González-Colón hinted at the plans by thanking Trump “for recognizing the strategic value Puerto Rico has to the national security of the United States and the fight against drug cartels in our hemisphere, perpetuated by narco-dictator Nicolas Maduro.”Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to soar after the administration’s purported strike on the vessel carrying an unknown amount of drugs. U.S. officials have not given any evidence of who and what was on the boat at the time of the attack. Hegseth, Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said further strikes against drug cartels in Latin America are possible, with Vance on Saturday posting to X that “killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.”

FAA extends ban on US commercial flights to Haiti’s capital because of risk from gangs (AP) — A Federal Aviation Administration ban on U.S. commercial flights to Haiti’s capital that expired Monday has been extended to March 7, 2026 because of the risk that powerful gangs might attack flights with drones and small arms. The FAA noted that Haitian gangs now control 90% of Port-au-Prince as well as nearby strategic routes and border areas. “Haitian (foreign terrorist organizations) maintain access to small arms and unmanned aircraft systems capable of reaching low-altitude phases of flight,” the FAA said in a statement Friday. In May, the U.S. government designated a powerful gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization. The coalition had forced Haiti’s main international airport in Port-au-Prince to close for nearly three months last year after launching coordinated attacks on key government infrastructure. The Toussaint Louverture International Airport reopened in May, but gang violence in the area persisted. Last November, gangs opened fire on a Spirit Airlines flight landing in Port-au-Prince, striking a flight attendant who received minor injuries. Other commercial planes on the ground were hit at the time. The shooting forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for the second time last year and led to a ban on U.S. commercial flights to Port-au-Prince. The airport reopened in December, but it wasn’t until June that the first commercial domestic flights resumed. No international commercial flights have resumed.

Venezuela Preparing For 'Armed Struggle' In Case Of US Attack: Maduro - Venezuela is preparing for armed struggle in the scenario it comes under attack by the United States, or its sovereignty is threatened, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned soon after President Trump escalated the Pentagon's force posture in the southern Caribbean."If Venezuela were attacked in any way, it would move into a stage of planned and organized armed struggle by all its people against aggression, whether local, regional, or national, in defense of peace, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and our people," Maduro had said Friday. On Sunday, tens of thousands of more troops were mobilized.President Trump soon after warned that if Venezuelan jets keep buzzing US warships in regional waters, then they would be shot out of the sky (if deemed a threat to American vessels).Maduro has confirmed initiation of militia training to involve citizens in the country's national defense efforts - a 'popular mobilization' of sorts. Interestingly, in a televised statement he featured a visual diagram, outlining the current levels of operational readiness within the nation's defense forces, stating that currently a "yellow phase" of integrated defense is active.The Maduro government on Sunday called up additional troops to deploy in border regions amid the US deployments off Venezuela's coast: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered more troops in the Guajira region of Zulia state and the Paraguana peninsula in Falcon, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said, adding that the area constituted "a drug trafficking route". The military's presence on the island of Nueva Esparta and in the states of Sucre and Delta Amacuro will also be expanded. Some 25,000 troops are set to be deployed, up from the 10,000 which have been deployed in the states of Zulia and Tachira that border Colombia, he said.

Venezuela Says It's Deploying Additional Forces To Combat Drug Trafficking Amid Tensions With US - Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced on Sunday a significant deployment of military forces in Venezuela’s coastal regions and on its border with Colombia to combat drug trafficking amid soaring tensions in the US, which has built up a significant naval force in the region.“No one is going to come and do the work for us. No one is going to step on this land and do what we’re supposed to do,” Padrino said in a video posted on social media.The US says that the purpose of its naval deployment is to crack down on drug trafficking, and it claims that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is the leader of a cartel, allegations he and other Venezuelan officials strongly deny.Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez held a press conference on Monday, where she rejected US claims of “narcoterrorism,” which she said were being used to justify aggression against Venezuela. Data shows that most cocaine bound for the United States moves through the Pacific, not the Caribbean.Padrino said that a total of 25,000 Venezuelan troops would be deployed, up from the 10,000 that have already been deployed in the states of Zulia and Tachira, which border Colombia. “Our Commander-in-Chief, President Nicolas Maduro, has called upon us to make a special reinforcement to the existing deployment,” he said.The US significantly escalated tensions in the region last week when it bombed a boat that departed Venezuela, which it claimed was carrying drugs, an allegation made without providing evidence. The Trump administration is also considering bombing alleged cartel sites in Venezuela for the purpose of weakening Maduro, which could provoke a full-blown war.

US Considers Bombing Venezuela as It Deploys F-35 Fighter Jets to Puerto Rico - The Trump administration is considering multiple options for launching military strikes against alleged drug cartels in Venezuela, including hitting targets that could weaken Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as it is deploying F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, CNN has reported.US officials told CNN that the US bombing of a boat near Venezuela last week was just the beginning of a much larger effort against drug trafficking that could lead to the ouster of Maduro. US officials claim the pressure on Venezuela and Maduro is about drug trafficking and a response to overdose deaths in the US, but fentanyl doesn’t come from or through Venezuela, and the majority of the cocaine that is transported to the US comes through the Pacific, not the Caribbean.Regardless of the details, the US has labeled Maduro a “narcoterrorist” and increased the bounty on his head to $50 million over allegations of involvement in drug trafficking. On Friday, Trump downplayed the idea of regime change in Venezuela, saying, “We’re not talking about that. But we are talking about the fact that [Venezuela] had an election, which was a very strange election, to put it mildly.”But on Sunday, Trump was asked about the possibility of targeting “cartels” in Venezuela and said, “Well, you’re going to find out.” Any US strikes on Venezuelan territory could lead to retaliation from Venezuela’s military, which would turn into a full-blown war.The US deployed F-35s to Puerto Rico after it claimed that two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over a US Navy vessel. The Department of Defense, now known as the Department of War, said in a press release that the Venezuelan flight was “provocative” despite the fact that the US deployed a large number of naval vessels near Venezuela’s coast.“The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter, or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the US military,” the Department of War said.The policy toward Venezuela is largely being driven by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long wanted regime change in Venezuela. In 2019, during the first Trump administration’s attempt at ousting Maduro, Rubioshared a photo on Twitter of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in the moment he was being brutally murdered in an apparent threat to Maduro.

US Launches Three Days of Airstrikes in Somalia's Puntland Region - US Africa Command said in a press release on Friday that its forces launched airstrikes against the ISIS affiliate in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region as the Trump administration continues its heavy air war in the country. AFRICOM said that it launched airstrikes on August 31, September 1, and September 2 against targets in the Golis Mountains region, approximately 30 miles southeast of the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso.On September 3, US-backed Puntland forces posted photos of the bodies of alleged ISIS fighters they said were killed in operations conducted over the last 72 hours. The Puntland Counter-Terrorism Operations claimed in a post on Telegram that “approximately 15 ISIS terrorists” were killed in the US-backed assault. AFRICOM stopped sharing casualty estimates or assessments on potential civilian harm earlier this year. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” the command said.AFRICOM told Antiwar.com in an email on Monday that its forces launched a total of three airstrikes during the three-day operation, which brings the total number of US airstrikes in Somalia this year to 74.

US Bombs Somalia for 75th Time This Year - US Africa Command said in a press release on Thursday that its forces launched airstrikes against al-Shabaab in the Shabelle Region of southern Somalia on September 9, marking at least the 75th time the US has bombed the country this year as the Trump administration has shattered the previous record for annual airstrikes in the country.AFRICOM offered no details about the strikes other they saying they were launched in support of the US-backed Mogadishu-based Federal Government. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” the command said.AFRICOM stopped sharing details about casualties and assessments of civilian harm earlier this year, telling Antiwar.com at the time that it was withholding such information as the new Trump administration “settles in.” AFRICOM told New America, an organization that tracks the US air war in Somalia, that although it stated it launched “airstrikes,” only one strike was actually launched during two engagements. AFRICOM told Antiwar.com on September 8 that it had launched 74 airstrikes in Somalia so far in 2025, and the September 9 strike brings the total to 75. The previous record for total US airstrikes in Somalia was 63, which President Trump set in 2019.Garowe Online reported on Wednesday that Somali forces had killed a member of al-Shabaab who was allegedly behind an assassination attempt against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The report said the operation was conducted in the Lower Shabelle region and was supported by “international partners,” suggesting it could have been the strike announced by AFRICOM, though it remains unconfirmed.

UAP survives Hellfire missile strike in House hearing video evidence | Fox News --A House hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) stunned lawmakers when video evidence showed a U.S. drone firing a Hellfire missile at an orb off Yemen—only for the object to remain intact and keep moving, raising urgent questions about technology beyond known military capabilities.At a House Oversight subcommittee meeting on UFO transparency and whistleblower protection, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., unveiled the video.The footage showed an MQ-9 drone tracking a UAP orb as another MQ-9 launched a Hellfire missile at it. The missile struck the orb, but instead of destroying it, the round appeared to "bounce right off." "That’s a Hellfire missile smacking into that UFO and [it] just bounced right off, and it kept going," journalist George Knapp said. "There are servers where there’s a whole bank of these kind of videos that Congress has not been allowed to see."Lawmakers and witnesses stressed that no known U.S. technology could withstand a Hellfire strike. "Are you aware of anything in the U.S. arsenal that can split a Hellfire missile like this…and do whatever blob thing it did, and then keep going?" Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., asked each witness. Nuccetelli and Wiggins testified that no U.S. technology is capable of surviving such a strike Asked if the video frightened them, all three – Nuccetelli, Wiggins and U.S. Air Force Veteran Dylan Borland – answered "yes."

U.S. warns of response to 'witch hunt' after Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years --The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said the U.S. will "respond accordingly" to what he called a "witch hunt" against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, without specifying how.The remarks came shortly after Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison after being convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election.The conviction was "unjustly ruled," Rubio said in a post on X late Thursday stateside, as "the political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue."The U.S. Treasury Department on July 30 imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been a target of criticism by President Donald Trump for his handling of legal cases involving former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.On the same day, Trump slapped tariffs of up to 50% on most products from Brazil for its prosecution of Bolsonaro for his alleged coup attempt, drawing a pushback from the country's incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Brazilian leader denounced Washington's move as an infringement on Brazil's national sovereignty, saying his nation "will not accept anyone's control," according to Google translation of his social media post.The case against those who planned a coup is a matter solely for the country's justice system and "not subject to any inference or threats that undermine the independence of national institutions," da Silvia added. He also vowed to retaliate against "any unilateral tariff increases," rebutting claims that the U.S. has a trade deficit with Brazil. Da Silvia cited U.S. official customs data, which showed a surplus of around $410 billion in trade in goods and services with Brazil over the last 15 years.The U.S. total goods trade surplus with Brazil amounted to $154 billion from 2010 to 2024, according to the Census figures. Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump, and his allies have lobbied Washington to intervene in the case on his behalf. Last month, Bolsonaro's son, who is also a Brazilian congressman, met withU.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, reportedly to push for sanctions against officials involved in the trial. The likelihood of a de-escalation between the U.S. and Brazil in the near term appears low, analysts at Morningstar said in a note following the ruling, noting that the bilateral relationship has hit "its lowest point in decades."

Trump's New War Production Board? - This past week, Donald Trump hosted some of the richest, most powerful—and most liberal—high-tech CEOs in the country at the White House. Their shared goal ostensibly is to ensure U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence, robotics, genetic engineering, cryptocurrency, and nearly every other breakthrough field that has both sparked global competition and involves U.S. national security. In this regard, Trump seems to be channeling Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, during the early years of World War II, enlisted his ideological foes, mostly the nation’s CEOs, to rearm the virtually defenseless U.S. He tasked them to jump-start the moribund American economy to produce in a matter of months the best and most plentiful ships, planes, vehicles, communications, and new military technologies. Despite their ideological differences, both FDR and Trump knew that only private enterprise could rearm and reboot the nation, and only if the captains of industry were infused with patriotic zeal, guaranteed freedom to innovate and adapt, and able to make a profit on their investments, would they become partners with and not adversaries of the government. So last week, Trump assembled Michael Kratsios, the administration’s director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, along with David Sacks, the billionaire investor and Trump’s cryptocurrency and AI czar. Joining them were Big Tech CEOs like Google’s Sundar Pichai, Arvind Krishna of IBM, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Elon Musk was not there, though he said he was invited but had a scheduling conflict. Their joint challenge is to ensure that the U.S. dominates these emerging fields and thereby ensure American prosperity and national security. A subtext follows that China must not be allowed by hook or crook to steal U.S. research and development breakthroughs and thereby take a lead in these fields. The CEOs are tasked with investing their huge profits inside the United States to ensure jobs for Americans and, to the greatest degree, minimize offshoring and outsourcing whenever possible. Trump’s duty, in turn, is to reassure the CEOs that under his watch, the government will not pick winners and losers but let them all compete on a level playing field. They will be protected by the government both from European Union ankle-biting regulatory interference and censorship and Washington’s own efforts to micromanage them into stasis. That is the quid. The quo is that the tech leaders must awaken a somnolent U.S. to the technological revolutions underway that will determine the fate of nations in the second half of the 21st century—and then begin producing state-of-the-art products that lead to a more secure and richer U.S. We should remember what FDR accomplished. World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. At that point, the U.S. military was smaller than those of eighteen other nations. The U.S. Army was less than 200,000 soldiers in size, with only 125,000 sailors in the Navy. In contrast, the German military was already over 1.5 million strong. Its soon-to-be wartime ally, Japan, had under arms 2.5 million combatants, and Italy had another 1.5 million soldiers. On maneuvers, the American army was short on rifles and used broomsticks. Even after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. lacked both the quality and quantity of German planes, tanks, and artillery. The Japanese Navy roughly matched the American but enjoyed advantages since it was not responsible for a two-ocean deployment, as were the Americans in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Its fighters, torpedoes, and destroyers were deemed superior to their American counterparts. Yet when the war ended four years later, the U.S. military was well over 12 million soldiers in size. Its navy had more ships and tonnage than all the navies of the world combined.The U.S. Army Air Forces were larger than all the air forces of the world combined. It possessed the most lethal weapons of the war—the atomic bomb, the massive B-29 bomber, and an array of thousands of superb fighter planes. The Navy grew to over 125 fleet, light, and escort aircraft carriers. At the end of the war, American battleships, carriers, submarines, fighter aircraft, and transport vehicles were the most numerous and best in the world. By 1945, the American gross domestic product was likewise larger than all the economies of all the belligerents combined.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let it freeze billions in foreign aid - The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to let it freeze billions of dollars in foreign aid, potentially initiating a key battle at the high court over the president’s bid to expand his power over federal spending. The Justice Department on Monday filed an emergency application at the high court after a federal appeals court upheld a judge’s order requiring the administration to spend funds that Congress approved for aid programs worldwide before it starts to expire on Sept. 30. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued in the government’s application that the lower court’s injunction would force the administration to obligate those funds at “breakneck speed” to meet the deadline, even as it has asked Congress to rescind them. “The President can hardly speak with one voice in foreign affairs or in dealings with Congress when the district court is forcing the Executive Branch to advocate against its own objectives,” Sauer wrote. Trump paused about $30 billion in foreign aid in one of his first acts back in the White House, prompting swift legal action from global health and other aid groups, which argued that he overstepped his authority in freezing the funds they said are vital to humanitarian efforts. An estimated $10.5 billion of the total $30 billion at stake is set to expire on Sept. 30, Sauer said. He contended the government planned to obligate $6.5 billion of those funds by the deadline but that spending the remaining $4 billion would run contrary to U.S. foreign policy and raise a “grave and urgent threat” to the separation of powers. Trump last month notified Congress he would move to cancel the aid using a rare “pocket rescission.” Under the budget law governing the process, known as the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), the administration asks Congress to cancel select funds. While lawmakers consider that request, the administration is also allowed to temporarily withhold funding for 45 days. If lawmakers reject the request, the funds must be released. However, the injunction would force the release of those funds, Sauer said. “The President has since submitted proposed rescissions, triggering the ICA’s procedures for facilitating political-branch resolution of cases like this one,” the solicitor general argued. “Having enjoined the government earlier for purportedly failing to follow the ICA’s procedures, it is particularly perverse for the district court to authorize APA suits to circumvent those same ICA procedures now that the President has expressly invoked them.” The plaintiffs, global health and aid groups, opposed an administrative stay that would pause the appeals court’s ruling while the justices weigh the government’s request. “Although the government claims that it faces an ‘emergency’ in having to move quickly to obligate funds, that is ‘a circumstance of their own creation,’” they wrote. “USAID and the State Department have been under a duty to obligate these funds since at least March 2024, when Congress enacted the appropriations; they chose not to act sooner.

Democrats investigate Trump's security clearance revocations -- Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee on Monday launched a probe into the Trump administration’s decision to revoke 37 officials’ security clearances, and questioned the rationale behind listing them publicly. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last month stripped clearances from a number of current and former intelligence officials who have ties to the Biden administration or have spoken out against Trump policies. Gabbard, without evidence, accused those listed of politicizing or leaking intelligence or “committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards.” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the panel, asked for “the specific evidence” behind each of the revocations. “If there is evidence of misconduct to warrant revoking the clearances of these 37 individuals, some of whom were senior IC officers at the time of your memo, it would indicate a systemic issue in the granting of security clearances. It is hard to imagine an issue more deserving of congressional oversight and corrective action,” Himes wrote in a letter to Gabbard signed by all Democratic members on the panel.“If, however, these revocations occurred outside of established process and don’t reflect fundamental risk, an immense amount of IC knowledge and capability has been lost.”The letter noted that at least one of those listed had been serving undercover at the time of the announcement, and questioned why Gabbard’s office would make a public announcement concerning the matter.

ICE operations 'absolutely' on table for Chicago this week: Tom Homan — President Donald Trump reiterated his plan to ramp up Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations in the Windy City on Monday, telling an audience he’d love forces to go “into Chicago and straighten it out.” Trump, at a White House Religious Liberty Commission hearing, touted his crackdown in Washington, D.C. and said he would love to do the same in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, among other cities.As Trump wrapped up his speech, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new operation “in honor of Katie Abraham who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run car wreck caused by criminal illegal alien Julio Cucul-Bol in Illinois.” Abraham, 20, was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Urbana in January, NewsNation local affiliate WGN reported. Border czar Tom Homan said Chicago should “absolutely” expect a surge of immigration enforcement operations this week, adding that deploying National Guard troops to protect the operations is “always on the table.”That same day, NewsNation cameras captured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement van returning to an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, where at least six detainees were unloaded. The arrests coincide with Mexican Independence Day celebrations in the Windy City. About 21% of Chicago’s population is Mexican, according to the Census Bureau.

Trump suggests domestic violence shouldn't count in DC crime stats --President Trump on Monday suggested that “a little fight with the wife” should not count when it comes to Washington, D.C., crime statistics amid his crackdown in the nation’s capital. “Can you imagine our capital being the most violent city? But it was — it was really bad, into a totally safe zone. It’s called a safe zone city. There’s no crime. They said, ‘Crime’s down 87 percent,’ I said, ‘No, no, no, it’s more than 87 percent, virtually nothing,’” Trump said during an event at the Museum of the Bible in D.C. “And much lesser things, things that take place in the home, they call crime,” he added. “You know, they’ll do anything they can to find something. If a man has a little fight with the wife, they say, ‘This was a crime, see?’ So, now I can’t claim 100 percent.” His comments were part of a speech he delivered at the Religious Liberty Commission’s meeting on Monday. Trump last week claimed the District was now a “crime free zone” and pushed for more cities run by Democrats to collaborate with his administration to lower the crime rate in their areas. Since Aug. 7, when Trump ordered a federal law enforcement surge in the nation’s capital overall crime there decreased by 14 percent and violent crime has decreased by 39 percent, when compared with the same 25-day period in 2024, according to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data released Sept. 1. Within the “violent crime” category, homicides declined by 58 percent, robberies declined by 57 percent and sex abuse crimes declined by 40 percent, while assaults with a deadly weapon increased by 8 percent. Carjackings, a subset of robberies, declined by 82 percent.

Trump's trade, immigration policies clash with Hyundai raid in Georgia - President Trump’s international economic policies crashed into each over the weekend, when hundreds of South Korea workers were arrested by U.S. immigration officials at a Hyundai factory in Georgia only weeks after the two countries announced a new trade arrangement that was hailed by both sides. Trump’s immigration crackdown has largely focused on the U.S. southern border and has taken place separately from his ongoing reset of international trade. But the collision of his two agendas Saturday sparked tensions. The 300 South Korean workers who were detained in the immigration raid are likely to leave the U.S. without being formally deported after official consultations between Seoul and Washington, the Yonhap News Agency reported Monday, citing a South Korean Foreign Ministry official. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Saturday he was considering a visit to the U.S. to discuss the arrests made at the battery plant in Ellabell, Ga. “We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals,” Cho said during an emergency meeting, according to Yonhap. “We will discuss sending a senior foreign ministry official to the site without delay, and, if necessary, I will personally travel to Washington.” While trying to boost domestic production and create manufacturing jobs, the White House has also been trying to get foreign companies to invest more in the U.S. The weekend raid at the battery plant appeared to some policy specialists as the administration tripping over its own objectives. “There probably wasn’t any coordination in terms of how to address the part where we want to revive American manufacturing, and get foreign investors to invest billions in the U.S., but then also provide a process that also allows workers to come in to set up the factory,” Andrew Yeo, senior fellow and Korea chair with the Brookings Institution, told The Hill. South Korean companies have been investing heavily in the U.S. in recent years, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix putting capital into semiconductor production, and SK On Co. and Samsung SDI building battery factories with American carmakers General Motors and Ford. The immigration raid at the Hyundai-LG facility over the weekend has sent shivers through Korean American businesses and sparked concerns that joint ventures between the two countries are being put on notice. Korean companies are involved in numerous sectors of U.S. heavy industry, including shipbuilding, power equipment and steel production. “There are growing concerns in the business community that major Korean investment projects in the U.S. could be affected,” The Korea Economic Daily, a business trade publication, reported Monday. The U.S. and South Korea announced a $350 billion joint economic initiative at the end of July, premised on the reduction of U.S. tariffs on Korean imports to 15 percent from 25 percent. The new fund set up by the agreement “will help Korean companies actively enter the U.S. market in industries where we have strengths,” President Lee Jae Myung said in a social media post, mentioning the fields of shipbuilding, semiconductors, energy, biotechnology and batteries. While the new initiative lacked many specifics, the weekend immigration raid puts it in a new light, drawing concern from former officials about the scale of South Korean investment in the U.S. “I’m really speechless and furious,” Choi Jong-gun, South Korea’s former vice foreign minister, told The Washington Post on Monday. “We spend a lot of money in the United States and we get slapped in the face.”

Noem says roundup of Koreans at Hyundai plant in Georgia won’t deter investment in the US (AP) — U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday she doesn’t think the detention of hundreds of South Koreans in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will deter investment in the United States because such tough actions mean there is no uncertainty about the Trump administration’s policies. The detention of 475 workers, more than 300 of them South Korean, in the Sept. 4 raid has caused confusion, shock and a sense of betrayal among many in the U.S.-allied nation. “This is a great opportunity for us to make sure that all companies are reassured that when you come to the United States, you’ll know what the rules of the game are,” Noem said at a meeting in London of ministers from the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing partnership focused on border security. “We’re encouraging all companies who want to come to the United States and help our economy and employ people, that we encourage them to employ U.S. citizens and to bring people to our country that want to follow our laws and work here the right way,” she told reporters. The detained Koreans would be deported after most were detained for ignoring removal orders, while “a few” had engaged in other criminal activity and will “face the consequences,” Noem said. Newly appointed U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood welcomed Noem and ministers from Canada, Australia and New Zealand to the 18th-century headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Company for talks on countering unauthorized migration, child sexual abuse and the spread of opioids. Mahmood, who was given the interior minister job in a shakeup of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Cabinet on Friday, said the ministers would “agree new measures to protect our borders with our Five Eyes partners, hitting people-smugglers hard.” The far-flung countries are close allies with some common problems but also widely differ in their approaches to migration. The Trump administration’s program of street raids, mass detentions and large-scale deportations of unauthorized migrants has drawn domestic and international criticism and a host of legal challenges. Noem says tough measures are an inspiration to others Noem said there had not been disagreements among the ministers in talks focused on sharing information on criminal gangs, using technology to disrupt their networks and speeding extradition arrangements. “I don’t think that the discussion today has covered politics at all,” she said. “It is what resources do we have that we can share so we can each protect our countries better?” Noem said that “when we put tough measures in place, the more that we can talk about that and share that is an inspiration to other countries to do the same.” She denied a plan to expand immigration raids and deploy the National Guard in Chicago, which has met with opposition from local and state authorities, was on hold. “Nothing’s on hold. Everything is full speed ahead,” Noem told reporters, saying “we can run as many operations every single day as we need to, to keep America safe.”

Border Czar Says ICE Will Target More Businesses After Enforcement Operation At Hyundai The Trump administration has plans to target more businesses with immigration enforcement operations after it carried out one at a Georgia Hyundai plant and detained hundreds of illegal immigrants, border czar Tom Homan said on Sunday. In an interview with CNN, Homan said that the White House is planning to focus more on companies to see whether any illegal immigrants are working at their worksites.“We’re going to do more worksite enforcement operations,” Homan told the “State of the Union” program, responding to a question about the enforcement operation carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at the Hyundai battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Sept. 4. “No one hires an illegal alien out of the goodness of their heart. They hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less, undercut the competition that hires U.S. citizen employees.”He said that such practices drive wages down for American workers. South Korea’s government has since signaled that it would move to pick up around 300 South Korean nationals who were detained after the operation. U.S. federal agents arrested about 475 workers. The South Korean government has expressed regret about the arrests and the release of the footage showing armored vehicles and ICE operatives shackling and detaining the workers. “What ICE is doing every day on these operations and this worksite enforcement operation also helps us give a secure border, because those who are thinking about coming to the United States illegally know that ... this administration is applying consequences,” Homan also said on Sunday. In the interview, Homan did not say what businesses could be targeted in the ICE operations. For months, Homan has warned U.S. companies that they could be subjected to ICE operations, telling reporters at the White House in June that the agency may perform operations at farms and hotels to root out illegal immigrants there.“I mean, we will concentrate on worksites on a prioritized basis just like we do at large operations,” Homan said at the time. “We’ll prioritize those who have a criminal nexus.” Weighing in on the Hyundai plant arrests, President Donald Trump said in a social media post that more companies investing in the United States should move to “hire and train American workers” while having them bring in “your very smart people” to work legally. Trump made the post shortly after telling reporters he would look at what happened but that the incident had not harmed the United States’ relationship with South Korea. Hyundai said in astatement last week that none of the detained workers worked directly for the automotive company, adding that it has “zero tolerance” for illegal activities.“Hyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate,” the Seoul-based company said. “This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws. We expect the same commitment from all our partners, suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors.” The firm added that it will “continue to invest” in the U.S. market to “create thousands of jobs” while in “full accordance” with immigration laws, according to the statement.

California bill to ban ICE masks sent to Gavin Newsom's desk -- California lawmakers have sent legislation to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that could prohibit federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from wearing masks while carrying out raids in the state.Newsom hasn’t said whether he will sign the bill, which received final approval in the Legislature on Thursday.The governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment Friday, but he said in July that his office was reviewing the constitutionality of the proposal.Critics have taken issue with ICE agents wearing face coverings while carrying out President Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown in cities across the country. They argue the covering is meant as an intimidation tactic. California — Los Angeles in particular — became a major focus of ICE operations over the summer as mass protests erupted in response to workplace raids. The president deployed National Guard troops and Marines to protect federal properties, sparking an ongoing court battle. ICE didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request on the California legislation, but officials in the Trump administration have repeatedly defended the need for officers to protect their identities. “I don’t particularly like masks, but the ICE officers need the mask because their families are being doxed,” Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told reporters at the White House late last month. “Their families are being doxed, their children are being doxed, their families have been put in harm’s way.”

Exclusive—Melania Trump's immigration lawyer condemns White House visa move --The White House's proposed changes to how H-1B visas would be allocated, have been condemned by immigration attorney Michael Wildes, who previously represented first lady Melania Trump. In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Wildes said the plan to eliminate the lottery system currently in practice risks harming small businesses, rural employers, and U.S. universities. The H-1B visa program has long been a central tool for U.S. companies to hire high-skilled foreign workers, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Each year, demand for these visas far exceeds the cap, which has traditionally been filled through a random lottery. The White House now proposes to shift away from that system and toward one that prioritizes applicants with higher wages or advanced educational credentials. On the surface, the change could seem like a way to reward the "best and brightest." But critics argue it would fundamentally reshape who gets access to U.S. work opportunities. The new system would tilt heavily in favor of wealthy tech companies, while leaving small businesses, rural employers, and educational institutions struggling to compete. Opponents warn the move may also deter international students, who often hope to stay in the U.S. after graduation. Without that incentive, universities could lose out on tuition revenue, driving up costs for American students. Economists say the proposal could deepen workforce inequality, making it a flashpoint not only for immigration, but also for broader economic and education policy.

Supreme Court ruling could boost Trump's immigration efforts -The Trump administration is escalating its immigration operations in Democratic cities in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling giving the government the ability to conduct immigration stops based on an individual’s ethnicity or whether they speak Spanish.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday morning announced “Operation Patriot 2.0” in Massachusetts and announced “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago roughly an hour after the Supreme Court decision came down.The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to lift a lower court’s ruling that barred racial profiling as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers roved Los Angeles. The timing of the announcements appeared to be coincidental; President Trump has for weeks floated surging resources into Chicago to crack down on crime. But the high court’s ruling provides additional momentum for an administration that has repeatedly pushed the envelope with its deportation efforts.The planned ICE raids build on action earlier this summer in Los Angeles that sparked a court battle over the agency’s enforcement policies, with a judge blocking officers from using race, language or even someone’s profession as a basis for targeting them. “Today’s Supreme Court order puts people at grave risk, allowing federal agents in Southern California to target individuals because of their race, how they speak, the jobs they work, or just being at a bus stop or the car wash when ICE agents decide to raid a place,” the American Civil Liberties Union wrote in bashing the order as condoning racial profiling. “For anyone perceived as Latino by an ICE agent, this means living in a fearful ‘papers please’ regime, with risks of violent ICE arrests and detention.” The Trump administration has repeatedly tested the bounds of the law with its deportation efforts, facing legal challenges as it sought to deport migrants to third-party countries and over its use of the Alien Enemies Act to remove alleged gang members to a foreign prison. Trump spent much of August publicly contemplating whether to send the National Guard to Chicago or other Democratic-led cities like Baltimore and Oakland, Calif., as an extension of his crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. Immigration enforcement has been a central component of the federal operations in the District, which has drawn pushback from residents and some local officials.The president over the weekend further inflamed tensions when he posted a message on Truth Social that read, “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The post was accompanied by an AI-generated image of Trump in the role of a character from the film “Apocalypse Now.”Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and other Democrats viewed Trump’s post as a threat to go to war with an American city. Trump disputed that characterization, but Monday’s announcement of a large-scale ICE operation made the administration’s plans clearer.DHS said its operation would target “the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.”Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) accused Trump of “essentially declaring war on a city in his own nation.”“In the coming days Donald Trump will seek to provoke a response to his un-American actions, hoping for images of chaos and violence to validate his lie that Chicago is an apocalyptic city in crisis and justify sending in the military to intimidate Americans,” Duckworth said in a statement. Meanwhile in Boston, city officials were bracing for a ramp-up of ICE activity, building on an operation first launched in May to target immigrants in the country illegally. While the Supreme Court’s injunction only concerned ICE policy in the Los Angeles area, the agency is likely to use similar guidelines elsewhere now that the practice has been backed by the high court.Brought by five men arrested by ICE when raids began in Los Angeles in June, the case resulted in an initial win blocking profiling based on ethnicity, language or due to their presence at places like bus stations and car washes.The block had an immediate impact. Once ICE agents were stopped from profiling, arrests dipped 66 percent in the span of a week, according to data compiled by the Cato Institute. That figure was even higher for Latinos with no criminal background or removal orders, a demographic who saw arrests drop 88 percent over the same time period. David Bier, director of immigration studies at Cato, said the data shows how heavily ICE agents have been relying on profiling during their raids.“Contrary to the government’s initial claims, it is now undeniable that it was engaged in an extremely high level of illegal profiling in Los Angeles,” he wrote in reviewing his findings. “This is catastrophic for our freedoms and the lawlessness is bound to result in many illegal detentions of Americans and inevitably lead to violence,” he wrote on the social platform X on Monday.

Ousted FEMA chief describes ‘very hostile relationship’ with DHS officials -Former acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton said he had “a very hostile relationship” with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials during an interview last week. “When my character started being attacked, and then I was polygraphed, and then I passed, and there was no apology … it became a very hostile relationship” Hamilton told former FEMA official John Scardena on the Disaster Tough podcast on Wednesday. Hamilton was fired this past May, just one day after he told congressional lawmakers that eliminating FEMA was not in the public’s best interests. Hamilton’s comments contradicted President Trump’s assertions that the agency should be either overhauled or eliminated entirely. Trump has expressed a desire to shift more responsibility for disaster preparedness to states. “I was not hired to abolish FEMA. That was never part of the conversation, and that’s never something I would have agreed with. And I was very clear. I wanted some reform. I want to cut wasteful spending. I wanted to downsize the agency,” Hamilton said. Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL and director of emergency medical services at DHS, was appointed as acting FEMA administrator on Jan. 22. In March, Hamilton was reportedly ordered by DHS to take a polygraph test regarding whether he leaked information on a private meeting concerning FEMA to Politico’s E&E News and CNN. Trump criticized FEMA upon taking office and even teased an executive order shutting the agency down. “I had a gradual phasing out, because I also had concerns that FEMA had been forced into a scenario to assume more and more state responsibility,” Hamilton said. “We needed to give the states some time to see what that entails and to respond accordingly. Not just, ‘Hey, the water’s now shut off, you’re on our own.’ That’s not wise.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees the agency, echoed the president’s rhetoric during a May 25 Cabinet meeting, saying, “we’re going to eliminate FEMA.” But last month, Noem touted $96 million in FEMA grants to North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene last year. “There’s so much reform that can be done within FEMA, and that’s a bipartisan issue,” Hamilton noted. “Whether you’re progressive or conservative or anywhere in between on the political spectrum, pretty much universally across FEMA there was a shared concern over a lot of internal requirements, statutes and thing that should be amended or should be modified.”

Corporations are trying, and now failing, to hide job openings from US citizens - Should Americans be prohibited from sharing open job opportunities with each other? The food-delivery platform Instacart seems to think so. Step back in time for a moment to former President George H.W. Bush, who signed the Immigration Act of 1990 — a bill championed by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). He promised that it would “dramatically” increase the number of immigrants to America and encourage migration by “exceptionally talented people.” Several new visa categories were created with that aim in mind, including the H-1B for foreign nationals working in “specialty occupations.” Companies such as Instacart can sponsor employees on H-1B visas to reside in the U.S. for up to six years. They can also sponsor them for permanent residence. (In fact, companies must sponsor their employees if they want to keep them around for more than six years.) However, in order for applications for permanent residency to be successful, companies must certify their inability to find a suitable American candidate to take the position they’re looking to fill with a foreign national. Unsurprisingly, that means some companies have been incentivized to hide job openings from U.S. citizen and resident applicants. As part of the permanent labor certification process that enables employers to convert migrants into permanent residents, companies are required to advertise the jobs in question, which a migrant has been performing, for at least 30 days.What does it mean to “advertise”? Some companies have encountered trouble by getting too creative in probing that question. Meta, for example, had to shell out $13 million in 2021 to settle allegations that it discriminated against American applicants. It also includes Apple, which paid $25 million in 2023 to settle similar allegations.According to the Justice Department, the companies absurdly required applicants to submit applications by mail, despite using an online process for positions they genuinely wanted to fill. In its settlement with Apple, the Justice Department noted that the requirement “nearly always resulted in zero or very few mailed applications that Apple considered” for these positions. How many 20-something software engineers even know how to use a post office in 2025?But these settlements haven’t been enough to deter hundreds of other companies from engaging in similar questionable practices. And this has given rise to a cottage industry of chronically-online types — in other words, typical tech workers — seeking to expose them.

Supreme Court will hear Trump tariffs case on fast track -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Trump administration's request to hear its appeal of lower court rulings that many of President Donald Trump's wide-rangingtariffs are illegal.The Supreme Court also agreed with the administration's request to consider the appeal on a faster-than-normal timeline. The court, in an order, said it would hear oral arguments in the first week of November. It allotted one hour for that session.The court consolidated two separate cases in which plaintiffs – seven small businesses and a dozen states — have successfully challenged the legality of the tariffs at issue.The Trump administration, in asking for the expedited appeal in one of the cases, has warned that the Treasury Department could be forced to refund between $750 billion and $1 trillionin collected tariffs if the Supreme Court waited until next June to issue a decision that agreed with lower court judges that the duties are illegal. See the full list of U.S. tariffs in place around the worldAt stake in the Supreme Court appeal are "reciprocal tariffs" that Trump announced on April 2. Those range from a baseline of 10% on imports for many countries to as high as 50% on imports from Brazil and India. Also at risk are 25% tariffs on some imports from Canada, China and Mexico. Trump has said that those duties are to hold those nations accountable for tolerating the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl into the United States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a 7-4 rulingon Aug. 29 said that Trump had usurped the authority of Congress to impose tariffs when he slapped steep duties on imports from many countries earlier this year. Trump had invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in imposing those tariffs. The appeals court, in upholding a ruling by the Court of International Trade, said that a president's authority to regulate imports during a national emergency does not authorize the imposition of worldwide tariffs with no expiration date, as Trump has done. The appeals court ruling in the case known as V.O.S. Selections v. Trump came three months to the day after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in a separate case, known as Learning Resources v. Trump, also had ruled that the tariffs the president imposed related to fentanyl and to the International Emergency Powers Act are illegal. The Trump tariffs challenged in the cases have remained in effect since the rulings. They remain in effect as the Supreme Court considers the administration's appeal.The Tax Foundation has estimated that nearly 70% of all goods imported into the U.S. are affected by tariffs imposed by Trump. If the Supreme Court agrees that the tariffs being challenged in the two cases are illegal, only about 16% of U.S. imports would be affected by other tariffs implemented by the president, the foundation has estimated.

Potential Trump tariff refund bill could top $1 trillion as Supreme Court fight looms - The United States government has already collected tens of billions of dollars from President Donald Trump's "reciprocal tariffs." But that money — and a lot more — could end up being refundedif the Supreme Court agrees with lower courts that many of the levies on imports from other countries are illegal.How much could that end up being? Anywhere between $750 billion to a whopping $1 trillion, warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a declaration filed with the Supreme Court last week. That eye-popping total could include the more than $72 billion in tariff revenue collected so far by U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement since Trump's "liberation day" announcement, according to data as of Aug. 24.It would also include money projected to be collected from the at-risk tariffs by next June."Unwinding them could cause significant disruption," Bessent told the Supreme Court.Bessent's declaration was part of a request by the Trump administration to have the Supreme Court quickly rule the tariffs are legal, and not wait until next summer, the normal time frame for such a decision.The sooner the court rules, the less money the government could be required to refund if a majority of justices find the tariffs to be illegal. Refunding tariffs is not an unprecedented situation for the U.S. government. But the amount of tariffs the Trump administration could be forced to refund is. Under former President Joe Biden, importers of some Chinese goods were granted refunds on Section 301 tariffs during a limited period, according to a 2022 Holland & Knight alert. But those refunds were relatively paltry. Bessent said he is "confident" that the Trump administration will get the Supreme Court to reverse the lower court's rulings. But if the Supreme Court says that refunds are required, "we'd have to do it," Bessent told NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday. And that would be "terrible," he added. Two lower courts have ruled Trump overstepped his presidential authority when he invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify imposing steep levies on virtually every U.S. trading partner. Last week, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to reverse those decisions — quickly. "The stakes in this case could not be higher," Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the administration's petition to the high court. "To the President and his most senior advisors, these tariffs thus present a stark choice: With tariffs, we are a rich nation; without tariffs, we are a poor nation," Sauer wrote. Major questions remain over how a refund process would work for the administration and the companies hit hardest by the tariffs Majerus said it is possible that importers could be required to file claims themselves to secure the refunds. Trade experts are already urging companies to keep meticulous records and prepare to file refund claims, warning that the process could be messy. "Documenting import histories and filing necessary paperwork promptly will be key," If brokers are required to file for their refunds, "the workload for our customs teams would double overnight and be met with importers very eager to get those dollars back," The New York Times' DealBook newsletter reported that some importers are being approached about selling their rights to potential refunds to third-party firms at pennies on the dollar. Buyers of those rights are effectively betting that the Supreme Court will overturn Trump's tariffs, and give them a handsome return on those wagers.

Congress will do 'what's right' if Trump's tariffs are tossed by Supreme Court, House tax committee chair says - House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith said Tuesday he would "respond accordingly" if President Donald Trump's levies are overturned by the Supreme Court, but stopped short of pledging to move them through Congress.The Republican from Missouri said he has worked with the Trump administration "hand in glove" on tariffs, and he himself has "talked with more than 20 different countries in the last two months.""If the courts do upset the apple cart, then we're going to have to respond accordingly, that's what's appropriate and what's right," he said on CNBC's "Squawk Box."Smith's comments came just hours before the Supreme Courtgranted a request by the Trump administration to take up itsappeal of lower court rulings.Those rulings found that Trump overstepped his authority when he imposed tariffs on scores of U.S. trade partners earlier this year.The court will consider the appeal on an expedited basis. Oral arguments are expected to take place in November.Last month, two lower courts ruled that Trump's invocation of the obscure International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify imposing tariffs without consulting with Congress exceeded presidential powers."Tariffs are a core Congressional power," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit wrote in its 7-4 ruling last month.But Smith's comments sidestepped the question of whether he would actually expend his political capital into trying to pass similar tariffs through the House if the Trump administration ran into trouble.It's difficult to imagine Democrats supporting a tariff bill in the House or the Senate.But more worrisome than the prospect of winning over Democrats — at least for Republican leadership — is that a tariff bill in Congress could divide Republicans.Tariffs are still unpopular with most voters, according to NBC News polling.This means holding a vote in Congress over tariffs could force Republicans to choose between their constituents, who don't like tariffs, and the president, who is very popular with GOP voters.

Postal shipments to US down 80% after de minimis rule ends — Postal shipments to the U.S. are down 80% after President Donald Trump ended the de minimis exemption that made lower-value shipments exempt from tariffs. The data comes from the UN agency, the Universal Postal Union, which also noted that 88 shipping providers around the globe have completely or partially suspended shipping to the U.S.The de minimis exemption allowed packages under $800 in value to be shipped without being subject to any duties. The policy allowed consumers to directly purchase goods from overseas without being subject to tariffs and also allowed small businesses to buy supplies without the added expense of tariffs.Trump ended the policy for China earlier in the year, striking a blow to companies like Shein and Temu that relied on the rule to sell ultra-cheap goods directly to American consumers.On Aug. 29, the de minimis rule was ended for the rest of the globe, prompting a number of countries to halt most or all shipments to the U.S. With the exemption ended, postal operators are responsible for completing additional paperwork and collecting the duties from consumers.Postal operators say there wasn’t enough time to establish procedures to deal with the new system and they were not able to easily establish relationships with the relevant U.S. authorities.

Japan tariff investment: Lutnick says U.S. will share profits until $550B recouped -Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday that the U.S. will equally share profits with Japan from projects funded by the Asian country through its tariff deal until the initial investment is recouped.Tokyo agreed to earmark $550 billion for investment in American-based projects selected by the U.S. government as part of a deal finalized last week. President Donald Trump said Japan will now face 15% baseline tariffs and some sector-specific levies under the two countries' deal.Lutnick said the U.S. will initially split profits equally on projects funded through Japan's investment. Once Japan earns back its $550 billion, the profit breakdown will shift to the U.S. receiving 90% and Tokyo taking the remaining 10%, Lutnick said."After that, it's 90/10, in favor of America," Lutnick said Thursday on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."Lutnick said an investment committee will suggest projects to fund through Japan's cash pile.After receiving Trump's approval, the U.S. will hire construction workers and send a "capital call" to Japan, he said, acknowledging that Japan has to "blow up their balance sheet" and borrow money to fund the projects.But Lutnick said it shouldn't ultimately cost Japanese taxpayers anything in the long run, assuming they get the invested money back from the projects. On top of that, Japanese consumers will benefit from a lower tariff rate, he said."For their country's perspective, it's a good deal," Lutnick said.The U.S., meanwhile, gets funds to prop up domestic manufacturing, facilitating projects such as nuclear power plants, he said. Lutnick also pointed to antibiotics as a domestic manufacturing priority.Lutnick's comments come as many of Trump's tariffs hang in legal limbo. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling on a fast timeline. That decision found many of the president's most severe levies were illegal.

Democrats accuse Trump administration of blocking more than $400B in federal funding - Top Democratic lawmakers are accusing the Trump administration of blocking billions of dollars in federal funding that they say is at risk of lapsing at the end of the month. A tracker released Monday by Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), top Democrats on the Senate and House appropriations committees, respectively, tallies more than $410 billion in blocked federal funding. “We are now nine months into the year—and weeks away from the end of the fiscal year—and President Trump and Russ Vought continue to withhold hundreds of billions of dollars from families, farmers, children, small businesses, and communities in every part of the country,” they said in a joint statement. It marks the latest estimate released by Democratic appropriators in recent months as they raise alarm for months over billions in funding targeted by the administration. At the same time, officials have been pushing back on the tally, with one senior administration official reacting Monday, “If anyone knew what Murray and DeLauro were smoking, they’d be rich.” The estimate comes as partisan tensions over spending have been on the rise in Washington amid a significant operation by the administration to reshape parts of the federal government. The White House has also clawed back $9 billion in already appropriated money earlier this year, and is trying to rescind another $5 billion without congressional input. Congress is also facing a time crunch to act to pass legislation to keep the government funded by a Sept. 30 deadline to prevent a shutdown. Among some of the big-ticket items highlighted in the tracker was $37 billion in funding for foreign assistance and development programs that Democrats say has been cancelled, frozen, or terminated, along with about $40 billion for competitive grants for the Transportation Department. The tracker details about $97 billion in “frozen” funds for FEMA-administered Grant Programs, noting that, “despite repeated congressional inquiries, DHS has failed to demonstrate that this funding which has been withheld for months has been released.” It also accuses the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of terminating more than “2,600 grants supporting lifechanging—and lifesaving—medical research, totaling approximately $8.9 billion, and it is not clear how many have or will be reinstated.”

Nominee drama gives senators leverage on disaster money, energy - As Senate Republicans plow ahead with confirming dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees en masse, some in the party have spotted opportunities to negotiate on energy and disaster issues.This week, Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) placed holds on all Homeland Security nominees out of concern about slow disaster aid rollouts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.At the same time, fellow North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis told POLITICO’s E&E News that he lifted his hold on a trio of Treasury nominees, after the administration was “very responsive” to his concerns about renewable energy tax credits.Tillis, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) have all been using Treasury holds as a means of negotiating with the administration on the phaseout of wind and solar tax benefits. It is unclear whether Curtis and Grassley have similarly lifted their holds.

Permitting talks back on the agenda this week - There’s plenty of talk of permitting reform on Capitol Hill these days, but whether that will turn into real progress remains to be seen. A House Natural Resources hearing this week may offer some clues, with Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) planning to push his H.R. 4776, the “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act,” co-sponsored by moderate Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden. Also on the agenda are H.R. 573, the “Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act,” from Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), and H.R. 4503, the “ePermit Act” from Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). “We’re going to be pushing [permitting] hard in the Resources committee,” Westerman said last week. His bill with Golden will likely generate the most fireworks. Democrats on the left, like ranking member Jared Huffman, have already balked at the bill. The legislation aims to cut down on litigation. It would also narrow the scope for what triggers a NEPA review by redefining “major federal action.” “Chairman Westerman has taken the most tired lie in Washington — that NEPA is to blame for America’s permitting problems — and spun it into an assault on our environmental protections and public input,” Huffman said in July. Huffman and other Democrats like Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse have said they continue to be open to a grand bargain on permitting that would include changes to environmental laws but also improved transmission. That doesn’t mean talks are at an advanced stage. “Whatever is happening is happening with folks who probably don’t want an environmentalist in the room, so I will be reading about it in your publication, probably,” Huffman said. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), a moderate on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has been more bullish on a deal — including one that includes deep changes to NEPA. One idea is to revive the old “pipes and wires” framework, which would make it easier to build interstate pipelines (generally a Republican priority) as well as transmission lines (a Democratic priority), according to a House Democratic aide granted anonymity to talk freely. “The wrench in all of it is the administration’s anti-clean-energy moves and what the trust factor on permitting reform is if the president can just unilaterally block projects on ideological grounds,” the Democratic aide said. Peters and — notably — E&C Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) appeared onstage at a conference in Washington last week focused on abundance, an event to promote a growing movement to cut red-tape and foster entrepreneurial ideas. The pair discussed rising energy demand, among other things, according to people familiar with the conversation. There was also some discussion of reviving last year’s permitting bill from then-Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). At a separate event, Jarrod Agen, executive director of the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council, said the president wanted to get things done fast. “Being able to build pipelines in this country and transmission lines, that is a key priority when we look at the permitting reform,” said Agen. “It’s probably the top priority for us from an energy perspective — what we’re going to do now that the legislature is back.”

Interior targets Biden’s signature public lands policy - The Interior Department moved Wednesday to kill the Bureau of Land Management’s public lands rule, saying the Biden administration’s designation of conservation as a formal use of BLM rangelands violates federal law by restricting the use of millions of acres of public land.The Trump administration’s proposal to rescind the conservation and landscape health rule — commonly referred to as the public lands rule — follows a five-month review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and a separate BLM review of the rule. BLM’s review determined that the rule making conservation as much of a priority on bureau rangelands as energy development or recreation “is unnecessary and violates existing statutory requirements,” according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Wednesday that outlines details of the proposal. The Biden administration’s rule “had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multiple-use land — preventing energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing and recreation across the West,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.But conservationists pushed back, saying the move to dismantle the rule would hamstring BLM’s ability to protect public lands from the ravages of increased wildfires, drought and other impacts of a warming climate. Among other components, the rule applied rangeland health standards across the 245 million acres the bureau oversees. It also created a new leasing system that would have allowed environmental groups or others to pay to protect BLM-managed land for a certain period of time, such as if companies wanted to execute a mitigation project to compensate for work on other federal land.“With this announcement, the administration is saying that public lands should be managed primarily for the good of powerful drilling, mining and development interests,” said Alison Flint, senior legal director at the Wilderness Society. “They’re saying that public lands’ role in providing Americans the freedom to enjoy the outdoors, and conserve beloved places for future generation, is a second-class consideration.”Vera Smith, national forests and public lands director at Defenders of Wildlife, said the public lands rule “provided for healthy habitats and now it’s foolishly being yanked away in service of the ‘Drill, baby, drill’ agenda.”BLM suggested in the Federal Register notice — signed by Adam Suess, Interior’s acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management — that the Biden administration sidestepped public concerns and criticisms of the rule before implementing it in June 2024. Those included comments that the administration downplayed the economic effects of the rule.“The most effective caretakers of our federal lands are those whose livelihoods rely on its well-being,” Burgum said in his statement. “Overturning this rule protects our American way of life and gives our communities a voice in the land that they depend on.”The proposal to revoke the rule falls in line with numerous executive orders issued by President Donald Trump and secretarial orders from Burgum, designed to remove regulatory barriers to energy development and mining activity on federal lands in the name of bolstering energy independence and security.“The new rule is a welcome change from the prior clear disregard for the legal obligation to balance multiple uses on federal lands,” said Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association.

House Republicans renew energy efficiency fight - House Energy and Commerce Republicans are reviving their fight against Biden-era Department of Energy efficiency standards this week, charging that federal rulemaking has driven up consumer costs and limited choice in the marketplace. The Energy Subcommittee hearing comes as lawmakers in both parties trade blame for rising housing and utility prices.“During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Energy imposed energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings that are inefficient, ineffective, and harmful to consumers,” full committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-Ohio) said in a statement.They continued, “Heavy-handed, burdensome regulations have contributed to rising housing prices that continue to climb out of reach for would-be buyers.”

'A colossal train wreck': U.S. energy chief slams odds of net zero by 2050 -U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has lambasted plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050, calling the climate target "a colossal train wreck" that countries will most likely fail to achieve.His comments, which were first published as part of an interview with the Financial Times on Monday, come as Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum prepare to travel to Milan, Italy, for the Gastech energy conference."Net zero 2050 is just a colossal train wreck … It's just a monstrous human impoverishment program and of course there is no way it is going to happen," Wright said in remarks shared by the U.S. Department of Energy on social media platform X.Net zero refers to the goal of achieving a state of balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it.More than 140 countries, including major polluters such as the U.S., India and the European Union, have adopted plans to reach net zero by various timelines.To meet the critically important warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, as prescribed in the landmark Paris Agreement, global carbon emissions should reach net zero by around the middle of the century, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit non-profit.For high-income nations such as the U.S., this means reaching net zero by 2050 or earlier. Low-income countries can meanwhile achieve the feat by the 2050s or 2060s.A former oil and gas executive, Wright has recognized climate change as a global challenge that "deserves attention," while criticizing what he has described as "climate alarmists." Scientists, meanwhile, have challenged Wright's comments on climate change, describing them as "a regurgitation of misinformative talking points." Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, are the primary cause of climate change. The Trump administration official, who is scheduled to deliver an address on the U.S. vision for global energy security at Gastech on Wednesday, has reportedly warned that European climate rules could threaten the EU's trade deal with the White House. The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the world's first carbon border levy, and the bloc's regulation on methane were among some of the measures cited by Wright as potential risks to the U.S.-EU trade framework, according to the Financial Times. Under the terms of the U.S.-EU trade pact, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described as a "good deal" when it was struck, the EU has said companies in the 27-nation bloc have expressed interest in investing at least $600 billion in various sectors by 2029.The EU also intends to purchase U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil and nuclear energy products with an expected offtake valued at $750 billion over the next three years, seeking to replace Russian energy on the EU market

Trump announces millions in storm recovery funds for North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas - President Trump said Thursday he had approved millions of dollars in funding for storm recovery efforts across multiple states, including in North Carolina, where residents are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Trump posted the announcements on Truth Social, saying he had spoken with lawmakers in each state.The president said he had approved nearly $32 million in aid for North Carolina in response to flooding in July which was caused by Tropical Depression Chantal. Trump cited asks from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Senate candidate Michael Whatley (R) and other Republicans. Trump said he had informed Democratic Gov. Josh Stein of the move.Budd in particular has been critical of the Trump administration for the pace of funds released to help recover from Hurricane Helen, which devastated parts of North Carolina last year. Budd had said he would stall nominees for the Department of Homeland Security until the issue was addressed.Trump on Thursday also announced nearly $30 million in funding for Wisconsin to help recover from major storms and flooding in August. Trump said the approval came after a conversation with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) had requested a presidential disaster declaration in late August.Vice President Vance traveled to Wisconsin in August, where multiple reporters pressed him on why the administration had yet to approve the state’s request for a disaster declaration to aid with recovery after massive flooding in the Milwaukee area.Trump also announced Thursday that he had approved $5.7 million to aid Kansas with recovery from severe storms and tornadoes that hit the state, as well as $500,000 for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe in South Dakota after flooding earlier this year.

