week ending Sept 20

Fed cuts rates as plunging job gains trigger alarm for economy - The Federal Reserve cut interest rates Wednesday for the first time this year as the central bank attempts to ease pressure on the weakening U.S. job market. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) — the panel of Fed officials responsible for setting borrowing costs — cut its baseline interest rate to a range between 4 percent and 4.25 percent, a reduction of 0.25 percentage points. Analysts and traders widely expected the Fed to cut interest rates Wednesday after several months of alarming employment data and unprecedented pressure from President Trump, who has sought to remove members of the Fed’s board. While Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the main subject of Trump’s pressure campaign, had previously said he was wary of cutting rates until the inflationary effect of Trump’s tariffs sorted out, the fading U.S. labor market pushed the Fed to risk its progress in the fight against rising prices. “This is quite an unusual situation,” Powell said during a Wednesday press conference, describing the tension between the Fed’s efforts to stave off tariff-driven inflation while supporting the job market. Powell said that while the Fed expects inflation to increase due to Trump’s tariffs, the bank is seeing the labor market take far more damage under the weight of higher import taxes and steep cuts to immigration. “Our policy had been really skewed toward inflation for a long time. Now we see that there’s downside risk, clearly, in the labor market, so we’re moving in the direction of more neutral policy.” Eleven of the 12 voting FOMC members supported the decision to cut rates by 0.25 percentage points Wednesday. Fed Gov. Stephen Miran, who until Tuesday served as Trump’s top White House economist, was the sole dissenter and called for a 0.5 percentage point cut. “Even if inflation remains high … Powell seemed to be willing to give that the benefit of the doubt and, instead, focus on the risk that any incipient weakness in the labor market might gain momentum and prove harder to arrest over time,” economists at LHMeyer/Monetary Policy Analytics wrote in an analysis. The unemployment rate has ticked higher throughout 2025 as the economy adds far fewer jobs each month than necessary to keep it stable. Steep revisions to previous employment reports also revealed the economy to be much weaker than it seemed heading into the year. The Fed had held off on cutting rates for months as Trump’s tariffs shook the global economy and spurred prices higher. Consumer prices are up 2.9 percent over the past year as of August, according to the consumer price index, higher than before the election and well above the Fed’s 2 percent target for inflation. The Fed also faced growing divisions among top officials, with some arguing the inflationary impact of tariffs had come and gone. Fed Gov. Christopher Waller and Vice Chair of Supervision Michelle Bowman, two Trump additions to the Fed, both voted to cut interest rates in July, bucking other Fed colleagues. Their dissent marked the first time in more than 30 years that two Fed board members voted against the majority. Trump and top administration officials have berated Powell and his colleagues for months over their unwillingness to cut interest rates. The president frequently accused Powell — a lifelong Republican who was first appointed to his position by Trump — of waging a political battle against his trade policy. Trump also claimed the Fed should help him reduce the costs of paying down the national debt through lower interest rates, triggering alarm among fiscal experts and Fed historians. While Trump eventually relented on his threats to fire Powell, he has sought to reshape the Fed board in his image through several other controversial means. Trump is attempting to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, whom the administration has accused of mortgage fraud based on documents filed with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. At the center of the legal battle is whether the accusations of mortgage fraud, which have not resulted in any federal charges, are enough to overcome the Federal Reserve Act’s strict protections for Fed board members. Trump also successfully installed Miran, who is on leave from being chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, on the Fed board as the FOMC meeting began Tuesday. While the Fed’s rate cut may appear to be a victory for Trump, the scale of the change to borrowing costs pales in comparison to the message of concern it sends about the economy. The 0.25-percentage point cut is the typical size of Fed rate adjustments, but far smaller than the crisis-level cuts sought by Trump, who accused the bank of strangling an otherwise strong economy with high interest rates. Powell, however, said the economy was slowing largely due to the combination of tariffs and Trump administration immigration policies. With an average monthly jobs gain of just 29,000 over the prior three months, Powell said the economy may be below the point of job creation necessary to prevent the jobless rate from rising. Without naming the president specifically, Powell blamed a sharp decline in both the supply of workers and the demand for help on changes in immigration policy.

Federal Reserve cuts interest rates for first time this year, sees 2 more cuts in 2025 - The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday — its first reduction of 2025 — and projected two more cuts for the rest of this year. The central bank voted in a split decision to cut its benchmark interest rate to a range of 4%-4.25%. The 25 basis point cut marked the first time the Fed has eased rates since last December.Newly confirmed Fed governor Stephen Miran disagreed with the decision, preferring to cut rates by a half a percentage point. Miran, a White House adviser to President Trump, was installed on the central bank board earlier this week."I think we were right to wait" until now to make the first cut of 2025, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at his press conference Wednesday, reiterating that time was needed to assess the impacts of tariffs on the economy. It was a slight rebuke to the White House's criticism that he was "too late" to consider a cut for much of this year. Powell also downplayed the notion that many inside the central bank were in favor of a bigger cut, saying, "There wasn't widespread support at all for a 50 basis point cut today." He sidestepped any direct comment on whether Miran's appointment threatens the Fed's independence from the executive branch."We are strongly committed to maintaining our independence," Powell added.The median estimate from all Fed officials is that there will be two more rate cuts this year, up from a prior estimate released in June, as the labor market softens. "Job gains have slowed," Fed officials said in a statement released Wednesday, "and the unemployment rate has edged up" but remains "low." They dropped a prior characterization of the labor market as "solid."Predictions about what monetary policy could look like for the rest of 2025 came in the form of the Fed's "dot plot," a chart updated quarterly that shows each official's prediction about the direction of the central bank's benchmark interest rate. The last dot plot, released in June, revealed a divide among Fed officials about the path forward amid uncertainties about how the Trump administration's policies on tariffs, immigration, and taxes would impact the economy. At that time, seven officials saw no rate cuts this year, while eight saw two cuts.That division was still evident in the latest dot plot. Nine officials now see three cuts, six officials see one cut, one sees no cuts, and one sees six cuts. For next year, the median is for one more rate cut. Powell said it is "not surprising to me you have a range of views," given the amount of tension between the Fed's dual goals of maintaining stable prices and maximizing employment."There is no risk-free path," he added. "It is quite a difficult situation for policymakers."Fed policymakers also used their dot plot to update their predictions for the economy's direction.Inflation is now seen rising 3.1%, the same as the previous estimate. GDP was upgraded to 1.6% versus a 1.4% prediction made in June. The unemployment rate is seen ticking up to 4.5%, compared with the same estimate in June. The unemployment rate currently stands at 4.3%.The labor market was already starting to slow in the lead-up to this week's Fed meeting, which contributed to the support for a cut on Wednesday. The economy added just 22,000 jobs in August, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.3% from 4.2%. The Fed's challenge is that inflation remains sticky, hovering well above the central bank's 2% target. The latest reading of the Consumer Price Index showed that "core" prices, excluding volatile food and energy prices, rose 3.1% for the month of August, holding the same level as July. The decision to ease monetary policy Wednesday follows months of pressure from Trump to bring rates down as the president and his White House allies repeatedly accused Powell of being "too late."

FOMC Statement: 25bp Rate Cut --Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here, starting at 2:30 PM ET. FOMC Statement: Recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year. Job gains have slowed, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remains low. Inflation has moved up and remains somewhat elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment have risen. In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 4 to 4‑1/4 percent. In considering additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks. The Committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage‑backed securities. The Committee is strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective. In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook. The Committee would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the Committee's goals. The Committee's assessments will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments. Voting against this action was Stephen I. Miran, who preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point at this meeting.

FOMC Projections: GDP Revised Up Slightly - Statement here. Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here, starting at 2:30 PM ET. Here are the projections. Since the last projections were released, economic growth, the unemployment rate and inflation all have been close to expectations.The BEA's estimate for first half 2025 GDP showed real growth at 1.4% annualized. Most estimates for Q3 GDP are around 2%. That would put the real growth for the first three quarters at 1.6% annualized - above the top of end of the June projections. The FOMC revised up Q4 2025 and Q4 2026 GDP growth slightly.GDP projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, Change in Real GDP¹ (table) ¹ Projections of change in real GDP and inflation are from the fourth quarter of the previous year to the fourth quarter of the year indicated.
The unemployment rate was at 4.3% in August. The unemployment rate will likely increase further this year. This was unrevised.Unemployment projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, Unemployment Rate²(table) ² Projections for the unemployment rate are for the average civilian unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of the year indicated.
As of July 2025, PCE inflation increased 2.6% year-over-year (YoY), unchanged from 2.6% YoY in June. There will likely be some further increases in the 2nd half of 2025, and the FOMC narrowed the range.Inflation projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, PCE Inflation¹(table)PCE core inflation increased 2.9% YoY in July, up from 2.8% YoY in June. There will likely be further increase in core PCE inflation and the FOMC narrowed the range.Core Inflation projections of Federal Reserve Governors and Reserve Bank presidents, Core Inflation¹

This Fed Meeting Must Have Been a Circus - by Wolf Richter - The FOMC voted today to cut the Fed’s five policy rates by 25 basis points, the first cut in 2025, after cutting by 100 basis points in 2024, which then had caused long-term yields to spike by 100 basis points as the bond market fretted about accelerating inflation amid a lax Fed. The FOMC cut its five policy rates:

• Target range for the federal funds rate to 4.0%-4.25%.
• Interest it pays the banks on reserves: 4.15%.
• Interest it pays on overnight Reverse Repos (ON RRPs): 4.0%
• Interest it charges on overnight Repos at its Standing Repo Facility: 4.25%.
• Interest it charges banks to borrow at the “Discount Window” at 4.25%.

In addition, the FOMC voted to continue QT at the current pace. One out of 12 voting members on the FOMC dissented and voted against the 25-basis point cut: Stephen Miran, hastily sworn in yesterday, wanted a 50-basis point cut. He replaced Adriana Kugler who didn’t show up to the last meeting and then quit. In theory, dissents are good. This endless strive for unanimity under Powell bred the false impression that everyone agreed even when there was a lot of disagreement and uncertainty about everything. Who didn’t dissent but could have: Governors Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller. Bowman and Waller had already dissented at the July meeting, wanting a 25-basis point cut, when the Fed held rates. Appointed by Trump 1, they are now vying for Powell’s job. Trump wants rate cutters in that job. But they voted with the majority and maybe were thereby able to nudge the wording of the Statement into their direction – such as the shift of the balance of risks to the labor market, and away from inflation.Trump tried to get governor Lisa Cook fired before the meeting, but that effort failed, and she voted with the majority. What changed in the FOMC’s statement: The big change in the Statement was the shift in risks to the weakening labor market, and away from inflation, as “downside risks to employment have risen” and “’jobs gains have slowed,” while the “unemployment rate has edged up.”

• New: “Recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year.”
• Old: “Although swings in net exports continue to affect the data, recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year.”
• New: “Job gains have slowed, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remains low. Inflation has moved up and remains somewhat elevated.”
• Old: “The unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated.”
• New: “The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment have risen.”
• Old: “The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate.”

So, the balance of risks shifts to the labor market, and away from inflation. That shift to the weakening labor market keeps cropping up in the rest of the statement.

• New: “In support of its goals and in light of the shift in the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point to 4 to 4‑1/4 percent.”
• Old: “In support of its goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 percent.”
• New: “In considering additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.”
• Old: “In considering the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.”

Fed's Miran says he didn't promise Trump a dissent on rates --Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said he hasn't spoken to President Donald Trump since the central bank's policy meeting this week, and didn't promise the president he would vote a particular way on interest rates.

Trump administration reiterates need to fire Lisa Cook from Fed board -The White House is continuing its push to remove Federal Reserve board of governors member Lisa Cook, filing a response in federal appeals court ahead of a 3 p.m. deadline on Sunday.The brief, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, argues that it is within President Trump’s discretion to remove Cook for cause and that the Fed governor’s claim that her due process is being violated is “meritless.”The filing doubled down on the president’s arguments, saying that Cook’s removal “is a matter of discretion and not reviewable.”“The public and the Executive share an interest in ensuring the integrity of the Federal Reserve, and that requires respecting the President’s statutory authority to remove Governors ‘for cause’ when such cause arises,” the court filing concludes.In a Saturday filing, Cook’s lawyers argued her removal from the Fed would “mark an immediate end” to the precedent of central bank independence from the executive branch. They also claimed that Trump removing Cook “would send a destabilizing signal to the financial markets that could not be easily undone.”“Central banks like the Federal Reserve are independent for a reason: Even the perception of political influence can destroy the investor confidence that is essential for economic growth and stability. And that bell cannot be unrung. Once confidence in the bank’s independence is lost, it cannot easily be regained,” Cook’s lawyers argued.Last month, Trump announced that he was removing Cook from her position for cause, citing allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. An Aug. 15 criminal referral from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) alleged Cook listed properties in Michigan and Georgia as her primary residences in 2021. A second FHFA referral on Aug. 28 alleges Cook represented a third property as her “second home,” despite calling it an investment or rental property in other government documents.

Appeals court says Lisa Cook can remain Fed governor for now, rejecting Trump bid to remove her - — A federal appeals court on Monday rejected a bid from President Trump's administration to allow the president to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, leaving intact a lower court order that reinstated her to the post. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit divided 2-1 in declining to grant the Trump administration emergency relief and clear the way for Mr. Trump to remove Cook from her position. The Trump administration is likely to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. But absent an 11th-hour order from the high court, the decision all but ensures Cook will remain a governor on the seven-member Fed board through a two-day meeting of its interest rate-setting committee, which Cook sits on and is set to begin Tuesday. Mr. Trump moved to oust Cook from the Fed's Board of Governors last month over allegations of mortgage fraud. Cook denies any wrongdoing.Judge Bradley Garcia wrote in a concurring opinion joined by Judge Michelle Childs that Cook is likely to succeed in arguing that Mr. Trump's attempt to remove her violated her due process rights. Judge Gregory Katsas dissented. "Given that Cook has a property interest in her position, she is entitled to 'some kind' of process before removal," Garcia wrote. "Before this court, the government does not dispute that it provided Cook no meaningful notice or opportunity to respond to the allegations against her. The government argues only that Cook 'does not explain what difference a hearing would have made.' Even accepting that premise, Cook's entitlement to process stands apart from whether she would succeed in securing a different outcome."Garcia added that since Cook has continued to serve in her role despite her purported termination by Mr. Trump, granting the administration's request for emergency relief would "upend" the status quo.A Justice Department spokesperson said the agency "does not comment on current or prospective litigation including matters that may be an investigation."The Trump administration asked the D.C. Circuit for emergency relief after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that Cook's firing likely violated the Federal Reserve Act and her due process rights. The Federal Reserve Act specifies that the president can only remove a Fed governor "for cause." While the term is not defined in the law, Cobb found "for cause" refers to in-office conduct. Because Cook's alleged misrepresentations on mortgage documents predate her tenure as a Fed governor, Cobb ruled that Mr. Trump lacked "cause" to remove Cook.The judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Fed to allow Cook to remain a member of its Board of Governors during the litigation."President Trump's stated cause refers only to allegations regarding Cook's conduct before she began serving on the Federal Reserve Board," the judge wrote in her decision, adding that "such allegations are not a legally permissible cause."Mr. Trump has criticized the Fed for moving too slowly in cutting interest rates, though economists expect the central bank will announce a rate cut this week. If Cook's firing is ultimately allowed — a decision that will likely be made by the Supreme Court — and the president appoints a successor, it would mean he will have appointed the majority of the seven-member Board of Governors.Mr. Trump announced on social media last month that he was firing Cook, appointed by former President Joe Biden, from the Fed Board of Governors and had "sufficient cause" to oust her. Cook's 14-year-term on the Fed is set to end in January 2038.The president cited as grounds for her removal claims made by Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, that Cook made false statements on mortgage documents.Pulte alleged in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi last month that Cook claimed two different properties in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta as her principal residence on mortgage documents from 2021 in order to gain more favorable lending terms. Pulte, who was appointed to lead the FHFA by Mr. Trump, has continued to make accusations against Cook related to mortgage documents. Cook has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Her lawyers said in court papers that she may have "erred" in filling out a form for a private mortgage, but said the events took place before she assumed office as a Fed governor and in her capacity as a private citizen.

Trump asks Supreme Court to remove Fed Gov. Cook --President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling allowing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook to remain in office pending the outcome of her lawsuit challenging Trump's move to fire her late last month.

Senate confirms Trump adviser Miran as Fed governor in time for crucial rate decision The Senate has officially confirmed Stephen Miran as President Trump's new nominee to the Federal Reserve Board in an incredibly tight 48-47 vote on Monday evening. This puts him in place just in time to cast a crucial vote at this week's central bank policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. Miran replaced former Fed governor Adriana Kugler, who left the Fed in August, an exit that offered Trump a new chance to put his stamp on the central bank. The Fed is widely expected to lower its benchmark interest rate for the first time this year by a quarter percentage point at the conclusion of its meeting Wednesday afternoon. Trump has been calling for a jumbo cut, and it remains to be seen whether Miran could dissent in favor of a larger reduction if the central bank does in fact cut by 25 basis points. Trump has tried to fire another Fed governor, Lisa Cook, on allegations that she claimed two properties she purchased as primary residences, actions that would give her more favorable financial loan terms. An appeals court Monday rejected Trump's attempt to oust Cook from her role. After being rebuffed by appeals, the Trump administration is expected to turn the Supreme Court in an eleventh-hour attempt to shape the Fed board. New findings over the weekend revealed that a condo Cook purchased in June 2021 was put down as a "vacation home" in a loan estimate — a characterization that could undermine claims by the Trump administration that she committed mortgage fraud. Cook has asked a US district court to reject Trump's emergency request, which would clear the way for the president to remove Cook from the Fed. US District Judge Jia Cobb ruled last week that Cook could remain on the Fed's board while disputing the president's firing, saying the Trump administration hadn't shown valid cause for removing her or respected her right to due process. As of now, Cook remains on the board and will attend the Fed policy meeting, which begins Tuesday morning.

Miran is Trump's 'sock puppet': Sen. Warren on Fed independence (video, no transcript) Senate lawmakers confirmed Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve board on Monday, after he was nominated by President Trump. This came ahead of the Federal Reserve's September FOMC meeting, which began on Tuesday. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma.) joins Yahoo Finance senior reporter Jennifer Schonberger on Capitol Hill to speak more about maintaining the Fed's independence from the executive branch and Trump's goal of lowering interest rates by stacking the central bank. She also states that the president's suggestion of cutting quarterly earnings reports down to a semi-annual basis as "undermin[ing] transparency."Warren has been critical of Miran's acting role as chair to the White House Council of Economic Advisers under the Trump administration.Also catch StoneX's Jon Hilsenrath and S&P Global Ratings' Paul Gruenwald emphasize the goal of avoiding policy mistakes as the Trump administration works to replace top Fed officials.

More rate cuts eyed as Fed zeroes in on soft labor market

• Key insight: The Federal Reserve's move to cut rates was bolstered by growing concern over a softening labor market.
• Expert quote: "Almost everyone wrote down support for this cut. Some supported more cuts, and some didn't — and that's just how it is," — Fed Chair Jerome Powell
• What's at stake: Despite the Fed moving to cut the short-term interest rates by 25 basis points, it said it will continue to monitor how monetary policy impacts both the labor market and inflation. It stated it is prepared to adjust its monetary stance "as appropriate if risks emerge."

In a move widely anticipated by markets, the Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee voted Wednesday to cut short-term interest rates by a quarter percentage point, citing growing concerns over the labor market as a leading motivation.The Federal Open Market Committee also released its updated economic projections, which showed that nine committee members are expecting two additional rate cuts before the end of the year.Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said there was a "high degree of unity" among committee members during this week's Federal Open Market Committee vote. Out of 12 FOMC members, 11 voted for a 25 basis point cut.

Live updates: House Republicans look to avert shutdown with stopgap funding bill --With the government funding deadline just over two weeks away, House Republicans are considering a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the lights on through Nov. 20, GOP sources told The Hill. Text of the continuing resolution (CR) has yet to be released, though Republicans have said it will largely be “clean.” President Trump touted on Monday morning a potential deal with China over the future of TikTok, and said he would speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. In a separate post, he weighed calling a national emergency to secure the District of Columbia. As Congress weighs how to approach the Sept. 30 funding deadline, it has a full week of hearings, including two oversight hearings of the FBI, with Director Kash Patel slated to testify. Patel has come under the spotlight for his role in the investigation into conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

House GOP eyes stopgap into November to avert shutdown -House GOP leaders are aiming to pass a stopgap spending bill this week that funds the government through Nov. 20, GOP sources told The Hill, as lawmakers face an end-of-the-month shutdown deadline.Text of the continuing resolution (CR) has yet to be released, though Republicans have said it will largely be “clean.”House leaders face a tight time crunch to pass the plan by the week’s end, with lawmakers scheduled to leave Washington next week for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.The strategy, however, sets up a showdown with Democrats who have called for any stopgap to include major concessions on health care as a condition of their votes.“Partisan legislation that continues the unprecedented Republican assault on healthcare is not a clean spending bill. It’s a dirty one,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) wrote on X on Monday.That is raising the likelihood of Republicans having to pass the CR in the House without relying on Democratic votes, before daring Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to reject the measure and head to a shutdown, as they did in March.But first GOP leaders must contend with their slim majority in the House, where GOP leaders can only afford to lose two votes if all Democrats vote no.The CR plan is facing criticism from several House Republicans responding to reports about the CR plan in Politico, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who said on X that Congress “should not pass a CR” and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) who said that she does not want a stopgap to end right before the Thanksgiving holiday, expressing worries about an omnibus. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) wrote on X that, “I already hated status quo thinking and approaches (soft incrementalism at best), so I’m out on another CR for the sake of more government.”At the same time, the National Republican Congressional Committee is putting pressure on vulnerable House Democrats to support the CR plan with a paid ad campaign against 25 members that warns of Democrats threatening to “sabotage” President Trump’s policies with a shutdown.Top appropriators have said in recent days that they’re working through a list of requested add-ons, or “anomalies,” from the White House to attach to the forthcoming stopgap plan.“We’re working through it, but we don’t want, don’t intend, to put anything on there that we can’t agree with,” House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told The Hill last Thursday, adding the goal is not to “put anything on there that we can’t agree with” or is “that’s offensive” and threaten chances of passage. “We’re not trying to have a confrontation over CR. We’re trying to pass a CR,” he said.

ACA tax credits at center of shutdown fight - The imminent deadline for government funding has put enhanced Obamacare tax credits in the limelight as Democrats seek to pressure Republicans into extending subsidies that have helped expand health insurance coverage. The enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. But insurers are setting their rates now, and open enrollment for ACA plans begins Nov. 1. “On this issue, we’re totally united. The Republicans have to come to meet with us in a true bipartisan negotiation to satisfy the American people’s needs on health care or they won’t get our votes, plain and simple,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) told reporters Thursday. Some in the GOP are showing openness to an extension by year’s end. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has said he is open to discussing legislation to extend the subsidies, but he said Democrats need to present them with a plan and not as part of a government funding deal. Eleven GOP lawmakers have endorsed legislation extending the benefits for one year, punting the issue beyond the midterm elections. Most of them are vulnerable front-liners facing tough reelection contests. According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, about 4 million people will drop out of ACA plans in the first year after the extra subsidies are discontinued. Those people are likely to be relatively young and healthy, leaving a pool of sicker, more expensive patients — leading to even higher premiums in subsequent years. According to health research group KFF, premiums are expected to increase by more than 75 percent on average, with people in some states seeing their payments more than double.

Congress girds for a high-stakes funding fight - Congress is entering what could be a make-or-break week for government funding negotiations, with Democrats ratcheting up their shutdown threats even as a funding patch comes into sharper focus.With two weeks to go before the Sept. 30 funding deadline, Republican leaders are moving forward with a stopgap spending bill that would extend funding for federal agencies and programs through Nov. 20, according to POLITICO. Text could emerge as soon as Monday morning.The tentative plan is to couple that continuing resolution with three compromise spending bills — Agriculture, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs — in order to make some progress on appropriations while buying more time to reconcile additional spending bills.But party-line disputes over what the funding extension should look like could send the whole package off the rails. Democratic and Republican leaders are still far apart on key demands, and Congress has a scheduled weeklong recess coming up. Top Democrats indicated last week that they will not sign onto any CR that does not include an extension of soon-to-expire health insurance subsidies, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has already rejected that possibility. The spending package cannot pass the Senate without Democratic votes.“The people demanding a shutdown have no earthly idea how to end it,” said House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.), alluding to Democrats’ hardball tactics. “They don’t have an exit strategy, and I think it’s a mistake.”Democrats are insisting on a bipartisan deal that incorporates their priorities, including the health care extensions. They also do not appear to be backing down from their insistence that congressional Republicans and the Trump administration stop withholding or rescinding congressionally approved funds.“They can’t continue to steal dollars that have been appropriated by Democrats and Republicans,” said House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). “That has to stop.”While progress on fiscal 2026 spending bills has been disjointed, appropriators took a significant step forward last week when they clinched deals on the top-line levels for the bills funding the Department of Agriculture, congressional needs and military infrastructure and veterans’ affairs.Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she expects the Senate to vote this week to officially go to conference negotiations on the three-bill package that will likely be attached to the CR. The House voted to do so last week.The negotiators — members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees — will have to reconcile key differences between the two chambers’ bills, including funding levels for agricultural conservation programs, disaster resilience and environmental cleanups.It remains to be seen whether the continuing resolution itself will be “clean” or whether either party will manage to get their preferred riders into the legislation. The White House last week sent Congress a customary list of “anomalies,” or funding tweaks, that would allow certain programs to stay funded throughout the duration of the funding patch. Some lawmakers opposed the Trump administration’s request to extend funding until the end of January.The anomalies request asks lawmakers to include language that would ensure that disaster recovery efforts can continue. It also requests changes to a 2003 forestry law that would give the Department of the Interior more leeway under the National Environmental Policy Act to clear brush for wildfire prevention on certain federal lands.Additionally, the White House is asking for upward of $11 million to repair EPA elevators so that employees do not become trapped.Several senior appropriators said last week that they had yet to take a close look at the White House’s requests.While work on the CR and the three-bill package continues, the Senate Appropriations Committee could try to advance more spending bills. The panel has approved eight so far, mostly with bipartisan support. The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its bills, mostly along party lines.Thune put the House’s fiscal 2026 Energy-Water bill on the Senate calendar last week, but only to set it up as a potential vehicle for more bipartisan spending legislation. The bill itself is unlikely to get a vote anytime soon.That’s because the House’s proposal to fund the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies passed the House with no Democratic support earlier this month after Democrats balked at proposed cuts to renewable energy and equity programs.Further, Senate appropriators have not yet produced their own, bipartisan version that would allow them to negotiate with the House.

Trump pushes Republicans to pass 'clean' government funding extension - President Trump on Monday urged Republicans in Congress to unite in support of a “clean” continuing resolution that would avert a government shutdown at the end of the month. “Congressional Republicans, including Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, are working on a short term ‘CLEAN’ extension of Government Funding to stop Cryin’ Chuck Schumer from shutting down the Government,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back against the Radical Left Democrat demands, and vote ‘YES!’ on both Votes needed to pass a Clean CR this week out of the House of Representatives,” Trump added. “Democrats want the Government to shut down. Republicans want the Government to OPEN.” Trump’s post came as House GOP leaders are aiming to pass a stopgap spending bill this week that would fund the government at status quo levels through Nov. 20. Republicans have a narrow majority in the House and could pass a short-term funding bill without Democratic support if nearly all of its members are on board. Attention would then turn to the Senate, where at least seven Democrats would need to vote with all Republicans to get the 60 votes necessary to pass the bill. The plan for a clean continuing resolution is facing criticism from some House Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) who said on social media that Congress “should not pass a CR,” and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who said she does not want a stopgap to end right before the Thanksgiving holiday, expressing worries it might lead to an omnibus spending package.

Ohio Republican Rep. 'out on another CR for the sake of more government' - Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) said Monday that he was “out on another CR for the sake of more government.” “Lord willing, there will be a revival and resurgent faith in Jesus. Pray for it! Work for it!” Davidson said in a post on the social platform X. “But, I’m not sure the GOP, the Republicans, MAGA, conservatives, or some other blend of right of center politics will do anything different,” he added. “I already hated status quo thinking and approaches (soft incrementalism at best), so I’m out on another CR for the sake of more government.” “We know we need a smaller, more accountable, more focused America First government. I will tolerate nothing else,” the Ohio Republican continued. House Republican leaders are attempting to pass a stopgap bill this week that would keep the government funded largely at current levels through Nov. 20, GOP sources told The Hill. But Democrats have demanded concessions on health care be included in the stopgap bill. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) can only afford to lose two GOP votes if all Democrats vote against the measure, and there is a contingent of conservatives who are generally leery of stopgap spending bills.

Mike Johnson says member security funding talks delaying CR rollout- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Capitol Hill on Monday that the text of the continuing resolution (CR) is being delayed because of ongoing talks on increased security for members of Congress. The current CR includes an additional $58 million for the protection of executive and judicial branch officials, which the White House asked for after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk last Wednesday. Since Kirk’s murder, however, numerous members of Congress have expressed concern over their safety, whether in Washington or on the campaign trail. “We have to protect our judges and those who serve in [executive and judicial] branches, but also, of course, in Congress, and so we’re looking at an amount that would be appropriate for a continued resolution in a short term to protect members in the [legislative] branch as well,” Johnson said. The Speaker added that while there is not a “consensus” around the amount of funding needed for security measures, he expects to speak with members of both parties over the next two days. The current CR expires on Sept. 30, with Congress set to go on recess starting Friday in observance of Rosh Hashanah and returning on Sept. 29. House Republican leadership, though, intends to pass a stopgap spending bill that will fund the government through Nov. 20, GOP sources told The Hill on Monday. “We’re working through it, but we don’t want, don’t intend, to put anything on there that we can’t agree with,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told The Hill on Thursday.