Job Growth Has Been Much Weaker Than Reported, Revised Data Shows -The U.S. economy added hundreds of thousands fewer jobs in 2024 and early 2025 than previously thought, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), indicating a much weaker labor market than prior data showed.An updated report from the BLS showed that U.S. employers created 911,000 fewer jobs between April 2024 and March 2025 than previously reported, appearing to mark the largest revision to federal employment data on record. The update suggests the economy only added about 850,000 jobs within that window, just half the number indicated by past data. The striking revision arrives after President Donald Trump fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month over a weak jobs report, alleging that the data McEntarfer provided was “rigged” to make him and Republicans look bad. Trump has not provided evidence for his accusations, which economists have widely pushed back against.The revision of federal jobs data is part of a routine process known as benchmarking, in which surveys of businesses and state unemployment records are used to adjust previous numbers to more accurately reflect the employment landscape.The updated numbers released Tuesday, which are considered preliminary and will be finalized early next year, offer a clearer picture of the job market before Trump took office and imposed higher tariffs and ramped up his immigrationagenda, factors that have weighed on the labor economy.A separate monthly jobs report published last week showed that unemployment rates ticked up and job growth slowed in August, with just 22,000 new positions created. The report was the first the agency released since McEntarfer’s firing. It also showed that the labor market lost 13,000 jobs in June, marking the first net decline in employment since late 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump has nominated Heritage Foundation chief economist E.J. Antoni, who contributed to the conservative group’s controversial Project 2025 agenda and was seen outside of the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riots in 2021, to lead the BLS. The White House has said Antoni was only a “bystander” during the Jan. 6 attack. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick dismissed the August report and said the White House expects a surge in jobs, despite the evidence of a slowdown in hiring. The unemployment rate in the U.S. remains at a relatively low level in historic terms at 4.3 percent, despite rising slightly in August..Last year, the federal jobs data was revised to show that 818,000 fewer jobs were created in the year ending in March 2024 than previously reported, which was at the time the biggest adjustment in over 10 years.

Trump admin hits Biden economy, BLS, Powell after jobs data --The White House used revised jobs data released Tuesday as fodder to criticize three frequent targets of President Donald Trump: the Bureau of Labor Statistics, former President Joe Biden and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell."Today, the BLS released the largest downward revision on record proving that President Trump was right: Biden's economy was a disaster and the BLS is broken," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement."This is exactly why we need new leadership to restore trust and confidence in the BLS's data on behalf of the financial markets, businesses, policymakers, and families that rely on this data to make major decisions," she said. "Much like the BLS has failed the American people, so has Jerome 'Too Late' Powell – who has officially run out of excuses and must cut the rates now."The Labor Department report showed that the U.S. economy created fewer jobs than had been initially reported in the year that began in March 2024. Annual revisions to nonfarm payrolls data for the year showed a reduction of 911,000 from initial estimates, according to the initial report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS has been the target of a coordinated campaign to undermine faith its data, orchestrated by the White House.Trump abruptly fired Bureau of Labor Statistics commissionerErika McEntarfer in August, just hours after BLS released initialemployment data for July that included two months' of downward revisions to job growth data from earlier in the year.Trump argued that those revisions — which are common in jobs reports — showed that the BLS was manipulating employment data for political purposes. His firing of McEntarfer drew sharp rebuke from economists and some lawmakers.

Sound the Alarm: “White House Prepares Report Critical of Statistics Agency” - Menzie Chinn - Be afraid, be very afraid. From the WSJ article:Five weeks after President Trump fired the chief of the agency that gathers the country’s labor and price data, his advisers are preparing a report laying out alleged shortcomings of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ jobs data, according to people familiar with the matter.The report takes a critical look at the BLS and lays out a historical overview of the agency’s jobs-data revisions, they said.The administration is considering publishing the study, written by the Council of Economic Advisers, in the coming weeks, according to these people. If this forthcoming report is anything like its analysis of the OBBB (critique here), I suggest running for the hills. As an aside, if we were to use a CENSUS (and willing to wait eight months for the numbers), then one would find that 0.8% y/y growth rate through December 2024, vs. 1.3% in the CES series. Using the CPS based series adjusted to the NFP concept (which was pushed by Republicans angered by the slow employment growth recorded after the 2001 recession), the growth rate was 0.9%. In other words, precise measurement of COVERED employment leads to lower estimated employment growth. By the way, NABE is alarmed as well:The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) – the global professional association of 3,000 business economists, applied economists, and data scientists – stands firmly with the dedicated economists and statisticians at BLS and across the federal statistical agencies. BLS staff are singularly focused on accuracy and quality, even in the face of funding cuts, falling survey response rates, and changes in the structure of the economy.

Senate GOP tees up ‘nuclear option’ to end Democratic nominee blockade -Senate Republicans on Monday formally got the ball rolling on their bid to invoke the so-called nuclear option and change the chamber’s rules in order to expeditiously confirm dozens of President Trump’s stalled nominees in the coming weeks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday started the process of making the rules change on the floor by filing a resolution that includes dozens of nominees awaiting confirmation. The initial procedural vote on the resolution is expected to take place on Thursday, with the rule change expected to be finalized early next week, followed quickly by a vote on the first batch of nominees themselves. “We’ve got a crisis, and it’s time to take steps to restore Senate precedent and codify in the Senate rules what was once understood to be standard practice,” Thune said on the floor on Monday. “Eight months of petty partisanship is long enough.” The plan Thune teed up is based on a Democratic proposal made by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) two years ago, which called for allowing 10 nominees from the same committee to be confirmed “en bloc.” The GOP blueprint goes further, however, as it would allow Republicans to pass an unlimited number of nominees in a single tranche, including scores of sub-Cabinet selections and picks to serve as U.S. attorneys. While Senate Republicans have loudly beat the drum citing those with bipartisan support, the rule will also extend to those who have advanced from committee with partisan backing. The rules change would not apply to judicial nominees, who would still be subject to the requisite two hours of floor consideration. Cabinet and Supreme Court nominees will still require 30 hours of consideration and are not eligible to be greenlighted in a bloc. Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) headed up a working group during the August break to discuss and work through potential changes. Part of the calculus for that cadre of lawmakers was coming up with an idea that they would not regret when they are eventually in the minority and Democrats are able to wield the “en bloc” power. “Quite frankly, the resolution is: Would this work for Democrats or Republicans regardless of who [is in the majority]? Yes, because this is the way it was typically done in the past,” Lankford told reporters. “We’ve got to get back to that.” For much of the past two months, Republicans have cried foul that none of Trump’s nominees, especially those who are considered noncontroversial, have been able to clear the chamber via unanimous consent or voice vote. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the lone nominee who was not subjected to a filibuster this year. By contrast, 57 percent of former President Biden’s choices were confirmed via voice vote or unanimous consent, with that number being 65 percent during Trump’s first term. Roughly 90 percent of confirmations made by former Presidents George W. Bush and Obama were done through those two avenues. “Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this obstruction any longer,” Thune said in an op-ed earlier on Monday. “We have tried to work with Democrats in good faith to batch bipartisan, noncontroversial nominees and clear them expeditiously, according to past precedent. Democrats have stood in the way at every turn.” Monday’s move comes more than a month after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and top Republicans were unable to strike a deal on a nominations package in the final hours before the August recess. Trump panned Schumer for wanting too much in return in talks. The New York Democrat declared victory in the battle, having argued that Trump’s nominees deserve increased scrutiny — a claim he reiterated on Monday while railing against a judicial nominee the chamber was voting on later in the evening. “Now, rather than giving those [pre-August] talks another chance, Republicans would rather change how the Senate operates to weaken this chamber’s traditional and powerful sense of deliberation,” Schumer said. “If Republicans go nuclear, the historically bad nominees we’ve seen so far under Donald Trump will only get worse.”

CDC upheaval triggers global concern amid ongoing US vaccine policy debate -The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday called for efforts to protect public health excellence at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which follows massive staff layoffs, the firing of its newly confirmed director, recent resignations of top scientists, an armed attack, and the gutting of its vaccine advisory group under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump weighed in on recent vaccine discussions and strongly supported some vaccine, as another Senate committee is poised to continue vaccine discussions tomorrow at a hearing. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus, PhD, on X yesterday said the CDC has long been a center of excellence and that many countries have emulated it to establish similar institutions. He said when he was Ethiopia's health minister, he sent a team to Atlanta to learn from the CDC, adding that Ethiopia's public health system has incorporated what it learned in the United States. He also said the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which he proposed in 2013 when he was a foreign minister, was also inspired by the US CDC."Through global cooperation, many countries have not only learned from the US CDC, but they have also chosen the name 'CDC' for their national institutes," Tedros said. He said the WHO has had a close and longstanding partnership with the US CDC, which has helped Americans and the world benefit from the best American science while providing the United States with access to global health data, alerts, experience, and expertise from other countries. Tedros acknowledged that no institution is perfect, and continued improvements are always needed. "But the work of the US CDC has been invaluable and must be protected!" The Trump Administration has had a contentious relationship with the WHO, which began during the end of the president's first term. In the first days of his second term, Trump issued an executive orderfor the US to withdraw from the WHO, citing what it saw as COVID-19 missteps and lack of reforms. Last week, two news events kept childhood and other vaccines in the spotlight: Florida's decision—the first in the nation—to end vaccine mandates for public school children, and Kennedy’s appearance at a long, contentious Senate Finance Committee hearing, where he faced bipartisan criticism for his actions against childhood vaccines and access to COVID vaccine for other groups.In comments on September 5 at an Oval Office briefing, President Trump seemed to have reservations about Florida’s recent stance, calling it a "very tough position" and urging caution, especially regarding polio and COVID-19 vaccines, The Hill reported. He added that some vaccines aren't controversial, are known to work, and should be used.

Warnock slams RFK Jr. as 'the biggest threat to the health of the American people' - Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on Thursday slammed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as “the biggest threat to the health of the American people.” “Listen, we are in a tragically ironic moment in which the biggest threat to the health of the American people is the secretary of Health and Human Services, and I can think of no obligation more sacred for an American president than making sure that the people of this country are safe,” Warnock told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on his show, “Anderson Cooper 360.” “Robert Kennedy is a hazard to our health, and he needs to be fired. It couldn’t co— it couldn’t happen sooner,” the Georgia Democrat added. Warnock’s remarks echo those he made earlier Thursday at an intense Senate hearing, during which he dubbed Kennedy “a hazard to the health of the American people.” Kennedy defended his time as the U.S.’s top health official during the hearing, swinging back at lawmakers who pushed him over the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based in Warnock’s home state, and changes to vaccine policy. During around three hours of testimony, Kennedy repeated vaccine misinformation, went after the CDC and gave differing explanations on his vision for reshaping the agency. “Frankly, I have seen enough. Secretary Kennedy should be fired immediately. He’s destroying the agency responsible for keeping diseases (like measles and Ebola) under control. This is deadly serious,” Warnock said in a post on the social platform X Thursday. The Trump administration quickly spoke in Kennedy’s defense following the hearing, with Vice President Vance saying the senators challenging the HHS secretarywere “full of s— and everyone knows it.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also defended Kennedy on X, saying that the HHS secretary “is taking flak because he’s over the target.” “The Trump Administration is addressing root causes of chronic disease, embracing transparency in government, and championing gold-standard science. Only the Democrats could attack that commonsense effort,” Leavitt added.

Chris Christie: RFK Jr. a 'joke' -- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday called Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “joke” amid turmoil in Kennedy’s own department. “You looked at that appearance before Congress, and it just confirms what all of us around this table have known for decades: Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas,” Christie said on ABC News’s “This Week.” “And that was on display again this week in front of Congress,” he added, later slamming the HHS secretary as “a joke” in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. On Sunday, President Trump defended Kennedy, who has faced rising criticism from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill over his handling of vaccines and other issues. The president has offered somewhat conflicting messages in recent days about his HHS secretary, defending Kennedy while also defending vaccines. Kennedy defended his time as the nation’s top health official during a tense Senate hearing last week, snapping back at senators who pressed him on the recent upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and vaccine policy changes. During close to three hours of testimony, Kennedy repeated vaccine misinformation, went after the CDC and gave differing explanations on his vision for reshaping the agency.

Trump Announces Crackdown On Drug Ads On TV, Potentially Disrupting Billions In Ad Spending - Earlier this week, following both the kangaroo court that was RFK Jr. congressional hearing and the news that the Trump admin may crack down on Tylenol (of all things), we wondered if there really wasn't something more serious for MAHA to be focusing on... like making an actual impact and banning pharma ads on TV. After all, it's just the US and New Zealand that still allow pharma ads to fund what are largely extremely liberal cable TV stations: why not help US health at the grass roots level by pulling back on the US addiction with, well, drug addiction. And if the Trump admin can put much of the liberal mainstream media out of business for selling snake oil - in some cases literally - even better. The Trump admin announced a crackdown on pharmaceutical advertising on television and social media platforms, potentially disrupting billions of dollars in annual ad spending. President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Tuesday that calls on federal health agencies to require pharmaceutical companies to disclose more side effects in their ads and enforce existing rules about misleading ads. The administration is pitching the moves as a way to increase transparency for patients, and while it is not an outright ban as many had hoped for, it is a start, and it will certainly had an adverse effect as drug makers scramble to avoid penalties and sanctions. As noted above, the US is the only place, besides New Zealand, where pharma companies can directly advertise to consumers. Limiting pharmaceutical advertisements has been a longtime priority for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though the new regulations would stop short of banning the ads entirely. But, as Bloomberg notes, even adding stricter requirements to the ads will likely hit both pharmaceutical companies and the media companies that rely extensively on those advertising dollars. Drug companies spent $10.8 billion in 2024 on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising in total, according to a report from the advertising data firm MediaRadar. AbbVie, Glaxo and Pfizer were particularly big spenders. AbbVie alone spent $2 billion on direct-to-consumer drug ads last year, primarily on advertising for the company’s anti-inflammatory drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq. The medicines brought in more than $6.5 billion for AbbVie in the second quarter of 2025.

Pharmaceutical ads in the U.S.: Top questions answered --Katelyn Jetelina, Your Local Epidemiologist -- Pharmaceutical ads in the United States are annoying. Absurd. And almost uniquely American.In fact, only one other high-income country in the entire world—New Zealand—allows prescription drug companies to advertise directly to consumers. Everyone else has decided the downsides aren’t worth it. So why hasn’t the U.S. stopped them? From the get-go, RFK Jr. has named eliminating pharmaceutical ads as one of his goals. And believe it or not, I’m with him on this one. (Gasp!) But can the administration actually take action? They think they can. Yesterday, a new executive memo and an accompanying FDA press release claimed to step up enforcement against drug ads. Here are answers to the top 9 questions.

Funding cuts to US HIV preventive services could lead to thousands more cases, billions in costs --Two just-published studies estimate the health and economic consequences of reducing, interrupting, or ceasing HIV preventive services in the United States, revealing thousands of new infections and costs in the billions over the next decade, although the results of the second study show considerable uncertainty, with wide credible intervals in the estimates. Led by Emory University researchers and published yesterday in JAMA Network Open, the first study explored the likely changes in HIV transmission and healthcare costs if policy changes result in decreased HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use in the United States. The team used population-based data, PrEP prescription information from 2012 to 2022, estimates from a previously published clinical model, and parameters from a previously published ecological model to describe population-level PrEP use and new diagnoses under different hypothetical changes in PrEP coverage sparked by federal policy changes. Scenario 1 was based on an assumption that the increases in PrEP coverage observed during the past decade would be reversed over the following decade. The other two scenarios took the same approach but at alternative levels of 10% (scenario 2) and 2% (scenario 3) absolute annual decreases. Discounted analyses indicate the present value, reflecting the time value of money, while undiscounted analyses represent the total projected cash flows linked to the scenario. "PrEP, when taken as directed, reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by as much as 99%," the investigators wrote. "Critically, changes in policies that lead to increased out-of-pocket PrEP costs or that decrease access to proximate PrEP locations could reduce PrEP coverage, resulting in excess HIV infections and costs." The authors noted that PrEP use is four times more likely among patients with health insurance and that equitable PrEP use is substantially higher in states with Medicaid expansion or PrEP drug–assistance programs and highest in states with both. Assuming that cuts to PrEP programs reduced PrEP coverage by 3.3 per 100 people each year with indications for PrEP over the next decade (eg, effects of discontinuing interventions to increase PrEP awareness, increasing out-of-pocket PrEP costs), HIV diagnosis rates were estimated to increase by, on average, 2.3%. "This modest decrease in PrEP coverage would be expected to erase all the reductions in HIV transmissions achieved during the past decade," the study authors wrote. "Based on analyses of data from a census of US PrEP users including 17,333,732 person-years of time using PrEP, an absolute 3.3% annual reduction in PrEP coverage during the next 10 years (eg, 2023 to 2033) would result in 8,618 avoidable HIV infections, with lifetime medical costs of $3.6 billion (discounted) for treatment," they added. The second study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, involved a simulation of HIV transmission and Ryan White clients in 31 high-burden US cities and a survey of clinic directors and administrators to estimate how many new HIV infections could ensue if federal funding cuts disrupted or ended Ryan White services for 18 to 42 months by 2030. The researchers estimated that ending Ryan White services in July 2025 would result in 75,436 additional infections (95% credible interval [CrI], 19,251 to 134,175 infections) by 2030—a 49% (95% CrI, 12% to 86%) increase. The increases ranged from 9% in Riverside, California, to 110% in Baltimore, Maryland. Eighteen- and 42-month interruptions resulted in 19% and 38% more infections, respectively.

Experts warn loss of USAID endangers the fight against deadly TB --At the end of 2024, a person assessing global tuberculosis (TB) control efforts might have been able to squint and see some hope in the fight against the world's leading infectious disease killer. Although the COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant setbacks, TB services around the world were starting to recover, and deaths from TB were declining from the height of the pandemic. The advent of shorter and less toxic regimens for drug-resistant (DR)-TB was pushing up treatment success rates. Advances in rapid diagnostic testing and promising movement in TB vaccine development were providing some optimism that countries might be able to meet targets for reducing the global TB burden.But the picture changed dramatically in late January, when the Trump administration placed a 90-day funding freeze on foreign aid delivered through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a move that was followed by the subsequent dismantling of the agency. Overnight, TB programs around the world that relied on USAID, which committed $406 million to TB programs worldwide in 2024, were left in the lurch. According to an analysis by KFF, 79% of USAID awards for TB-related activities were terminated.Although there was immediate concern that stop-work orders issued to recipients of USAID funding would result in TB patients not being able to obtain medicine or receive prompt diagnosis, it quickly became clear that all aspects of TB services were affected, from active case-finding efforts to collection and transportation of sputum samples to programs that help TB patients adhere to their medication. Beyond that, clinicals trials that were seeking to improve TB diagnostics and treatment and develop new vaccines were disrupted, cut back, or halted altogether.An analysis published yesterday in PLOS Global Public Health puts the potential impact in perspective. The modeling study by researchers with Avenir Health and Stop TB Partnership estimates that, in the 26 high-burden countries that have been reliant on USAID funding for TB care programs, a long-term funding gap that is not filled by other sources could result—under a worst-case scenario—in an additional 10.7 million TB cases and 2.2 million TB deaths over the next 5 years."The loss of US funding endangers global TB control efforts…and potentially puts millions of lives at risk," the authors write. "Urgent alternative funding is needed to sustain critical TB intervention and treatment efforts."

Senate committee to probe CDC shake-up; New Jersey eases COVID vaccine access Sen Bill Cassidy, MD, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee yesterday announced a hearing for September 17 to hear from the recently fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez, PhD, and one of the top-level CDC officials who recently resigned. In other developments, New Jersey’s governor issued an executive order to ease COVID vaccine access in light of confusion surrounding new federal policies, and a group led by Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., released a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) strategy aimed at children’s health, which partly focuses on vaccine issues, prompting concerns from health groups.On August 27, the White House fired Monarez just weeks after she was sworn in the CDC’s new director. Kennedy asked her to resign, following a clash over vaccine policy. In a letter from her lawyers, Monarez said she was targeted because she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives. She also accused the HHS of weaponizing public health for political gain and putting American lives at risk.At a fiery Senate HELP committee hearing on September 4, Kennedy said Monarez lied about her ouster. In a statement, Cassidy—a physician and strong vaccine proponent who cast the key vote in Kennedy’s confirmation—said children’s health must be the top priority and thanked President Trump and Kennedy for making radical transparency a priority. “To protect children’s health, Americans need to know what has happened and is happening at the CDC. They need to be reassured that their child’s health is given priority. Radical transparency is the only way to do that.”At next week’s hearing, the group will also hear from Debra Houry, MD, MPH, CDC’s former chief medical officer who resigned as Monarez was fired. He also said the committee would invite HHS officials to respond at a future hearing. The New Jersey Department of Health yesterday issued an executive order allowing anyone ages 6 months and older to receive the updated COVID vaccine for the upcoming respiratory virus season. The health department also issued a standing order that allows New Jersey pharmacists to administer the vaccine without a prescription to anyone ages 3 years and older. Younger children can receive the vaccine from a health provider. In a statement, Gov Phil Murphy said, “At a time when COVID-19 cases are increasing across the country and as part of my Administration’s dedication to evidence-based public health action, I am committed to ensuring everyone in New Jersey who wants to receive a COVID-19 vaccination can receive a dose this fall from trusted health professionals.”

Amy Coney Barrett defends Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in rare interview - Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett defended the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the federal right to an abortion and pushed back on the idea that the high court has a role to play in making medical judgments. In her first television interview since her confirmation five years ago, Barrett said Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization — which overruled Roe v. Wade — made abortion a matter for the states to decide. “Dobbs did not render abortion illegal. Dobbs did not say anything about whether abortion is immoral. Dobbs said that these are questions that are left to the states,” Barrett told CBS News’s Norah O’Donnell. O’Donnell asked the associate justice about a passage from the minority’s dissent that said the Supreme Court “may face questions about the application of abortion regulations to medical care,” including the morning-after pill, in vitro fertilization, IUDs and miscarriage treatment. Barrett noted those decisions have not come before the Supreme Court and are now “left to the democratic process” in the states. “All of these kinds of questions — decisions that you mention that require medical judgments — are not ones that the Constitution commits to the court to decide how far into pregnancy the right of abortion might extend,” Barrett said. “You know, the court was in the business of drawing a lot of those lines before, and what Dobbs says is that those calls are properly left to the democratic process. And the states have been working those out. There’s been a lot of legislative activity and a lot of state constitutional activity since the decision in Dobbs was rendered,” she added.

John Roberts temporarily allows Donald Trump to fire FTC's Rebecca Slaughter - U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily allowed President Trump’s firing of a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to move forward on Monday as the Supreme Court considers Trump’s emergency appeal. Trump is attempting to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter without cause despite federal law preventing him from doing so. The administration contends the law is unconstitutional, asserting an expansive view of presidential power that could prompt the Supreme Court to overturn what remains of its 90-year-old precedent upholding such removal protections. Roberts issued the temporary, administrative stay because he handles emergency appeals arising from the nation’s capital by default. His order contained no explanation, as is typical, and it does not necessarily indicate how the court will decide the case. Roberts ordered Slaughter’s lawyers to respond in writing by next Monday. In the meantime, it adds more whiplash for Slaughter, a Democrat appointed to the FTC in 2018 whom Trump purported to fire in March. A federal district judge reinstated Slaughter in July. Days later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit allowed her firing to move forward temporarily as it considered the administration’s bid for an indefinite pause. The D.C. Circuit rejected the bid in an order Tuesday, reinstating Slaughter once again and spurring the administration’s Supreme Court plea. Slaughter’s lawyers had cautioned Roberts against the temporary intervention. “Applicants identify no harm that will result from Commissioner Slaughter’s continued service while their stay application is pending,” they wrote in court filings.

Amy Coney Barrett weighs in on Donald Trump's third-term speculation - Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett weighed in on President Trump floating the idea of a third term, acknowledging the 22nd Amendment prevents more than two terms. Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier said in an interview with Barrett that aired Monday, “The 22nd Amendment says you can only run for office for two terms.” “True,” replied Barrett, who was nominated by Trump in his first term. When Baier asked if she thought “that’s cut-and-dried,” Barrett said, “Well, that’s, you know, that’s what the amendment says, right? You know, after FDR had four terms, that’s what that amendment says.” Former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected for a third term in 1940 and later died in office during his fourth term, in 1945. In 1951, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment, which put the two-term tradition that dated back to George Washington into the Constitution. In an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” Barrett’s liberal colleague, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, was asked if she believes the 22nd Amendment is settled law. Sotomayor agreed that while the Constitution was settled law, no one had ever challenged the 22nd Amendment regarding running for a third term. “No one has tried to challenge that. Until somebody tries, you don’t know. So, it’s not settled because we don’t have a court case about that issue, but it is in the Constitution,” she said. “And one should understand that there’s nothing that’s the greater law in the United States than the Constitution of the United States,” she added.

Kavanaugh says no one should have too much power amid criticism of Supreme Court - Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh stressed the importance of the separation of powers in government during a rare appearance at a Texas community college Thursday, despite mounting criticism against the court for decisions favoring President Trump’s administration. “The framers recognized, in a way that I think is brilliant, that preserving liberty requires separating the power,” Kavanaugh said, according to an Associated Press report from the event. “No one person or group of people should have too much power in our system.” Video cameras were not allowed to record the speech, which was held at McLennan Community College in Waco. Lower-level federal court judges have recently spoken out against what they have described as a pattern of emergency rulings from the conservative-leaning high court in response to lower court decisions on contentious cases involving the current White House. Three of the Supreme Court justices, including Kavanaugh, were picked by Trump during his first term.

Bessent tells FHFA director ‘I’m gonna punch you in your f‑‑‑ing face’: Report - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte during a heated confrontation at a private dinner attended by administration officials and close advisers to President Trump, according to a report from Politico. The exchange between two top economic officials took place at the inaugural dinner at Executive Branch, an exclusive club started by members of Trump’s social circle. Politico reported Bessent confronted Pulte after hearing from several people that Pulte had been badmouthing him to Trump. “Why the f‑‑‑ are you talking to the president about me? F‑‑‑ you,” Bessent said to Pulte, who looked stunned, according to the report. “I’m gonna punch you in your f‑‑‑ing face.” When the club’s co-owner sought to intervene, Bessent reportedly said to him, “It’s either me or him. … You tell me who’s getting the f‑‑‑ out of here.” Bessent suggested they otherwise “could go outside,” Politico reported. Pulte reportedly asked whether Bessent meant he wanted to talk outside. “No,” Bessent told him, according to Politico. “I’m going to f‑‑‑ing beat your a‑‑.” The Treasury Department, the FHFA and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Politico reported on the heated exchange, citing one eyewitness and four other people familiar with what happened. The news outlet reported the sources disagreed only on whether Bessent or Pulte initiated the conversation.CNN confirmed the reporting.

Adam Schiff on Donald Trump Cabinet mortgage report: 'Staggering' hypocrisy - Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) responded to ProPublica reporting about the mortgages of members of President Trump’s Cabinet on Thursday, saying “the hypocrisy of the Trump administration is nothing short of staggering.” “Donald Trump has made mortgage fraud accusations his weapon of choice to attack people standing in his way and people standing up to him, like me,” Schiff wrote in a post on the social platform X. “Now the news about Trump’s own Cabinet and their mortgages. Should we expect Trump and his enablers at DOJ to make sensational accusations against and investigate his own Cabinet?” he added, with a link to a Thursday ProPublica report. A minimum of three Trump Cabinet members say on mortgages that multiple homes are their primary residences, according to ProPublica’s report. ProPublica reported Sean Duffy, the secretary of Transportation, has primary-residence mortgages in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, according to the outlet, rapidly entered two primary-residence mortgages. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, per loan records, has primary-residence mortgages in Long Island and Washington, D.C., the outlet reported. When reached for comment, an EPA spokesperson told The Hill that “this is more fake news from dark money ProPublica.” “Administrator Zeldin’s primary residence is currently in Washington, DC, since being confirmed as EPA Administrator earlier this year,” the spokesperson continued. “Previously, Administrator Zeldin’s primary residence was in Shirley, NY, since he departed active duty in 2007. Administrator Zeldin followed ALL steps to complete the move in accordance with all laws, rules, and contracts, notifying his mortgage company, insurance company, and local government.” A spokesperson for the Transportation Department also said that in the wake of “being confirmed as the Secretary of Transportation, Sean purchased a home in Washington D.C. where he works full-time.” “The home in DC is not a rental, investment or vacation property. The same bank holds both mortgages and was fully informed of Secretary Duffy’s new employment location and need for a DC residence,” the spokesperson continued. At least three notable adversaries of Trump’s have been targeted with probes from the Justice Department on their personal real estate dealings. Trump recently noted allegations against Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook to back up his effort to remove her from her position. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and Schiff have dealt with investigations linked to their mortgage records as well.

Musk: "Interesting Idea" On Buying Media Outlets To Force Truth Narratives Amid MSM Refugee Stabbing Blackout -- From the Democratic Party's failed criminal justice reforms to the unhinged left's imploding corporate media empire, the failures are on full display again with the deadly stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee in North Carolina by a mentally unstable career criminal released back onto the streets by a progressive judge.Then came the coverage ... or lack thereof. Not a peep from the MSM over the weekend. Their silence revealed how the fake news matrix tried to bury this killing, fearing it would spark backlash ahead of the Midterms. The sequence of events:

• Shocking Video Shows Ukrainian Refugee Fatally Stabbed On Charlotte Train By Career Criminal
• The Image That Killed The Democrats In 2026 And Beyond:
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"No one commits narrative crimes like the NY Times. They are the best," Elon Musk wrote on X on Sunday. Musk continued, "As recent events have shown all too clearly, you can't trust the legacy (fka mainstream) news at all. They lie relentlessly or simply ignore major stories that don't fit their collectively decided narrative." X user Wall Street Apes posed a question to Musk: "Elon Musk should buy a couple of the biggest mainstream media networks and just have them tell the truth If we had a real Republican Congress they would Restore the Smith Mundt Act." Musk replied, "Interesting idea." Now the question lingers: what will he do next?

Elon Musk Commits $1 Million To Murals Of Iryna Zarutska Nationwide, Turning Public Spaces Into Culture War Battlegrounds -Americans are learning this week about the urgent need to rebuild insane asylums and expand prison capacity, given the Democratic Party's nation-killing progressive mass-release policies that have flooded city streets and communities with violent criminals, such as the one who brutally murdered a young Ukrainian refugee woman in broad daylight on public transit in North Carolina. With the Overton Window having shifted last year, what was once socially acceptable, such as bending the knee to woke policies cut from Marxist cloth (defund the police, etc.), is no longer popular as the dominant narrative across the land. Instead, Americans are demanding law and order, especially in the era of the Trump administration. A significant inflection point, and what is being considered as politically disastours for Democrats ahead of the Midterms, has been the horrifying murder of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, on a commuter train in Mecklenburg County. Her killer, Decarlos Brown, who was previously arrested 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault to firearms possession, and whose own mother admitted he had schizophrenia and should never have been allowed back on the streets, was recently released on cashless bail by a progressive magistrate judge despite a two-decade violent crime spree. "Watching her cry alone with her hands holding her face is one of the saddest things I have ever seen," one X user wrote. Christopher Rufo noted, "We need more police, more prisons, and more asylums. And yes, we can arrest our way out of the psychotic-criminals-murdering-people-in-the-streets problem."

Trump’s Bizarre Rant at the Museum of the Bible (video) Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell take on Donald Trump’s unusual speech at the Museum of the Bible. From suggesting that domestic violence shouldn’t count as real crime, to inventing an “anti-Christian bias” crisis, to reframing January 6th rioters as victims, Trump is showing us exactly how his grievance politics work.

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah college event (AP) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, died Wednesday after being shot at a college event, Trump said. The co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA, the 31-year-old Kirk is the latest victim in a spasm of political violence across the United States. Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away. The AP was able to confirm the videos were taken at Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus. “We are confirming that he was shot and we are praying for Charlie,” said Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA. A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly. It was not clear if authorities were still searching the campus for a suspect. Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions for an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence. “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience members asked. Kirk responded: “Too many.” The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked. Then a single shot rang out. The event had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.” Last week, Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit to Utah colleges was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?” Trump and a host of Republican and Democratic elected officials decried the shooting and offered prayers for Kirk on social media. “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump posted on Truth Social. The shooting comes amid a spike in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum. The attacks include the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their house in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages, and a fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is Jewish, in April. The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year. Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said in an interview on Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back. “It seemed like it was a close shot,” Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke. He said there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough. “Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And so we just don’t have these types of things.” Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success. But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers. Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign. Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.

HRC demands WSJ retract report linking Kirk shooting to transgender community --The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, is demanding that The Wall Street Journal retract its reporting incorrectly linking the shooter in conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination with the transgender community.Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon while speaking at a Utah college. In the clamor of information related to Kirk’s killing, The Wall Street Journal, citing “an early bulletin circulated widely among law enforcement officials,” reported Thursday that investigators had discovered ammunition with expressions of “transgender and anti-fascist ideology” inside the rifle believed to have been used in Kirk’s killing.The New York Times reported later Thursday that the document had not been verified by analysts with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, did not match other summaries of the evidence and “might turn out to have been misread or misinterpreted.”The story from The Wall Street Journal was later updated to reflect caution from some Justice Department officials about the veracity of the internal bulletin. On Friday, a lengthy editor’s note was appended to the outlet’s original report, after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), during a news conference, “gave no indication that the ammunition included any transgender references.”Cox on Friday said law enforcement had taken Tyler Robinson, 22, into custody in connection with Kirk’s assassination following a multiday search. Engravings on both spent and unused bullet casings found at the scene read “Hey fascist!” and “Catch!” Cox said. Another read, “If you read this, you are gay, lmao.”On Friday, the Human Rights Campaign said The Wall Street Journal’s reporting erroneously tying Kirk’s murder to the transgender community was “reckless and irresponsible” and led to a “wave of threats against the trans community from right-wing influencers.”“News outlets like @wsj.com have a critical responsibility to report the truth,” the organization wrote in a post Friday afternoon on Bluesky. “Promoting false information that ties our LGBTQ+ community to the Utah shooting is reckless, irresponsible, and puts trans people especially in danger. Anyone with a platform must do better. Lives are on the line.”

Hegseth says Pentagon 'tracking' service members, civilians who celebrate Charlie Kirk killing - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is warning civilian and military employees that the Pentagon is “tracking” any comments from them that celebrate or mock the Wednesday assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “We are tracking all these very closely — and will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable,” Hegseth wrote Thursday on social media. Hegseth was responding to a statement from chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who earlier said it is “unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of War has zero tolerance for it,” using the Trump administration’s preferred name for the Department of Defense. They did not mention any specific examples of personnel who had reacted positively to Kirk’s death. Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck at the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday. After a search, officials identified the suspected shooter as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah man. Both Republican and Democratic political figures — including all living former U.S. presidents — have condemned Kirk’s assassination, but a small number of social media users have mocked or celebrated the killing, drawing outrage. The heads of military services also have warned those under them that any inappropriate comments on Kirk will be met with retribution. Navy Secretary John Phelan cautioned sailors, Marines and civilians they “will be dealt with swiftly and decisively” should they bring “discredit” on the department.

Patel ripped into FBI agents in profanity-laced online meeting: NYT --FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly criticized subordinates in a tense Thursday morning meeting over their handling of the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s killer. More than 200 agents joined the online call, which was first reported by The New York Times. An official attending the meeting told the Times that Patel criticized the agency’s “Mickey Mouse operations,” saying it was one of the few times in the call that he wasn’t cursing. During the call, Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino emphasized the need to catch Kirk’s killer. Patel also criticized Salt Lake City agents for not providing him with a photo of the suspected killer until 12 hours later, the Times reported. Both Patel and Bongino flew to Utah on Thursday to personally oversee the investigation.The FBI arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in Kirk’s shooting, on Friday. According to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), Robinson was apprehended after a family friend reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, stating Robinson “confessed to” his family “or implied that he had committed the incident.”Kirk was shot Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University. Patel said in a Wednesday evening post on social platform X that the FBI had taken a “subject for the horrific shooting” into custody, only to later announce the subject had been released after being interrogated by law enforcement.The Wednesday blunder has cost Patel. Several MAGA allies criticized the director over his leadership, casting doubt on whether he was the right person to head the FBI.

‘Why are yall sad?’ Teachers, firefighters, officials on leave or fired over Charlie Kirk posts – Teachers, firefighters, elected officials and even a cable news contributor have lost their jobs or are under investigation after comments they made about the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.Reports of teachers and school administrators around the country being put on leave proliferated Thursday less than 24 hours after Kirk’s death. School employees in Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Mississippi, Ohio were all being investigated for posts made on social media.At least one teacher in South Carolina was fired for a post about Kirk’s death that read: “Thoughts and prayers to his children but IMHO America became greater today. There I said it.”A teacher and city councilor in Cornelius, Oregon, wrote the assassination “really brightened up my day,” landing him in hot water. A public relations employee for the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers was terminated, according to The Athletic, after reportedly posting on his personal Instagram account: “Why are yall sad? Your man said it was worth it,” with an image of the Wu-Tang hit “Protect Ya Neck.” Matthew Dowd, an MSNBC contributor, was also fired by the network for comments he made on the air during breaking news coverage on Wednesday.“He was constantly pushing this sort of hate speech aimed at certain groups,” Dowd said, according to The Hill. “And I always go back to: Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. … You can’t say these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place.”While Dowd’s comments were made live on-air with a large audience, some were made in more private channels but have been brought to light by right-wing activists, WIRED reports.Laura Loomer, a conservative media personality with a large following, posted on X, “I will be spending my night making everyone I find online who celebrates his death Famous, so prepare to have your whole future professional aspirations ruined if you are sick enough to celebrate his death. I’m going to make you wish you never opened your mouth.” Her social media feed Thursday was filled with the names, pictures and job titles of people who she said should be fired for comments they made following Kirk’s death.Another far-right social media influencer, who posts under the account Libs of TikTok, was also on the case. A firefighter in New Orleans had posted an Instagram comment, which she later deleted, suggesting Kirk deserved to die and the bullet was “a gift from god.” But the deleted comment had been screenshotted and shared on Libs of TikTok, drawing the attention of the fire department’s superintendent and the Louisiana attorney general. Kirk was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday afternoon. He was taken to the hospital where he died. As of Thursday afternoon, the suspect was still at large.

Jeffrey Epstein estate turns over 'birthday book,' other files to House panel -- The Jeffrey Epstein estate turned over a tranche of documents subpoenaed by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday, including at least one purporting to show a close relationship between the convicted sex offender and President Trump before he entered politics. The records include the 2003 “birthday book,” featuring a lewd entry allegedly written by Trump when he was a private citizen — a note Trump has denied writing. According to Epstein’s attorneys, however, the files include no “client list,” though it did turn over copies of his address book. “Oversight Democrats just received the Epstein birthday book and additional documents from the Epstein estate. More soon,” Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), the top Democrat on the panel, wrote on the social platform X. The panel’s Democrats immediately shared a copy of the letter Trump wrote to Epstein for his 50th birthday, showing the outline of a woman’s figure with a message in the middle referencing that the two “have certain things in common.” “HERE IT IS: We got Trump’s birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein that the President said doesn’t exist. Trump talks about a ‘wonderful secret’ the two of them shared. What is he hiding? Release the files!” the Democrats wrote, sharing the image on X. A White House official swiftly denied it was Trump’s signature at the bottom of the drawing, but Garcia blasted the denial, accusing the president of engaging in a cover-up. “This note, Donald Trump has said does not exist. But once again, he is lying to the American public and is leading a White House cover-up,” Garcia said in a video message shortly after releasing the image. The transfer has the potential to shed new light on the many elite relationships maintained by Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20 year prison sente c for crimes related to sex trafficking. Behind Comer, the Oversight Committee had subpoenaed Epstein’s estate last month seeking a number of documents by Monday. The subpoena asked for Epstein’s will; any documents resembling a “client list” related to his sex trafficking charges; any “black books” containing his contacts; the flight logs from his plane and other rented aircraft; and an alleged book of letters from his friends commemorating his 50th birthday, among a host of other records. The assertion there is no client list among Epstein’s documents aligns with earlier statements from the Justice Department, which said Epstein had no such list. However, the attorneys stated that they had attached his “address/contact books.” “We are not aware of the existence of a ‘list of clients involved in sex, sex acts, or sex trafficking facilitated by Mr. Jeffrey Epstein,’” the estate’s attorneys wrote in a response to the subpoena obtained by The Hill, saying they had only his book of contacts. “The Estate does not possess the original ‘Black Book,’ which may have been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the searches of Epstein’s residences in 2019. We do not know the origin of the handwritten notes in the copy.”The birthday book, which was reportedly compiled by Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, includes a letter written by Trump when he was a private citizen in New York, as previously revealed in a bombshell Wall Street Journal report.A letter from the attorneys for Epstein’s estate indicated they had already made some redactions to the materials, including the birthday book, with the unredacted materials to be made “available” to committee members for review.“Included in this production are the three volumes comprising the leather-bound book compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Mr. Epstein’s 50th birthday. Please note that, in an abundance of caution, we have redacted names and faces of women and minors who appear in the book (other than Ms. Maxwell, public figures, and family or class photos) to ensure that no potential victims are publicly identifiable,” the attorneys wrote.“We have also redacted photographs revealing any nudity from the book. As agreed with the Committee, the Co-Executors will make the original ‘birthday book’ and unredacted versions of documents, records and other materials available to Committee members and their staff for their personal examination and review.”

Democrats release alleged Donald Trump birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein --House Oversight Committee Democrats on Monday swiftly released the image and message President Trump allegedly wrote as a birthday present toJeffrey Epstein in 2003, revealing a drawing the White House has denied existed. The image was released by the panel’s Democrats just minutes afterEpstein’s estate turned over records subpoenaed by the committee, including a “birthday book” with the note from Trump.The Wall Street Journal reported in July that Trump had written the salacious letter to Epstein as a 50th birthday gift. Trump denied writing the letter and later sued the publication.Rep.Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) accused Trump of engaging in a cover-up.Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy | Hill Nation Summit 2025“This note,Donald Trump has said does not exist. Well, once again, he is lying to the American public and is leading a White House cover-up,” Garcia said in a video message shortly after releasing the image.The image shows the outline of a woman’s figure with a message in the middle formatted in the form of a conversation between Trump and Epstein and referencing that the two “have certain things in common.”

Mike Johnson clarifies Donald Trump as 'FBI informant' claim -- Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sought to clarify Monday his comments that spread widely last week about President Trump being an “FBI informant” against the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting he misspoke about the president’s efforts to assist law enforcement as it investigated the wealthy financier. “I don’t know if I used the right word,” Johnson told reporters Monday. “I said, ‘FBI informant’ but I’m not sure. I wasn’t there — this isn’t my lane.” “I’m just repeating what is common knowledge and has been out in the public for a long time: President Trump was never a hindrance to the Epstein investigation, he was trying to assist, and that he is disgusted,” he continued. Johnson told CNN’s Manu Raju on Friday that Trump “was an FBI informant to try to take this stuff down,” referring to the president’s documented past friendship with Epstein and their eventual falling out nearly two decades ago. The term “informant” is an official designation given to sources who provide confidential information to the FBI. The House Speaker, who is a staunch Trump ally, said Monday that he was only referring last week to details that have been long reported about Trump’s decision to ban Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort years before Epstein was charged with sex trafficking minors and died by suicide in 2019. “I mentioned that what the attorneys for the victims have been very clear about … he kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago when he learned about this — the allegations of just evil behavior, evil acts — and that he was assisting, participating in some way, with law enforcement to bring about an end to that,” Johnson said. Several survivors of Epstein’s abuse spoke at the Capitol last week, urging officials to release more information related to Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes and other powerful figures who may have been involved.

The Memo: Trump’s all-guns-blazing approach backfires on Epstein birthday letter --The Jeffrey Epstein saga is causing new problems for President Trump.This time, it’s raising questions about the strategy he and his aides have adopted in denying any involvement in a book prepared for the deceased financier and sexual predator’s 50th birthday.The emphatic strategy was risky from the start — and now looks very flimsy, indeed.As a consequence, the president has given fresh impetus to a story that has disquieted even parts of his base. It’s a story Trump is eager to move past — yet he keeps doing things that put that goal further out of reach.This chapter of the Epstein matter began when The Wall Street Journal was first to report, in July, that an Epstein birthday book contained a “letter bearing Trump’s name.” This letter also comprised “several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.”The Journal story went on: “A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly ‘Donald’ below her waist, mimicking pubic hair. The letter concludes: ‘Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.’”Trump blasted the story instantly as “a fake thing,” adding, “I never wrote a picture in my life.”On Monday, a letter matching up with that description became public, having been passed along to the House Oversight and Government Accountability Committee by Epstein’s estate.The result was a political firestorm — and one of far fiercer intensity than would have resulted had Trump responded to the original story by reiterating that he had ended his friendship with Epstein many years ago and left it at that.Instead, the day after the original Journal story appeared, Trump filed a legal suit against the Journal, the story’s authors, the CEO of parent company News Corp., and News Corp.’s driving force and chair emeritus, Rupert Murdoch.The president sought $10 billion in damages, alleging the story had been published with “actual malice” — the standard bar for defamation of public figures — and that the Journal was “aware at the time of the falsity of the publication.”The news organization vigorously defended the story at the time and braced to fight the legal action.Now, the Journal has been vindicated in the eyes of all but the most fervent Trump loyalists. The president’s suit appears to have a vanishingly small chance of success unless there is some very unexpected and dramatic twist.

Melania, Please Talk To Donald About Epstein --Last Wednesday, an extraordinary press conference was held in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol by victims of sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein. Anyone who watched these women pour out their hearts to demand justice for themselves and other victims could not help but be moved. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump did not watch, and then – almost simultaneously – dismissed the women’s heartfelt pleas for a public reckoning of Epstein’s abuse as “a Democrat hoax.” No doubt, Trump is a rhetorical genius who has been able to define issues to his own benefit for years, but this was a low point in his presidency. Much as it is understandable that Trump perceives the attention being given to Epstein’s life and mysterious death in a federal prison as a distraction, that must be weighed against the human toll that Epstein took. Calling it a hoax belittles the pain and suffering of women who were victims of, at worst, rape and, at best, sexual abuse. And though Trump judged the women before he had even had a chance to hear them speak, they had already rejected his label: “This is not a hoax. It’s not going to go away,” said Marina Lacerda, who was a witness in Epstein’s 2019 indictment that led to his imprisonment and death. Abuse survivor Haley Robson, who introduced herself as a registered Republican, invited the president to meet her “in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. We are real human beings. This is real trauma.” After the president made his dismissive remarks, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene called Trump to ask him to meet with the women at the Oval Office, but he did not accept – as of yet. “It’s not a hoax,” Greene explained, “because Jeffrey Epstein is a convicted pedophile. That takes away the whole hoax thing. It’s not a hoax. It’s not a lie.” Greene challenged Trump to get past the political suspicions he has expressed. “I want him to be the hero and champion of this issue. And I want him to fight for these women, because I know him to be a fighter.” Indeed, President Trump has repeatedly shown a capacity for empathy in his capacity as a private individual and as president, most notably when he promised justice for the Angel Moms who had lost children as a result of the actions of illegal aliens. But in this case, Trump has conflated how his political enemies may seize upon the Epstein case as a weapon with the entirely unrelated issue of justice for the victims. Speaking out about a “Democratic hoax” before he had ever seen the victims’ statements, or heard their perfectly reasonable demands, could prove to be one of the worst mistakes in Trump’s career, political or otherwise. It is not enough to know the names of Epstein and his procurer Ghislaine Maxwell; common decency demands that the names of all those who abetted them in abusing women be revealed. If there were powerful men in finance or politics who exploited these women, their names should be known too. And what about the officials who looked the other way?

"Go Talk To Bill Gates About Me": How JP Morgan Enabled Jeffrey Epstein's Crimes, Snagged Netanyahu Meeting - On an autumn day in 2011, Jeffrey Epstein stepped into JPMorgan Chase’s headquarters at 270 Park Avenue and rode the elevator to the executive floors where the bank’s leaders, including Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, kept their offices. Epstein, who had pleaded guilty to a sex crime in Florida three years earlier, had a message for the bank’s top lawyer, Stephen Cutler: he had “turned over a new leaf,” he said, and powerful friends could vouch for him. “Go talk to Bill Gates about me.”Key takeaways:

• Epstein was connected to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, not just former PM Ehud Barak
• He wired 'hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to Russian banks and young Eastern European women'
• Accounts for young women were opened without in-person verification (in one case a SSN could not be confirmed)
• Jes Staley was constantly running interference for Epstein vs. JPM compliance concerns. At Jes Staley’s urging, compliance spoke with Epstein’s lawyer Ken Starr, who insisted "no crimes" had been committed.
• Epstein had accounts at JPM for at least 134 (!) entities
• JPMorgan funded/serviced pieces tied to Ghislaine Maxwell (millions, incl. $7.4M for a Sikorsky helicopter) and helped finance MC2,the modeling agency linked to Jean-Luc Brunel.

For more than a decade, JPMorgan Chase processed over $1 billion in transactions for Jeffrey Epstein - including hundreds of millions routed toRussian banks and payments to young Eastern European women, opened at least 134 accounts tied to him and his associates, and even helped move millions to Ghislaine Maxwell - including $7.4 million for a Sikorsky helicopter - while anti–money laundering staff repeatedly flagged large cash withdrawals and wire patterns aligned with known trafficking indicators, according to a new report from the NY Times following a six-year investigation that involved "some 13,000 pages" of legal and financial records. Funny how they sat on this until now - maybe it's related to this, but do read on. Inside JPMorgan, the debate over whether to keep Epstein as a client had been simmering for years. Epstein was lucrative. His accounts held more than $200 million and generated millions in fees, and he opened doors to wealthy prospects and world leaders. He had helped midwife the bank’s 2004 purchase of Highbridge Capital Management, earning a $15 million payday. Senior bankers credited him with introductions to figures such as Sergey Brin and Benjamin Netanyahu.Sure enough, just as more bank employees were losing patience with Epstein in 2011, he began dangling more goodies. That March, to the pleasant surprise of JPMorgan’s investment bankers in Israel, they were granted an audience with Netanyahu. The bankers informed Staley, who forwarded their email to Epstein with a one-word message: “Thanks.” (The bank spokesman said JPMorgan “neither needed nor sought Epstein’s help for meetings with any government leaders.”) And around that same time, Epstein presented an opportunity that, like the Highbridge deal years earlier, had the potential to be transformative.This one involved Bill Gates, who had only recently entered Epstein’s orbit. In an apparent effort to ingratiate — and further entangle — himself with his bankers and the Microsoft co-founder, Epstein pitched Erdoes and Staley on creating an enormous investment and charitable fund with something like $100 billion in assets. -NY TimesCompliance leaders urged the bank to "exit" the felon after anti–money laundering personnel flagged a yearslong pattern of large cash withdrawals and constant wires that, in hindsight, matched known indicators of trafficking and other illicit conduct.; instead, top executives overrode objections at least four times, allowed accounts for young women to be opened with scant verification, and paid Epstein directly - the aforementioned $15 million tied to a hedge-fund deal and $9 million in a settlement. Even in 2011, as concerns mounted, internal notes referenced decisions "pending Dimon review," while Jes Staley, a senior executive and Epstein confidant, traded sexually suggestive messages (“Say hi to Snow White”) and shared confidential bank information with the client.Exact dollar figures and destinations across years:

• $1.7M in cash (2004–05) and earlier $175K cash (2003).
• $7.4M wired to buy Maxwell’s Sikorsky helicopter.
• $50M credit line approved in 2010 even post-plea; ~$212M then at the bank (about half his net worth).
• $176M moved to Deutsche Bank after the 2013 exit.

JPM of course regrets everything - calling their relationship with Epstein "a mistake and in hindsight we regret it, but we did not help him commit his heinous crimes," Joseph Evangelisti, a JPMorgan spokesman, said in a statement. "We would never have continued to do business with him if we believed he was engaged in an ongoing sex trafficking operation." The bank has placed much of the blame on Jes Staley, then a rising executive and close confidant of Epstein. "We now know that trust was misplaced," Evangelisti said. Epstein’s ties to JPMorgan reached back to the late 1990s, when then–Chief Executive Sandy Warner met him at 60 Wall Street and urged a lieutenant, Mr. Staley, to do the same. Epstein soon became one of the private bank’s top revenue generators. A 2003 internal report estimated his net worth at $300 million and attributed more than $8 million in fees to him that year.Even then, there were warning signs. In 2003 alone, he withdrew more than $175,000 in cash. Bank employees recognized the need to report large cash transactions to federal monitors but failed to treat the withdrawals as a signal of deeper risk. In the years that followed, compliance staff repeatedly expressed alarm over Epstein’s wires, cash activity and requests to open accounts for young women with minimal verification. One internal note, describing large transfers to an 18-year-old totaling "about 450,000 since opening," read: “Sugar Daddy!” Still, influence carried weight. Epstein was prized not only for his personal balances but for the business he brought in. Through his network, which included hedge fund founder Glenn Dubin and a constellation of billionaires and officials, he introduced potential clients and helped shape the bank’s strategy. The Highbridge deal was heralded internally as “probably the most important transaction” of Mr. Staley’s career. From 2005 to 2011, the bank’s leaders revisited the Epstein question several times. In 2006, after a Florida indictment alleging solicitation from a teenage girl, JPMorgan convened a team to decide whether to exit the client. The bank swiftly jettisoned another customer, the actor Wesley Snipes, when he faced tax charges. It did not do the same with Epstein. Instead, it imposed a narrow restriction - not to “proactively solicit” new investments from him - while continuing to lend and move his money.Within the bank, even casual exchanges betrayed an awareness of Epstein’s proclivities. "So painful to read," Mary Erdoes, now head of asset and wealth management, emailed upon seeing news of the indictment. Mr. Staley replied that he had met Epstein the prior evening and that Epstein "adamantly denies" involvement with minors. At other moments, the tone turned flippant. Describing a Hamptons fundraiser, Mr. Staley wrote that the age gaps among couples "would have fit in well with Jeffrey," to which Ms. Erdoes replied that people were "laughing about Jeffrey."By 2008, after Epstein pleaded guilty and registered as a sex offender, pressure mounted to end the relationship. “No one wants him,” one banker wrote. Mr. Cutler, the general counsel, would later say he viewed Epstein as a reputational threat - “This is not an honorable person in any way. He should not be a client.” Yet he did not insist on expulsion, and the matter was not escalated to Mr. Dimon. Epstein remained.In early 2011, William Langford, head of compliance and a former Treasury official, urged that Epstein be “exited.” He warned that ultrawealthy clients could warp judgment and that patterns in Epstein’s accounts resembled those of trafficking networks.The bank’s head of compliance, William Langford, was especially alarmed. “No patience for this,” he emailed a colleague. Langford had joined JPMorgan in 2006 after years of policing financial crimes for the Treasury Department. He knew — and had warned colleagues — that companies can be criminally charged for money laundering if they willfully ignored such activities by their clients. He saw ultrawealthy customers as a particular blind spot; all the time that private bankers spent wining and dining these lucrative clients could cloud judgments about their trustworthiness. It looked like that was what was happening with Epstein. One of Langford’s achievements at JPMorgan was the creation of a task force devoted to combating human trafficking. The group noted in a presentation that frequent large cash withdrawals and wire transfers — exactly what employees were seeing in Epstein’s accounts — were totems of such illicit activity....Langford said in a deposition that he started off by quickly explaining the human-trafficking initiative. In that context, how could the bank justify working with someone who had pleaded guilty to a sex crime and was now under investigation for sex trafficking? -NY Times Mr. Staley pushed back, relaying Epstein’s insistence that allegations would be overturned. Days later, the bank agreed to keep the accounts open.Even as internal skepticism grew, Epstein stayed in touch with his former private banker, Justin Nelson, and continued to surface in meetings involvingLeon Black, a billionaire client. Staley remained close to Epstein for years, exchanging personal messages and visiting his residences, even as he ascended to run Barclays. In 2019, after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges and later died by suicide in a Manhattan jail, investigators, journalists and regulators turned anew to his banking relationships.JPMorgan launched an internal review, code-named Project Jeep, and filed belated suspicious activity reports flagging about 4,700 Epstein transactions totaling more than $1.1 billion. The bank settled civil claims with Epstein’s victims for $290 million and with the U.S. Virgin Islands for $75 million, without admitting wrongdoing. No executives lost their jobs. Mr. Dimon, who testified that he did not recall knowing about Epstein before 2019, remains one of the most powerful figures in American finance.To Bridgette Carr, a law professor and anti-trafficking expert retained by the Virgin Islands, the case poses a larger question about incentives. JPMorgan, she concluded, enabled Epstein’s crimes. “I am deeply worried here that the ultimate message to other financial institutions is that they can keep serving traffickers,” she said. “It’s still profitable to do that, given the lack of substantial consequences.”

House Committee GOP blocks Epstein subpoena to Treasury - Key insight: Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee voted to table a motion to subpoena Treasury for financial records related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee voted to table a motion by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio., to compel the Treasury Department to provide unredacted financial records related to the late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, effectively quashing the subpoena.

British ambassador to U.S. Peter Mandelson fired over Epstein links — Britain's ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, was fired Thursday after new revelations about his association with Jeffrey Epstein were revealed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer asked his foreign ministry to withdraw Mandelson, saying newly released emails show that the extent of his relationship with the late convicted sex offender was greater than previously known.Mandelson, a veteran Labour Party politician who was key to its success under former leader Tony Blair, has come under scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein after the release of a birthday book that included a letter purportedly from Mandelson describing Epstein as “my best pal.” Starmer had backed Mandelson — who is not a career diplomat and instead was appointed for his political skills and contacts in Washington — a day earlier but changed course amid growing pressure from his party.“In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.“The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”The ministry said the revelation of Mandelson’s suggestion that Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged was “new information.”"In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes he has been withdrawn as Ambassador with immediate effect," it added in the statement.In an interview with Britain’s Sun newspaper released Wednesday, Mandelson said he felt a “profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women who suffered as a result of his behavior and his illegal criminal activities.”“I feel a tremendous sense of regret not only that I met him in the first place, but that I continued the association and I took at face value the lies that he fed me and many others,” he said, describing Epstein as a “charismatic criminal liar.”

Chatbots, whistleblower concerns renew kids online safety push - Chatbots from both Meta and OpenAI have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, raising questions about how to protect young users from potential harms caused by the rapid development of AI. Several whistleblowers also came forward with new allegations about Meta’s handling of safety research, underscoring issues that have plagued tech companies with large platforms for years. The latest developments have prompted senators from both sides of the aisle to renew calls to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), legislation aimed at strengthening online protections for children that has faced roadblocks in previous sessions. “There is truly bipartisan anger, not only with Meta, but with these other social media platforms and virtual reality platforms and chatbots that are intentionally, knowingly harming our children, and this has got to stop,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said at a hearing Tuesday. “Enough is enough.” KOSA came close to clearing Congress last year, after passing the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in July 2024. However, it came up short in the House, where some Republican members voiced concerns about the potential for censorship of conversative views. In an eleventh-hour effort to get the bill across the finish line in December, senators negotiated updated text with Elon Musk’s X seeking to address GOP concerns. Musk, who at the time was a key figure in then-President-elect Trump’s orbit, threw his weight behind the legislation following the changes. However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ultimately poured cold water on the push, saying he still had reservations about the KOSA’s free speech implications. Blackburn and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) reintroduced the legislation in May, using the same language negotiated last December. Notably, the bill had the support of leadership from the outset, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both joining as co-sponsors.

Facebook privacy settlement payment amounts revealed: Here’s the minimum (and maximum) you’ll get -Documents filed in a California court last week are finally giving us a better idea of how big individual payouts will be in the $725 million class action lawsuit over Facebook users’ privacy.We’ve long known that big pot of money would get cut down substantially by legal fees and administrative costs, before being divvied up among a huge group of people. Because the class action lawsuit affected basically all U.S. Facebook users between 2007 and 2022, millions of people were eligible for a piece of the pie.When lawyers gave an update in court two years ago, they were still parsing through about 28 million claims. “As far as we can tell that’s the largest number of claims ever filed in a class action in the United States,” said Lesley Weaver, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the case.After a long process of validating legitimate claims and tossing out the ones that were fraudulent or duplicative, Angeion, the company in charge of distributing the payments, has finished its calculations determining how much each individual will get as payments go out starting this month.The smallest possible payment is $4.89 and the maximum payment is $38.36, according to court documents filed on Friday. The average payment will be $29.43 (which is pretty close to the estimate we knew prior to this).Whether your payment is closer to $5 or $40 depends on how long you had a Facebook account during the class period. There’s a point system in place, with one point awarded for every month you had a Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022. The maximum number of points you can have is 188, which would give you the maximum payment of around $38. If you have fewer points, because you weren’t on Facebook for that entire time, you’ll receive a smaller payment. The minimum payment of $4.89 “corresponds with the payment to Authorized Claimants who were Facebook Users with activated accounts for 24 months during the Class Period.”Any amount smaller than that makes it more likely people will not redeem the payment at all, the court documents state. The social media company agreed to pay $725 million to settle claims it violated users’ privacy by sharing their data with third parties. The most famous third party was Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The firm harvested the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users, the Associated Press reported.While Meta agreed to the payout, it denies wrongdoing. The distribution of payments has started, according to Angeion, and is expected to continue for 10 weeks.

Hawley pushes legal action against Meta after whistleblowers detail child abuse in VR -Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called to "open the courtroom doors" so parents can sue Meta, accusing founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of misleading Congress after whistleblowers detailed child safety failures on the company’s virtual reality (VR) platforms.Two former Meta researchers told a Senate panel Tuesday that the company buried child harm evidence in VR, killed age-verification studies and let AI chatbots flirt with kids, prompting a bipartisan push to pass measures protecting minors online."The claims at the heart of this hearing are nonsense; they’re based on selectively leaked internal documents that were picked specifically to craft a false narrative," a Meta spokesperson said. "The truth is there was never any blanket prohibition on conducting research with young people and, since the start of 2022, Meta approved nearly 180 Reality Labs-related studies on issues including youth safety and well-being."Testifying before the Senate were Cayce Savage and Jason Sattizahn, both former Meta researchers. Sattizahn alleged Meta routinely prioritized engagement and profit over safety — especially for kids — and manipulated or erased research showing harm. He said despite attempts to curb data collection, the studies researchers could run still showed the company’s products endangered users.Germany once banned Meta’s VR sales over data treatment concerns; after sales resumed in 2022, Sattizahn was sent to conduct research there.He said he understood Meta was trying to show its VR headsets were safe for Germans.But when research uncovered that underage children using Meta VR in Germany were subjected to demands for sex acts, nude photos and other acts children should never be exposed to, Sattizahn alleged Meta demanded all evidence be erased."My research still revealed emotional and psychological damage, particularly to women who were sexually solicited, molested or worse," he testified. "In response, Meta demanded I change my research in the future to not gather this data on emotional and psychological harm." Savage testified she led youth safety research in VR and likewise said Meta prioritized engagement over child safety.She said the company employed suppression tactics, including editing reports , demanding deletions and threatening jobs.Hawley asked Savage why it was important for Meta to have children under 13 using VR. She told him kids drive household adoption of gaming devices, which means more money for Meta."So, this is about profits at the end of the day," Hawley told Savage while seeking clarification on whether Meta will do anything for a profit, including exposing children to vile sexual abuse."When I was doing research to identify the harms that children were facing in VR, which I had to be sneaky about because legal wouldn't actually let me do it, I identified that Roblox, the app on in VR, was being used by coordinated pedophile rings," Savage said. "They set up strip clubs, and they paid children to strip." She added that Robux could be converted into real money.

Burgum: Losing AI race is more dangerous than climate change - Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Wednesday that the risk of losing the global race to develop artificial intelligence is a bigger “existential threat” than climate change. Burgum’s comments came as he promoted a sweeping expansion of fossil fuels to power the wave of data centers that are needed to run AI technology. He also crystallized the political favoritism that President Donald Trump exerts toward coal and natural gas at a time when his administration has halted construction on offshore wind projects, a large source of electricity that has been thrown into disarray even as the nation’s thirst for energy surges. “What’s going to save the planet is winning the AI arms race. We need power to do that, and we need it right now,” Burgum told reporters on the sidelines of Gastech, a major natural gas industry conference held this year in Italy. Burgum echoed other administration officials, and the president himself, in dismissing the risks posed by rising temperatures, including intensifying heat waves that contribute to the death of hundreds people annually in the U.S. Burning fossil fuels has increased global temperatures by at least 1.2 degrees Celsius over the past 150 years, according to the scientific community. “The real existential threat right now is not a degree of climate change,” Burgum said. “It’s the fact that we could lose the AI arms race if we don’t have enough power.” “I’m worried about the next generation, but that’s all solvable,” he added, referring to rising temperatures. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who spoke alongside Burgum, has also downplayed the dangers of global warming and described efforts to address it as “silly.” He and Burgum were at Gastech to promote U.S. natural gas, which he said is “the fastest growing source of energy on the planet.” AI technologies use vast quantities of electricity and data to generate original texts, music, images and video. Trump — whose reelection campaign was largely bankrolled by Silicon Valley billionaires — has issued a series of executive orders to remove regulatory hurdles for the technology, which he claims has “the potential to reshape the global balance of power, spark entirely new industries, and revolutionize the way we live and work.” At the same time, the Trump administration has halted construction of nearly completed offshore wind farms, canceled a $4.9 billion loan guarantee for a grid upgrade, and clawed back a $20 billion fund meant to bring renewable energy to low-income communities.. Those projects could have added new sources of energy to the grid or made it easier to move electricity across state lines. The attacks on climate science and clean energy have infuriated advocates who say if the administration wanted to prioritize winning the AI race, it should be adding all new sources of affordable electricity. “It’s one thing to argue that American energy dominance supersedes climate concerns, or that we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy that doesn’t pick clean energy sources as favorites,” said Jesse Jenkins, a Princeton University professor and climate modeler, in an email. “But the Trump Administration and Secretary Burgum are going far beyond that. They are actively blocking cost-competitive, ready-to-deploy American energy resources to suit their own political or ideological predilections.” He called the moves by the administration to throttle clean energy “the single biggest threat” to America’s ability to shape the future of AI. “It is truly hard to fathom how we win the AI race if the Trump administration continues to block the fastest-growing and most cost-effective sources of new American electricity,” Jenkins said.

Sen. Cruz introduces bill to reduce regulatory burden facing AI companies-A new bill from Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would take a step toward regulating artificial intelligence when it comes to the ability for companies to develop new services.The proposal would require the federal government to create a contained and secure testing area for AI software, known as a regulatory sandbox. Companies would be able to apply to join through the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.Cruz's effort underscores a concern among many lawmakers that the U.S. will fall behind in AI, particularly to China, if regulations aren't loosened to allow for more and faster innovation. With the sandboxing proposal, companies could identify regulations that are obstructing their efforts, and ask for a waiver. For example, a company developing cancer-screening software could show why it needs modifications to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, regulations in order to test its product. The company could work with the government to determine if a waiver could be granted without violating standards such as patient privacy, safety and consumer protection.The government would be able to grant waivers for two-year periods for up to 10 years. After 12 years the program would sunset. Cruz is positioning AI as a top priority in the committee, with a focus on enshrining parts of the Trump administration's AI Action Plan into law. The committee is scheduled to hold a hearing Wednesday with Michael Kratsios, director of the White House OSTP.Cruz said in a statement to CNBC that the executive order alone won't be sufficient to keep the U.S. as a leader in AI development and deployment, and that the bill would help spur innovation."Following this new AI framework can turbocharge economic activity, cut through bureaucratic red tape, and empower American AI developers while protecting human flourishing," he said. According to a five-pillar plan shared with CNBC, Cruz also aims to create federal standards for AI, prevent AI from being used in harmful ways such as scams, allow free speech and address ethical concerns. Sandboxes are already in use in other countries such as Singapore, Brazil and France. While Cruz is still working to get Democratic sponsors for his bill, the issue has support from across the aisle. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a separate regulatory sandboxing bill focused on AI use in the financial sector.

Tether targets December for launch of U.S.-regulated stablecoin -- The world's largest stablecoin issuer is preparing to launch USAT, its U.S.-regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin, by the end of the year, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino told reporters at an event in New York. Bo Hines was also named CEO of USAT.

FedNow to raise transaction limit to $10 million

• Key Insight: Real-time payment limits are getting larger to support business transactions.
• Supporting Data: Forty three percent of banks are investing in real-time payments in 2025, according to American Banker research.
• Forward Look: Expects say real-time networks still have to improve interoperability.

The two largest real-time payment networks in the U.S. are loosening transaction size restrictions, which enables larger transfers but still leaves technology gaps that may hinder further growth. FedNow, which went live in 2023, will increase its transaction limit from $1 million to $10 million in November. The announcement comes three months after FedNow's limit was raised from $500,000 to $1 million and follows The Clearing House raising its limit to $10 million from $1 million in February. The government-powered network is allowing larger payments to settle instantly, a move The Clearing House has also made for its RTP network. Payment experts say more than higher limits are needed to make speedy processing ubiquitous.

BankThink Don't buy the fintech flimflam on consumer-permissioned data sharing -Pious claims about the importance of free data are a smoke screen. What the fintech industry really wants is to stick banks with the bill for organizing, securing and delivering customer data on their behalf, writes Ryan Miller, of the American Bankers Association. Stop me if you've heard this one before: "Account access and data belong to the customer" and "financial data belongs to the American people, not the banks." Those are the misleading claims being made by a group of strange bedfellows, including fintech, its new bestie crypto and a hodgepodge of mega retailers, who have written not one but two letters to President Trump asserting such bland platitudes.

BankThink Crypto custody services could be banks' next revenue stream -Back in January, many of us celebrated the rescission of SAB 121, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, accounting guideline that stipulated banks holding crypto assets on behalf of clients had to record these assets as liabilities on their balance sheets, effectively blocking the service by increasing capital reserve requirements for assets that the bank didn't own. Noelle Acheson points out that crypto custody is about more than incorporating new assets into an established service; it's about reshaping how we see standard financial concepts and using the resulting innovations to rethink client relationships.

Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of Over $5 Million in Bitcoin Stolen in SIM Swapping Scams — The Justice Department has filed a civil forfeiture complaint against over $5 million in bitcoin (BTC). The funds are alleged to be ill-gotten gains from multiple SIM swap attacks targeting victims across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. As alleged in the complaint, these funds are traceable to the theft and unauthorized transfer of cryptocurrency from cryptocurrency wallets owned by five victims. The thefts took place between Oct. 29, 2022, and March 21, 2023. Joining in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the Miami Field Office. The perpetrators of these thefts utilized a SIM swapping technique that allowed the perpetrators to authenticate their unauthorized access to the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts and transfer the victim funds to perpetrator-controlled accounts. A SIM swap attack is a type of account takeover whereby a perpetrator generally targets weaknesses in multi-factor authentication in order to gain access to a victim’s phone number by swapping the victim’s phone number to a SIM card associated with a phone in the perpetrator’s control. With this access, the perpetrators intercept codes destined for the victim’s phone and utilize those codes to “authenticate” that they are the victim. This allows the perpetrators to masquerade as the victim and conduct unauthorized activity transfers from the victim accounts. After each of the five thefts occurred, the perpetrators moved the stolen funds through multiple cryptocurrency wallets and ultimately consolidated them into one wallet that funded an account at Stake.com, an online casino. Many of these transactions were circular in that they eventually returned funds to their original source, and consistent with money laundering utilized to “clean” proceeds of criminal activity. For example, from on or about March 20, 2023, to on or about March 22, 2023, shortly after a portion of victim funds were consolidated into a single wallet, that wallet and the Stake.com account engaged in at least 32 circular transactions, including repeated deposits and withdrawals of BTC. Circular transactions obfuscate the origin of funds by inflating the volume of inflows and outflows in an account, making the larger balance (or source of funds) appear to engage in legitimate business. For more information regarding SIM swapping and how to prevent it, please visit www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411.

OCC creates senior role for bank chartering --Key Insight: OCC promotes chartering and licensing department to senior deputy level, with new personnel overseeing licensing decisions and coordinating legal and supervisory teams. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced that Stephen Lybarger will assume the role of Senior Deputy Comptroller for Chartering and Will Giles will be Principal Deputy Chief Counsel amid a surge in fintech and crypto trust charter applications.

The proposed $20 million deposit insurance cap is too high - Congress can and should enact meaningful deposit insurance reform, but the current proposal before lawmakers is misguided. The deposit cap is excessive and the funding mechanism creates systemic risk.

Deposit insurance bill faces pushback over price tag - Opposition is building against a bipartisan bill that would raise deposit insurance for business accounts, with increased deposit insurance premiums a chief concern.

Key insight: Some Republicans are starting to question the cost of deposit insurance reform for business accounts.
Expert quote: "The $20 million number just feels like a bludgeon," said Christpher Williston, president and CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas.
Forward look: The bill isn't likely to be attached to must-pass defense spending legislation, but lawmakers will work to pass it on its own.

GOP senators punch big banks during deposit insurance panel At a hearing on deposit insurance reform, Republican lawmakers concluded that only the largest banks would oppose a proposal to raise insurance for business accounts to $20 million.

Key insight: Republican lawmakers concluded that large banks will fight back against a bipartisan proposal that's aimed at helping medium-sized and small banks, since there's a widespread assumption that large banks already have an implicit guarantee for uninsured deposits.
Forward look: Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., will look to introduce the deposit insurance bill, along with his cosponsor, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., as standalone legislation "soon."
What's at stake: Some small banks have said that the proposal would increase the amount they pay in assessments to the FDIC.

CFPB warns staff of upcoming layoffs due to GOP funding cuts --The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau told its staff to expect an upcoming reduction in force because the agency's budget was cut in half by the president's recently passed tax and budget bill.

• Key Insight: Congress passed the president's massive tax and spending bill in July that lowered the maximum amount of funding the CFPB can request from the Federal Reserve System.
• Supporting Data: This year, the CFPB's budget is capped at $446 million, a 43% drop from last year's $785.4 million maximum funding.
• Forward Look: Firings spurred by GOP budget cuts could happen even as the CFPB's union is challenging mass firings by the Trump administration.

The embattled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to fire a large number of employees because President Trump's budget slashed the bureau's funding in half. On Wednesday, the CFPB sent an email notifying its staff to expect upcoming reductions in force, or RIFs, imposed by a Republican funding cap that lawmakers approved in the budget bill that President Trump signed in July.

BankThink: The rules of debit card economics have been completely rewritten -- A recent court ruling found that the Federal Reserve had grossly overstepped in its implementation of the Durbin Amendment. The resulting changes to interchange fees will dramatically shift the debit card landscape, writes Eric Grover, of Intrepid Ventures. U.S. District Court for North Dakota Judge Daniel Traynor's recent decision in the case Corner Post, Inc. versus the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System struck a blow for the rule of law and will cause a tectonic shift in the debit card market. He ruled that in implementing the debit interchange price controls mandated by the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act, the Fed flagrantly ignored congressional intent as expressed by the legislation's text. A recent court ruling found that the Federal Reserve had grossly overstepped in its implementation of the Durbin Amendment. The resulting changes to interchange fees will dramatically shift the debit card landscape.

OCC warns banks against violating financial privacy --Banks will need to review and potentially revise their policies for handling law enforcement data requests to ensure compliance with the new OCC guidance and Trump's debanking executive order. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is telling financial institutions that they must safeguard customer data even when federal agencies request information in criminal investigations, addressing Republican concerns about debanking that arose after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Banks in a bind as regulators operationalize debanking order

• Key insight: President Trump's executive order on debanking is beginning to show up in agency guidance, spurring concerns among industry watchers that the order may result in arbitrary enforcement or unwelcome risk-taking.
• Expert Quote: "I'd like to pretend that this is policy, not performative politics," said Todd Baker, a fellow at Columbia University's Richman Center and principal at Broadmoor Consulting. "But it ain't."
• Forward look: While measures coming from agencies so far are more narrowly focused than the executive order, how those measures are enforced could determine how much of a challenge they pose to banks.

As banking regulators begin to put the president's August executive order on "debanking" into practice, several industry observers fear the effort to root out instances of politically motivated debanking is effectively telling banks that they have to take on risk whether they like it or not.
The Executive Order, which President Trump signed in August, orders banking regulators to examine financial institutions for any internal policies that encourage debanking — that is, when a bank unilaterally cuts ties with a customer — based on a customer's religious or political affiliations. The order also directs regulators to review past supervisory or complaint data and refer past instances of debanking based on religion to the Department of Justice. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent bulletin warning banks that past debanking actions could affect supervisory reviews is the latest effort to put the president's executive order on debanking into action. But industry sources say the order itself forces banks to choose between pleasing their regulators and taking on unwanted risk.

OCC: 'debanking' will factor into CRA, license applications The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in a bulletin to banks that it will consider whether firms engaged in "politicized or unlawful debanking" when considering bank's licensing applications and Community Reinvestment Act reviews. The OCC this week fined Citibank $25 million for failing to offer some existing customers lower interest rates on mortgages or closing cost discounts that they were entitled to under a program for borrowers with a relationship with the bank.

BankThink: The FDIC is taking the 'community' out of CRA enforcement The FDIC's proposal to remove the requirement that banks provide public notice of plans to open new branches short circuits a key means of holding banks accountable for their obligations under the CRA, writes Matthew Lee, of Inner City Press and Fair Finance Watch. The Community Reinvestment Act regulation has been the subject of litigation, modernization and now reversion to the status quo. But the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., with little fanfare or scrutiny, is now poised to remove the original enforcement mechanism of the CRA: that a bank's CRA performance be considered when it applies to open a branch (or, as the Act has it, "deposit facility").The agency's proposal to remove the requirement that banks provide public notice of plans to open new branches short circuits a key means of holding banks accountable for their obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act.

1 in 4 homes face ‘severe or extreme’ climate risks, study finds - More than a quarter of U.S. homes — worth a combined $12.7 trillion — are exposed to “severe or extreme climate risk,” according to a new Realtor.com analysis.The report examined threats from wildfires, floods and wind damage — hazards that have been top of mind after a string of recent disasters. “These challenges not only affect residential safety but also influence property values, insurance costs, and overall market stability,” Realtor.com Economist Jiayi Xu said in the report.About 18% of homes face potential hurricane wind damage, the most common risk, while 6% are threatened by flooding and another 6% by wildfires.Realtor.com found that the most at-risk metros are predominantly clustered in the South, where homeowners face the highest insurance costs relative to home values. Miami has the heaviest homeowners insurance burden among the 100 largest U.S. metros, with annual premiums equal to 3.7% of property value, according to Realtor.com’s analysis of Insurify data. Nationwide, the average is only 0.8%. Florida dominated the list, with five metros in the top ten for the highest insurance burden, more than any other state. Nearby Gulf Coast hubs, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, also ranked near the top.

The "Home ATM" Mostly Closed in Q2 - During the housing bubble, many homeowners borrowed heavily against their perceived home equity - jokingly calling it the “Home ATM” - and this contributed to the subsequent housing bust, since so many homeowners had negative equity in their homes when house prices declined.Unlike during the housing bubble, very few homeowners have negative equity now.Mortgage Equity Withdrawal is an aggregate number and is a combination of homeowners extracting equity - hence the name "MEW" - and normal principal payments and debt cancellation (modifications, short sales, and foreclosures).Here is the quarterly increase in mortgage debt from the Federal Reserve’s Financial Accounts of the United States - Z.1 (sometimes called the Flow of Funds report) released today. In the mid ‘00s, there was a large increase in mortgage debt associated with the housing bubble. In Q2 2025, mortgage debt increased $108 billion, up from $44 billion in Q1. Note the almost 7 years of declining mortgage debt as distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) wiped out a significant amount of debt. However, some of this debt is being used to increase the housing stock (purchase new homes), so this isn’t all Mortgage Equity Withdrawal (MEW).The second graph shows household real estate assets and mortgage debt as a percent of GDP. Note this graph was impacted by the sharp decline in Q2 2020 GDP.Mortgage debt is up $2.88 trillion from the peak during the housing bubble, but, as a percent of GDP is at 44.6% - down from Q1 - and down from a peak of 73.1% of GDP during the housing bust. This means most homeowners have large equity cushions in their home.The value of real estate, as a percent of GDP, increased in Q2 and is below the recent peak in Q2 2022, but is well above the median of the last 30 years.

Shortage of homebuyers forces many sellers to lower prices or walk away as sales slump drags on (AP) — Skyrocketing housing values and a shortage of homes on the market gave homeowners the upper hand for years when it came time to sell. That’s no longer a given. Across the country, it’s getting tougher for sellers to drive a hard bargain. A dearth of home shoppers who can afford to buy and uncertainty about the outlook for the economy, jobs and mortgage rates is putting pressure on sellers to give ground at the negotiating table. In some markets, mainly in the South and West, homeowners who are eager to sell are more likely to give buyers a better deal. This could include a lower price, up-front money to nudge down the buyer’s mortgage rate, and funds for closing costs and any repairs or improvements that may pop up after the home inspection. The reasons: Would-be buyers balk at what they view as unreasonable asking prices, while at the same time new construction is giving buyers more options and putting pressure on sellers to make their homes more appealing. As a result, while the national median home listing price rose slightly in July, some metro areas saw a decline, signaling a reversal in the power dynamic between buyers and sellers. It’s rare to see the type of eye-popping bidding wars that exploded home values by roughly 50% nationally earlier this decade. Low-ball offers are more common. Despite this hopeful trend, the housing market remains mired in a slump. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes are running about 1.3% below where they were through the first seven months of last year, when they sank to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. The national median home listing price rose slightly in July from a year earlier to $439,450, according to Realtor.com. The real estate listing company found the most a homebuyer who earns the median U.S. household income can afford to spend on a home is $298,000. The analysis assumes a 20% down payment and a 30-year mortgage at a fixed rate of 6.74%. By those criteria, 7 out of 10 home shoppers are priced out of the market.

September ICE Mortgage Monitor: House Prices Up Slightly Year-over-year --Here is the ICE September Mortgage Monitor report (pdf). Press Release: ICE Mortgage Monitor: Property Insurance Costs Are up 4.9% in 2025, 11.3% Over Last 12 Months Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. … today released its September 2025 ICE Mortgage Monitor Report, highlighting the continued surge in property insurance costs and its growing impact on overall mortgage affordability.The report found that the average annual property insurance payment for single-family mortgage holders has climbed to nearly $2,370 per year, accounting for 9.6% of average monthly mortgage-related expenses when factoring in principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI). This marks the highest share on record and underscores the disproportionate role insurance costs are playing in rising homeownership expenses.“Property insurance costs continue to be the fasted growing subcomponent of mortgage payments among existing homeowners,” said Andy Walden, Head of Mortgage and Housing Market Research at ICE. “While mortgage principal, interest and property tax payments have all increased in recent years, insurance has far outpaced those gains, rising 4.9% in 2025, 11.3% annually and nearly 70% over the past five and a half years. That rapid escalation now means insurance alone consumes almost one in every ten dollars spent on average mortgage-related costs.” Mortgage Delinquencies Decreased in July. Here is a graph of the national delinquency rate from ICE. Overall delinquencies decreased in June and are below the pre-pandemic levels. Source: ICE McDash

• The national delinquency rate fell by 8 basis points (bps) in July to 3.27%, a 9-bps improvement year over year (YoY) and 58 bps below pre-pandemic levels
• Inflow of new delinquencies dipped by 13% from June and were down 5% from the same time last year, driving the second consecutive YoY decline in the national delinquency rate, as cures modestly outpaced new delinquency rolls in the month
• Cures rose by 17% in the month, but remained 9% below last year’s levels
• Loans 90+ days past due but not in foreclosure held steady. While serious delinquencies are up 30K YoY, that is the smallest annual increase since November, as the impacts from recent wildfires and last year’s hurricanes continue to fade
• FHA loans remain the primary driver of stress in the market. While FHA delinquencies ticked down by 5 bps in July, they are still 15 bps above a year ago and now account for the majority (52%) of serious delinquencies nationwide

Here is the year-over-year in house prices according to the ICE Home Price Index (HPI). The ICE HPI is a repeat sales index. ICE reports the median price change of the repeat sales. The index was up 1.1% year-over-year in August, unchanged from 1.1% YoY in July.

• The ICE Home Price Index shows prices firming slightly in August, with the annual home price growth rate holding at +1.1% in July, pausing after a streak of seven monthly declines
• Prices rose by +0.03% in the month, and while still cool, that marks the first single month growth since April, representing a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of +0.4%
• 85% of markets saw firmer prices in August than they did in July, with the uptick driven by a combination of slightly lower mortgage rates and improved affordability alongside a modest pullback in for-sale inventory
• Annual growth among single-family residences held steady at +1.4% YoY, while condo prices are now down -1.9%, marking further deterioration from -1.7% in July

There is much more in the mortgage monitor.

MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest Weekly Survey --From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 9.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 5, 2025. This week’s results include an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 9.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 3 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 12 percent from the previous week and was 34 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 7 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 6 percent compared with the previous week and was 23 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “Mortgage rates declined for the second consecutive week as Treasury yields moved lower on data indicating that the labor market is weakening. The 30-year fixed rate decreased to 6.49 percent, down 20 basis points over the past two weeks to the lowest since October 2024,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “The downward rate movement spurred the strongest week of borrower demand since 2022, with both purchase and refinance applications moving higher. Purchase applications increased to the highest level since July and continued to run more than 20 percent ahead of last year’s pace. There was also a pickup in ARM applications, both in terms of level and share, as ARM rates were considerably lower than fixed rate loans, which typically benefits homebuyers.” Added Kan, “The holiday-adjusted refinance index had its strongest week in a year and the average loan size for refinances also increased significantly, since borrowers with large loans are more sensitive to bigger rate moves. Refinance applications accounted for almost 49 percent of all applications last week.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.49 percent from 6.64 percent, with points decreasing to 0.56 from 0.59 (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 23% year-over-year unadjusted. Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly). Purchase application activity is still depressed, but above the lows of October 2023 and slightly above the lowest levels during the housing bust. The second graph shows the refinance index since 1990.The refinance index has increased from the bottom but remains low.

Housing September 8th Weekly Update: Inventory Down 1.7% Week-over-week --Altos reports that active single-family inventory was down 1.7% week-over-week. Inventory usually starts to decline in the fall, and then declines sharply during the holiday season. Inventory is now up 35.6% from the seasonal bottom in January. Usually, inventory is up about 20.5% from the seasonal low by this week in the year. So, 2025 saw a larger than normal increase 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 20.4% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 22.4%), and down 10.6% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 10.3%). Inventory started 2025 down 22% compared to 2019. Inventory has closed more than half of that gap, and it appears inventory will still be below 2019 levels at the end of 2025. This second inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of September 5th, inventory was at 847 thousand (7-day average), compared to 861 thousand the prior week. Mike Simonsen discusses this data and much more regularly on YouTube

Cotality: House Prices Increased 1.4% YoY in July --From Cotality (formerly CoreLogic): US home price insights — September 2025 =The 2025 spring homebuyers season ended softly, with slower price growth dominating the narrative and potentially opening the door to more buyers.
• Year-over-year price growth dipped to 1.4% in July 2025. This is almost half the rate of inflation recorded in the Consumer Price Index that month.
• Monthly price increases have been nominal this year and were in negative territory (down 0.2%) between June and July 2025.
• South Dakota saw prices rise 6.2% year-over-year, entering the top 5 states with the highest home price growth. The full list includes New Jersey, South Dakota, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and West Virginia , all of which continue to record more than triple the national rate of price growth.
• Florida, Texas, Montana, and Washington D.C. reported negative home price growth. ...
“July’s decline in home prices is atypical — the last two periods where we saw monthly declines in July was in 2022 and during 2006-2008 period — but this year’s decline follows a year of relatively flat home prices and persistent weakness in homebuying demand,” Cotality’s Chief Economist Dr. Selma Hepp explained. “And even though price weakness has spread across more markets, 50% continue to see prices increase. The markets where prices are increasing tend to be more affordable markets in Midwest, such as the Chicago metro; Indianapolis; Cleveland; Tulsa OK; and Louisville, KY; as well as Philadelphia and the New York metro. At the same time, Florida markets and those in the West continue to see persistent price declines.” This graph from Cotality shows the Top 10 coolest markets. The list is dominated by Florida and Texas. According to Cotality, the highest risk markets are all in Florida. House prices are under pressure with more inventory and sluggish sales.

Consumer Credit Trounces Estimates On Unexpected Surge In Credit Card Usage --One month after we reported that US consumers appeared tapped out following the first consecutive 2-month stretch of declines in credit card balances, moments ago the Fed published the latest monthly consumer credit data and once again it was a bit of a brainteaser. That's because after several months of weak credit creation, July saw the second highest monthly increase of 2025 with a total of $16.0 billion in credit, up almost double from the revised June print of $9.6 billion (vs the unrevised number of $7.4 billion), and well above the $10.2 billion median estimate. Boring, as usual, growth in non-revolving credit (which is basically auto and student loans) eased back and after 3 consecutive prints at or just shy of $10 billion, the July increase of $5.534 billion was the smallest since February, bringing the total to a new record high of $3.749 trillion. While we won't have a detailed breakdown between the two components until the end of Q3, we remind readers that the increase that in Q2 was driven in roughly equal contributions from student loans (+8.1BN) and auto loans (+$6.1). As usual, the surprise was in the big jump, and sudden reversal in the recent slowdown in credit card debt, which in July surged by $10.5 billion from the upward revised $807 million June (a number which previously was negative). And just like that the acute slowdown - if not outright decline - in credit card debt which we saw starting in February 2025 and which led to a sizable decline in May (and before the revision, in June), is now over thanks to the biggest monthly increase in credit card debt of 2025, which pushes the total to the highest level since Nov 2024 when we saw a major drop off in credit card balances.

US consumer inflation accelerates; weekly jobless claims approach four-year high (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices increased by the most in seven months in August amid higher costs for housing and food, but a surge in first-time applications for jobless benefits last week kept the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates next Wednesday. The larger-than-expected rise in the Consumer Price Index reported by the Labor Department on Thursday resulted in the biggest year-on-year increase in inflation since January. Higher inflation and softening labor market conditions fanned fears of stagflation, and pose a dilemma for the U.S. central bank, beyond Wednesday's anticipated rate decision. The broad increase in inflation partly reflected businesses passing on higher costs from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs to consumers and a rebound in demand for travel. Tourist traffic to the U.S. tanked during the spring and early summer amid boycotts and the White House's immigration crackdown. "Even though a September cut is a fait a compli, the future trend looks less certain," said Sung Won Sohn, a finance and economics professor at Loyola Marymount University. "The interaction of rising inflation and softening employment creates a difficult policy dilemma for the Fed. Cutting rates too quickly risks embedding tariff-driven inflation, while delaying cuts risks amplifying unemployment." The CPI rose 0.4% last month, the biggest gain since January, after increasing 0.2% in July, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The CPI was driven by a 0.4% jump in the cost of shelter. Food prices increased 0.5%, with prices at the supermarket soaring 0.6%. Fruit and vegetable prices increased 1.6% as tomatoes surged 4.5%, the biggest gain since January 2020. Apples and bananas were also more expensive. Beef prices rose 2.7% and increased 13.9% from a year ago. Coffee prices jumped 3.6% and were up 20.9% from a year ago. Tariffs likely accounted for some of these increases. Past droughts that decimated the national herd were also probably behind the higher beef prices. Labor shortages at farms as the Trump administration rounds up undocumented migrants for deportation were also adding to higher food prices, economists said. Gasoline prices rose 1.9%. In the 12 months through August, the CPI advanced 2.9%, the largest increase since January, after climbing 2.7% in July. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer prices would rise 0.3% in August and increase 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. A bar chart that ranks a set of major product categories by price increases in the past year. Financial markets have fully priced in a quarter-percentage-point reduction in rates next Wednesday, with the Fed expected to deliver two similar-sized additional cuts this year. The U.S. central bank, which tracks the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price indexes for its 2% inflation target, paused its easing cycle in January because of uncertainty over the inflationary impact of import duties. The pass-through from import duties has been gradual, but businesses have now depleted their pre-tariff inventories. Business surveys have for some time been signaling imminent price increases. Economists were divided on whether the pass-through from tariffs would be a one-off event or prolonged. Stocks on Wall Street rose. The dollar slipped against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury yields fell. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI rose 0.3% after a similar gain in July. The rise in the so-called core CPI inflation was broad. Core goods prices increased 0.3%, with tariff-exposed products like new motor vehicles, apparel and household furnishings and operations costing more. Used cars and trucks prices rose 1.0%. The cost of services increased 0.3% as airline fares soared 5.9%, and hotel and motel room prices surged 2.3%. Owners' equivalent rent rose 0.4%. In the 12 months through August, the core CPI inflation increased 3.1%, matching July's rise. Healthcare costs fell as a recent sharp rise in dental services reversed. A line chart comparing inflation metrics over the past five years. "We suspect the broadening cost burden from tariffs will keep the monthly pace of goods inflation elevated through early next year, but the spillover into services inflation should be limited by the weakness in the jobs market, choosier consumers and anchored inflation expectations," said Sarah House, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. Economists estimated that core PCE inflation increased 0.2% in August after rising 0.3% for two straight months, which would translate to an annual increase of 3.1%. That would be an acceleration from a 2.9% increase in July. The labor market's struggles were underscored by a separate report from the Labor Department showing initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 263,000 for the week ended September 6, the highest level since October 2021. But the data could have been impacted by the Labor Day holiday. There was also an unexplained 15,304 surge in unadjusted applications in Texas. Economists speculated some people could have incorrectly filed regular claims for the state's Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) following the July floods that was extended to the end of September. "The magnitude of the Texas spike looks similar to a natural disaster. One possibility is that it is related to the early July flooding in Texas," said Abiel Reinhart, an economist at J.P. Morgan. "DUA applications are not counted in the regular state jobless claims figures, but what is possible is that many people filed a normal claim by mistake." A column chart titled "US unemployment claims" that tracks the metric over a recent period. Still, labor market conditions have weakened. The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid was unchanged at 1.939 million during the week ending August 30, the claims report showed. The government said this week that nonfarm payrolls could have been overstated by 911,000 jobs in the 12 months through March. That followed the release last Friday of the monthly employment report, which showed job growth almost stalled in August and the economy shed jobs in June for the first time in four and a half years amid tariff uncertainty. "Even if the increase in initial claims overstates any renewed weakness in the labor market, claims have been drifting higher," said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.

Producer Prices Unexpectedly Dropped In August, YoY Inflation Tumbles --Unusually, we get a look at August's Producer Prices (today) ahead of the Consumer Prices (tomorrow) with analysts expecting a 0.3% MoM increase (considerably less than the large 0.9% MoM surge in July). However, amid all the Trump Tariff tantrums, the headline PPI print FELL 0.1% MoM (yes, deflation) and July was revised down to +0.7% MoM, smashing PPI YoY down to +2.6% (3.3% YoY exp)... A big reversal from last month is Final Demand Trade Services, with prices tumbling MoM... Graphs Source: Bloomberg The index for final demand services fell 0.2 percent in August, the largest decline since moving down 0.3 percent in April. The August decrease can be traced to a 1.7-percent drop in margins for final demand trade services. (Trade indexes measure changes in margins received by wholesalers and retailers.) Conversely, the indexes for final demand services less trade, transportation, and warehousing and for final demand transportation and warehousing services increased, 0.3 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively. Three quarters of the August decrease in prices for final demand services can be attributed to a 3.9-percent decline in margins for machinery and vehicle wholesaling. The indexes for professional and commercial equipment wholesaling, chemicals and allied products wholesaling, furniture retailing, food and alcohol retailing, and data processing and related services also moved lower. In contrast, prices for portfolio management advanced 2.0 percent. The indexes for truck transportation of freight and for apparel wholesaling also increased. Prices for final demand goods inched up 0.1 percent in August, the fourth consecutive advance. Leading the August increase in the index for final demand goods, prices for final demand goods less foods and energy rose 0.3 percent. The index for final demand foods moved up 0.1 percent. Conversely, prices for final demand energy declined 0.4 percent. A major factor in the August increase in the index for final demand goods was a 2.3-percent advance in prices for tobacco products. The indexes for beef and veal; processed poultry; printed circuit assemblies, boards, modules and modems; and electric power also rose. In contrast, prices for utility natural gas decreased 1.8 percent. The indexes for fresh and dry vegetables, chicken eggs, and copper base scrap also fell.

Wholesale Used Car Prices Unchanged in August; Up 2% Year-over-year -From Manheim Consulting today: Wholesale Used-Vehicle Prices Were Unchanged in August - Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis) were flat in August compared to July. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) was unchanged at 207.4, representing a 1.7% increase from the same period last year. The seasonal adjustment softened the results for the month, as non-seasonally adjusted values increased more than typically seen for the month. The non-adjusted price in August increased by 1.0% compared to July, which now makes the unadjusted average price 1.8% higher year over year. The long-term move on average for non-seasonally adjusted values is a rise of 0.1% in August, demonstrating that last month’s. This index from Manheim Consulting is based on all completed sales transactions at Manheim’s U.S. auctions. The Manheim index suggests used car prices were unchanged in August (seasonally adjusted) and were up 1.7% YoY.

AAR Rail Traffic in August: Intermodal and Carload Traffic Increased YoY --From the Association of American Railroads (AAR) AAR Data Center.. The AAR Freight Rail Index (FRI), which measures seasonally adjusted month to-month rail intermodal shipments plus carloads excluding coal and grain, fell 0.5% in August 2025 from July 2025, its fourth decline in the past five months. Still, the index remains relatively strong: since 2008, it’s been higher than it was in August less than 15% of the time. Rail intermodal volumes are closely tied to port activity (especially in the west) and the consumer side of the economy. In August, U.S. rail intermodal shipments were up 0.5% over last year. Average weekly intermodal volume in August 2025 was 284,316 containers and trailers, the most for any month since May 2021 and the most for August since 2018. ... Meanwhile, year-over-year total U.S. rail carloads rose 0.7% in August 2025 over August 2024, marking six consecutive monthly gains. Eleven of the 20 major carload categories tracked by the AAR saw gains in August, the sixth straight month in which at least half the categories saw increases. Total carloads averaged 230,184 per week in August 2025, the most for any month since October 2022. In 2025 through August, total carloads were up 2.5%, or nearly 192,000 carloads, over last year.

Employment: Preliminary annual benchmark revision shows downward adjustment of 911,000 jobs --From the BLS: Current Employment Statistics Preliminary Benchmark (National) Summary - The preliminary estimate of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) national benchmark revision to total nonfarm employment for March 2025 is -911,000 (-0.6 percent), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The annual benchmark revisions over the last 10 years have an absolute average of 0.2 percent of total nonfarm employment. In accordance with usual practice, the final benchmark revision will be issued in February 2026 with the publication of the January 2026 Employment Situation news release. Each year, CES employment estimates are benchmarked to comprehensive counts of employment from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). These counts are derived primarily from state unemployment insurance (UI) tax records that nearly all employers are required to file with state workforce agencies. The preliminary benchmark revision reflects the difference between two independently derived employment counts, each subject to their own sources of error. It serves as a preliminary measure of the total error in CES employment estimates from March 2024 to March 2025. Preliminary research, which is not comprehensive and is subject to updates in QCEW data, indicates that the primary contributors to the overestimation of employment growth are likely the result of two sources—response error and nonresponse error. First, businesses reported less employment to the QCEW than they reported to the CES survey (response error). Second, businesses who were selected for the CES survey but did not respond reported less employment to the QCEW than those businesses who did respond to the CES survey (nonresponse error). Estimates of other errors, such as the forecast error from the net birth-death model, are not available at this time. Information on how the net birth-death forecasts have reduced benchmark revisions historically are available on the CES Birth-Death Model Frequently Asked Questions page in question 10, www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbdqa.htm. The preliminary benchmark revisions in table 1 are calculated only for March 2025 for the major industry sectors. As is typically the case, many of the individual industry series show larger percentage revisions than the total nonfarm series, primarily because statistical sampling error is greater at more detailed levels than at an aggregated level. Official establishment survey estimates are not updated based on this preliminary benchmark revision. The final benchmark revision will be incorporated into official estimates with the publication of the January 2026 Employment Situation news release in February 2026.The final revision will be published when the January 2026 employment report is released in February 2026. The number is then "wedged back" to the previous revision (March 2024). Usually, the preliminary estimate is pretty close to the final benchmark estimate. This preliminary estimate showed 880,000 fewer private sector jobs, and 31,000 fewer government jobs (as of March 2025) than originally estimated.

US payrolls benchmark revision estimate suggests labor market weaker than previously thought (Reuters) - The U.S. economy likely created 911,000 fewer jobs in the 12 months through March than previously estimated, the government said on Tuesday, suggesting that job growth was already stalling before President Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs on imports. The preliminary annual benchmark revision estimate to the closely watched payrolls data from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics followed on the heels of news last Friday that job growth almost stalled in August and the economy shed jobs in June for the first time in four and a half years.. The revision estimate is equivalent to 76,000 fewer jobs per month. It implied that nonfarm payroll gains averaged about 71,000 per month, instead of 147,000. Economists had expected the estimated revision to be between 400,000 and 1 million jobs. "This means labor market momentum is being lost from an even weaker position than originally thought," said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING. In addition to being hobbled by uncertainty stemming from trade policy, the labor market has also been pressured by the White House's immigration crackdown, which has undercut labor supply. A shift by businesses to artificial intelligence tools and automation also is curbing demand for workers. Once a year, the BLS compares its nonfarm payrolls data, based on monthly surveys of a sample of employers, with a much more complete database of unemployment insurance tax records, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data. A final benchmark revision will be released in February along with the BLS' employment report for January. Government statisticians will use the final benchmark count to revise payroll data for the months prior to and after March. Economists have attributed the revisions to the "birth-and-death" model, a method the BLS uses to try to estimate how many jobs were gained or lost because of companies opening or closing in a given month. These companies are not initially available for sampling. Though economists at Goldman Sachs agreed the labor market had softened materially, they cautioned the revision estimate was too excessive. They noted the QCEW was prone to upward revisions and might have difficulties accounting for unauthorized immigrants. "Our own model of net job gains from firm births and deaths, one of the key points of uncertainty in monthly payrolls growth that the benchmarking process corrects for, suggests a downward revision of around 550,000, or 45,000 per month, via that channel," they wrote in a note. "While the BLS' birth-death adjustment for nonfarm payrolls was probably too generous in second half of 2024, we estimate that the overstatement has since narrowed to around 10,000 jobs per month, cautioning against extrapolating too much from the benchmark revision." Last year, the preliminary estimate was for payrolls to be revised down by 818,000 jobs in the 12 months through March 2024. Payrolls were in the end only downgraded by 598,000. Leisure and hospitality employment was estimated to be revised down by 176,000 jobs over the 12 months through March. Trade, transportation, and utilities payrolls could be slashed by 226,000 positions, while professional and business services employment was projected to be reduced by 158,000 jobs. Manufacturing employment could be lowered by 95,000 jobs. Government employment was estimated to be cut by 31,000 positions. Modest upgrades were estimated for only the transportation and warehousing, and utilities industries. U.S. financial markets were little moved by the report. Economists continued to expect the Federal Reserve would resume cutting interest rates next Wednesday, with a quarter-point reduction, after pausing its easing cycle in January because of uncertainty over the impact of tariffs. With the consumer price data on Thursday expected to show inflation pressures building in August, the estimated revisions could fan fears of stagflation. The monthly employment report is based on data derived from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program, which surveys about 121,000 businesses and government agencies, representing about 631,000 individual worksites. The QCEW data is derived from reports by employers to the state unemployment insurance programs, and represents about 95% of total employment. Sharp downgrades last month to May and June employment figures totaling 258,000 jobs angered Trump, who fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her, without evidence, of faking the employment data. Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni to replace McEntarfer. Antoni, who has penned opinion pieces critical of the BLS and even suggested suspending the monthly employment report, is viewed as unqualified by economists across the political spectrum. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters the revision estimate vindicated Trump. "And this makes it very clear that President Trump inherited a much worse economy," Leavitt said. "And it also proves that the Federal Reserve is holding our monetary policy far too restrictive." The BLS, like other statistical agencies, has suffered from years of inadequate funding under both Democratic and Republican administrations. The National Association for Business Economics on Monday urged "policymakers, business leaders, and the economics community to stand with BLS and ensure that America's statistics remain accurate, independent, and trusted worldwide." "Any political retaliation due to today's release will harm the ability for BLS to provide timely and unbiased statistics," said Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

Americans' Wages Haven't Kept Up With Inflation Since Biden Was Elected - The post-pandemic economy has been a story of resilience on paper - low unemployment, strong GDP growth, and record-breaking stock markets. But for many Americans, the lived experience tells a different story. As inflation surged through 2021 and 2022, wages struggled to keep up, leaving households feeling squeezed despite broader economic gains. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and visualized by Statista, average hourly earnings increased by 21.8% from January 2021 to July 2025. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 22.7% over the same period, leaving real wages—the amount adjusted for inflation—down 0.7% cumulatively. Chart: How Wages Compare to Inflation The above chart visualizes cumulative changes in wages and inflation over the last four and a half years, and is summarized by the data below: While wage growth appears strong in nominal terms, real earnings are still underwater. The most striking period was between April 2021 and April 2023, when inflation outpaced wage growth for 25 consecutive months, shrinking purchasing power month after month. Since May 2023, there’s been a turnaround—nominal wages have once again outpaced inflation, causing real wages to rise. But that hasn’t been enough to fully recover from the inflation shock that began in 2021.

Trump speaks at Museum of the Bible about religious liberty in education - CBS News (video)

WATCH: Trump says new guidance on school prayer is expected soon, praises DC’s Mayor Bowser | PBS News -- The president made the announcement Monday during remarks at a meeting of the White House Religious Liberty Commission. He said the Education Department will issue new guidance “protecting the right to prayer in our public schools.” Public schools have been barred from leading students in classroom prayer since 1962, when the Supreme Court said it violated the First Amendment. But the Education Department has long promoted guidance saying students can pray together during lunch and other free times. Trump issued revised guidance on the topic in 2020 that largely mirrored what was already on the books. Former President Joe Biden’s administration made minor changes in 2023, saying schools can take “reasonable steps” to ensure students aren’t pressured to participate in prayer. During his campaign in 2023, Trump said he would support “bringing back prayer to our schools.” The president, in the meandering speech, praised D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for working with the federal government on the crime crackdown in her city. Trump noted that Bowser has been good to work with although “that’s not her ideology and now I think it maybe is her ideology.” “She’s taking a lot of heat, too, from the radical left,” he said. “You know, they don’t like that she’s allowing it. But look, she’s going to either allow it or we’ll just do it.”

States debate homeschool rules as enrollments rise - Both interest in and concerns over homeschool regulations have peaked after a spike in parents pulling their children from classroom after the pandemic. While homeschooling is nothing new, the numbers have been elevated since COVID-19 shut down schools five years ago, leading some lawmakers and activists to insist more regulation is needed to protect children. But those guardrails are opposed by some in the homeschool community who say the purpose of the practice in the first place is to keep the government out of what they teach their children. “The interesting and challenging thing about homeschooling is that it differs state to state to state. So it’s hard to look at the entire educational landscape of the U.S. and identify what someone’s homeschooling experience could be like,” said Tess Ulrey, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It also brings up the question of how we can look at the entire landscape and make sure that these kids that are being homeschooled are really safely protected from a policy lens,” she added. Homeschooling surged after the coronavirus did as students were forced online, doubling during the height of the pandemic, with 11.1 percent of households homeschooling in the fall of 2020, according to the Census Bureau. While there were dips in home education attendance after that initial high, some states saw increases again, with the John Hopkins Institute for Education Policy’s Homeschool Research Lab finding 90 percent of states that report homeschooling enrollment found increases for the 2023-24 academic year. But the boom in enrollment has come with increased attention on oversight of the practice. While dead in the chamber for now, Illinois attempted to pass regulations this spring that would have required homeschool parents to at least have a high school degree, submit a “Homeschool Declaration Form” to their local school district and allow state officials to request evidence of learning materials. New Jersey is considering a law that would require homeschool parents to give to the state a copy of their curriculum, which would have to follow the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. And in Minnesota, legislators considered a law that would have forbidden those with a criminal record to homeschool their children, although the language was taken out before final passage. Proponents of the laws say they are necessary to ensure students reach the academic levels they need and ensure against abuse or other neglect. “As soon as kids are withdrawn from the education system, there’s no oversight. There’s not really a way to monitor their academic performance, but also, frankly, their safety,” Ulrey said. “None of the legislation that we are supporting is advocating for a strict and stringent, ‘sit in your seat for eight hours a day’ type of home education system,” she added. “What higher legislative oversight does do is it helps kids who fall through the educational cracks.”

Judge blocks Trump administration policy preventing undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start -A federal judge on Thursday issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against a directive from the Trump administration banning children who lack permanent legal status from enrolling in Head Start. The ruling came after Head Start associations in multiple states sued over the Trump change from this spring. The directive “results in parents losing childcare, risking missed work, unemployment, forced dropouts, and inability to pay life expenses and support families,” Judge Ricardo Martinez said in his ruling. The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services, which runs the early childhood program from low-income families, for comment. The ruling accompanied another lawsuit by Democratic attorneys general that challenged the policy and won a temporary injunction in their own states Thursday. Head Start has faced a chaotic situation since the Trump administration’s directive and threats to take away federal money from the program. “As Plaintiffs enumerate, this chilling effect results in the immediate harm of childhood education loss, disability support, dual language instruction, and stable learning environments, leading to long-term harms in development,” Martinez wrote in his ruling.

Chatbots, whistleblower concerns renew kids online safety push - Chatbots from both Meta and OpenAI have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, raising questions about how to protect young users from potential harms caused by the rapid development of AI. Several whistleblowers also came forward with new allegations about Meta’s handling of safety research, underscoring issues that have plagued tech companies with large platforms for years. The latest developments have prompted senators from both sides of the aisle to renew calls to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), legislation aimed at strengthening online protections for children that has faced roadblocks in previous sessions. “There is truly bipartisan anger, not only with Meta, but with these other social media platforms and virtual reality platforms and chatbots that are intentionally, knowingly harming our children, and this has got to stop,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said at a hearing Tuesday. “Enough is enough.” KOSA came close to clearing Congress last year, after passing the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support in July 2024. However, it came up short in the House, where some Republican members voiced concerns about the potential for censorship of conversative views. In an eleventh-hour effort to get the bill across the finish line in December, senators negotiated updated text with Elon Musk’s X seeking to address GOP concerns. Musk, who at the time was a key figure in then-President-elect Trump’s orbit, threw his weight behind the legislation following the changes. However, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ultimately poured cold water on the push, saying he still had reservations about the KOSA’s free speech implications. Blackburn and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) reintroduced the legislation in May, using the same language negotiated last December. Notably, the bill had the support of leadership from the outset, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both joining as co-sponsors.

High schoolers’ reading, math scores drop to lowest level in decades -- High schoolers’ reading and math scores dropped to the lowest level in decades, along with declines in science scores from eighth graders, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the gold standard exam for comparing student achievement over the years. The results on what is commonly known as the Nation’s Report Card are the first for these groups since before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 12th grade reading, the average score dropped to the lowest in the history of the exam, which began in 1992, with 32 percent scoring below “basic.” All students, except those in the highest percentile, saw declines. In 12th grade math, 45 percent scored below “basic,” the lowest since 2005. Eighth graders did not fare much better for science, with 38 percent scoring below “basic,” meaning they likely can’t remember basic facts such as that plants need sun to grow and reproduce. “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “The lesson is clear. Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested. That’s why President Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and students’ unique needs,” she added. Not only have NAEP achievement gaps between the highest and lowest performing students largely increased between 2019 and 2024, but only 33 percent of 12th graders are now considered college-ready on math and 35 percent for reading, both down from 2019.

Perceived importance of college drops to new low: Gallup - The perceived importance of college education among Americans has dropped to a new low, continuing a downward trend seen in the last 15 years, according to a new Gallup survey that was released Thursday morning. The poll found that 35 percent of U.S. adults rate college education as “very important.” Around 40 percent said it is “fairly important,” while another 24 percent said it’s “not too important.” In 2019, when asked about the importance of college, more than half of surveyed Americans, 53 percent, said it was very important. The figure was nearly 20 points lower than in 2013, when 70 percent said the same. In 2010, 75 percent of U.S. adults said that a college education was very important. Those who said college education is not too important have more than doubled since 2019, Gallup noted. Only 4 percent of respondents said that in 2010. Among parents with kids younger than 18, the results were similar. Forty percent said college education was somewhat important, 38 percent said it was very important, and 21 percent said it was not too important, according to the survey. Support for higher education has dropped among all major subgroups in the last 12 years. Even among college graduates, Democrats and people of color, who historically have been more likely to be in favor of higher education, less than 50 percent said that education is very important now, the poll found.