Democrats say shutdown necessary to send ‘message’ to Trump - Democratic senators say that unless Republicans scrap their plan to advance a “clean” seven-week continuing resolution, they don’t see any option other than defeating it as a way to send a “message” to President Trump. Doing so would almost certainly trigger a government shutdown, something Democrats avoided earlier this year but is increasingly looking inevitable this fall. Democratic senators, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the looming shutdown has been the chief topic of discussion in recent caucus meetings. They said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), who took enormous heat from his left flank after voting for a GOP funding bill earlier this year, has not laid out any plan B to avert a shutdown before the Sept. 30 deadline. “Donald Trump gave us the middle finger, there is no alternative,” said one Democratic senator, who requested anonymity to discuss caucus strategy. A second Democratic senator said a brief shutdown would give Democrats a “win,” even if it doesn’t result in any concrete policy concessions from Republicans. This Democrat said doing so would send a “message” to Trump that the White House can’t continue to steamroll Congress. “Without some accommodation, some compromise, I think there probably will be a shutdown for a period of time,” the lawmaker said. The second senator said they would not vote for the stopgap measure funding the government through Nov. 21, which House Republicans plan to pass later this week. “I hate a shutdown anyway, we don’t have any choice. We can’t go along with what they’re doing,” the senator said. “We should use every lever we have, and this is one of the very few levers where we can actually push [Trump].” “If Trump declares martial law, well, let him be transparent and show the world that’s what he thinks his ultimate goal is,” they added. Congress has little time to avoid a shutdown. Lawmakers are expected to be out next week for Rosh Hashanah and would return to the Capitol on Sept. 29 on their current schedule. Democratic senators familiar with the deliberations within their caucus right now count six Democratic votes — at most — for the seven-week continuing resolution that is expected to reach the Senate on Friday or Saturday. The party likely would need at least eight votes to help Republicans reach the 60 votes necessary to move Senate legislation forward. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said he will vote against the funding measure because it prolongs spending put in place by the Biden administration. Senate Democratic leaders haven’t conducted a formal whip count yet, but lawmakers believe that Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, are likely or possible “yes” votes. Fetterman has said repeatedly he will not vote to shut down the government. He said a shutdown “is never a good idea,” even though he “fully supports” extending the enhanced health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are due to expire at the end of the year. Fetterman is worried his Democratic colleagues have staked out such a strong position ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline that a shutdown is inevitable. “They are actively painting themselves into the corner. That’s why I’m deeply concerned there will be a shutdown,” he said. “I won’t be a part of it.” Senate Democrats have crafted an alternative government funding measure that would extend the expiring health insurance subsidies, restore Medicaid funding cut by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and prevent the Trump administration from clawing back previously appropriated funding through “pocket rescissions.” Republicans, however, say these demands are a nonstarter.

Democrats want government funding stopgap to reverse nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts --Senate Democrats on Wednesday evening unveiled an ambitious proposal to fund the government past Sept. 30 that would restore the nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid made by President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which could cause scores of rural and smaller hospitals around the country to close. The 68-page proposal would also permanently extend the enhanced health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire at the end of the year, a lapse in federal funding that could result in families seeing their premiums rise by hundreds or thousands of dollars. The legislation would unfreeze funds that have been frozen by Trump’s budget director, Russell Vought, including the $5 billion in foreign aid targeted by the president’s pocket rescission. It would also provide substantially more money than a House Republican proposal to protect members of the House and Senate as well as the Supreme Court and federal courts from violent threats. “The contrast between the Democratic budget proposal and the Republican proposal is glaring. The Republicans want the same old status quo — rising costs, declining health care. Democrats want to meet people’s needs by improving health care and lowering costs, in health care and many other places,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) told reporters after making the plan public. Republicans have already rejected the Democratic proposal, but Schumer told reporters Washington is headed for a shutdown unless Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) negotiate with Democratic leaders. “Ask the Republicans if they’re willing to shut the government down. That’s where they’re headed,” he said. The cost of the Democrats’ alternative continuing resolution, which would fund the government through Oct. 31, would easily exceed $1 trillion. The cost of permanently extending the enhanced health insurance premium subsidies would cost $358 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Democrats, however, argue that doing so is an extension of “current policy” and therefore should be scored as not adding to the deficit, the same tactic Republicans used to score the extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts as deficit neutral. Their alternative continuing resolution would also restore the $930 billion in cuts to Medicaid made by Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the president signed into law on July 4.

House Republicans pass stopgap government funding bill, set up Senate showdown --House Republicans approved a short-term government spending package Friday to avert a shutdown at month’s end, sending the bill to the Senate and setting up a clash with upper-chamber Democrats vowing to sink the measure. The legislation was crafted by Republicans, without Democratic input, and that dynamic was reflected in the lopsided 217-212 vote, which fell largely along partisan lines. Two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Victoria Spartz (Ind.), opposed the legislation to protest deficit spending levels they deem too high, while one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), crossed the aisle to support the bill. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) was officially recorded as not having cast a vote, though she appeared to be trying to do so as the vote closed. She said in a statement that she supports the CR. “With costs already shooting through the roof for families in Southwest Washington and across our country, I could not in good conscience vote to shut our government down, which would have made health care and food even more expensive for millions of Americans while handing the executive branch even more control over the nuts and bolts of the administrative apparatus,” she said. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the House GOP-passed stopgap and a competing measure crafted by Senate Democrats on Friday afternoon. Both are expected to fail, and both chambers are vowing to leave Washington for a weeklong holiday break, leaving little time to reach a resolution to prevent a shutdown on Oct. 1. The GOP stopgap passed Friday, dubbed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) by Republicans, extends government funding at current levels through Nov. 21, with some other bipartisan measures attached. Johnson has argued the seven-week funding measures will give congressional appropriators the time they need to move through the regular funding process, which is rarely ever followed. In a show of progress on that front, the House has separately moved to create a formal conference committee to resolve differences between three of the 12 regular House and Senate funding bills. The bill also includes millions of dollars to boost security for federal officials, as concerns have swirled in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It meets the Trump administration’s request for an additional $58 million for security for public officials — $30 million for the executive branch, and $28 million for the Supreme Court — plus a $30 million boost for members of Congress in an account to reimburse local law enforcement. But some members are looking for more funding, and Johnson forecast another stand-alone funding measure in October. “But of course, we have many more people serving here than in these other branches, and so we’ll have to address that, probably in another measure when we return in October,” Johnson said. The bill also includes a funding fix for the District of Columbia after an omission in a March CR left the nation’s capital with a $1 billion funding shortfall. Democrats have bashed the Republican bill over both process and content. They’ve criticized GOP leaders for heeding Trump’s request to craft a partisan bill, largely without Democratic input. And they’ve hammered the substance, saying the CR will gut a spectrum of federal health care programs and erode health coverage for millions of Americans. “Donald Trump and the Republican Party have launched an all-out assault on health care in this country,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said shortly before the vote. “It’s unacceptable, unconscionable, un-American. And Democrats are not going to stand for it at all.”

Government shutdown looms after Senate rejects House-passed stopgap funding billSenate Democrats on Friday blocked a House-passed bill to fund federal departments and agencies for seven weeks, putting Washington on the path to an Oct. 1 government shutdown. Democrats came together in near unison to defeat the measure on a 44-48 vote, with only Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) voting for the Republican-drafted proposal, which passed the House earlier Friday by a 217-212 vote. Two Republicans voted against the House-passed continuing resolution: Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), an outspoken fiscal hawk who argued it would prolong Biden-era spending levels, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), a centrist who has voiced grave concerns about the Medicaid cuts Trump signed into law earlier this year. Democrats blocked the resolution, which would fund government until Nov. 21, after Republicans defeated an alternative Democratic proposal to fund government until Oct. 31, extend health insurance subsidies and restore nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding cuts. The two failed votes leave Republican and Democratic leaders at loggerheads over how to avoid a government shutdown in only 11 days. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) put pressure on Democrats to support the House-passed stopgap funding measure, portraying it as the only bill that has a chance of getting President Trump’s signature to become law. “The Republican bill is a clean, nonpartisan, short-term continuing resolution to fund the government to give us time to do the full appropriations process,” he said on the floor. The GOP leader reiterated that he has no interest in meeting with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) to negotiate a compromise measure to keep the government open. “I made it very clear that I wanted the Senate to return to regular order consideration of appropriations bills. I was not and am not interested in funding government through last-minute backroom deals,” Thune said. Democrats are pressing Republicans to attach language to the continuing resolution to extend health care premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire at the end of the year. Schumer said Friday that Republicans would be responsible for a shutdown because they are refusing to negotiate with Democrats on the funding plan despite needing Democratic votes to pass it through the Senate. Schumer pointed out the government didn’t shut down under former President Biden and Democrats controlled the Senate majority because they were willing to negotiate. “When we were in the majority for four years, there was not a shutdown. Not one. Why? Because we did what you’re supposed to do — talk in a bipartisan negotiation, and each side has input,” he told Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso (Wyo.) during a heated moment on the Senate floor Friday. “We did it the right way. You are not,” he declared.

Congress leaving for recess with no deal to avoid shutdown - The Senate rejected dueling funding bills from Democrats and Republicans on Friday afternoon, pushing Congress to the brink of a shutdown with no deal in sight. Senate Republicans stuck together to defeat the Democratic funding patch, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars for health care programs and would have restored or protected some energy and climate funding. The vote was 47-45, with 60 affirmative votes needed for passage. Then, Senate Democrats voted to block the Republicans’ “clean” seven-week funding stopgap, which had passed out of the House about two hours earlier on a 217-212 vote, mostly along party lines. The Senate vote on the GOP plan was 44-48. The lack of consensus on how to keep agencies running past the Sept. 30 funding deadline bodes poorly for Congress’ ability to avoid a government shutdown. Lawmakers have less than two weeks to settle on a deal, and neither side appears willing to budge. Further, Congress has a scheduled recess next week, and House leaders on Friday canceled two days of the session before the end of the month to try to force Democrats to accept their CR. Neither Republican nor Democratic leaders have laid out next steps. “We will not rubber stamp Republicans’ continuing resolution that does nothing to fix the health care crisis that they’ve created,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chair of the House Democratic Caucus. On the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, “Democrats are yielding to the desires of their rabidly leftist base and are attempting to hold government funding hostage to a long list of partisan demands.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and most Senate Democrats had been signaling that they would not support the Republican proposal because it does not include hundreds of billions of dollars for health care programs and other Democratic priorities. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the only House Democrat to support the GOP bill, H.R. 5371, Friday morning.Democratic leaders offered an alternative CR this week, S. 2882, that would extend soon-to-expire health care subsidies, restore some funding that Republicans and the Trump administration have withheld or rescinded, and impose guardrails on the White House’s funding moves. It also aimed to protect some energy and climate funding.But for Republicans, all of those provisions were nonstarters. On social media Friday morning, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget said, “Democrats just can’t let go of the unpopular Green New Scam — even if it means shutting down the government over it.”Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) drew a contrast between Democratic and Republican demands. He said on the Senate floor that Democrats’ CR would restore funding for international clean energy financing that Republicans repealed over the summer as part of a rescissions package.“Republicans want to keep the government open, pay our troops here at home,” Barrasso said. “Democrats would rather fund climate projects overseas and are willing to shut down the government if we’re not willing to do that.”

Donald Trump warns Israel to be ‘very careful’ after Qatar strike | The Jerusalem Post -- US President Donald Trump told reporters that Qatar has been a great ally to the US and that Israel has to be "very careful," in response to a question on Sunday. Trump was responding to a reporter who asked him what is his message was to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel's strikes on Qatar.Trump answered that Israel has to be "very careful," noting that "they have to do something about Hamas," but that "Qatar has been a great ally to the US. A lot of people don't know that."Trump added that he believes the Qatari Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to be a "wonderful person" who needs "better public relations," as people talk about Qatar negatively.In Trump's opinion, people should not talk about Qatar negatively, as they have been a "very great ally," he continued, noting that "Israel and everybody else" has to be careful "when we attack people." Earlier on Sunday, The Jerusalem Post learned that the Trump administration is holding a new round of talks with Israeli and Qatari officials in an attempt to restart stalled negotiations over a hostage release agreement.Over the weekend, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Washington, where he met with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.According to two sources familiar with the talks, US officials stressed the need to “find a proper path” to resume negotiations.Despite a recent Israeli airstrike in Doha, Qatar remains committed to its mediation role, the Qatari prime minister said following his return to the Gulf state.In May, it was announced that the Trump administration was preparing to receive a Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari royal family.The gift is meant to serve as US President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One plane until he leaves office, at which point, it will be donated to the Trump presidential library foundation, a source familiar with the arrangement told ABC News at the time.

Qatar hosts Arab-Islamic emergency summit over Israeli strike on Doha - An emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic states is taking place in Qatar in response to Israel's air strike on Hamas leaders in Doha last week. A draft resolution seen by the Reuters news agency condemns what it calls Israel's "hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, [and] starvation", which it says threatens "prospects of peace and coexistence". Israel has strongly denied such allegations. It is not clear what practical decisions could be taken, as analysts say any kind of military response is out of the question. Earlier, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani urged the international community to stop applying "double standards" and to punish Israel. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said that "Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everybody else, we have to be careful. When we attack people we have to be careful." Departing for Israel on Saturday, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said Trump "didn't like the way [the Qatar attack] went down". After holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem the next day, Rubio said Hamas "needs to cease to exist as an armed element that can threaten the peace and security" in the Middle East.The Israeli strike on Qatar's capital was last week condemned by the UN Security Council."Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar," the 15-member council said in a statement. Israel defended its action, with President Isaac Herzog saying that the strike was necessary to "remove some of the people if they are not willing to get a deal" to end the war. Hamas said its negotiating team survived the Israeli strike on 9 September - but five of its members were killed, including the son of the group's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. A Qatari security officer was also killed. Qatar has played a key role in brokering diplomatic efforts to end the war, serving as a mediator of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel. It has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and is a close US ally, hosting a large American airbase in the desert near Doha.

Netanyahu reaffirms U.S. alliance as Rubio visits Jerusalem after Qatar strikes — Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Israel sends a “clear message” of support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, as it emerged that a key Qatari negotiator narrowly avoided an Israeli strike because their meeting was delayed.Rubio landed in Jerusalem on Sunday seeking answers from Israel after its unprecedented attack on Hamas leaders inside Qatar, another key American partner in the Middle East. The Trump administration has sought to distance itself from the strike, which has outraged regional powers and could have escalated even further.Qatar’s key negotiator, who regularly talks to both Israel and Hamas, was due to be at the villa that Israel struck last Tuesday, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told NBC News. At the last moment his meeting with Hamas was delayed, they said.Rubio said Saturday that the U.S. was unhappy about the attack on the building in Qatar’s capital, Doha, but Netanyahu emphasized the enduring U.S.-Israel alliance as the two spoke to reporters.“America has no better ally than Israel, and of course, Israel has no better ally than America,” he said, adding that President Donald Trump is the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had in the White House. “Your visit to Israel today is a clear message that the United States stands with Israel,” he said to Rubio.Rubio, too, promised “unwavering support” for Israel’s goals in Gaza, saying Hamas must be “eliminated” and the hostages returned “immediately.” “As much as we may wish that there’d be a sort of a peaceful, diplomatic way to end it, and we’ll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that that’s not going to happen,” he added.Despite the public show of unity, Rubio's trip underlines Washington’s delicate effort to balance relations with key allies while managing the fallout of the attack.Rubio will travel to Qatar on Tuesday after meeting with Netanyahu in Israel, then make his way to the U.K., according to a senior State Department official.On Sunday, Qatar began hosting a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in the wake of the strikes, which drew condemnation from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other regional powers.

Rubio, in Israel, Says a Diplomatic Solution to Gaza War May Not be Possible - The New York Times - Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast doubt on the chances of negotiating the surrender of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying during a visit to Israel on Monday that a diplomatic deal to end the war in Gaza might not be possible. Mr. Rubio spoke at a news conference alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel after the two men met for several hours. His comments struck a more pessimistic tone than that of President Trump, who earlier this month said that a deal to stop the fighting in Gaza could come “very soon.” While making clear that the United States would still pursue a peace settlement, Mr. Rubio said Hamas is “a terrorist group, a barbaric group, whose stated mission is the destruction of the Jewish state. So we’re not counting on that happening.” His remarks were in harmony with those of Mr. Netanyahu, who reiterated that Israel “must make sure Hamas is eliminated.” At the end of the news conference, Mr. Netanyahu said he would prefer a Hamas “surrender” to continued fighting if possible, while saying nothing about the status of negotiations with the group. Mr. Rubio made clear that with regards to the war, “the president wants this to be finished,” with the hostages released and Hamas defeated. Israel believes that about 20 hostages are still alive in Gaza. Hamas has shown no willingness to lay down its arms. And Mr. Netanyahu, whom critics accuse of prolonging the war to extend his political career, shows no signs of compromising in his pursuit of a total victory over Hamas. Some tensions have emerged between Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Trump about the Gaza war and Israel’s recent strike against Hamas leaders in the Gulf nation of Qatar. The State Department announced that Mr. Rubio will travel to Qatar on Tuesday. Despite those tensions, Mr. Rubio and the Israeli premier seemed determined to present a unified front. “It’s obvious that Israel has no better ally than America,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “The American-Israeli alliance has never been as strong as it is now.” Still, it remains unclear whether Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Trump are in full agreement on the conduct of the war in Gaza. Eager to cast himself as a peacemaker, Mr. Trump has promised to broker a cease-fire that would free the remaining hostages. But his diplomacy has come up short, and Israel is now preparing a major military offensive in Gaza City that is likely to prolong the fighting for months. There were growing signs that a ground invasion of Gaza City could begin soon. On Sunday, the Israeli military intensified airstrikes on the city and attacked four more high-rise buildings that it said were being used by Hamas. Both Mr. Rubio and Mr. Netanyahu dodged questions on Monday about whether they had discussed the planned offensive. Israel’s leader defended its objective, saying that Gaza City was Hamas’s most important remaining stronghold. “We’re going to take over and destroy the Hamas stronghold,” Mr. Netanyahu said. Mr. Rubio had declined to say on Saturday whether Mr. Trump supports that goal. Israel has issued evacuation orders for the city and more than 300,000 Palestinians have fled in the past two weeks, according to the Israeli military. Aid organizations have warned that the displacement of hundreds of thousands more people to already crowded areas of central and southern Gaza will exacerbate the severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where hunger is rampant. “No place is safe in Gaza. No one is safe,” Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, wrote on social media on Sunday as people fleeing Gaza City clogged the coastal road with traffic. “More and more people are forced to leave, disoriented and uncertain, heading into the unknown,” Mr. Lazzarini added. Gaza’s Civil Defense, the territory’s rescue service, has reported dozens killed in Gaza City over the past two weeks, since Israel declared the large urban area a combat zone and began bombing in preparation for a full-scale ground assault. At their news conference on Monday, Mr. Rubio and Mr. Netanyahu condemned growing international calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state. The governments of Britain, France, Canada, Belgium and Australia have all said in recent weeks that they will or may recognize such a state at the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York next week. Mr. Rubio dismissed the idea as symbolic and said it would only make Hamas “feel more emboldened.” He warned that a fresh push for Palestinian statehood could provoke an Israeli backlash — a likely reference to recent calls by right-wing Israeli ministers for the annexation of the West Bank in response. Mr. Netanyahu, who vowed last week that “there will be no Palestinian state,” offered a similar assessment.

Rubio backs Israel in goal to eradicate Hamas as diplomacy falters - The Japan Times - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday backed Israel's new offensive on Gaza City and its goal of eradicating Hamas, casting doubt on whether diplomacy would work to end nearly two years of war. Rubio showed no daylight between himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem, despite President Donald Trump chiding Israel a week earlier for carrying out air strikes on Hamas leaders in U.S. partner Qatar. "The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated," Rubio told reporters at a joint news conference with Netanyahu. "You can count on our unwavering support," he said. Rubio also took a dim view of the Qatari-brokered negotiations for a ceasefire, despite Trump last month predicting an end to the war within weeks. He called Hamas, whose unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war, "barbaric animals." "As much as we may wish that there be a sort of a peaceful, diplomatic way to end it, and we'll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that that's not going to happen," Rubio said. Rubio will travel to Doha on Tuesday, the State Department said, to "reaffirm America's full support" for the Gulf state's sovereignty — words he did not use in front of Netanyahu. Trump told reporters in Washington that Netanyahu "won't be hitting in Qatar" again. Qatar is home to the largest U.S. air base in the region and has assiduously courted Trump, including with a gift of a luxury plane. Netanyahu said Rubio's visit was a "clear message" the United States stood with Israel, and called Trump "the greatest friend that Israel has ever had." Rubio's visit comes a week before France will lead a U.N. summit in which a number of U.S. allies, angered by what they see as Israeli intransigence, plan to recognize a Palestinian state. Rubio called statehood recognition, which is fervently opposed by Netanyahu's right-wing government, "largely symbolic" and alleged that it "emboldened" Hamas to take a hard line. "It's actually hurting the cause they think they're furthering," Rubio said. Netanyahu warned that Israel may take unspecified "unilateral steps" in response to recognition of a Palestinian state. Far-right members of Netanyahu's Cabinet have called for annexation of the West Bank to preclude a state, triggering protests by the United Arab Emirates, which took the landmark step of recognizing Israel five years ago Monday. Rubio met privately with hostages' families, who have campaigned hard for their release. Of the 251 people taken hostage by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead. In a highly symbolic step, Rubio late Monday attended the inauguration of a tunnel for religious tourists that goes underneath the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan to the holy sites. Fakhri Abu Diab, 63, a community spokesman in Silwan, said Rubio should instead come to see homes, such as his own, that have been demolished by Israel in what Palestinians charge is a targeted campaign to erase them. "Instead of siding with international law, the United States is going the way of extremists and the far right and ignoring our history," he said. The inauguration was closed to press, but Rubio, a devout Catholic, wrote on X that the so-called Pilgrimage Road reflected an "enduring cultural and historical bond between the United States and Israel" and the "Judeo-Christian values that inspired America's founding fathers."

Rubio urges Qatar to keep helping with Gaza as Israel batters enclave (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday called on Qatar to continue to play a constructive role in resolving the Gaza conflict, speaking in Jerusalem on the same day that Arab leaders were meeting in Doha to respond to an Israeli strike. Qatar, a U.S. ally which has been co-mediating talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was angered last week by Israel's attack on its capital, which targeted Hamas leaders who reside there. Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his office in Jerusalem, Rubio said Qatar could help reach the goals of releasing all 48 hostages still held in Gaza, disarming Hamas and building a better future for Gazans. "And so we're going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard," he said. Netanyahu, who has not backed down an inch since the Doha strike drew widespread condemnation, said he did not rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders "wherever they are". While diplomacy was unfolding in Jerusalem and Doha, Israeli forces were continuing their assault on Gaza City, where they killed at least 16 Palestinians in strikes on two homes and on a tent housing a displaced family, local health authorities said. \ The army also hit and destroyed a 16-floor building in the west of the city, believed to be the tallest in the Gaza Strip, about an hour after warning displaced families sheltering inside and nearby to leave. It said the building was being used to hide "terrorist infrastructure." Rubio gave strong backing to Israel, which has grown increasingly isolated on the world stage because of widespread indignation at the enormous death toll in Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian and hunger crisis in the Palestinian enclave. President Donald Trump has said he wanted the war in Gaza to end soon and all the hostages to be released, but Washington has not taken any steps to oppose Netanyahu's plan to keep fighting to take full control of the territory and eliminate Hamas. "As much as we may wish that there be a peaceful, diplomatic way to end it, and we'll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that's not going to happen," said Rubio, calling Hamas "savage terrorists". Israeli strikes from the air and the ground on several areas of Gaza City spread panic and prompted thousands to flee encampments set up in streets and open areas, witnesses said. Israel says the offensive to take control of the city is part of a plan to defeat Hamas for good, and that it has warned civilians to head south to a designated humanitarian zone. However, the U.N. and numerous countries say its tactics amount to forced mass displacement and that conditions in the humanitarian zone are dire, with food in short supply. "Do you know what is displacement? It is extracting the soul from your body, it is humiliation and another form of death," said Ghada, 50, a mother of five from Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City who was refusing to leave. "They tell us to go south, and when we do, there is no guarantee they won't bomb us there, so why bother?" she said via a chat app. Three more Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the territory's health ministry said on Monday, raising deaths from such causes to at least 425 people, including 145 children, since the war started. Israeli forces have been operating in at least four eastern suburbs for weeks, of which three have been largely razed. They are advancing on the centre and appear poised to move towards the west, where most of the displaced are sheltering. According to Hamas, at least 350,000 people have fled their homes, while 1,600 residential buildings and 13,000 tents have been destroyed, since August 11, the day after Netanyahu announced plans to take control of Gaza City. It was not possible to verify the figures independently. Images circulating on social media suggested that the flow of people moving southwards had accelerated. In Doha, leaders were set to warn that Israel's attack in Qatar threatened coexistence and efforts to normalise ties in the region, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters. At least one ordinary Palestinian was dismissive. "We have never placed much hope in Arab leaders and their summits," said Ahmed Nemer, 45, from Gaza City. "The final statement is written by the Americans or is vetted by the Americans, so what can we expect?"

Netanyahu Says Trump Invited Him To Visit the White House for the Fourth Time This Year - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that President Trump has invited him to visit the White House, which would mark the Israeli leader’s fourth visit to Washington this year as the Trump administration continues to strongly back Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and other military action across the region.Netanyahu said the visit will take place on September 29, three days after he is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York. His announcement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel.President Trump was asked on Tuesday about Israel’s offensive on Gaza City, which is happening amid a famine in the city due to the Israeli siege. While the US is supporting the assault by providing military aid and political support, Trump claimed ignorance.When asked if he supported the start of Israel’s ground offensive, Trump said, “Well, I have to see, I mean, I don’t know too much about it. I can tell you that if they put the hostages in front of them, Hamas, as protection, they call them bodyguards, Hamas is going to have hell to pay.”

Half of Americans Believe Israel ‘Has Gone Too Far’ in Gaza - A new poll shows that half of Americans say Israel’s onslaught in Gaza has gone too far. Israel has killed at least 65,000 Palestinians, and hundreds of thousands of people have been pushed into a state of famine. The AP-NORC survey asked Americans if Israel’s military operations in Gaza had “gone too far.” 49% of respondents said Israel had gone too far, while only 12% replied Israel had “not gone far enough.”Several international organizations have deemed Israel to be committing the crime of genocide. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Bernie Sanders are among a small number of American lawmakers who have said Israel is conducting a genocide in Gaza. On Tuesday, an independent UN inquiry released a report concluding that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Navi Pillay, head of the Commission of Inquiry, said, “The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza.” Over the past 23 months, Israel has reduced most of the Strip to rubble. The Gaza Health Ministry has recorded 65,000 deaths. The true death toll is unclear as tens of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be dead under the rubble.

Trump Administration Clears First Arms Packages for Ukraine Funded by NATO Allies - President Trump’s War Department has approved the first weapons packages that will be sent to Ukraine under a new NATO initiative that involves US allies funding the shipment of US weapons into the proxy war,Reuters reported on Tuesday.So far, NATO allies have pledged about $2 billion to the initiative, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). Sources told Reuters that Elbridge Colby, the War Department’s policy chief, has approved as many as two $500 million weapons shipments for Ukraine under PURL.The sources did not detail the types of weapons that will be sent to Ukraine under the PURL initiative, besides saying that it will include air defenses. The report said the weapons will be sent to Ukraine from US military stockpiles.The Trump administration has continued to ship weapons packages to Ukraine that were previously approved by the Biden administration and has approved several weapons sales for Ukraine, including one that’s partially funded by US military aid and will arm Ukrainian forces with long-range cruise missiles.News of the approval of the PURL shipments comes as a peace deal to end the Ukraine war seems increasingly unlikely despite the recent summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the two sides remain very far apart on the terms. President Trump and his top officials also seem willing to continue supporting the war as long as the US’s NATO allies commit to more funding. Vice President JD Vance recently said that the US was “done” with funding the conflict, but said if the Europeans “want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers, we’re okay with that, but we’re not going to fund it ourselves anymore.”

Trump's Ukraine Envoy Says the US Could 'Kick Russia's Ass' - Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, had strong words for Russia at a conference held in Ukraine, saying that the US could “kick Russia’s ass,” Remix News has reported. Kellogg made the comments in the context of a conversation he had in the Oval Office about Russia’s military might. “They were talking about the primacy of the Russian military and how they were, you know, pretty good. And I said to the people in the room, we’d kick their ass,” Kellogg said at theYES Annual Meeting in Kyiv on September 12.“What I mean by that is don’t take their statements at face value. They’re not as good as Putin says they are, and for that, I give great credit to the Ukrainian military because they’ve knocked them down a couple notches,” Kellogg added. He brushed off the fact that Russia was a nuclear-armed power, pointing to the fact that the US and its allies also have nuclear weapons.The US envoy also claimed that Ukraine would win the war despite the fact that Russia continues to make gains in eastern Ukraine and has the clear advantage when it comes to manpower and weapons supplies. “Ukraine will not lose this war. Ukrainians have a moral superiority over Russia, that’s obvious,” he said.Kellogg said that both he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine recently advised President Trump that Russia is not winning the war.“If Putin thinks Russia is winning, his definition of winning and my definition of winning are absolutely two different things,” Kellogg said. “If he was winning, he’d be in Kyiv. If he’s winning, he’d be west of the Dnipro River. If he was winning, he’d be on Odessa. If he was winning, he would have changed the government. Russia is, in fact, losing this war.”Kellogg called Russia a “junior partner” of China and claimed that if Beijing cut off Moscow, the “war would end tomorrow.” The Trump administration has failed to get either India or China to reduce its trade relationship with Russia despite the threats of tariffs and sanctions.