Barron Trump 'doing a semester' at different NYU campus -Barron Trump is doing a semester at another New York University location after studying at the institution’s main Greenwich Village campus during his freshman year, according to a report. NYU security officers told People that the 19-year-old son of President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hasn’t been seen at the main campus since classes resumed for the fall semester.“From what I was told,” one officer said, “he’s doing a semester at another NYU campus.”Neither the White House nor school officials responded to requests for comment from The Post about Barron’s apparent campus change. NYU operates degree-granting programs at campuses in Downtown Brooklyn, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, and learning centers in locales such as Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

Donald Trump praises West Point for canceling Tom Hanks event - President Trump on Monday celebrated the decision by a West Point alumni group to cancel an event to honor the actor Tom Hanks for his support of the military and veterans. “Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks. Important move!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!! Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other Fake Award Shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice.” The West Point Association of Graduates had announced in June plans to honor Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which it says is given each year to individuals who exemplify the West Point motto of “Duty, Honor, Country.” The Washington Post first reported that the military academy called off this month’s event, saying the cancellation would allow West Point to instead focus on preparing enrollees for their future service. Hanks is among the most famous actors in Hollywood and has won multiple Academy Awards. In announcing the award, the West Point group highlighted his starring roles in “Apollo 13” and “Saving Private Ryan,” as well as his role as a producer on “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific,” “Masters of the Air” and “Greyhound.” Hanks, who previously collaborated with former President Biden, has served as a national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and he helped raise money for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in the nation’s capital. The alumni group also cited Hanks’s coffee company founded in 2023 called Hanks for Our Troops. The cancellation is the latest move during the Trump administration to move the military away from anything the president or his allies might deem “woke” or “politically correct.”

Students caught in middle of Trump fight with higher education - College students are starting classes in a precarious spot between new university policies and threatening overtones from the Trump administration regarding protests and activities on campus. Describing campus life to The Hill, some say the actions of the administration have had a chilling effect on campus, while others are hoping for a calmer academic year than before. “On one hand, we are still college students. We’re happy to be back on campus. But there is this lingering fear of: This is an administration that has really no concern for higher education. Instead, one could say that [it] has a desire to destroy higher education,” said Zaid Youssef, a third-year law student at the University of California, Berkeley. Since the 2024 pro-Palestinian encampments and President Trump’s crackdown on universities, campuses are facing a variety of different conditions. Youssef noted how students at Berkeley have seen the Trump administration pause $500 million to the university and their chancellor chastised during a July congressional hearing that also saw one of their professors called an antisemite. This is coupled with a change in tone from the University of California administrators, according to Youssef, when revisions were made last year to protest policies after clashes between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. “There’s no denying that the Trump administration has escalated, and that Berkeley specifically has responded to these escalations under the Trump administration,” he added.

Trump administration ‘closely monitoring’ swatting incidents on college campuses: McMahon - Education Secretary Linda McMahon posted Friday on the social platform X that the Trump administration is “closely monitoring” swatting incidents that have occurred on campuses across the country at the start of the school year. “Amidst the heaviness of the past few days, college campuses across the country have been dealing with a disturbing wave of ‘swatting’ incidents – deliberate, false reports of emergencies intended to spread fear and disrupt campus life,” McMahon wrote. “These threats are not just disruptive – they are dangerous. Each one forces students, faculty, and law enforcement into emergency response mode, diverting critical resources and putting lives at risk, all for a malicious hoax,” she added. The statement comes after several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were threatened in what the FBI now believes to have been a hoax perpetrated after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. More than a dozen campuses across the country have dealt with these hoax calls that shut down campuses and bring tons of police to the university. “The Department is closely monitoring these incidents and is in direct contact with campus leaders to offer immediate support. These acts must not go unanswered. We are working with federal and state partners to ensure those responsible are swiftly identified and held fully accountable,” McMahon said. Experts say it is difficult to catch these fake callers due to how easy it can be to make an anonymous phone call, as well as some of the callers living outside the country.

Trump administration ending grants for colleges with large minority student populations -The Education Department announced Wednesday it is ending discretionary funding to multiple Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) grant programs. The funding violated the law, according to the Trump administration, because it goes to institutions that “meet racial or ethnic quotas.” “Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.” “Diversity is not merely the presence of a skin color. Stereotyping an individual based on immutable characteristics diminishes the full picture of that person’s life and contributions, including their character, resiliency, and merit,” she continued. “The Department looks forward to working with Congress to reenvision these programs to support institutions that serve underprepared or under-resourced students without relying on race quotas and will continue fighting to ensure that students are judged as individuals, not prejudged by their membership of a racial group.” The administration did not specify where the $350 million in discretionary funds that was expected for these programs will go. “The Department looks forward to working with Congress to reenvision these programs to support underprepared or under-resourced students without relying on race and ethnic quotas,” the press release reads. The department said it is also examining the “underlying legal issues” with mandatory funding that is dedicated to these institutions.

Harvard receives reinstatement notices for previously canceled federal funding --Harvard said Wednesday it has received notices that many of the canceled federal grants will be restored, although the money has not come back yet. “Harvard has begun to receive notices of reinstatements on many of the previously terminated federal awards from a range of federal agencies. Harvard is monitoring funding receipts closely. So far, payments have not been restored on these awards,” a spokesperson for Harvard said. The funds seem to be on its way back after a judge ruled the Trump administration could not withhold the money from Harvard. . The New York Times was the first to report the notices. However, there is no guarantee the funding will stay for long, as the Trump administration can appeal the court decision to restore the $2.2 billion. The restoration comes as the Trump administration and Harvard still seem to be in negotiations after the federall government has targeted the institutions for months.

Data: Targeted or universal gonorrhea, chlamydia screening of youths in EDs nets more cases A pair of new studies analyze screening for the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) gonorrhea and chlamydia in youth visiting pediatric emergency departments (EDs), with one suggesting that targeted or universal screening is better at detecting infection than usual care, and the other revealing racial differences in screening among males.For the first study, published today in JAMA Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati-led researchers compared gonorrhea and chlamydia detections using targeted or universal screening with those of symptomatically driven testing in patients aged 15 to 21 years over 20 months at six US pediatric EDs. "Adolescents account for almost half of the 2.5 million diagnosed sexually transmitted infections in the US annually, and the emergency department functions as the primary source of health care for many adolescents," the study authors wrote. "No recommendations exist for emergency department gonorrhea and chlamydia screening." Adolescents who underwent screening made up 7.6% of 98,413 ED visits from January 2021 to September 2022. The average patient age was 17.0 years, and 57.9% were female. Compared with usual care, population-level gonorrhea and chlamydia detection rates were higher during targeted screening (adjusted difference in infections detected per 1,000 patient visits, 2.59) and universally offered screening (adjusted difference, 1.81)."The findings indicate that developing processes to integrate broad-scale gonorrhea and chlamydia screening in emergency departments may be warranted," the researchers concluded. "Multicenter studies to assess this method with improved rates of uptake are needed to determine whether this will remain true when a larger proportion of patients participate in the screening." Last week in Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital researchers in Washington, DC, conducted a cross-sectional analysis of gonorrhea and chlamydia screening during ED visits by males ages 13 to 21 years at two urban pediatric hospital campuses from January 2021 to February 2023. "Racial differences in Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) testing and screening are well documented among adolescent females; however, data on adolescent males are limited," the investigators wrote.Among 17,244 ED visits, 3.7% included CT/GC testing or screening. Of the 473 (2.7%) visits by symptomatic males, 39.5% included CT/GC testing. Testing rates were higher during visits by Black males than during those of their White peers (50.0% vs 11.8%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.3). Of the 16,771 visits by males with non-STI–related reasons for visiting the ED, 456 (2.7%) included CT/GC screening. Screening rates were higher among visits by Black males compared with non-Hispanic white males (3.5% vs 0.8%; aOR 3.1). "There were low rates of CT/GC testing overall; however, visits by non-Hispanic Black adolescent males were more likely to include both testing and screening compared with non-Hispanic white males," the study authors wrote. "More research is needed to determine possible cause [sic] of this racial difference and to identify strategies to mitigate potential racial differences in CT/GC testing in the ED."

American Heart Association updates blood pressure guidelines for 2025: Here’s what’s new – The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology have updated their joint guidelines for people with high blood pressure for the first time since 2017, making changes to the way they recommend managing the condition.The guidance expands the options for preventing and managing high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for more severe health issues.“By addressing individual risks earlier and offering more tailored strategies across the lifespan, the 2025 guideline aims to aid clinicians in helping more people manage their blood pressure and reduce the toll of heart disease, kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes and dementia,” said Dr. Daniel W. Jones, chair of the committee that writes the guidelines.One big update has to do with GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, which have grown popular in recent years for their ability to promote weight loss. The new guidelines suggest patients with high blood pressure who are also overweight may want to seek a prescription for a GLP-1. The American Heart Association also changed its guidance for pregnant and postpartum, recommending certain medications when patients record a stage 2 high blood pressure reading. The change is based on additional evidence that high blood pressure can cause serious complications, like preeclampsia, during pregnancy and after delivery.Also new is an added emphasis on how hypertension can contribute to cognitive decline and dementia. New research shows that high blood pressure can damage blood flow to the brain, causing issues with memory and cognitive function.Another major change in 2025 is advising doctors use a risk calculator, nicknamed PREVENT by the American Heart Association, to estimate patients’ risk of cardiovascular disease. The calculator looks at an individual’s age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol and more to predict his or her risk of developing heart disease within 10 years and within 30 years.

FDA Chief Says No Solid Evidence Supporting Hepatitis B Vaccine At Birth -The head of the Food and Drug Administration said on Sept. 8 that there is no strong evidence supporting the administration of a hepatitis B vaccine to infants.“I personally don’t believe that the evidence is solid to say the Hep B shot needs to be given at birth,” Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA commissioner, said during an appearance on Fox News.“It’s totally different from polio and measles, and some of these other shots that are tried and true and have been around for a long time.”The FDA, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has cleared hepatitis B vaccines to be administered at birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all infants receive a hepatitis B vaccine on the day they are born.A debate among some doctors regarding the recommendation has been taking place in light of the CDC vaccine advisory panel’s scheduleddiscussion on the hepatitis B vaccination at its upcoming meeting.“I predict that what they’re going to do is try to change the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine so that kids don’t get it when they’re born,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned from the CDC, said during an appearance on ABC.The panel makes recommendations on vaccines. The recommendations are usually adopted by the CDC.Hepatitis B is a liver infection that can lead to liver failure and death, although some of those infected never experience symptoms. Hepatitis B is contracted through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. Babies who are born to infected women can also contract it.

Blood test identifies HPV-associated head and neck cancers up to 10 years before symptoms -Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes around 70% of head and neck cancers in the United States, making it the most common cancer caused by the virus, with rates increasing each year. Unlike cervical cancers caused by HPV, there is no screening test for HPV-associated head and neck cancers. This means that patients are usually diagnosed after a tumor has grown to billions of cells in size, causing symptoms and spreading to lymph nodes. Screening methods that can detect these cancers much earlier could mean earlier treatment interventions for patients.In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Mass General Brigham researchers show that a novel liquid biopsy tool they developed, called HPV-DeepSeek, can identify HPV-associated head and neck cancer up to 10 years before symptoms appear. By catching cancers earlier with this novel test, patients may experience higher treatment success and require a less intense regimen, according to the authors."Our study shows for the first time that we can accurately detect HPV-associated cancers in asymptomatic individuals many years before they are ever diagnosed with cancer," said lead study author Daniel L. Faden, MD, FACS, a head and neck surgical oncologist and principal investigator in the Mike Toth Head and Neck Cancer Research Center at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham health care system. "By the time patients enter our clinics with symptoms from the cancer, they require treatments that cause significant, lifelong side effects. We hope tools like HPV-DeepSeek will allow us to catch these cancers at their very earliest stages, which ultimately can improve patient outcomes and quality of life."HPV-DeepSeek uses whole-genome sequencing to detect microscopic fragments of HPV DNA that have broken off from a tumor and entered the bloodstream. Previous researchfrom this team showed the test could achieve 99% specificity and 99% sensitivity for diagnosing cancer at the first time of presentation to a clinic, outperforming current testing methods.HPV-DeepSeek detected HPV tumor DNA in 22 out of 28 blood samples from patients who later developed the cancer, whereas all 28 control samples tested negative, indicating that the test is highly specific. The test was better able to detect HPV DNA in blood samples that were collected closer to the time of the patients' diagnosis, and the earliest positive result was for a blood sample collected 7.8 years prior to diagnosis.Using machine learning, the researchers were able to improve the test's power so that it accurately identified 27 out of 28 cancer cases, including samples collected up to 10 years prior to diagnosis.

Artificial sweeteners may hasten cognitive decline, study suggests - Brace yourself for some not-so-sweet news: People who ingest high levels of artificially sweetened foods are on a faster path to cognitive decline, a new study suggests.Researchers who published results in the journal Neurology tracked nearly 13,000 adults (average age: 52) and their diets for eight years. They said participants in the highest tier of daily artificial sweetener consumption — 191 milligrams, the amount typically found in a can of diet soda — saw a 62 percent faster decline in cognitive and memory skills, compared with their counterparts who consumed only 20 milligrams of artificial sweetener a day. The scientists behind the study say that’s the equivalent of 1.6 years of aging. By comparison, study participants in the middle range of consumption — an average of 66 milligrams of artificial sweeteners daily — declined 35 percent faster, equivalent to 1.3 years of aging, compared to the lowest group. “Now, the study is only observational — I cannot say to you that artificial sweeteners cause cognitive decline,” lead study author Dr. Claudia Kimie Suemoto said. “We do know, however, that these sweeteners are associated with worse cognitive trajectories.” People with diabetes had a quicker decline in memory and cognition compared with people without the condition, researchers noted. The study identified six artificial sweeteners it says are linked to cognitive decline: acesulfame-k, aspartame, erythritol, saccharin, sorbitol and xylitol. The International Sweeteners Association cautioned that the study does not establish firm conclusions. “As with all such research, the findings may be influenced by many confounding factors, including overall dietary patterns, lifestyle choices and other health conditions,” the industry group said. “The study’s own authors acknowledge this, cautioning against drawing causal conclusions.”

Pfizer reports strong phase 3 clinical data for 2025-26 COVID vaccine - Yesterday Pfizer and BioNTech reported phase 3 clinical trial data for their updated COVID vaccine, Comirnaty. That vaccine is authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for seniors 65 and older and for younger adults with at least one underlying health condition.The data show at least a fourfold increase in neutralizing antibodies, reinforcing preclinical data, and Pfizer has submitted these data to the FDA. The trial included 50 adults ages 65 and older and 50 adults ages 18 to 64 with at least one underlying health condition. All received the LP.8.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccine 2025-26 formula, and had previously received the KP.2-adapted COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months prior to enrollment. "In both age groups, 14 days following vaccination, LP.8.1-neutralizing antibody titers exceeded pre-vaccination levels, on average, by at least 4-fold," Pfizer said in a press release. "The safety profile of the vaccine was consistent with previous studies, with no new safety concerns identified."Pfizer said this information was given to the FDA to provide additional information about immunological effects of the vaccine, and is not intended to replace the post marketing commitments requested by the FDA.

Kids with COVID had a 50% to 60% higher risk of depression, anxiety in 2021, researchers say --- Relative to uninfected children, COVID-19 patients aged 8 to 17 years were at a 49% higher risk for new-onset depression or anxiety in 2021, rising to 59% in those with severe illness, according to a University of Utah studypublished this week in PLOS One. The researchers mined the Utah All Payers Claims Database to explore the link between COVID-19 infection, illness severity, and risk of depression and anxiety among 154,565 school-aged youth who had private insurance or Medicaid coverage. The average participant age was 10.8 years in 2019, when the study period began, and 48% were girls. Key contributors to mental illness among children include the pandemic's direct impacts on daily life, such as school closures, isolation from peers, and disrupted family routines, the authors noted."These challenges have likely had long-term consequences for the mental health and well-being of young people," they wrote. "Moreover, COVID-19 infection itself may play a significant role in the development of mental health disorders among children and adolescents." Children infected with COVID-19 had a 49% higher probability of experiencing new-onset depression or anxiety. Compared with uninfected youth, those with moderate symptoms had a 40% higher likelihood of incident depression or anxiety, a risk that rose to 59% among those with severe disease. "At the onset of the pandemic, healthcare efforts primarily focused on treating the physical health symptoms from COVID-19 infection," the researchers wrote. "The novelty of the virus meant that the psychological impact of the illness took a lower priority compared to the discovery of its cure, leaving a gap in mental health care."

Dogs exposed to COVID-positive people show increased risk of infection - A surveillance survey published inVirus Research finds an almost 70% elevated prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the blood of pet dogs exposed to the virus in their homes. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Zoetis, developer of the SARS-CoV-2 lateral-flow assay (LFA) used in the study, analyzed serum samples from 196 dogs in Pennsylvania for viral antibodies from November 2021 to March 2022. The dogs included those that were exposed to COVID-positive human household members, had recently had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, or had no exposure. The animals showed no signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection and were brought to the vet clinic for other indications. "Human to animal [SARS-CoV] spillovers have been documented both in domestic and wild animal species," the study authors noted. "Due to close contact in shared households, pet dogs may be at increased risk for contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus from infected individuals in the same household." Dogs exposed to COVID-positive household members had a significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence (68%) than other dogs. Seroprevalence among all dogs, determined using a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT), was 12.2%. "These findings provide serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 spillover to pet dogs and underscore the importance of continued surveillance in companion animals as part of a One Health approach, especially as new viral variants continue to emerge," the authors wrote.

Food insecurity tied to higher risk of long COVID - A new survey of more than 21,000 US adults shows that those who reported food insecurity had a 73% higher chance of reporting post–COVID-19 condition, or long COVID. The study was published yesterday in JAMA Network Open and adds to a growing body of literature that links food insecurity with delayed or forgone medical care, worsened mental health, and racial disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors said. This is the first known study to link food insecurity to long COVID. The study was based on data from the 2022 to 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data, unemployment records, and enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the authors, approximately 13.5% of US households were food insecure in 2023, and there was a monthly average of 42.1 million SNAP participants in 2023. Food insecurity is generally defined as not having access to sufficient food to meet people's basic needs. The 21,631 survey participants were asked if they had current long COVID (yes or no) and whether they had a history of and recovered from long COVID (yes or no). Long COVID was defined as self-reported symptoms persisting for more than 3 months after initial COVID-19 diagnosis. The participants also used the 10-item National Center for Health Statistics food insecurity scale, with 0 to 2 indicating high or marginal food security, and scores of 3 to 10 indicating low or very low food security. The core questions for the scale cover experiences such as worrying about food running out, not being able to afford balanced meals, and skipping meals owing to a lack of money. In total, 19,824 participants (92%) had food security, and 1,807 (8%) reported food insecurity. Fifty-three percent of participants were female, and 64% were non-Hispanic White. Sixteen percent were 65 years or older. Of those with food insecurity, 32% participated in SNAP. Most adults receiving SNAP (60%) were not employed, compared with 37% not receiving SNAP. Food insecurity showed a large positive association with current long COVID (odds ratio [OR], 2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.05 to 2.96). And the associated remained significant after adjusting for covariates (adjusted OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.39 to 2.15)—for a 73% higher risk. Unemployment, female sex, and former or current smoking was also associated with long COVID. "Food insecurity was not significantly associated with current long COVID among individuals receiving SNAP benefits or unemployed individuals. However, food insecurity was associated with current long COVID among those not receiving SNAP," the authors wrote. "With the long-term costs of long COVID estimated to be $2.6 trillion, investing in SNAP represents a cost-effective strategy to reduce its burden and improve population health," they concluded.

Studies show how common long COVID is globally and in teens -Long COVID, the post-infection condition that can encompass a number of symptoms in the weeks following an active COVID-19 infection, is shown to be highly prevalent in a newglobal analysis of studies published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.A second study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases describes the prevalence of long COVID in adolescents in the summer of 2022, and shows that while many teens report lingering symptoms, most are resolved by 3 months post-infection. In the first study, analysis of 144 studies showed the global pooled long-COVID prevalence through May 2024 was 36% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33% to 40%). Long COVID was persistent when study follow-up was 1 or 2 years, but overall prevalence estimates varied widely across studies, ranging from 3% to 80% in studies published last year. Among studies from North America, the estimated pooled prevalence was 30% (95% CI, 24% to 38%). Studies that included only hospitalized patients found higher rates of long COVID than those who had patients with mild cases of the virus. The two most commonly identified long-COVID symptoms were memory problems and muscle weakness, both with estimated prevalence of 11%."We caution that our pooled prevalence estimates represent the percentage of individuals who ever experienced long COVID symptoms during study follow-up, rather than those who are currently experiencing symptoms at a specific point in time, among those with a history of COVID infection," the authors said. "Therefore, our pooled estimates may overstate the clinical burden of long COVID." US teens surveyed about long COVID in the summer of 2022 describe symptoms at 4 weeks post-infection that improved by 3 months post-infection, according to the second study.Surveys were given to 784 respondents ages 12 to 17. Of those participants, 264 (34%) said they had tested positive for COVID-19, 291 (37%) never tested positive, and 229 (29%) were never tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection. At least one symptom lasting 4 weeks or longer were reported by 41% of the positive respondents, compared to 12% of negative respondents and 11% of never-tested respondents. There was no association between COVID variant and odds of reporting lasting symptoms."Most symptoms resolved within three months, and less than 30% of adolescents reporting symptoms who tested positive reported their symptoms persisted for three or more months," the authors concluded.

Covid-19 state vaccine access, flu on the horizon, grandparents to the rescue, Florida’s school requirement rollback, food safety cuts, and more - Katelyn Jetelina | Your Local Epidemiologist - Here’s what’s on the radar: Covid-19 summer wave, with flu peeking around the corner. Also, a patchwork of state vaccine access for Covid-19 vaccines, Florida’s decision to scrap school immunization requirements, and grandparents organizing for their grandkids’ health. Sprinkle in a scaled-down food safety system and a dose of fall foliage science, and you’ve got the picture. (see graphs)

• Covid-19: The summer wave continues nationally, still at a moderate level. Growth is slowing overall, but the South and West (especially Florida and Hawaii) remain hotspots. Wastewater levels are still climbing in these states, suggesting we’re not quite at the peak, though we may be getting close.
• RSV: Still quiet nationwide. Historically, activity kicks off in the Southeast first—nothing is moving there yet.
• Flu: Starting to stir, especially in the South. Outpatient visits haven’t hit the 3% epidemic threshold that marks the official start of flu season, but activity is creeping upward, particularly among kids.

Right now, access to Covid-19 vaccines depends on your address. Even on-label people (ages 65+ or under 65 with high-risk conditions) face different rules across state lines. Off-label access (younger, lower-risk adults) is essentially blocked everywhere at pharmacies, except in a few states that acted quickly, like Massachusetts.Many state laws link vaccine access directly to guidance from FDA or ACIP (the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices). But in June, ACIP was replaced with members handpicked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and they declined to vote on Covid-19 vaccine recommendations. Their next meeting is set for next week. Until that happens, guidance is stalled, leaving state statutes tied to ACIP in limbo and creating uneven access across the country.

• Business as usual (green in map below): Pharmacies and physician offices can vaccinate people ages 65+ and high risk without extra hurdles.
• Prescription required (purple below): Patients need a doctor’s order before getting vaccinated at a pharmacy, even if they are 65+ or high risk.

The good news is that many states have been taking action (diagonal lines below) to move from “purple” to “green.” They’ve used several levers, including changing legislation expanding pharmacist authority (e.g., Colorado), to executive orders overriding restrictions (Massachusetts, New York, New Mexico), to pharmacy board directives filling gaps (Pennsylvania, Nevada, Kentucky). Off-label access (i.e., if you’re under 65 and not high risk; not shown on the map) is still going to be highly restricted in almost all states, for now. Even “business as usual” states like California are preparing for downstream challenges, especially with insurance coverage. Florida is set to become the first state to end school immunization requirements. The timing and process remain unclear, but the implications are not. For decades, every state required vaccines for school entry because requirements increase vaccination rates, prevent outbreaks, and keep classrooms open. In Florida, 82% say public schools should require these vaccines. This means that Florida’s move doesn’t reflect parents’ opinions; it reflects politics. When Florida drops school entry requirements, vaccination rates will fall—and the ripple effects go far beyond vaccines. These requirements get kids into pediatricians’ offices. Many families delay care until it becomes necessary, and kindergarten is a well-documented trigger: epidemiologists consistently see a sharp spike in vaccine uptake at age five. Without this nudge, many children—whether due to parental hesitancy, barriers, or busy lives—would remain undervaccinated. A new grassroots group of grandparents just launched to protect kids’ vaccine access. They’re driven by lived experience—remembering when these diseases ran rampant—and are elevating their stories. Fueled by personal experiences, they are asking for support and stories. Learn more and join them here! On July 1—unbeknownst to the public—the CDC scaled down its Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which actively monitors foodborne illness in 10 states. FoodNet reduced the pathogens it tracks from eight to just two: Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC). Infections from other common pathogens, like Campylobacter and Listeria, are no longer tracked. The CDC maintains that individual states and other programs like the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Listeria Initiative can still monitor these pathogens, and that the cut lets them “prioritize core activities.” Food safety experts, on the other hand, warn that unlike FoodNet’s active surveillance, those other surveillance programs are passive—they rely on states to report cases. The cuts may slow outbreak detection and response, and make it harder for the CDC to see the full picture of food safety trends at the national level. Check state-level resources to learn of outbreaks and foods to steer clear of.

Minnesota, New York issue executive orders promoting access to COVID vaccines --Governors in Minnesota and New York are issuing executive orders in an effort to protect vaccine access in those states, in the wake of chaos and confusion over the availability of COVID-19 vaccine boosters at the federal level. In Minnesota, the executive order from Governor Tim Walz directs the state epidemiologist to issue a standing order for the COVID-19 vaccine, which offers flexibility for healthcare providers and pharmacists to provide the vaccine. "Unlike many other states, pharmacists in Minnesota can administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines according to the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] license to patients three and up without a separate prescription. This process does not rely on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations," according to a press release on the order. The order said the Minnesota Department of Health's medical director should issue a standing order or protocol by September 24 that gives guidance on administering the COVID vaccine."Vaccination is one of the greatest public health inventions of all time. Routine vaccination prevents hospital visits, disabilities and death. Vaccines allow us to live better and longer than ever before," the order reads. "But the federal government is seeking to inject politics into what should be a decision between a person and their healthcare provider."After Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the secretary for the US Department of Health and Human Services, he has been systemically limiting the number of people approved for COVID-19 vaccine boosters. An updated COVID-19 booster is approved by the FDA, but it is authorized for use only in people 65 and older and younger people at higher risk for severe COVID-19.Many states have reported turmoil at pharmacies, with pharmacists requiring a prescription for the vaccine. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul's executive order will allow pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccines to anyone 3 years or older without a prescription, including pregnant women, healthy adults, and children 3 to 17 years."I promised New Yorkers that their family would be my fight. In the absence of federal leadership, we must do everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the vaccines and preventative healthcare they have come to rely on," Hochul said in a press release. "By signing this executive order, we are sending a clear message that when Washington Republicans play politics with public health, New Yorkers can still get the care they need, close to home, from trusted providers in their own communities." Last week governors of Washington, Oregon, and California formed an alliance to protect COVID-19 vaccine access, with Hawaii also joining the alliance.

Illinois, Arizona, Virginia issue orders to improve COVID vaccine access --Illinois Governor JB Pritzker today signed an executive order to protect vaccine access during the upcoming respiratory virus season. It allows providers in pharmacies and clinical settings to administer COVID and other vaccines recommended by Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) in consultation with its Immunization Advisory Committee.IDPH Director Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, said in a news release, "With confusing and conflicting guidelines from the federal government, the Executive Order ensures Illinois residents have the credible, transparent, and science-based guidance they need."And yesterday Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced that she has signed an executive order that directs the health department and board of pharmacy to make vaccines, including the updated COVID vaccines, broadly accessible and available to state residents who want them. The step also allows the Arizona Department of Health Services to issue a standing order that allows pharmacists and healthcare providers to administer vaccines without a prescription in accordance with nationally recognized clinical guidance.Also, the Virginia Department of Health yesterday announced that State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton, MD, has signed a new statewide standing order that allows pharmacists to administer the updated COVID vaccines without a prescription to people ages 65 and older and those ages 18 to 64 years old who have at least one underlying medical condition.

FDA officials may try to link COVID vaccines to pediatric deaths, reports suggest --Federal health officials are preparing to present information next week that suggests a link between COVID-19 vaccines and more than two dozen pediatric deaths, according to media reports.Reporting by the Washington Post and the New York Times indicates that officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will make the presentation at next week's meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The meeting is scheduled to include discussions and votes on recommendations for updated COVID-19 vaccines, which received FDA approval in late August but for a more limited population than previous COVID vaccines.According to the Post, the FDA presentation will reportedly be based on information submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which contains unverified reports of injuries or side effects believed to be associated with vaccination. VAERS reports can be submitted by anyone, even if it's unclear whether a vaccine caused the injury. CDC and FDA monitor the system for safety signals and investigate reports further when they believe it is warranted. "A VAERS report alone does not indicate whether a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event," the CDC website states. "Only scientists and public health professionals can make this determination after thorough investigation."But Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic who once suggested COVID vaccines were "the deadliest vaccine ever made," has argued VAERS and other federal vaccine-monitoring systems are insufficient and in April said he wanted to upgrade them to better capture adverse events.FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, said in a recent interview with CNN that the FDA was doing an "intense investigation" of reports from VAERS, including speaking with families of children who had died and reviewing autopsy reports. "We think the public deserves to have that information," he said.

South Carolina, Utah report measles in unvaccinated residents -Both South Carolina and Utah confirmed new measles cases in unvaccinated residents. South Carolina officials said this is the state’s third measles case this year, and the patient, who lives in the Upstate region, was unvaccinated and had no prior immunity from measles exposure. “They do not have a specific, known exposure to someone with measles, but they did have a recent international trip to a country with an ongoing measles outbreak and were not contagious while traveling,” officials said. Utah's Grand County has reported its first measles case of the year, in an unvaccinated person younger than 18 years old who was exposed to someone with measles outside the county. According a Facebook post by the Southeast Utah Health Department, there was no school exposure related to this case.So far this year there have been 19 measles cases reported in Utah. In last week’s update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 1,431 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States since the beginning of the year.

Utah reports high school–related measles outbreak; US total reaches 1,454 -- Utah's health department is reporting a measles outbreak linked to a high school cycling event held on August 16. The department didn't say how many illnesses have been identified in the outbreak, only that event attendance was 2,000.“Given the number of people who may have been exposed to measles at Soldier Hollow on August 16, 2025, we encourage attendees and participants of upcoming Utah High School Cycling League Region 6 events to check their MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccination status,” Leisha Nolen, MD, state epidemiologist, said on the Utah Department of Health and Human Services website. Utah has reported 22 measles cases this year.One more measles case has been reported in Wisconsin's Oconto County measles outbreak. The new case raises the state’s total to 25. All 25 cases have been in unvaccinated individuals, and 2 people have required hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted its weekly measles update, and 23 more cases have been recorded since last week, raising the national total to 1,454. There are two more outbreaks, raising the total number of outbreaks to 37. Eighty-six percent of cases reported this year are linked to outbreaks.

LA County confirms child's death from late measles complication - The Los Angles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) yesterday urged residents to make sure family members are protected from measles following the death of a school-age child who was infected with the virus during infancy and developed a rare complication from the disease called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Health officials said SSPE is typically fatal in people who were infected with measles during early life. The warning comes amid a growing US measles outbreak and during a record year for case since the United States achieved measles elimination status in 2000.The LADPH said the child originally had measles before he or she was eligible to receive the vaccine. The first dose is typically given between 12 and 25 months. SSPE is a progressive brain disorder that is a late complication from measles, typically surfacing 2 to 10 years after the initial infection and after the patient has seemingly recovered. Death typically occurs about 3 years after SSPE is diagnosed. There is no cure, and the LADPH said the condition affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 people with measles, but the risk is thought to be much higher—at 1 in 600—in those who had measles as infants.

Severe RSV doesn't spare healthy, full-term infants, data suggest -- Even healthy, full-term infants often develop severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, particularly in the first 3 months of life, Swedish researchers reported yesterday in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe.A team from Karolinska Institutet and the University of Helsinki analyzed national registry data on all children born in Sweden from 2001 to 2022 on RSV diagnoses, sociodemographic factors, underlying diseases, RSV deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and hospital stays of 7 days or longer."Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in young children, with the highest burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries," the study authors wrote. "In 2019 there were globally 33 million cases of RSV in children younger than 5 years, leading to 3.6 million hospitalizations and over 100,000 RSV-related deaths." Of 2.4 million children, 1.7% were diagnosed as having RSV, corresponding to an incidence of 1,406 cases per 100,000 person-years in children younger than 1 year and 36 per 100,000 person-years in older children. Of children with RSV, 11.9% had severe illness. The median age of children admitted to an ICU was 1.9 months, 41.3% had an underlying medical condition, and the median length of ICU stay was 46.0 hours. Among these children, 36.1% required supplemental oxygen with a high-flow nasal cannula for a median of 18.9 hours, 25.2% received non-invasive ventilation for a median of 25.3 hours, and 32.1% needed mechanical ventilation for a median of 65.8 hours. The median age of children who died was 6.6 months.Among all children, risk factors for ICU admission or death included birth in winter (hazard ratio [HR], 2.96), small for gestational age (adjusted HR [aHR], 3.91), twins (aHR, 3.43), having siblings aged 3 years or younger (aHR, 2.92), having a sibling hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infection before age 4 years (aHR, 2.40), and having severe chronic conditions (aHRs, greater than 4).Underlying diseases were seen in 52.3% of children admitted to the ICU, 42.6% of those with a prolonged hospitalization, and 77.8% of those who died.In children with RSV infection, risk factors for poor outcomes included small for gestational age (aHR, 2.74), prematurity (very preterm aHR, 3.74; extremely preterm aHR, 5.70), and severe underlying illnesses. In the full cohort, 3,766 children were hospitalized for at least 7 days after RSV infection. The risk factors for prolonged hospitalization were similar to those for ICU admission or death, including winter birth (HR, 3.13), small for gestational age (aHR, 2.22), twins (aHR, 3.63), having older siblings aged 0 to 3 years (aHR, 2.91), and prematurity (very preterm aHR, 10.85; extremely preterm aHR, 19.19). Chronic conditions were tied to an elevated risk of prolonged hospitalization, particularly severe congenital heart disease (aHR, 7.18), Down syndrome (aHR, 7.53), and other severe underlying illnesses (aHR, 9.08). Underlying conditions were less common in seriously ill children younger than 3 months than in their older counterparts (40.3% vs 71.6%). The authors said the findings strengthen the evidence supporting universal RSV immunization in children. "In settings where universal immunization is not yet feasible, our study provides crucial evidence to guide the prioritization of high-risk groups, not only based on underlying conditions, but on age and other risk factors," they wrote.

Home delivery meals linked to multistate Salmonella outbreak -The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted a notice about a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked tomeals from Metabolic Meals, a home delivery company. So far, at least 16 people in 10 states have been sickened, with 7 people requiring hospitalization. No deaths have been reported."Do not eat affected Metabolic Meals products while the investigation is ongoing. Check your refrigerator and freezer for these products and throw them away or contact the company,” the CDC said. Several meals delivered during the week of July 28, 2025, are implicated in this outbreak, including chicken tenders, tortellini, and sliced top sirloin. Sick people in this outbreak reported eating ready-to-eat, home delivery meals in the days prior to illness. Three people each from California and Missouri have been identified in the outbreak, as well two people each from Minnesota and Georgia. The average age of patients is 56 years, and 56% are female. “Of the 12 people interviewed, 10 (83%) reported eating a Metabolic Meals prepared menu item. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating certain Metabolic Meals prepared menu items,” the CDC said.

Hot spots shift in Africa’s mpox battle as cholera activity spikes in Chad and Republic of Congo - Though mpox activity is declining in Africa’s highest burden countries, trends are on the upswing in others, including Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria, a top official from Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said yesterday at the group’s weekly health emergencies briefing. The World Health Organization (WHO) last week wound down the global mpox emergency, but Africa CDC has continued the public health emergency of continental security due to the fragility of progress over the past several months and the need to keep momentum going until the outbreaks are under control. Also, the African region is battling several other outbreaks, including cholera, measles, dengue, Lassa fever, and most recently Ebola. Ngashi Ngongo, MD, PhD, MPH, who leads the group’s incident management team, said though suspected and confirmed cases were up in the most recent reporting week, the overall trend continues to reflect a decline. Over the past year, cases have already outpaced the total for 2024 and officials have especially been worried about deaths, which rose sharply this year, especially in groups affected by underlying health conditions such as HIV. Liberia is seeing significant and sustained activity, with Montserrado County, home to the capital city Monrovia, accounting for 66% of confirmed cases. Ngongo said 88% of the country’s active cases are being managed through home isolation. He said Kenya’s outbreak is still expanding with no sign of a plateau and cases concentrated in three counties: Mombasa, Busia, and Nairobi. Eleven countries have rolled out their mpox vaccination programs, most recently Kenya. Malawi and Zambia are expected to receive doses of the MVA-BN vaccine over the next week. Regarding cholera, Ngongo said Chad and the Republic of Congo are reporting new outbreaks. Ngongo said the drivers in Chad include the movement of refuges from Sudan, overcrowded refugee camps, and hygiene challenges in affected areas. In the Congo, cases are focused on vulnerable areas along the Congo River and places where sanitation is poor. Elsewhere, cases are on the rise in Burundi, and to a lesser degree Ethiopia. Though Sudan remains the country with the highest case numbers, he said health officials are seeing some stabilization. Sudan, South Sudan, and the DRC remain the highest burden countries, accounting for 75% of the region’s cases and deaths, he said. Twenty-three of Africa’s countries have battled cholera outbreaks this year. As a whole, cholera cases declined by 33% over the past 6 weeks, with deaths down slightly.

WHO shares more DR Congo Ebola outbreak details as more suspected cases reported -The World Health Organization (WHO) on September 5 released more details about a new Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including that two of the healthcare workers who cared for the index patient—a 34-year-old pregnant woman who died from her infection—developed similar symptoms and also died. The index patient was at 34 weeks gestation and died on August 25 from multi-organ failure. Of the 28 suspected cases recorded as of September 4 in Kasai province, 15 deaths were reported, with 4 health workers among the patients who died. Patients listed as suspected cases are from three areas of Bulape health zone and from Mweka health zone. Eighty percent of the patients are ages 15 years and older. Among samples collected from five suspected patients and one probable death that were sent for testing to the National Public Health Laboratory (INRB) in Kinshasa, and all were positive for Ebola. The DRC health ministry said that, according to its latest data, 32 cases and 15 deaths have been reported in the outbreak zone. Officials held an outbreak coordination meeting with technical and financial partners to chart a response plan with a $45 million price tag that will begin with mobilizing partners, establishing monitoring and evaluation, and conducting scientific research on the virus reservoir. Whole-genome sequencing suggests that the virus represents a new zoonotic spillover and is not directly linked to earlier outbreaks in the area in 2008 and 2008-2009.The WHO said the outbreak's location is not far from Tshikapa, the capital of Kasai province, as well as the border between the DRC and Angola. Though the affected area is hard to reach, population movements between different parts of the province are frequent, especially between Bulape and the provincial capital.So far, the source of the outbreak hasn't been identified, and the illness onset date and the history of health visits of the index patient hasn't been determined, which the WHO said increases the likelihood of ongoing community transmission. It assessed the health risk as high for the DRC, moderate for Africa, and low at the global level.

Suspected cases rise in DR Congo Ebola outbreak --The latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) affecting Kasai province has grown to 42 cases, 5 of them confirmed, the country's health ministry said in its latest situation report, translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infection disease news message board. The number of deaths remains at 15. So far, 157 contacts have been identified, and 19% are being followed. Nine patients are in medical care. Officials say outbreak response challenges include unsafe burials and population movements to other health zones. Responders are also facing challenges transporting patients. "There are still cases in the community,” the ministry said in its statement. An earlier World Health Organization (WHO) notice said the outbreak is located in a remote area, though it has connections to the provincial capital. In a related development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday issued alevel 1 travel notice due to the Ebola outbreak affecting Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai province. It urged people traveling to the affected region of the DRC to take routine precautions, consider travel insurance, avoid contact with sick people with symptoms, and avoid contact bats and other animals that could harbor the virus. The CDC also urged people visiting the hot spot area to monitor themselves for symptoms of Ebola for 21 days after leaving.

Suspected cases in DR Congo Ebola outbreak rise to 68 -As outbreak responders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to gauge the scope of a recently declared Ebola outbreak in Kasai province, 68 suspected cases have now been identified, 20 of them confirmed by lab tests, Ngashi Ngongo, MD, PhD, MPH, who leads incident management for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said today during a weekly health emergencies briefing.The initial cases were reported from two health zones, mainly in Bulape but also in Mweka. Ngongo said suspected cases are now reported in two more health districts, Mushenge and Dekese. Africa CDC said the identification of more affected health districts raises the risk of cross-border transmission, especially to Angola, requiring scaled-up surveillance, case management, and infection prevention and control measures.Ngongo said the suspected cases include several people who died before the Ebola outbreak was identified. He added that many people attended their funerals, some traveling from other health zones, and may have been exposed to the virus. Viral loads are known to be extremely high after death, and unsafe burial practices, including washing and touching deceased people, are known to transmit the virus, which spreads through infected body fluids. The number of deaths remains relatively stable, at 16, for a case-fatality rate of 23.5%. Ngongo said nine people are in medical care, including four who are in critical condition.So far, outbreak responders have identified 401 case contacts, and 398 of them are under follow-up.Ngongo said the DRC has 2,000 vaccine doses, and so far, 68 frontline healthcare workers have been vaccinated. Regarding treatments, Africa CDC has transported 100 doses of the monoclonal antibody MAb144 (ansuvimab-zykl, also known as Ebanga) to the Bulape health zone, the outbreak's epicenter.

Funding cuts to US HIV preventive services could lead to thousands more cases, billions in costs --Two just-published studies estimate the health and economic consequences of reducing, interrupting, or ceasing HIV preventive services in the United States, revealing thousands of new infections and costs in the billions over the next decade, although the results of the second study show considerable uncertainty, with wide credible intervals in the estimates. Led by Emory University researchers and published yesterday in JAMA Network Open, the first study explored the likely changes in HIV transmission and healthcare costs if policy changes result in decreased HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use in the United States. The team used population-based data, PrEP prescription information from 2012 to 2022, estimates from a previously published clinical model, and parameters from a previously published ecological model to describe population-level PrEP use and new diagnoses under different hypothetical changes in PrEP coverage sparked by federal policy changes. Scenario 1 was based on an assumption that the increases in PrEP coverage observed during the past decade would be reversed over the following decade. The other two scenarios took the same approach but at alternative levels of 10% (scenario 2) and 2% (scenario 3) absolute annual decreases. Discounted analyses indicate the present value, reflecting the time value of money, while undiscounted analyses represent the total projected cash flows linked to the scenario. "PrEP, when taken as directed, reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by as much as 99%," the investigators wrote. "Critically, changes in policies that lead to increased out-of-pocket PrEP costs or that decrease access to proximate PrEP locations could reduce PrEP coverage, resulting in excess HIV infections and costs." The authors noted that PrEP use is four times more likely among patients with health insurance and that equitable PrEP use is substantially higher in states with Medicaid expansion or PrEP drug–assistance programs and highest in states with both. Assuming that cuts to PrEP programs reduced PrEP coverage by 3.3 per 100 people each year with indications for PrEP over the next decade (eg, effects of discontinuing interventions to increase PrEP awareness, increasing out-of-pocket PrEP costs), HIV diagnosis rates were estimated to increase by, on average, 2.3%. "This modest decrease in PrEP coverage would be expected to erase all the reductions in HIV transmissions achieved during the past decade," the study authors wrote. "Based on analyses of data from a census of US PrEP users including 17,333,732 person-years of time using PrEP, an absolute 3.3% annual reduction in PrEP coverage during the next 10 years (eg, 2023 to 2033) would result in 8,618 avoidable HIV infections, with lifetime medical costs of $3.6 billion (discounted) for treatment," they added. The second study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, involved a simulation of HIV transmission and Ryan White clients in 31 high-burden US cities and a survey of clinic directors and administrators to estimate how many new HIV infections could ensue if federal funding cuts disrupted or ended Ryan White services for 18 to 42 months by 2030. The researchers estimated that ending Ryan White services in July 2025 would result in 75,436 additional infections (95% credible interval [CrI], 19,251 to 134,175 infections) by 2030—a 49% (95% CrI, 12% to 86%) increase. The increases ranged from 9% in Riverside, California, to 110% in Baltimore, Maryland. Eighteen- and 42-month interruptions resulted in 19% and 38% more infections, respectively.

Experts warn loss of USAID endangers the fight against deadly TB --At the end of 2024, a person assessing global tuberculosis (TB) control efforts might have been able to squint and see some hope in the fight against the world's leading infectious disease killer. Although the COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant setbacks, TB services around the world were starting to recover, and deaths from TB were declining from the height of the pandemic. The advent of shorter and less toxic regimens for drug-resistant (DR)-TB was pushing up treatment success rates. Advances in rapid diagnostic testing and promising movement in TB vaccine development were providing some optimism that countries might be able to meet targets for reducing the global TB burden.But the picture changed dramatically in late January, when the Trump administration placed a 90-day funding freeze on foreign aid delivered through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a move that was followed by the subsequent dismantling of the agency. Overnight, TB programs around the world that relied on USAID, which committed $406 million to TB programs worldwide in 2024, were left in the lurch. According to an analysis by KFF, 79% of USAID awards for TB-related activities were terminated.Although there was immediate concern that stop-work orders issued to recipients of USAID funding would result in TB patients not being able to obtain medicine or receive prompt diagnosis, it quickly became clear that all aspects of TB services were affected, from active case-finding efforts to collection and transportation of sputum samples to programs that help TB patients adhere to their medication. Beyond that, clinicals trials that were seeking to improve TB diagnostics and treatment and develop new vaccines were disrupted, cut back, or halted altogether.An analysis published yesterday in PLOS Global Public Health puts the potential impact in perspective. The modeling study by researchers with Avenir Health and Stop TB Partnership estimates that, in the 26 high-burden countries that have been reliant on USAID funding for TB care programs, a long-term funding gap that is not filled by other sources could result—under a worst-case scenario—in an additional 10.7 million TB cases and 2.2 million TB deaths over the next 5 years."The loss of US funding endangers global TB control efforts…and potentially puts millions of lives at risk," the authors write. "Urgent alternative funding is needed to sustain critical TB intervention and treatment efforts."

Six recent sporadic borealpox cases in Alaska tied to rodents -A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–led study links spillover from small mammals such as voles and squirrels to cases of borealpox in five adults and one child in Alaska from 2020 to 2023.Borealpox virus (BRPV; formerly Alaskapox virus) is an orthopoxvirus (OPXV) first found in 2015 in a woman living near Fairbanks, in Alaska's interior. The infection was identified as a novel OPXV, but the source was unidentified.Published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the study involved patient or parent interviews, trapping 176 wild small mammals at six sites for OPXV testing, and phylogenetic analyses of viral DNA sequences to reconstruct their evolution.Nearly all OPXVs are zoonotic viruses that infect mammals, with rodents often the primary animal reservoir. "Human population immunity to OPXVs is waning globally after the eradication of smallpox, which is likely a reason why OPXVs are being identified with increasing frequency globally," the investigators wrote. Five of the infected patients had one or more lesions and lymph node swelling and later recovered, most after receiving antibiotics. The other patient, an older man with a weakened immune system, was hospitalized and died despite receiving experimental OPXV medications. One patient reported vaccination against smallpox, and all had contact with domestic animals, many of which hunted small mammals. One patient's dog tested positive for borealpox. No patients had traveled outside of Alaska, and no evidence of person-to-person spread was found. All BRPV genomes were nearly 100% identical to that of the virus isolated from the 2015 patient. Several small-mammal species had BRPV DNA and evidence of past OPXV infection in their blood. Genetic distance and phylogenetic analyses pointed to multiple animal-to-human spillover events.

Four more H9N2 avian flu cases confirmed in China - Officials have confirmed four more H9N2 avian flu cases involving boys from different provinces on mainland China, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said today. The patients had illness onsets in late July and August. According to the CHP, the patients include a 1-year-old, two 2-year-olds, and a 6-year-old, and all patients are male. Mainland China has now reported 19 H9N2 cases in the past 6 months. At least 13 of the cases have been in young children.In 2024, the country reported 11 total H9N2 cases.H9N2 avian flu is known to circulate in poultry in China and other parts of Asia, and sporadic human infections have been reported, mainly in China. Infections are typically reported in children, who usually experience mild infections. Some infections, however, are severe.

CDC says avian flu may infect the gut, though risk is low - Given ongoing detections of H5N1 avian flu in poultry, dairy cows, and wildlife, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday addressed the potential for the threat of contracting the virus by eating or drinking potentially contaminated food or beverages, such as raw milk, saying the risk is low but possible. Over the past 2 years, a few H5N1 human illnesses have been reported with unexplained sources, and some cat illnesses and deaths have been linked to consuming contaminated raw food and raw milk. The assessment comes as H5N1 continues to circulate in birds and mammals in the United States. Based on its review of the medical literature, the agency said seasonal and novel influenza A viruses have the potential to cause infection through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. CDC scientists examined scientific reports of how often people infected with seasonal or novel influenza A infections experience GI symptoms and lab studies of live animals, such as dogs and cats, that became infected with H5N1 after eating or drinking contaminated products.The CDC experts said overall the studies show that influenza A may infect mammals through nonrespiratory routes. Though consuming H5N1-contaminated food or milk can lead to infections in animals, there are limitations to translating the findings to people. In people, clinical findings and detections in feces show the potential for both seasonal and novel influenza A to cause GI symptoms. Also, the CDC said studies show that different influenza A subtypes are able to multiply in human GI tissues in lab settings, suggesting that infection in the human GI tract is possible. More studies are needed, and for now, it's not known if influenza A can be transmitted to people through raw milk or related products. However, the CDC said people should avoid drinking raw milk or eating products made with raw milk. The CDC also urged people to cook poultry, eggs, and beef to the appropriate internal temperature to kill bacteria and viruses, including avian flu viruses. "Make the best decision for your health and the health of your family by always choosing pasteurized milk and products made with it."

CDC warns of deadly chagas 'kissing bug' disease in 32 states: Here's what to know -The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Tuesday report in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal raising awareness about the deadly “kissing bug” disease also known as Chagas.. Chagas’s disease can cause severe fatigue in early stages in addition to heart and digestive problems in the chronic stage. Blood sucking insects called triatominae or “kissing bugs” that transmit the illness have been reported in 32 states. Other states with human cases include California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas. The “kissing bug” parasite has typically been reported in southern regions, following a regular appearance in countries including South America, Central America and Mexico. “Although available data are inadequate to prove that triatomines are increasing in geographic distribution or abundance, largely owing to a lack of standardized surveillance over time, triatomines are increasingly recognized because of frequent encounters with humans in the domestic and peridomestic habitat and increased research attention,” the study’s authors wrote. “Invasion into homes, human bites, subsequent allergic reactions or exposure to T. cruzi parasites, and increasing frequency of canine diagnoses have led to growing public awareness,” the researchers added. So far, infections among companion animals, such as domestic and working canines and felines, have been found in 23 states, as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The authors said dogs infected in northern states likely reflect travel from regions where vectors are present. Texas, the only state where Chagas’s disease in animals has been a reportable condition, 431 canine cases were reported from 2013–15 in addition to cases in two cats, one horse, one rat, three chimpanzees and one walrus, per the health agency. Chagas’s disease is often contracted through bug bites on an individual’s face. At least 280,000 human cases of “kissing bug” disease have been reported in the U.S., according to the CDC. “The kissing bug, also known as triatomine bug, bites and sucks blood from infected animals or people. This is how the bug gets the T. cruzi parasites,” the CDC wrote. “After biting, bugs pass the parasite in their droppings. If these droppings get into someone’s body through a cut in the skin, or near the eyes or mouth, it can lead to infection.” “People might scratch or rub bug feces into a bite wound, their eyes, or mouth without realizing it, which allows the parasite to enter their body,” officials added. Many times, people who have moved from rural areas to cities have contracted the disease and live with the illness without knowing it. Chagas’s disease can be spread through blood transfusion, organ transplants, consuming uncooked food contaminated with feces from infected bugs, accidental exposure in a lab and from pregnant women to their babies. There are two stages of the disease that range from acute to chronic symptoms. Weeks or months after getting infected some may experience fevers, body aches, headache, rashes or loss of appetite. Diarrhea and vomiting are also early symptoms of infection. In the chronic stage, most people have no symptoms, according to the CDC. However, about 20 percent to 30 percent of those infected develop serious problems that span from issues such as an enlarged heart, heart failure, altered heart rate or rhythm or sudden death. Digestive problems also plague those with the disease as some suffer from as an enlarged esophagus or colon, leading to trouble eating or going to the bathroom.

Invasive, disease-carrying tick found in Maine, the farthest northeast it has been spotted (AP) — Researchers have confirmed the presence of an invasive species of tick in Maine for the first time, marking the farthest northeast in the United States the pest has been discovered.The University of Maine and state conservation officials said Monday they confirmed the presence of the Asian longhorned tick in the state in July. The tick is native to east Asia, where it is capable of spreading tickborne infections such as spotted fever. The tick was first confirmed in the United States in New Jersey in 2017 and it has since spread to more than 20 states, clustering mostly around the eastern third of the country. Exactly how the tick arrived in the country isn’t certain, but public health officials have cited possible routes of entry including on pets and livestock.“This discovery underscores the critical importance of continued tick surveillance in Maine,” said Griffin Dill, director of the UMaine Extension Tick Lab. “While this appears to be an isolated case, we are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with state and federal partners.”The tick specimen was not yet an adult and it was collected in the southern part of the state, the lab said in a statement. Follow-up surveillance didn’t turn up any additional specimens in the surrounding area, the lab said.Asian longhorned ticks feed on numerous animals, including cattle and humans. They pose a challenge for pest control authorities because female ticks of the species can reproduce without mating, which means a single individual can create an infestation, the lab said. The specimen found in Maine could not reproduce yet because it was a juvenile, the lab said.Research is still going on to determine the tick species’ ability to spread pathogens in Maine and elsewhere in the U.S., the lab said. Ticks are a major public health concern in the Northeastern U.S., where another species, the blacklegged or deer tick, spreads Lyme disease.

Maine to set record number of Lyme disease cases, again – Maine is on track to post another record for the number of tick-borne illness cases, including Lyme disease, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s highly likely that we’re going to break at least some of those records,” said Megan Porter of the Maine CDC. “That seems to be a trend for the last few years. Every single year we seem to be pushing those numbers just a little bit higher.” Maine CDC data shows 2,900 reported Lyme disease cases to date this year. That’s nearly as high as the 2,943 cases reported in all of 2023. The data also shows 3,218 cases reported in 2024. The Maine CDC data shows similar trends with other tick-borne illnesses such as Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis. “When we look at the month-over-month comparisons between 2024 and 2025 we are trending higher each month in 2025,” Porter said. Cases of Lyme disease are occurring in higher numbers further up the Maine coast into the Midcoast and Downeast areas, Porter said. “It is complicated, but absolutely the fact that we’re having winters that are slightly warmer," Porter said. Warmer temperatures mean ticks have a longer period in which they are active, she said, noting, “They can be active anytime the temperature is above freezing.” Porter said Maine CDC’s advice remains the same: Wear protective clothing whenever possible, including long pants and long sleeves, and be sure to use an EPA-approved insect repellant. “If you can reduce the chance that a tick can attach to the skin, you’re going to be ahead of the game to begin with,” she said. “Every time you go outside, whether it’s winter, summer, spring or fall, make sure that you are taking steps to prevent tick bites.”