Trump says he’s trying to get Bagram Air Base back from Taliban in Afghanistan *President Trump said he is aiming to regain control of Bagram Air Base, which has been under Taliban control since U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. “We gave it to them for nothing. We’re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news, we’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” Trump said Thursday of the base. “We want that base back but one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he added. The president, while speaking at a press conference in the United Kingdom with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, did not expand on plans to get the base in U.S. hands and did not explain what he meant by the Taliban needing “things” from the U.S. The base was the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan and fell to the Taliban during the chaotic withdrawal under the Biden administration. Trump in February asserted the U.S. should have kept control of the base and claimed that China’s People’s Liberation Army had taken control of it, which China previously denied. The Taliban last week said it reached an agreement on a detainee swap as part of its efforts to normalize the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship, The Associated Press reported. Talks included Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Trump’s special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler. Trump has been critical of the 2021 departure, which he set in motion in 2020 when he negotiated and signed a deal with the Taliban committing to an earlier timeline for the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Former President Biden delayed the withdrawal by a few months before following through on the exit in August 2021, when 13 U.S. service members were killed by a suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul.

Trump Says He Is Trying to Get Bagram Air Base Back from the Taliban - President Donald Trump said he was working to reestablish America’s largest military base in Afghanistan. While Trump negotiated an agreement with the Taliban to end the Afghan War, he has argued that President Joe Biden made a mistake by withdrawing from the Bagram Air Base. While discussing Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump explainedthat the US made a mistake by withdrawing from the Bagram Air Base, and he had planned to keep the facility. However, Trump signed an agreement with the Taliban to end the Afghan War and withdraw from the country. Trump says he is now working to establish the military facility. “We gave it to them for nothing. We’re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news, we’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” The President said Thursday. While Trump did not elaborate on what he may offer the Taliban, the US maintains crippling economic sanctions on Afghanistan, and the country faces intense poverty. The President went on to say that the base will give the US a military position near China’s nuclear weapons facility. “We want that base back but one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he added. It’s unclear how the Taliban will respond to Trump’s proposal to reoccupy part of Afghanistan. Last week, Washington made a prisoner exchange deal with the Taliban that is part of a larger effort to normalize US-Afghan relations. Shortly after invading Afghanistan, US and allied forces took control of Bagram from the Taliban and expanded the facility. It became the largest US military facility in the country. Biden withdrew from Bagram in August 2021, and the Taliban resumed control.

US Takes Credit for Somalia Airstrike That Locals Say Killed Prominent Clan Elder - US Africa Command on Wednesday announced that its forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia’s northern Sanag region on September 13, the same day locals say a prominent clan elder was killed by a drone strike in the area.According to Somali media reports, Abdullahi Omar Abdi was killed while traveling toward Badhan, a town administered by the semi-autonomous Puntland region. AFRICOM said that the airstrike was launched near Badhan and claimed it targeted an al-Shabaab arms dealer, but according toHiiraan Online, relatives of Abdi deny that he has any ties to al-Shabaab.In comments to the Somali Guardian, a regional elder described Abdi as a “respected figure involved in peacebuilding and mediation. There is no clear reason why he would be targeted militarily.” The report noted that airstrikes are rare in the Sanag region while the US frequently launches them in the neighboring Bari region, where the US is backing local Puntland forces in a war against an ISIS affiliate.Somali Guardian also reported that the killing of Abdi sparked protests and that locals were blaming the UAE, which occasionally launched airstrikes in Somalia. Locals tied Abdi’s killing to his opposition to a controversial deal between Puntland authorities and the UAE that would grant Abu Dhabi access to the region’s gold and mineral resources.Locals and regional police reported that Abdi’s car was hit with three missiles and that he was traveling alone at the time of the attack. AFRICOM shared no details about the strike other than claiming it targeted an al-Shabaab weapons dealer. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” the command said. Antiwar.com asked AFRICOM if it was aware of the reports of a clan leader being killed and asked if it would investigate if civilians were harmed in the strike, and has yet to receive a reply. The US has dramatically increased its airstrikes in Somalia this year, both against the ISIS affiliate in Puntland and against al-Shabaab in central and southern Somalia. The September 13 strike marks at least the 78th US airstrike in Somalia so far this year.

Army reveals US mid-range Typhon missiles in Japan for first time -The U.S. Army unveiled a midrange Typhon missile system on a Japanese base Monday for the first time, a couple of weeks after China showcased its military strength in a parade on the 80th anniversary of World War II. The missile system was revealed during the annual bilateral exercise Resolute Dragon, a military practice that occurs to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the allied countries, which started Thursday and will end Sept. 25. More than 19,000 U.S. and Japanese service members are participating in the exercise by rehearsing crisis response and contingency operations, with a focus on controlling and defending key maritime terrain, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Delivered last month to the U.S. base in Iwakuni, the missile system is capable of firing the Standard Missile-6 and the Tomahawk cruise missiles. The missile showcase follows its deployment in the Philippines last year. Russia and China criticized the U.S., accusing the country of fuelling an arms race. During the annual exercise, no missiles will be fired. Its deployment to the military base in Iwakuni is only for the exercise. “Integrating this system into Resolute Dragon affords us the opportunity to conduct tough and realistic training with our partners,” Col. Wade Germann, commander of the task force that operates the missile system, said in a televised conference in Japan. “Through employing multiple systems and different types of munitions, it is able to create dilemmas for the enemy.” Iwakuni is a part of a string of military bases and territories stretching from Japan through the Philippines; the growth in military equipment counters China’s growing missile arsenal as the country attempts to prop up itself up on the global stage.

Trump Rejects $400 Million Aid Package for Taiwan, Wants Taipei to Buy American Weapons - President Donald Trump refused to approve a proposed arms package to Taiwan. Trump views the breakaway Chinese region as prosperous enough to purchase American arms. Five sources speaking with The Washington Post confirmed that Trump had rejected a $400 million military aid package for Taiwan. The source described the proposed assistance as “more lethal” than the arms given to Taipei under President Joe Biden. Last year, Congress gave Washington $1 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority funds for Taiwan. The PDA allows the President to send arms from US stockpiles directly to foreign countries. Biden used $571 million to send weapons to Taipei before leaving office, meaning Trump could send Taiwan about $430 million in arms before the US fiscal year ends at the end of September. While President Biden officially used the PDA to transfer US arms to Ukraine and Taiwan, Trump has been a vocal opponent of military aid. Trump has also stopped using the PDA to arm Kiev, but has allowed NATO countries to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. Sources told The Post another reason Trump did not sign off on the military aid package is that he believes it will help facilitate a trade agreement with China. Last month, US and Taiwanese officials met to discuss an arms sale. The Post reports that the sale would involve “asymmetric” military equipment, including drones, missiles, and sensors. Taipei is planning to pass a supplemental defense spending bill to pay for the weapons. A Congressional aide told the outlet that the White House notified the Capitol of a potential $500 million arms sale to Taiwan this week. The sources speaking with The Post also said that Trump was hesitant to approve the aid package to Taiwan as he looks to make a trade deal with China. Beijing views Taipei as a renegade region of China. Beijing views Washington’s giving arms to Taipei as a violation of the “One China Policy” and encouraging Taiwanese independence.

Trump orders another strike on Venezuela drug traffickers - President Trump said Monday the U.S. had carried out another military strike targeting what he said were “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela” in international waters, further escalating his war on drug traffickers. “This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump posted on Truth Social, along with an accompanying video of a military strike targeting a boat floating on the water. Trump asserted the boat was transporting illegal drugs “headed to the U.S.” The strike killed three individuals, Trump said, and no U.S. forces were harmed. “Be warned — if you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you!” Trump posted. The Trump administration earlier this month carried out a similar strike targeting what it said was a drug vessel in the Caribbean that the president said was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang from Venezuela that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization. That strike killed 11 people on board. The deadly strike raised questions about the government’s authority to carry out strikes at sea, and it has prompted pushback from even some Republicans who have questioned the legal justification for the approach. “Maybe [the boat] was coming here. Maybe it wasn’t. But nobody’s even asking whether we need to prove that. We just blow them up,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told reporters after the first strike.

Trump orders third strike on alleged narcotrafficking boat - President Trump said on Friday that he ordered another strike on a ship in the Caribbean allegedly transporting narcotics, the third such attack this month. “On my Orders, the Secretary of War ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump wrote in a Friday evening post on Truth Social, claiming intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics. The president also said the vessel was traveling along a “known” narcotrafficking passage in an effort to “poison Americans.” “The strike killed 3 male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel, which was in international waters,” Trump wrote. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. The deadly attack marks the third operation in September. Trump ordered, and the military carried out, similar strikes on Sept. 2 and Sept. 15 in the Caribbean as part of Trump’s efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking. Trump says the boats are connected to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, now designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. The U.S. has said the three strikes have resulted in 17 deaths. Venezuelan authorities say the ship struck by American forces on Sept. 2 was not carrying gang members. Experts have accused the administration of violating international law by effectively executing individuals on the boat without due process or any proof of an immediate threat to the country. Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Tim Kaine (Va.) this week introduced a new resolution under the War Powers Act that would stop U.S. military strikes against boats from Venezuela. “Congress alone holds the power to declare war,” Schiff said Friday in a statement. “And while we share with the executive branch the imperative of preventing and deterring drugs from reaching our shores, blowing up boats without any legal justification risks dragging the United States into another war and provoking unjustified hostilities against our own citizens.”

Trump Says the US Has Bombed Three Boats Near Venezuela - President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the US has “knocked off” a total of three boats in the Caribbean as the US military campaign near Venezuela continues.The president previously announced the bombing of two boats near Venezuela that he claimed were carrying drugs, without providing evidence, and released footage of the strikes. “We knocked off actually three boats, not two, but you saw two,” Trump said.He made the comments when asked what message he wanted to send to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. “Stop sending Tren de Aragua into the United States, stop sending drugs into the United States,” he said.The Trump administration has claimed that Maduro controls the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TDA), but that contradicts a declassified US intelligence assessment. “The Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States,” a memo from the Office of the Director of Intelligence, dated April 7, 2025, reads.The Trump administration launched the campaign against Venezuela despite the country’s willingness to cooperate on prisoner swaps and deportations. Maduro said on Monday that communications with the US have been “thrown away,” though he said the two countries are still in contact to facilitate the return of Venezuelans from the US.“The communications with the government of the U.S. have been thrown away, they have been thrown away by them with their threats of bombs, death, and blackmail,” Maduro said.The Venezuelan leader also said that the US policy amounted to “aggression” against Venezuela. Other Venezuelan officials have suggested that the US may be trying to provoke a response from Venezuela to justify another military escalation. Media reports have said that the US is considering launching strikes against alleged cartel targets inside Venezuela, and Trump has not ruled out the possibility.

U.S. Jets Deployed to Guyana as Oil Boom Raises Caribbean Stakes -The U.S. has deployed fighter jets to Guyana, drawing its military footprint into the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil province as tensions with neighboring Venezuela escalate, as Washington adjusts its regional posture to accommodate the changing balance of power in the south Caribbean due to newfound oil wealth. The move comes as ExxonMobil and partners Hess and CNOOC continue expanding production from Guyana’s Stabroek block, which already exceeds 650,000 barrels per day and is forecast to reach 1.3 million bpd by 2027. That trajectory has made the country the hottest new oil frontier, with output rivaling OPEC members despite Guyana’s population of under 1 million. Any instability in its offshore zone has immediate global implications, with light sweet crude from Stabroek commanding strong premiums in Atlantic Basin markets. Venezuela has revived claims over the Essequibo region, which comprises two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and lies adjacent to offshore oil fields. Caracas has staged military exercises near the border and raised threats to halt oil projects it views as contested. In his latest response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned that any U.S. aggression would trigger “a stage of armed struggle,” casting Washington’s deployments as a direct challenge to Venezuelan sovereignty. The deployment also comes just days after President Irfaan Ali secured a second term in Guyana’s elections, reinforcing a mandate built on expanding the benefits of oil production for the population. His administration has tied new spending on infrastructure and social programs to petroleum revenues, with voters backing continuity in energy policy. Reuters separately reported that the Pentagon has been repositioning assets in the Caribbean, including F-35s in Puerto Rico, as part of a broader counter-narcotics mission. While officials frame deployments in that context, analysts note that the geography of operations directly overlaps with Guyana’s offshore sector, where more than 30 discoveries have been made since 2015.

US and UK expected to sign nuclear energy deal during Trump visit -- The U.S. and U.K. are expected to sign a deal to bolster nuclear energy as President Trump travels to Britain. A press release from the British embassy says the new arrangements will “turbocharge” the buildout of nuclear plants and are expected to speed up the time it takes for nuclear reactors to be licensed. Commercial agreements between U.S. and British companies are also expected to be announced, including a deal between X-Energy and Centrica to build 12 reactors in England. Meanwhile, Holtec, EDF and Tritax are expected to announce a deal for data centers powered by nuclear energy, and Last Energy and DP World agreed to establish what was described as a “micro modular” nuclear power plant. Nuclear energy is a potential subject of agreement between the Trump administration and the U.K. It is carbon-free, meaning it could be a tool for combating climate change. “This landmark UK-US nuclear partnership is not just about powering our homes, it’s about powering our economy, our communities, and our ambition,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a statement. “These major commitments set us well on course to a golden age of nuclear that will drive down household bills in the long run, while delivering thousands of good jobs in the short term. ” U.S. conservatives also support nuclear power because it is “dispatchable,” meaning it does not depend on the weather and provides a boost to the U.S. mining industry.

New Bill Would Give Marco Rubio “Thought Police” Power to Revoke U.S. Passports -In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stripped Turkish doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk of her visa based on what a court later found was nothing more than her opinion piece critical of Israel. Now, a bill introduced by the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is ringing alarm bells for civil liberties advocates who say it would grant Rubio the power to revoke the passports of American citizens on similar grounds. The provision, sponsored by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., as part of a larger State Department reorganization, is set for a hearing Wednesday. Mast’s legislation says that it takes aim at “terrorists and traffickers,” but critics say it could be used to deny American citizens the right to travel based solely on their speech. (The State Department said it doesn’t comment on pending legislation.) Seth Stern, the director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said the bill would open the door to “thought policing at the hands of one individual.”“Marco Rubio has claimed the power to designate people terrorist supporters based solely on what they think and say,” Stern said, “even if what they say doesn’t include a word about a terrorist organization or terrorism.”Mast, for his part, has publicly voiced his support for “kicking terrorist sympathizers out of our country.” At the time, he was talking about deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian green-card holder who the Trump administration detained and attempted to deport based on what critics of the move said were his pro-Palestine views. Mast’s new bill claims to target a narrow set of people. One section grants the secretary of state the power to revoke or refuse to issue passports for people who have been convicted of — or merely charged with — material support for terrorism. (Mast’s office did not respond to a request for comment.)Kia Hamadanchy, a senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, said that language would accomplish little in practice, since terror convictions come with stiff prison sentences and pre-trial defendants are typically denied bail.The other section sidesteps the legal process entirely. Rather, the secretary of state would be able to deny passports to people whom they determine “has knowingly aided, assisted, abetted, or otherwise provided material support to an organization the Secretary has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.” The reference to “material support” disturbed advocates who have long warned that the government can misuse statutes criminalizing “material support” for terrorists — first passed after the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing and toughened after the 9/11 attacks — to punish speech. Some of those fears have been borne out. The Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that even offering advice about international law to designated terror groups could be classified as material support.The government even deemed a woman who was kidnapped and forced to cook and clean for Salvadoran guerrillas a material supporter of terrorism, in order to justify her deportation. Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, pro-Israel lawmakers and activists have ratcheted up attempts to expand the scope and use of anti-terror laws. The Anti-Defamation League and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law suggested in a letter last year that Students for Justice in Palestine was providing “material support” for Hamas through its on-campus activism.Lawmakers also tried to pass a “nonprofit killer” bill that would allow the treasury secretary to strip groups of their charitable status if they are deemed a “terrorist-supporting organization.” The bill was beaten back by a coalition of nonprofit groups, most recently during the debate over the so-called Big, Beautiful Bill.Mast’s bill contains eerily similar language, Stern said.“This is an angle that lawmakers on the right seem intent on pursuing — whether through last year’s nonprofit killer bill, or a bill like this,” Stern said.The provision particularly threatens journalists, Stern said. He noted that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in November 2023 demanded a Justice Department “national security investigation” of The Associated Press, CNN, New York Times, and Reuters over freelance photographers’ images of the October 7 attacks. Rubio also revoked Öztürk’s visa on what appears to be nothing more than an op-ed she wrote for the Tufts University student newspaper in 2024 — which did not mention Hamas — calling on the school to divest from companies tied to Israel. Since taking office, Rubio has also added groups to the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations at a blistering pace, focusing largely on gangs and drug cartels that were previously the domain of the criminal legal system.

GOP Rep. Backtracks on Bill to Let Rubio Revoke U.S. Passports -A top Republican lawmaker in the House of Representatives is backtracking on a proposal that would have given Secretary of State Marco Rubio the power to revoke American citizens’ passports if he decides they have provided “material support” to terrorists. The proposal from Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., sparked a backlash from civil society groups after he introduced it as part of a larger State Department reorganization bill last week. On Sunday, after The Intercept’s coverage sparked widespread opposition, Mast introduced a manager’s amendment that would strip the provision from the bill he introduced days before. The manager’s amendment itself must still be approved at a Wednesday hearing to apply to the larger House bill, which itself faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Civil liberties supporters celebrated Monday, after warning last week that the bill endangered the right to travel freely. One advocate had warned that it essentially granted the secretary of state “thought police” power. “It’s a really great thing that this provision got struck” said Kia Hamadanchy, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “It was hugely problematic, created a huge risk of abuse, of politicized enforcement.”A Foreign Affairs Committee spokesperson said in a statement to The Intercept that the language “shouldn’t be controversial.”“This provision is just one small part of a larger comprehensive, State Department Authorization Act that the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced last week,” the spokesperson said. Confirming the move to withdraw the provision, the spokesperson said that “the committee will not allow this distraction to overshadow the bipartisan effort to restore command and control of the State Department to the Secretary.”Under Mast’s original proposal, the secretary of state would have been empowered to refuse or revoke passports of people they deem to have materially supported terrorists. Activists were especially concerned the provision could be used against critics of Israel, given Rubio’s aggressive move to revoke green cards and student visas from noncitizens who have publicly demonstrated support for Palestinians.Mast’s amendment would also remove a provision that would allow the secretary of state to revoke passports for people who have been convicted or charged of material support of designated terror groups.

Pentagon updates grooming rules for service members -- The Pentagon on Monday unveiled new grooming standards, which now require service members “to be clean shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance.”Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement Monday that following “a rapid force-wide review of military standards” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “recently directed the Services to implement the following grooming standards for facial hair.” “The grooming standard set by the U.S. military is to be clean shaven and neat in presentation for a proper military appearance,” Hegseth said in a quote in Parnell’s statement.Earlier this month, President Trump signed an order to change the name of the Department of Defense into the “Department of War,” framing the change-up as a sign of American strength. He also suggested that prior lengthy wars under the old moniker were caused by political correctness.The president signed an executive order that allowed the department’s name change and for Hegseth’s title to change to secretary of War. A permanent name change will require an act of Congress.“Commanders must apply consistent criteria and appropriately consider the Department’s interests in safety and uniformity when authorizing individual exceptions,” Parnell said in his Monday statement“Military medical officers will provide a written recommendation concerning a shaving waiver to the commander who is the final approval authority. Service members with an approved shaving waiver will participate in a medical treatment plan,” he added.

Trump weighs in on ‘terrible reports’ of Dallas man’s beheading -President Trump on Sunday weighed in on the “terrible reports” of a Texas man’s beheading and pledged to pursue justice for the victim and his family, who were allegedly forced to witness the brutal killing. “I am aware of the terrible reports regarding the murder of Chandra Nagamallaiah, a well respected person in Dallas, Texas, who was brutally beheaded, in front of his wife and son, by an ILLEGAL ALIEN from Cuba who should have never been in our Country,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump said the suspect, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, was previously charged with crimes including child sex abuse, grand theft of a motor vehicle and false imprisonment. He accused the Biden administration of allowing him to enter the country. “This criminal, who we have in custody, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. He will be charged with murder in the first degree!” Trump added. The Dallas Police Department arrested Cobos-Martinez on murder charges on Wednesday at a motel in Dallas. He is accused of using a machete to behead a local merchant in front of his wife and child, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE has lodged a detainer with the Dallas County Jail, where the suspect is being held, for his federal arrest and removal. “This vile monster beheaded this man in front of his wife and child and proceeded to kick the victims’ head on the ground. This gruesome, savage slaying of a victim at a motel by Yordanis Cobos-Martinez was completely preventable if this criminal illegal alien was not released into our country by the Biden Administration since Cuba would not take him back,” Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement Friday.

Immigration judge orders Mahmoud Khalil to be deported to Algeria or Syria -- An immigration judge ordered that a former pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University, Mahmoud Khalil, be deported to either Algeria or Syria for not disclosing certain information on his green card application. “This Court further finds that the Respondent understood the consequences and that the candid disclosure of his affiliations might lead to an additional line of questioning and the ultimate denial of his application for conditional permanent residency. This Court finds that Respondent’s lack of candor on his I-485 was not an oversight by an uninformed, uneducated applicant. This Court finds that the Respondent’s purposeful, non-disclosure was not a misrepresentation by another which imputed consequences to the Respondent,” immigration judge Jamee Comans said in her order. “Rather, this Court finds that Respondent willfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his application would be denied,” Comans said. “This Court cannot and will not condone such an action by granting a discretionary waiver. To do so, would encourage future applicants to take the gamble of materially misrepresenting facts and then seeking a waiver if it is somehow discovered by the U.S. government.“. “It is no surprise that the Trump administration continues to retaliate against me for my exercise of free speech. Their latest attempt, through a kangaroo immigration court, exposes their true colors once again,” Khalil said in a statement to multiple news outlets.Khalil’s legal team said it will challenge the latest decision by Comans by appealing to New Jersey federal judge Michael Farbiarz. Farbiarz ruled in June that Khalil, a green card holder who was first detained as part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown in March, be released. As part of the release, Khalil, who was born in Syria and is Palestinian, had to surrender his passport and travel documents.

Deadly ICE shooting rocks Chicago amid immigration crackdown ‘Midway Blitz’ - This week, Chicago has been at the center of a federal crackdown called Operation Midway Blitz — an immigration enforcement surge that’s brought more arrests than usual. Officials say they’re targeting undocumented immigrants who’ve committed crimes. But the rollout has sparked major backlash. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has made his stance clear, writing on X: “Chicago doesn’t want to see reckless, unconstitutional, militarized immigration enforcement in our city.” And here’s why that matters: fear spreads fast. Fear doesn’t stop at people without papers — it spills into entire communities. Parents worry about whether it’s safe to take their kids to school. Workers worry about getting to their jobs. Families feel the ripple effect, even if they’re not the ones ICE is looking for. But this story took a devastating turn Friday. Federal authorities say 38-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez resisted arrest, tried to flee, and dragged an ICE officer with his car. That officer then shot and killed him. The Department of Homeland Security says the agent feared for his life. Let’s be clear: no officer should have their safety put in jeopardy while doing their job. That’s not OK. Still, Gonzalez’s story doesn’t end there. Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez said he had just dropped his kids off at school before being shot. Think about that for a second — a father’s last moments happening right after he said goodbye to his children. Johnson called it an “avoidable tragedy.” Gov. JB Pritzker said, “The people of Illinois deserve a full, factual accounting of what’s happened today to ensure transparency and accountability.” The truth is, this isn’t the first time tragedy has followed these blitz-style operations. In Southern California, two immigrants died in recent months while trying to escape federal raids — one falling from a greenhouse roof, another struck by a car as he ran across a freeway. Here’s the bigger picture: immigration enforcement doesn’t have to look like this. If the goal is to keep violent offenders off the streets, then federal agents and local authorities need to work together instead of staging these surprise raids that escalate into chaos. With coordination, we can prevent more fathers from dying — and prevent more officers from being dragged by cars in the first place.

Donald Trump threatens national emergency in DC over ICE cooperation -- President Trump threatened to call a national emergency early Monday after Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said she expects local police to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts now that the president’s 30-day emergency authority has expired. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump lashed out at Bowser, saying she buckled under pressure by her fellow Democrats. Trump had previously praised her for cooperating with the federal government’s enforcement efforts in D.C. when she touted the crime drop after Trump deployed troops. “It has been a beautiful thing to watch but, now, under pressure from the Radical Left Democrats, Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has presided over this violent criminal takeover of our Capital for years, has informed the Federal Government that the Metropolitan Police Department will no longer cooperate with ICE in removing and relocating dangerous illegal aliens,” Trump wrote in his post. “If I allowed this to happen, CRIME would come roaring back. To the people and businesses of Washington, D.C., DON’T WORRY, I AM WITH YOU, AND WON’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN,” Trump continued. “I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!!” Congress did not vote to extend the president’s 30-day emergency authority over the city’s police force, which expired last week. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he thought it was “not necessary,” noting Congress had not received a request to act and that the city has been cooperative. Bowser’s executive order authorized coordination between local police and federal forces. The Army also extended authorization of National Guard troops in the city through Nov. 30. Bowser said last week that the executive order requires the return to “the preemergency status quo.” Asked whether that means the Metropolitan Police Department will stop cooperating by transporting ICE detainees, Bowser said, “That certainly would be my expectation.” “Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does. And with the end of the emergency, it won’t be what MPD does in the future,” she added.

Rock musician Neil Young releases song denouncing Trump’s armed takeover of Washington, D.C. and the “billionaire fascists” --To his credit, veteran rock musician Neil Young debuted a protest song in late August that denounces President Donald Trump’s authoritarian military takeover of Washington, D.C. and calls for a fight against fascism. The song, “Big Crime,” is one of the few public artistic protests released by popular musicians in the US against Trump’s unfolding military-police coup d’etat. On August 20, on the basis of the lie of “preventing crime,” Trump sent National Guard troops from seven Republican-governed states onto the streets of Washington, combining with local and federal police agencies to create a military-police occupation of the city by over 9,000 armed personnel. The US capital could remain under military occupation indefinitely, depending only on the decisions of Trump as “commander-in-chief.” Trump has since threatened or begun dispatching troops to other American cities, including Chicago, New Orleans and Memphis, while expanding his fascist deportation campaign against immigrants. Young’s “Big Crime” first debuted at a live sound check before a Chicago concert on August 27 and posted on YouTube. It was officially released on Young’s website and streaming services on September 3. The 79-year-old artist is currently on tour with his backing band The Chrome Hearts and is reportedly playing the song at each concert to enthusiastic audience response. The lyrics of ‘Big Crime’ explicitly refer to Trump as a fascist, and denounce the military takeover of Washington, D.C. as a criminal act:

Don’t need no fascist rules
Don’t want no fascist schools
Don’t want soldiers walking on our streets
Got big crime in DC at the White House
There’s big crime in DC at the White House

The music is propulsive and thick with Young’s familiar distortion-heavy guitar sound and backed by a multi-vocal chorus. The second verse begins: “Got to get the fascists out / Got to clean the White House out!”All told the song is intended to be a hard charging call to action at his concerts. Verse three goes:

No more money to the fascists
The billionaire fascists
Time to blackout the system
No more great again
No more great again
Time to blackout the system

Young, a dual US-Canadian citizen, has repeatedly clashed with Trump since the latter took office in January. In April, Young warned followers of his website that he anticipated Trump would try to attack him for critical comments he had made against the government while touring outside the US. “When I play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket.” In May, Young joined Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam in support of rock musician Bruce Springsteen, who criticized Trump at a May 14 concert in Manchester, England. Trump responded to Springsteen with an unhinged personal attack and incitement of his supporters, to which Young responded on social media: What are you worryin’ about man? Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem…I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That’s your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made. Young has a long history of important protest songs. One of his most well-known songs is the powerful “Ohio,” a response to the killing of four Kent State University students and wounding of nine others in May 1970 by the Ohio National Guard. Other notable Young songs include “Southern Man” (1970), “After the Gold Rush” (1970) and “Rockin in the Free World” (1989). The latter is an indictment of the George H. W. Bush administration. Young repeatedly opposed and eventually sued Trump for using the song during his election campaigns in 2016 and 2020. He dropped the suit after Trump lost the 2020 election.

South Korea investigates human rights in ICE raid at Hyundai plant --The South Korean government said on Monday it will investigate whether any human rights violations occurred in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia earlier this month. During the Sept. 4 operation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, detained 475 people. As part of an agreement between the Trump administration and the South Korean government, DHS released 330 detainees — 316 South Koreans, 10 Chinese nationals, three Japanese nationals and one Indonesian. They left Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in a plane chartered by South Korea on Thursday. The 316 South Koreans returned to their home country Friday. “I understand that the government is conducting a more thorough review with the companies to determine whether any human rights violations occurred,” said Kang Yu-jung, a spokesperson for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, in a press briefing, according to the Yonhap News Agency. Earlier this month, Lee called the raid an “unjust infringement on the activities of our citizens and businesses.” One South Korean recounted to Yonhap inhumane conditions during the search and detention. The person, who was not identified by the outlet, said ICE agents did not inform detainees of their Miranda rights and housed the workers in five 72-person detention rooms after the raid. The raid concluded a DHS investigation into illegal hiring at the plant. Hyundai, headquartered in Seoul, had partnered with another South Korean company, LG Energy Solution, to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles at the site. Immigration attorney Charles Kuck, who represents four of the detainees, told the Associated Press last week that many of the workers are engineers and equipment installers, who were in the United States on B-1 visas. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), B-1 visas are available to those who are “participating in business activities of a commercial or professional nature in the United States,” including traveling for a conference, negotiating a contract or partaking in short-term training. On Sunday, President Trump said he does not “want to frighten off or disincentivize Investment into America by outside Countries or Companies,” on Truth Social. “When Foreign Companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other ‘things,’ come into the United States with massive Investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people how to make these very unique and complex products, as they phase out of our Country, and back into their land,” Trump said.The Hill has reached out for comment to the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS referred The Hill to State.