Warming climate drives dengue surge across Asia and the Americas, study shows - Warmer weather across the globe is reshaping the landscape of human health. A case in point is dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease once confined largely to the tropics, which often brings flu-like symptoms, and without proper medical care, can escalate to severe bleeding, organ failure, and even death.Cases of dengue could rise as much as 76% across a large swath of Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford, Harvard, Arizona State University, and the National Bureau of Economic Research.The analysis, published Sept. 9 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the most comprehensive estimate yet of how temperature shifts affect dengue's spread. It provides the first direct evidence that a warming climate has already increased the disease's toll."The effects of temperature were much larger than I expected," said lead author Marissa Childs, an assistant professor of environmental health at the University of Washington who did most of the research as a Ph.D. student in Stanford's Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources and then as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard University Center for the Environment and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health."Even small shifts in temperature can have a big impact on dengue transmission, and we're already seeing the fingerprint of climate warming." The study analyzed over 1.4 million observations of local dengue incidence across 21 countries in Central and South America and Southeast and South Asia, capturing both epidemic spikes and background levels of infection. Dengue thrives in a "Goldilocks zone" of temperatures—incidence peaks at about 27.8° C (82° F), rising sharply as cooler regions warm but dropping slightly when already-hot areas exceed the optimal range.As a result, some of the largest increases are projected for cooler, high-population regions in countries such as Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. Many other endemic regions will continue to experience larger, warming-fueled dengue burdens. By contrast, a few of the hottest lowland areas may see slight declines. Still, the net global effect is a steep rise in disease.The findings suggest that higher temperatures from climate change were responsible for an average 18% of dengue incidence across 21 countries in Asia and the Americas from 1995 to 2014—translating to more than 4.6 million extra infections annually, based on current incidence estimates. Cases could climb another 49% to 76% by 2050, depending on greenhouse gas emissions levels, according to the study.At the higher end of the projections, the incidence of dengue would more than double in many cooler locations, including areas in the study countries that are already home to over 260 million people.

Beer drinkers are mosquito magnets, according to a festival study --It's a familiar scene for many of us. A warm summer evening, a gentle breeze and then the inevitable high-pitched whine of a mosquito buzzing near your ear. For some, this is a fleeting annoyance, but for others, it means a night of endlessly scratching itchy welts. Some people are simply mosquito magnets while others emerge relatively unscathed. But why is this so? One explanation, according to scientists from the Netherlands, is beer. To find out why the blood-sucking critters prefer some people over others, a research team led by Felix Hol of Radboud University Nijmegen took thousands of female Anopheles mosquitoes to Lowlands, an annual music festival held in the Netherlands. Researchers set up a pop-up lab in connected shipping containers in 2023, and around 500 volunteers took part. First, they filled out a questionnaire about their hygiene, diet and behavior at the festival. Then, to see how attractive they are to mosquitoes, they placed their arm into a custom-designed cage filled with the pesky insects. The cage had tiny holes so the mosquitoes could smell the person's arm but couldn't bite them. A video camera recorded how many insects landed on a volunteer's arm compared to a sugar feeder on the other side of the cage. By comparing the video footage and questionnaire answers, researchers saw some clear results emerge. Participants who drank beer were 1.35 times more attractive to mosquitoes than those who didn't. The tiny vampires were also more likely to target people who had slept with someone the previous night. The study also revealed that recent showering and sunscreen make people less attractive to the buzzing menace. "We found that mosquitoes are drawn to those who avoid sunscreen, drink beer, and share their bed," the researchers wrote in a paper uploaded to the bioRxiv preprint server. "They simply have a taste for the hedonists among us." Mosquitoes are not just annoying biters; they're also a serious public health threat because they can spread diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Any research that can keep us out of harm's way is a great help. Although this study was limited to just one festival and some of its attendees, it still provides insights into why some people are especially appealing to mosquitoes. And it offers information on how to protect against being bitten, such as lathering on sunscreen, showering regularly and limiting beer intake or avoiding it altogether.

Quick takes: Mosquito-borne illness in Europe, polio in 3 nations, avian flu hits more US poultry | CIDRAP

• Local spread of mosquito-borne diseases continue to accelerate in parts of Europe, with France this week reporting 82 more chikungunya cases, raising its total to 383, along with 2 more dengue cases, bringing that total to 21, the European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today in its weekly communicable disease update. Italy reported 60 more locally acquired chikungunya cases, raising its total to 167, but officials noted no new local dengue cases. In another development, two probable local Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases were confirmed in Greece, along with another with an undetermined place and mode of infection. The probable local cases involve two migrants and are epidemiologically linked. Their suspected infection location is a rural village in central Greece. The other case involves a migrant from a non-endemic country in North Africa who arrived on a Greek island in June before moving to a migrant facility in Attica. The patient's symptoms began in late July.
• Three countries—Chad, Nigeria, and Somalia—reported new polio cases this week, according to the latest weekly update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). All involve vaccine-derived types. Chad reported 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases in patients with late July illness onsets, raising its total for the year to 18. The country also reported a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) case with a July onset, its second such case of 2025. Nigeria reported 4 cVDPV2 cases, 1 with a May paralysis onset and 3 with onsets in July, pushing its total to 28. Somalia reported one new cVDPV2 case with a June paralysis onset, putting its total at eight.
• In the latest H5N1 avian flu developments, more outbreaks in poultry have been confirmed in two states, part of a late-summer uptick in activity, according to the latest notifications from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). South Dakota has two more outbreaks, one at a turkey farm in Jerauld County and the other at a facility in Spink County. The virus also struck a producer in Liberty County, Montana, that has 5,800 birds. Meanwhile, the Maryland Department of Agriculture announced a presumed positive involving a backyard flock in Anne Arundel County, marking the state's third detection of 2025.

Study showing doe-to-fawn CWD spread may have implications for deer herds - A new study demonstrating for the first time that chronic wasting disease (CWD) can be transmitted in utero from adult does to their fawns (vertical transmission) may require rethinking susceptibility and risk in deer populations, some wildlife experts say. Twenty-five years from ideation to publication, the study was published last month in Scientific Reports. "I think the addition of the mother-to-offspring transmission [to body fluids and the environment] is just yet another reason why this disease is so efficiently spread and provides another modality that we've not really spent much time thinking about as a community, about vertical transmission being a part of that puzzle," study senior author Candace Mathiason, PhD, a professor of pathobiology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, told CIDRAP News. Mathiason and her colleagues first described in utero CWD exposure in 2013, when they used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect CWD prions (misfolded infectious proteins) in the tonsil lymphoid specimens of 30% of fawns as soon as 41 days after birth to experimentally CWD-infected Reeves' muntjac does (small Asian deer). The findings were published in PLOS One. "Our studies have shown that deer could go on to have more than one offspring while being positive," Mathiason said. "So even if they were in the mild stage of being infected, they could still conceive and carry a full-term pregnancy, suggesting this probably occurs in nature as well." In 2015, the team used serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) to identify prions in 80% of fetuses of naturally exposed, free-ranging, CWD-positive Rocky Mountain elk cows in Colorado, although their infectivity wasn't determined due to insufficient tissue. The study was published in the Journal of General Virology. Both deer and elk are cervids, or members of the deer family. In the current study, the researchers evaluated maternal reproductive tissues and fluids, as well as fetal tissues from free-ranging white-tailed deer (WTD) naturally exposed to CWD for evidence of infectious prions through PMCA, the highly sensitive real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) test, and bioassay with experimentally infected transgenic (genetically engineered) mice.The scientists also retrospectively examined historical CWD surveillance data from three study sites in Arkansas, Tennessee, and West Virginia with a CWD prevalence higher than 20% for evidence of natural infection in WTD fawns 1 year or younger using Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 5 of 16 free-ranging CWD-positive does (31.3%) were carrying at least one fetus with tissues with prion deposition. All 35 mice inoculated with CWD-positive reproductive tissue developed terminal clinical transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), characterized by signs such as unsteady gait, limb paralysis, and weight loss. RT-QuIC analysis of brain tissue from all bioassay mice inoculated with free-ranging WTD brain, uterus, or placentome also revealed the presence of amyloid protein seeding (ie, prions). "Here we report the presence of the infectious CWD agent within fetal and reproductive tissues of free-ranging WTD, revealing that dams [does] can transmit the disease in utero to their offspring," the study authors wrote. […]Christensen said the study findings may have substantial implications for deer populations: "We now know that those fawns can be infected with CWD at birth and may be infectious to other animals much, much earlier—even if they look healthy. That has huge implications for wild-deer population trajectories, because now we have to be thinking of another risk factor on the landscape that's infecting animals within their own population."She also noted that fawns often travel outside of their family unit when trying to establish their own home range. "With those excursions, if you have a positive fawn, more contacts might occur with other uninfected or susceptible deer outside of their regular family group," she said. "So that's another risk factor on the landscape." The study, she added, shows that even a very young and seemingly very healthy fawn isn't necessarily CWD-free: "So really trying to be judicious with moving animals around and reducing the spread of potential contacts among deer that could be infectious when you don't really know their CWD status is really important."

Greens appeal ruling revoking lesser prairie chicken ESA protections - Two environmental groups are challenging a federal judge’s decision last month to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the lesser prairie chicken that had been in place since 2022. The Center for Biological Diversity and Texas Campaign for the Environment filed a formal notice of appealMonday with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to overturn the ruling that yanked protections for the bird whose range covers portions of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.U.S. District Judge David Counts of the U.S. District Court for the District of West Texas agreed last month to a Trump administration request to withdraw the 2022 ESA listing decision. The Fish and Wildlife Service told the court it had found a “serious defect” in the decision the agency made during the Biden administration. FWS says it did not sufficiently justify its decision to list the northern distinct population segment of the lesser prairie chicken as threatened and the southern population of the species as endangered.

Study finds critically endangered sharks being sold as food in U.S. grocery stores -A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has uncovered that shark meat sold in U.S. grocery stores, seafood markets, and online vendors often comes from endangered species and is frequently mislabeled. Researchers purchased and DNA barcoded 29 shark meat products to determine their species identity, finding that 93% of samples were ambiguously labeled and included meat from 11 different shark species. Among the species identified were the great hammerhead and scalloped hammerhead, both listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite global declines in shark populations, their meat was being sold to American consumers, sometimes for as little as $2.99 per pound."Mislabeling and ambiguous labeling remove consumers' ability to choose what they are putting in their bodies," said Savannah Ryburn, Ph.D., first author of the study and co-instructor of the seafood forensics class that conducted the research. "For example, two species in our study, scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead, were ambiguously labeled as 'shark,' even though they are strongly advised against consumption due to their very high mercury levels. Without accurate and precise labeling, consumers cannot avoid purchasing these products." In their study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the researchers found that of the 29 products tested, 27 were labeled simply as "shark" or "mako shark" without a species designation. Even among the two products that were labeled with a species name, one turned out to be incorrect. These findings highlight a major gap in seafood transparency and consumer safety."The United States should require seafood distributors to provide species-specific names for the products being sold," said John Bruno, Ph.D., distinguished professor and co-instructor of the seafood forensics class.Shark meat is known to contain high levels of mercury, which can pose serious risks to human health, particularly for children and pregnant people. The researchers emphasize that accurate labeling is essential not only for conservation but also for consumer protection."Sharks such as great and scalloped hammerheads are the ocean's equivalent of lions, and we were shocked by how cheaply the meat of these rare, long-lived apex predators was sold," added Ryburn. "Some samples were only $2.99 per pound."

Deadlier than varroa, a newhoney-bee parasite is spreading around the world - For decades, beekeepers have fought a tiny parasite calledVarroa destructor, which has devastated honey-bee colonies around the world. But an even deadlier mite, Tropilaelaps mercedesae – or “tropi” – is on the march. Beekeepers fear it will wreak even greater havoc than varroa – and the ripple effects may be felt by the billions of people around the world who rely on honey bee-pollinated plants.Tropi’s natural host is the giant honey-bee (Apis dorsata), common across South and Southeast Asia. At some point, the mite jumped to the western honey-bee (Apis mellifera), the species kept by beekeepers around the world. Because this host is widespread, the parasite has steadily moved westwards.It has now been detected in Ukraine, Georgia and southern Russia, and is suspected to be in Iran and Turkey. From there, it is expected to enter eastern Europe, then spread across the continent. Australia and North America are also at risk.Like varroa, tropi is a tiny mite that breeds inside capped brood cells, the life stages of the honey-bee when the late larvae and pupae develop inside honeycomb cells that are sealed by a layer of wax. The mite feeds on bee pupae and transmits lethal viruses, such as deformed wing virus – the deadliest of the bee viruses. But there are crucial differences.Varroa can survive on adult bees for long periods, but tropi cannot. Outside brood cells, it lives only a few days, scurrying across the comb in search of a new larva.Because tropi spends more time in capped cells, it reproduces quickly. A capped cell that contains a female varroa will result in one or two mated varroa offspring emerging with the adult bee. Tropi offspring develop faster inside a capped cell than varroa offspring, so a tropi “mother” may result in more offspring emerging than a varroa infested cell, more quickly overwhelming the colony.As a result, colonies infested with tropi can collapse far faster than those plagued by varroa. Many wonder whether the chemicals used against varroa could also fight tropi. The answer is, mostly no.Varroa spends much of its life outside of a capped cell clinging to adult bees, where it comes into contact with mite-killing chemicals known as miticides spread through the colony on bee bodies. By contrast, tropi rarely attaches to adults, instead darting across comb surfaces.Because of this, it is far less exposed to chemical residues. Treatments designed for varroa are often ineffective against the faster-breeding tropi.Managing both mites together will be particularly difficult. Combining treatments risks harming colonies or contaminating honey. For instance, formic acid for tropi and insecticides such as amitraz for varroa might interact at even low levels, killing the bees as well as the parasites.There is also the danger of resistance. Over-use of varroa treatments has already produced resistant strains, reducing the effectiveness of several once-reliable chemicals. Introducing more compounds to fight tropi, without careful integrated pest management, could accelerate this process. The spread of tropi will not only devastate beekeepers but also agriculture more broadly. Honey-bees are critical pollinators of many crops. Heavier hive losses will raise costs for both honey production and pollination services, affecting food prices and availability.

Study is the first to link pesticides and death in kids --Public concern continues to grow about the harmful effects of pesticides and other environmental pollutants, especially for children. Pesticides have previously been linked to a higher risk of developing childhood leukemia. Now a new study shows that children with leukemia who were exposed to pesticides during their mother's pregnancy have a higher risk of death.The study, published in Cancers, examined more than 800 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and how pesticide exposure affected five-year survival rates. Children exposed to any pesticide during pregnancy faced a 60% higher risk of death, while those exposed to rodenticides, a type of pesticide, during pregnancy had a 91% increased risk.Among all children studied, 92% were exposed to at least one type of pesticide before or after birth, showing how widespread these toxic chemicals are in homes and environments where children live."This study highlights that exposures in the home environment, even before a child is born, may have lasting effects on survival after a leukemia diagnosis. While more research is needed, the findings underscore the importance of reducing children's exposure to harmful pesticides whenever possible," said Lena Winestone, MD, MSHP, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals and co-author of the paper.Children diagnosed with ALL before age one, those from families with low educational attainment and income, and Black children had the highest overall death rates, while white children exposed to rodenticides showed higher death rates than other groups. Breastfeeding appeared to have a protective effect overall for children."This research is a powerful reminder that cancer outcomes aren't determined only by medical care—they're also linked to the environmental exposures and conditions in which families live," said first author Seema Desai, MD, MPH, at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. The study adds to recent research that found children exposed to tobacco smoke and air pollution during pregnancy and after birth are also at an increased risk of death. Children are especially vulnerable to toxic chemicals, given the higher concentrations relative to their developing body size. Although systematic reviews have linked pesticides with worsened cognitive, behavioral, and motor outcomes in children generally, resources to evaluate and mitigate environmental pollutants lag across the country, according to other research, also appearing in Cancers.

Study reveals extreme air pollution in African schools due to cooking -A large-scale study across schools in Rwanda and Kenya has found dangerously high levels of air pollution from biomass-fueled cooking, raising serious health concerns for millions of children and staff across Sub-Saharan Africa. The research, led by the University of Liverpool, Kenya Medical Research Institute, and Rwanda Biomedical Center, was conducted across seven schools in Rwanda and four schools in Kenya. Thpaper, "Air pollution and health in Rwandan and Kenyan schools cooking with polluting fuels: a cross-sectional impact study," was published in Environmental Research.Researchers measured exposure to harmful pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) in school kitchens, classrooms, and playgrounds, as well as among cooks and learners. Surveys also assessed the prevalence of acute air pollution–related symptoms and perceptions of air quality among students, teachers, and catering staff. Results revealed alarmingly high pollution levels:

• Kitchen air pollution far exceeded international health guidelines, with PM_2.5levels 11.9 times the World Health Organization (WHO) 24-hour interim target in Rwanda and 19.5 times in Kenya.
• Personal exposure levels were highest among cooks, reaching median PM_2.5levels of 1,280 μg/m³ in Kenya and 354 μg/m³ in Rwanda, when the 24-hour interim target is 75 μg/m³. This is likely to carry significant health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
• Children faced exposure of 99 μg/m³ in Kenya and 86 μg/m³ in Rwanda, well above WHO recommendations.
• Health impacts were widespread, with high rates of self-reported headaches, eye irritation, and cough among both pupils and staff.

Smoke from 2023 Canada fires linked to thousands of deaths: study -Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfires exposed more than 350 million people in North America and Europe to air pollution that likely contributed to tens of thousands of deaths, according to new estimates published Wednesday. The findings "underscored that severe wildfires do not have only local consequences" but can inflict real harm a continent away, said the scientists behind the world-first research. Extreme fire conditions, supercharged by climate change, fanned thousands of blazes across Canada between May and September 2023 that torched around 18 million hectares (44 million acres)—an area larger than England. The five-month wildfires were unprecedented in size and scale, releasing massive plumes of acrid smoke that turned skies yellow and triggered health warnings across North America. But the smoke drifted as far as Europe, causing spikes in harmful PM2.5 pollutants and a measurable decline in air quality thousands of miles from the heat and flames in Canada. In North America and Europe, an estimated 354 million people were exposed to levels of PM2.5 above the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limit, concluded a new study into the long-range impact of the wildfires, published in the journal Nature. This contributed to nearly 70,000 premature deaths on both continents—most from breathing polluted air over months and a smaller number from acute exposure to wildfire smoke. The findings were "striking" and surprised even the research team behind them, said Qiang Zhang, a professor of atmospheric chemistry at Tsinghua University in Beijing who led the study. "While we anticipated large impacts from the record-breaking 2023 Canadian fires, the magnitude of the population exposure and related attributable mortalities are higher than expected," he told AFP. "These results underscore that such extreme wildfires are no longer just a regional environmental issue and they have become a global public health concern." PM2.5 pollutants are fine, airborne particles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs, and are linked to higher rates of chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease. The team separated acute and chronic premature deaths due to PM2.5 exposure because they represented two very different types of health impacts from wildfire smoke exposure, Qiang Zhang said. Acute deaths, he said, captured the short-term health impacts during "smoke days" when daily PM2.5 levels spiked "well above" WHO guidelines and could immediately trigger fatal events, such as heart attacks or respiratory failures. Some 4,100 acute deaths were estimated in the United States, downwind from the wildfires, and another 1,300 in Canada itself. Chronic deaths reflected the health burden of longer-term exposure, which increases the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and leads to premature death over time. The study found that chronic health impacts from five months of breathing wildfire smoke were "substantial and widespread," with 41,900 deaths estimated in North America and 22,400 in Europe. Such estimates were a first, Qiang Zhang said. But that created limitations for researchers who lacked earlier references on the specific impact of wildfires on health, he said, forcing them to use broader evidence to base their estimates on. The computer model they built, using satellite observations and machine learning, also could not account for the health impact of various pollutants in wildfire smoke, he added. The authors said more research into this "underexplored" cost would be crucial as climate change made wildfires bigger, fiercer and more frequent.

Sites contaminated by toxic 'forever chemicals' are much more widespread than previously thought, study finds -Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or "forever chemicals," are in everything from Band-Aids and clothing to water and floss. However, new research reveals they are potentially even more widespread in the U.S. than previously thought. New research done by Northeastern University's PFAS Project Lab reveals that while there are about 2,200 known sites of PFAS contamination in the U.S., there are close to another 80,000 likely contaminated sites. The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, presents what the researchers say is a much more complete—and stark—picture of PFAS contamination while also presenting legislators, communities and environmental activists with a roadmap of where to focus their efforts. The PFAS Project Lab has been mapping sites contaminated by forever chemicals, an entire class of toxic substances, for about a decade. It started as a way to address what remains the biggest issue around PFAS remediation. "We don't know where PFAS is or where it's coming from," says Kimberly Garrett, a postdoctoral research fellow with the PFAS Project Lab and lead on this research. As the lab started to map known PFAS contamination sites, they realized that the data was limited. Since PFAS testing is far from widespread—it's largely up to states or environmental organizations to conduct testing—they were entirely reliant on an incomplete picture of contamination. Their map of known contamination sites makes it appear like California, New England and Michigan are the only areas with heavy PFAS levels, but those are the areas where testing was done. To fill in the blanks, they developed a model that helped them map presumptive contamination sites. It relies on information about certain kinds of industrial sites that are known for emitting PFAS. The end result is a more complete sense of just how widespread PFAS contamination in the U.S. likely is. According to Garrett, they found that 94% of known PFAS contamination sites had average PFAS groundwater concentrations that were above accepted regulatory levels. Contamination sites were divided into several categories: airports, industrial facilities, military facilities, municipal fire activities and waste treatment plants. What the researchers found was that three of these categories—airports, military facilities and municipal fire activities—"consistently had significantly higher PFAS detections than the other site types," Garrett says. What they all had in common was a substance called aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is used most consistently in fighting fires. AFFF was consistently connected to the highest average PFAS concentrations, something that's been known among those studying PFAS for years.

80 years after the end of World War II, a dangerous legacy lingers in the Pacific - On September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended when Japan officially surrendered. Today, on the 80th anniversary, the physical legacy of the conflict remains etched into land and sea. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Pacific. There, fierce battles left behind sunken warships, aircraft and unexploded bombs. These remnants are not only historical artifacts but toxic time capsules. They leak fuel, heavy metals and other hazardous substances into fragile ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and, potentially, human health. This problem is a reminder of the enduring environmental harms of conflict. Toxic remnants of war can damage ecosystems and communities long after the fighting stops. World War II in the Pacific involved four years of conflict between Japan and Allied forces. The war began in the region in December 1941 when Japan attacked a United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Pacific conflict included the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway and the Guadalcanal campaign in the Solomon Islands. Pacific islands became staging grounds for battles. Weapons were stockpiled and hazardous material discarded. Ships and aircraft were sunk. When the war ended, much of this material was simply left behind. Among the remains are an estimated 3,800 wrecks still lying on the Pacific Ocean floor.As remnants of war degrade, they often leach toxic pollutants into nearby waters and soils. These can build up in marine life, enter the food chain and pose serious risks to both biodiversity. At Palau, a WWII Japanese ship sank in Koror Harbor and became known as the Helmet Wreck. It contains Japanese depth charges leaking acid into surrounding waters. Researchers have shown the long-term environmental impacts in the Baltic Sea of unexploded WWII ordnance—bombs, shells and grenades that failed to detonate. An estimated 3000kg of dissolved ammunition chemicals have been found.Coral reefs and mangroves, which are vital for coastal protection, are especially vulnerable to both chemical exposure and physical damage.For example, researchers examined the effects off Puerto Rico of unexploded ordnance. They found nearby sea animals contained potentially toxic compounds leaking from the ordnance, which meant the substances had entered the food web. And a study of British Army ammunition technicians released earlier this year found significantly higher rates of bladder cancer than the general population. This suggests occupational exposure to explosive compounds may pose long-term health risks. As Earth's climate warms, extreme weather events are worsening and seas are rising. This is exacerbating the dangers posed by wartime remnants.For example Cyclone Pam, in March 2015, exposed unexploded WWII ordnancein Kiribati and Tuvalu. Further investigations revealed remnants including high explosive projectiles, mortars and 5,300 rounds of ammunition. In 2020, a visiting fisherman found an unexploded bomb near Lord Howe Island.Then-Environment Minister Sussan Ley suggested the device may have been shifted by a cyclone or ocean currents.Similarly, floods and landslides can move these hazards over significant distances, increasing uncertainty around their locations and complicating clearance efforts.Rising sea levels are threatening to breach one of the Pacific's most toxic legacies—the Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands. This concrete structure was built in the late 1970s to contain radioactive waste from US nuclear testing decades earlier.Research shows extreme storms could increase radioactive sediments in the area to up to 84 times higher than normal. There are also concerns cracks in the dome's surface could lead to contamination of surrounding waters.Despite the risks to people and health in the Pacific, remediation has been slow. The scale of the problem demands coordinated, well-funded action. The work should not just remove dangerous materials, but restore damaged ecosystems and monitor long-term health impacts.

Decades-old barrels of industrial waste still impacting ocean floor off Los Angeles - In 2020, haunting images of corroded metal barrels in the deep ocean off Los Angeles leapt into the public consciousness. Initially linked to the toxic pesticide DDT, some barrels were encircled by ghostly halos in the sediment. It was unclear whether the barrels contained DDT waste, leaving the barrels' contents and the eerie halos unexplained. Now, new research from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals that the barrels with halos contained caustic alkaline waste, which created the halos as it leaked out. Though the study's findings can't identify which specific chemicals were present in the barrels, DDT manufacturing did produce alkaline as well as acidic waste. Other major industries in the region, such as oil refining, also generated significant alkaline waste. "One of the main waste streams from DDT production was acid and they didn't put that into barrels," said Johanna Gutleben, a Scripps postdoctoral scholar and the study's first author. "It makes you wonder: What was worse than DDT acid waste to deserve being put into barrels?" Video footage from ROV SuBastian's exploration around the DDT Barrel Site 1 in the Southern California Borderland off the coast of Los Angeles. The study also found that the caustic waste from these barrels transformed portions of the seafloor into extreme environments mirroring natural hydrothermal vents—complete with specialized bacteria that thrive where most life cannot survive. The study authors said the severity and extent of this alkaline waste's impacts on the marine environment depend on how many of these barrels are sitting on the seafloor and the specific chemicals they contained. Despite these unknowns, Paul Jensen, emeritus marine microbiologist at Scripps and senior author of the study, said that he would have expected the alkaline waste to quickly dissipate in seawater. Instead, it has persisted for more than half a century, suggesting this alkaline waste "can now join the ranks of DDT as a persistent pollutant with long-term environmental impacts." The study, published in PNAS Nexus, continues Scripps' leadership role in unspooling the toxic legacy of once-legal ocean dumping off the coast of Southern California. The findings also provide a way of visually identifying barrels that formerly contained this caustic alkaline waste. "DDT was not the only thing that was dumped in this part of the ocean and we have only a very fragmented idea of what else was dumped there," said Gutleben. "We only find what we are looking for and up to this point we have mostly been looking for DDT. Nobody was thinking about alkaline waste before this and we may have to start looking for other things as well." From the 1930s until the early 1970s, 14 deep-water dump sites off the coast of Southern California received "refinery wastes, filter cakes and oil drilling wastes, chemical wastes, refuse and garbage, military explosives and radioactive wastes," according to the EPA. A pair of Scripps-led seafloor surveys in 2021 and 2023 identified thousands of objects, including hundreds of discarded military munitions. The number of barrels on the seafloor remains unknown. Sediments in the area are heavily contaminated with the pesticide DDT, a chemical banned in 1972 and now known to harm humans and wildlife. Scant records from this time period suggest DDT waste was largely pumped directly into the ocean.

Industrial mercury emissions from Asia traced to open ocean zooplankton -Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) have traced the atmospheric journey of industrial mercury emissions from Asia into the open ocean food web. The new study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, shows that more than half of the gaseous mercury emitted from Asian sources oxidizes into Hg²⁺, a reactive and bioavailable form of the pollutant.This form is the precursor to methylmercury—a potent neurotoxin produced in seawater that builds up in top marine predators, such as tuna. It also poses a public health risk to those relying on seafood from the region."Zooplankton, located at the base of the marine food web, proves to be a powerful biomarker," said WHOI Marine Chemist Laura Motta, lead author of the study. "Not all mercury is available to marine organisms, but we were able to follow the path of bioavailable mercury. We did this by analyzing mercury isotopes in plankton to trace atmospheric processes and biogeochemical pathways of mercury."The findings explain why mercury concentrations in Pacific tuna are elevated in waters near Asia, while levels drop off in more remote areas. The study also distinguishes between atmospheric mercury pollution and mercury introduced into the open ocean via coastal zones. Since some forms of mercury are more mobile and bioavailable than others, this research, and similar studies, will be essential for developing effective environmental regulations. Sae Yun Kwon, an associate professor in the Environmental & Health Impact Assessment Lab at POSTECH and the corresponding author of the study, explained that "understanding how anthropogenic mercury travels through the environment and food webs will be critical to the effective evaluation of the United Nations Minamata Convention."This treaty is designed to protect ecosystems and human health from mercury exposure through monitoring, research, and policies. Knowing the degree of pollution and where it ends up is no longer enough. We also need to know where it starts, how it gets there, and in what form."These insights challenge the traditional definition of mercury as a "global pollutant." While the term has emphasized the widespread diffusion of mercury, this new research shows that the sources and transport pathways of mercury are traceable and potentially more manageable. Not all mercury is equally mobile, and now, we are starting to see the difference.

Chronic risks from single-use plastic water bottles are dangerously understudied, says study - The sun-drenched paradise of Thailand's Phi Phi islands isn't the usual starting point for a Ph.D. But for Sarah Sajedi, those soft, sandy beaches—or rather, what she found under them—inspired her pivot from a business career to an academic one."I was standing there looking out at this gorgeous view of the Andaman Sea, and then I looked down and beneath my feet were all these pieces of plastic, most of them water bottles," she says. Sajedi, BSc '91, decided to return to Concordia to pursue a Ph.D. with a focus on plastic waste. As the co-founder of ERA Environmental Management Solutions, a leading provider of environmental, health and safety software, she brought decades of experience to complement her studies. Her latest paper, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, looks at the science around the health risks posed by single-use plastic water bottles. They are serious, she says, and seriously understudied. In her review of over 140 scientific articles, Sajedi writes that individuals on average ingest between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year, and bottled water users consume 90,000 more particles than tap water consumers. The particles are usually invisible to the naked eye. A microplastic particle can range between one micron—a thousandth of a millimeter—to five millimeters; nanoplastics are smaller than one micron. They emerge as bottles are made, stored, transported and broken down over their lifespans. Because they are often made from low-quality plastic, they shed tiny pieces every time they are manipulated and exposed to sunlight and temperature fluctuations. And unlike other types of plastic particles, which enter human bodies through the food chain, these are ingested directly from the source. As Sajedi notes, the health consequences can be severe. Once inside the body, these small plastics can cross biological boundaries, enter the bloodstream and reach vital organs. This can lead to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress on cells, hormonal disruption, impaired reproduction, neurological damage and various kinds of cancer. However, the long-term effects remain poorly understood due to a lack of widespread testing and standardized methods of measurement and detection.

Research reveals how microplastics threaten Gulf of Mexico marine life - Critical wildlife habitats are exposed to pollution risk in the seas off the southern United States, with implications for human health and food security. "Most of the pollution comes from rivers and not from wastewater treatment plants," says CMCC scientist Annalisa Bracco, co-author of the study that used advanced computer models to track tiny plastic particles across three years. The Gulf of Mexico is facing a growing threat from microplastic pollution, with new research revealing how tiny plastic particles are accumulating in areas crucial to marine life including sea turtles, red snapper, and dolphins.A study published in the journal npj Emerging Contaminants demonstrates how computer modeling can map the movement and impact of these pollutants with unprecedented precision.The research, co-authored by CMCC scientist Annalisa Bracco, used advanced numerical models to track different sizes and types of microplastics over short periods across three years in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The findings paint a concerning picture of pollution patterns that directly threaten both marine ecosystems and the seafood that reaches consumers across the globe."The Gulf of Mexico, especially its northern part near the southern U.S., is increasingly polluted by tiny plastic particles called microplastics," explains Bracco. "We used computer models to study how these plastics move over short periods (about a month) across three years. We looked at different sizes and types of plastics and found that most pollution comes from rivers and not fromwastewater treatment plants." The study's most significant finding challenges common assumptions about microplastic sources. While wastewater treatment plants have often been considered major contributors to ocean plastic pollution, the research demonstrates that rivers are the primary pathway for microplastics entering the Gulf of Mexico.The modeling revealed distinct behaviors among different types of plastic particles. Heavier plastics tend to settle at the bottom of the ocean, while floating particles show surprising resilience to wave motions. A major buildup of microplastics was identified just west of the Mississippi River Delta, creating a pollution hotspot in waters that serve as critical habitat for numerous marine species.

Tracking plastic in the deep sea: How the Levant Basin became a sink for packaging waste - A new study has uncovered the Levant Basin as one of the world's most concentrated graveyards for plastic packaging and the mechanisms that help the plastic sink down to the seafloor. The study, led by the Ph.D. student Xing-Yu Li and Prof Revital Bookman from the University of Haifa, and Dr. Yael Segal from Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research (IOLR), was recently published inMarine Pollution Bulletin and shows for the first time how the southeastern Mediterranean's Levant Basin hosts some of the highest recorded deep-sea densities of plastic litter. "We used trawls to survey the seafloor and we mainly found plastic bags and packaging that dominate the debris," says Xing-Yu Li, the leading author of the paper. "We were then curious to understand how the lightweight material, the plastic debris, are transported offshore and sink to the seafloor. We kept asking, what information can each recovered item really tell us?" continues Xing-yu, "and to answer that we used a multi-marker analysis. The multi-marker approach is a new framework that can link items such as the size, color, integrity, shape of the collected debris, polymer/additives (e.g., CaCO₃), and surface attachments (for example biofilm, tar, minerals) to buoyancy behavior and depth patterns across a large dataset. This novel integrative approach takes the so far "counting" approach (i.e. counting the number of collected plastic debris) to a whole new level of mechanism-oriented evidence for tracing the debris source, offshore export and deep deposition of thin-film plastic packaging. It is the first time that research evaluated the buoyancy of microplastic collected from the deep sea. Research findings reveal that the Levant Basin in the southeastern Mediterranean is a major global hotspot for plastic pollution, with extremely high seafloor concentrations of plastic bags and packaging. Furthermore, a "hot belt" of accumulation was found at the edge of the continental shelf (200 m), while the bathyal plain (>1000 m) acts as a final sink due to high pressure and sedimentation. Plastic bags and packaging were mostly polyethylene, some containing CaCO₃additives that sink closer to shore, while deeper basin plastics lacked such ballast and showed limited biofilm growth due to oligotrophic conditions. Instead, adhesion of sediments, shells, and especially tar enhanced their sinking and stability on the seabed. Although many PBPs could regain buoyancy if disturbed, resuspension is limited, making the deep basin a unique repository for this waste. Sources include land-based inputs (notably Egypt, Israel, and Turkey) and in the deep basin shipping disposals. Fisheries contribute, surprisingly, little probably due to strict Israeli regulations.

Warming seas threaten key phytoplankton species that fuels the food web, study finds (AP) — For decades, scientists believed Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant phytoplankton on Earth, would thrive in a warmer world. But new research suggests the microscopic bacterium, which forms the foundation of the marine food web and helps regulate the planet’s climate, will decline sharply as seas heat up. A study published Monday in the journal Nature Microbiology found Prochlorococcus populations could shrink by as much as half in tropical oceans over the next 75 years if surface waters exceed about 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27.8 Celsius). Many tropical and subtropical sea surface temperatures are already trending above average and are projected to regularly surpass 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) over that same period. “These are keystone species — very important ones,” said François Ribalet, a research associate professor at the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography and the study’s lead author. “And when a keystone species decreases in abundance, it always has consequences on ecology and biodiversity. The food web is going to change.” Prochlorococcus inhabit up to 75% of Earth’s sunlit surface waters and produce about one-fifth of the planet’s oxygen through photosynthesis. More crucially, Ribalet said, they convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into food at the base of the marine ecosystem. “In the tropical ocean, nearly half of the food is produced by Prochlorococcus,” he said. “Hundreds of species rely on these guys.” Though other forms of phytoplankton may move in and help compensate for the loss of oxygen and food, Ribalet cautioned they are not perfect substitutes. “Evolution has made this very specific interaction,” he said. “Obviously, this is going to have an impact on this very unique system that has been established.” The findings challenge decades of assumptions that Prochlorococcus would thrive as waters warmed. Those predictions, however, were based on limited data from lab cultures. For this study, Ribalet and his team tested water samples while traversing the Pacific over the course of a decade. Over 100 research cruises — the equivalent of six trips around the globe — they counted some 800 billion individual cells taken from samples at every kilometer. In his lab at the University of Washington, Ribalet demonstrated the SeaFlow, a box filled with tubes, wires and a piercing blue laser. The custom-built device continuously pulls in seawater, which allowed the team to count the microbes in real time. “We have counted more Prochlorococcus than there are stars in the Milky Way,” Ribalet said.

Orange rivers signal toxic shift in Arctic wilderness --In Alaska's Brooks Range, rivers once clear enough to drink now run orange and hazy with toxic metals. As warming thaws formerly frozen ground, it sets off a chemical chain reaction that is poisoning fish and wreaking havoc on ecosystems. As the planet warms, a layer of permafrost—permanently frozen Arctic soil that locked away minerals for millennia—is beginning to thaw. Water and oxygen creep into the newly exposed soil, triggering the breakdown of sulfide-rich rocks, and creating sulfuric acid that leaches naturally occurring metals like iron, cadmium, and aluminum from rocks into the river. Often times, geochemical reactions like these are triggered by mining operations. But that is not the case this time. "This is what acid mine drainage looks like," said Tim Lyons, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Riverside. "But here, there's no mine. The permafrost is thawing and changing the chemistry of the landscape." A new paper detailing the severity of the contamination has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Though the study focuses on the Salmon River, researchers warn that similar transformations are already underway across dozens of other Arctic watersheds. Ecologist Paddy Sullivan of the University of Alaska first noticed the dramatic changes in 2019 while conducting fieldwork on Arctic forests shifting northward—another consequence of climate change. A pilot flying Sullivan into the field warned him the Salmon River hadn't cleared up after the snowmelt and looked "like sewage." Alarmed by what he saw, Sullivan joined forces with Lyons, Roman Dial from Alaska Pacific University, and others to investigate the causes and ecological consequences. Their analysis confirmed that thawing permafrost was unleashing geochemical reactions that oxidize sulfide-rich rocks like pyrite, generating acidity and mobilizing a wide suite of metals, including cadmium, which accumulates in fish organs and could affect animals like bears and birds that eat fish. In small amounts, metals aren't necessarily toxic. However, the study shows that levels of metals in the river's waters exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toxicity thresholds for aquatic life. In addition, the iron-clouded waters reduce the amount of light reaching the bottom of the river and smother insect larvae eaten by the salmon and other fish. While current metal concentrations in edible fish tissue are not considered hazardous to humans, the changes to the rivers pose indirect but serious threats. Chum salmon, a key subsistence species for many Indigenous communities, might struggle to spawn in gravel beds choked with fine sediment. Other species, such as grayling and Dolly Varden, may also be affected. "It's not just a Salmon River story," Lyons said. "This is happening across the Arctic. Wherever you have the right kind of rock and thawing permafrost, this process can start." Orange rivers signal toxic shift in Arctic wilderness The research team in the Alaskan wilderness. Credit: Taylor Rhoades Unlike mine sites, where acid drainage can be mitigated with buffers or containment systems, these remote watersheds might have hundreds of contamination sources and no such infrastructure. Once the chemical process begins, the only thing that can stop it is recovery of the permafrost. "There's no fixing this once it starts," Lyons said. "It's another irreversible shift driven by a warming planet."

‘We all know we’re flooding’: Climate issues seep into Miami election - Miami will elect a new mayor this year amid unprecedented scrutiny of climate programs by federal and state Republicans. Facing intense vulnerability to sea-level rise, Miami is in the midst of a long-term effort to harden neighborhoods and infrastructure against flooding. The city is issuing $400 million in debt — known as Miami Forever Bonds — to finance climate adaptation and other projects. The plan relies on property taxes to repay the bonds. But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican state officials are seeking to drastically curtail local property taxes. To help build the case that local governments waste too much money, DeSantis has dispatched officials with Florida DOGE — modeled on the federal Department of Government Efficiency — to audit city and county governments, with “green new deal” spending as a major focus. Miami and its surrounding county also are grappling with the Trump administration’s squeeze on federal climate funding, with more than $30 million for flood control and other resiliency projects canceled this year.

Colorado River negotiations tense ahead of deadline - Continued disagreement over which states must absorb the pain of future cuts to water supplies drawn from the drought-stricken Colorado River could upend negotiations just two months before a federal deadline, key state officials are warning.Top Arizona water officials are demanding that the four Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — commit to future reductions in their own water use in any agreement on a new long-term operating plan for the river.The divisive warnings come in the wake of some progress this summer, in which all seven states coalesced around a plan known as “natural flow,” or sharing water supplies based on recent water records — rather than historical figures that require significantly more water than now exists in the river. The proposal was centered, in part, on ending the need to negotiate future cuts across the entire seven-state region — a major sticking point in past discussions.

Tribes, states seek to reopen lawsuit over Pacific Northwest dams - Pacific Northwest states, tribal nations and environmentalists have asked a federal judge to restart a long-running legal battle over hydropower dams following President Donald Trump’s abandonment of a major settlement deal this summer.The Trump administration in June voided the $1 billion “Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement,” derailing efforts to breach a series of four dams widely viewed as impediments to the survival of imperiled salmon and steelhead trout populations. In a motion filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, the National Wildlife Federation along with the settlement’s co-signers — the Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs and Umatilla tribal nations and the states of Oregon and Washington — asked Judge Michael Simon to reopen the lawsuit.Proponents of breaching the structures in the Lower Snake River — the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams — argue that removing the dams is necessary to lower water temperatures for fish. While the settlement agreed to by the Biden administration laid the groundwork for potentially removing those dams, any final decision would have been in the hands of Congress, where many Republican lawmakers oppose the idea.

Interior targets Biden’s signature public lands policy - The Interior Department moved Wednesday to kill the Bureau of Land Management’s public lands rule, saying the Biden administration’s designation of conservation as a formal use of BLM rangelands violates federal law by restricting the use of millions of acres of public land.The Trump administration’s proposal to rescind the conservation and landscape health rule — commonly referred to as the public lands rule — follows a five-month review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and a separate BLM review of the rule. BLM’s review determined that the rule making conservation as much of a priority on bureau rangelands as energy development or recreation “is unnecessary and violates existing statutory requirements,” according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Wednesday that outlines details of the proposal. The Biden administration’s rule “had the potential to block access to hundreds of thousands of acres of multiple-use land — preventing energy and mineral production, timber management, grazing and recreation across the West,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.But conservationists pushed back, saying the move to dismantle the rule would hamstring BLM’s ability to protect public lands from the ravages of increased wildfires, drought and other impacts of a warming climate. Among other components, the rule applied rangeland health standards across the 245 million acres the bureau oversees. It also created a new leasing system that would have allowed environmental groups or others to pay to protect BLM-managed land for a certain period of time, such as if companies wanted to execute a mitigation project to compensate for work on other federal land.“With this announcement, the administration is saying that public lands should be managed primarily for the good of powerful drilling, mining and development interests,” said Alison Flint, senior legal director at the Wilderness Society. “They’re saying that public lands’ role in providing Americans the freedom to enjoy the outdoors, and conserve beloved places for future generation, is a second-class consideration.”Vera Smith, national forests and public lands director at Defenders of Wildlife, said the public lands rule “provided for healthy habitats and now it’s foolishly being yanked away in service of the ‘Drill, baby, drill’ agenda.”BLM suggested in the Federal Register notice — signed by Adam Suess, Interior’s acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management — that the Biden administration sidestepped public concerns and criticisms of the rule before implementing it in June 2024. Those included comments that the administration downplayed the economic effects of the rule.“The most effective caretakers of our federal lands are those whose livelihoods rely on its well-being,” Burgum said in his statement. “Overturning this rule protects our American way of life and gives our communities a voice in the land that they depend on.”The proposal to revoke the rule falls in line with numerous executive orders issued by President Donald Trump and secretarial orders from Burgum, designed to remove regulatory barriers to energy development and mining activity on federal lands in the name of bolstering energy independence and security.“The new rule is a welcome change from the prior clear disregard for the legal obligation to balance multiple uses on federal lands,” said Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association.

Garnet Fire spreads into McKinley Grove of ancient sequoias, Sierra National Forest, California - (2 YouTube videos) A lightning-sparked wildfire known as Garnet Fire entered the McKinley Grove of giant ancient sequoias in California’s Sierra National Forest on September 8, 2025. Firefighters reported ember ignition in upper branches but no complete canopy burn. Containment stands at about 15% after burning 22 000 ha (55 000 acres) since igniting on August 24. The Garnet Fire, active in California’s Sierra National Forest since August 24, has burned more than 22 000 ha (55 000 acres) and remains 15% contained. On September 8, the blaze advanced into the McKinley Grove of giant sequoias, threatening some of the largest and oldest trees on Earth. McKinley Grove spans approximately 40 ha (100 acres) and contains between 160 and more than 200 giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum), many estimated to be 2 000–3 000 years old and reaching over 70 m (230 feet) in height. Although embers ignited some canopy branches, no trees have been fully engulfed thus far. Fire crews established 24-hour sprinkler systems, cleared surrounding vegetation, wrapped trunks with fire-resistant foil, and deployed smokejumpers and tree climbers to extinguish burning embers lodged in upper branches. Ground-level flames remained relatively low intensity, a condition that can promote cone opening and seed dispersal in giant sequoias. Officials cautioned that despite this outcome, the grove remains at risk as nearly a century has passed since its last fire, allowing heavy fuel accumulation. Prolonged drought and warming temperatures have also intensified wildfire behavior in the Sierra Nevada. Since 2020, an estimated 13–19% of mature giant sequoias in California have been lost to severe wildfires. The Garnet Fire continues to affect regional air quality, with dense smoke prompting advisories in Yosemite Valley and nearby communities, reducing visibility and posing health risks.

Waterspout outbreak over western Lake Erie - At least 23 waterspouts were reported over western Lake Erie on September 7, 2025, with an additional four observed in surrounding areas, for a total of 27. The observations came from multiple locations and were confirmed by meteorological observers and monitoring networks, including the International Centre for Waterspout Research (ICWR). The setup involved cold air aloft moving over the seasonally warm surface waters of the lakes, combined with low cloud bases and light wind shear. This created ideal conditions for the development of non-tornadic, fair-weather waterspouts, short-lived but well-defined vortices forming under cumulus-type clouds in stable synoptic environments. The September 7 outbreak follows a major waterspout event recorded between August 24 and 28, 2025, during which ICWR confirmed 97 waterspouts across all five Great Lakes. That outbreak included 49 over Lake Erie, 26 over Lake Ontario, 14 over Lake Huron, 7 over Lake Michigan, and one in Georgian Bay. Additionally, at least six waterspouts were observed on August 25 over Lake Ontario, and more than 25 were reported between August 23 and 24 as part of the same extended system, setting the stage for continued favorable conditions heading into September. The Great Lakes experience their peak waterspout season from late August through October, with September typically being the most active month. During this period, lake surface temperatures remain high while early autumn introduces cooler, unstable air masses aloft. The temperature contrast promotes vertical instability, one of the key ingredients for waterspout development, particularly for non-tornadic or “fair-weather” types. Lake Erie, and especially its western basin, is among the most prolific areas for waterspout formation in the region. Its relatively shallow depth allows it to warm quickly during summer, making it especially prone to strong lake–atmosphere thermal gradients.

Over 1 300 structures damaged, 89 people injured as powerful JEF3 tornado hits Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan – (2 videos) A powerful JEF3 tornado struck Makinohara and Yoshida in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture on September 5, 2025, injuring at least 89 and damaging over 1 300 structures in the region. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported peak winds of around 270 km/h (168 mph), making it one of the strongest tornadoes on record in the country. A powerful JEF3 tornado struck Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, at 12:50 LT (03:50 UTC) on September 5, injuring at least 89 people and damaging over 1 300 structures. The tornado developed in unstable conditions associated with Tropical Storm Peipah, which made landfall in Kochi Prefecture earlier the same day. The tornado moved through areas from Makinohara to Yoshida, overturning vehicles, toppling utility poles, and damaging residential and industrial structures. JMA estimated maximum winds of around 270 km/h (168 mph) and confirmed JEF3 intensity after survey teams documented severe damage, including deformation of the exterior walls of a steel-frame building. JMA officials said that Japan has recorded only 13 JEF3 tornadoes since 1961, with no JEF4 or JEF5 tornadoes ever documented. According to Shizuoka Prefectural Government, the tornado injured at least 89 people. Eight people sustained serious injuries and 81 were lightly injured. The storm also destroyed 2 houses, severely damaged 117, and partially damaged 1 217 structures. Local authorities attributed the tornado to the unstable weather condition created by Tropical Storm Peipah, which made landfall in the Kochi Prefecture on September 5. The storm brought heavy rains to parts of the country, including the Shizuoka Prefecture, triggering landslides and flooding in the region. YouTube video About 20 minutes before the Makinohara–Yoshida tornado, a separate destructive wind event struck Kakegawa. JMA concluded that this was also a tornado, rating it JEF2 with winds of about 198 km/h (123 mph).

Severe floods collapse buildings, kill at least 6 people in Bali, Indonesia - (YouTube video) At least six people were killed after torrential rains triggered severe flooding across Bali, Indonesia, between September 9 and 10, 2025. The floods inundated large parts of Denpasar, caused the collapse of multiple buildings, and left several people missing, while hundreds were evacuated to safer areas. Severe flooding triggered by torrential rains between has killed at least six people in Bali, Indonesia on September 9 and 10. The floods inundated large areas of Denpasar and surrounding regencies, collapsing several buildings, blocking key roads, and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents. In Denpasar, four people were killed when two buildings collapsed amid rising floodwaters. Another two fatalities were reported in Jembrana Regency, where at least 85 people were evacuated to temporary shelters. The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) deployed around 200 personnel to assist evacuations and search operations. Ad ends in 4 Among the fatalities was a pregnant woman who was swept away by floodwaters while riding a motorcycle. In another incident, a three-story building along the River Badung collapsed, leaving several family members unaccounted for. Local officials reported water depths of 2–3 m (6.5–10 feet) in several neighborhoods. Rubber dinghies were used to reach stranded residents, and parts of the main access roads to Ngurah Rai International Airport were submerged, leaving passage only for heavy vehicles. The neighboring province of East Nusa Tenggara also reported at least four fatalities due to similar flooding. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) attributed the event to atmospheric Rossby waves, a planetary-scale atmospheric disturbance that propagates along the equator and can intensify convection and rainfall in the tropics. BMKG warned that unstable weather conditions are likely to persist for several more days as the wave continues to influence the region.

At least 25 people dead or missing after severe floods in Bali and East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia - YouTube videos - At least 25 people are confirmed dead or missing after floods and landslides struck Bali and East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, between September 9 and 11, 2025. Torrential rains inundated large areas, collapsed buildings, and forced the evacuation of more than 500 residents. At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 10 others remain missing after severe flooding and landslides struck Bali and East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, between September 9 and 11. The disaster was triggered by torrential rainfall associated with an atmospheric Rossby wave, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). Floodwaters inundated six of Bali’s eight regencies, including Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Jembrana, collapsing buildings, damaging roads, and disrupting electricity and water supplies. In Denpasar, multiple structures were swept away after rivers overflowed, and water depths reached up to 2–3 m (6.5–10 feet) in several neighborhoods. Among the casualties was a pregnant woman swept away while riding a motorcycle, while in another incident, a three-story building along the River Badung collapsed, leaving family members unaccounted for. In Jembrana Regency, at least 85 people were evacuated, while more than 500 residents across Bali have been relocated to temporary shelters in schools and mosques. Flooding blocked major roads, including access routes to Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. While flights have not been disrupted, authorities report limited vehicle access due to inundated underpasses and washed-out road sections. Tourist districts such as Canggu, Legian, and Kuta also experienced heavy flooding and debris flows. YouTube video In East Nusa Tenggara, at least four people were killed in similar flood events, bringing the combined death toll to 15. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing with personnel from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), supported by the military and police. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing deployed heavy equipment, including excavators and mobile water pumps, to drain flooded neighborhoods and clear debris from roads. Officials confirmed that water levels have begun to recede in critical areas, though large-scale cleaning and infrastructure repairs are still underway.

Northern Sichuan records heaviest rainfall of 2025, causing flash floods and evacuations - Northern Sichuan recorded its most intense rainfall of 2025 on September 5, with 12-hour accumulations exceeding 250 mm (10 inches) in Guangyuan and Nanchong, and a provincial maximum of 255.2 mm (10 inches) in Chaotian District. The rainfall triggered flash flooding, street inundations, and emergency responses across multiple districts in Guangyuan and Nanchong. The Sichuan Meteorological Bureau reported that cumulative rainfall at several monitoring stations in Guangyuan surpassed 250 mm (9.8 inches), with the provincial maximum reaching 255.2 mm (10 inches) in Chaotian District. The highest observed hourly intensity was 93.2 mm (3.7 inches). In response, Guangyuan city activated a level-4 flood-control emergency, while some districts and counties raised their response to level-3. Local media reported that floodwaters had submerged streets, farmland, and houses in Guangyuan, with submerging numerous vehicles. Rescue teams were dispatched to carry out evacuations and water removal operations. The Ministry of Emergency Management and local governments warned of continued hydrological risks, as soils in many areas are already saturated from previous rainfall episodes this season. By 09:00 LT on September 5, at least 146 monitoring stations across Sichuan had recorded cumulative totals above 100 mm (4 inches). Heavy rain and geological hazard warnings were issued across 35 counties, including parts of Guangyuan and Nanchong, with risks of flash floods and landslides remaining elevated. The provincial Department of Natural Resources maintained a yellow alert for geological hazards covering multiple districts. The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) issued rainstorm warnings for Sichuan, with forecasters expecting localized heavy rainfall to persist and urging residents in mountainous and low-lying areas to take precautionary measures.

60 000 evacuated as Tropical Storm Tapah makes landfall near Taishan, China -(video) Over 60 000 people were evacuated as Tropical Storm Tapah made landfall near China’s Taishan (Jiangmen), Guangdong Province, at about 00:50 UTC on September 8, 2025. The storm brought severe weather across the province, causing traffic disruption and leaving at least 12 people injured. Tropical Storm Tapah, also designated Typhoon No. 16, made landfall near Taishan, a county-level city under Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, at 08:50 LT (00:50 UTC) on September 8, with maximum sustained winds near 110 km/h (68 mph), according to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). Authorities in Guangdong evacuated about 60 000 residents ahead of the storm as heavy rain and strong winds spread across the province. Initial reports confirmed at least 12 people injured, more than 160 cases of fallen trees and three flooding incidents, while emergency response teams were deployed to reinforce reservoirs, power facilities and other vulnerable infrastructure. Hundreds of people used temporary shelters while public-transport services, including buses, ferries and trams, were widely suspended and the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) operated on reduced schedules. Court hearings were also suspended during the warning period. A runway at Hong Kong International Airport was temporarily closed after an HK Express flight from Beijing veered onto the grass during landing, with smoke briefly observed from its landing gear. No injuries were reported, and the incident remains under investigation to determine whether it was weather-related. HKO raised the Typhoon Signal No. 8 late on September 7; the warning remained in force into the morning of September 8 while heavy rain bands and gale-force winds affected the territory.