Trump says he doesn’t want to ‘frighten off’ foreign investment after backlash to Hyundai raid - President Trump sought to play cleanup amid backlash to an immigration raid at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, insisting in a post on social media that foreign experts would be welcomed to the U.S. for a “period of time” to train U.S. workers. “When Foreign Companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other ‘things,’ come into the United States with massive Investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people how to make these very unique and complex products, as they phase out of our Country, and back into their land,” Trump posted late Sunday. “If we didn’t do this, all of that massive Investment will never come in the first place — Chips, Semiconductors, Computers, Ships, Trains, and so many other products that we have to learn from others how to make, or, in many cases, relearn, because we used to be great at it, but not anymore,” Trump added. The president said he did not want to “frighten off or disincentivize Investment into America by outside Countries or Companies.” “We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own ‘game,’ sometime into the not too distant future!” Trump posted. South Korea has reacted with outrage over an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia earlier this month, in which more than 300 South Korean workers were detained by authorities and returned home. South Korean leaders have warned the treatment of those at the Hyundai plant could discourage future investment in the U.S. South Korean officials said Monday the country would investigate whether its workers were subject to any human rights violations during the raid.

Hyundai plant’s completion in Georgia delayed months by ICE raid -- The massive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai EV battery manufacturing plant in Georgia last week has likely set the facility’s opening back by several months, Hyundai CEO José Muñoz told reporters Thursday.“This is going to give us minimum two to three months delay, because now all these people want to get back [to South Korea],” Muñoz said in Detroit, as reported by Bloomberg. “Then you need to see how can you fill those positions, and for the most part, those people are not in the U.S.” When completed, the factory, jointly operated by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, is expected to hire thousands of American workers. It was originally slated to come online later this year.However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) carried out its largest single-site enforcement operation ever on Sept. 4, detaining nearly 500 people — mostly Korean nationals working on the technical components of building out the factory.More than 300 South Korean workers were released from U.S. custody and are expected to arrive back in their home country on Friday, according to the nation’s foreign ministry.“For the construction phase of the plants, you need to get specialized people,” Muñoz said, per CNBC. “There are a lot of skills and equipment that you cannot find in the United States.”That has thrown company officials into a rush to fill in the gaps, the automaker executive said. During a speech Sunday marking his first 100 days in office, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on the Trump administration to adjust visa rules for some skilled positions or risk losing future investments in the U.S. “It’s not like these are long-term workers,” the South Korean leader said. “When you build a factory or install equipment at a factory, you need technicians, but the United States doesn’t have that workforce and yet they won’t issue visas to let our people stay and do the work.”

US has ‘framework’ for TikTok deal - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that the U.S. has a “framework” for a TikTok deal, after President Trump hinted that his administration had reached an agreement to keep the app available in the U.S. “We have a framework for a TikTok deal,” Bessent said at a press conference in Madrid. “The two leaders, President Trump and Party Chair Xi [Jinping], will speak on Friday to complete the deal. But we do have a framework for a deal with TikTok.” Bessent, who was in Spain for trade talks with Chinese officials, declined to discuss the “commercial terms” of the agreement between “two private parties” but emphasized that they “have been agreed upon.” “We had very good discussions,” he added. “We preferred to keep the discussions on TikTok. We will be holding trade negotiations in about a month again at a different location.” The announcement comes as the administration’s latest TikTok extension is set to expire Wednesday. Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement of a law, passed last year, requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to divest from the app or face a ban on U.S. networks and app stores. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer suggested the president could further extend the timeline if necessary to sign the agreement. “We believe we have an agreement,” he said Monday. “It’s just subject to the leaders’ approval. So, if you need to extend it by some period of time just to get it signed, et cetera, that’s one thing. But we’re not going to be in the business of having repetitive extensions. We have a deal.” Trump hinted at a positive outcome earlier in the day, suggesting a “deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy!”

China: Nvidia violated antimonopoly laws - China’s market regulator on Monday accused Nvidia of violating Chinese antimonopoly laws and said it would continue investigating the leading U.S. chipmaker. The State Administration for Market Regulation issued a brief statement on Monday saying a “preliminary investigation” found Nvidia in violation of the Chinese law in connection to its $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, an Israeli-American network and data transmission company. Beijing approved the deal, which was completed in 2020, after Nvidia agreed to certain conditions, including a guarantee to supply its chips to China. The Biden administration, however, put restrictions on exports of some top AI chips to China, putting Nvidia in a tough spot. The one-sentence statement did not detail any alleged violations against Nvidia or mention any punishment but said it would proceed with “further investigation.” China, in December, opened an investigation into Nvidia for alleged violations stemming from the Mellanox acquisition. That came a week after the Biden administration tightened restrictions on China’s access to its most advanced chips. Chinese regulators at the time said by complying with U.S. export controls, Nvidia was violating its pledge to provide an uninterrupted supply of chips to China and treat Chinese consumers equally, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited antitrust lawyers familiar with the case. The latest escalation from Beijing comes as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is in Madrid to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for the fourth round of talks on issues including tariffs and ownership of TikTok. Nvidia has become among the most high-profile companies to get caught in the middle of the U.S.-China trade clash. President Trump gave his approval for Nvidia to resume its sales of the H2O chip, which Trump previously blocked in April. China, however, subsequently blocked companies from buying the chip, citing cybersecurity concerns, until the U.S. chipmaker cleared a regulatory review, the Journal reported. China has recently taken other steps to crack down on the U.S. chip industry. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday it is carrying out an antidumping investigation into certain analog IC chips imported from the U.S., and the ministry announced a separate antidiscrimination probe into U.S. measures against China’s chip sector, The Associated Press reported.

Trump administration considering economic aid for farmers: Agriculture secretary -The Trump administration is evaluating whether to grant aid to American farmers this fall, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Monday. “We are working with our colleagues in Congress and closely monitoring markets daily to evaluate the amount of additional assistance that might be needed this fall,” Rollins said at a meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Rogers, Ark. A spokesperson for Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) told The Hill that the senator “is engaging with his colleagues and the administration about the dire circumstances in rural America and the need to provide farmers resources to continue farming.” Boozman told Brownfield Ag News earlier this month that “everything is on the table” regarding assistance to farmers. The Hill has also reached out to the office of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) for comment on Rollins’s remarks.Rollins’s comments come as Chinese buyers have yet to purchase soybeans from U.S. farmers, despite increased production yields relative to last year. China is utilizing soybeans as a bargaining chip in its ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration. They also come as farmers feel the impacts of the administration’s cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. In March, the agency cut more than $1 billion in funding for schools and food banks to purchase goods from local farms and ranches. U.S. tariffs on Chinese imported goods are set at 30 percent, while Chinese tariffs on American imported goods are set at 10 percent. Last month, the two countries agreed to pause tariff increases on each other’s goods for 90 days; the new deadline to reach an agreement before tariff rates increase is Nov. 10.

Trump raises H-1B visa fee to $100,000 - President Trump signed a proclamation on Friday to raise the fee for H-1B visa applications to $100,000, setting up a new barrier for companies to hire foreign workers. Trump signed the proclamation on Friday to add the payment on top of current visas under H-1B, which are typically paid by an employer. “We need workers, we need great workers and this pretty much ensure that that’s going to happen,” Trump said. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the new fee will prevent companies from training foreign workers and instead encourage them to hire Americans on a new front in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. “Stop bringing in people to take our jobs, that’s our policy here,” Lutnick said. “All of the big companies are on board. We’ve spoken to them about the gold card and this.” Trump predicts government could shut down 'for a period of time' The policy could greatly deter foreign workers in the U.S. by charging an exorbitant amount to be legally allowed to work here. The H-1B work visa is for employers looking to hire international talent for specialty jobs, particularly in the tech industry, who are lawfully admitted to the U.S. but are not lawful permanent residents. They are typically valid for three years, though they can be extended for up to six years.

Cash from Washington was their lifeline. Now it’s gone. - -- Kipnuk, Alaska, received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity early this year: a $20 million federal grant to stop the erosion that threatens its future. Leaders of the isolated village got to work, purchasing a bulldozer and making plans to build a rock wall that would prevent its homes from falling into a river. But in May, the Trump administration terminated Kipnuk’s grant, along with hundreds of others that President Joe Biden’s agencies had issued under the Inflation Reduction Act. Now the village leaders are scrambling for ways to replace the cash — while other recipients of the rescinded grants question whether they can ever trust the federal government’s promises again. “My mind was like, how could they terminate the grant, even when we did not do anything wrong?” Rayna Paul, the village’s environmental director, said in a recent interview as a storm that garnered a flood warning from the National Weather Service bore down.

Judge rules Trump’s firing of probationary staffers illegal - The Trump administration’s mass firing of federal employees on probationary status was outside the law, a federal judge has found. U.S. District Judge William Alsup said in a court opinion issued Friday that it was illegal when the Office of Personnel Management told agencies to fire their probationary employees under the false pretense that they weren’t up to the job. Terminating probationary staffers was an early move by President Donald Trump in his second term to reduce the federal payroll, but he is now under court order not to repeat it.“That directive was unlawful. The means used to enforce terminations were also unlawful,” Alsup said in the opinion, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California.The decision is a win for government unions and their nonprofit allies who protested the firings and challenged them via litigation.

Trump rule revamps feds’ performance ratings - The Trump administration has finalized a rule to overhaul how senior federal employees’ performance is evaluated. The final regulation, issued by the Office of Personnel Management, allows agencies to limit how many senior executives in the federal government can achieve top ratings.The new rule, the Trump administration says, aims to boost performance and promote competition. It’s part of the administration’s broader push to change how federal employees are evaluated while making it easier to fire workers deemed poor performers.“These changes ensure our Senior Executive Service upholds the highest standards of performance and accountability,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement Monday.

Labor Department watchdog investigating BLS data collection --The Labor Department’s internal watchdog says it is initiating a review of how the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) compiles economic data.In a letter dated Wednesday, Laura Nicolosi, an assistant inspector general for the Labor Department, said the investigation will focus on how the bureau collects and reports the monthly consumer price index (CPI), producer price index (PPI) and employment data.The letter was addressed to acting BLS Commissioner William Wiatrowski, who has led the agency since President Trump fired former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month, alleging without evidence she had “faked” jobs numbers.In recent months, the BLS has curtailed its data collection activities for the CPI in certain regions and the PPI in some categories of products, citing a lack of resources for collecting the information. The CPI and PPI are used to calculate inflation, with the former averaging price changes for select products and the latter averaging price changes for the entire domestic market of raw goods and services.The watchdog’s letter this week also acknowledged BLS’s Tuesday announcement that the U.S. economy added 911,000 fewer jobs for the year through March than it initially reported. On Tuesday, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement the revisions give the public “even more reason to doubt the integrity of data” published by the BLS.“We’re committed to finding solutions to these problems, including by modernizing to improve transparency and deliver more accurate and timely data for American businesses and workers,” Chavez-DeRemer added.The Labor Department’s inspector general is independent of the agency and “conducts audits to review the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and integrity of all DOL programs and operations,” according to its website.The acting deputy inspector general of the Labor Department, Michael Mikulka, is heading the department, according to its website. Mikulka assumed the post in July.

Trump effort to target television drug ads could have massive implications - An effort by President Trump’s administration to curb advertising for pharmaceutical drugs on television is posing a potential marketing hurdle for some of the country’s largest drugmakers while threatening a key revenue stream for media companies. Advertising and pharmaceutical industry experts say an executive order Trump signed this week could pose an existential threat to the business model of both drugmakers and the media companies, which raked in an estimated $5 billion in advertising revenue from pharmaceutical companies in 2024. The order instructs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure “transparency and accuracy” in direct-to-consumer advertising, including requiring greater disclosures of side effects in television and other ads. The order stops short of directing an outright ban on drug advertisements, though HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for a wholesale end to direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs. “This is a shot across the bow from the administration telling these companies we’re watching you, get your act together or we’re going to come after you,” said Robin Feldman, an expert in health law and a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. “The tone of the message matters as much as the language here.” The administration has sent firm cease and desist letters to some of the country’s largest drug manufacturers in recent says, warning scrutiny of the content in its advertisements is part of a broader push to combat “egregious violations demonstrating harm” in the marketing of high-cost prescription drugs. The action is seen as an about-face from previous administrations, which thanks to a powerful health care lobby loosened restrictions on how drugmakers market and sell their products, leading to a boom in Big Pharma ads on television in recent decades. Chris Meekins, a health care lobbyist in Washington, in a memo to clients this week obtained by The Hill sought to provide assurances. Meekins wrote that although Trump “does not have authority to outright ban pharmaceutical advertising, his administration seems to be trying to make it death by disclosure and rulemaking.” “Whether it can survive legal challenges is very much an open question,” he added. But Meekins suggested companies will have to closely consider whether they want to challenge Trump on the matter. “Do you sue and risk the Trump administration’s wrath?” Meekins asked. “If a company sues over this, they could become a target of greater focus related to most favored nations actions and in Medicare drug negotiation (if they have a drug selected). No company wants to be the next Harvard.”

$50B 'big beautiful' rural health fund applications open for states - States can begin applying Monday for their share of a $50 billion fund for rural health providers under the GOP’s tax and spending law, but they need to move quickly. The Trump administration has officially launched the window for states to submit a detailed application for the first tranche of the five-year fund created to help rural providers offset the cuts to Medicaid and other health programs contained in the tax cut law. States only have a few weeks to apply. The application period will close Nov. 5, with award decisions being made by Dec. 31. During a call with reporters, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz described the program as a way for rural providers to “catalyze innovation.” “We believe we can use this as an opportunity to pivot from the crisis that we are currently living in to the comeback that America expects from us,” Oz told reporters. “If we’re going to be able to invest these monies wisely, we won’t just have health care systems barely hanging on in rural America — they’ll start to thrive.” Under the program, $25 billion will be allocated to all states equally, meaning each state with an approved application would receive the same amount regardless of the size of its rural population. The other $25 billion will be awarded based on the discretion of Oz. The law gives Oz broad discretion on what he can approve, and there is no specific requirement for states to direct funds to rural hospitals or the CMS to approve only funding for rural districts.

HHS names 5 new members to CDC vaccine advisory board --The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced the addition of five new members to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), just days ahead of the group's next meeting.Though the addition of new members to the vaccine advisory board has been rumored for weeks, the announcement confirms the five newly appointed members, who will join the seven members named to ACIP in June by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The new ACIP members are Catherine Stein, PhD, a professor in the Department of Population & Quantitative Health at Case Western Reserve University; Evelyn Griffin, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Baton Rouge General Hospital in Louisiana; Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA, director of medication access affordability with Ascension Rx in St. Louis; Kirk Milhoan, MD, PhD, a pediatric cardiologist and medical director at For Hearts and Souls Free Medical Clinic in Hawaii; and Raymond Pollak, MD, a semi-retired surgeon and transplant specialist."The new ACIP members bring a wealth of real-world public health experience to the job of making immunization recommendations," Jim O’Neill, deputy secretary of HHS and acting director of the CDC, said in an HHS press release. The announcement of the new members continues Kennedy's efforts to remake ACIP, which develops the vaccine recommendations that are typically adopted by the CDC and are often required for health insurance coverage. In June, Kennedy fired the 17 sitting members of the group, saying a "clean sweep" was needed to restore public confidence in vaccines. He then named seven new members with comparatively little experience in immunology and vaccinology, several of whom share his anti-vaccine views. Kennedy said the five new members will bring "diverse expertise that strengthens the committee and ensures it fulfills its mission with transparency, independence, and gold-standard science." But, as with the first group of ACIP members named by Kennedy, some of the new members appear to align with Kennedy's views on COVID-19 vaccines and the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Milhoan is a senior fellow at the anti-mRNA Independent Medical Alliance and has claimed that COVID vaccines pose more harm than benefit, Politico reports. Stein, who has researched tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, told Ohio lawmakers that health officials in the state were inflating COVID-19 death and hospitalization numbers and has made other assertions downplaying the pandemic, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.Griffin has expressed vaccine skepticism and testified against Louisiana's decision to add COVID-19 vaccines to the school immunization schedule, according to Medpage Today.The HHS statement does not say whether the new members will participate in the next ACIP meeting, which will be held on September 18 and 19 at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, but an HHS spokespersontold Reuters they will be taking part. ACIP members are slated to discuss and take votes on proposed recommendations for use of the hepatitis B and the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccines on day 1 of the meeting. On day 2, they will discuss and take votes on updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.

Fired CDC director describes pressure from Kennedy over vaccines - Two former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials told Senate lawmakers today that agency has been politicized, and its career scientists sidelined, under Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In a hearing before the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) Committee, former CDC Director Susan Monarez, PhD, and former Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, MD, MPH, testified that the agency has been "reduced to a rubber stamp" under Kennedy. They also described an atmosphere in which political appointees are playing a significant role in agency decisions. Monarez and Houry cited Kennedy's unilateral changes to vaccine recommendations without consulting CDC scientists, his replacement of an advisory board of vaccine experts with vaccine critics, and promotion of unproven treatments for measles as examples of how Kennedy is weakening public health. "Due to the secretary's actions, our nation is on track to see drastic increases in preventable diseases and declines in health," said Houry.Among the revelations in the hearing was that plans to change the childhood vaccine scheduled were already in place ahead of tomorrow's meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The hearing was the first public appearance by Monarez since she was fired by President Trump on August 27, less than a month after being confirmed as CDC director. Her dismissal came after a series of meetings on August 25 in which Monarez claims she refused to agree to Kennedy's request to fire top CDC officials and to pre-approve the ACIP recommendations ahead of the group's upcoming meeting. Houry and two other top officials subsequently resigned from the CDC after Monarez was fired. Monarez's testimony directly refuted statements made by Kennedy 2 weeks ago in his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. At that hearing, Kennedy denied asking Monarez to resign for refusing to agree to his requests. He said Monarez, who had made the claim in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, was lying and that he had fired her because she wasn't trustworthy. But Monarez, in her opening statement and throughout the hearing, said Kennedy's comments don't reflect what actually happened. At their first meeting on August 25, Monarez said Kennedy "directed me to commit, in advance, to approving every ACIP recommendation, regardless of the scientific evidence. He also directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause." Monarez said Kennedy then told her that if she was unwilling to do both, she should resign. "I responded that I could not pre-approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis to fire scientific experts," Monarez said. "Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology or compromise my integrity." Monarez, who described the meeting as tense and Kennedy as very upset, said she believes that's the reason why she was fired. "I was fired for holding the line on scientific integrity," she said. Monarez also said Kennedy made several assertions about the CDC at the meeting, including that the CDC was corrupt, that CDC officials were "killing children and they don't care," that the agency had forced people to wear masks and social distance "like a dictatorship," and that CDC officials told hospitals to turn away COVID patients "until they had blue lips" before allowing them to be treated. The August 25 meeting took place less than a month after Monarez was confirmed as CDC director, and less than 3 weeks after a gunmen opened fire on CDC headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer. During that period, Monarez said she only had two meetings with Kennedy. In response to questions from Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-LA), Monarez said Kennedy also told her on August 25 that the childhood vaccine schedule would be changing in September, and that he had spoken with President Trump about the issue. Kennedy has long been critical of the childhood vaccine schedule. "I had suggested I would be open to changing childhood vaccine schedules if the evidence or science was supportive," Monarez said. "He responded that there was no science or evidence associated with the childhood vaccine schedule." Houry said that an HHS political appointee indicated to her that ACIP was planning to move away from the recommendation that children receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth and that any data presented by career CDC scientists might bias ACIP members, several of whom are vaccine critics, against that decision. When asked by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) whether she's confident that parents will be able to trust the recommendations made at the upcoming ACIP meeting, Monarez said she's "very nervous about it." Houry also said she had concerns, citing limited public input and the fact that data for the meeting haven't been posted yet. When asked by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) about what her concerns are if public faith in childhood vaccines is undermined, Monarez said she believes preventable diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough will return. "I believe our children will be harmed by things they do not need to be harmed by," she said.

Fired CDC director says she was instructed by RFK Jr. not to speak to senators - Susan Monarez, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said she was told not to speak directly to senators by leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) before being fired last month. Monarez made the claim while appearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Wednesday — the first time she has spoken before the Senate since she was fired late last month, less than a month after she was confirmed. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who offered Monarez an apology for doubting her integrity during her confirmation hearing, asked whether she was told not to speak with senators by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “I was instructed to not speak directly with senators,” Monarez said. Kaine reacted with disbelief, noting that it is the expectation that public officials keep open communication with the Senate. He noted how Kennedy had vowed to usher in an era of “radical transparency” under his leadership. “We used to speak with the CDC director all the time during Covid and during other emergencies,” said Kaine. “Putting a gag order on a CDC director and directing her not to speak to those who have confirmed her and to whom she is responsible for oversight is a very serious matter.” Monarez was the first CDC director to be confirmed by the Senate after that new requirement was enacted following the COVID pandemic.

Monarez says RFK Jr. was ‘very upset’ and ‘very animated’ in final meeting - Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Wednesday that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was “very upset” in their final meeting, in which she claimed he asked her to give blanket approval to vaccine guidance without seeing evidence to support it. Since she was terminated at the CDC last month, Monarez has repeatedly claimed Kennedy asked her to preapprove any recommendations that come out of the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Kennedy fired all 17 sitting ACIP members earlier this year, replacing them with appointees of his own, several of them well-known vaccine skeptics. He has denied making that request of Monarez. It was during this same meeting that the secretary claims Monarez told him she was not trustworthy. Monarez said that she told Kennedy that if he couldn’t trust her then he could fire her. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) asked Monarez to describe that final meeting with Kennedy. “The secretary in that morning meeting was very upset, very animated,” she replied. “And he said, with regard to that particular topic, ‘I have heard that you may not sign off on the forthcoming ACIP recommendations.’ And I said, ‘I cannot sign off on something before I see the data and the evidence,'” Monarez said.

CDC vaccine panel votes to change COVID-19 vaccine guidance -A federal vaccine advisory panel voted on Friday to recommend people talk with a clinician before getting a Covid vaccine, while voting against a motion to require prescriptions for the shot. All 12 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted unanimously to update COVID-19 guidance so coronavirus vaccinations for all people should be based on “individual-based decision making.” For people between six months and 64 years old, the recommendation advised that vaccinations be based on individual-based decision-making along “with an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is most favorable for individuals who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease and lowest for individuals who are not at an increased risk, according to the CDC list of COVID-19 risk factors.” ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff said it was his understanding that this recommendation they voted on would mean that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines would still be covered by insurance. Insurers look to the board’s recommendations to inform their coverage. The ACIP voted against a motion which recommended that states and local jurisdictions require prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines. The panel does not have the purview over whether to require prescriptions. States and local jurisdictions make those rules, not the CDC.The vote was split evenly 6-6. With Kulldorff voting ‘no’ to break the tie, the motion failed. The questions they were to vote on were not publicly disclosed until the very end of the meeting. ACIP member Retsef Levi, professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, led the panel’s discussion on the COVID-19 vaccines. Levi, a known COVID-19 vaccine opponent and skeptic, was selected to lead the CDC’s COVID-19 working group in August. During the pandemic, Levi called for all COVID-19 programs to be stopped immediately, claiming there was no proof of efficacy and that the vaccines were behind the deaths of children and young people. Levi presented four questions for the committee to vote on: to recommend the CDC promote six risks and uncertainties he cited in his presentation on Friday; to recommend requiring prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines; that patients should be informed of the risks of COVID-19 and its vaccination before receiving the shot; and to update the current guidance so that coronavirus vaccinations for all people should be based on “individual-based decision making.”All questions except for the one recommending a prescription for COVID-19 vaccine were passed by the committee.

Lawmakers Push for Kids Online Safety Act Amid AI Concerns - Recent revelations about how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are interacting with and affecting children are colliding with longstanding concerns about tech companies’ approach to safety and revitalizing efforts to pass kids’ online safety legislation. Chatbots from both Meta and OpenAI have come under scrutiny in the past few 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. Kids’ safety concerns have surged back to the forefront of policy discussions in recent weeks in the wake of reports about AI chatbots and their interactions with children. Meta faced backlash from both sides of the aisle in mid-August after an internal policy document was made public, showing examples of permissible interactions between its AI chatbot and young users, which included “romantic or sensual” conversations. This immediately provoked an uproar from lawmakers. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which he chairs, was opening a probe into Meta’s generative AI products. Meta quickly responded, saying this was an error and that it had removed the language. It also later announced it was updating its chatbot policy for teen users. However, Hawley argued it was “unacceptable that these policies were advanced in the first place.” OpenAI is also feeling the heat. The family of a 16-year-old boy sued the ChatGPT late last month, alleging that its chatbot encouraged him to take his own life. The company announced last week that it was making changes to how its chatbot handles people in crisis and strengthening teen protections. The attorneys general of California and Delaware raised concerns to the company in a letter Friday about its safety practices in the wake of three deaths connected to ChatGPT, suggesting they “have rightly shaken the American public’s confidence in OpenAI and this industry.” The FTC on Thursday announced it is launching an inquiry into AI chatbots, requesting information from several major tech firms, including Meta and OpenAI, about how they evaluate and limit potential harms to kids. Meanwhile, six current and former Meta employees came forward this week with new allegations that the company doctored and restricted safety research in an effort to shield it from legal liability. They described a “vast and negative change” in how the company approached safety research after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen alleged in 2021 that the tech giant was aware its platforms had negative impacts on young girls but had prioritized profits.

Nearly $500M in federal funds for HBCUs and TCCUs - The Trump administration announced Monday that nearly $500 million in federal funds will be redirected to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs). HBCUs and TCCUs will get a one-time investment of $495 million on top of what is going in the 2025 federal budget, totaling an increase of 48.4 percent for HBCUs and 109.3 percent for TCCUs. Charter schools are also seeing a boost in their funding of $500 million from the Department of Education, along with American history and civics grants getting an extra $160 million investment. The federal agency said the money is repurposed from other programs “that the Department determined are not in the best interest of students and families.” “Today, the Department is making three massive investments — redirecting financial support away from ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success. We are proud to make the largest investment in the Charter Schools Grants Program in the Department’s history, support American history programs that will inspire young people to be active and informed citizens, and recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities’ historic contributions to improving education and opportunity in our country,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “The Department has carefully scrutinized our federal grants, ensuring that taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programs but those programs which promote merit and excellence in education. The Trump Administration will use every available tool to meaningfully advance educational outcomes and ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed in life,” she added. The news comes days after McMahon said her department was ending discretionary funding to multiple Minority-Serving Institutions grant programs due to the institutions’ requirements to “meet racial or ethnic quotas.”

Whitehouse launches endangerment finding influence probe - Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse is firing off letters to a number of groups and companies about the administration’s intention to dramatically scale back action against climate change. The Rhode Island Democrat wants to know how the groups and companies may have influenced EPA’s decision to roll back an Obama-era scientific finding underpinning Clean Air Act rulemaking against greenhouse gas emissions.“If the proposal is finalized, it would hand massive benefits to polluting industry actors and their enablers, allowing them to reap billions in profit while shifting the burdens of climate disasters onto the American families, businesses, and taxpayers,” Whitehouse said in a statement.Whitehouse’s request for documents went to groups like the American Petroleum Institute and the America First Policy Institute, a think tank tied to President Donald Trump. Companies include Shell and Toyota.

National Academies clap back at Trump team on climate - The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a sobering climate report Wednesday that stands as a sharp rebuttal to efforts by the Trump administration to downplay the risks and severity of global warming.The findings are in direct response to EPA’s proposed rollback of the 2009 endangerment finding, which determined that six greenhouse gases pose a danger to human health. That landmark decision has served as the legal and scientific backbone of federal climate regulations.In making its case to repeal the endangerment finding, the Trump administration is relying on a recent Department of Energy report that uses cherry-picked data and misleading claims to assert that humanity’s burning of fossil fuels is not driving the planet toward dangerous tipping points.The DOE report was compiled by five climate change contrarians handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has long criticized climate policy.The National Academies report stands in stark contrast to the DOE document. Not only does the endangerment finding still stand, it concludes, but its determination is “reinforced by even stronger evidence” today. The National Academies, created under a congressional charter signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, are independent, nonpartisan institutions that provide objective analysis of public policy decisions.The 16-member review committee that produced the climate report consists of experts in climate, health, oceans and more. It also includes multiple members who previously worked in the fossil fuel industry and the findings were reviewed by a group of experts that includes Tim Gallaudet, the acting NOAA administrator in Trump’s first term.More than 200 individuals and organizations responded to a public request for information from the National Academies, providing the authors with more than 600 peer-reviewed articles to inform their research.The National Academies authors presented five lines of evidence to support their findings.Greenhouse gases are increasing in the atmosphere. These emissions are changing the Earth’s climate. They’re harming human health. They’re affecting human welfare through damages to energy systems, infrastructure and agriculture. And continued carbon emissions will only make these effects worse.Many of the report’s conclusions are at odds with the DOE report, which has been widely criticized by scientists for presenting false or misleading information.The new National Academies report acknowledges the existence of the DOE report but notes that since it is still in draft form — and could change with the input of public comments — the authors did not directly cite it.The new report’s authors came to their conclusions using an array of scientific studies and observations focused on both the global and U.S. climate. These include trends in temperature, precipitation, extreme weather events and sea levels.