Hurricane Kiko forecast to pass north of Hawaii between September 9 and 11, hazardous surf expected - Hurricane Kiko remains a Category 3 system in the central Pacific, forecast to pass north of Hawaii this week while generating hazardous surf and rip currents from Sunday onward. A statewide State of Emergency was declared on September 5 to prepare for potential impacts. At 09:00 UTC on September 7, (23:00 HST on September 6), the center of Hurricane Kiko was located near approximately 1 265 km (785 miles) east of Hilo, Hawaii. The cyclone was moving west-northwest at 20 km/h (13 mph) with maximum sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 960 mb, based on data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft. Although Kiko has weakened from Category 4 to Category 3 intensity, it continues to exhibit an annular structure with a well-defined eye. Forecast models indicate continued gradual weakening over cooler waters, with increasing mid-level dry air and southwesterly wind shear contributing to a more pronounced decay from Monday , September 8 through midweek. Kiko is expected to become a shallow, sheared system as it passes north of the Hawaiian Islands between September 9 and 11. Swells generated by the hurricane are expected to reach the Big Island and Maui beginning Sunday, September 7, gradually increasing through midweek. The highest surf is forecast along east-facing shores, with life-threatening rip currents and wave conditions likely during peak swell periods. Hurricane Kiko NHC forecast track at 09:00 UTC on September 7, 2025 Hurricane Kiko satellite image acquired at 22:40 UTC on September 6, 2025. Credit: NOAA/GOES-West In anticipation of these hazards, Acting Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation at 13:10 HST on September 5, declaring a statewide State of Emergency. The disaster emergency relief period began immediately and is set to continue through September 19 unless extended or terminated earlier.

West Coast watches for La Niña - A developing La Niña could mean big weather shifts for the West Coast this winter, including colder, wetter conditions up north and drier, warmer weather farther south. From Seattle to San Diego, La Niña helps steer the storm track, shaping water supplies, snowpack and drought risk. NOAA scientists say there's a better-than-even chance that La Niña will develop this fall and winter, with current outlooks showing just over a 50% chance by September to November and probabilities increasing into winter. A La Niña Watch means "conditions are favorable" for La Niña to form within six months, Michelle L'Heureux, meteorologist and El Niño–Southern Oscillation teamlead at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, tells Axios. But she cautions it's not guaranteed. How it works: La Niña occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are cooler than average, according to NOAA. That cooling nudges the jet stream north and, because it acts like a fast-moving conveyor belt of air, tends to carry storms into the Pacific Northwest and northern U.S. while leaving the South drier. San Francisco, perched on the boundary, is a "wild card" and can go either way, says Johnna Infanti, another NOAA meteorologist. NOAA says a weak La Niña may not bring "conventional impacts," but its influence can still shape seasonal outlooks — so even subtle ocean changes are worth watching. While most of the world's oceans are warming, the eastern tropical Pacific is not — a twist that sharpens the temperature contrast central to La Niña, climate scientist Daniel Swain tells Axios. Models once predicted the east would warm faster, favoring more El Niños, but instead La Niñas have become more frequent. It suggests the models are off or we're in a human-driven transition, said Swain. With a "La Niña-like" ocean background, even modest events can "punch above their weight," he said.

Is a La Niña winter coming? NOAA releases update for 2025 – Odds are looking better that La Niña will start soon, the Climate Prediction Center said Thursday, but its impacts may be short-lived this year.There’s a 71% chance that a La Niña pattern will form between October and November of this year, the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said.Typically, La Niña (and its counterpart, El Niño) strengthens and reaches its peak in the winter months. However, this year could be a little different.As we enter peak winter, between December 2025 and February 2026, the chances of seeing a La Niña drop to about 54%. That could mean that this year’s La Niña ends up being short and weak, much like the one we saw last winter.At this point, it looks like La Niña is favored to end before winter is over. La Niña impacts the position of the polar jet stream, therefore influencing the weather we see on land. The jet stream divides the country in two, bringing wetter weather to the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley. Meanwhile, we typically see dry, warm weather in the southern states.

La Niña Watch issued with 71% probability for October–December 2025 - A La Niña Watch was issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center on September 11, 2025, with a 71% probability of La Niña forming in October–December 2025. Chances decline to 54% for December 2025–February 2026. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), a division of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the National Weather Service (NWS), confirmed that ENSO-neutral conditions persisted in August 2025. Near- to below-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were observed across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, with weekly Niño SST index values ranging from −0.4°C (−0.7°F) to −0.2°C (−0.4°F) . Subsurface temperature anomalies, averaged from 180°–100°W, strengthened during August, with below-average values extending from the surface to depths of 200 m (656 feet) in the central and eastern Pacific. Low-level wind anomalies were easterly across most of the equatorial Pacific, while upper-level anomalies were westerly over the western and eastern sectors. Convection was enhanced over Indonesia and suppressed near the Date Line, consistent with emerging La Niña–like conditions. While the International Research Institute (IRI) multi-model forecast slightly favors ENSO-neutral through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2025–26, all models from the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) predict La Niña development and persistence through the season. Based on current observations and model trends, CPC projects a 71% chance of La Niña developing during October–December 2025. Probabilities decrease to 54% for December 2025–February 2026, indicating a reduced likelihood of La Niña persistence into late winter. La Niña events are typically associated with strengthened easterly trade winds and cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The changes alter global atmospheric circulation, often leading to wetter conditions in parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, and northern South America, and drier conditions across the southern United States and parts of South America. La Niña can also influence tropical cyclone activity, enhancing the Atlantic hurricane season while reducing storm formation in the central and eastern Pacific.

Rare Southern Hemisphere stratospheric warming is weakening the polar vortex - A sudden stratospheric warming event is unfolding over Antarctica in early September 2025, rapidly weakening the southern polar vortex. Forecast models indicate potential downstream effects on the Northern Hemisphere jet stream, with implications for winter 2025/26 in the USA and Canada. A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event has begun over Antarctica in September 2025, causing rapid temperature increases in the stratosphere. SSW events, although more common in the Northern Hemisphere, are rare in the south and can have global repercussions on atmospheric circulation. The polar vortex is a large cyclonic circulation of westerly winds that forms each winter in the stratosphere around both poles. It acts as a barrier, trapping cold polar air and influencing jet stream patterns. During a strong warming episode, stratospheric temperatures can rise by more than 40°C (72°F) within days, weakening or even reversing the vortex circulation. According to Andrej Flis of the Severe Weather Europe, the current warming has already forced significant distortions in the southern polar vortex, with early model outputs suggesting potential wave propagation into the Northern Hemisphere. Such disruptions can alter the polar jet stream, which governs storm tracks and cold air intrusions. Recent analyses from the NASA stratospheric monitoring system, show that zonal winds at around 10 hPa level (31 km/18.5 miles altitude) are running below normal, a clear indication that the vortex core is under stress. At the same time, a strong warming wave is pushing the cold central core off its axis and raising stratospheric temperatures by more than 30°C (86°F) above average. Forecast models suggest that within two weeks the strength of the vortex could be cut nearly in half, even without a full reversal of winds, a threshold that typically defines a SSW event. The anomaly is expected to peak by late September, with temperatures in the stratosphere rising as much as 50°C (90°F) above seasonal norms. Unusually, this warming is also projected to descend to lower levels of the stratosphere, down to around 19 km (12 miles), which highlights the extraordinary strength of this event. When warming propagates downward in this way, the chances of it influencing surface weather increase significantly. At the surface, the South Pole pressure index is forecast to turn negative and stay that way, signaling disrupted polar circulation and the development of high-pressure ridging around Antarctica. Such blocking patterns are known to push cold polar air outward, raising the risk of sudden cold surges into mid-latitude regions. Australia has already seen similar episodes when the polar circulation is disturbed in this manner. In the Southern Hemisphere, the disruption is expected to affect spring weather in South America, Australia, and New Zealand, potentially altering storm activity, rainfall distribution, and seasonal transitions. “When the Southern Hemisphere’s tropospheric polar vortex is stronger than usual, cold air and powerful winds surrounding Antarctica typically contract towards the south,” said Ben Domasino of Weatherzone. “The Southern Hemisphere’s polar vortex always weakens during spring as part of its normal seasonal cycle,” Domasino said. “However, the stratospheric polar vortex has started to weaken faster than usual over the past week due to abnormally warm air entering the polar stratosphere. Some forecast models suggest that further stratospheric warming could occur through the middle of September as well.” Domensino added that it is difficult to predict how each stratospheric warming episode will impact weather patterns closer to the ground, because such events are rare in the Southern Hemisphere and no two are the same. However, if the tropospheric polar vortex does weaken in the coming weeks, it will increase the likelihood of more frequent and stronger cold fronts over Australia during mid-to-late spring.

Viral videos show six marble mines collapse at the Gulabi range in Rajasthan’s Makrana region – (video) At least six marble mines collapsed in the Gulabi range of Rajasthan’s Makrana region, Didwana-Kuchaman district, on the afternoon of September 5, 2025. Viral videos shared online show the moment the mines gave way. Videos of the incident have been going viral on social media today, with some claiming that the event occurred on September 8, which is false. The incident occurred at the marble mines in the Gulabi range of Makrana region on September 5. No injuries were reported due to the collapse, as mining operations had been on halt at the for the last few months. Local officials arrived at the scene to assess the situation soon after the reports came in. However, they have not yet revealed the exact cause of the collapse. Reports on social media state that the collapse was triggered by the water accumulation in the mines following heavy rains. While the claim has not been confirmed by any authorities, it is most likely to be true as very heavy rains had been affecting the region over the past month. Water accumulation was also visible in viral video of the mine collapse. These collapses aren’t unusual for the Makrana region, a hub of marble mines. A similar incident had also occurred along the Rewat-Dungri range of the Didwana district on May 4. Incidentally, six marble mines had collapsed during that incident, same as in the latest event. More rainfall is forecast across Rajasthan, as a deep depression over north Gujrat and southwestern Rajasthan is forecast to bring continuing heavy rains in the coming days.

Up to 3 000 deaths reported after M6.0 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan - A shallow M6.0 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, 2025, left more than 2 200 people dead and nearly 7 000 homes destroyed, according to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority. The World Health Organization reported nearly 3 000 deaths and 4 000 injuries. The strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 struck the Hindu Kush region, eastern Afghanistan, at 19:17 UTC (23:47 LT) on August 31, at a depth of 8 km (5 miles). According to the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), at least 2 205 people were killed, 3 640 injured, and 6 782 houses destroyed as of September 4. The worst-affected areas include Nurgal and Chawkay districts in Kunar Province, Dara-e-Nur in Nangarhar Province, and several districts in Laghman Province. While a Taliban spokesperson on September 5 said that 2 217 people were killed, on September 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported nearly 3 000 deaths and about 4 000 injuries. The USGS estimated that between 1 000 and 10 000 fatalities were possible, with nearly 890 000 people exposed to very strong to violent shaking. Latest reports indicate that up to 65% of buildings in parts of Kunar Province collapsed, with 98% damaged. Most affected homes were built of mud and stone on steep valley slopes, which amplified shaking. In Nurgal District, entire villages such as Wadir, Shomash, Masud, and Areet were destroyed, with some areas experiencing casualty rates as high as 90%. At least 16 health centers and 53 schools were destroyed, with another 253 schools damaged, affecting up to 157 074 students. epicenter of m6.0 earthquake hindu kush afghanistan august 31 2025 bg Epicenter of shallow M6.0 earthquake in Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan on August 31, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google Humanitarian organizations reported acute displacement and protection concerns. At least 392 families relocated to Shalt area, where conditions remain unsafe, with limited access to food, water, shelter, and sanitation. With winter approaching, thousands of families remain without safe shelter, heightening the risk of additional humanitarian consequences. International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Food Programme (WFP), and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) field missions confirmed extensive destruction of irrigation systems, rising community tensions, and heightened flood risk. Meanwhile, WFP’s Mobile Storage Units have been deployed to scale up the response. A M5.2 aftershock on September 2 triggered additional landslides, blocking roads and slowing rescue operations, while a series of five aftershocks on September 4 and 5, the largest M5.6, caused two more fatalities, 51 injuries, and the destruction of 330 additional homes across Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces. Rockslides triggered by aftershocks and heavy rains blocked critical roads, including the route connecting Kunar with Jalalabad, forcing reliance on air transport for aid delivery. The heavy movement of residents, volunteers, and charities has further disrupted humanitarian convoy. Save the Children estimated that 260 000 children were affected, with at least 280 orphaned, while the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that nearly 1 million livestock were affected in Nangarhar and Kunar.

CME impact and high-speed stream forecast to enhance geomagnetic activity through September 8 - A large filament eruption was observed at 19:45 UTC on September 4, 2025, followed by at least three CMEs. Model runs suggest a likely arrival early on September 7. In addition, a recurrent positive polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) activity is expected to enhance solar wind parameters beginning early September 6, with G1 – Minor to G2 – Moderate geomagnetic storm conditions likely through September 8.

$320M project to store CO2 at Gulf of Thailand gas field gets green light - Thailand’s national oil and gas company, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), has reached the final investment decision (FID) on a carbon capture and storage project (CCS) at a gas field in the Gulf of Thailand. PTTEP’s CEO, Montri Rawanchaikul, described the Arthit CCS storage project as Thailand’s first initiative of its kind, designed to capture and store up to 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of CO2. The company expects the CCS technology to play a significant role in advancing the country’s net-zero goals.The five-year investment is estimated to cost approximately THB 10 billion, or around $320 million. Additionally, the Thai player says the development will not affect natural gas production at its location, theArthit field.“PTTEP strives not only to safeguard the country’s energy security but also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CCS is an essential technology, both nationally and globally, complementing other clean energy solutions in addressing climate change,” said Montri.“The Arthit CCS Project will serve as a pilot for cultivating expertise and driving CCS adoption in Thailand, including the Eastern CCS Hub in the Northern Gulf of Thailand, which has potential to make material contribution to the country’s Net Zero target and enhance the nation’s long-term economic competitiveness.”Alongside leveraging existing infrastructure at the Arthit gas field, the company plans to build and install additional facilities as required. Carbon storage operations are expected to start in 2028, gradually ramping up to the 1-mtpa peak capacity.The Arthit CCS Project has been named a flagship project for greenhouse gas emissions reduction under Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Action Plan. This means it is eligible for investment support, including tax incentives.As disclosed by the Thai player, extensive studies and assessments have been carried out in preparation for the project. This is said to cover the entire project, from storage site selection with reservoirs at depths of 1,000–2,000 meters, to engineering design, and comprehensive measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) programs. The FID comes three years after plans for the project were first made known. In the meantime, the Thai state player signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with various players to conduct studies assessing the potential of CCS in the Gulf of Thailand.This includes a deal with Inpex to conduct a study on carbon storage potential in the Northern Gulf of Thailand, as well as with Mahidol University and Kasetsart University, all signed last year.More recently, PTTEP inked a farm-in agreement with Valeura Energy, enabling the latter to obtain a 40% interest in blocks G1/65 and G3/65 offshore Thailand. This will boost Valeura’s gross acreage position in Thailand from 2,623 to 22,757 square kilometers.

'A colossal train wreck': U.S. energy chief slams odds of net zero by 2050 -U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has lambasted plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050, calling the climate target "a colossal train wreck" that countries will most likely fail to achieve.His comments, which were first published as part of an interview with the Financial Times on Monday, come as Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum prepare to travel to Milan, Italy, for the Gastech energy conference."Net zero 2050 is just a colossal train wreck … It's just a monstrous human impoverishment program and of course there is no way it is going to happen," Wright said in remarks shared by the U.S. Department of Energy on social media platform X.Net zero refers to the goal of achieving a state of balance between the carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it.More than 140 countries, including major polluters such as the U.S., India and the European Union, have adopted plans to reach net zero by various timelines.To meet the critically important warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, as prescribed in the landmark Paris Agreement, global carbon emissions should reach net zero by around the middle of the century, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit non-profit.For high-income nations such as the U.S., this means reaching net zero by 2050 or earlier. Low-income countries can meanwhile achieve the feat by the 2050s or 2060s.A former oil and gas executive, Wright has recognized climate change as a global challenge that "deserves attention," while criticizing what he has described as "climate alarmists." Scientists, meanwhile, have challenged Wright's comments on climate change, describing them as "a regurgitation of misinformative talking points." Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, are the primary cause of climate change. The Trump administration official, who is scheduled to deliver an address on the U.S. vision for global energy security at Gastech on Wednesday, has reportedly warned that European climate rules could threaten the EU's trade deal with the White House. The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the world's first carbon border levy, and the bloc's regulation on methane were among some of the measures cited by Wright as potential risks to the U.S.-EU trade framework, according to the Financial Times. Under the terms of the U.S.-EU trade pact, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described as a "good deal" when it was struck, the EU has said companies in the 27-nation bloc have expressed interest in investing at least $600 billion in various sectors by 2029.The EU also intends to purchase U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil and nuclear energy products with an expected offtake valued at $750 billion over the next three years, seeking to replace Russian energy on the EU market

Puerto Rico Climate Case Against Oil Majors Gets Tossed -A federal judge in Puerto Rico has tossed out a climate lawsuit against a slate of oil and gas majors, ending a challenge brought by nearly 80 municipalities five years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island.US District Judge Silvia Carreno-Coll signed the order on Thursday, dismissing the class-action claims against ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Motiva, Occidental, BHP, Rio Tinto, and the American Petroleum Institute (API). The municipalities alleged the companies colluded to conceal the climate risks of fossil fuels, arguing that manmade warming intensified the 2017 storms.Carreno-Coll rejected the case on procedural grounds, ruling that the plaintiffs blew past the statute of limitations. Under antitrust law, they had four years from the hurricanes to file. “By September 2021, the 2017 hurricanes’ four-year mark, Plaintiffs knew or should have known they had suffered considerable injury and who to sue,” she wrote. The claims against Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, and Motiva were dismissed with prejudice, blocking any refiling. Claims against Occidental, BHP, and Rio Tinto were dismissed without prejudice, leaving the door open for a narrower return.The ruling is a setback for the broader wave of climate litigation targeting oil companies for allegedly misleading the public on fossil fuel risks. More than two dozen similar cases are moving through state and federal courts, with mixed outcomes. The Puerto Rico case, filed in November 2022, was among the more ambitious, tying specific storm damage to alleged industry deception. Industry groups hailed the dismissal. API senior vice president Ryan Meyers said the “meritless claims” amounted to a politicized distraction and a waste of taxpayer money, adding climate policy should be left to Congress rather than “a patchwork of courts.” Shell declined to comment.

EPA will halt greenhouse gas reporting for big polluters - EPA is proposing to end its long-standing greenhouse gas reporting requirements for the nation’s top emitters. The agency released a draft rule Friday that’s broader than regulatory analysts had anticipated. It would not only permanently remove reporting requirements for major emitters outside the oil and gas sector, like power plants and iron and steel facilities, but also suspend reporting mandates for petroleum companies until 2034. The Inflation Reduction Act created reporting requirements for major oil and gas operators that are subject to fees on excess methane emissions. But President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending bill this year delayed collection of the so-called Waste Emissions Charge until 2034, and EPA argued in a press release Friday that Trump’s law permitted it to propose suspending the reporting requirement for climate pollution until that year as well. EPA told POLITICO’s E&E News that it still plans to propose revisions in July 2026 to reporting methodologies for emitters under subpart W of the Inflation Reduction Act — which covers onshore and offshore oil and gas development, processing, transmission, storage, and export activities. The Friday proposal would exempt about 8,000 entities in a wide array of sectors from reporting their emissions if they exceed 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in a given year. EPA said in its press release that the proposal would save $2.4 billion in compliance costs by canceling a program that is not tied to any regulations and thus “has no material impact on improving human health and the environment.” “The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is nothing more than bureaucratic red tape that does nothing to improve air quality,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. The agency heard from several industry groups prior to releasing the draft who argued that the reporting program benefited them by compiling comprehensive, methodologically sound data across key industries. Carbon capture and storage developers are among them. Treasury Department rules for tax credits benefiting the industry utilize EPA data drawn from the reporting program to determine eligibility. “This announcement from EPA will not advance carbon storage — something Administrator Zeldin has publicly supported,” said Jessie Stolark, executive director of the Carbon Capture Coalition. “By canceling parts of the [Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program] that are linked to the election of the 45Q tax credit, this proposed rule endangers millions of dollars in investments from American businesses in these technologies.” Joe Goffman, who led the EPA Office of Air and Radiation in the Biden administration, said it would take years to rebuild the emissions reporting program and database if EPA mothballs it. That would set climate policy back in future administrations, he said, because good data is needed to inform regulations. “This administration is sort of the Baskin-Robbins of climate policy destruction,” he said in an interview prior to the proposal’s release. “Every day there’s a new flavor of the day. One day it’s the power plant repeal flavor. The next day it’s the car and truck emissions repeal flavor. And the next day after that, it’s the endangerment finding withdrawal flavor. “Today’s is proposing to shut down … or heavily curtail the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program,” Goffman said.

IEA Slashes Clean Hydrogen Production Forecast - Rising costs and uncertain regulatory and demand picture have made low-emission hydrogen projects more challenging and clean hydrogen production by 2030 could be a quarter lower than expected at this time last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday. The low-emission hydrogen uptake is not yet meeting expectations set by industry and governments in recent years, the agency said in its annual Global Hydrogen Review published today. High costs, demand and regulatory uncertainty, and slow infrastructure development continue to impede growth, the IEA said, although it still expects robust expansion to 2030 despite the wave of project cancellations.The IEA’s latest analysis of announced projects found low-emissions hydrogen production by 2030 now has the potential to reach up to 37 million tons per year. That’s down from a potential 49 million tons per year, projected last year based on announced projects—nearly a 25% decline. Actual production is even likely to be lower than the 37 million tons per year, as not all announced projects will be ultimately built, the IEA warned. Projects that are operational, under construction, or have reached a final investment decision by 2030 are set to increase more than fivefold from 2024 levels to more than 4 million tons per year. An additional 6 million tons per year also has strong potential to become operational by 2030, but “if effective policies to ensure demand are implemented,” the IEA said. Earlier this week, the Hydrogen Council also noted challenges in projects, but said that despite recent delays and cancelations of projects, the clean hydrogen industry has surpassed $110 billion in investment in more than 500 projects that have moved past the final investment decision. The lobby group acknowledged in a new report, co-authored with McKinsey & Company, that about 50 projects have been publicly cancelled in the past 18 months, representing about 3% of the total pipeline since 2020. “Structural challenges, including persistently high interest rates and delayed policy implementation in some regions, are adding pressure to this selection process,” the Hydrogen Council said, noting that the industry now needs firm demand for supply to thrive. This, according to the Council, needs strong policy support.

EPA to walk back restrictions on refrigerant chemical - EPA announced Friday afternoon it would reconsider the Biden-era rule on a dangerous chemical used to make refrigerants. The agency said it will rethink the workplace exposure limit imposed by the final risk-management rule for carbon tetrachloride, a heat-absorbing solvent prized by industry groups as a more eco-friendly alternative to hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs. The agency expects to propose a new rule in seven to 10 months, “to ensure that the rule is implementable to protect workers consistent with statutory requirements,” said Nancy Beck, the highest official in EPA’s chemicals office, in a document filed Friday in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is overseeing consolidated legal challenges over the rule.Whether EPA can move forward with the reconsideration process for CTC is still subject to approval from the court.

House Republicans renew energy efficiency fight - House Energy and Commerce Republicans are reviving their fight against Biden-era Department of Energy efficiency standards this week, charging that federal rulemaking has driven up consumer costs and limited choice in the marketplace. The Energy Subcommittee hearing comes as lawmakers in both parties trade blame for rising housing and utility prices.“During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Energy imposed energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings that are inefficient, ineffective, and harmful to consumers,” full committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-Ohio) said in a statement.They continued, “Heavy-handed, burdensome regulations have contributed to rising housing prices that continue to climb out of reach for would-be buyers.”

Climate Zealots Must Be Stopped From Abusing Courts for Political Goals -Once upon a time, political battles were waged mostly during election campaigns or in the halls of government. In recent years, though, politicians and issue advocates increasingly refuse to recognize traditional political battlegrounds as the only venues where their fights can be waged. When faced with defeat in the political arena, the losers are increasingly turning to the courts, weaponizing the judicial system to achieve political ends.In the early months of the current Trump administration, we’ve witnessed this spectacle on issue after issue, challenging the president’s efforts to control illegal immigration, reduce the size of government, eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, impose tariffs, etc. – an unprecedented abuse of the court system to try to stop the administration’s political agenda.President Trump’s actions to reverse the Biden administration’s dangerous environmental and climate policies have not been immune from the parade of lawsuits. But environmental extremists have always been bolder. For years, they have aggressively used the courts to attack not just government policies and agencies, but companies themselves over often fanciful theories of cause-and-effect.One consistent effort has been an attempt to hold coal, oil and gas companies accountable for their alleged roles in “climate change.” Across the country and in various local, state and federal courts, lawsuits have been filed accusing energy industries of misleading the public or covering up the impacts of their actions on weather patterns.The Paris climate accord of 2015 served as the catalyst for most of the more recent lawsuits, which totaled nearly 100 at last count. One pro-renewables source reported late last year, “The number of cases filed against fossil fuel companies each year has nearly tripled since the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015.” The lawsuits demand that companies acknowledge their supposed role in climate change, or attempt to win monetary damages from the alleged offenders, or try to force businesses to reduce emissions or stop production altogether.In other words, climate activists – including a growing number of city and state leaders – are increasingly turning to the courts to achieve what they were unable to accomplish through legislative means. Sadly, in too many cases, leftwing judges have been happy to oblige. The Trump administration is trying to combat the epidemic of municipalities and state governments turning to the courts for political grievances. Earlier this year, the president issued an executive order defining such complaints as threats to national security, and the Justice Department filed lawsuits in an effort to prevent Hawaii and Michigan from pursuing such claims in court. The abuse of our judicial system to achieve partisan political ends is out of control, and judges must put a stop to it. The judicial branch is designed to adjudicate laws, not serve as a backup venue for policy losers in the legislative branch.

Rising heat waves are tied to fossil fuel and cement production -According to ETH Zurich climate researchers, greenhouse gas emissions from major fossil fuel and cement producers are significant contributors to the occurrence and intensity of heat waves. Last June, large parts of Europe experienced unprecedented heat. In July, the Mediterranean region groaned under the scorching heat, with locals and tourists suffering temperatures well above 40° C (104° F). In August, parched forests burned in many places. Around the world, a trend of record-breaking extreme heat is affecting our health and disrupting our economies. The perception that current heat waves exceed those of previous generations now has scientific backing, thanks to research led by ETH Zurich Professor Sonia Seneviratne. The study, just published in the journal Nature, documents how human-induced climate change has increased the frequency and severity of more than 200 heat waves. In their study, the research team looked at 213 heat waves that occurred on all seven of Earth's continents between 2000 and 2023. The study included all heat waves that were reported by authorities or the media due to significant casualties, economic losses, or calls for international assistance. Africa and South America were significantly underrepresented in the study, however, due to underreporting and lack of usable data from these regions. Nevertheless, the trend is clear. "Climate change has made each of these heat waves more likely and more intense, and the situation has worsened over time," says lead author Yann Quilcaille, a postdoctoral researcher in Seneviratne's research group. In terms of figures, this means that global warming made heat waves 20 times more likely between 2000 and 2009, and as much as 200 times more likely between 2010 and 2019, compared with the period between 1850 and 1900. Another aspect of the study considers who contributes to this trend. Researchers analyzed the emissions that were facilitated by the 180 largest producers of fossil fuels and cement—referred to in the study as "carbon majors." The emissions from these carbon majors account for 60% of humanity's total cumulative CO2 emissions from 1850 to 2023, with the rest of the CO2 emissions largely attributable to land use activities. The researchers then calculated the contribution of each carbon major to the change in global average temperature. The team also ran climate models excluding the emissions of individual carbon majors to highlight the effect of single players on the global average temperature. Once climate researchers know how much these companies have contributed to global warming and how this warming affects heat waves, they can then calculate how much each of these carbon emitters has influenced each individual heat wave. "For each heat wave, we calculate how climate change affects its intensity and likelihood," Quilcaille explains. "We identify both the impact of each individual company and the combined effects of other human and natural factors." The researchers traced global warming's contribution to heat waves back to these 180 carbon-producing entities. Their calculations show that greenhouse gas emissions from these carbon majors have contributed significantly to climate change, causing heat waves to become more likely and more intense. "About half of the change in global mean surface temperature in 2023 can be explained by the emissions of carbon majors," says Quilcaille. Fourteen of the 180 entities stand out: they have made the same contribution to climate change as the remaining 166 organizations combined. According to the study, the five largest producers of fossil fuels among state-owned entities or investor-owned companies are from the former Soviet Union, followed by the People's Republic of China (due to coal production), and the oil and/or gas exporters: Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, and ExxonMobil. "While the 14 largest carbon majors have contributed the most to the occurrence of heat waves, the contributions of smaller players also play a significant role," says Quilcaille. Even the CO2 emissions of the smallest of the 180 carbon giants, the Russian coal producer Elgaugol, are still enough to cause 16 heat waves according to the calculations. The individual contributions of each one of the 14 largest players is enough to cause over 50 heat waves that would have been almost impossible without climate change.

Permitting talks back on the agenda this week - There’s plenty of talk of permitting reform on Capitol Hill these days, but whether that will turn into real progress remains to be seen. A House Natural Resources hearing this week may offer some clues, with Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) planning to push his H.R. 4776, the “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act,” co-sponsored by moderate Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden. Also on the agenda are H.R. 573, the “Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act,” from Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), and H.R. 4503, the “ePermit Act” from Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.). “We’re going to be pushing [permitting] hard in the Resources committee,” Westerman said last week. His bill with Golden will likely generate the most fireworks. Democrats on the left, like ranking member Jared Huffman, have already balked at the bill. The legislation aims to cut down on litigation. It would also narrow the scope for what triggers a NEPA review by redefining “major federal action.” “Chairman Westerman has taken the most tired lie in Washington — that NEPA is to blame for America’s permitting problems — and spun it into an assault on our environmental protections and public input,” Huffman said in July. Huffman and other Democrats like Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse have said they continue to be open to a grand bargain on permitting that would include changes to environmental laws but also improved transmission. That doesn’t mean talks are at an advanced stage. “Whatever is happening is happening with folks who probably don’t want an environmentalist in the room, so I will be reading about it in your publication, probably,” Huffman said. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), a moderate on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has been more bullish on a deal — including one that includes deep changes to NEPA. One idea is to revive the old “pipes and wires” framework, which would make it easier to build interstate pipelines (generally a Republican priority) as well as transmission lines (a Democratic priority), according to a House Democratic aide granted anonymity to talk freely. “The wrench in all of it is the administration’s anti-clean-energy moves and what the trust factor on permitting reform is if the president can just unilaterally block projects on ideological grounds,” the Democratic aide said. Peters and — notably — E&C Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) appeared onstage at a conference in Washington last week focused on abundance, an event to promote a growing movement to cut red-tape and foster entrepreneurial ideas. The pair discussed rising energy demand, among other things, according to people familiar with the conversation. There was also some discussion of reviving last year’s permitting bill from then-Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). At a separate event, Jarrod Agen, executive director of the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council, said the president wanted to get things done fast. “Being able to build pipelines in this country and transmission lines, that is a key priority when we look at the permitting reform,” said Agen. “It’s probably the top priority for us from an energy perspective — what we’re going to do now that the legislature is back.”

Is PJM Giving Data Centers the Heisman with Connection Proposal? --- Marcellus Drilling News - There is a disagreement brewing between those who operate the PJM Interconnection power grid and Big Tech, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and others, regarding the issue of adding data centers to the PJM grid. PJM recently proposed a fast-track stakeholder process to develop rules by the end of the year for interconnecting data centers to its system while ensuring the region has enough power supplies. The proposal would treat new data centers over 50 megawatts (MW) as “non-capacity-backed load” (or NCBL). Under the proposal, PJM could curtail (reduce or cut off) power deliveries to data centers with NCBL status before the grid operator moves to pre-emergency load curtailments for other electricity users. Big Tech doesn’t like it one little bit.

U.S. Utilities Baffled By Phantom Data Centers -America’s electric utilities are preparing for the surge in electricity demand coming with the data centers powering AI. Utilities have increased investments as they see unprecedented demand growth in the coming years after two decades of flat U.S. electricity consumption. But they are grappling with increased levels of uncertainty because not all requests for interconnection they receive will materialize in actual data centers, necessitating electricity supply. Hyperscalers and AI-focused tech groups are sounding out the utilities in the areas they are considering for future data centers, and are filing requests for interconnection of one data center with several utilities in several areas. The huge number of requests does not paint an accurate—or full—picture of the power needs of the technology giants because companies tend to inquire about data center power supply with at least three utilities in different areas. Of these three requests for new power capacity, only one will become a project for which agreements will be signed. Analysts and utilities cannot reliably say how much new capacity is needed, considering that one data center project pitches electricity supply requests to different utilities in different states. After one site is picked, all the other previously proposed locations – and the interconnections – will never be built. These would be “phantom” data centers, which will never see the light of day, but which are currently haunting the projections and plans of the U.S. utilities. So, electric utilities face a high degree of uncertainty over future revenues as the boom of AI data centers generates widely varying forecasts of peak demand in many areas across the country. If utilities overestimate their future demand, they risk overbuilding new capacity that will not be met by consumption. A possible overbuild would come at the expense of the American ratepayers, who have already seen electricity prices rising at a faster pace than U.S. inflation over the past three years. American Electric Power Company, which serves over 5 million customers in 11 states, said it now has 24 GW of firm customer commitments for incremental load by the end of the decade, up from 21 GW previously, thanks to data center growth, reshoring, and manufacturing.“Beyond the 24 gigawatts, customers are also actively seeking to connect approximately 190 gigawatts of additional load to our system. This is five times our current system size of 37 gigawatts,” AEP president and CEO William J. Fehrman said on the Q2 earnings call. U.S. power utilities are investing a record amount of money into transmission and grid connection. But current forecasts of AI-driven power demand vary so much that there is a massive margin of error, analysts and utility officials told Reuters Events in June.The U.S. market faces “a moment of peak uncertainty,” according to Rebecca Carroll, Senior Director of Market Analytics at energy advisor Trio.The latest report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) puts data center consumption at anywhere between 6.7% and 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028.“The report estimates that data center load growth has tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple by 2028,” DOE said.However, there is a huge difference between double or triple growth in data center load.This has prompted utilities to demand clear demand estimates from data centers for future connections and power purchase agreements (PPAs), to reduce the risk of getting demand and/or prices wrong.

Beijing's Ambitious Plan to Double Energy Storage by 2027 - China plans to have its battery storage capacity more than double to 180 gigawatts (GW) by 2027 in a new plan aimed at attracting $35.1 billion (250 billion Chinese yuan), the authorities said on Friday. The massive deployment of the so-called new energy capacity—to differentiate from pumped-hydro storage—is part of a new work plan issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) for the period between 2025 and 2027.China, which is the world’s top battery storage market, needs a lot more new battery storage to support the massive rollout of solar and wind power-generating capacity. China has cemented its position as the world’s single largest investor in energy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its World Energy Investment 2025 report. “Today, China is by far the largest energy investor globally, spending twice as much on energy as the European Union – and almost as much as the EU and United States combined,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in the June report. This year, China is expected to invest $627 billion in clean energy and $257 billion in fossil fuels, per the IEA analysis. Even as China continues to invest in coal power plants, its clean energy investments far exceed the investments in fossil fuels. Battery storage investments in China surged by 69% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024, while grid investment rose 22%, clean energy think tank Ember said in a report earlier this week. lean generation growth led by solar and wind met 84% of China’s electricity demand growth last year. In the first half of 2025, clean generation growth exceeded demand growth, cutting fossil fuel use by 2%, Ember has estimated.“Accelerating deployment of renewables, grids and storage in China, combined with electrification of transport, buildings and industry, are rapidly bringing China itself towards a peak in energy-related fossil fuel use, while also reducing costs and accelerating uptake of clean electro-technologies in other countries,” Ember said.

Wright ‘admitted’ stalling $30B Hanford plant, senator says - Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Democratic Sen. Patty Murray that he’s looking to delay operations at a multibillion-dollar vitrification plant at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site in Washington state, despite public statements signaling otherwise, the senator said.“Today, Secretary Wright admitted to me during a phone call that the Department of Energy is planning to curb hot commissioning at the Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford — an astonishingly senseless and destructive move and a threat to the entire nuclear cleanup mission at Hanford,” Murray said.Wright, according to the senator, said he’s considering delaying completion of hot commissioning — or final testing — at the so-called Waste Treatment Plant, a final step before the facility begins turning radioactive waste into glass for disposal.The facility, built over more than two decades and costing upward of $30 billion, would use heat and sand to turn gallons of toxic waste left over from World War II-era weapons productions into glass. The process of hot commissioning is required to be wrapped up by Oct. 15 under a legally binding consent decree.Wright, according to the senator, raised safety concerns about the facility, but Murray said that existing records including recent safety reviews and internal DOE documents “do not corroborate his assertion.”Wright in a statement Thursday reiterated that the agency has made “no changes” to its strategy for Hanford. “Although there are challenges, we are committed to beginning operations by October 15, 2025,” said the secretary.Murray responded by calling for “real evidence” that the administration will move forward and an explanation for what she said is “conflicting information” she’s received from DOE around hot commissioning at the plant.The exchange took place just days after POLITICO’s E&E News reported that DOE fired a top official who was overseeing the massive and complex cleanup along the Columbia River. A person with knowledge of the event — granted anonymity — said DOE cited Wright’s desire to go in a “different direction” on Hanford when firing Roger Jarrell, principal deputy assistant secretary at DOE’s Office Environmental Management.The person also said they believed DOE leadership wanted to “kill” the Waste Treatment Plant even though it was close to being operational.The Energy secretary in a public statement Tuesday said that information was “inaccurate” and refuted that the agency had made any changes to its plan for cleaning up waste at Hanford.“Contrary to news reports, the Department of Energy has made no changes to its longstanding commitment to the environmental cleanup of the Hanford site,” Wright said. “DOE is continuing to examine testing and operations of the DFLAW site to ensure waste disposal options are safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sound.”But a statement from Murray’s office said the secretary “admitted that the Trump administration is actively stalling progress at the plant, where hot commissioning of the Direct-Feed Low Activity Waste (DFLAW) facility must be completed by October 15th to be in compliance with the legally-binding Holistic Agreement.”The senator has put a hold on President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Environmental Management, Tim Walsh, who is currently awaiting consideration on the Senate floor. Republicans are likely to have enough numbers to confirm him without any Democratic backing.Murray said the secretary’s comments stand in stark contrast to safety reviews and technical tests showing the plant is ready to be operational. She pointed to a letter from Bechtel National, the prime contractor operating the Waste Treatment Plant, which showed all safety reviews and technical tests for the facility are complete.Murray also cited internal DOE records that she said show a committee within the agency’s Office of Project Management unanimously endorsed completing the project in July, but the document never obtained necessary approval from Deputy Secretary James Danly.

Iran Says Cooperation Deal With IAEA Hinges on Halting of 'Snapback' Sanctions - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that a new cooperation deal Tehran has reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be scrapped if UN Security Council sanctions are reimposed on Iran under the so-called “snapback” provision of the 2015 nuclear deal.“This document and its continuation are conditional on no hostile action being taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran. For instance, if the so-called snapback mechanism is activated, the implementation of this document will also be halted,” Araghchi said on Tuesday after meeting with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi in Cairo.On August 28, France, the UK, and Germany, collectively known as the E3,took the step to trigger the snapback sanctions and said that Iran has 30 days to offset them. The E3 stated that they wanted Iran to resume full cooperation with the IAEA, but it remains unclear whether they will lift the sanctions after the deal reached in Cairo.Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA following the 12-day US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic over the agency’s role in providing a pretext for the initial attack and its lack of condemnation of the US and Israeli bombings of Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran also suspects that Israel obtained information about the Iranian nuclear scientists it assassinated from the IAEA. The exact details of the new cooperation deal between Iran and the IAEA have not been made public. Grossi said that it allows for “a clear understanding of the procedures for inspections” and “includes all facilities and installations in Iran, and it also contemplates the required reporting on all the attacked facilities, including the nuclear material present at those.” Araghchi said that the deal “officially recognized that new conditions have emerged” for cooperation between Iran and the IAEA in the wake of the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites. But he said it does not allow access for IAEA inspectors and that details on inspections still need to be negotiated. “This agreement itself does not create any access. Based on the reports that Iran will provide later, the type of access should be negotiated in due course,” he said.In an op-ed published by The Guardian over the weekend, Araghchi urged the E3 countries to change course on the snapback sanctions, pointing to the fact that it was the US that left the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. He also warned that if the sanctions go through, it could lead to “destructive” consequences and made clear Tehran was ready to face another Israeli attack.“Israel may be pitching itself as capable of conducting war on behalf of the West. But as in June, the truth is that the powerful armed forces of Iran are ready and able to once again pummel Israel into running to ‘daddy’ to be bailed out,” Araghchi wrote. “The failed Israeli gambit this summer cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, robbed the United States of vital hardware that is now missing from its inventories, and projected Washington as a reckless actor dragged into a rogue regime’s wars of choice.”

Oil spills into the Ohio River after boat overturns - (WTRF) Officials are on the scene of an oil spill in the Ohio River after a boat overturned. Crews at the scene say a dredge boat on the river overturned near Newell, West Virginia, around 11:30 pm on Wednesday. Officials say the vessel carrying the fuel can hold anywhere from 10 to 13,000 gallons and at this time they don’t know how much has spilled into the Ohio River. A curtain boom has placed around the dredger, and a river salvage company is also on scene. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit in Pittsburgh has been called out to assess a situation. At this time, the environmental impacts are unknown. The Coast Guard is working to determine how the incident occurred and how much damage was caused. Officials say no authorities in West Virginia were notified when the incident happened, but Newell and Chester Fire Departments have been dispatched. A dredge boat, or dredger, is a specialized vessel equipped with tools to excavate or scrape sediment and debris from the beds of waterways like rivers, lakes, and harbors. This is a developing story, refresh this story for any updates. UPDATE: The company that owns the vessel, Tri-State River Products, has contacted a private company to assist in the cleanup The U.S. Coast Guard and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection are investigating the situation, and no environmental impacts are known at this point.

ODNR Rejects Marietta Hearing Request, Issues Injection Well Permit -- Marcellus Drilling News - Two weeks ago, Marietta, OH, officials, including the city’s Republican mayor, law director, water superintendent, and a majority of city council members, asked the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Oil and Gas Chief Eric Vendel to deny a permit application from DeepRock Disposal Solutions for the Stephan #1 injection well, which would be the company’s fifth injection well in the area (see Marietta, OH Officials Ask ODNR to Deny Permit for Injection Well). City officials sent a letter to Vendel claiming the Stephan #1 well would be in close proximity to Marietta’s Source Water Protection Area, which serves 32,000 residents in multiple water systems. The letter says that “five disposal wells are too many.” The ODNR has responded…

Marietta, OH City Council Discusses Suing to Block Injection Well -- Marcellus Drilling News - Two weeks ago, Marietta, OH, officials, including the city’s Republican mayor, law director, water superintendent, and a majority of city council members, asked the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Oil and Gas Chief Eric Vendel to deny a permit application from DeepRock Disposal Solutions for the Stephan #1 injection well, which would be the company’s fifth injection well in the area (see Marietta, OH Officials Ask ODNR to Deny Permit for Injection Well). Last week, the ODNR rejected Marietta’s appeal and went ahead and issued a permit (see ODNR Rejects Marietta Hearing Request, Issues Injection Well Permit). Marietta is now considering filing a lawsuit to block the project.

Greylock Pushes into Utica After 'Purely Opportunist' Wyoming Sale - (interview with transcript) Greylock Energy, which has legacy assets across the Appalachian Basin, has been actively hunting for leasehold opportunities in the Utica Shale in northeast Pennsylvania. While still in early stages of its Utica foray, President and CEO Kyle Mork said the company has adopted a ground game strategy of acquiring and then developing acreage. Far to the west, Greylock recently divested its Wyoming assets three years after acquiring them from a public operator. Although the assets increased the company’s Wyoming production by 25%, Mork said that knowing when to sell acreage can be as profitable as knowing when to buy. The divestiture helped Greylock keep its leverage down while and generating proceeds for future opportunities, including potential acquisitions in other areas including the Rockies— or really any basin, Mork said. Regardless of any opportunity or basin, the firm holds its value on smart and healthy growth for its investors. With inventory degradation increasingly a topic of industry conversation, Greylock is also positioning itself close to Tier 1 acreage and then optimizing operations well enough generate compelling returns. Mork discusses Greylock's operations and strategy with Hart Energy's Darren Barbee in this exclusive interview.

Driver injured after Jeep crash sparks natural gas fire near Atwood Lake --The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a one-vehicle crash near Atwood Lake that triggered a natural gas fire Monday afternoon. The crash happened about 1:40 p.m. on State Route 212 near mile post 17 and the Atwood Lake spillway in Tuscarawas County, according to the New Philadelphia Post of the patrol. Troopers said a white 2007 Jeep Wrangler driven by a 44-year-old Scio woman was headed east when it went off the right side of the road and struck a gas line pump house. The impact ruptured gas lines inside the building and the Jeep became fully engulfed in flames. The fire spread to the pump house and scorched the surrounding area. The driver was able to escape the vehicle and get to safety, authorities said. She suffered minor injuries and was taken by Smith Ambulance to Union Hospital. Representatives from Enbridge Gas quickly located a shutoff valve near the scene and stopped the gas supply fueling the blaze. Northeast Ohio Gas, which services the line, also responded and assisted in containing the leak. The Ohio Department of Transportation helped with road closures and traffic control. The Highway Patrol was assisted by the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfield Township Fire Department, Sherrodsville Fire Department, Enbridge Gas, Northeast Ohio Gas and Keith’s Towing. The crash remains under investigation. The crash remains under investigation.

About 700 Carroll, Tuscarawas County residents without gas after crash; crews working to restore - More than 700 residents in Carroll and Tuscarawas counties are without natural gas service after a one-vehicle crash near Atwood Lake ruptured a pipeline facility and sparked a fire Monday afternoon, authorities said. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred about 1:40 p.m. on State Route 212 near milepost 17 and the Atwood Lake spillway in Tuscarawas County. A white 2007 Jeep Wrangler driven by a 44-year-old Scio woman went off the right side of the road and hit a gas-line pumphouse, rupturing lines inside the building. The Jeep caught fire and the blaze spread to the structure, scorching the surrounding area. The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken by Smith Ambulance to Union Hospital. Enbridge Gas representatives at the scene located a shutoff valve and stopped the flow feeding the blaze. Northeast Ohio Gas (NEO), which services the line, also assisted in containing the leak, officials said. NEO estimates roughly 700 to 750 customers are affected in Mineral City, Sherrodsville, Dellroy and smaller pockets of New Philadelphia and Roswell. The company has established a command center at the Dellroy Community Center, and additional crews are assisting with restoration work. “We’re working through individual meter shutoffs and beginning the restoration process, but we don’t have an estimated time yet,” said Christine Mitchell, a spokesperson for NEO, in a phone call with Jordan Miller News. She said the situation is safe and there is no danger to the community. The company said it expects to provide an update on service restoration soon but could not give a timeline. Carroll County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Cottis said local officials are coordinating with state partners and utility crews to reach the largest number of customers as quickly as possible. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) handled road closures and traffic control following the crash. Assisting at the scene were the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfield Township Fire Department, Sherrodsville Fire Department, Enbridge Gas, Northeast Ohio Gas and Keith’s Towing. The crash remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

Shell to supply chemically recycled PE for specialty films - Specialty film producer Charter Next Generation has agreed to buy polyethylene (PE) produced by Shell Polymers using chemically recycled feedstock, for use in high-performance flexible packaging.In April, Freepoint Eco-Systems shipped its first rail car of pyrolysis oil (pyoil) from its Hebron, Ohio, plant to Shell’s Norco refining complex in Louisiana. The following month, Shellannounced it would use pyoil from Freepoint to make virgin-quality PE resin at its Monaca, Pennsylvania, facility.The pyrolysis process uses heat and pressure to break down discarded polyolefins into their building blocks for reuse in making virgin-quality plastics. Pyrolysis is one form of chemical recycling, which also is known as advanced recycling.“Advanced recycling represents one pathway toward achieving circularity in flexible packaging, especially for high-performance applications where functionality cannot be compromised,” said John Garnett, senior vice president of sustainability, technical and innovation at Charter Next Generation.In 2019, Shell announced its first use of pyoil to make new plastics and started up the Pennsylvania PE complex plant in 2022, leveraging the nearby Marcellus and Utica shale fields for natural gas feedstocks. The plant remains the first significant resin production built outside the Gulf Coast in at least 40 years. However, that isolation combined with lackluster global demand for PE has led Shell Polymers to reconsider the investment. During a late July investor call, Shell CEO Wael Sawan said the company was considering selling the plant. “The issue is it’s our only one, our only major facility, and that’s why we’ve said we’re not the natural owner of that asset.”

Pipeline Work in Bradford County Leaks ~430 Barrels of Drilling Mud -- Marcellus Drilling News -- On September 8, Blackhill Energy informed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of an “inadvertent return” that occurred during horizontal drilling for the Brad-Tenn Loop Pipeline in Granville Township, Bradford County. Blackhill reported that while drilling beneath Route 6 and Sugar Creek, they experienced a pressure issue. The company discovered that 18,000 gallons (approximately 430 barrels) of nontoxic bentonite drilling mud had been lost. The company stopped drilling ops at that point and reported it to the DEP.

11 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 1 – 7 --- Marcellus Drilling News -- For the week of September 1 – 7, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica decreased from the previous week. There were 11 new permits issued across the three M-U states last week, down from 19 issued two weeks ago (and way down from 30 issued three weeks ago). Pennsylvania issued just three new permits, with one each going to Expand Energy, EQT Corporation, and Range Resources in Bradford, Greene, and Washington counties, respectively. ANTERO RESOURCES | BELMONT COUNTY | BRADFORD COUNTY | COLUMBIANA COUNTY | DODDRIDGE COUNTY | ENCINO ENERGY | EQT CORP | EXPAND ENERGY | GREENE COUNTY (PA) | GRENADIER ENERGY | HARRISON COUNTY | HILCORP ENERGY | RANGE RESOURCES CORP | WASHINGTON COUNTY

EQT’s Toby Rice: Marcellus Gas Key to Future of AI in U.S. -- Marcellus Drilling News -The AI Horizons Pittsburgh Summit, held in Pittsburgh from Wednesday of this week through today, brought together Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator David McCormick, and dozens of top AI (artificial intelligence) and industry CEOs to spotlight how Pennsylvania is leading with AI that solves complex problems, drives economic growth, and accelerates breakthroughs. One of the industry CEOs speaking yesterday was EQT CEO Toby Rice. He said natural gas in the Marcellus Shale and elsewhere will be key for the future of AI in the U.S.

US East Coast condensate exports surge as Philly hub dives in -- Shipments of condensates from the US East Coast to foreign destinations have risen to records over the... Supplies leaving from Philadelphia are produced in western Pennsylvania's Marcellus and Utica shale formations, according to the Energy Information Administration ...

DRBC Gives LNG Export Dock in Dela. River Extra 5 Yrs to Build -- Marcellus Drilling News -In September 2022, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), a dysfunctional, hot mess of an organization, voted to extend a permit to build the special LNG export dock along the shoreline of the Delaware River in New Jersey by an extra three years (see DRBC Gives LNG Export Dock in Dela. River Extra 3 Yrs to Build). That action sent the enviro-left, including THE Delaware Riverkeeper (Maya van Rossum), into apoplectic fits. Here we are three years later at the end of the extension, and in a surprise move, the five members of the DRBC voted unanimously to extend the deadline *another* five years! Once again, the left is sputtering.

More than 200 gallons of oil spilled in New Bedford Harbor (WLNE) — The New Bedford Fire Department and United States Coast Guard said that 216 gallons of oil were spilled in New Bedford Harbor on Sept. 9. The Coast Guard said the spill occurred when an offshore supply vessel was conducting an “internal fuel transfer.” The Coast Guard responded to an oil spill in New Bedford Harbor yesterday evening. The spill occurred while an offshore supply vessel conducted an internal fuel transfer. MADEP and Coast Guard responders currently estimate 216 gallons of marine diesel was spilled into the harbor. ⛽️ The discharge has been secured, and containment boom and absorbent pads are being used to contain and recover the oil. The spill was contained via a containment boom and absorbent pads.

Virginia SCC Staff Report Supports “Compressor is Racist” Theory --- Marcellus Drilling News -Despite a “public outcry” (of 13 people), the Chesapeake City (Virginia) Council voted 6-3 in July to approve a compressor station for Virginia Natural Gas (see Chesapeake City Council Approves Va. NatGas Compressor Station). The proposed site is already zoned industrial and has other VNG operations already in place. It’s not like it’s being constructed in the middle of a neighborhood. However, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) hit the pause button on the project in August, to give the commission extra time to sift through the barrage of incoming lies that this compressor station is racist (see Virginia SCC Hits Pause on VNG Proposed Compressor in Chesapeake). And in an act of self-fulfilling prophecy, SCC staffers (no doubt Democrats) have produced a report for commissioners that “echoes” the racism concerns expressed by radicalized antis. Read More“Virginia SCC Staff Report Supports “Compressor is Racist” Theory”

Same Old Liars Tell the Same Old Lies re Transco NC Pipe Project - Last November, Williams officially filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build an expansion of its mighty Transco pipeline system in the southeastern U.S., a project called the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (see Williams Files with FERC to Expand Mighty Transco Pipe in Southeast). The SSE project will add 1.6 million dekatherms per day (1.6 Bcf/d) of natural gas transportation capacity, equivalent to what is needed to serve approximately 9.8 million homes. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) held a hearing last Thursday and is accepting public comments until Oct. 6. The same old liars were out in force peddling the same old lies about pipelines and water quality, air quality, etc., to try to defeat this project.

N.C. Pipeline Deathmatch: Transco SESE vs. MVP Southgate -- Marcellus Drilling News - Two pipeline kingpins are engaged in a deathmatch with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to get their competing pipeline projects approved. One is Williams’ Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SESE), the other is EQT’s MVP Southgate project. Both projects would be built in the same general area, starting at the same point near Chatham, Virginia, and ending near Eden, North Carolina. Both claim they have customers ready to take their gas. In a recent FERC filing, Williams said that its project could easily handle Southgate MVP’s capacity by adding meter tubes and regulation at an existing station (see Williams’ Transco Tries to Muscle Out MVP Southgate in FERC Filing). EQT was not pleased with the attempt to undercut Southgate. The question is whether this is a deathmatch with one winner taking all, or could both projects receive a FERC green light?

FERC Begins Enviro Reviews for 2 Key Southeast Pipeline Projects -- Marcellus Drilling News - Two major Kinder Morgan pipeline projects that will flow Marcellus/Utica molecules in the southeastern U.S. have taken a big step forward at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The two projects are Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s Mississippi Crossing (MSX) Project and Southern Natural Gas/Elba Express’ South System Expansion 4 (SSE4) Project. The 2.1-Bcf/d MSX and 1.3-Bcf/d SSE4 projects will move more Marcellus/Utica gas into Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina (see Kinder Morgan Projects to Boost Deep South Access to M-U Gas). FERC announced last week that the agency is now working on an environmental impact statement (EIS) for both projects, inviting comments on environmental issues that may affect them.