'Disastrous Forecast': Marjorie Taylor Greene hearing targets geoengineering - A lawmaker known for promoting conspiracy theories this week will oversee a review of speculative technologies intended to promote rainfall and limit global warming.The hearing’s title suggests that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chair of the Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, has already made up her mind about the potential utility of such technologies: “Playing God with the Weather — A Disastrous Forecast.” The hearing comes after two consecutive years in which the world has broken warming records. In arid areas of the U.S., China and the Middle East, the unrelenting heat has prompted growing interest in cloud seeding. That has also led to a surge in philanthropic support for research into solar geoengineering, a suite of technologies that seeks to limit the amount of sunlight absorbed by the Earth.

EPA proposal puts US gas exporters in a bind - The oil and gas industry was caught off guard last week when EPA proposed giving it a nine-year reprieve from greenhouse gas reporting. And it wasn’t a welcome surprise, industry insiders and experts say. “I think we maintained some hope that they wouldn’t go this far because we had advocated to the EPA that they shouldn’t do that,” said one industry lobbyist granted anonymity to discuss the proposed rule freely. EPA’s proposal would relieve major emitters in most industrial sectors from the duty to report annual emissions above a certain threshold. The reporting program, which has existed since 2009, feeds into EPA’s comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. The agency was widely expected to leave the oil and gas industry out of the proposal. Greenhouse gas reporting for oil and gas producers, processors and operators — which falls under the program’s “Subpart W” — is mandated under the 2022 climate law. The oil and gas industry has sought modifications to the Biden-era rules for that reporting, but no major trade associations have asked EPA to end it. The Trump EPA was expected to propose different —and likely more industry-friendly — reporting methodologies for oil and gas next summer. Instead, EPA unexpectedly proposed shelving annual emissions reporting for oil and gas until 2034. The agency is claiming that a provision in the Republican megalaw that suspended a related fee on methane emissions until 2034 also empowers the administration to mothball emissions reporting until the same year. That assertion is controversial and likely to be litigated if the rule is finalized in its current form. Oil and gas experts say that the loss of EPA’s reporting program could present problems — especially for companies hoping to sell their gas in the European Union. Starting in January 2027, E.U. gas importers will have to prove the supply they sell on the European market meets the bloc’s standards for monitoring, reporting and verification of methane leakage. Companies can show compliance with those standards at the corporate level, or exporting nations can secure an “equivalence determination” that covers all their producers. The E.U. has never agreed to deem that all U.S. producers meet that “equivalency” threshold, even during the Biden era when the sector was covered by methane regulations and a fee on excess methane leakage. The Biden administration tried to negotiate that, noted Fred Hutchison, president and CEO of LNG Allies, which promotes U.S. gas exports. “They didn’t say yes, didn’t say no — it was right around the time of the election, and I think they wanted to see where the leaves fell off the trees,” he said. But with the greenhouse gas reporting program, along with state regulations, industry practices and outside certification programs, “it was sort of judged that you could patch together a reasonable case on country level equivalency.” Now, those Biden-era methane controls are either gone or in the process of being rolled back. Meanwhile, the E.U. and authorities in its member states who will implement the new methane limits have been vague about their criteria for determining national “equivalence” or corporate compliance with the standards. Those policies may not be filled in until next year, and U.S. gas exporters — who supply about 45 percent of E.U.’s liquefied natural gas imports — are staring down possible restrictions beginning in 16 months’ time. EPA’s proposal to stop reporting and data collection for oil and gas emissions can only make that more likely, experts say, because companies expected to be able to use that emissions database to demonstrate compliance. “This completely shoots a hole in anyone who would be advocating for there to be equivalent before the Europeans,” said the oil and gas lobbyist. To prove compliance with the E.U. policy, a company’s emissions data must be verified by a qualified third party. The loss of EPA’s database would likely prompt industry to look for certification elsewhere, experts said, not only to access European and other global markets, but to attract climate-conscious purchasers within the United States.

Greene revives call for ‘national divorce’ after Kirk killing -- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) renewed her call for a “national divorce” to divide the country along partisan lines on Monday — this time citing the fractured response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and federal funding disputes in Congress. “There is nothing left to talk about with the left. They hate us,” Greene wrote on the social platform X. “To be honest, I want a peaceful national divorce.” “Our country is too far gone and too far divided, and it’s no longer safe for any of us,” she added. Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University last week. The alleged gunman, Tyler Robinson, is in police custody while authorities continue to investigate and reveal more details. Meanwhile, dozens of people not directly linked to the assassination have faced backlash and, in some cases, lost their jobs over comments they have made about Kirk’s political beliefs following his death.“They assassinated our nice guy who actually talked to them peacefully debating ideas,” Greene wrote in her social media post Monday. “Then millions on the left celebrated and made clear they want all of us dead.” Greene first floated the proposal of a “national divorce” in February to “separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government.”

Why Charlie Kirk’s death hits the Trump White House so hard -- President Trump was meeting with architects about plans for a White House ballroom when staff interrupted to inform him that Charlie Kirk, the prominent conservative activist, had been killed. “I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?'” Trump recounted Friday, two days after the shooting. “‘Charlie Kirk was shot.’ They thought he was dead because it was so horrific.” The president’s shock at the news reflected the widespread feelings at the White House in the aftermath of Kirk’s death: shock, anger and disbelief that someone many considered a personal friend had been shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University. Staffers and officials close to the administration — including Vice President Vance — have publicly recounted how they got to know Kirk and how he impacted them personally and politically. And, in a sign of how closely intertwined the Turning Point USA founder was with Trump and his orbit, the White House has played a central role in providing updates after Kirk’s death. It was the president who announced Kirk had died. Vance flew to Utah to transport Kirk’s casket on Air Force Two. Trump broke the news that the suspected shooter was in custody, and he has said he plans to attend Kirk’s funeral and posthumously honor him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Charlie was very much a part of this family, and maybe the highest profile MAGA person outside of those that are working here,” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said Thursday on “The Scott Jennings Radio Show.” “So, I think it shook everybody to their core, and for many of us, it brought back the memories of last July 13th in Butler with the president,” she added, referencing the assassination attempt that left Trump bloodied at a 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania. White House staff who spoke with The Hill following the shooting said the mood inside the building was somber and there was a sense of shock among many officials. Many in the building, particularly younger staff members, had gotten into politics and the MAGA movement at a time when Kirk was a rising voice, and many had met him personally. Most in Trump’s orbit came to know Kirk, 31, through his work building Turning Point USA into a grassroots powerhouse that launched chapters on hundreds of college campuses. Kirk’s work organizing, fundraising and registering young people to vote helped lay the foundation for the GOP’s gains with young voters, and young men in particular, in the 2024 election. The president was a regular speaker at Turning Point events in recent years. Kirk was a staunch Trump supporter even after his 2020 election defeat, echoing the baseless claims of voter fraud that Trump was pushing in the wake of his loss. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. formally endorsed Trump in the 2024 race at a Turning Point Action event in Arizona. Kirk was an early advocate of Vance, both as a Senate candidate in 2022 and later as a potential running mate for Trump, and the commentator was spotted at the White House on multiple occasions during Trump’s second term. But the relationship between Trump’s team and Kirk grew in recent years to become more than a political alliance. “You know, [Donald Trump Jr.] said to me, ‘He’s sort of like a son to you,’” the president said Friday on “Fox & Friends.” Kirk first entered President Trump’s circle through his friendship with his eldest son. The two met during the 2016 campaign and became close professionally and personally. Donald Trump Jr. described Kirk as a “little brother” in the wake of his death. Kirk shared a similarly close relationship with Vance, who canceled a planned appearance in New York City to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to instead fly to Utah and be with Kirk’s family and friends. Vance then flew with his casket to Arizona. In a lengthy tribute on the social platform X, Vance recounted how he first connected with Kirk after a Fox News appearance in 2017. Vance credited Kirk with introducing him to Trump Jr. and others in the president’s orbit as he mulled a Senate campaign, and with publicly and privately lobbying for Vance as a vice presidential candidate. “Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. … And because he was a true friend, you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to,” Vance wrote.

Washington Post columnist says she was fired over Charlie Kirk post - Columnist Karen Attiah says she was fired by The Washington Post last week over a series of social media posts about gun control and race in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “As a columnist, I used my voice to defend freedom and democracy, challenge power and reflect on culture and politics with honesty and conviction,” Attiah wrote in a post on Substack published Monday. “Now, I am the one being silenced — for doing my job.” In writings on the social platform Bluesky, Attiah bemoaned that America, in her view, “accepts and worships” gun violence. “I pointed to the familiar pattern of America shrugging off gun deaths, and giving compassion for white men who commit and espouse political violence,” she wrote in the subsequent Substack post. “My only direct reference to Kirk was one post— his own words on record,” she said, including a screenshot of a quote in which Kirk said several prominent Black women “do not have brain processing power to be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot.” The Post, the columnist said, “accused my measured Bluesky posts of being ‘unacceptable’, ‘gross misconduct’ and of endangering the physical safety of colleagues — charges without evidence, which I reject completely as false.” “They rushed to fire me without even a conversation,” Attiah said. “This was not only a hasty overreach, but a violation of the very standards of journalistic fairness and rigor the Post claims to uphold.” A Post spokesperson decline to comment and pointed The Hill to the news outlet’s publicly-available social media policy and standards for its journalists.

Lawmakers set to grill Kash Patel in back-to-back hearings - FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to take heat from the right and the left in back-to-back appearances before Congress amid heightened scrutiny of his performance leading one of the nation’s top investigative agencies. Patel is set to appear before the Senate and House Judiciary committees starting Tuesday, just days after the FBI response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk prompted a flood of GOP criticism about how the director handled the case. The director is also sure to face questions about the scores of firings that have rocked the bureau, the FBI’s role in reviewing the Epstein files and a number of other moves that Democrats argue have politicized the FBI. Patel is not shying away from conflict. When Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) posted a video on the social platform X running through past Patel statements he planned to use as fodder for his questions, the director shot back. “Let’s find out who law enforcement backs… and who supports defunding the police- answer coming tomorrow, but we already know,” Patel responded. A longtime ally of President Trump who has been a vocal critic of the multiple investigations into the president, Patel was confirmed in February in a strict party-line vote. But in the wake of the Kirk shooting, more GOP voices have stepped in to air criticism of Patel’s handling of the case. Chris Rufo, a vocal opponent of diversity equity and inclusion practices, questioned Friday morning whether Patel has the “operational expertise” to lead the bureau. “He performed terribly in the last few days, and it’s not clear whether he has the operational expertise to investigate, infiltrate, and disrupt the violent movements—of whatever ideology—that threaten the peace in the United States,” Rufo wrote in a post on X. Steve Bannon then noted those close to the alleged Kirk shooter turned him in, saying the arrest of Tyler Robinson was “not great law enforcement work.” Complicating matters for Patel was a stumble in which he announced the arrest of a “subject” in the case — only to reverse course less than two hours later to say they had been released. It’s unusual for the FBI to offer much public comment about ongoing investigations, while the swift release suggested the bureau had not arrested anyone involved in the shooting.

FBI ‘running down’ more than 20 Discord users in Kirk shooting probe: Patel -- FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that the bureau is investigating members of a Discord chat in which Tyler Robinson, the accused shooter of Charlie Kirk, allegedly revealed his involvement in the killing. The 22-year-old Robinson was charged with first-degree aggravated murder and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury on Wednesday. Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on the campus of Utah Valley University last week. On Monday, the Washington Post reported that Robinson appeared to confess to the killing in a Discord chat room hours before he was taken into custody by the FBI. Discord is an instant messaging platform utilized by many gamers. “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” Robinson said, according to the Washington Post. “It was me at [Utah Valley University] yesterday. im sorry for all of this.”During questioning by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Patel confirmed that the FBI is “investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat.”“So what we’re doing, we’ve already done is a sort of legal process, not just on Discord, so that the information we gathered is sustained and held in an evidentiary posture that we could use in prosecution, should it be decided to do so,” Patel said. “And we’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord Chat.”The New York Times also reported Saturday that, in another Discord chat last Thursday, the accused gunman claimed a “doppelganger” was attempting to “get me in trouble” after a user noted the similarities between Robinson and photos of the shooter that law enforcement had released. That chat consisted of roughly 20 members, according to the report.Patel, though, when asked by Hawley about the number of Discord users the FBI is pursuing, said “it’s a lot more” than 20. “We’re running them all down,” Patel said. Patel also said investigators have conducted interviews with Robinson’s family members and members of his community. Robinson was born in St. George, Utah, and lived in Washington, Utah, at the time of the shooting.

Liberals more likely to say political violence sometimes justified: Poll Americans largely agree political violence is never justified, but a new poll shows liberals are more likely than conservatives to say violence can be warranted in order to achieve political goals. In the YouGov survey conducted in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 72 percent of Americans said violence is never justified, while 11 percent said it can sometimes be justified. Another 12 percent said they’re not sure, and 6 percent preferred not to say. The question asked respondents if they think “it is ever justified for citizens to resort to violence in order to achieve political goals.” The Sept. 10 poll shows the more liberal respondents were, the more likely they were to say violence can sometimes be justified. A quarter of respondents who identified as “very liberal” said violence can sometimes be justified to achieve political goals, along with 17 percent of those who identified as “liberal,” 9 percent of moderates, 6 percent of those who said they’re “conservative” and 3 percent of those who identified as “very conservative.” Younger Americans were also more likely to say political violence can sometimes be justified. Twenty-six percent of liberals under 45 years old, compared with 12 percent of liberals 45 and older, said political violence can sometimes be justified; 12 percent of moderates under 45 years old, compared with 6 percent of moderates 45 and over, said it’s sometimes justified; and 7 percent of younger conservatives, compared with 4 percent of older conservatives, said it’s sometimes justified. Another YouGov snap poll taken two days later showed 18 percent of liberals, 7 percent of conservatives, and 6 percent of moderates said violence is sometimes justified to achieve political goals. A Sept. 11 snap poll asked respondents about whether it’s acceptable for a person to be happy about the death of a public figure they oppose. Liberals were again more likely to say it’s usually or always acceptable to be happy about a public figure’s death, with 16 percent holding this position, including 24 percent of “very liberal” respondents and 10 percent who said they identify as liberal but not very liberal. Only 4 percent of conservatives and 7 percent of moderates held this view. Democratic leaders have condemned the Kirk shooting and political violence broadly in the wake of the assassination. A growing number of reports, however, indicate people across the country have been losing their jobs for allegedly making comments celebrating Kirk’s death. The Sept. 10 survey included 2,646 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of approximately 2.5 percentage points. The Sept. 11 survey included 4,028 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points. The Sept. 12 survey included 3,004 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Obama enters post-Charlie Kirk debate with ‘crisis’ warning - Former President Obama’s assertion that the nation is in the middle of a “political crisis” is one of his strongest interventions in recent times — and is itself a demonstration of how much American reactions to the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing have split along predictable lines. Obama contended that the country was at an “inflection point” during his remarks Tuesday evening. Kirk, the staunchly conservative activist and provocateur, was killed six days previously while giving remarks at Utah Valley University. Since then, President Trump and other members of his administration have suggested they will crack down hard on liberal or left-leaning organizations that they believe foment division, as well as people who they contend have been insufficiently respectful to Kirk’s memory. There is no evidence that the suspect in Kirk’s murder, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was working in conjunction with anyone else to allegedly carry out the killing. Text messages between Robinson and his partner, released by prosecutors on Tuesday, seemingly show the suspect confessing to the killing and saying, regarding Kirk, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” The messages also show his partner reacting in shock to the de facto confession. They leave little doubt that Robinson was acting alone. Obama, who is careful in parceling out the frequency of his interventions in political debates, insisted that the killing of Kirk had to be condemned without equivocation, in part because of the dangers such an event causes to democracy itself. “The central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence,” Obama said, according to The Associated Press. Obama added that even if people thought that any particular target of such violence was “quote, unquote, on the other side of the argument, that’s a threat to all of us” and that there was a need to be “clear and forthright” in condemning any acts of violence against them. However, the former president also took a clear jab at Trump and his rhetoric. “When I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents ‘vermin,’ enemies who need to be ‘targeted,’ that speaks to a broader problem that we have right now, and something that we’re going to have to grapple with,” he said. Those remarks appear to be in part a response to comments Trump made at a 2023 rally in New Hampshire, in which the then-candidate said: “We will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” Trump himself faced two assassination attempts on the campaign trail last year — one of which, in Butler, Pa., came within inches of killing him. This week, however, the Trump White House predictably condemned Obama’s remarks, accusing him of having “used every opportunity to sow division and pit Americans against each other.”

House tables Nancy Mace push to remove Ilham Omar from committees over Kirk comments - The House on Wednesday voted to table a resolution brought forward by Rep. Nancy Mace Loading (R-S.C.) to formally reprimand Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and remove her from her committee assignments after Mace alleged she “smeared Charlie Kirk and implied he was to blame for his own murder” in re-posting a video on social media. Mace had forced action on the matter through a privileged resolution to censure Omar and strip her committee assignments, but Democrats moved to table the matter, thereby rejecting it. The House voted 214-213 to table the resolution, with four Republicans voting with Democrats to defeat Mace’s anti-Omar effort. Those four Republicans were Reps. Mike Flood (Neb.), Jeff Hurd (Colo.), Tom McClintock (Calif.) and Rep. Cory Mills (Fla.) who was facing a retaliatory censure and was the deciding vote at the last minute. Omar after the vote thanked her “colleagues for having my back and not furthering lies on the House floor.” WGN: Illinois Senator Meg Loughran Cappel says someone shot at her Shorewood house; suspect detained “Appreciate them safeguarding first amendment protections and the usage of the censure. Finally some sanity in the House,” she posted on X. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries excoriated Mace in a statement ahead of the vote. Sign up for the Morning Report The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Email address By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates “Nancy Mace is a complete and total disgrace. Her racist, unhinged and xenophobic comments about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar are beneath the dignity of the Congress. Is this what civility looks like in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives?” Jeffries said. “We live in an era of intense political violence as we have seen with the recent assassinations of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Nancy Mace’s crazed rhetoric has put a target on the back of Rep. Omar. Mace must cease and desist her inciteful behavior immediately,” Jeffries said. The vote came after Mace and Omar traded barbs on social media, with Mace saying “Ilhan Omar should be stripped of her seat and her citizenship” and Omar saying Mace is not “well or smart” and belongs “in rehab, not Congress.” Mace’s underlying resolution referenced an interview that Omar did with commentator Mehdi Hasan in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination. In that interview, Omar called Kirk’s assassination “mortifying” while criticizing conservatives using his death to attack the left and Democrats. Omar said Kirk had defended gun rights and “was willing to debate and downplay the death of George Floyd,” saying it was “effed up” that there are people “talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate.” But the text of Mace’s resolution did not quote any of Omar’s own words. Instead, it quoted extensively from a video that Omar re-posted on social media. That video said Kirk “took complex socioeconomic issues and simplified them by pointing fingers at out-groups, demonizing those groups, and siccing his massive following on them,” calling him a “stochastic terrorist” and an “adamant transphobe.” It adds that Kirk, whose suspected killer has been described as left-wing by government officials, “was Dr. Frankenstein and his monster shot him through the neck.” Omar noted that none of the quotes highlighted in Mace’s censure resolution were her own, and accused Mace of pushing the censure as a way to fundraise for her gubernatorial bid. Ahead of the vote, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) expressed dismay at the House repeatedly voting to censure political opponents and individual members using procedural tools to force votes on such matters. “I don’t like it because we’re gonna be the minority someday, and you’re gonna have the same kind of treatment,” Bacon said, adding that at that point he had not read the resolution and was undecided. Indeed, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) appeared to respond to Mace’s move by bringing a resolution to censure Mills over allegations of domestic violence, threatening to release nude videos of an ex-girlfriend, and making false financial disclosures. A similar censure of Mills, who has denied those allegations, was abandoned after Republicans similarly voted to table a resolution to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), who faces charges resulting from a clash with officials at an immigrant detention center. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called Mace’s effort “ridiculous” in a video posted by Fox News. “Everytime a Republican is offended, they file a censure resolution, and we’re here as grown adults, here to legislate for the material needs — I want to be helping veterans, I want to be helping schools, I want to be improving peoples’ health care. I’m not here to be fighting over whatever, like, schoolyard thing is of the day,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Omar, a progressive Minnesota congresswoman has been a lightning rod in Congress and the target of numerous actions from Republicans in the House — and has even frustrated some Democrats. The then Democratic-controlled House voted in 2019 to condemn anti-Semitism in wake of uproar over Omar’s criticism of Israel. When Republicans took control of the House, they voted to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. That made the vote complicated for Republican members who may not think Omar deserves to be removed from committees and censured over her comments and reposting the video, but are also concerned about statements she’s made in the past.

ABC takes Jimmy Kimmel off air ‘indefinitely’ over Charlie Kirk comments - ABC is taking Jimmy Kimmel off the air “indefinitely” over comments the late-night host made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to multiple reports. The decision, announced Wednesday, came just minutes after Nexstar Media Group said its affiliate stations across the country will preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live” starting Wednesday evening over his comments. Kimmel during his show on Monday night said the country “hit some new lows over the weekend,” when the “MAGA gang desperately tried to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” The comedian accused conservative Republicans of trying to “score political points” from Kirk’s death. Kimmel then attacked President Trump, joking that he was mourning Charlie Kirk “the way a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.” Nexstar, in its announcement, said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.” “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said in a statement. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.” Nexstar, which owns The Hill, is the largest provider of local news in the country, with affiliate stations in dozens of markets across the United States. It also owns NewsNation and the CW. The comedian’s comments have been widely condemned by conservative media figures in recent days, and on Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr called his comments “some of the sickest conduct possible.” Kimmel has long been a critic of Trump and his allies, and the president earlier this year predicted he could be taken off the air following Paramount’s decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Carr on Wednesday in a post on the social platform X wrote that he wanted to “thank Nexstar for doing the right thing.” “Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values. I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead,” he wrote. Trump posted about Kimmel’s suspension on his Truth Social account late Wednesday, saying it was “Great News for America,” and thanking ABC for “having the courage to do what had to be done.

Assaults On Free Speech Go Into Hyperdrive After Charlie Kirk Killing -Caitlin Johnstone - It’s amazing how aggressively free speech in the United States is being torn apart in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing.Jimmy Kimmel was fired after President Trump’s FCC threatened ABC when the late night comic suggested that Kirk’s killer was a Trumper. I personally dislike Kimmel, but this is about as naked a government assault on free expression as you could possibly imagine. Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has been ordered deported to Syria or Algeria after the Trump administration targeted him for political speech critical of Israel.Trump has brokered a deal allowing TikTok to be purchased by a consortium that includes his billionaire buddies Larry Ellison and Marc Andreesen. US officials have acknowledged that Washington’s push to grab control of TikTok was because of the opposition to the Gaza holocaust that was circulating on the platform.Oracle co-founder Ellison is a fanatical Zionist oligarch who has expressed support for the idea of a massive surveillance network to control all of society, and his son David just purchased Paramount, which owns CBS News. The younger Ellison has reportedly installed pro-Israel propagandist Bari Weiss to a senior leadership position within the network.Trump says he has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into bringing “criminal RICO charges” against Code Pink activists who chanted anti-genocide slogans at him while he was dining at a restaurant. Like pro-Palestine demonstrators are mafia kingpins or something. Bondi said during a podcast that the Trump administration is going to start prosecuting “hate speech” against conservatives, alleging that such speech was responsible for Charlie Kirk’s assassination. When asked by the press about Bondi’s comments, Trump said “We’ll probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe I’ll come after ABC.” Again, ABC was the network Jimmy Kimmel was fired from.Trump henchman Stephen Miller said on a podcast that the White House is going to start targeting leftist “terrorist networks”, claiming on no basis whatsoever that Kirk’s assassination was the fault of a “vast domestic terror movement” which foments the kind of violence which led to Kirk’s death. Trump himself said that “a lot of people that you would traditionally say are on the left … [are] already under investigation.”Vice President JD Vance has publicly been encouraging Trump supporters to try to get ordinary members of the public fired for saying mean things about Charlie Kirk, saying, “When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out, and hell, call their employer. We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.”Trump’s Truth Social account recently shared a video calling for state censorship of media outlets and online influencers who share “propaganda”, falsely framing this authoritarian notion as a reboot of the Smith-Mundt Act and suggesting that it should be called the “Charlie Kirk Act”.When you see me refusing to play along with the campaign to canonize Charlie Kirk or respect the emotional hysteria around his killing, this is the main reason why. His death is already being used to manufacture consent for sweeping acts of tyranny, and it was clear from day one that it would be.The empire managers are always seeking excuses to suppress free speech, crush the left, and stomp out opposition to Zionism and the US war machine. They’ll use any chance they get to advance these goals, which are all ultimately about expanding power and control.Many pre-existing agendas are being shoved forward by those in power, as always happens when emotions run hot over a traumatic event. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll surely say it many times again: it’s precisely when we are most tempted to abandon rationality and play along with the emotionality of the moment that we need to be thinking most clearly and critically.

GOP momentum grows to force Trump DOJ to release Epstein files - Some Republicans now say privately that it’s inevitable Congress will pass legislation directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all files the Department of Justice (DOJ) possesses related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. President Trump has repeatedly tried to wave aside calls from Republicans and MAGA activists to make all the Epstein files public, but GOP lawmakers say privately that Trump is losing the battle to move on from the controversy that has been a White House annoyance since earlier this summer. One Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on the sensitive topic told The Hill that Congress will sooner or later pass legislation directing Bondi to release all unclassified files related to Epstein. The senator pointed out that many Republican lawmakers who followed Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) instructions and declined to sign a discharge petition to bring the Epstein matter to the House floor for a vote have nevertheless been “very vocal” in demanding the Justice Department release all Epstein-related materials. “Whole bunches of them have been very vocal about this. Most of the Freedom Caucus has been,” the senator said. “The problem for some of these folks is that this has been an issue for years.” The senator observed that when Bondi said in February that a list of Epstein’s clients “is sitting on” her “desk right now to review,” she created a huge expectation that the administration would reveal the names of the well-connected and wealthy men who participated in Epstein’s sexual exploitation of girls and teenagers. “That was really unwise,” the lawmaker said. Republican lawmakers say it now appears certain that a discharge petition that’s being circulated in the House by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will get enough signatures by the end of the month to force a vote on a bill directing Bondi to release the Epstein files. Massie and Khanna are only one vote short of getting 218 signatures to force a vote on their bill. Once Arizona holds a special election Sept. 23 to fill the vacant seat of Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who died earlier this year, they’re likely to reach the threshold. Grijalva’s daughter, Adelita, won the Democratic primary and is a heavy favorite to win the special election. She’s expected to provide the final signature. So far, only four House Republicans have signed the petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files — Massie and Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.). But more Republicans are likely to vote for the measure when it comes to the floor. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), for example, hasn’t signed the discharge petition but called for the Trump administration to prioritize the release of the Epstein files. “Yeah, I think that the American people are sick and tired of being lied to by their government or … the government holding these secrets that they deserve to know the truth on,” Burlison told Missourinet in July. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) also said he wants the Justice Department to release the Epstein files and told ABC News in July that he was “ticked off” when Trump claimed the Epstein files were a hoax concocted by Democrats. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) declined to comment Tuesday when asked whether he would bring any legislation passed by the House directing the release of all the Epstein files up for a vote in the Senate, calling it a “hypothetical” scenario. But Thune acknowledged the loud calls within his party for more transparency from Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. “I can’t comment on that at this point. I guess the House is having a conversation about that. What I can tell you is … I believe that transparency is always best and you should get as much information out there as you possibly can in a way that protects the rights of the victims,” he told reporters.

Peter Navarro urges Elon Musk to ban anonymous users on X - White House trade adviser Peter Navarro demanded that tech billionaire Elon Musk remove anonymous users from X, calling the social platform a “cesspool.”“My friend @ElonMusk. How about you start fighting back by cleaning up the cesspool otherwise known as X,” Navarro said in a Monday post online. “No more anonymous posts.”“No more foreigners swarming your platform and polluting our political discourse. X has become a breeding ground and grooming Academy for the very dark forces,” he continued. “You wanna fight back. Physician, heal itself. Elon, heal X.” Navarro, who also tangled with Musk earlier this year over President Trump’s tariff agenda, made a similar demand while appearing Monday on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”“And I’ll tell you, Piers, here’s what should be done on X and Facebook and everywhere else. No more anonymity,” he told Morgan. “No more hiding behind the mask of anonymity on social media.”“If you won’t say something to somebody’s face in a civil setting, then you damn well shouldn’t be allowed to say it on X or Facebook or Instagram,” Navarro added. His remarks came in response to Musk’s post, where the billionaire wrote, “We must fight back or be murdered.”

UK, US Sign $42 Billion Tech Deal To Boost AI Partnership -- The United Kingdom and the United States struck a technology pact on Sept. 16 that would bring $42 billion in investments from U.S. tech giants into the UK’s AI infrastructure. The deal was reached as President Donald Trump arrived in the UK for a two-day state visit, during which he is expected to meet King Charles and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Under the “Tech Prosperity Deal,” the two nations agreed to cooperate in advancing AI, quantum computing, and nuclear technology, according to a statement issued by the UK government. Major U.S. tech companies—Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, OpenAI, and CoreWeave—will invest in the UK’s AI infrastructure, including data centers and computer chips, as part of the agreement.The deal is expected to generate more than 5,000 jobs in the northeast of England, which the UK government said will become a new AI growth zone.The two countries will collaborate on research schemes to further the use of AI to allow for “targeted treatments and other shared priorities like fusion energy,” according to the statement.This could lead to “life-changing breakthroughs like developing targeted treatments for those suffering with cancer or rare and chronic diseases,” the UK government said. “This Tech Prosperity Deal marks a generational step change in our relationship with the U.S., shaping the futures of millions of people on both sides of the Atlantic, and delivering growth, security and opportunity up and down the country,” Starmer said.

A battle over stablecoin caps is brewing in the U.K. --The Bank of England may cap ownership, drawing ire from crypto groups that claim that will hinder innovation.

• Key Insights: The Bank of England is proposing stablecoin ownership caps.
• What's at Stake: The caps are designed to manage bank deposit risk, but critics say they would harm innovation.
• Forward Look: The BofE is working on a final proposal to publish before the end of the year.

While stablecoin-friendly regulations have advanced in the U.S. and the European Union, the U.K. is taking a tougher stance.
The Bank of England by December plans to publish a consultation paper that updates an existing proposal to potentially limit the amount of stablecoins that consumers and businesses can own. The BoE said it is addressing concerns that stablecoins pose a risk to investors and could result in deposit outflows, reducing funds available for lending.

Fincen to punt advisor rule, seeks stablecoin feedback - The Treasury Department proposed a rule delaying investment adviser AML requirements to 2028 and sought public comment on implementing regulations for a stablecoin bill passed earlier this summer.

Minnesota credit union is launching its own stablecoin - St. Cloud Financial Credit Union will be issuing its own stablecoin at the end of this year, becoming one of the first U.S. credit unions to do so.

• Key Insight: A credit union is launching its own white-label stablecoin later this year to retain member deposits.
• Supporting Data: 22% of surveyed St. Cloud Financial Credit Union members are already engaged or interested in digital assets.
• Forward Look: Expect core‑integrated digital vaults and institutional stablecoins to scale after GENIUS Act clarity.

Santander's Openbank launches crypto trading for retail clients --Banco Santander SA's online bank Openbank has started offering retail cryptocurrency trading, marking the latest push by a large European financial institution into the asset class. Starting Tuesday, the Spanish bank is allowing retail clients in Germany to trade Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Polygon and Cardano. Openbank will expand the number of available tokens over the coming months.

NY regulator tells banks to monitor customers' crypto risk -State regulator says blockchain tools are key to detecting money laundering and sanctions violations.

• Key insight: NYDFS requires banks to use blockchain analytics for crypto transaction monitoring.
• Expert quote: Compliance functions at traditional banking institutions "must adapt," according to Adrienne Harris, NYDFS superintendent.
• Supporting data: NYDFS fined Block $40 million earlier this year for AML failures, signaling enforcement intensity.

Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review

PayPal's P2P upgrade has a crypto kicker

• Key Insights: PayPal is adding crypto to a new payment tool.
• What's at Stake: The payment company is trying to build scale for its stablecoin.
• Forward Look: PayPal is combining AI, crypto and other tools to boost payment revenue in the next year.

PayPal has developed a new person-to-person payment feature that it will also apply to digital currencies, a key move as it tries to build scale for its PYUSD stablecoin. The payment company has made a series of moves to bolster its stablecoin and other coins to build a market for digital assets. Its Links feature adds to the strategy.

Senate report: KPMG ignored red flags before 2023 bank failures - A report from Democratic staff on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said accounting firm KPMG gave Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic clean audits despite internal warnings, fraud allegations and apparent risks of failure.

Brokered deposit bills fly through HFSC --A bill on reciprocal deposits passed the committee unanimously, while another measure on custodial deposits passed by a wide, bipartisan margin.

Trump says the US should do away with quarterly earnings reports - President Donald Trump wants to do away with the quarterly earnings report. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said securities regulators should stop requiring companies to issue financial reports every three months and instead switch to a six-month reporting period. The Securities and Exchange Commission has required publicly traded companies to report on a quarterly basis since 1970. “This will save money, and allow managers to focus on properly running their companies,” Trump wrote. Trump asked the SEC to examine the three- versus six-month reporting requirement during his first term. No change was made. Supporters of the change say quarterly reporting is too costly and time-consuming and discourages companies from wanting to go public. They also say company executives focus too much on hitting quarterly earnings targets and not enough on long-term planning. The Long-Term Stock Exchange has also been calling for a shift in how often companies are required to report financial results. The LTSE, a stock marketplace that advocates for companies to focus on long-term goals and performance, said earlier this month it will file a petition to the SEC to require companies to report earnings results semi-annually, with the option to file quarterly. “This petition takes a critical step toward enabling genuinely long-term companies to focus on sustainable growth rather than quarterly noise,” said Maliz Beams, LTSE’s CEO, in a statement about the planned petition. Those who favor quarterly earnings say the reports provide investors with valuable financial updates and make them aware of any new risks a company is facing.

What Trump's push to end quarterly reports means for banks - As President Trump calls for scrapping quarterly earnings reports and switching to a six-month schedule, industry observers wonder whether the time saved would be worth the potential loss of transparency.

• Key Insight: Banks have long favored less frequent earnings reports, but investors fear losing valuable information.
• Expert Quote: Reducing reports from four per year to two "could create selective disclosure around more favorable announcements," said Stephens analyst Terry McEvoy.
• Forward Look: The Securities and Exchange Commission may take action on President Trump's demand for twice-yearly disclosures.

OCC reverts to tiered bank supervision, reversing earlier move The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will announce Senior staffers overseeing large, regional and community banks early next month, apparently reversing the unified approach to supervision it implemented earlier in the year. 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.

How the Trump administration has neutralized the CFPB -Acting CFPB Director Russ Vought has managed to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through a series of actions. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., played a major role by cutting funding in half.

• Key Insight: The CFPB still exists and mass layoffs have not yet occurred but the Trump administration has dropped enforcement actions and eliminated rules, nullifying the agency's broad reach.
• Expert Quote: "The last eight months or so have been unlike any others with just a completely different tenor, completely different levels of activity and a lot of uncertainty," said Jonathan Kolodziej, a partner at the law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP.
• Forward Look: Most of the agency's staff are being paid not to work but there are still open positions being filled by Trump loyalists. A court battle with the National Treasury Employees Union is likely to be decided by the Supreme Court.

Senate Democrats urge regulators to rethink CRA reversal - Key Insight: Democratic Lawmakers say the 2023 CRA made important updates to a decades old framework, accounting for online banking and reducing CRA "grade inflation." A group of Democratic Senators led by Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., urged regulators to keep the 2023 Community Reinvestment Act overhaul, saying the rule was carefully crafted with bipartisan input.. Two senators on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee say they have found flaws in regulators' oversight reviews before some of the recent bank failures, and are asking the president to appoint an independent investigator.

BankThink: Director Pulte should be focused on the real mission of the FHFA - The Federal Housing Finance Agency director should spend less time on partisan attacks and social media posting, and more on trying to resolve the housing crisis, writes Antonio White, of 480 Advisors. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte's pursuit of activities usually reserved for the inspector general — including his focus on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — is outside the scope of his role as head of the world's largest housing finance regulator. It distracts from the real work of ensuring affordable housing access for millions of Americans.The Federal Housing Finance Agency director should spend less time on partisan attacks and social media posting, and more on trying to resolve the housing crisis.

MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest Weekly Survey -From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey -Mortgage applications increased 29.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 12, 2025. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 29.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 43 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 58 percent from the previous week and was 70 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 3 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 12 percent compared with the previous week and was 20 percent higher than the same week one year ago. “Indicative of the weakening job market, and in anticipation of a rate cut from the Federal Reserve, mortgage rates last week dropped to their lowest level since last October, with the 30-year fixed rate declining to 6.39 percent. Homeowners responded swiftly, with refinance application volume jumping almost 60 percent compared to the prior week,” . “Homeowners with larger loans jumped first, as the average loan size on refinances reached its highest level in the 35-year history of our survey. Almost 60 percent of applications were for refinances, but there was also a pickup in purchase applications.” “Even as 30-year fixed rates reached their lowest level in almost a year, more borrowers, and particularly more refinance borrowers, opted for adjustable-rate loans, with the ARM share reaching its highest level since 2008. Notably, ARMs typically have initial fixed terms of five, seven, or ten years, so those loans do not pose the risk of early payment shock that pre-2008 ARMs did. Borrowers who do opt for an ARM are seeing rates about 75 basis points lower than for 30-year fixed rate loans.” ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.39 percent from 6.49 percent, with points decreasing to 0.54 from 0.56 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The first graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index. According to the MBA, purchase activity is up 20% 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.

Housing September 15th Weekly Update: Inventory Up 1.6% Week-over-week Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.6% week-over-week. Inventory usually starts to decline in the fall and then declines sharply during the holiday season. Inventory is now up 37.8% 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 20.5% compared to the same week in 2024 (last week it was up 20.4%), and down 9.8% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 10.6%). Inventory started 2025 down 22% compared to 2019. Inventory has closed some of that gap, but 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 12th, inventory was at 860 thousand (7-day average), compared to 847 thousand the prior week. Mike Simonsen discusses this data and much more regularly on YouTube

Housing Starts Decreased to 1.307 million Annual Rate in August -From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions Privately-owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,307,000. This is 8.5 percent below the revised July estimate of 1,429,000 and is 6.0 percent below the August 2024 rate of 1,391,000. Single-family housing starts in August were at a rate of 890,000; this is 7.0 percent below the revised July figure of 957,000. The August rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 403,000.Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,312,000. This is 3.7 percent below the revised July rate of 1,362,000 and is 11.1 percent below the August 2024 rate of 1,476,000. Single-family authorizations in August were at a rate of 856,000; this is 2.2 percent below the revised July figure of 875,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 403,000 in August. The first graph shows single and multi-family housing starts since 2000. Multi-family starts (blue, 2+ units) decreased month-over-month in August. Multi-family starts were up 8.9% year-over-year. Single-family starts (red) decreased in August and were down 11.7% year-over-year. The second graph shows single and multi-family housing starts since 1968. Total housing starts in August were well below expectations, however, starts in June and July were revised up.

Newsletter: Housing Starts Decreased to 1.307 million Annual Rate in August-- Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Housing Starts Decreased to 1.307 million Annual Rate in August A brief excerpt: Total housing starts in August were well below expectations, however, starts in June and July were revised up. The third graph shows the month-to-month comparison for total starts between 2024 (blue) and 2025 (red). Total starts were down 6.0% in August compared to August 2024.Year-to-date (YTD) starts are up 0.7% compared to the same period in 2024. Single family starts are down 4.9% YTD and multi-family up 17.5% YTD.

NAHB: "Builder Confidence Steady but Future Sales Expectations Hit Six-Month High", Negative territory for 17 consecutive months -The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the housing market index (HMI) was at 32, unchanged from 32 last month. Any number below 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as poor than good. From the NAHB: Builder Confidence Steady but Future Sales Expectations Hit Six-Month High - Builder sentiment levels remained unchanged in September but lower mortgage rates and expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon cut the federal funds rate led to higher future sale expectations in the coming months. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 32 in September, unchanged from the August reading, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. While builder sentiment has hovered at a relatively low reading between 32 and 34 since May, builders expressed optimism that a more favorable interest rate climate could bring hesitant buyers off the sidelines in the final quarter of 2025. “NAHB expects the Fed to cut the federal funds rate at their meeting this week, which will help lower interest rates for builder and developer loans,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Moreover, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage average is down 23 basis points over the past four weeks to 6.35%, per Freddie Mac. This is the lowest level since mid-October of last year and a positive sign for future housing demand.” In a sign that the housing market remains soft, the latest HMI survey also revealed that 39% of builders reported cutting prices in September, up from 37% in August and the highest percentage in the post-Covid period. ... The HMI index gauging future sales expectations in September rose two points to 45, the highest reading since March of this year. The component measuring current sales conditions held steady at 34 while the gauge charting traffic of prospective buyers posted a one-point decline to 21. Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast was unchanged at 44, the Midwest gained one point to 42, the South held steady at 29 and the West increased one point to 26. This graph shows the NAHB index since Jan 1985. This was below the consensus forecast.

Hotels: Occupancy Rate Decreased 1.8% Year-over-year --Hotel occupancy was weak over the summer months, likely due to less international tourism. The fall months are mostly domestic travel. From STR: U.S. hotel results for week ending 13 September - The U.S. hotel industry reported mostly negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 13 September....7-13 September 2025 (percentage change from comparable week in 2024):
• Occupancy: 65.4% (-1.8%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): US$162.71 (+0.1%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$106.43 (-1.7%)
The following graph shows the seasonal pattern for the hotel occupancy rate using the four-week average.
The red line is for 2025, blue is the median, and dashed light blue is for 2024. Dashed purple is for 2018, the record year for hotel occupancy. The 4-week average of the occupancy rate is tracking behind both last year and the median rate for the period 2000 through 2024 (Blue).The 4-week average will increase during the Fall travel period.On a year-to-date basis, the only worse years for occupancy over the last 25 years were pandemic or recession years.

LA Ports: Imports and Exports Down YoY in August -- Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic.The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container).The first graph is the monthly data (with a strong seasonal pattern for imports). Usually imports peak in the July to October period as retailers import goods for the Christmas holiday and then decline sharply and bottom in the Winter depending on the timing of the Chinese New Year. Imports were down 2% YoY in August, and exports were down 1% YoY. To remove the strong seasonal component for inbound traffic, the second graph shows the rolling 12-month average. On a rolling 12-month basis, inbound traffic decreased 0.2% in August compared to the rolling 12 months ending the previous month. Outbound traffic decreased 0.1% compared to the rolling 12 months ending the previous month.This is the 9th consecutive month with exports down YoY.

Retail Sales Increased 0.6% in August --On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.6% from July to August (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 5.0 percent from August 2024. From the Census Bureau report: Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August 2025, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $732.0 billion, up 0.6 percent from the previous month, and up 5.0 percent from August 2024. ... The June 2025 to July 2025 percent change was revised from up 0.5 percent to up 0.6 percent. This graph shows retail sales since 1992. This is monthly retail sales and food service, seasonally adjusted (total and ex-gasoline). Retail sales ex-gasoline was up 0.6% in August. The second graph shows the year-over-year change in retail sales and food service (ex-gasoline) since 1993. Retail and Food service sales, ex-gasoline, increased by 5.4% on a YoY basis. The change in sales in August were above expectations and the previous two months were revised up.

Industrial Production Increased 0.1% in August --From the Fed: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization - Industrial production (IP) ticked up 0.1 percent in August after decreasing 0.4 percent in July. Manufacturing output rose 0.2 percent in August after edging down 0.1 percent in July. Within manufacturing, the production of motor vehicles and parts increased 2.6 percent in August, while factory output elsewhere edged up 0.1 percent. The index for mining moved up 0.9 percent, and the index for utilities decreased 2.0 percent. At 103.9 percent of its 2017 average, total IP in August was 0.9 percent above its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization maintained the same rate of 77.4 percent in August, a rate that is 2.2 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2024) average. This graph shows Capacity Utilization. This series is up from the record low set in April 2020, and close to the level in February 2020 (pre-pandemic). Capacity utilization at 77.4% is 2.2% below the average from 1972 to 2023. This was at consensus expectations. The second graph shows industrial production since 1967. Industrial production increased to 103.9. This is above the pre-pandemic level. Industrial production was slightly below consensus expectations (with revisions).

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 231,000 -The DOL reported:In the week ending September 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 231,000, a decrease of 33,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 263,000 to 264,000. The 4-week moving average was 240,000, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 240,500 to 240,750. The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.

Lawmakers Push for Kids Online Safety Act Amid AI Concerns - Recent revelations about how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are interacting with and affecting children are colliding with longstanding concerns about tech companies’ approach to safety and revitalizing efforts to pass kids’ online safety legislation. Chatbots from both Meta and OpenAI have come under scrutiny in the past few 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. Kids’ safety concerns have surged back to the forefront of policy discussions in recent weeks in the wake of reports about AI chatbots and their interactions with children. Meta faced backlash from both sides of the aisle in mid-August after an internal policy document was made public, showing examples of permissible interactions between its AI chatbot and young users, which included “romantic or sensual” conversations. This immediately provoked an uproar from lawmakers. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which he chairs, was opening a probe into Meta’s generative AI products. Meta quickly responded, saying this was an error and that it had removed the language. It also later announced it was updating its chatbot policy for teen users. However, Hawley argued it was “unacceptable that these policies were advanced in the first place.” OpenAI is also feeling the heat. The family of a 16-year-old boy sued the ChatGPT late last month, alleging that its chatbot encouraged him to take his own life. The company announced last week that it was making changes to how its chatbot handles people in crisis and strengthening teen protections. The attorneys general of California and Delaware raised concerns to the company in a letter Friday about its safety practices in the wake of three deaths connected to ChatGPT, suggesting they “have rightly shaken the American public’s confidence in OpenAI and this industry.” The FTC on Thursday announced it is launching an inquiry into AI chatbots, requesting information from several major tech firms, including Meta and OpenAI, about how they evaluate and limit potential harms to kids. Meanwhile, six current and former Meta employees came forward this week with new allegations that the company doctored and restricted safety research in an effort to shield it from legal liability. They described a “vast and negative change” in how the company approached safety research after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen alleged in 2021 that the tech giant was aware its platforms had negative impacts on young girls but had prioritized profits.

Parental support for school vaccine mandates remains high in US --The overwhelming majority of American adults—70%—support school mandates or requirements for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to a new poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center. This percentage is higher than even 2 years ago and contradicts recent messaging from US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Earlier this month, Kennedy told the media that he does not believe the federal government should mandate any vaccine, and in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report released last week, Kennedy said parents need to consider the pros and cons of childhood vaccines. In referencing parents, Kennedy said in the report, “Many of them have concerns about the appropriate use of vaccines and their possible role in the growing childhood chronic disease crisis.” But in the poll, conducted this April as the nation faced major measles outbreaks, 1,653 adults said they would choose a requirement over parental choice when it comes to MMR vaccines, “because of the potential risk for other children and adults when children are not vaccinated.” Only 18% of those polled said, "parents should be able to decide whether or not to vaccinate their children who attend public schools even if their decision not to vaccinate creates health risks for other children.” The 70% is a significant increase from the 63% who agreed with school vaccine mandates in 2023. The margin of error for the entire sample is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.Earlier this month, Florida became the first state to end vaccine requirements for school attendance. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, said vaccine mandates “drip with disdain and slavery.” Late last week, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, (head of the Senate HELP committee and the key vote that confirmed Kennedy as HHS secretary) said he sent Kennedy a letter asking him to encourage uptake of the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. Pertussis, or whooping cough, cases have been on the rise in Louisiana, which has tracked 368 cases so far this year. “In my state of Louisiana, we are experiencing the worst pertussis outbreak in 35 years. The outbreak has already killed two babies,” Cassidy wrote. “I want to work together to stop pertussis. Your strong public support for this vaccine will save lives.” The letter was followed by posts on X from Cassidy about the benefits of measles and RSV vaccination. Later this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet. The agenda is now posted, and the group will discuss and may vote on the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella) and hepatitis B vaccines on Thursday and COVID-19 vaccines on Friday.

KFF poll: 1 in 6 parents will delay or skip some childhood vaccines - A new KFF public opinion poll in partnership with the Washington Post finds that 1 and 6 parents are skipping some childhood vaccines, and that proportion jumps to 1 in 4 of self-identified “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) Republican parents. Overall, the poll shows confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and polio vaccines (90% and 88%, respectively), but much more confusion about seasonal vaccines for COVID-19 and flu. Only 65% of those polled said flu vaccines are safe for children, and 43% said COVID-19 vaccines are safe for children. But support for mandatory childhood immunization for some vaccines remained high: 81% of those polled said public schools should require students to get the measles and polio vaccines. The poll included 2,716 parents or legal guardians of children under age 18 years in the United States who were asked their opinion on childhood vaccines in July of this year. Confidence in federal health agencies was low in this poll, with only 14% of parents saying they have “a lot” of confidence in government health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration. In total half say they have only a little confidence (29%) or none at all (22%).Twenty-six percent of parents overall say that the CDC recommends too many vaccines. Younger patients (under 35) and those that homeschool were the most likely to express concern about vaccine safety. Vaccine safety was the most commonly cited reason for skipping childhood vaccines.

1 in 6 parents reject vaccine recommendations: Poll - About 1 in 6 parents have skipped or delayed vaccinating their children against diseases other than COVID-19 or the flu, according to a new poll from The Washington Post and health care policy nonprofit KFF. The poll’s findings show that 16 percent of parents are forgoing getting their children vaccinated for diseases other than COVID-19 or the flu, with white parents, Republicans, the religious and those homeschooling their kids more likely to skip the shots. American parents who homeschool a child and those who consider themselves to be very religious are the most likely to delay giving their children vaccines, with 46 percent and 36 percent forgoing inoculations for their kids, respectively. Americans who identify as Republicans are almost two times more likely to skip or delay vaccinating their children for diseases other than COVID-19 and the flu, with 22 percent and 12 percent, respectively, choosing to do so. Similarly, white Americans are nearly four times as likely to skip or delay vaccinating their children compared to Asian Americans, with 19 percent and 5 percent, respectively, forgoing or putting off inoculating their kids, according to the poll. Other poll findings show that fewer children are being vaccinated in the United States. A KFF poll released in early August found that 92.5 percent of kindergarteners were vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, and polio, and 92.1 percent against DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) during the 2024-25 school year. Those rates are drops from 2019-20 numbers, when 95 percent of kids had received the MMR, polio and DTaP vaccines. Public health experts typically recommend vaccination rates of 95 percent to protect communities from disease transmission. Vaccination rates among children have been declining since the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health experts worry that those rates will continue to fall as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, continues to change federal vaccine policy. The Post-KFF poll shows that concerns over vaccines are, at least in part, driving parents’ decisions to forgo the shots. Among parents who skipped or delayed vaccines, 67 percent said concerns over vaccine side effects were a “major reason” they did not want their children to be inoculated, and 53 percent cited a lack of trust in vaccine safety as another major reason for forgoing the shots.

Austin school district latest target in wave of Texas school closures and cutbacks -The prospect of extensive school closures looms over the Austin Independent School District (AISD) after 12 of its schools received failing marks from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). As a result, the affected schools will need to either close or make significant changes to improve their ratings based on performance on the state’s Assessments of Academic Readiness, a form of standardized testing.Most of the schools with failing marks are in poor and ethnic minority communities. They have been starved of funds, and now deal with the threat of ICE and border patrol agents arriving to take away their students and family members.The TEA’s plans have nothing to do with actually improving student outcomes. So-called turnaround plans typically involve firing teachers and administrators at affected schools and relinquishing campus space to private charter school operators.In addition to the 12 schools in AISD, roughly one-third of the district’s 116 campuses also received “unacceptable” ratings. Many of those will also need to submit turnaround plans by November as well. The plight of the Austin school district is part of a nationwide attack on public education at all levels of local, state and federal government. Trump’s billionaire education secretary, the wrestling magnate Linda McMahon, has overseen the termination of more than 1,400 workers from the Department of Education as part of Trump’s efforts to dismantle the agency altogether.The funding cuts for education are accompanied by a campaign of political indoctrination of young school children. As Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, the fascistic Stephen Miller, stated in May, “Children will be taught to love America. Children will be taught to be patriots.” Miller further clarified that any schools the administration believes to be promoting “communist ideology” and left-wing ideology in general will have federal government funding withheld.Under Trump, ICE agents and border patrol agents are invading the areas around public schools, terrifying innocent children, parents and teachers alike.In response, the trade unions have done absolutely nothing to mobilize workers against these horrific attacks. The Democrats, for their part, have responded to Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard by claiming that local police forces are sufficient for a crackdown.This has left teachers, parents and workers to fend for themselves. It makes clear that the only way to counter the attacks is through independent action, organized by rank-and-file committees of workers. Parents and teachers have been compelled to form their own school and neighborhood watch groups in case their campus ends up being the latest target of the ICE Gestapo.In Austin, staff and parents at Guerrero Thompson Elementary told the Austin American Statesman how teachers shepherd immigrant parents and children to dark classrooms and supply closets until ICE agents depart, akin to the hiding of Jews in Nazi Germany.The attack on public schools is also being carried out by local Democrats, with the support of the union bureaucrats. In addition to Austin, the Texas school districts with some of the most recent closures include:

• The Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The district is warning of imminent school closures of an unspecified number due to shrinking enrollment and financial strain. Up to three schools could potentially close, with a parent-led petition to keep one of the three schools, Bransford Elementary, open gathering roughly 500 signatures within a single day’s time.
• Also in North Texas, the Carrolton-Farmers Branch ISD closed three elementary and one middle school at the end of the previous academic year. Parents and community members, who were never informed of the closures, have filed a lawsuit over the failure to provide notice.
• Two schools in the Lufkin School District in East Texas were closed at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year due to declining enrollment. The growth of private charter schools and private school voucher programs was a significant factor in the declining enrollment numbers.
• In an 8 to 0 vote, the Forth Worth ISD approved a plan in June to close 18 schools over the next four years. The school closures are part of a plan to save the district $10 million, a tiny fraction of the city’s latest general fund budget of $1.097 billion.
• The Aldine school board in the Houston area voted in February to close six schools in addition to three previous closures. School board member Paul Shanklin remarked: “We still have to balance [the] budget and if you’re watching the news, you know what’s going on in our state, in our nation. We’re not getting extra money.”

Although the Texas state government loudly trumpeted a new public education funding bill in May, the bill does nothing to offset massive long-term cuts.

Philadelphia’s sellout teachers’ contract paves the way for mass school closures --The Philadelphia School District has revealed plans to close several underutilized and deteriorating school buildings, signaling a major shift in the city’s public education landscape. SDP Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. told reporters Monday that, while “there are no fixed decisions at this point… about which schools will close… we can surely say some will.” The school board will present proposals this fall and early next year. The district cited extensive facility issues and declining enrollment as key reasons behind this controversial move. The SDP administration pointed to some schools allegedly suffering from low utilization, costly maintenance and inadequate amenities, while others are overcrowded and ill-equipped, to justify the proposed closures.The announcement of school closures comes less than two weeks after the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) helped the district forcefully ratify a new contract for its 14,000 educators and school workers. The SDP is facing a massive $313 million deficit, while state lawmakers from both major parties remain over two months late in announcing plans to fund the state’s education system. Contrary to claims by PFT President Arthur Steinberg, who described the deal as “historic,” the contract is a sellout that fails to meet the pressing demands of teachers struggling with stagnant wages and rising living costs. This contract helped the district impose austerity, setting the stage for damaging school closures that deepen the financial crisis.The contract, sprung on workers after weeks in which the PFT claimed to be preparing for a strike, was a set-up against teachers from the start, done to clear the path for steep cuts to the school system. The same maneuver was used by the Chicago Teacher Union, which pushed through a similar “historic” contract only for the school district to announce huge cuts a short time later. The announcement underscores warnings from the Philadelphia Workers Rank-and-File Strike Committee, which warned in a statement calling for a no vote that cuts were on the way. “It is a proven, iron law that as long as a struggle remains in the hands of the bureaucracy, the only possible outcome is a betrayal. The only path to victory is building independent rank-and-file strength and solidarity.The announcements stem from a Facilities Planning Process led by the SDP, which released a detailed report and data last week to guide decisions on school buildings. The report compiles data on school conditions, capacity and utilization, program alignment and neighborhood vulnerability to inform upcoming decisions on which schools might be closed, modernized, repurposed or co-located. According to the report, about one-third of schools (64 out of 215) operate below 50 percent capacity, with five schools more than 80 percent empty. Forty schools received the lowest “unsatisfactory” rating for building conditions, and another 47 were rated “poor,” citing serious facility problems such as plumbing issues, lack of heating and cooling, asbestos and general infrastructure decay. Many buildings in northeast and south Philadelphia have the opposite problem and remain overcrowded. In these facilities, students are forced to learn in hallways, closets or makeshift classrooms because there simply isn’t enough room.While individual locations have not yet been selected, the list of “poor,” “unsatisfactory,” or “crowded” schools adds up to a far longer list of possible targets than the previous wave of closures in 2013-2014, which saw 24 schools close and displaced 10,000 students. A similar number of closures now would likely displace 11,500 students.

Service academies to announce acceptance of CLT scores in admissions: Report --United States service academies are set to announce next month that they will start accepting scores on the Classic Learning Test (CLT) for the 2027 admissions cycle, as reported by Politico on Monday. The CLT, developed in 2015, assesses aptitude in reading, writing, grammar and mathematics, similar to the widely used SAT and ACT. Where it differs from those two exams, however, is its assessment of knowledge pertaining to classical literature, American history and ethical reasoning, among other differentiating topics. An assessment content brief released by Classic Learning Initiatives, the for-profit company that administers the CLT, notes that the exam consists of three sections: verbal reasoning, grammar/writing and quantitative reasoning. In the verbal reasoning and grammar/writing sections, texts are derived from topics such as classical literature; articles on topics such as genetics, astronomy and physics; and biographies of historical figures, such as Joan of Arc and William Shakespeare.According to Politico, the service academies will update their websites deeming the CLT an option for admissions applications by Oct. 1. There are five military services academies in the U.S. — the Military Academy, Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy and Air Force Academy.

Nearly $500M in federal funds for HBCUs and TCCUs - The Trump administration announced Monday that nearly $500 million in federal funds will be redirected to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs). HBCUs and TCCUs will get a one-time investment of $495 million on top of what is going in the 2025 federal budget, totaling an increase of 48.4 percent for HBCUs and 109.3 percent for TCCUs. Charter schools are also seeing a boost in their funding of $500 million from the Department of Education, along with American history and civics grants getting an extra $160 million investment. The federal agency said the money is repurposed from other programs “that the Department determined are not in the best interest of students and families.” “Today, the Department is making three massive investments — redirecting financial support away from ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success. We are proud to make the largest investment in the Charter Schools Grants Program in the Department’s history, support American history programs that will inspire young people to be active and informed citizens, and recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities’ historic contributions to improving education and opportunity in our country,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “The Department has carefully scrutinized our federal grants, ensuring that taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programs but those programs which promote merit and excellence in education. The Trump Administration will use every available tool to meaningfully advance educational outcomes and ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed in life,” she added. The news comes days after McMahon said her department was ending discretionary funding to multiple Minority-Serving Institutions grant programs due to the institutions’ requirements to “meet racial or ethnic quotas.”