Momentum’s 1.7 Bcf/d Haynesville Natural Gas Pipe Ramps as LNG Demand Builds - The New Generation Gas Gathering LLC (NG3) pipeline has begun operations months ahead of schedule, marking the second new Haynesville Shale gathering project to recently start sending supply toward the Louisiana coast to feed growing LNG feed gas demand. Line chart showing NGI’s Southern California LA Regional Average to Northern California LA Regional Average daily natural gas price spread from March 2024 through September 2025. The spread fluctuates mostly between $0.10 and $0.70 per MMBtu, peaking above $0.70 in June 2024 and dipping briefly negative in March 2025. The chart highlights seasonal volatility and regional basis differentials in California gas markets. Source: NGI’s Daily Gas Price Index.At A Glance:
NG3 startup ahead of late year ramp
Legal fights delayed buildout by a year
Expand sees limited basis impacts near term

Quiet Atlantic Storm Season Belies Still Intact, Growing Demand Risks to Gulf Coast LNG Exports U.S. natural gas markets have gotten a reprieve from hurricane demand destruction risks at an unusually quiet midpoint for the Atlantic storm season, though significant threats to LNG exports remain through November.(Map showing 2025 Atlantic hurricane season storm tracks across the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean. Colored lines indicate storm intensities, including major hurricanes, hurricanes, tropical storms, tropical depressions, subtropical storms, and subtropical depressions. Tracks are numbered 1 through 6, with markers for 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC positions along each path. The map highlights storms that approached the U.S. East Coast, Gulf Coast, Central America, and open Atlantic. Source: National Hurricane Center.) At A Glance:
Atlantic hurricane season stalled at midpoint
Second half of season still a risk to LNG exports
U.S. LNG capacity set to double by 2030

EQT signs 20-year deal to buy LNG from Commonwealth LNG's Louisiana plant -- EQT Corp. said post-market Monday it agreed to purchase 1M metric tons/year of liquefied natural gas facility for 20 years from Commonwealth LNG's export facility under development on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. EQT. which will purchase the LNG on a free-on-board basis at a price indexed to Henry Hub, said it will market and optimize its cargoes internationally. The additional export capacity will allow to further expand its domestic direct-to-customer strategy into the global energy markets, the company said. Last week, EQT (EQT) signed a similar 20-year deal with NextDecade to buy 1.5M tons/year of LNG from the Rio Grande export facility in Texas. The Commonwealth LNG facility is designed to produce 9.5M metric tons/year of LNG and received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in June; the company has said it plans to make a final investment decision in this year's Q4, with first production targeted for 2029.

Monkey Island LNG Advances with McDermott FEED Study — The Offtake A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers

• 15.6 Mt/y: The developers of the Monkey Island LNG (MILNG) project have contracted McDermott LLC to perform a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the 15.6 million ton/year (Mt/y) first phase of a proposed terminal. MILNG, a unit of Southern California Telephone & Energy, has proposed an export facility in southwestern Louisiana since at least 2014. Engineering and permitting are targeted to begin in 2026, with first LNG production expected by 2030.
• 200 MMcm: Hungary is moving to displace more of its supply formerly imported from Russia, but the country has not fully committed to a full reduction. Hungary’s MVM CEEnergy has agreed to purchase 200 million cubic meters (MMcm) of LNG from Shell plc for 10 years, delivered via Croatia's Krk import terminal and the Hungary-Croatia pipeline. The contract would cover around 2.5% of Hungary’s current natural gas supply, mostly procured from Russia.
• 3 phases: Big River Energy Inc. has launched proposed expansions of its Mexico LNG export project that could grow capacity to 9 Mt/y. The Gato Negro project sited at the Port of Manzanillo in the Mexican state of Colima could consist of three phases, each adding 3 Mt/y in export capacity. Gato Negro would be fed by U.S. natural gas from the Waha hub in West Texas. Commercial operations are targeted for 2030.

TotalEnergies boosts U.S. LNG role with stake in Rio Grande Train 4 - -TotalEnergies has strengthened its position in U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by signing agreements with NextDecade to acquire a 10% stake in the joint venture developing Train 4 of the Rio Grande LNG project in South Texas, Trend reports. Through its 17.1% shareholding in NextDecade, the French energy company will hold an additional indirect stake of nearly 7% in the project. Alongside NextDecade (40%), Global Infrastructure Partners (36.9%), GIC (7.9%), and Mubadala (5.2%), TotalEnergies has also joined in taking the Final Investment Decision (FID) on Train 4. With a planned capacity of about 6 million tons per annum (Mtpa), Train 4 will lift Rio Grande LNG’s total production capacity to around 24 Mtpa when it becomes operational in 2030. The development will be financed through a mix of approximately 40% equity and 60% debt. “This project from which we will offtake 1.5 Mtpa strengthens our LNG export capacity from the United States,” said Stéphane Michel, President of Gas, Renewables & Power at TotalEnergies. “The LNG from this fourth train will increase TotalEnergies’ U.S. LNG export capacity to over 16 Mtpa by 2030, further enhancing our ability to contribute to gas supply and building on our 10% market share worldwide.” TotalEnergies is already a partner in Phase 1 of Rio Grande LNG, holding a 16.7% interest and committed to offtake 5.4 Mtpa of LNG. Phase 1, which includes three trains currently under construction, is expected to begin operations in 2027.

NextDecade Pushes U.S. LNG Buildout as Rio Grande Train 4 Reaches FID - NextDecade Corp. has reached a final investment decision (FID) on the first of a wave of planned expansion projects at its Rio Grande LNG facility in South Texas as offtake momentum continues to mount. At A Glance:
$6.7 billion Train 4 project launched
Fourth positive U.S. FID reached in 2025
Train 5 FID expected by year’s end

EQT Cements Exports Ambitions, NextDecade Commercializes Fifth Rio Grande LNG Train in Flurry of Deals -NextDecade Corp. has commercialized the fifth liquefaction train at its Rio Grande LNG project, while EQT Corp. continued to add LNG to its portfolio in a flurry of deals announced at the start of Gastech 2025 in Milan, Italy. At A Glance:

• Train 5 FID expected before Nov. 15
• EQT signs up for more LNG offtake
• TotalEnergies confirms Kogas deal

Natural Gas, Combined with ‘Speed-to-Market’ Power Solutions, Driving Williams Growth, Says Zamarin -With a nationwide natural gas pipeline backbone that stretches from coast to coast and into the offshore, Williams is doubling down on the fuel as the U.S. power expansion continues, according to CEO Chad Zamarin. Map of the Williams Natural Gas portfolio across the United States highlighting pipelines and infrastructure. It shows natural gas transmission, gathering, and liquids pipelines, along with oil gathering lines, gas plants, fractionators, storage sites, amine treating facilities, rail terminals, and offshore platforms. Key assets labeled include Northwest, MountainWest, Overland Pass, Bluestem, Transco, and Gulfstream pipelines, with shaded regions marking supply basins and operational activity areas. At A Glance:
Pipeline capacity set to nearly double
LNG exports fuel rising Gulf Coast demand
Simple-cycle turbines offer “speed-to-market”

Natural Gas Prices Sink 3% on Bearish US Supply Build --Natural gas futures plunged more than 3% on Thursday after a bearish US storage report and expectations of tepid demand heading into the fall. The energy commodity has struggled to break out following a disappointing summer. October natural gas futures declined 3.1% to $2.934 million British thermal units (Btu) on Thursday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas prices are on track for a weekly decline of approximately 5%, bringing their year-to-date decline to above 6%. New US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data show that domestic natural gas inventories soared by 71 billion cubic feet for the week ending September 5, up from the previous week’s supply build of 55 billion cubic feet. This came in slightly above the market consensus of 68 billion cubic feet. A majority of the supply build was concentrated in the Midwest (30 billion cubic feet) and the East (22 billion cubic feet). The Pacific region registered a withdrawal of one billion cubic feet. In total, US natural gas supplies stood at 3.343 trillion cubic feet, down 38 billion cubic feet from the same time a year ago. They are also 188 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 3.155 trillion cubic feet. This was shortly after the EIA projected that US natural gas prices would average $3.70 per million Btu in the fourth quarter and $4.30 next year. As the autumn season approaches, US temperatures are expected to remain warmer than usual in the early part. This is weighing on near-term price action since there would be little domestic demand. However, prices could find support as weather outlooks are pointing to blasts of cold weather across the United States. In other energy commodities, October West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures declined $1.30, or 2.04%, to $62.37 per barrel. November Brent crude futures erased $1.12, or 1.66%, to $66.37 a barrel. October gasoline futures fell $0.0104, or 0.53%, to $1.9689 per gallon. October heating oil futures dipped $0.01, or 0.45%, to $2.27 a gallon.

US natgas prices hold near two-week low as warmer forecasts offset decline in LNG export flows — U.S. natural gas futures held near a two-week low on Friday as a decline in flows to liquefied natural gas export plants offset forecasts for warmer-than-normal weather that should support some late-summer air conditioning demand in coming weeks. Front-month gas futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 0.7 cents, or 0.2%, to $2.941 per million British thermal units. On Thursday, the contract closed at its lowest level since August 27. That put the contract down about 4% this week, its first loss in three weeks after gaining about 13% during the prior two weeks. In the spot gas market, prices at the Waha Hub in the Permian shale in West Texas held around 7 cents per mmBtu for a second day in a row, their lowest since late May when the hub traded in negative territory. Traders noted the Waha price drop was a sign that pipeline constraints, such as maintenance on Kinder Morgan's Gulf Coast Express in Texas, were trapping gas in the Permian Basin. In the tropics, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said a disturbance off the west coast of Africa had a 40% chance of strengthening into a tropical cyclone over the next seven days as it moves west across the Atlantic Ocean. T Even though storms can boost gas prices by cutting output along the U.S. Gulf Coast, they are more likely to reduce prices by shutting LNG export plants and knocking out power to homes and businesses. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states fell to 107.4 billion cubic feet per day so far in September, down from a record monthly high of 108.3 bcfd in August. Record output so far this year has allowed energy companies to inject more gas into storage than usual this summer. There was about 6% more gas in storage than normal for this time of year, and analysts said they expect that percentage to grow in coming weeks. Meteorologists forecast the weather will remain warmer than normal through at least September 27. That heat should boost the amount of gas power generators burn to keep air conditioners humming. LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would rise from 101.0 bcfd this week to 102.6 bcfd next week and 102.9 bcfd in two weeks. The forecast for next week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Thursday. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants slid to 15.5 bcfd so far in September, down from 15.8 bcfd in August. That compares with a monthly record high of 16.0 bcfd in April. On a daily basis, LNG export feedgas was on track to fall to a three-week low of 15.0 bcfd on Friday due to recent decreases at several plants, including Cheniere Energy's LNG 3.9-bcfd Corpus Christi facility in Texas and 4.5-bcfd Sabine in Louisiana, Venture Global LNG's VG 1.6-bcfd Calcasieu in Louisiana and Freeport LNG's 2.1-bcfd plant in Texas. That figure compares with a daily LNG feedgas record of 17.3 bcfd on April 9. In other LNG news, Berkshire Hathaway Energy's 0.8-bcfd Cove Point plant in Maryland is scheduled to shut around September 15 for about a month of planned annual autumn maintenance.

Oil Field Job Cuts Pile Up in the US Shale Patch for Fear of a Glut - Producers are slashing head count as OPEC+ hikes threaten to weaken prices further. Roustabouts, roughnecks and petroleum engineers in US oil fields are facing the deepest job cuts since crude prices crashed three years ago, and the prospects of an upturn any time soon are looking bleak. Employment slid 1.7% last month to levels not seen since the summer of 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with industry leaders from Chevron Corp. to ConocoPhillips slashing head count to get costs under control. Three years ago, staff levels shrank in response to increasing pessimism about the pace of post-pandemic demand growth and a potential supply glut that tanked crude prices. This time, similar fears are percolating from Houston to London as OPEC+ moves to restore suspended output despite tepid demand signs in some of the largest economies. Benchmark US crude is down more than 12% so far this year, putting it on track for the worst annual performance since the pandemic emerged in 2020. This past weekend, the producers’ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia surprised observers with a supply boost that wasn’t expected so soon. More increases are forecast for coming months, further darkening the outlook for a revival in US shale, where producers unceasingly push to pump more barrels with fewer resources. “A lot of these jobs are just going to be gone,” said Ed Hirs, an economist at the University of Houston. “There will still be jobs in the oil patch in the US, but it will be fewer jobs.” Big Oil’s chief executive officers are trying to stay one step ahead of the price gyrations that underpin their bottom lines. Unlike many of their state-controlled international competitors, US shale bosses not only must cover labor and material costs, but they also have to “return something to the capital markets,” Hirs said.

Court clears path for challenge to California oil rigs - Environmental groups opposing the resurrection of a trio of aging oil drilling platforms off the coast of California scored an interim win after a federal judge rejected a request from the platforms’ owner to dismiss their case. On Wednesday, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation had followed the correct procedure for bringing their challenge and the court would consider the substance of their claims.The groups alleged the Interior Department had violated federal law when it failed to require the new owner of the Santa Ynez Unit, Sable Offshore Corp., to conduct an updated development and production plan before it was slated to resume production for the first time since 2015. Sable intervened in the case on behalf of Interior and asked the court in July to toss out the case, alleging the groups failed to provide proper notice to the agency of their plans to sue. Interior also backed the request to dismiss the case. But the court found their notice of intent to sue filed in 2024 was enough to comply with requirements under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

EIA sees lower oil prices in latest outlook | Oil & Gas Journal -In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) projects Brent crude oil prices will decline from about $68/bbl in August to an average of $59/bbl in fourth-quarter 2025, before falling further to about $49/bbl in March and April 2026. For all of 2026, Brent is forecast to average $51/bbl, compared with an average of $68/bbl in 2025. The price decline reflects a significant build in inventories, which are expected to average more than 2 million b/d in second-half 2025, and levels are expected to remain elevated through 2026, according to EIA. EIA noted that its forecasts were finalized before OPEC+ announced a new production increase of 137,000 b/d in October, which could add further pressure on prices. “Despite our assessment that global oil production has been much higher than demand this summer, we have yet to see a significant increase in observable oil inventories. Some third-party data sources that track non-OECD inventories do not show as significant of a stock build as our estimates suggest. This disconnect is likely the result of some of the excess production ending up in observable strategic reserves, particularly China, or other stockpiles used by countries for domestic consumption. However, OECD inventories have recently moved above their seasonal average range from 2018–24 (excluding 2020 and 2021) on a days-of-supply basis. Recent growth in OECD inventories suggest some excess supply is beginning to show up in observable oil inventories,” EIA said. “As temperatures begin to cool and summer driving demand wanes, we expect strong oil supply growth to be reflected in OECD inventory levels, which we see exceeding to the upper bound of their recent five-year average by the end of our forecast in 2026,” EIA added. EIA estimates that global oil inventories will increase by an average of 1.6 million b/d in 2026, compared with an average annual increase of 1.7 million b/d in 2025. EIA expects inventory builds will be highest in fourth-quarter 2025 and first-quarter 2026, averaging 2.3 million b/d over that time. Global oil supply, demand EIA’s forecast indicates that the anticipated increases in OPEC+ production, alongside robust supply growth from non-OPEC+ nations, will continue to fuel global liquid fuels production. EIA projects an increase of 2.3 million b/d in global liquid fuels production in 2025, followed by an additional rise of 1.1 million b/d in 2026. Most of this growth is expected to come from countries outside of OPEC+, which we estimate will contribute 1.7 million b/d in 2025 and 0.6 million b/d in 2026. Notably, Brazil, Canada, Guyana, and the US are anticipated to be key drivers of this production increase. In contrast, OPEC+ crude oil production is projected to rise by 0.6 million b/d in 2025 and by 0.5 million b/d in 2026. This increase is based on the assumption that OPEC+ plans to moderate output growth to avoid excessive inventory accumulation and prevent a further drop in oil prices. On the consumption side, global liquid fuels consumption is forecasted to grow by 0.9 million b/d in 2025 and 1.3 million b/d in 2026. This growth is predominantly driven by non-OECD countries, which are expected to see increases of 1.0 million b/d in 2025 and 1.1 million b/d in 2026. Conversely, OECD consumption is predicted to decrease by 0.1 million b/d in 2025 before experiencing a growth of 0.2 million b/d in 2026. Most of the growth in non-OECD countries will be concentrated in Asia, with liquid fuels consumption in India and China each projected to increase by 0.4 to 0.5 million b/d from 2024 to 2026. EIA's forecast of declining oil prices is expected to result in lower gasoline prices. EIA expects the US average retail price for regular-grade gasoline will be around $3.10/gal this year, down $0.20/gal from last year. Looking ahead to 2026, retail gasoline prices are projected to drop further to an average of $2.90/gal, with annual averages falling below $3.00/gal in all regions except the West Coast. Driven by falling gasoline prices, US drivers’ gasoline expenditures as a share of disposable personal income are likely to be the lowest since at least 2005—excluding the pandemic-affected year of 2020. EIA estimates expenditures will average less than 2% of disposable income this year, down from an average of 2.4% over the previous decade. EIA forecasts a slight increase in US gasoline consumption next year. “The forecast for rising gasoline consumption is driven by an upward revision to the number of people of working age compared with our previous forecasts, and lower gasoline prices compared with our forecasts from earlier this year,” EIA said. EIA expects the Henry Hub natural gas spot price will rise from an average of $2.91/MMbtu in August to $3.70/MMbtu in fourth-quarter 2025 and $4.30/MMbtu next year. Rising natural gas prices reflect relatively flat natural gas production amid an increase in US LNG exports. Due to rising natural gas prices and falling oil prices in 2026, EIA forecasts that crude oil will trade at its lowest premium to natural gas since 2005. “As a result, we expect drilling activity in the US to be more centered in natural gas-intensive producing regions in 2026. We expect US natural gas production will be relatively flat next year compared with 2025, while we expect crude oil production will decline by about 1%,” EIA said.

Canada Considers Lifting Oil Emissions Cap in Exchange for Industry Pledges -- The Canadian federal government has proposed lifting an emissions cap on the oil industry, but only if the industry promises to find other ways to reduce its emissions in line with 2030 and further targets.Per a Reuters report citing unnamed sources in the know, Alberta’s government will also have to make an emission reduction promise if it wants the emissions cap lifted on its key industry. Prime Minister Mark Carney was in discussions about the cap with oil industry executives, the Reuters sources said.The oil and gas sector is the source of the biggest chunk of Canada’s emissions, accounting for 28% of the total based on 2021 numbers. The federal government’s plan, first released at the end of last year by Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, calls for a reduction in emissions from 171 million tons in 2019 to between 106 and 112 million tons by 2030.The oil industry reacted to the idea as one might expect, slamming it as a cap on oil production, essentially preventing the Canadian oil industry from growing beyond a certain level. At a House of Commons hearing a year ago, top executives from the oil sands said the cap would be unproductive and redundant.“The world will not consume one less barrel of oil simply because Canada chooses not to provide it. That barrel will come from somewhere else,” Suncor chief executive Rich Kruger said at the hearing. Imperial Oil’s CEO noted the presence of other “vehicles and requirements” put in place to curb emissions of carbon dioxide in the country. The cap is scheduled to go into effect from 2030, but if Carney’s new idea gains traction, it might end up in the trash, to be replaced by a “climate competitiveness strategy”, which the Carney government is set to announce later this year, according to the Reuters sources.

Canada’s East Coast LNG Push Resurfaces with Fermeuse Export Project --An LNG infrastructure developer has proposed an export project in Newfoundland and Labrador as Canada looks to open an Atlantic natural gas corridor to Europe. At A Glance:
Fermeuse eyes $12-15B Newfoundland terminal
Project targets exports to Europe
Developer looks to tap Jeanne d’Arc associated gas

Argentina LNG Push Gains Scale, Mexico’s Gato Negro Expands — The flurry of activity in the LNG space is not limited to the United States. Latin America's LNG ambitions are powering up too as Argentina’s YPF SA CEO Horacio Marin touted the firm's export project as an economic boon for the country, while Mexico’s Gato Negro plans to triple its proposed capacity. Alt-Text: Line chart showing NGI’s Waha Forward Fixed Price Curve from September 2025 through September 2027. Prices start below $1.00/MMBtu in late 2025, spike to nearly $3.00 in early 2026, dip back below $1.00 by spring 2026, then steadily climb to a peak above $4.00/MMBtu in early 2027 before easing to the $3.00 range by mid to late 2027. At A Glance:
Confidence grows in Argentina investment
Rio Negro FLNG project gains momentum
Gato Negro triples LNG capacity plan

Strong Demand in Asia, Europe Lifts Global Natural Gas Prices — LNG Recap -- Global natural gas prices climbed on Monday as fundamentals shifted and supply concerns returned to the market.
NGI’s North America LNG Export Flow Tracker for Sept. 8, 2025, shows total U.S. LNG deliveries at 15.78 million Dth, down from 16.45 million Dth the previous day. A bar chart tracks daily flows from Aug. 30 to Sept. 8, ranging between 15.72 and 16.45 million Dth. Listed U.S. LNG facilities include Corpus Christi, Freeport, Golden Pass, Calcasieu Pass, Cameron, Plaquemines, Sabine Pass, Elba Island, and Cove Point, with operational capacities and utilization rates. LNG Canada and Mexico’s Energia Costa Azul show no reported deliveries. A U.S. map highlights LNG facility locations. Data sourced from Wood Mackenzie, pipeline EBBs, and NGI calculations. At A Glance:
Norway cuts exports during planned maintenance
China takes more Russian LNG
U.S. prices move higher as tropical storm fizzles

Global LNG Buying Spree Continues, Further Lifting Prospects for U.S. Export Expansion - Global buyers continued to ink deals to purchase more LNG in a spate of deals announced from one of the world’s largest natural gas conferences in Milan this week. At a Glance:
Texas LNG inks new deal
Cheniere agrees to supply Turkey’s Botas
Alaska LNG advances tentative supply deals

Exxon Expects Long-Term LNG Commitments From Europe -Exxon expects European gas buyers to commit to long-term supply deals with U.S. sellers, the Financial Times has reported, as Europe has become the most important market for U.S. liquefied gas. These contracts would be part of a broader commitment that the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen made to President Trump for the EU to buy $750 billion worth of U.S. oil and gas until 2028. The European Union has been averse to long-term gas commitments for years, in the belief that gas would not be part of its energy mix over the longer term, so spot market purchases and shorter contracts of one to two years were the smarter bet. According to Exxon’s senior vice president of LNG, Peter Clarke, this was starting to change. Earlier this year, Italy’s Eni inked a 20-year contract with Venture Global for the delivery of 2 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually. Venture Global scored another 20-year deal with Germany’s state gas buyer SEFE, which also sealed an LNG delivery deal with Conoco, for a shorter period of 10 years. Exxon itself is still building its Golden Pass LNG plant in a joint venture with QatarEnergy. The facility is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and later reach a peak capacity of 15 million tons. A lot of this could end up going into Europe in the context of the EC commitment and President Trump’s recent call on the EU to give up all Russian energy imports. The EU already imports 55% of its LNG from the United States, up by 20% from last year, according to Exxon’s Clarke. That number could go up to 66% with new long-term commitments and a further shift away from Russian energy, regardless of the cost differentials.

U.S. Energy Chief: EU Can Quit Russian Gas in Less Than 12 Months --The EU could accelerate the phase out of natural gas imports from Russia and end purchases within six to 12 months by replacing it with American LNG, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Reuters on Friday, after communicating the same to EU officials in Brussels on Thursday. “I think this could easily be done within 12 months, maybe within six months,” Secretary Wright told Reuters, adding that “I definitely voiced the opinion we could do it faster.” “On the U.S. side, we could do it faster, and I think it would be good if those dates were moved up even more. I don't know that that's going to happen, but that was dialogued,” Wright said, referring to his meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.The EU currently plans to phase out all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027, under a roadmap to end dependency on Russian energy unveiled in May this year. The roadmap calls for the EU to stop all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027 by improving the transparency, monitoring, and traceability of Russian gas across the EU markets. New contracts with suppliers of Russian gas will be prevented and spot contracts (for immediate payment) will be stopped by the end of 2025. “We are particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the 2025 State of the Union Address on Wednesday, without giving details how the EU could do it. The U.S. has increased pressure on Europe to cut off its energy dependence on Russia and stop buying Russian oil and gas to reduce revenues for the Kremlin and force Vladimir Putin to engage in genuine talks on peace in Ukraine. “The faster we phase out, the sooner you put pressure on Russia,” Secretary Wright told Reuters, as the United States is intensifying pressure on its EU and G7 partners to act with tariffs on India and China over their continued imports of Russian crude oil.

Chevron Submits Bid for Offshore Gas Exploration in Greece -- U.S. oil major Chevron has submitted a bid to explore for natural gas in four blocks offshore Greece in a consortium with Greece's Helleniq Energy, Greece's Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said on Wednesday. The country launched the tender this year after Chevron and oil refiner Helleniq Energy expressed interest in four deep-sea blocks off the Peloponnese peninsula and the island of Crete. The deadline for bids was at 1700 (1400 GMT) on Wednesday. A Chevron spokesperson confirmed the bid for the four blocks "Chevron has a large and important position in the Eastern Mediterranean, a region which is very much a part of our future and a priority for us." Greece, which produces very small volumes of oil, has ramped up renewables output in recent years but still relies heavily on gas for power generation. The country aims to tap domestic resources as part of a European Union push to shift away from Russian energy after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Major gas finds off Egypt, which lies south of Crete, have sparked hopes that Greek waters could also contain significant gas reserves. The area off Crete borders two licensed blocks where an ExxonMobil-led consortium has been evaluating seismic data before taking any final decision on test drilling.

Türkiye signs 3-year LNG deal with BP, eyes stronger energy security - Türkiye’s state energy company BOTAS and British energy giant BP have signed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply agreement valid for three years, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Tuesday. Bayraktar said the deal foresees annual deliveries of around 1.6 billion cubic meters (bcm), amounting to a total of 4.8 bcm over the contract period. He noted that the partnership is expected to strengthen supply security during the winter months, increase diversification of sources, and enhance commercial flexibility. Speaking at the Gastech 2025 Forum in Milan, Bayraktar underlined Türkiye’s rapidly rising energy needs. He stated that electricity consumption currently stands at about 350 terawatt-hours annually and is projected to reach 1,000 terawatt-hours within the next 30 years. The minister pointed to the country’s domestic production efforts, recalling a large natural gas discovery in the Black Sea five years ago. "We are now producing gas from this field, which supplies four million households in Türkiye," he said. “We need more gas, so we are boosting production in the Black Sea and also looking into other projects with our partners in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East."

Woodside Seals 15-Year LNG Deal With Petronas -Woodside Energy Trading Singapore and Petronas LNG have signed a 15-year LNG sale and purchase agreement for 1 million tonnes per year to Malaysia. The binding deal converts a heads of agreement signed in June 2025 and will draw on Woodside’s global portfolio. Volumes may include supply from Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project once it comes online. Deliveries can begin as early as 2028 from portfolio sources. First LNG from Louisiana is targeted for 2029. The three-train development is sanctioned at 16.5 mtpa and fully permitted to expand to 27.6 mtpa with two additional trains. Woodside has secured a long-term feedgas agreement for up to 640 bcf. Train 1 was 22% complete at mid-year, with first structural steel expected by year-end. The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved an in-service extension to end-2029 for the plant and the Driftwood pipeline. This is Woodside’s first long-term LNG supply arrangement with Malaysia. The agreement supports Petronas’ plan to bolster energy security in Peninsular Malaysia. It also helps integrate domestic gas developments with LNG imports to meet rising demand from power and industry. Drivers include data-center growth, wider AI adoption, and the shift away from coal. Mark Abbotsford, Woodside’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said the deal opens a new long-term customer relationship in Malaysia. For Petronas, the contract adds a diversified source of LNG while major regional projects ramp and electricity demand accelerates. If Louisiana LNG’s full expansion proceeds, Woodside will have additional headroom later in the decade. Until then, portfolio flexibility allows early deliveries while construction advances in the U.S.

Nigeria targets $60bn investment to boost gas output, infrastructure = The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has announced plans to raise $60 billion in new investments over the next five to seven years to expand gas production and develop infrastructure aimed at strengthening the country’s role in the global energy market. Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Bayo Ojulari, outlined the target on Tuesday during the Energy Talk segment of the 2025 Gastech Exhibition and Conference in Milan, Italy. The announcement was contained in a statement released by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh. Ojulari said Nigeria intends to scale up daily gas production to 12 billion cubic feet while increasing refining capacity to meet rising global demand. He added that the Federal Government had improved conditions for foreign capital. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has improved Nigeria’s investment climate and positioned the country as the preferred investment destination for the energy sector in Africa,” he said. According to Ojulari, several gas-based projects, including petrochemical and methanol plants, have already attracted investors, but additional capital is required. “We require additional investments to build infrastructure to support the Federal Government’s aspiration to power the nation’s transportation sector with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG),” he stated. He also pointed to untapped reserves in crude oil. “Apart from gas, our existing crude oil assets have huge untapped reservoirs for investors to tap into to boost production beyond the current 1.7 million barrels per day. We also have over 200 undeveloped oil fields with enormous potential,” he said. Ojulari highlighted ongoing projects, including the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline and NLNG Train 7, as central to Nigeria’s energy transition strategy, which focuses on gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas. He also noted NNPC’s commitments to carbon capture initiatives, energy efficiency technologies, and reduced gas flaring. “Our focus is on eradicating energy poverty, which requires enormous investments in gas as the fuel of choice for industrialisation and LPG as domestic cooking gas for the over six million Africans who lack access to clean energy,” Ojulari said.

Over 65 bcm of sweet gas produced in South Pars in 5 months - Tehran Times - The managing director of the South Pars Gas Complex stated that in the first five months of this year, over 65 billion cubic meters of sweet gas and 79 million barrels of gas condensate were produced. Gholam Abbas Hosseini said: "In the first five months of this year, approximately 76 billion cubic meters of feed gas were extracted from the sea. After processing, over 65 billion cubic meters of sweet gas were transferred to the national grid. Gas condensate production during this period also exceeded 79 million barrels."He emphasized: "This production capacity contributes to the stable supply of energy during the cold season and is the result of the expertise of domestic personnel and the use of modern technologies in the 13 refineries of South Pars."

Australia Approves North West Shelf LNG Extension to 2070 -Australia has given the final approval for the North West Shelf Project Extension that will see the operating life of the country’s biggest and oldest LNG plant extended to 2070. Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing plant in Karratha, Western Australia, the country’s first and largest LNG plant, can now operate until 2070, after Australia’s federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, gave the final approval on Friday, with 48 strict conditions that will avoid and mitigate significant impacts to the Murujuga rock art.The project’s operator, Australia’s top gas producer Woodside, first proposed the extension of the operating life of the North West Shelf Project back in 2018. State and federal governments have been reviewing the plans to extend the life beyond 2030, as it was originally planned, amid hundreds of appeals by activists campaigning to preserve the environment and the cultural heritage of the local people.Extending the environmental consent for the project, which began producing gas in 1984, means that Woodside and its partners in the project would continue to deliver gas using existing infrastructure.The project will be required to reduce its emissions every year and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 under the Albanese Government’s strengthened Safeguard Mechanism, the minister said in a statement.Woodside and the North West Shelf Joint Venture welcomed the Australian Government’s final decision to grant environmental approval for the North West Shelf Project Extension.“This final approval provides certainty for the ongoing operation of the North West Shelf Project, so it can continue to provide reliable energy supplies as it has for more than 40 years,” said Liz Westcott, Woodside Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Australia. Energy companies operating in Australia are looking to boost domestic gas output as supply in major consuming areas is often strained at peak demand periods.

"Shock To Global Seaborne Gas Trade": China-Russia Pipeline Seen Displacing One-Third Of LNG Imports -China’s planned Power of Siberia 2 pipeline with Russia could displace the equivalent of one-third of the country’s LNG imports and deliver a “shock” to the global seaborne gas trade, according to analysts cited by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).The 50-billion-cubic-meter-per-year conduit, slated to run through Mongolia, would lock in long-term Russian pipeline supply and sharply cut China’s need for LNG cargoes just as global exporters scale up capacity.The warning follows Sunday’s signing of a binding memorandum between Moscow and Beijing. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Gazprom chief Alexei Miller presented the deal in Beijing as a centerpiece of their energy partnership.While intent has been formalized, key commercial details such as pricing and financing remain unsettled, with analysts describing the accord as a demonstration of strategic alignment between the two nations, underscoring Russia’s eastward pivot after Europe halted most pipeline purchases. Chinese media continue to emphasize the sheer scale of the shift. Sina Finance reported Gazprom’s plans to expand existing Power of Siberia flows from 38 to 44 bcm annually, and Far East volumes from 10 to 12 bcm, alongside the new Mongolian line. QQ.com highlighted Beijing’s view of the project as insurance against volatile LNG markets and leverage in negotiations with U.S. and Qatari suppliers.The initiative is part of a “new gas world order,” with pipeline deals reinforcing China’s long-term bargaining power in energy.Analysts from Barron’s and Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy have warned that U.S. LNG exporters could lose market share in Asia if China secures more Russian volumes, with the pipeline reducing spot demand and softening growth trajectories for American cargoes. If Power of Siberia 2 is built on schedule, it would provide China with fixed-price, long-distance pipeline gas at volumes comparable to major LNG supply deals.

Russia-China Gas Deal May Seal New Gas World Order -The signing of the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline deal by the presidents of Russia and China was perhaps the biggest news to come out of the two leaders’ meeting earlier this month. It was also the deal that may very well make the new global natural gas flow order permanent, potentially interfering with President Trump’s energy dominance ambitions.The Power of Siberia 2 project has been in the works for years. Yet China took its time deciding to commit to it. Now, the decision has been made, and although details have yet to be tailored, the signal is clear: China will be sourcing more natural gas from Russia—a lot more. The annual amount of gas Russia will be selling to China once the second Power of Siberia is completed would exceed 100 billion cu m.Incidentally, this is a similar amount to that which Russia was supposed to be sending to Europe after the completion of the second branch of the Nord Stream pipeline. This will not be happening now, not with the EU leaders pledging to suspend all imports of Russian energy within two years, even as they keep buying Russian gas from TurkStream and step up LNG imports from the most sanctioned country in the world. This will have to stop if the EU is serious about ending all Russian energy imports.As luck and geopolitics would have it, the EU has a ready and willing alternative supplier. U.S. gas producers have been on a roll, boosting production for the liquefaction plants along the Gulf Coast, eyeing the European market as a long-term demand source. The Trump administration has been encouraging this as part of its energy dominance agenda. For both, the Russia-China pipeline deal is a problem. It is, however, a bigger problem for the European Union.European businesses have a competition problem. It stems from high energy costs that drive up final prices for things produced in Europe. China, on the other hand, has lower energy costs that boost the competitiveness of Chinese-made products. There is also the innovation issue, but that’s a different topic. So, China enjoys low-cost energy to enhance the competitiveness of its products on international markets, while Europe struggles with the impact of high-cost energy on its competitiveness. Now, the struggle is about to become chronic. Europe is already the largest market for U.S. liquefied natural gas. This is good in terms of supply security but not so good in terms of price. As has been repeated ad nauseam, there is no way in the physical world we inhabit for U.S. LNG to become cheaper for European buyers than Russian—or indeed Norwegian—pipeline gas for obvious reasons related to geography and the production costs of gas liquefaction. This automatically puts LNG-dependent Europe at a disadvantage compared to China, an even greater one than it is already facing.The situation is somewhat problematic for the Trump administration as well, because the energy cost troubles of European businesses will eventually begin to affect their purchasing power—and the purchasing power of the governments responsible for securing energy supplies for, say, the heating season. This is not good for governments planning to dedicate billions in subsidies to specific industries and financial aid to households unable to afford current energy prices. Essentially, there is not enough money to cover all the expenses in Europe.From the U.S. perspective, the Power of Siberia 2 deal is also bad news because it means China would be importing less LNG, including U.S. LNG, as Reuters’ Ron Bousso pointed out in a recent column. Yet China has not imported U.S. LNG for months. It stopped importing U.S. LNG in early spring, amid the tariff spat between Washington and Beijing. Meanwhile, U.S. LNG exports hit an all-time high last month, suggesting producers don’t really need the Chinese market all that vitally.

Wright and Burgum urge Europe to rethink methane curbs - The Trump administration is aiming to sabotage a European climate regulation that could thwart U.S. plans to export hundreds of billions of dollars of fossil fuels. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are ramping up the pressure this week, during a diplomatic blitz that includes stops at the Gastech conference in Milan and a trip Thursday to Brussels. They have urged Europe to rethink a methane regulation that will restrict imports that exceed strict emission levels for methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The trip comes just weeks after the White House and EU inked a trade framework to send $250 billion of U.S. energy, including liquefied natural gas, to Europe annually over the next three years. “There’s a number of sort of nontariff barriers that I think are problematic for growing energy into Europe,” Wright said Wednesday at a press conference in Milan, pointing to the methane regulation. “Wouldn’t be good for America … wouldn’t be good for Europe. “We want to engage in those dialogues,” he said. The EU’s methane regulation is set to take full effect in 2027, after EU officials adopted it last year. That could be a problem for the U.S. oil and gas industry, which may not be able to meet the new standards. The rule could deprive U.S. producers of a lucrative market, said Brenda Shaffer, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and a researcher at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. “It was obvious there was going to be a collision course over the methane content,” she said in an interview. “The main producing American companies have made it very clear that they really can’t comply with this and that it’s a huge obstacle to supplying the European market.” In a statement Wednesday, the American Petroleum Institute called the regulation “ill-conceived,” arguing it undercuts U.S. industry. “We will continue working with the administration to push for delayed implementation and ensure any compliance requirements for U.S. energy exports are practical,” said Aaron Padilla, vice president of corporate policy at API, a major U.S. oil and gas lobbying group. The pressure on Europe is part of a broader Trump administration push to boost global consumption of fossil fuels, even as temperature rise is poised to pass thresholds that will bring far more extreme weather, according to the United Nations and most climate scientists. Along with carbon dioxide, methane is a powerful, climate-warming greenhouse gas. The Trump team is urging allies to embrace fossil fuels to meet rising demand from artificial intelligence projects and increased electrification. At Wednesday’s press conference, Burgum argued that losing the AI race was a bigger threat than climate change (see related story). “What’s going to save the planet is winning the AI arms race,” Burgum said at the press conference. “I’m worried about the next generation, but that’s all solvable. The real existential threat right now is not a degree of climate change, it’s the fact that we could lose the AI arms race if we don’t have enough power.”

Donald Trump issues warning to EU leaders: Stop buying Russian oil -- President Trump joined a call Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and world leaders during which he urged Europe to stop purchasing Russian oil as a way to undercut Moscow’s war in Ukraine.French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelensky met in France, while roughly 20 other leaders joined the meeting virtually to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, which has been raging since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.“President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war — as Russia received €1.1 billion [$1.28 billion] in fuel sales from the EU in one year,” a White House official said in a statement. “The president also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts.”The call took place as progress has appeared to stall on efforts by Trump and others to end the war in Ukraine. The president has sought to arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but there has been little progress on getting the two leaders together.Trump has bristled at the suggestion that he has not taken action against Russia as it continues to bombard Ukraine with drone strikes, pointing to tariffshe imposed on India over its purchase of Russian oil and gas.Trump told CBS News in an interview late Wednesday that he remained optimistic there would be a conclusion to the war, even if it was not imminent. “Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet,” the president said. “But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done.”Leaders from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan and several other nations joined Thursday’s call, members of what is dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing.”Zelensky said following the meeting that the group discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and additional sanctions on Russia.“We share the same view that Russia is making every effort to drag out the negotiation process and prolong the war,” Zelensky posted on social platform X. “Support for Ukraine must be increased and pressure on Russia must be intensified. Preparations for the 19th EU sanctions package are underway. Japan is also working on sanctions measures.” Putin has in recent days met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, raising concerns that those nations are forging a close partnership to counter the U.S. and Europe.

No dip in crude imports from Russia in August -Over a third of India’s energy imports continue to be driven by Russia, a trend which has largely remained stable through this year even as India grapples with the levy of an ‘additional’ tariff from the US, penalising it for this trade. This, despite an overall decline in import volumes in August. Analysis of recent figures from financial data firm LSEG shows that a 11 percent dip in imports from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting (OPEC) countries, USA and Qatar has resulted in the overall drop in crude imports into India in August. While India’s total crude oil imports experienced a minor contraction, from over 19,500 kilotonnes in July to 19,172.5 kilotonnes the next month, Russian crude imports increased by 11 percent in the same period. In August, Russian crude accounted for 36.6 percent of India’s total imports. While this is slightly lower than the year’s high of 39.9 percent in June, it still indicates a sustained flow of Russian crude into India driven by its low prices in the global market. The Trump administration levied an additional 25 percent tariff on India in August penalising it for importing Russian crude, alleging it further fuels the war in Ukraine. Forbes India had reported earlier that the US imports three times more from Russia than it does from Ukraine. And despite India’s reliance on Russian crude, it imported goods worth over $1 billion from Ukraine in 2024, way more than the $500 million that the US did in the same year. For its part, there has been no indication from New Delhi that it will decrease or stop Russian energy imports.

Japan Cuts Price Cap on Russian Oil to $47.60 --Japan joins the EU in cutting the price cap on purchases of Russian oil to $47.60 per barrel, in a move effective Friday and aimed at punishing Russia over the war in Ukraine, yet unlikely to affect any Japanese purchases. Japan lowered the price cap from the $60 per barrel imposed by the G7 years ago, to $47.60 a barrel. Japan is also imposing fresh export sanctions on Russian firms and additional asset freezes, as part of its efforts to help the international push to end the war in Ukraine, chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular news briefing on Friday, as carried by Reuters.The Japanese move follows the EU’s price cap cut from July, when the European Union lowered the price cap on Russian crude oil to $47.60 from $60 per barrel as it adopted the 18th sanctions package against Russia, targeting a hundred more ‘shadow fleet’ tankers, energy trade, and traders and banks enabling it. The 18th sanctions package seeks to curtail Russia’s energy revenues, with the lower price cap “to align it with current global oil prices,” the EU said. The price cap mechanism set by the G7 and the EU says that Russian crude shipments to third countries can use Western insurance and financing if cargoes are sold at or below a certain ceiling, which is now $47.60 per barrel for the EU and Japan.Japan’s imports of Russian oil, which have accounted for a tiny 0.1% share so far this year, would not be affected as the Asian economy imports oil from the by-product from the Sakhalin-2 project, which is exempted from the price cap rule. Japan gets about 9% of its LNG from Sakhalin-2. The fresh Japanese sanctions on Russia come as U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly urged U.S. partner countries in the G7 group to impose tariffs on China and India in punishment for their continued energy trade with Russia.

Oil Prices Surge Amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict And OPEC+ Supply Cuts - Global oil markets climbed sharply on Monday as intensifying Russia-Ukraine hostilities reignited fears of supply disruptions, compounded by a modest production increase from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+). Brent crude futures advanced 1.3% to $66.34 per barrel, up from $65.45 at the previous close, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 1.4%, trading at $62.60 per barrel from Friday’s $61.70. The price rally followed Moscow’s largest air assault on Ukraine since the war began, escalating geopolitical tensions and raising expectations of tougher sanctions. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian forces deployed over 800 drones, alongside four ballistic and nine cruise missiles, targeting Kyiv in an unprecedented strike. The Ukrainian Air Force reported most drones were intercepted, but at least 54 UAVs and nine missiles hit the capital, including a direct strike on a government building. Speaking before his departure to New York, U.S. President Donald Trump warned he was prepared to escalate sanctions against Russia. European Council President Antonio Costa confirmed the bloc was accelerating plans for additional measures and would send a delegation to Washington to coordinate policy. Traders fear that prolonged conflict and mounting sanctions could deepen global supply concerns, supporting higher crude prices. At the same time, Trump’s sanctions rhetoric injected uncertainty into demand forecasts, stoking concerns about weaker global economic growth. Adding to supply-side pressures, OPEC+ agreed to a smaller-than-anticipated production increase of 137,000 barrels per day (bpd) beginning in October. The decision, driven by major producers such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, undershot market expectations, which had anticipated a more significant boost. The alliance had previously raised output by 547,000 bpd in September and 548,000 bpd in August. Analysts suggest the restrained increase signaled OPEC+’s caution in the face of uncertain demand and volatile geopolitical dynamics. Market watchers say the combination of war-related risks and constrained supply continues to underpin oil’s upward momentum, though concerns about slowing global growth may limit the rally in the near term.

OPEC+ Decided to Increase its Output in October - The oil market posted an inside trading day and settled in positive territory despite OPEC+ deciding to increase its output again in October. The market remained supported as the production increase of 137,000 bpd from October was seen as modest and had been priced into last week’s decline in prices. Also, the producer group left room for flexibility ahead. The market was also supported by the possibility of further sanctions on Russian crude after U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was ready to move to a second phase of sanctioning Russia. The oil market posted a low of $61.85 on the opening before it retraced most of Friday’s losses by early Monday morning and posted a high of $63.34. The market gave up some of its gains once again but held its support at its low and settled in a sideways trading range during the remainder of the session. The October WTI contract ended the session up 39 cents at $62.26 and the November Brent contract ended the session up 52 cents at $66.02. Meanwhile, the product markets settled in mixed territory, with the heating oil market settling up 2.49 cents at $2.3119 and the RB market settling down 56 points at $1.9586. OPEC+ agreed to further increase its oil production from October as Saudi Arabia pushes to regain market share, while slowing the pace of increases compared with previous months due to an anticipated weakening of global demand. On Sunday, eight members of OPEC+ agreed in an online meeting to raise production from October by 137,000 bpd, much lower than the monthly increases of about 555,000 bpd for September and August and 411,000 bpd in July and June. The Sunday deal also means OPEC+ has begun to unwind a second tranche of cuts of about 1.65 million bpd by eight members more than a year ahead of schedule. The group has already fully unwound the first part of 2.5 million bpd since April, equivalent to about 2.4 percent of global demand. OPEC+ said it retained options to accelerate, pause or reverse hikes at future meetings. It scheduled the next meeting of the eight countries for October 5th. Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister said the country is complying with its commitments under the OPEC+ deal and is eager to compensate for its overproduction of oil. The Kremlin said that no sanctions will ever be able to force Russia to change course on Ukraine, just hours after both the United States and European Union indicated they were considering additional sanctions. The Kremlin’s spokesman said that Europe and Ukraine are doing everything they can to draw the United States into their orbit. He said the Kremlin’s preference was to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means but if that was impossible then what Putin calls the “special military operation” would continue. Vortexa reported today that crude oil stored on tankers that have been stationary for at least seven days rose by +6.8% w/w to 77.69 million bbl in the week ended September 5. IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 574,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending September 12th, cutting available refining capacity by 143,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to increase to 697,000 bpd in the week ending September 19th.

Oil settles up after OPEC+ opts for modest output hike (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Monday, recovering some of last week's losses, after producer group OPEC+ opted for a modest output hike and investors priced in the possibility of more sanctions on Russian crude. OPEC+ flagged plans to further increase production from October, but the amount was less than some analysts had anticipated. Reuters reported earlier this month that members were considering another hike. . "The market had run ahead of itself in regard to this OPEC+ increase," "Today we're seeing a classic sell the rumour, buy the fact reaction." Brent crude settled up 52 cents, or 0.79%, to $66.02 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled up 39 cents, or 0.63%, to $62.26 a barrel. Both benchmarks had risen more than $1 earlier in Monday's session. Prices fell more than 2% on Friday as a weak U.S. jobs report dimmed the outlook for energy demand. They lost more than 3% last week. OPEC+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and other allies, agreed on Sunday to further raise oil production from October. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, cut the official selling price for the Arab Light crude it sells to Asia a day after OPEC+ producers agreed the output hike. "Riyadh and its allies signaled a decisive pivot: defending market share now outweighs defending prices," "By allowing supply back into a market moving toward surplus, OPEC+ is playing offense, not defense. Traders have been put on notice," he added. OPEC+ has been increasing production since April after years of cuts aimed at supporting the oil market. The latest decision comes despite a likely looming oil glut in the Northern Hemisphere winter months. The eight members of OPEC+ will lift production from October by 137,000 barrels per day. That, however, is much lower than increases of about 555,000 bpd for September and August and 411,000 bpd in July and June. The impact of the latest increase is expected to be relatively low, because some members have been over-producing. So the higher output level would likely include barrels that are already in the market, analysts said. OPEC on Monday released a compensation schedule from six of its members covering the period from last month and until June next year to make up for producing above their targets. The schedule indicates that in total the members need to deliver monthly cuts ranging from 190,000 bpd to 829,000 bpd to comply with output targets. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is ready to move to a second phase of sanctioning Russia, the closest he has come to suggesting he is on the verge of ramping up sanctions against Moscow or its oil buyers over the war in Ukraine. "Expectations of tighter supply from potential new U.S. sanctions on Russia are also lending support," . New sanctions on buyers of Russian oil could disrupt crude flows, Russia launched its largest air attack of the Ukraine war over the weekend, setting the main government building on fire in central Kyiv and killing at least four people, Ukrainian officials said. Trump said on Sunday that individual European leaders would visit the United States on Monday and Tuesday to discuss how to resolve the conflict. In a note over the weekend, Goldman Sachs said it expects a slightly larger oil surplus in 2026 as supply upgrades in the Americas outweigh a downgrade to Russian supply and stronger global demand. It left its Brent/WTI price forecast unchanged for 2025 and projected the 2026 average at $56/$52 a barrel.

Oil Prices Jump as Israel Strikes in Qatar -- Oil prices climbed on Tuesday after Israel carried out a rare and brazen strike in Doha, Qatar, an escalation that rattled global energy markets. WTI crude rose 1.37% to $63.11, while Brent gained 1.32% to $66.89. Israel struck Hamas officials in Doha, according to reports — the first known Israeli attack to land on Qatari soil. The location alone raises the stakes: Qatar is home to a large U.S. base and keeps open political channels with Hamas. The strike has stirred talk of wider instability in the Gulf, a region critical to global energy flows. Traders wasted no time adding a risk premium. Qatar doesn’t ship much crude oil, but it is a top gas supplier and a key player in the Gulf energy network. Any hint of trouble there tends to push oil benchmarks higher. Analysts noted that markets are already contending with ongoing supply-side uncertainties—from OPEC+ output maneuvering to U.S. shale retrenchment—and the Doha strike added another layer of volatility. The episode comes at a delicate diplomatic moment. Washington has leaned heavily on Qatar in recent years, relying on Doha as a go-between with Hamas and as a stabilizer in regional conflicts. An Israeli strike on Qatari soil not only heightens security risks but also complicates U.S. and European diplomatic calculations at a time when both are considering tightening sanctions on Russia’s oil trade. For oil producers, the immediate impact is supportive of prices. But as one trader put it, markets are less worried about barrels missing today than about what this means tomorrow. If the strike signals a willingness by Israel to expand its battlefield into the Gulf, then the geopolitical risk premium could be back in force after a relatively quiet summer.

The Oil Market Traded Higher Following Attack in the Middle East - The oil market on Tuesday traded higher in light of the news that the Israeli military carried out an attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar’s capital Doha. The market, which posted a low of $62.37, retraced some more of Monday morning’s losses as the market was supported by the modest OPEC+ output increase, expectations that China will continue stockpiling oil and concerns over potential new sanctions against Russia. It was further supported and rallied to a high of $63.67 by mid-day following the news of Israel expanding its military campaign. The attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar came hours after Israel said it was about to obliterate Gaza City. However, the crude market later gave up some of its gains and settled in a sideways trading range. The October WTI contract settled up 37 cents at $62.63 the November Brent contract settled up 37 cents at $66.39. The product market also the ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 80 points at $2.3199 and the RB market settling up 3.39 cents at $1.9925. The U.S. EIA said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook report that global oil prices are set to fall significantly in the months ahead as rising OPEC+ production will lead to large oil inventory builds. The EIA said oil inventories will increase at an average of about 2.1 million bpd through the second-half of 2025 and remain elevated through next year. For the full year, Brent crude prices are expected to average $67.80/barrel, while WTI crude futures are expected to average $64.16/barrel. Global crude oil and liquid fuels output is expected to average 105.5 million bpd this year, up 100,000 bpd from its previous forecast. Consumption is expected to average 103.8 million bpd this year, up 100,000 bpd over the previous forecasts. U.S. crude oil output is now expected to average a record 13.44 million bpd this year, up from the previous forecast of 13.41 million bpd. Gasoline consumption in the U.S. will increase next year to average 8.93 million bpd due to a combination of lower fuel prices and revisions to official data that increased the number of people of working-age in the country. Gasoline demand this year is expected to fall nearly 1% on the year to an average 8.9 million bpd. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeli Baghaei, said Iran and the U.N.’s IAEA have reached an understanding on how “to interact in the new situation” following U.S. and Israeli attacks on the country’s nuclear sites. Platts reported that according to data from Ursa Space, the Chinese SPR was estimated to currently hold about 2213.19 million barrels in August, a nearly 1 million barrel increase from July levels. Total Chinese crude inventories reached a new high in August of 1.23 billion barrels. Valero notified local regulators it has begun maintenance work at its 85,000 b/d Wilmington, California refinery this week. The work is expected to last until the end of the month. Bloomberg reported that California legislators are considering giving Valero Energy Corp hundreds of millions of dollars to cover refinery maintenance costs in a bid to prevent the closure of a San Francisco-area fuel plant. Under such a deal, the state would pay Valero to continue operating its Benicia refinery. The plant is scheduled to close by April.

Oil settles higher after Israeli attack on Qatar (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday after the Israeli military said it carried out an attack on Hamas leadership in the Qatari capital Doha, an expansion of its military actions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures settled 37 cents, or 0.6%, higher at $66.39 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures also climbed 37 cents, or 0.6%, to close at $62.63 a barrel. Both benchmarks had gained almost 2% shortly after the Israeli attack on Qatar, but gave up the majority of those gains later as the United States assured Doha that such a thing would not happen again on its soil. "Both the U.S. and Qatar have made it clear they are not seeking further escalation, while the muted reaction from other (Gulf Cooperation Council) members reinforces the view that the risk of a wider regional flare-up remains contained," "For now, geopolitical risk premiums are easing rather than building," L Oil prices also pared some gains because the attack did not create any immediate supply disruption, The oil benchmarks were trading higher prior to the attack on Qatar, supported by the latest oil output increase from OPEC+ being smaller than anticipated, expectations that China will continue stockpiling oil and concerns over potential new sanctions against Russia. Capping oil's gains, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said it expects global crude prices to be under significant pressure in the months ahead due to rising inventories. Physical oil markets also appeared to be softening, with prompt spreads weakening heavily in the Atlantic basin, StoneX analyst Alex Hodes said. Softer prompt physical markets are typically an indicator of weak demand. "The fact that the market did not respond with such an escalation (in the Middle East) is an indication of how weak the market is in my opinion," Hodes said. U.S. crude oil inventories rose last week, market sources said, citing a report by the American Petroleum Institute. Official EIA data on U.S. stockpiles is due on Wednesday at 10:30 am ET. Traders are also expecting the Federal Reserve, which meets next week, to cut U.S. interest rates. Lower rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil. U.S. employment data for the 12 months through March was revised lower more sharply than expected on Tuesday, prompting traders to bet that the Fed will cut short-term rates next week and continue, with more in store this year to shore up the labor market..