New CDC advisers scale back recommendations on MMRV vaccine in young kids --The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory group today changed its recommendations for the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for the youngest children, continuing efforts by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to shake up childhood vaccine policies and schedules. Varicella is also known as chickenpox. A scheduled vote on use of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth was tabled until tomorrow. Skepticism of childhood vaccines, along with the numbers of them that American children receive, has been one of Kennedy’s main issues over many decades. And since his confirmation as HHS secretary in February he has taken steps to challenge established guidelines, partly through his hand-picked 12-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel, many of whom share his views. Without evidence, he has unilaterally changed the CDC’s COVID recommendations for children and other groups and has signaled sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, a point that was underscored yesterday at a hearing before the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) Committee to probe the recent firing of CDC director Susan Monarez, PhD. She told lawmakers she was fired after refusing to pre-approve ACIP recommendations, regardless of scientific evidence. When asked about the potential fallout from the Kennedy-led vaccine changes, Monarez told senators yesterday that she worried that diseases like measles, polio, diphtheria, and whooping cough will return. "I believe our children will be harmed by things they do not need to be harmed by," she said.In an opening statement, ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff, PhD, a statistician and epidemiologist formerly at Harvard University, lashed out at recent critics of the vaccine panel and federal policy changes. He singled out a group of former CDC directors who published an editorial 2 weeks ago that raised concerns about Kennedy’s recent vaccine policies and related staff upheaval at the CDC as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), one of the groups that has issued its own vaccine recommendations and as one of several ex officio members is boycotting the ACIP meetings.“With such debates, you can weigh and determine the scientific reasoning by each side, but without it, you cannot properly judge their arguments,” he said. The new developments come as states and medical organizations depart from CDC recommendations and as the nation’s biggest insurance company trade group has signaled that it, at least for COVID and flu vaccines, will continue to provide coverage based on the recommendations of top medical organization. On the MMRV vote, the committee removed a long-standing ACIP recommendation, which stated that separate measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and varicella vaccination be used for children 12 to 47 months old, but that parents have the option of the MMRV vaccine for that age-group. Eight ACIP members voted to stop recommending the MMRV for children before the age of 4 years, while three voted against the measure and one member abstained. The group, however, did vote to maintain coverage for the MMRV vaccine through the Vaccines for Children program.The MMRV vaccine was licensed in 2005 and is designed to streamline vaccine administration and boost overall vaccine uptake. The first dose of the live-attenuated vaccine is usually given from 12 to 15 months of age, with the second dose given from 4 to 6 years of age. The vaccine carries a slightly higher risk of febrile seizures when given as the first dose compared with separate MMR and varicella vaccines, especially among younger children.Currently, only 15% of parents opt for the combined vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 months.ACIP last discussed the MMRV vaccine in 2009, reviewing efficacy and safety data and affirming that the MMRV vaccine could deliver the two recommended doses required for protection against measles, mumps, and rubella. That recommendation emphasized that doctors should talk to parents to weigh the small seizure risk with the potential benefits of giving the two vaccines at once.

ACIP tables vote to delay hepatitis B vaccine birth dose -The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory panel today voted to postpone a vote on delaying the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine, given that most members felt more data was needed to inform the wording of the recommendation. In another vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reversed a Vaccines for Children (VFC) program vote it took yesterday on the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for children younger than 4 years old. The reversal removes the vaccine from the federal program that provides free vaccine to uninsured and underinsured children. The vote is unusual, because yesterday on the main voting question the group removed its recommendation that children in the youngest age-group can get the MMRV vaccine when caregivers consult with doctors about the low risk of febrile seizures, but kept in place VFC inclusion for the vaccine, whose varicella component protects against chickenpox. The decision to table the hepatitis B vaccines measures passed on an 11-to-1 vote, with ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff, PhD, as the only no vote. Kulldorff is a statistician and epidemiologist formerly at Harvard University. Ahead of the vote, the advisers unanimously passed the first part of the hepatitis B voting question, which recommends that all pregnant women be screened for hepatitis B, which is already the standard of care in the United States and many other countries. Multiple members, however, said the wording of the proposed recommendations to postpone the hepatitis vaccine birth dose to 1 month after birth lacked evidence and had wording that created ambiguity regarding clinical decision making. Confusion about the vote prompted strong demands from some ACIP and liaison member members that, going forward, ACIP use the usual work group format to formulate the voting questions and back the recommendations with science, using its long-standing grading and methodology that takes into account risk-benefit and equity analyses. Jason Goldman, MD, a representative with the American College of Physicians and an assistant professor of clinical biomedical science at Florida Atlantic University, said he applauded the group's delaying of the hepatitis B vote, but said that ACIP members need to be transparent about how they’re evaluating vaccines. “Tell the public how you’re vetting vaccines.”

CDC vaccine panel votes to change COVID-19 vaccine guidance -A federal vaccine advisory panel voted on Friday to recommend people talk with a clinician before getting a Covid vaccine, while voting against a motion to require prescriptions for the shot. All 12 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted unanimously to update COVID-19 guidance so coronavirus vaccinations for all people should be based on “individual-based decision making.” For people between six months and 64 years old, the recommendation advised that vaccinations be based on individual-based decision-making along “with an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is most favorable for individuals who are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease and lowest for individuals who are not at an increased risk, according to the CDC list of COVID-19 risk factors.” ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff said it was his understanding that this recommendation they voted on would mean that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines would still be covered by insurance. Insurers look to the board’s recommendations to inform their coverage. The ACIP voted against a motion which recommended that states and local jurisdictions require prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines. The panel does not have the purview over whether to require prescriptions. States and local jurisdictions make those rules, not the CDC.The vote was split evenly 6-6. With Kulldorff voting ‘no’ to break the tie, the motion failed. The questions they were to vote on were not publicly disclosed until the very end of the meeting. ACIP member Retsef Levi, professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, led the panel’s discussion on the COVID-19 vaccines. Levi, a known COVID-19 vaccine opponent and skeptic, was selected to lead the CDC’s COVID-19 working group in August. During the pandemic, Levi called for all COVID-19 programs to be stopped immediately, claiming there was no proof of efficacy and that the vaccines were behind the deaths of children and young people. Levi presented four questions for the committee to vote on: to recommend the CDC promote six risks and uncertainties he cited in his presentation on Friday; to recommend requiring prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines; that patients should be informed of the risks of COVID-19 and its vaccination before receiving the shot; and to update the current guidance so that coronavirus vaccinations for all people should be based on “individual-based decision making.”All questions except for the one recommending a prescription for COVID-19 vaccine were passed by the committee.

CDC advisers weaken COVID vaccine recommendations but stop short of requiring prescriptions --After at times contentious discussions over the science behind COVID vaccine and suspicions over its impacts, the vaccine advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today in a four-part vote fine-tuned its COVID vaccine recommendations and narrowly rejected its working group’s proposal to require a doctor’s prescription for the vaccine. The main measure that would have added barriers to vaccination was a proposal that would have advised states and localities to require a doctor’s prescription for COVID vaccine for all groups, which in the initial vote was a 6-to-6 tie, with Martin Kulldorff, PhD, chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), breaking the tie with his no vote. Kulldorff is a statistician and epidemiologist formerly at Harvard University. The unexpected result came after 2 days of choppy and sometimes chaotic proceedings that saw the group earlier today reverse one of its votes on the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine and postpone another on the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Liaison members, and even some ACIP members, at times voiced sharp concerns about the lack and quality of evidence backing the proposals, while raising questions about transparency and why ACIP was even weighing the topics.Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and leader of the Vaccine Integrity Project, said the proceedings shined a spotlight on the replacement of our nation’s evidence-based system that helped create access to lifesaving vaccines by an ideology-based system determined to limit access. Despite the pledge to not take away vaccines, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, did that through ACIP’s decision yesterday to limit access to the MMRV vaccine and continues to work to limit access to approved COVID vaccines, he said.“Over and over, during the often-disorganized proceedings, CDC experts presented peer-reviewed vaccine data to members of the committee, only to have them dismiss, misunderstand, or mischaracterize the information or introduce their own unvetted and unpublished data,” Osterholm said. “Committee members also often seemed to lack understanding of the laws and regulations that govern vaccine administration and healthcare delivery in the US.”Most of the members who voted against the main measure worried that a prescription would be a barrier to immunization, especially for people who don’t have regular doctors and those in underserved areas, many of whom they said are in the groups at higher risk for severe COVID illness. They also aired concerns about adding an extra burden to already busy doctor’s offices. Those who voted for the measure, however, said the doctor’s prescription was needed to ensure that patients are adequately informed of the risks and benefits of vaccination.The three other measures were less controversial. In one other vote, the group weighed in on adult and pediatric immunization schedules. They decided that adults age 65 and older should be vaccinated based on their own assessment and emphasized that, for people ages 6 months to 64 years old, the vaccination benefit is most favorable for those with underlying health conditions.In two other separate votes, the group recommend that the CDC add more language about risks and uncertainties, including to vaccine information statements, and that healthcare providers talk to patients about risks and benefits of vaccination and known risk factors regarding COVID.

Universal COVID vaccination saves lives, averts 10% to 20% of disease burden, estimates suggest --A modeling study today in JAMA Network Open estimates that COVID-19 vaccination of all people in the United States in 2024-25 would have prevented 10% to 20% of hospitalizations and deaths compared with no vaccination, with additional indirect benefits to older adults compared with vaccinating only high-risk groups.The findings come at a crucial time, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May recommended COVID vaccines only for adults 65 and older and for people at risk for severe illness. Johns Hopkins University researchers led today's study, which projected weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in six scenarios of immune escape (20% to 50% per year) and vaccine recommendations (no recommendation, vaccination of at-risk people only, and vaccination for all eligible groups) from April 2024 to April 2025.For example, under the 20% immune-escape rate, a vaccine formulated based on a variant circulating in April 2024 would be 20% less effective against symptomatic infection with a strain circulating in April 2025. "Annually reformulated vaccines were assumed to be 75% effective against hospitalization for variants circulating on June 15, 2024, and available on September 1, 2024," the study authors wrote. "Age- and state-specific coverage was assumed to be as reported in September 2023 to April 2024."For the 332 million US residents (estimated 58 million aged 65 years and older), COVID-19 was expected to lead to 814,000 (95% projection interval [PI], 400,000 to 1.2 million) hospitalizations and 54,000 (95% PI, 17,000 to 98,000) deaths in 2024-25, similar to the previous year. Vaccination of high-risk groups only was projected to cut hospitalizations (compared with no vaccination) by 76,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 34,000 to 118,000) and deaths by 7,000 (95% CI, 3,000 to 11,000) in low and high immune-escape scenarios. Compared with vaccinating high-risk groups only, universal vaccination was predicted to provide direct and indirect benefits, preventing another 11,000 hospitalizations and 1,000 deaths in those aged 65 years and older.In a high immune-escape scenario, the authors estimate that expanding recommendations to all ages would prevent an additional 28,000 hospitalizations and 2,000 deaths than would vaccinating high-risk groups only. Under all scenarios, projections suggested that national COVID-19 hospitalizations would remain below the CDC threshold for low hospital admission levels (fewer than 10 weekly hospitalizations per 100,000 people) in spring 2024, followed by a rise in late summer and fall toward a winter peak, similar to or lower than the previous winter's peak. In the high immune-escape scenarios, a projected summer peak was more pronounced. In general, weekly national hospitalization projections stayed below high CDC hospitalization levels (more than 20 weekly hospitalizations per 100,000 people) under all scenarios."Ensemble projections suggested that although vaccinating high-risk groups had substantial benefits in reducing disease burden, maintaining the vaccine recommendation for all individuals had the potential to save thousands more lives," the researchers wrote. "Despite divergence of projections from observed disease trends in 2024 to 2025—possibly driven by variant emergence patterns and immune escape—averted COVID-19 burden due to vaccination was robust across immune escape scenarios, emphasizing the substantial benefit of broader vaccine availability for all individuals," they concluded.

Insurance trade group says COVID, flu vaccines covered through 2026-In a major development, AHIP (formerly America's Health Insurance Plans), the insurance company trade group, announced that it will continue to cover updated COVID vaccines and flu vaccines through the end of 2026.The announcement comes just before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is set to meet beginning tomorrow to discuss the use of and recommendations for those vaccines.The COVID mRNA vaccines are expected to be targeted during the upcoming meetings, as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed several anti–COVID mRNA vaccine activists to the committee.AHIP's statement says all ACIP-recommended immunizations as of September 1, 2025, including updated seasonal COVID-19 and flu shots, will be covered with no cost-sharing for patients through the end of 2026."Health plan coverage decisions for immunizations are grounded in each plan's ongoing, rigorous review of scientific and clinical evidence, and continual evaluation of multiple sources of data," AHIP said. "While health plans continue to operate in an environment shaped by federal and state laws, as well as program and customer requirements, the evidence-based approach to coverage of immunizations will remain consistent."

Moderna data show strong immune response to updated COVID vaccine -Moderna yesterday announced promising preliminary immunogenicity data for its 2025-26 formulation of Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine, which targets the LP.8.1 variant.In a press release, the company said the data are from an ongoing phase 4 clinical trial to gauge the safety, tolerability, and immune response to the updated Spikevax vaccine. The findings come ahead of a September 19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is slated to discuss and vote on vaccine recommendations. Spikevax prompted a greater than eight-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against LP.8.1 in people ages 12 through 64 years with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe COVID complications, as well as adults aged 65 and older.Pfizer and BioNTech last week announced strong phase 3 clinical data for their updated COVID vaccine.Moderna said the safety profile is consistent with that of earlier studies, with findings revealing no new safety concerns.Recent CDC data show that that wastewater SARS-CoV-2 detections are high and that LP.8.1 and related strains XFG and NB.1.8.1 continue to dominate. “This preliminary analysis confirms Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine is a strong match to today's top circulating strains in the U.S.,” the company said. The latest clinical findings support preclinical data that supported the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the updated Spikevax formulation.

Report: Cardiac risks must be considered when treating COVID-19 --A new report published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests repeat COVID-19 vaccination may be necessary to mitigate the cardiovascular risk associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.The authors represent experts from across Europe, and said they authored the report to make concrete recommendations for prevention, rehabilitation, and long-term care for cardiovascular patients because both acute COVID-19 infection and long COVID have serious effects on the heart and blood vessels."As the initial public health messaging largely focused on pulmonary complications of COVID 19, many people with COVID-19 may not be aware of the increased cardiovascular risks associated to the disease," the authors wrote.With more than 1 billion global COVID-19 infections reported in the past 5 years, the authors said there was a need for clear clinical guidance on cardiovascular disease, including myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, and thromboembolism (blockage caused by a blood clot) in an artery or vein."In the absence of clear evidence-based guidance, patients risk harmful treatments and clinicians face uncertainty," said lead author Vassilios Vassiliou, MBBS, PhD, from University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in England, in a press release from the European Society of Cardiology, which publishes the journal. "This statement [report] provides unified, practical recommendations for prevention, rehabilitation, and long-term care, while also identifying critical research gaps to ensure strategies continue to evolve with emerging evidence." The report says COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular symptoms, especially those with prior heart disease, should begin an exercise rehabilitation program 6 to 12 weeks after infection to strengthen the heart. Patients with long COVID—symptoms months after the initial infection—should undertake a stepwise program that reintroduces activity.Careful watching and follow up is also needed for patients with COVID-19, who should be told they are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease after the virus. "Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 exhibit an elevated risk of cardiovascular events lasting up to 3 years post-infection," the authors wrote. The authors also addressed long COVID. They estimate 100 million people are currently living with long COVID globally, and about 5 million (5%) have cardiac long COVID, reporting angina (chest pain), breathlessness, arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), heart failure, fatigue, and dizziness. In addition to cardiac rehabilitation, regular COVID-19 vaccination is important in both preventing severe COVID infections and reducing the chances of getting long COVID. The authors said the number of cardiac rehabilitation centers in Europe are too few given the increasing burden of long COVID.

Data: Severe infection, worse lung function risk factors for long-COVID breathlessness, physical struggles - COVID-related hospitalization and impaired lung function strongly predict reduced physical capacity and breathlessness in unvaccinated participants for up to 3 years after infection, but even patients with less severe infections can experience long-term weakness, researchers at Umea University in Sweden report in the Journal of Infection. The investigators evaluated lung function in 291 participants—35% of whom were hospitalized—3 to 6 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 2020 to May 2021 and conducted follow-up visits for up to 3 years. The team used the 1-minute sit-to-stand test to measure physical capacity in 191 participants and the modified Medical Research Council scale to compare breathlessness in 179 patients with that of a reference population. All hospitalized patients were adults, while the non-hospitalized group included patients aged 15 years and older. In total, 34.7% of patients were hospitalized and 8.9% of all patients received intensive care. Hospitalized patients were older (58 vs 48 years), had a higher body mass index (BMI) than their non-hospitalized counterparts (29.9 kilograms per square meter vs 24.9), had more chronic conditions, were men rather than women (64% vs 53%), and were more likely to have smoked (37.0% vs 18.0%). Physical capacity significantly improved in all participants up to 2 years after diagnosis, then plateaued. Hospitalization and impaired lung function were significantly tied to breathlessness and reduced physical capacity. While non-hospitalized patients' physical capacity improved for up to 2 years, improvement for hospitalized patients plateaued by 6 months."Our findings emphasize that non-hospitalised individuals also experienced reduced physical capacity, highlighting the need for targeted rehabilitation strategies and further research to optimize recovery outcomes across all affected populations," they concluded.

Older adults less likely to be classified as having long COVID, study finds -- A study of COVID-19 patients from 33 states found that those aged 70 and older were less likely to be classified as having long COVID compared with younger adults, US researchers reported earlier this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Using data from the RECOVER-Adult study, which includes participants from 83 sites in 33 states, a team lead by researchers with the University of Arizona compared the frequency and prevalence of long-COVID symptoms among community dwelling participants ages 70 and older compared with those aged 18 to 59 years more than 135 days after their index infection. While studies estimate that from 4% to 10% of the infected population exhibit long-COVID symptoms, less is known about the prevalence or clinical presentation of long COVID in older adults. Among 10,211 participants with prior infections and 1,189 uninfected control patients, long-COVID symptoms were most common in those aged 40 to 49 years (27%) and 50 to 59 years (26%), lower among those aged 18 to 39 (20%) and 60 to 69 years (21%), and lowest in those aged 70 years and older (13%). Compared with the age 18 to 39 group, the adjusted odds of having long COVID were higher for the age 40 to 49 group (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.61) and 50 to 59 group (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.5), similar for the age 60 to 69 group (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.27), and lower for the over 70 group (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.85). When the researchers looked at raw symptom frequency by infection/age strata, they found that, in participants 60 years or older both with and without prior infection, any symptoms, including problems with hearing and chest and joint pains, were less discriminating for long COVID in older adults, as they readily occurred in both older participants with and without prior infection, particularly in people 70 and older. "Within the limits of this observational study, we conclude that in community-dwelling older adults, aging alters the prevalence and pattern of reported Long COVID," the authors concluded.

Studies show mostly poor long-COVID protection for Paxlovid - Two new studies find limited evidence of the usefulness of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) to prevent the development of long COVID—but with a small reduction for older COVID-19 patients.Paxlovid is an antiviral drug approved for use in US patients 12 years an older who are at risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 infections.Several observation studies have shown a small protective effect of Paxlovid on long COVID, but the two new studies look at the protective factor in the wake of Omicron and subvariants in the United States. In the first study, published yesterday in PLOS Medicine, an analysis of a large cohort of people in the RECOVER trial who had COVID-19 since April 1, 2022, found that Paxlovid had no protective effect overall on the development of long COVID. Data on 445,738 patients from the US National COVID Cohort Collaborative's electronic health record database was used for this study. Of those patients, 151,180 (33.92%) had a Paxlovid prescription within the treatment period, and 18,663 (4.20%) had been diagnosed as having long COVID. The adjusted cumulative incidence of long-COVID estimates were 4.53% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.40 to 4.66) for treated patients and 4.60% (95% CI, 4.51 to 4.68) for untreated patients. There was a small protective effects among patients aged 65 years or more, the authors said. There was no effect for other ages, and no effect seen between unvaccinated and fully vaccinated patients. In the second study, published today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that Paxlovid offered some protection against long COVID in a retrospective cohort study where 291,433 treated patients were matched to 582,866 untreated patients. The effect was only seen, however, in older adults. A minimal effect was noted in adults ages 18 to 49, but no effect was found in adolescents. Among participants 65 and older, Paxlovid was associated with a 12% reduced risk of at least one long-COVID symptom (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.88; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.90).

Northeast states form alliance to make public health guidance as Vermont, DC ensure COVID vaccine access - Seven Northeast states and New York City have formed the Northeast Public Health Collaborative (NPHC) to make evidence-based public health recommendations—including on vaccines—while Vermont and the District of Columbia are the latest US jurisdictions to announce safeguards for access to COVID-19 vaccines.The moves come as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken steps to limit COVID vaccine access and has questioned the importance of several childhood vaccines. A news release announcing the NPHC says that officials in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York City have been collaborating since early 2025 but formally announced the collaborative yesterday. Earlier this month several West Coast governors formed a similar alliance."The Collaborative's shared purpose is to work together in new ways … to ensure trust in public health, respond to public health threats, advance community health and strengthen confidence in vaccines and science-based medicine," according to the release on the NPHC. "The group's shared goal is to protect the health, safety and well-being of all residents by providing information based on science, data, and evidence, while working to ensure equitable access to vaccines, medications, and services."Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said, "In a time of significant change in public health, we have benefited from the enhanced collaborations between our jurisdictions."New York City Acting Health Commissioner Michelle Morse, MD, MPH, added, "We must always protect our public health infrastructure, reject misinformation, and maintain trust in science."Meanwhile, Vermont Governor Phil Scott and the state Department of Health yesterday announcedsteps to ensure access to COVID vaccines through primary care providers and pharmacies. "This order is a necessary step to make sure those who want a vaccine, can get one," he said.At least 17 other states have taken similar steps.In addition, the Washington, DC, city council this week passed legislation that allows DC residents to get COVID vaccines from local pharmacies without a prescription.

US data highlight severity of 2024-25 flu season - The 2024-25 flu season was the highest severity flu season in more than a decade, according to an analysis of US data published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.The assessment of data from the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network, which covers 9% of the US population, shows that, from October 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025, officials recorded 38,960 flu-associated hospitalizations, for an overall cumulative hospitalization rate of 127.1 per 100,000 population—the highest rate observed since the 2010-11 flu season. The peak weekly flu hospitalization rate of 13.5 per 100,000, reached in early February, also represented the highest weekly rate seen since the 2010-11 season.Across all age-groups, hospitalization rates during the 2024-25 season were 1.8 to 2.8 times higher than median rates observed from the 2010-11 through 2023-24 seasons. The rate was highest among patients aged 75 and older (598.8) and lowest among those aged 5 to 17 years (39.3). The cumulative flu-associated hospitalization rate among all age-groups was higher than that for COVID-19 or RSV.Among 10,269 randomly sampled patients hospitalized for flu, 89.1% had one or more underlying medical conditions, 16.8% were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), 6.1% received invasive mechanical ventilation, and 3.0% died in the hospital. Just one third (32.4%) had received a flu vaccine, while 84.8% received flu antiviral treatment, though the percentage of children aged 5 to 17 who received antiviral treatment was only 61.6%.The study authors say flu vaccination and antiviral treatment rates remain suboptimal. Meanwhile, current seasonal flu activity remains at very low levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) most recent FluView report. The overall percentage of emergency department (ED) visits with a discharge diagnosis of flu for the week ending September 6 was 0.2%. But another pediatric flu death was added to the total for the 2024-25 flu season, which has seen the most pediatric deaths in any non-pandemic flu season since the condition became reportable in 2004. The death, which occurred the week ending February 1 but wasn't reported to the CDC until recently, brings the total for the season to 280 flu-associated pediatric deaths.

School report: Pre-K students, staff most likely to have acute respiratory infections -- A study in the North Kansas City, Missouri, pre-K–12 public school system finds that pre-K (pre-kindergarten) and elementary students had the highest rates of respiratory virus detections and that pre-K and staff were most likely to have acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Researchers at Children's Mercy Kansas City and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the nasal swabs and respiratory-symptom reports of students and staff from November 2022 to May 2023, past the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings were published today in Pediatrics. "Schools have been implicated in certain respiratory virus outbreaks and potentially play an important role in amplifying community spread of respiratory viruses due to subsequent transmission to household and close contacts, resulting in absenteeism and productivity loss," the study authors wrote. A total of 816 participants (590 students and 226 staff) submitted 5,198 monthly symptom surveys and 5,981 specimens for a median of 24.5 weeks. Of all participants, 85.5% had at least one virus, and 80.4% had at least one ARI. Over 92% of pre-K and elementary students had a virus detected, compared with 86.3% of middle school students, 77.6% of high school students, and 76.1% of staff. Detection of at least two viruses in a single specimen occurred at least once in 15.8% of participants, with the highest rates in elementary (21.1%) and pre-K (19.4%) students. The most commonly detected virus was rhinovirus/enterovirus, at 65.1%. Other common viruses were seasonal coronavirus (29.7%), human metapneumovirus (HMPV; 17.6%), and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19; 15.2%). Adenovirus was detected in 38.7% of pre-K and 17.1% of elementary students, compared with 3.5% of staff. Similarly, rhinovirus/enterovirus was identified in 71.0% of pre-K and 77.7% of elementary students, compared with 43.8% of staff. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 was more common in staff (26.5%) than in students (10.8%).Adjusted virus detection rates per 100 enrollment-days were highest in pre-K (1.46) and elementary (1.51) school, followed by middle (1.19) and high school (0.90) students and staff (0.87). Adjusted ARI rates per 100 enrollment days were 1.66 in pre-K, 1.19 in elementary, 1.17 in middle, and 0.76 in high school students and 1.45 in staff. ARI rates per 100 enrollment days were significantly higher in pre-K (adjusted rate, 1.66; incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2.19), elementary (adjusted rate, 1.19; IRR, 1.58), and middle school students (adjusted rate, 1.17; IRR, 1.54) than in high school students. Staff also had significantly higher ARI rates than high school students (adjusted rate, 1.45; IRR, 1.91). In total, 55.0% of participants had at least one virus detection with ARI symptoms, and 59.4% had at least one virus identification without ARI symptoms.Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were mainly detected in November and December 2022, while identification of seasonal coronaviruses peaked from December 2022 to February 2023, and rhinovirus/enterovirus RV/EV was found throughout the study period.In elementary schools, where students are generally in one classroom and virus detection rates are highest, infection-prevention measures such as enhanced cleaning to reduce adenovirus spread could focus on classrooms with higher illness rates, the researchers said. In middle and high schools, where students move between classrooms, building-level infection-prevention efforts such as optimizing ventilation may be more effective. Less than one-quarter of staff were up to date with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, which the authors said underscores the need to find new ways to encourage staff and students to be vaccinated at school.

Study highlights elevated rates of hospitalization, ICU care, death in older RSV patients - An annual study published this week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases reveals the heavy burden and considerable costs of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in adults aged 75 years and older and high-risk people 65 to 74 years old in France.Researchers at Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere and RSV vaccine manufacturer Moderna in Paris parsed data on RSV hospitalizations, including stays in the intensive care unit (ICU), on patients aged 65 and 74 with chronic respiratory disease or congestive heart failure and those 75 and older. Data were from the French National Hospital Discharge database. The study was conducted from 2017 to 2022, before approval of RSV vaccines in France. A correction factor derived from virologic data from two hospitals was used to adjust for underreporting."Hospitalizations are frequently underreported due to diagnostic challenges and a lack of standardized testing," the authors wrote.A total of 353 RSV hospitalizations occurred at two hospitals during the study period. Over half (54.1%) of patients were 65 and older, 52.1% were women, and 28.3% had at least one ICU stay.Among adults aged 75 and older, the adjusted incidence of RSV hospitalization was 85 to 221 per 100,000 people, death rates among hospitalized patients were 8.9% to 10.4%, and annual adjusted costs were €27 million to €76 million ($32 million to $90 million US), mainly driven by ICU admissions. In total, 12.1% to 18.5% of patients in the older group were admitted to the ICU, and 33.5% to 37.7% were readmitted to the hospital within 3 months, mainly for respiratory (6.8% to 9.9%) or cardiorespiratory (11.3% to 16.0%) conditions.Adults aged 65 to 74 also had higher adjusted rates of RSV infection (161 to 735 per 100,000 people), along with elevated rates of ICU admission and disproportionately higher costs due to intensive-care needs."The significant burden of RSV on adults aged 75+ and high-risk adults aged 65-74 with chronic conditions remains underreported," the researchers wrote. "Improved diagnostics and targeted vaccination programs are essential to reduce hospitalizations, mortality, and healthcare costs in these vulnerable groups."

Quick takes: Moderate global COVID risk, California vaccine guidance, Michigan avian flu alert | CIDRAP

• In its latest assessment of the public health threat from SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed its risk level from high to moderate, though it noted that confidence in its assessment is low. The step-down in risk stems from declining hospitalizations and deaths since 2022 due to high population immunity and improved clinical management. The group added that most viruses are members of the Omicron JN.1 lineage, which has shown immune escape but not increased illness severity. It warned that a gap in surveillance data and genomic sequencing, especially from low- and middle-income countries, undermines a more accurate risk assessment. The WHO emphasized that COVID continues to circulate alongside other respiratory viruses and estimated that post-COVID symptoms occur in about 6% of people who have symptomatic infections. Low vaccine uptake amid continued virus evolution are other factors that contribute to risk-estimate uncertainty and required continued vigilance.
• The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced its official respiratory virus immunization recommendations in accordance with its West Coast Health Alliance partners in Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. In a statement, the CDPH said California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week signed a bill into law ensuring that the state’s vaccine recommendations are guided by evidence-based scientific recommendations from trusted medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The law also ensures insurance coverage for vaccines and that pharmacists and other health professionals can continue to administer them.
• The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) today urged animal owners to remain vigilant and take steps to avoid the transmission of highly pathogenic avian flu from wild birds, given the start of wild bird migration and recently reported H5N1 outbreaks in poultry in North Dakota and South Dakota. So far, no recent outbreaks have been reported from Michigan. In related developments, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today reported two more H5N1 detections in poultry, both involving turkey farms in South Dakota—one in Beadle County and the other in McPherson County. Over the last 30 days, 10 outbreaks in commercial poultry and 5 in backyard flocks have led to the loss of about 500,000 birds.