Doha strike, new EU tariff threat rattle oil market --Global oil markets are once again navigating turbulent waters, with geopolitical shocks from the Middle East and fresh trade maneuvering by Washington combining to keep traders on edge. On Wednesday, crude prices rose modestly after reports of an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, and confirmation that US President Donald Trump had urged the European Union to impose a 100 per cent tariff on China and India to curb their purchases of Russian crude. At midday trading, Brent crude hovered at $67.09 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) at $63.32, both slightly higher than Tuesday’s close. The gains, however, were modest — under 1 per cent — underlining that while geopolitical risk premiums are back in play, fundamentals remain weak. Earlier in the session, both benchmarks spiked nearly 2 per cent before retreating after Washington assured Doha that no further Israeli strikes would occur on its soil. The attack in Doha immediately reverberated across the region, threatening to derail fragile ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas mediated by Qatar. “Any escalation involving Qatar — a key mediator and LNG powerhouse — injects uncertainty into the market. But the muted reaction shows traders are unconvinced about sustained supply disruptions,” said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects. For much of this year, geopolitical flashpoints from Ukraine to the Red Sea have failed to translate into lasting price gains. The underlying drag has been persistent concerns about global demand growth, with the US Energy Information Administration warning this week that rising inventories and Opec+ output increases will cap prices in the months ahead. Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG Markets, said the market’s muted response reflects “skepticism that isolated strikes will translate into long-term supply disruptions, especially when demand signals remain weak.” Overlaying the Middle East tensions is President Trump’s latest push to weaponise trade policy in the energy war with Russia. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, Trump has asked the EU to impose tariffs of 100 per cent on crude imports by China and India, the two largest buyers of discounted Russian oil since 2022. The move, if enacted, would mark a dramatic shift from sanctions to secondary tariffs, targeting Russia’s biggest remaining revenue lifeline. Analysts warn, however, that such a step could trigger a host of unintended consequences. “Expanding secondary tariffs to include China would be seismic. It could disrupt Russian flows, squeeze supply, and push prices higher. But it risks destabilising EU-China trade and could backfire economically,” said Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights. EU officials are reportedly wary. China is the bloc’s second-largest trading partner after the US, making tariffs a politically fraught proposition. India, meanwhile, has deepened its energy ties with Moscow, importing record volumes of Russian crude. For Washington, the strategy carries its own contradictions. Higher oil prices, while hurting Russia, would also fuel inflationary pressures in the US and complicate the Federal Reserve’s expected pivot to rate cuts. “Aggressive tariffs would tighten supply but clash with Trump’s political imperative to lower inflation before the 2026 campaign cycle gains pace,” noted LSEG analysts in a report quoted by Reuters. In the short term, traders expect volatility to remain elevated as headlines from both Doha and Brussels filter into pricing. A weaker dollar, should the Fed cut rates as anticipated next week, could also lend support to crude by making commodities cheaper for holders of other currencies. But the medium-term outlook remains capped by oversupply risks. Opec+ has begun gradually raising output, while US shale producers continue to maintain robust production levels. The International Energy Agency has forecast that global oil demand growth will slow sharply into 2026, a trend reinforced by weaker-than-expected Chinese consumption data. “Absent a major and prolonged disruption, oil remains vulnerable to the downside. Structural demand weakness outweighs short-term geopolitical rallies,” said Helima Croft, head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. Energy market experts argue that she latest developments highlight the increasingly complex intersection of geopolitics, trade policy, and energy security. “For oil markets, it is not just supply shocks but the political tools used — from sanctions to tariffs — that are shaping price expectations.” For now, oil traders are treading carefully, balancing the bullish implications of tighter supply against the bearish weight of slowing demand, they said. The Israeli strike in Doha may prove to be a flashpoint without lasting supply impact, but it underscores the fragility of Gulf diplomacy and the potential risks to Qatar’s pivotal role in global LNG markets. Trump’s tariff gambit, meanwhile, could escalate into a broader trade confrontation with China and India, reshaping global crude flows in ways difficult to predict.

WTI Holds Gains Despite Biggest Crude+Product Build Since 2023 --Oil climbed for a third session as investors weighed President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats on Russian crude buyers, the fallout from Israel’s strike in Doha and the outlook for US interest rate cuts. Trump told European Union officials he’s willing to slap new tariffs on India and China, the top importers of Russian crude, in an effort to get Moscow to negotiate with Ukraine - but only if EU nations do so as well. Meanwhile, Israel’s attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital threatens to derail US-led efforts to end the Middle East conflict, reviving geopolitical risk premiums in crude prices. Israel has claimed full responsibility, while Trump distanced himself from the strike. Despite an expected draw, API reported a crude inventory build overnight, but traders shrugged it off... API

• Crude +1.25mm (-1.9mm exp)
• Cushing
• Gasoline +399k
• Distillates +1.5mm

DOE

• Crude +3.939mm (-1.9mm exp)
• Cushing -365k
• Gasoline +1.458mm
• Distillates +4.715mm - biggest build since Jan 2025

In an even bigger surprise than API, the official data printed a 3.94mm barrel build in crude stocks (versus a 1.9mm expected draw). Gasoline stocks rose for the first time in 8 weeks and Distillates saw the biggest build since January... Graphics Source: Bloomberg. The build gets more notable as the Trump admin added another 514k barrels to the SPR... US crude production rose back near record highs as the trend lower in rig counts appears to have stalled for now... WTI is holding gains for now despite the big builds... Overall, according to Bloomberg, this is a very big build in total crude and product stockpiles, with builds across the board, leading to a 15.4 million barrel increase. It’s the largest since the middle of 2023.

The European Union Considering a Faster Phase Out of Russian Oil - The crude market continued to move higher on Wednesday on increasing geopolitical tensions. The market remained supported by the Israeli attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar, as several countries condemned the attack. The market opened at its low of $62.72 and continued to trend higher. Geopolitical tensions increased further when Poland shot down drones during a Russian attack in western Ukraine, marking the first time a NATO member fired shots in the war. The oil market was further supported by news that the European Union was considering a faster phase out of Russian oil as part of new sanctions against Russia after U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged the European Union to impose 100% tariffs on China and India. The market rallied to a high of $64.08 in afternoon trading as the market dismissed the EIA report showing builds across the board. It later gave up some of its gains and traded sideways ahead of the close. The October WTI contract settled up $1.04 at $63.67 and the November Brent contract settled up $1.10 at $67.49. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 1.38 cents at $2.3337 and the RB market settling up 1.55 cents at $2.008.On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will take place this week or early next week.On Wednesday, Poland shot down drones in its airspace with the backing of military aircraft from its NATO allies, the first time a member of the Western military alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its drones had carried out a major attack on military facilities in western Ukraine but that it had not planned to hit any targets in Poland.European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said the European Union is considering a faster phase-out of Russian fossil fuels as part of new sanctions against Russia after U.S. pressure to stop buying Russian oil. She said the EU was preparing sanctions on ‘shadow fleet’ tankers that transport its oil and third countries that buy it. EU officials are in Washington this week to discuss coordination on further Russia sanctions. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, told European leaders last week to stop buying oil from Russia. The EU has already banned imports of seaborne crude oil from Russia, accounting for more than 90% of its Russian oil imports, and imposed a price cap on Russian oil trade. IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 585,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending September 12th, cutting available refining capacity by 154,000 bpd. It added that offline capacity is expected to increase to 702,000 bpd in the week ending September 19th. Magellan Pipeline this week launched a binding open season to gauge customer interest in its proposed 440 mile refined products pipeline running from Texas to Arizona. The Sunbelt Connector pipeline project would have an in-service date of 2029 and have a 200,000 b/d capacity.

Crude Oil Prices Edge Lower As U.S. Inventories Build And Production Hits New Highs Crude oil prices eased slightly in Thursday’s session as the global market absorbed fresh data showing a sharp rise in U.S. inventories and production levels, raising concerns over weakening demand in the world’s largest oil consumer. Brent crude futures slipped 0.1% to $67.41 per barrel at press time, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures declined 0.3% to $63.50 per barrel. The pullback comes after both benchmarks rallied more than $1 in the previous session, when geopolitical flare-ups in the Middle East and Eastern Europe briefly spurred risk premiums. On Wednesday, oil traders had responded to Israel’s strike targeting Hamas leadership in Qatar and Poland’s activation of NATO-backed air defenses to counter suspected Russian drones over its airspace during Ukraine strikes. However, despite the elevated geopolitical backdrop, traders appeared to conclude that neither incident posed an imminent threat to global energy flows. The recent rebound in crude prices, which followed a three-month low recorded on 5 September, has now given way to renewed scrutiny of market fundamentals. Weakening consumption indicators across major economies have heightened supply-demand imbalances. China’s crude imports continue to expand, albeit at a slower pace, while India’s agreements with Russia provide alternative supply channels. Meanwhile, U.S. import volumes remain volatile. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), commercial crude inventories rose by 3.9 million barrels for the week ending 5 September, far exceeding analysts’ expectations of a 1 million barrel drawdown. Gasoline stocks climbed by 1.5 million barrels, also defying projections of a decline. Strategic petroleum reserves—excluded from commercial inventory levels—were up 500,000 barrels to 405.2 million. U.S. oil output climbed by 72,000 barrels per day (bpd), reaching approximately 13.49 million bpd for the week ending 16 May, further cementing the country’s position as the world’s leading crude producer. At the same time, U.S. crude imports dropped by 471,000 bpd to 6.27 million bpd, while exports fell by 1.1 million bpd to 2.745 million bpd. In its Short-Term Energy Outlook released on 10 September, the EIA projected that U.S. production would average 13.4 million bpd in 2025. The build-up in inventories comes amid signals of cooling U.S. economic activity. A weaker labor market and declining producer prices are fueling expectations of slowing demand, further clouding the outlook for oil consumption in the near term.

Oil Prices Soften After IEA Hikes Surplus Forecast-- Oil prices fell Thursday morning, after the International Energy Agency, in its oil market report published Thursday morning, called for an even larger oil surplus this year and next than in last month's report. IEA expected global oil inventories to grow by an average of 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second half of 2025, a pace the agency called "untenable". Oil futures edged up to close the week on Friday, following fresh UK sanctions on Russian oil trade, and despite U.S. consumer sentiment falling to its lowest... NYMEX-traded WTI for October delivery fell $0.89 to trade near $62.78 bbl, and ICE Brent for November delivery slid $0.87 to $66.62 bbl. October RBOB gasoline futures slid $0.0311 to $1.9769 gal, and the front-month ULSD contract was down $0.0453 to $2.2884 gal. The U.S. dollar index softened in response to a higher-than-expected inflation report, but was still up 0.118 points to 97.865 on the day. While demand growth expectations for 2025 were raised by 60,000 bpd to 740,000 bpd, OPEC's rapid unwinding of production curtailments and solid non-OPEC output growth led the agency to revise its supply growth forecast from 2.5 to 2.7 million bpd, leading to hiked surplus expectations. The report also highlighted global inventories growing for a sixth consecutive month in July, expanding by 26.5 million bbls last month. Global stocks have added 187 million bbls since the start of the year. Despite record production, preliminary data suggested inventories remained relatively unchanged in August as refinery crude oil throughputs surged to a record high 85.1 million bpd. Adding to bearish sentiment, the agency expected global oil inventory builds to extend into 2026, forecasting production to grow by 2.1 million bpd to 107.9 million bpd, in contrast to demand growth of 700,000 bpd. A 200,000-bpd upward revision to 2026 production and an unchanged demand growth figure translated to a larger surplus than previously anticipated.

Oil prices slide 2% on worries about global oversupply, US demand (Reuters) - Oil prices slid on Thursday, settling about 2% lower as concerns over possible softening of U.S. demand and broad oversupply offset threats to output from the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures fell $1.12, or 1.7%, to settle at $66.37 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $1.30, or 2.0%, to settle at $62.37.The International Energy Agency said in its monthly report that world oil supply will rise more rapidly than expected this year due to planned output increases by OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies like Russia."Oil prices are falling today in response to bearish IEA headlines, which suggest massive oversupply on the oil market next year," On Sunday, OPEC+ agreed to raise production from October. But in another report, however, OPEC kept non-OPEC supply and demand forecasts for the year unchanged, citing steady demand.The market was torn between a perceived supply shortage due to a rise in tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine and actual oversupply from higher OPEC+ production and swelling stocks, OPEC leader Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports to China are set to surge, several trade sources told Reuters on Thursday, with state-controlled energy firm Aramco shipping about 1.65 million barrels per day in October, up sharply from 1.43 million bpd allocated in September.The market is also questioning how long China could continue to absorb barrels and keep Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) inventories low, investors were also watching for further sanctions affecting Russian oil.In Russia, the world's second-biggest producer of crude behind the U.S. in 2024, revenue from crude and oil products sales declined in August to one of the lowest levels seen since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the IEA said.U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen discussed efforts to restrict Russian energy trade during talks in Brussels, with Jorgensen saying the European Union's planned deadlines were ambitious but there is a need to speed the process.In India, meanwhile, the largest private port operator, Adani Group has banned entry at its ports of tankers sanctioned by Western countries, three sources said and documents show. The move could hit Russian oil supplies for two Indian refiners.U.S. consumer prices in August increased by the most in seven months, fueled by higher housing and food costs. A surge in first-time applications for unemployment aid last week kept feeding expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next Wednesday, which could boost economic growth and demand for oil.The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged on Thursday, as expected, but offered no clues about its next move. Investors continue to bet the EU economy will need more support next year, yet traders curbed their bets on another ECB rate cut this cycle. Another move is now seen as a coin toss.

Oil jumps nearly 2% after drones strike Russian terminal - Oil prices rose by nearly 2% on Friday after a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian port suspended loadings, outweighing pressure from oversupply concerns and weaker U.S. demand risks. The drone attack on Russia’s northwestern port of Primorsk - one of the country’s largest oil and fuel export terminals - led to a suspension of oil loading operations overnight, an official from Ukraine’s SBU security service told Reuters. “Those attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have room to drag down Russian crude and refined product exports,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. Brent crude futures rose $1.02, or 1.5%, to $67.39 a barrel by 1328 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.08, or 1.7%, to $63.45. The Kremlin said on Friday that there was a pause in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Negotiators have held three rounds of direct talks this year in Istanbul, most recently on July 23, but the two sides remain far apart on how a possible peace deal might look, which could trigger further Western sanctions against Russia. “Strong sanctions could potentially overshadow the underlying oversupply outlook,” said SEB Research analyst Ole Hvalbye. The Brent and WTI benchmarks had fallen by 1.7% and 2% respectively on Thursday. A monthly report from the International Energy Agency on Thursday said that global oil supply would rise more rapidly than expected this year because of planned output increases by the OPEC+ group comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia. However, OPEC’s own report later in the day made no change to its relatively high forecasts for oil demand growth this year and next, saying the global economy was maintaining a solid growth trend. On the supply side, India’s largest private port operator, Adani Group, has banned tankers sanctioned by Western countries from entering all of its ports, three sources told Reuters and documents show, potentially curbing Russian oil supplies. India is the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne oil, mostly shipped on tankers that are under sanctions by the European Union, the United States and Britain.

Oil Prices Rebound After Early Morning Selloff -Oil prices initially fell due to oversupply concerns but quickly reversed course and surged higher on reports of new risks to Russian output. The price rebound for WTI and Brent crude was attributed to geopolitical factors and the impact of potential supply disruptions from Russia. Oil traders got whiplash today. Prices sank in early trading on oversupply jitters, only to rip higher by late morning as Russia once again stole the show. WTI was last at $63.79, up 2.28%, with Brent climbing 2.40% to $67.96. Natural gas was quieter, nudging up 0.27%. The surge came hours after a very different mood set the tone; concerns over swelling inventories and sluggish demand had pushed crude lower this morning, feeding the familiar narrative of too much oil chasing too few buyers. But markets quickly turned. Reports of fresh risks to Russian output, layered on top of already tightening OPEC+ dynamics, gave traders reason to reverse course. Sanctions chatter and infrastructure vulnerabilities in Russia injected just enough doubt about supply security to trump the glut storyline. In short, when barrels from one of the world’s top producers look even remotely uncertain, bears scatter. The price swing shows just how brittle sentiment has become. Weeks of modest OPEC+ quota hikes have fueled talk of a looming surplus, yet the slightest hint of disruption in Russia—or slowing U.S. output growth—can light a fire under prices. Today’s rally reminds us that oil doesn’t move on tidy balance sheets alone. It moves on geopolitics, whispers of sanctions, and the possibility of supply chains wobbling under pressure. Traders who hit “sell” this morning learned quickly how fast the script can flip. With Brent clawing back toward $68 and WTI holding above $63, the market is sending a simple message: oversupply fears may be real, but they’re no match for the specter of geopolitical risk.

Oil gains weighed down by US demand worries (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Friday after a Ukrainian drone attack suspended loadings from the largest port in western Russia, but gains were capped by concerns about U.S. demand. Brent crude futures settled at $66.99 a barrel, up 62 cents, or 0.93%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $62.69, a gain of 32 cents, or 0.51%. Early in the day, crude reacted to the drone attack on Russia's northwestern port of Primorsk, which led to a suspension of oil loading operations overnight, an official from Ukraine's SBU security service said. "Those attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have room to drag down Russian crude and refined product exports," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. But later in the day, gains shrank as traders continued to focus on a revised U.S. jobs report issued earlier in the week along with higher inflation figures. "The economic data is not supportive of a rally," "The overall weight is down and the trend is bearish." The U.S. economy likely created 911,000 fewer jobs in the 12 months through March than previously estimated, the U.S. Labor Department said on Tuesday. The department said on Thursday the consumer price index rose 0.4% in August, the biggest gain since January, after increasing 0.2% in July. The markets are also watching for sanctions or tariffs from the Trump administration aimed at reducing use of Russian crude by India and China. "Any potential for the tariffs to India and China to harm exports, then we would see Russian barrels off the market," . The Brent and WTI benchmarks fell by 1.7% and 2% respectively on Thursday. The International Energy Agency said on Thursday global oil supply would rise more rapidly than expected this year because of planned output increases by the OPEC+ group comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, according to an agency report. However, OPEC's own report later in the day made no change to its relatively high forecasts for oil demand growth this year and next, saying the global economy was maintaining a solid growth trend. On the supply side, India's largest private port operator, Adani Group, has banned tankers sanctioned by Western countries from entering all of its ports, three sources told Reuters and documents show, potentially curbing Russian oil supplies. India is the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne oil, mostly shipped on tankers that are under sanctions by the European Union, the United States and Britain.

Iran Says It's Ready for a Nuclear Deal To Limit Uranium Enrichment and Increase Inspections - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an op-ed published by The Guardian on Sunday that Iran was ready to pursue a nuclear deal that would limit its uranium enrichment and increase oversight of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.The purpose of the op-ed was to tell the UK, France, and Germany to reverse course after the three countries, known as the E3, took action to trigger the “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that will re-impose UN Security Council sanctions. “The three countries want the world to forget that it was the US, and not Iran, that unilaterally ended participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name of the deal,” Araghchi wrote. Araghchi criticized the E3 for backing US demands for zero uranium enrichment and supporting the US-Israeli war on Iran. “It does not make any sense for the E3 to claim participation in a deal pillared on uranium enrichment in Iran while demanding that Iran must disavow those very capabilities,” he said.“Openly cheerleading illegal military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities protected by international law – as Germany’s chancellor has done – does not constitute ‘participation.’ While this lawless behaviour is fueling calls for action to ensure ‘never again,’ Iran remains open to diplomacy. It is ready to forge a realistic and lasting bargain that entails ironclad oversight and curbs on enrichment in exchange for the termination of sanctions,” Araghchi added.

Iran Says Cooperation Deal With IAEA Hinges on Halting of 'Snapback' Sanctions - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that a new cooperation deal Tehran has reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be scrapped if UN Security Council sanctions are reimposed on Iran under the so-called “snapback” provision of the 2015 nuclear deal.“This document and its continuation are conditional on no hostile action being taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran. For instance, if the so-called snapback mechanism is activated, the implementation of this document will also be halted,” Araghchi said on Tuesday after meeting with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi in Cairo.On August 28, France, the UK, and Germany, collectively known as the E3,took the step to trigger the snapback sanctions and said that Iran has 30 days to offset them. The E3 stated that they wanted Iran to resume full cooperation with the IAEA, but it remains unclear whether they will lift the sanctions after the deal reached in Cairo.Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA following the 12-day US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic over the agency’s role in providing a pretext for the initial attack and its lack of condemnation of the US and Israeli bombings of Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran also suspects that Israel obtained information about the Iranian nuclear scientists it assassinated from the IAEA. The exact details of the new cooperation deal between Iran and the IAEA have not been made public. Grossi said that it allows for “a clear understanding of the procedures for inspections” and “includes all facilities and installations in Iran, and it also contemplates the required reporting on all the attacked facilities, including the nuclear material present at those.” Araghchi said that the deal “officially recognized that new conditions have emerged” for cooperation between Iran and the IAEA in the wake of the US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites. But he said it does not allow access for IAEA inspectors and that details on inspections still need to be negotiated. “This agreement itself does not create any access. Based on the reports that Iran will provide later, the type of access should be negotiated in due course,” he said.In an op-ed published by The Guardian over the weekend, Araghchi urged the E3 countries to change course on the snapback sanctions, pointing to the fact that it was the US that left the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. He also warned that if the sanctions go through, it could lead to “destructive” consequences and made clear Tehran was ready to face another Israeli attack.“Israel may be pitching itself as capable of conducting war on behalf of the West. But as in June, the truth is that the powerful armed forces of Iran are ready and able to once again pummel Israel into running to ‘daddy’ to be bailed out,” Araghchi wrote. “The failed Israeli gambit this summer cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, robbed the United States of vital hardware that is now missing from its inventories, and projected Washington as a reckless actor dragged into a rogue regime’s wars of choice.”

Israel Attacks Sites Near Several Major Syrian Cities - Israel has reportedly carried out a number of attacks in northern and central Syria this evening, hitting sites near the major cities of Homs, Palmyra and Latakia. Details about the extent of the damage caused are still emerging.The first of the strikes was reported near Homs, hitting a military baseaccording to Syrian media. The size of the strike was unclear though locals reported a substantial explosion from the area of the base. Since this was at night in Homs, the details may not be fully clear until Tuesday.Syrian air defenses were activated during these attacks, and explosions were also reported near Palmyra and Latakia, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting the strike near Latakia was also aimed at amilitary site just south of the city. The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the strikes as a blatant infringement of regional stability, and accused them of being a part of an ongoing Israeli escalation.Conspicuously absent in all of this is any comment from the IDF. That’s not unheard of, as Israel often attacks Syria and only sometimes comments on why they do so. In April an attack on a military site near Palmyra was carried out mostly without official comment, and to the extent they addressed it at all it was presented as sending a message to Turkey.No casualties have been reported at any of the strikes, though given the time of night such details may simply not be available to local media yet. Israel has carried out scores of strikes on Syria so far this year, killing at least 61 people according to the Syrian Observatory.Last month Israel and Syria were reported to be engaged in direct talksaimed at reducing military tensions. Little has been said of those talks since then though, and given the substantial number of Israeli strikes since then, it seems safe to assume they’re not going particularly well. Israel invaded Syria in December, and has built multiple military sites across the southwest.

Report: Israeli Strike on Homs Targeted Turkish Missile Warehouse - On Monday evening, Israel carried out a series of attacks against sites near major Syrian cities. The first and largest of those strikes was against Homs, though subsequent strikes targeted areas near Palmyra and Latakia.Details were scant and there was never an official statement out of Israel about why they carried out such an attack. A report is quoting an Israeli security official as saying the attack on Homs was about targeting a warehouse holding missiles and air defense equipment from Turkey. Turkey has been supplying Syria with a growing amount of military support, to the consternation of Israel which considers it a rival for regional control.The official is said to have played up the idea of Israel mandating southern Syria being totally demilitarized. It should be noted though that none of these three cities are particularly southerly within Syria. Latakia, one of the targets, is on the country’s far northern coast.In comments that appear to give credence to this, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir commented at a Navy graduation ceremony that they had struck several areas in Syria that “posed a threat to our freedom of action.”Though Syria largely has not resisted the ongoing Israeli invasion of the southwest, they have activated their air defense systems for some of Israel’s airstrikes further to the north, or against the capital city of Damascus. They may consider Syria having a level of air defenses that would allow them to even theoretically oppose unprovoked Israeli strikes to amount to a “threat” to the freedom of action they have generally enjoyed in their ability to attack with impunity.

Israeli Surprise Strike on Qatar Sends Oil Prices Higher -Reports of a surprise Israeli strike on Hamas targets in Qatar jolted markets, lifting Brent briefly above $67/bbl as traders priced in a higher Middle East risk premium and potential supply-security disruptions.
- Following four years of tightness, global LNG supply is set for a prolonged period of oversupply as the United States, Qatar, Canada and even Russia all add hefty volumes of incremental supply from 2026 onwards.
- Simultaneously to the US ramping up Plaquemines and Corpus Christi III, Qatar’s largest expansion since 1997, the 32 mtpa North Field East, will start producing LNG mid-next year.
- Higher supplies should also mean higher LNG demand as the boil-off tends to disincentivize storing gas for long stretches of time, with the IEA expecting a 7% year-over-year increase.
- Whilst LNG prices for October-delivery cargoes now hover within the $11.00-11.50/MMBtu range, leading banks anticipate both JKM and TTF prices to dip into single digits by Q4 2026 and stay below $10/MMBtu for the rest of this decade.
- Russia could become the LNG markets’ black swan factor over the upcoming years as China starting to buy sanctioned gas from the 19.8 mtpa Arctic LNG 2 plant could add to the oversupply.
- UK oil major BP (NYSE:BP) signed a memorandum of understanding with Egyptian authorities to drill five new gas wells in the Mediterranean Sea, boosting the country’s exploration efforts.
- Canada’s Strathcona Resources (TSO:SCR) raised its offer for peer oil sands producer MEG Energy (TSO:MEG), now offering $30.86 per share as it seeks to trump Cenovus Energy’s $27.79 per share bid.
- UK-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) farmed out a 55% interest in its offshore Block 04 in São Tomé and Principe’s territorial waters to Brazil’s Petrobras and Portugal’s Galp.
- Speaking at the 2025 APPEC conference in Singapore, Chevron (NYSE:CVX) top executive Brant Fish said that the U.S. oil major will invest heavily in petrochemicals in South Korea and cut down on its refining presence in Singapore.
OPEC+ pulled off a deft bit of expectations management—letting chatter build around a large output hike, then delivering far less. Even with an extra ~137,000 b/d coming from the group, Brent has rebounded to around $66.50/bbl, and it briefly jumped above $67 after reports of a surprise Israeli strike on Hamas targets in Qatar. Near-term upside risk also lingers if President Trump follows through on renewed talk of Russia sanctions. Despite initial speculation that eight OPEC+ members could bring as much as 550,000 b/d of production back in October, the oil group agreed to raise collective output by ‘only’ 137,000 b/d to regain market share. Saudi national oil company Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) has reacted to the OPEC+ decision by cutting the official selling price for October-loading cargoes headed to Asia by $1 per barrel, dropping it to a $2.20 per barrel premium vs Oman/Dubai. Underwhelming US labor data from last week’s nonfarm payroll data helped push gold prices above $3,600 per ounce for the first time in history, with traders now seeing an almost 90% probability of a quarter-point Fed rate cut in September.

Qatar PM Says Doha Will Continue Role as Mediator, Calls for Regional Response to Israel's Attack - Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday that his country would continue its role as a mediator despite the Israeli airstrikes that targeted Hamas officials in Doha, though he noted that the attack had killed the chance for the latest efforts to lead to a ceasefire.“Qatar has spared no efforts and will do everything it can to stop this war in Gaza, but for current talks, I do not think there’s something valid right now after what we saw from today’s attack,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said at a press conference.Al-Thani said that Israel had sabotaged the chances for peace, as Hamas says the officials who were targeted were gathered to discuss a US ceasefire proposal. The Qatari leader also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he engaged in “state terrorism.” “Does the world need a clearer message than this about who is closing the door to peace? Does the international community need further proof of who the bully in this region is?” he said.Al-Thani said that Qatar has a “right to respond” to the attack and called on regional countries to join. “Today, we have reached a turning point for there to be a response from the entire region against such barbaric conduct,” he said.President Trump is claiming that the strike was Netanyahu’s decision and not his, although some media reports said the US gave Israel the “green light” for the attack and that Trump “blessed” the strikes.“This morning, the Trump Administration was notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the Capital of Qatar. This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump said that bombing Qatar “does not advance Israel or America’s goals” but added that “eliminating Hamas” was a “worthy goal.” At this point, it appears that the Israeli strikes failed their stated purpose as Hamas says its senior political leaders were not killed. Hamas has said a total of six people were killed, including the son of a senior official, four office staff, and a Qatari security officer.

Qatar Says Israel's Strikes 'Killed Any Hope' for Release of Israeli Captives in Gaza - Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has said that Israel’s airstrikes on Doha that targeted Hamas officials “killed any hope” for the release of Israeli captives in Gaza. Throughout Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, al-Thani has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas and said that he had just met with family members of an Israeli who is still being held in Gaza. “I was meeting one of the hostage’s families the morning of the attack,” al-Thani said on Wednesday,” according to NBC News. “They are counting on this mediation, they have no other hope for that. I think that what Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages,” al-Thani added. On Thursday, al-Thani addressed an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and made similar comments. “Extremists that rule Israel today do not care about the hostages — otherwise, how do we justify the timing of this attack?” he said. The Israeli airstrikes targeted Doha after the US had passed a ceasefire proposal to Hamas. According to Hamas officials, they were gathered to discuss the proposal when the Israeli missiles hit. Despite the attack, al-Thani vowed that Qatar would “continue our humanitarian and diplomatic role without any hesitation in order to stop the bloodshed.” The 15-member Security Council released a statement condemning the Israeli attack, which means it had the backing of the US. “The members of the Security Council expressed their condemnation of the recent strikes in Doha, the territory of a key mediator, on 9 September. They expressed deep regret at the loss of civilian life,” the Council said. However, the US envoy at the meeting defended Israel from charges that it didn’t want a ceasefire. “It is inappropriate for any member to use this to question Israel’s commitment to bringing their hostages home,” said acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea.

Qatar Says It Reserves Right To Retaliate Against 'Barbaric' Netanyahu -Qatar has threatened retaliation after Israel's strike on Doha Tuesday which killed five top Hamas officials. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in a fresh speech condemned the attack as "state terrorism" on the Gulf country's capital and warned that payback is coming. He said Qatar reserves the right to retaliate, saying, "We've reached a decisive moment; There should be retaliation from the whole region." Referencing Israel's Netanyahu at one point in the address, Thani said that "barbaric actions that only reflects one thing: It reflects the barbarism of this person that is leading the region, unfortunately, to a point where we cannot address any situation and we cannot repair anything, and we cannot work within the frameworks of international laws." The Qatari leader continued of the Israeli prime minister, "He just violates all those international laws" - he said through the translator from the Arabic. But for all the tough talk, the reality remains that Qatar has long been host to major US military and naval bases, especially Al-Udeid Air Base - the largest US installation in the Middle East, and is the operational regional HQ for US Central Command (CENTCOM). And so it would not take drastic action against a close US military ally such as Israel, also given Qatar's military capabilities are miniscule compared to Israel's. The small oil and gas rich GCC nation also does significant lobbying on Capitol Hill. Reflecting this reality, Thani quickly switched to a more restrained tone in his reaction speech at one point: "Mediation and Qatari diplomacy is part of its identity, and it will continue, and nothing will deter us from persisting in this role across the various issues around us in the region, in order to achieve the stability of the region and ultimately the stability of our peoples," he said. So we should expect that absolutely nothing will happen, at least on the military front, but a direct aerial attack on a Gulf state does put the prospect of expansion of the Abraham Accords at a greater distance.

Netanyahu Appears To Threaten More Attacks on Qatar - --Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday appeared to threaten more airstrikes on Qatar despite the widespread international criticism of the Israeli attack on the US-allied nation.“You either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will,” Netanyahu said, referring to Hamas political leaders based in Qatar. Hamas has said that the Israeli airstrikes killed five of its lower-level members and one Qatari security officer, but didn’t kill the senior officials whom Israel attempted to target. Israeli media reported on Wednesday that Israeli officials are now doubting that the strikes killed the intended targets.Qatar strongly condemned Netanyahu’s comments and pointed to the fact that it hosts a Hamas office to facilitate negotiations between the Palestinian group and Israel. The Hamas office opened in Qatar in 2012 at the request of the US, according to Qatari officials. Israel also facilitated Qatari payments to Hamas in Gaza for years, and ensured they continuedwhen Doha was considering cutting them off.“Netanyahu is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar’s mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel,” the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement.“He is also fully aware of the office’s role in facilitating numerous exchanges and ceasefires, which have been widely acknowledged and appreciated by the international community and have brought relief to Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages in desperate need of basic humanitarian relief from the ruthlessness that has ensued since October 7th,” the ministry added.Netanyahu compared the attacks on Doha with the US targeting of al-Qaeda following the September 11 attacks, which Qatar rejected. “The false comparison to the pursuit of al-Qaeda after the terrorist attacks is a new, miserable justification for its treacherous practices,” the ministry said. “There was no international mediation involving an al-Qaeda negotiating delegation, with which the United States could engage with international support, to bring peace to the region at the time.”

Israel's Smotrich Says West Bank Villages Should Be Destroyed Like Cities in Gaza After Jerusalem Shooting - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that villages in the Israeli-occupied West Bank should look like cities in Gaza that have been reduced to rubble in response to the shooting at a bus stop in Jerusalem that killed six Israelis.Smotrich, a West Bank settler who recently proposed a plan to annex 82% of the Palestinian territory, said that the Palestinian Authority must “disappear from the map,” even though after the attack, PA President Mahmoud Abbas condemned “any targeting of Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” and “denounced all forms of violence and terrorism, regardless of their source,” according to a statement from his office.“The State of Israel cannot accept a Palestinian Authority that raises and educates its children to murder Jews,” Smotrich wrote on X. “The Palestinian Authority must disappear from the map, and the villages from which the terrorists came should look like Rafah and Beit Hanoun.”Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that the IDF would escalate its operations following the Jerusalem shooting. At the beginning of the year, the IDF began military operations in the West Bank’s northern refugee camps that involved the destruction of homes and displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians.“Just as we crushed Palestinian terror in the Jenin terror camp and the terror camps in northern Samaria—so we will soon do in additional terror camps. Whoever sponsors terror and directs terror will pay the full price,” Katz wrote on X. Following the Jerusalem attack, Israeli troops conducted a raid in the Jenin refugee camp, which killed at least two 14-year-old boys. The IDF also raided the home of one of the Palestinians accused of being a shooter in the Jerusalem attack in the central West Bank town of Qatana. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces arrested the suspect’s father and brother. So far, no group has taken responsibility for the shooting.

Israeli Attacks and Starvation Kill 89 More Palestinians in Gaza Over 24 Hours - Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday that Israeli forces killed 83 Palestinians and wounded 223 over the previous 24-hour period as the US-backed Israeli assault on Gaza City and the Israeli strikes in other parts of the Strip continue. On top of the violent deaths, at least six Palestinians died of malnutritionamid the ongoing famine caused by the Israeli siege. The Health Ministry said the starvation deaths brought the “total number of deaths from malnutrition to 399, including 140 children.”Israeli attacks on Tuesday continued in Gaza City as the IDF ordered the entire city to be evacuated. The Israeli military is ordering Palestinians to flee to southern Gaza despite its continued attacks in the area.According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the bodies of 18 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces were brought to the Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis on Tuesday. The news agency said one child was shot and killed by the IDF near an aid distribution point south of Khan Younis. The Health Ministry said that it recorded the deaths of 14 aid seekers and the injuries of 37 over the 24-hour period. Since the end of May, the ministry has recorded the killing of 2,444 aid seekers and the wounding of 17,831.

Yemeni Drone Hits Israel's Ramon Airport - A drone fired from Yemen hit the Ramon Airport in southern Israel on Sunday as the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, continue their attacks in response to Israel’s genocidal war and blockade on the Gaza Strip.According to the Israeli military, the drone hit a passenger terminal at the airport, and shrapnel lightly injured a 63-year-old man, who was taken to a hospital along with a woman who fell while running from the scene. The IDF said it’s investigating why the drone wasn’t intercepted by air defenses.Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree took credit for the attack. “A drone targeted Ramon Airport, which, by Allah’s grace, directly hit the airport and caused the airport to shut down and halt air traffic,” Saree said, according to Yemen’s SABA news agency.Saree also announced several other drone attacks, but there were no indications that they struck any targets. “The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that they will escalate their military operations and will not back down from their support for Gaza, regardless of the consequences,” Saree said. The latest Houthi attack comes after the Israeli military assassinated the prime minister of the Houthi-led Sanaa-based Yemeni government. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has been threatening Yemen with biblical plagues, signaling Israel wants to escalate its attacks on the country.

Israel Kills at Least 35 in Heavy Airstrikes on Yemen - Heavy Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen on Wednesday, hitting the capital Sanaa and the Jawf province, killing at least 35 people and wounding 131 more, according to the Yemeni Health Ministry.Health Ministry spokesman Anis al-Asbahi said in a post on X that 28 people were killed in the strikes on Sanaa and seven were killed in Jawf. “In a non-final toll, as civil defense teams, ambulances, and rescue are still searching for missing persons under the rubble and debris, and the number is likely to increase,” he said.Footage from Yemen’s Al Masirah TV shows two young girls being rescued from the rubble in Sanaa. The channel also released photos of children at a hospital, who it said were injured in strikes on the Yemeni capital.According to Al Jazeera, the Health Ministry said the strikes hit civilian areas, including homes in Sanaa’s al-Tahrir neighborhood, a medical facility in the southwest of the city, and a government compound in al-Jawf’s capital, al-Hazm.The Israeli military claimed that the strikes targeted “military camps in which operatives of the terrorist regime were identified, the Houthis’ military public relations headquarters and a fuel storage facility that was used by the terrorist regime.”The Israeli attacks come as the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have continued their attacks on Israel and have vowed that the operations will continue until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory. In the wake of Wednesday’s strikes, Yemeni officials said they would respond.According to Yemen’s SABA news agency, the parliament for Yemen’s Sanaa-based government “emphasized that such actions will not deter Yemenis from fulfilling their national, religious, and moral duties to support the people of Gaza, who endure unprecedented aggression and siege.”

Watch: IDF Helicopters Chase Yemeni Drone For Several Minutes As Airport Under Threat - Israel's skies witnessed a lot of dangerous drone activity out of Yemen on Sunday into Monday. Israel's Ramon Airport in the south of the country was directly struck by one of the drones, resulting in all flights having been grounded. What is unusual is that sirens were not sounded ahead of the attack, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are investigating the incident. Ramon primarily serves the city of Eilat at the southern tip of the country on the Red Sea, and it was completely shut down for 90 minutes after the attack. Videos showed the airport arrivals hall littered with glass as many windows were busted out in the attack. The Houthis owned up to it, stating that its drone "directly hit the airport and caused the airport to shut down, halting air traffic." A 63-year-old man was injured in the attack, but no other casualties were reported. It comes after Israel's main Ben Gurion International Airport has come under repeat ballistic missile attack - though most projectiles have failed to hit the target. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree declared Sunday the Houthis "will escalate their military operations and not back down from their support for Gaza" - and warned that Israeli airports "are unsafe and will be continuously targeted."

Undersea cables cut in the Red Sea, disrupting internet access in Asia and the Mideast (AP) — Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East, experts said Sunday, though it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the incident. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past. Undersea cables are one of the backbones of the internet, along with satellite connections and land-based cables. Typically, internet service providers have multiple access points and reroute traffic if one fails, though it can slow down access for users. Microsoft announced via a status website that the Mideast “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea.” The Redmond, Washington-based firm did not immediately elaborate, though it said that internet traffic not moving through the Middle East “is not impacted.” NetBlocks, which monitors internet access, said “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries,” which it said included India and Pakistan. It blamed “failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.” The South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 cable is run by Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate. The India-Middle East-Western Europe cable is run by another consortium overseen by Alcatel Submarine Networks. Neither firm responded to requests for comment. Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd., a telecommunication giant in that country, noted that the cuts had taken place in a statement on Saturday. Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the disruption and authorities there did not respond to a request for comment. In Kuwait, authorities also said the FALCON GCX cable running through the Red Sea had been cut, causing disruptions in the small, oil-rich nation. GCX did not respond to a request for comment. In the United Arab Emirates, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, internet users on the country’s state-owned Du and Etisalat networks complained of slower internet speeds. The government did not acknowledge the disruption. Undersea lines can be cut in accidents and attacks Subsea cables can be cut by anchors dropped from ships, but can also be targeted in attacks. It can take weeks for repairs to be made as a ship and crew must locate themselves over the damaged cable. The cuts to the lines come as Yemen’s Houthi rebels remain locked in a series of attacks targeting Israel over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Israel has responded with airstrikes, including one that killed top leaders within the rebel movement. In early 2024, Yemen’s internationally recognized government in exile alleged that the Houthis planned to attack undersea cables in the Red Sea. Several were cut, possibly by a ship attacked by the Houthis dragging its anchor, but the rebels denied being responsible. On Sunday morning, the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel acknowledged that the cuts had taken place, citing NetBlocks.

Israeli Strikes on Media Offices Kill At Least 25 Journalists in Yemen - -An Israeli attack on Yemen hit the offices of two newspapers in Sanaa, killing dozens of journalists and civilians. The Yemeni Journalists Union condemned the attack, labeling it a heinous war crime. According to the Yemeni Health Ministry, the Israeli strikes hit the offices of the 26 September newspaper and Al-Yemen newspaper, killing at least 25 journalists. 26 September is the military’s media outlet, and Al-Yemen is one of the most read newspapers in the country. The largest journalists massacre in one Israeli strike on Yemen. Massacre of Yemeni journalists: The toll from the Israeli airstrike on Yemen is feared to be extremely high after strikes hit the offices of Al-Yaman and 26 September newspapers. Local sources report that at least… https://t.co/bsJfcXogFC pic.twitter.com/CpqP5mWHco The Yemeni Journalists Union said it “strongly condemns the heinous war crime committed by the brutal Israeli aggression on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, through its direct targeting of the offices of 26 September newspaper and Al-Yemen newspaper in the capital.”Yemeni authorities report that at least 46 people were killed in strikes across Sanaa on Thursday. A military facility and a fuel station were targeted along with the media offices. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing. More than 165 people were injured.The majority of those killed, 38, died in the strikes which targeted residential areas. The latest Israeli strikes in Yemen are part of the ongoing conflict between Tel Aviv and Ansar Allah. Ansar Allah, or the Houthis, control most of Yemen, including the capital city. After Israel began its onslaught and siege of Gaza, Ansar Allah placed a blockade of Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea. In response to the blockade, Israel and the US have repeatedly bombed Yemen, killing a large number of civilians. The strikes have failed to break the blockade, and Ansah Allah has responded by direct attacks on Israel with missiles and drones.

Ukraine Strikes Russian Pipelines, Fuel Supply Hit Hard -Russia’s energy infrastructure has taken a hammering after a string of explosions knocked out three major oil and gas pipelines within a 24-hour period. Ukrainian military intelligence sources confirmed that the Kuibyshev-Lysychansk pipeline in Saratov Oblast—capable of moving 82 million tons of oil annually—was crippled in the early hours of September 8.The line had been supplying petroleum products directly to Russian military units.The Saratov strike followed blasts in Penza Oblast just hours earlier, where at least four explosions ripped through the Zheleznodorozhny district. Those attacks disabled two main gas pipeline tubes with a combined capacity of 2 million bpd, along with two regional lines, according to HUR, Ukraine’s intelligence directorate. Both sets of pipelines were reportedly tied to Russian military operations.Moscow has downplayed the disruption, with state media describing the incidents as “planned exercises” by Transneft Druzhba in coordination with emergency services. Locals were urged to stay calm.This marks the third time in a single day that Russia’s oil and gas arteries have come under fire—an escalation in Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt Moscow’s war machine by targeting energy flows. The strikes are part of a broader pattern since the full-scale invasion began, with Kyiv increasingly relying on long-range drones and sabotage to squeeze Russia’s fuel supply lines.While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, the hits land at a sensitive moment for Russia. Domestic fuel markets are already tight, and the loss of major infrastructure could push Moscow closer to the crisis line.Beyond the pipeline attacks, Ukraine has also stepped up drone strikes on Russia’s refining backbone. Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery—one of the country’s largest with 260,000 bpd of capacity, or 5% of national throughput—was hit again this month, alongside earlier strikes on Rosneft’s Saratov plant (140,000 bpd) and Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery, a key fuel supplier in southern Russia. The Ust-Luga port complex on the Baltic has also sustained heavy damage, with repairs at one unit expected to take six months. With at least half a dozen refineries disrupted in recent weeks, Russia is facing mounting pressure to boost crude exports instead of processing at home—just as the EU and U.S. weigh freshcoordinated sanctions to further choke Moscow’s oil revenues.

NATO Scrambles Jets As Russian Drones Allegedly Enter Poland's Airspace Overnight Sky News is citing Ukraine's air force to say that Russian drones have entered the airspace of Poland, threatening the city of Zamosc - which lies some 40 miles from the Ukrainian border. Some initial sources are citing a 'wave' of drones, but this remains unclear. Per Reuters: Poland placed its air defenses on the highest state of readiness after Ukraine’s air force warned that Russian drones had crossed into Polish airspace, according to early reports. The Polish Armed Forces said early Wednesday local time that all necessary procedures were activated to secure national airspace as Russia carried out large-scale overnight strikes on Ukraine. “Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, and ground-based air defense and radar systems have reached the highest level of readiness,” the Operational Command said. It described the measures as preventive and aimed at protecting citizens in regions bordering Ukraine. However, the initial Polish military statement itself did not specify a Russian breach of Poland's airspace: This is not a first time that Russian drones have breached Polish airspace, prompting fighter jets to be scrambled, or else searches for crash or landing spots within the Polish side of the border. Some unconfirmed reports have said there have been intercepts over Poland.

Russia Denies That It Launched Drones Into Poland - Poland said on Wednesday that NATO fighter jets shot down multiple Russian drones that entered its airspace, while Moscow is denying that its forces launched drones into the NATO country.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that a total of 19 drones entered Poland’s airspace and that a large number of them came from Belarus, which also said it destroyed drones over its territory and suggested they were off course due to electronic jamming during an exchange of strikes between Russia and Ukraine.In response, Tusk invoked NATO’s Article 4, which states that NATO members will “consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened.”According to CNN, Polish and Dutch jets intercepted the drones with assistance from Italian, German, and NATO’s multinational forces. Drones have previously entered Poland’s airspace, but Warsaw said this was the first time shots were fired by NATO jets to intercept them. Tusk told Poland’s parliament that the incident marked “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two.” While debris landed across Poland, there were no casualties.

Kremlin Dismisses Polish Drone Attack Claims, Saying No Evidence Provided -Russia on Wednesday formally rejected Poland's claims that its drones breached Poland's airspace overnight - citing that no evidence has been provided which link the drones to Russia's military. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk definitely asserted that a "huge number of Russian drones" had entered airspace of the NATO member and that it was an "act of aggression". Ukrainian President Zelensky has also alleged that it was an intentional attack, and is using it to try to lobby NATO to provide more direct air defense. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reacted in stating "The EU and NATO leadership accuse Russia of provocation on a daily basis. Most often, without even trying to provide any arguments." Russia's charge d'affaires in Warsaw, Andrey Ordash, summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. But he and Peskov underscored that no evidence was provided that the UAVs were sent by Russia. Peskov further pointed out that the drones flew from Ukraine into Poland, and there have been prior such episodes. For example, a November 2022 incident saw a Ukrainian missile land on Polish territory - which was initially widely blamed on Russia, until the missile debris was examined - after which it was determined to be an errant Ukrainian air defense missile. Russia's Defense Ministry is explaining on Wednesday that range of the UAVs which allegedly crossed the border with Poland do not exceed 700 km - suggesting that such a breach was not possibly. The MoD said it is open to holding direct consultations with the Polish government to resolve the matter.

Violent protests over social media ban leave 19 dead, parliament torched and former PM’s wife killed, Nepal - YouTube videos -Protesters set fire to Nepal’s Parliament building and other government structures in Kathmandu on September 9, 2025, during violent demonstrations against a nationwide social media ban and corruption. At least 19 people were killed in clashes with security forces, more than 300 were injured, and Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, wife of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, died after protesters set her home on fire. The demonstrations, known as the “protest of Gen Z,” began on September 8 after the government blocked 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Signal. Authorities explained their decision as an effort to combat disinformation and enforce new regulations requiring social media companies to register locally and submit to government oversight. The ban, however, was widely seen as politically motivated censorship. Young people, who had organized digitally before the shutdown, mobilized across Kathmandu and other cities. Demonstrations quickly grew, driven not only by opposition to the restrictions but also by longstanding frustration with unemployment, corruption, and nepotism among the political elite. Security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, killing at least 19 people were confirmed dead, according to official figures. Reported injury counts range from just over 100 to more than 340, but medical facilities in Kathmandu confirmed they were overwhelmed, treating dozens for gunshot wounds, blunt-force trauma, and tear gas exposure. While human rights groups criticized the use of live fire against largely unarmed demonstrators, authorities defended the crackdown as necessary to protect government buildings and prevent wider unrest. The scale of the casualties and the public outcry over the government’s use of force intensified political pressure within hours of the crackdown while demonstrations expanded in Kathmandu and spread to other urban centers. This led to intense public pressure and growing criticism, forcing senior officials to resign. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak stepped down on September 8, followed by Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli and President Ram Chandra Poudel the next day. Additional cabinet members, including the Ministers of Agriculture and Health, resigned along with at least 21 Members of Parliament from the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Although the government lifted the ban on September 8, the protests continued, fueled by anger over the deaths of demonstrators. YouTube video On September 9, demonstrators escalated their actions by storming and setting fire to the Parliament building in Kathmandu. Flames also engulfed the Supreme Court and the Singha Durbar complex, which houses multiple ministries and government offices. On the same day in Dallu, Kathmandu, protesters set fire to the home of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal. His wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, was trapped inside, sustained critical burn injuries, and later died at Kirtipur Burn Hospital. Khanal himself was rescued by soldiers deployed as part of the army’s emergency operations. Widespread arson and attacks on government institutions on September 9 created fears of a total collapse of order in Kathmandu. Rumors circulated that senior officials were preparing to leave the country as unrest escalated. To prevent a power vacuum and ensure accountability, the Nepalese Army was deployed to secure Tribhuvan International Airport, which was closed to all domestic and international flights. The move was intended to stop political leaders from fleeing abroad, maintain control over strategic infrastructure, and stabilize the capital while investigations and emergency measures were initiated. Authorities also announced free medical treatment for the injured, compensation for the families of the dead, and the creation of a special committee to examine the causes of the violence. Curfews and restrictions on public gatherings remained in effect across Kathmandu and other cities.

Iron Ore Hits Six-Month Highs Despite UBS Calling It "Least Discussed" With Investors -Singapore iron ore futures have perked up over the past week, extending gains into a sixth straight session and approaching a six-month high as signs of revived Chinese demand emerge into the tail end of summer. Prices have held steady, hovering around $100 a ton for more than a year, as the gloom from China's vicious property market downturn and debt crisis, coupled with accelerating deglobalization and the absence of robust stimulus in the world's second-largest economy, has given investors little incentive to pile into futures of the steelmaking ingredient. As Bloomberg noted, Singapore futures briefly surpassed $107 a ton to begin the week - the highest intraday level since February. Futures are on track for the longest winning streak since January. CITIC Securities analysts wrote in a note to clients that downstream demand rebounded after China's military parade earlier this month, fueling peak-season restocking. Expectations of a 25bps interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve also buoyed sentiment, while temporary steel mill curbs in northern China during the parade further tightened supply. These are some of the key drivers, as explained by the analysts.

India urges BRICS partners to address trade deficits as China calls for unity -- India on Monday urged BRICS members to address their trade imbalances with New Delhi, as the bloc rallied against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs that have unnerved Washington's friends and foes alike.Speaking at the virtual summit, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the country's "biggest trade deficits are with BRICS partners." The bloc, which has Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as key members, has been charged by Trump of pursuing "anti-American policies."Jaishankar was representing India in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China last week was seen as signaling warming ties with Beijing at a time when relations with the U.S. have been under strain.India's tone at the BRICS meeting contrasted with that of host Brazil, which charged the U.S. of "blackmail." Brazil, along with India, is among the nations hardest hit by Trump's tariffs, with levies as steep as 50%.China, too, took veiled swipes at Washington's trade policies as President Xi Jinping warned against "Hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism.""Trade wars and tariff wars waged by some country severely disrupt the world economy and undermine international trade rules," Xi said, urging the BRICS member nations to stick together in the face of higher tariffs elsewhere.India sees BRICS as mainly an economic initiative, while China and Russia view it more as a geopolitical grouping, said Chietigj Bajpaee, senior research fellow at Chatham House.Indeed, New Delhi has pushed for economic initiatives within BRICS, such as the New Development Bank and an emergency liquidity support financial framework. "In China's strategic vision, BRICS engagement supplements the Belt and Road Initiative's geoeconomic focus and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's geopolitical-security role in expanding China's global influence," the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said in a research report in March. During a meeting of BRICS trade ministers held in May, India pushed for smoother trade flows and called for stronger cooperation among BRICS members. Chinese imports by India have been on a steady rise in recent years, taking New Delhi's trade deficit with Beijing to a record high of $99.21 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2025. China has racked up a $77.7 billion trade surplus with India this year as of August, 16% higher compared to the level a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data released Monday. "The BRICS itself can set an example by reviewing trade flows among its member states," Jaishankar said, adding that India had been pressing for "expeditious solutions" to address trade deficits. Bilateral trade between New Delhi and Moscow also reached a record high of $68.7 billion in fiscal year 2025, with India's increased oil imports contributing to a $59 billion deficit."India has not been able to adequately tap the BRICS markets, despite the fact that imports by all these [BRICS] countries have increased substantially in the last ten years. There is a need to undertake a dedicated initiative to boost exports," a report by Indian think tank Natstrat said in March this year.

'Critically Uneducated': Russia, China Mock EU's Kaja Kallas After Bizarre Commentary - European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is being widely mocked after a clip of her latest remarks on Russia and China went viral starting last week.While speaking at an event hosted by the EU Institute for Security Studies, Kallas presented some strange analysis claiming that Russians are strong in social sciences but weak in tech, and that the Chinese are the reverse. The comments lacked explanation or nuance, and came off as utterly simplistic and based merely on overly broad stereotypes in her mind."Chinese are very good at technology but they are not that good in social sciences," Kallas said. "The Russians… are not good at technology at all, but super good in social sciences."She's also being called out for her reflections on the Soviet Union and China in World War 2. Her comments were a response to President Xi's massive military parade in Beijing. Kallas, who is from Estonia, of course very much hates Russia and so does not want to give credit to Moscow's immense role in WWII against the Nazis. She dismissed the Russians and China's role in defeating the axis powers. On Sunday the Russian foreign ministry blasted her analysis, calling Kallas "critically uneducated". Specifically on her labeling Russian and Chinese societies, the FM spokesperson said-- “On the same note, China would not be able to govern a billion citizens without being strong in social sciences,” Zakharova wrote. “Kallas is critically uneducated.” China's foreign ministry has also responded, saying, "The statement made by the relevant EU official is full of ideological bias and lacks basic historical common sense, and blatantly stokes rivalry and confrontation. This is disrespectful to the history of WW2 and undermines the EU's own interests. It's preposterous and irresponsible." One China commentator, Arnaud Bertrand, concluded: "It takes a lot for China to officially call a senior foreign leader an idiot but that's what they essentially just did."

Report: Father of Ukrainian Refugee Murdered in Charlotte Couldn't Attend Funeral Due To Zelensky's Martial Law - The father of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, couldn’t attend his daughter’s funeral in the US due to Ukraine’s martial law, which prohibits men up to the age of 60 from leaving the country, The New York Post has reported.Iryna Zarutska was killed last month and buried on August 27. Decarlos Brown, 34, who had been arrested multiple times before, was charged with the murder, which was caught on camera. “He had to stay back. He didn’t come for the funeral,” a neighbor of Zarutska’s family told the Post. “He’s still there for whatever the wartime rules are.” Ukrainian martial law has also allowed Zelensky to justify staying in power without holding elections. Zelensky’s term in office expired in May 2024, and the Ukrainian parliament has also been due for an election since October 2023.

Rome City Council Seeks Italian Families To Host Migrants Free Of Charge Amid Inclusion Drive -The city of Rome has launched a call for proposals to find families willing to host migrants with valid residence permits in their homes for the next three years. The tender, valued at €399,000 and open until Sept. 22, seeks an operator to manage the program on behalf of the municipality. The initiative, announced by the city council, is aimed at “single migrants or single-parent families” who would be welcomed into private homes. The chosen operator will be responsible for raising awareness, recruiting, and supporting host families, mentors, or social workers, as well as identifying suitable beneficiaries. The program’s objectives go beyond temporary accommodation. Over its 36-month duration, it is designed to foster integration, promote independence through employment opportunities, and ultimately guide participants toward securing their own housing. Officials say the service is intended to provide “a welcoming environment geared toward inclusion and autonomy,” helping young adults in particular to gain independence. But a key detail in the tender notes that families who host migrants will not receive financial compensation. The city’s Department of Social Policies clarified that “social inclusion expenditures refer exclusively to interventions and measures aimed at service beneficiaries,” meaning migrants themselves. “It follows that reimbursements to families cannot be attributed to this item or to any other type of expenditure and are therefore not eligible,” the department stated.