US measles cases near 1,500 as new case confirmed in Chicago area -Today in its weekly update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there are 1,491 confirmed measles cases in the United States this year in 42 jurisdictions, an increase of 37 cases in the past week. Eighty-six percent of cases have been linked to one of 38 reported outbreaks, and roughly 12% of all case-patients have required hospitalization. Last year the country recorded only 285 measles cases, and 2025 has been the worst year for measles activity in the United States since the virus was officially declared to be eliminated in 2000.In the Chicago area, Cook County has reported its second suburban case of measles this year, in an unvaccinated 4-year-old child who had traveled internationally and may have exposed others at O'Hare International Airport. So far Illinois has had 11 measles cases this year, compared with 67 for all of 2024. "This case is a serious reminder that vaccination is not just about individual protection, it’s a critical community responsibility," said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Simbo Ige, MD, MPH.In Utah, wastewater surveillance has detected measles in samples from the Bear River Health District. State officials said wastewater sampling suggests at least one person with measles was in the area within the past week.

VA study highlights unnecessary screening, treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria -- A study of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients found no benefit from treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria, researchers reported yesterday inInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.The study, conducted at five sites within the VA Midsouth Healthcare Network, analyzed data on urine cultures with bacterial growth collected in the outpatient setting in 2021. The primary outcome of the study was the comparison of urinary tract infection (UTI) incidence at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year in those untreated versus those treated with antibiotics. Although guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) do not recommend treating asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), clinicians prescribe antibiotics for ASB in 40% t0 78% of older men."Unnecessary antibiotic use (AU) has well-established negative consequences including adverse drug events (ADEs) and increased antimicrobial resistance," VA researchers wrote. "The high rate of inappropriate AU in this disease state creates an area ripe for antimicrobial stewardship intervention."

NIH funds new center focused on preventing drug-resistant infections - Boston Children's Hospital and Tulane University have received a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a center that will focus on strategies to prevent infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria.

Report: National action plans on antimicrobial resistance have had no impact on antibiotic sales - An analysis of antibiotic sales data from 37 countries found that implementation of national action plans (NAPs) for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was not associated with changes in antibiotic sales, researchers reported yesterday in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The study by researchers with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Toronto looked at pharmaceutical sales data from 37 countries 2 years before and 2 years after they implemented their NAPs. The World Health Organization in 2015 called on countries to adopt NAPs as part of a global effort to reduce AMR. Tailored to country-specific needs, NAPs help governments identify steps that health agencies, regulators, and nongovernmental organizations should take to improve infection control, expand antimicrobial stewardship, and curtail inappropriate antibiotic use. The researchers undertook the study because the evidence of the impact of NAPs on antibiotic sales is limited. Across all countries, the antibiotic sales rate was 1.8% lower at eight quarters post-NAP implementation relative to pre-implementation trends. Country-specific effects ranged from –38.3% to 65.3%. Only three countries experienced significant declines in antibiotic sales (Jordan, –19.6%; South Africa, –33.2%; and Indonesia, –38.3%), while three countries saw significant increases (Peru, 12.5%; Vietnam, 52.9%; and Thailand, 65.3%). When stratified by sector (retail/hospital), prescription status, and AWaRe (Access, Watch, and Reserve) classification status, the association between NAPs and antibiotic sales remained insignificant. The study authors say one explanation for the results is that, of the 26 NAPs available in English, only 7 identified antibiotic reduction as an explicit goal, and only 3 of those set a measurable target to improve antibiotic use. "The international effort to contain AMR requires not only broad health policy consensus but also political commitment, actionable goals, local and national infrastructure, and the capacity to translate policy into effective action," they concluded. "These findings underscore the need to develop more rigorous methods of assessing NAP effectiveness and closely study the strategies of countries that realized a decrease in consumption."

Quick takes: Wisconsin COVID vaccine order, 2 recover from Ebola, universal flu vaccine trial launch | CIDRAP

• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) today announced after its scientific review of the COVID-19 vaccine that Governor Tony Evers has issued a standing order that allows most Wisconsin residents to get the vaccine at pharmacies across the state without a prescription. Officials also recommended the COVID vaccine for anyone ages 6 months and older during the respiratory virus season. The WDHS also said Wisconsin’s Medicaid program will continue to cover the COVID vaccine for eligible members, including children and pregnant women, and that it expects that all health plans regulated by the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner to cover the vaccine without cost sharing. Several states have announced similar measures to ease access to COVID vaccines following narrowed recommendations from federal health agencies that have created confusion and obstacles to vaccination.
• The first two Ebola virus patients have been released from treatment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) latest outbreak, which is occurring in Kasai province, according to announcements today from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the World Health Organization(WHO). On X today, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said the outcome reflects the joint work of the WHO, MSF, the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), the community, and other health partners.
• Osivax today announced the launch of a phase 2b trial of OVX836, its broad-spectrum influenza A candidate vaccine for pandemic and seasonal flu preparedness. In a statement, the France-based company said the randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial will enroll 2,850 adults ages 18 to 59 years old at 16 sites across Europe. OVX836 targets the nucleoprotein (NP) of the influenza A virus, which is a highly conserved internal antigen and is less likely to mutate, which could provide a broader, more universal immune response. In late August, the company announced it had received a $19.5 million contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop a broad-spectrum influenza A candidate vaccine.

6 in 10 US adults eligible for pneumococcal vaccine don't receive it, survey suggests -- Less than 40% of a sample of US adults eligible for the pneumococcal vaccine had received the vaccine by January 2024, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)–led survey shows. The researchers, who published the findings this week in Vaccine, surveyed 1,553 vaccine-eligible adults aged 19 to 64 years about their knowledge, attitudes, and pneumococcal vaccine status in January 2024. Adults aged 65 years and older and those aged 19 to 64 years with conditions such as diabetes and cancer are eligible for the vaccine. "Pneumococcal disease contributes to significant morbidity in the United States," the authors wrote. "Before October 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP] recommended pneumococcal vaccination for risk-eligible adults aged 19–64 years; however, as of 2023, vaccination coverage remained low (33.1%)." In October 2024, ACIP recommended expanding the age-based recommendation to those aged 50 years or older, from 65 years and up, to improve vaccine uptake among high-risk adults. "Some of the factors that prompted the ACIP to make this change included suboptimal pneumococcal vaccination coverage among risk-eligible adults, preventable differences in pneumococcal disease incidence most notable among adults aged 50–64 years, and the relatively large proportion (30–50 %) of risk-eligible adults aged 50–64 years," the researchers noted. Among survey respondents, 39.2% said they had received at least one dose of pneumococcal vaccine, 50.6% were unvaccinated, and 10.2% were unsure whether they'd been vaccinated. A smaller percentage of unvaccinated participants had a healthcare visit in the previous year (69.2% vs 79.4%) or health insurance (86.8% vs 91.7%). Compared with vaccinated adults, unvaccinated respondents of all age-groups were less familiar with pneumococcal vaccines, perceived that the likelihood of infection and severe disease were lower, and were less amenable to be vaccinated after receiving a recommendation from their clinician.The findings were statistically significant across all age-groups, except for perceived likelihood of pneumococcal infection in adults aged 50 to 64 years and anticipated disease severity in those aged 35 to 49.Participants with health insurance and those with more years of education were more likely to be vaccinated after receiving a clinician recommendation. The most common reasons for getting vaccinated were, "To protect myself from getting pneumococcal disease" (62.7%) and "My healthcare provider recommended that I get vaccinated" (57.9%). The top reasons for being unvaccinated were, "I did not know I needed to get a pneumococcal vaccine" (31.7%) and "My healthcare provider never recommended I should get a pneumococcal vaccine" (27.9%).

Prolonged mpox cases more likely to occur in Black and HIV patients, study suggests - -A comparison of prolonged and non-prolonged mpox cases in California suggests that Black patients and those with HIV were more likely to have protracted infections.The study, led by University of California researchers, was published late last week inEmerging Infectious Diseases. The team mined data from the California Department of Public Health mpox registry to compare rates of prolonged (28 days or longer) with those of non-prolonged (shorter than 28 days) infections by demographic factors, HIV status, and mpox vaccination status from May 2022 to August 2024.Mpox in the United States has been primarily a sexually transmitted infection among men who have sex with men. The median mpox duration is 14 to 28 days from the appearance of the first lesion. People with prolonged cases are infectious longer and may present more opportunities for viral mutations, the authors noted. "Because of the novel geographic spread of mpox, decreasing smallpox vaccine-induced immunity, and continuing endemic transmission in many countries around the world, a need exists to understand more about this virus, including viral transmission dynamics and clinical characteristics of infections," they wrote. In total, 4.7% of mpox patients in the study were hospitalized, 85.5% were unvaccinated, 1.2% were fully vaccinated with two doses of Jynneos vaccine, and 40.2% had HIV.Among 6,469 mpox infections, 82 (1.3%) were prolonged. A larger proportion of patients with prolonged cases were hospitalized than those with shorter infections (25.6% vs 4.5%). Protracted infections were more likely to occur in Black patients (20.7% prolonged vs 11.6% non-prolonged) and those with HIV (61.0% vs 39.9%, respectively). The longest infection lasted 345 days, and 25.6% of the prolonged cases lasted 50 or more days.Of mpox patients with HIV, prolonged infections occurred more often among those with lower CD4 counts, indicating more immune compromise (10.0% prolonged vs 3.9% non-prolonged) and those not receiving HIV care (46.0% vs 18.1%, respectively). No prolonged infections occurred in fully vaccinated patients.

Sudan: Cholera kills 25 in Darfur in 48-hour period - At least 25 people have died in a 48-hour period in Sudan’s Darfur due to the spread of cholera, the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps announced. Local media reported that the spokesperson of the organisation, Adman Rijal, said that 12 people had died on Saturday and 13 on Sunday. Rijal added that the cholera outbreak has affected at least 11,733 people and killed around 545 others. The area with the highest number of cases is Tawila, where at least 5,417 cases have been recorded and around 78 people killed. The town is located 60 kilometres west of El Fasher, which has been besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for more than a year. Other areas which are seeing a sharp uptick in cases include Jebel Marra in central Darfur as well as Nyala, which houses many camps for displaced people. Cholera has in recent months been spreading at an unprecedented rate in Sudan, with conditions compounded by the shortage of medical supplies, key infrastructure and services. Rijal said that the situation is a "forgotten humanitarian disaster, ignored by the international community in a country torn apart by war, famine, disease, epidemics and food shortages". He called on humanitarian groups and the World Health Organisation to make more effort in preventing the situation into spilling into a humanitarian emergency. Al-Araby TV’s correspondent in Omdurman, Ammar al-Maghribi, reported that centres located in north Darfur are facing a severe shortage of intravenous solutions and other basic medical supplies. Al-Maghribi noted that the area has also experienced heavily rainfall in recent weeks, which coincides with the spread of other diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.

Ebola vaccine arrives in DR Congo hot spot as illnesses, deaths rise - Just 10 days after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared an Ebola virus outbreak in Kasai province, vaccination in the affected health zone began, targeting frontline health workers and contacts sick patients, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in an update.The initial shipment to Bulape health zone included 400 doses of Ervebo (VSV-EBOV) drawn from the DRC’s stockpile of 2,000 doses stored in Kinshasa, where some frontline workers were recently immunized. The WHO said more doses will be delivered in the coming days. Outbreak responders are using ring vaccination strategy focusing on those at highest risk among patient contacts. The international Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved an additional 45,000 Ebola vaccine doses to be shipped to the DRC. The WHO said it is supporting the health ministry in formatting a request for more doses, and with other partners has helped officials develop an immunization plan and train vaccination teams.Treatment courses of the monoclonal antibody treatment MAb114 (ansuvimab-zykl, also known as Ebanga) have been sent to treatment centers in Bulape. In related developments, the provincial Ebola emergency committee met on September 13, which included updates on the latest epidemiological situation, according to a report from the DRC’s National Public Health Laboratory (INRB).More suspected and confirmed cases have been reported, along with two more deaths, lifting the outbreak total to 81 cases and 28 deaths, for a case-fatality rate of 34.6%. The numbers are up from 68 suspected cases (20 confirmed) and 16 deaths reported a few days ago.Of seven new suspected cases from Bulape health zone, five were confirmed by lab testing. Health officials have identified 58 more contacts, raising the total to 716.

DR Congo Ebola cases rise as outbreak response gains traction - Over the past week, health officials in in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have confirmed two more Ebola virus cases and reported seven more deaths, raising the total to 38 confirmed cases and 23 deaths, a top official from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said today. Ten deaths were reported earlier in people with suspected infections. At a weekly briefing today, Yap Boum, PhD, MPH, deputy incident manager for Africa CDC's mpox response, said 23 people are currently under medical care, 17 with confirmed infection and 6 with suspected illnesses. Males make up 52% of cases, and children account for 44%. Cases are concentrated in six areas of Bulape health zone in Kasai province, which he said is a sign of control but also requires vigilance. Boum said more than 1,000 contacts have been identified, with a case-to-contact ratio of 1:20, which he said is a sign of good progress with surveillance. Healthcare workers have vaccinated 613 people, including 68 medical colleagues, a group vulnerable to the virus, which spreads through infected body fluids.In other developments, the Ebola treatment center in Bulape has expanded from 21 to 34 beds. Boum said the main priorities are to continue identifying contacts, beef up cross-border surveillance, and scale up community engagement.The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) also addressed the DRC’s latest Ebola outbreak at abriefing today on global health issues. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, congratulated the DRC on its leadership in responding to the outbreak declaration 2 weeks ago. “Years of investment and experience are paying off,” he said.He added that 14 people have received treatment with the monoclonal antibody MAb114 (ansuvimab-zykl, also known as Ebanga). Earlier this week, two patients were discharged from treatment.Following earlier deployment of medical equipment and experts, Tedros said the WHO is also launching an appeal for $21 million to help the DRC scale up its response to the Ebola outbreak.

WHO reports 4 fatal Nipah virus infections in Bangladesh --Four people from four geographically distinct areas of Bangladesh have died of Nipah virus infections this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.The unrelated cases, which occurred between January 1 and August 29, include a child who died in August, outside of the country's usual Nipah virus season (December to April), and three adults (two men and one woman) with a history of consuming raw palm sap, a known risk. The child, a boy, wasn't known to have consumed raw palm sap, and his exposure is under investigation. The deaths occurred in Barisal, Dhaka, and Rajshahi divisions in the Bhola, Faridpur, and Pabna districts, respectively. Last year, five fatal Nipah cases were reported in the country. Since Bangladesh experienced its first Nipah virus outbreak in 2001, human cases have been identified nearly every year, the WHO said. Of the 347 people with documented infections since 2001, 71.7% have died. “WHO assesses the overall public health risk posed by NiV [Nipah virus] at the national and regional levels to be moderate; the risk of international disease spread is considered low." No drugs or vaccines against the virus are available, and treatment of severe respiratory and neurologic complications consists of intensive supportive care. Nipah is transmitted from animals such as fruit bats and pigs to people, from person to person through close contact, and through food contaminated with the saliva, urine, and waste of infected animals. Nipah virus infection, which can cause severe illness and death in both people and animals, primarily causes outbreaks in South and South East Asia. Infected people initially develop symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, and a sore throat. In severe cases, dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurologic signs can occur, indicating acute encephalitis (brain inflammation). Atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems sometimes develop, and encephalitis, seizures, and coma may ensue within 24 to 48 hours.

Does painting cows with stripes prevent fly bites? Researchers who studied this wins Ig Nobel prize -A team of researchers from Japan wondered if painting cows with zebra-like stripes would prevent flies from biting them. Another group from Africa and Europe pondered the types of pizza lizards preferred to eat.Those researchers were honored Thursday in Boston with an Ig Nobel, the prize for comical scientific achievement."When I did this experiment, I hoped that I would win the Ig Nobel. It's my dream. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable," said Tomoki Kojima, whose team put tape on Japanese beef cows and then spray painted them with white stripes. As a result, fewer flies were attracted to the cows and they seemed less bothered by the flies.Despite the findings, Kojima admitted it might be a challenge to apply this approach on a large-scale.The year's winners, honored in 10 categories, also include a group from Europe that found drinking alcohol sometimes improves a person's ability to speak a foreign language and a researcher who studied fingernail growth for decades. "Every great discovery ever, at first glance seemed screwy and laughable," Marc Abrahams, master of ceremonies and editor of the magazine, said in an e-mail interview ahead of the awards ceremony. "The same is true of every worthless discovery. The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate ALL these discoveries, because at the very first glance, who really knows?" The 35th annual Ig Nobel prize ceremony is organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, a digital magazine that highlights research that makes people laugh and then think. It's usually held weeks before the actual Nobel Prizes are announced. A ceremony to celebrate the winners was planned for Thursday night at Boston University where winners were expected to be pelted with paper airplanes and feted by actual Nobel laureates including Esther Duflo and Eric Maskin. Duflo won the Nobel Prize for her experimental approach to alleviating global poverty and Maskin for laying the foundations of mechanism design theory. A mini-opera about gastroenterologists and their patients, inspired by this year's theme which is digestion, was also planned.Other winners this year included a group from India which studied whether foul-smelling shoes influenced someone's experience using a shoe rack and researchers from the United States and Israel who explored whether eating Teflon is a good way to increase food volume. There was an award for a dead researcher who spent 35 years studying fingernail growth and a winning study from a team of international scientists that looked at whether giving alcohol to bats impaired their ability to fly.Sanchez said their research found that the bats weren't fans of rotten fruit, which often has higher concentrations of alcohol. Maybe for good reason. When they were forced to eat it, their flying and echolocation suffered, he said. "They actually got drunk similar to what happens to us," Sanchez said. "When you take some ethanol, you move slower and your speech is impaired."

USDA confirms first H5N1 avian flu detection in Nebraska dairy cows - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced the first detection H5N1 avian flu in Nebraska dairy cattle, following an initial detection from pre-movement milk sampling. Genetic analysis reveals that the virus belongs to the 2.3.4.4b clade and the B3.13 genotype seen in other dairy herds. APHIS said it is working with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to conduct an additional on-farm investigation and gather more samples and data to more fully understand the detection and limit the spread of the virus.The Nebraska Department of Agriculture said the herd is located in the central part of the state and has been quarantined. It added that APHIS testing suggests that the strain is similar to viruses circulating in California. Eighteen states have reported H5N1 in dairy cattle since early 2024, with 1,790 total affected herds. Detections dropped sharply over the warm-weather months, with no new confirmations in more than 30 days. However, H5N1 outbreaks in poultry have been over the rise over the past few weeks, especially involving flocks in South Dakota and North Dakota.

Minnesota reports first H5N1 detection in poultry since April --Minnesota has reported its first H5N1 detection in poultry since April, which involves a commercial turkey farm in Redwood County. The detection comes on the heels of similar outbreaks in South Dakota and North Dakota earlier this month.“Health officials and industry have been working hard over the summer to eliminate the virus from quarantined sites so the state could officially declare freedom of the disease on Aug. 25, 2025,” the Minnesota Board of Health said in a press release. “This detection resets Minnesota’s response teams and will draw responders back into the fight against avian influenza this fall.”The flock included 20,000 turkeys. Officials said the detection is not entirely unexpected as fall is migration season for wild waterfowl.The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported15 more H5N1 detections in wild birds, all with August and September sample collection dates. Most of the detections were in vultures, but some were waterfowl and other birds of prey. Locations of the infected birds range from Alaska to the Midwest to the East Coast.Also, the USDA has reported one more H5 detection in wildlife and other mammals, a raccoon from Minnesota's Rice County with a June sample collection date.

Microplastic exposure linked to Alzheimer's disease in mice with APOE4 gene -- Micro- and nanoplastics prevalent in the environment routinely enter the human body through the water we drink, foods we eat, and even the air we breathe. Those plastic particles infiltrate all systems of the body, including the brain, where they can accumulate and trigger Alzheimer's-like conditions, according to a new study by researchers in the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy. After a previous study that showed how microplastics can infiltrate all systems of the body—including the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from harmful substances as small as viruses and bacteria—URI pharmacy assistant professor Jaime Ross expanded the study to determine the brain health impacts of the plastic toxins. Her findings indicate that the accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in the brain can lead to cognitive declineand even Alzheimer's disease, especially in those who carry genetic risk factors. Ross's latest study, published recently in the journal Environmental Research Communications, examined mice that had been genetically modified to include the naturally occurring gene APOE4, a strong indicator of Alzheimer's risk making people 3.5 times more likely to develop the disease than those who carry the APOE3 variant of the gene that is passed from parents to offspring."In these mice, like in people, it's not a guarantee that you're going to see any changes in cognition. You could have identical twins both carrying APOE4, one totally cognitively healthy, and the other could develop Alzheimer's disease," Ross said. "So that tells us there's something about lifestyle, something about the environment going on. There are modifiable factors we're studying related to Alzheimer's–diet, exercise, vitamins, and especially environmental toxins like microplastics. If you carry the APOE4, and you happen to consume a lot of microplastics, will this contribute to Alzheimer's disease?" To find out, Ross and her team exposed two groups of mice—one with the APOE4 variant and one with APOE3—to micro- and nanoplastics in their drinking water over a period of three weeks. The tiny particles from polystyrene—among the most abundant plastics in the world, found in Styrofoam take-out containers, plastic cups and more—infiltrated the mice's organs, including the brain, as expected. The research included a control group from each APOE designation that did not receive microplastic exposure. Ross's team then ran the mice through a series of tests to examine their cognitive ability, […] "In human Alzheimer's patients, men tend to experience more changes in apathy; they care less. Women experience more changes in memory. So the memory and the apathy connection are pretty clear: When you expose animals that are carrying the largest known risk factor in humans for developing Alzheimer's disease to micro- and nanoplastics, lo and behold, their behavior changes in a sex-dependent manner similar to the sex-dependent differences we see with Alzheimer's patients." The results are concerning enough to warrant further study into the cognitive decline caused by exposure to micro- and nanoplastics, which are among the most prominent environmental toxins to which people are routinely exposed. (A separate URI study released in 2023 revealed of the extent to which microplastics accumulate in the environment, shockingly finding that the top two inches of the floor of Narragansett Bay contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics.)

Tidal marshes trap microplastics, raising risks for ecosystems and people -Freshwater tidal marshes, critical for wildlife and coastal protection, are now serving as microplastic catch basins, according to a team of researchers at Penn State. They recently found that these marshes trap large amounts of diverse plastics, with concentrations and ecological risks increasing downstream.The study, available online now ahead of publication in the December issue of the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, found that the most hazardous polymers—such as thelarge molecules found in single-use plastics—are posing significant environmental dangers."Estuaries and the tidal marshes at their fringes are highly productive and diverse habitats because they are areas where fresh and saltwater mix," said Nathaniel Warner, associate professor of environmental engineering and corresponding author. "The accumulation of plastic and the estimated toxicity associated with it could reduce the overall productivity of estuaries and threaten the health of fisheries and their economic viability."In this study, the researchers analyzed sediment from the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge outside of Philadelphia, the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. They identified 4,590 microplastic particles and 29 polymer types, with polypropylene, polyurethane and tire rubber being most common.Jutamas Bussarakum, lead author and doctoral student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said that this contamination can also introduce microplastics into the food chain, where they can accumulate in humans and may affect the immune system, metabolism and even brain function.To determine which types of microplastics pose the greatest ecological risks, the team focused on the most common plastics, evaluating both their relative toxicity with the polymer hazard index, which incorporates chemical composition, the hazard score, and their abundance in their samples to develop a risk score."We considered the potential for plastics to cause carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic effects on systems, including reproductive, immune and endocrine," Bussarakum said. "Plastics made from raw materials that contain carcinogens were classified as high risk, posing significant threats to both the environment and human health."The team discovered that polypropylene was the most common plastic in the tidal marsh. Polypropylene is widely used in single-use products such as food containers, straws and cups. The findings strongly suggest that single-use plastics are a major source of microplastic pollution in this area, the researchers said.

Trump EPA will defend Biden rule forcing polluters to pay for ‘forever chemical’ cleanup -- The Trump administration says it will defend a Biden era-rule that is expected to keep polluters on the hook to clean up toxic “forever chemicals.” The rule in question designated two types of these chemicals as “hazardous substances,” giving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more authority to clean up their contamination and require polluters to pay for it. In a court filing on Wednesday, lawyers for the Justice Department said the EPA “has reviewed the underlying rule and has decided to keep the Rule in place.” In a statement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the Trump administration was seeking a balance between holding polluters accountable and not punishing the wrong companies. In particular, he called on Congress to legislate exemptions for “passive receivers” that did not make the chemicals but receive them as feedstocks or waste. “When it comes to PFOA and PFOS contamination, holding polluters accountable while providing certainty for passive receivers that did not manufacture or generate those chemicals continues to be an ongoing challenge,” Zeldin said in a written statement, referring to the two “forever chemicals” to which the rule pertains. “EPA intends to do what we can based on our existing authority, but we will need new statutory language from Congress to fully address our concerns with passive receiver liability,” he added. “The Trump Administration is fully committed to ensuring all Americans have the cleanest air, land, and water.” The move to defend the Biden-era regulation was surprising to some given other administration policies that loosen rules for toxic chemicals in favor of industry. The New York Times recently reported that a senior official had recommended scrapping the Biden-era rule. “Forever chemicals,” however, have become a major and pervasive problem across the U.S. — contaminating a large number of waterways and found to be in the bloodstream of virtually every American. They’ve also come under particular scrutiny from the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, with which the Trump administration is aligned. And Long Island, N.Y., which EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin previously represented in Congress, has had its share of related issues. “Forever chemicals” are the nickname of a family of thousands of compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

FBI drug burn sickens 14 at Montana animal shelter - Methamphetamine-laced smoke sickened 14 employees at an animal shelter in Montana, officials said, after FBI agents used a furnace meant for animal cremation to incinerate the drugs. Fumes filled the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter in Billings as FBI officials incinerated two pounds of methamphetamine at the site Wednesday, prompting a "complete evacuation" of the building, city officials and executive director Triniti Halverson said. "When the smoke started pouring out of one of our feline isolation rooms, I instructed staff to put on COVID masks and begin evacuating the animals," Halverson said Saturday in a statement. "[Thirteen] staff members and I were exposed to the smoke for approximately an hour, and several began feeling ill." The shelter shares a 9,000-square-foot facility with Billings' animal control division, which has an animal crematorium at the site. Staffers had previously been told that authorities used the incinerator to dispose of evidence, but details were never confirmed, Halverson said. "I can firmly and confidently say that, as the executive director, I did not know that they were disposing of extremely dangerous narcotics onsite," she said, adding that her greatest fears were later realized. "My team and my animals had been confirmed to have been exposed to meth." FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker told Newsweek that the agency and local authorities "routinely use" facilities to conduct controlled drug evidence burns. She referred additional inquiries to officials in Billings. Billings police confirmed in a statement Thursday that a partner agency burned methamphetamine inside the incinerator as it experienced a "negative pressure issue" that pushed smoke inside the shelter. "Staff on scene were able to evacuate the dog side of the shelter and the cats were also moved outside," Billings police said in a statement obtained by Newsweek.

Toxic jet engine fumes sickening crews, passengers: Report -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received thousands of reports since 2010 about toxic fumes from jet engines leaking into the cockpit and cabin of airplanes, according to an investigation done by The Wall Street Journal. The leaks are due to a commonly used airplane design known as “bleed air” that pulls air from the engine into airplanes so those onboard can breathe. The increase in reports is largely driven by Airbus A320s, which the three largest U.S. airlines use. The aircraft reported seven times the rate of fume events than their Boeing 737, which does not use the “bleed air” design. For JetBlue and Spirit, both of which primarily use Airbus aircraft, the number of fume incidents saw a combined 660 percent surge between 2016 and 2024. The fumes, often described as smelling of “wet dog” and “nail polish,” have led to emergency landings and passengers and crew members falling ill, according to reports obtained by the Journal. Most emitted fumes, which consist of carbon monoxide and unspecified quantities of neurotoxins, aren’t toxic and have mild to no symptoms, but long exposure could lead to more severe side effects. For years, aircraft manufacturers and airline lobbying groups have downplayed the risks of inhaling these toxic fumes, according to The Journal. The FAA on its website cites a 2015 review that found fume incidents reported on major U.S. airlines at a rate of “less than 33 events per million aircraft departures,” or about 330 events per year. The numbers could be higher, as crew members aren’t required to report on every fume event. The airline industry has funded studies to disprove claims that fume leakage in aircraft cause significant harm, while opposing legislation calling for increased safety measures to avoid fume leaks, according to the Journal. Congress has attempted to introduce legislation at least 19 times about fume contamination for over two decades, according to a deposition transcript obtained by the Journal of Boeing’s 737 chief product engineer, Julie Brightwell. In 2024, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced a bill that would provide sensors on aircraft and more thorough investigations. After industry pushback, the bill, which was signed into law last year, only required research about fume leakage and better reporting on incidents. In August, new legislation was introduced by Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) to require filters on passenger airplanes that would completely eliminate fume leakage on planes within seven years.

U.S. faces rising death toll from wildfire smoke, study finds Wildfires burning across Canada and the Western United States are spewing smoke over millions of Americans—the latest examples of ashy haze becoming a regular experience, with health impacts far greater than scientists previously estimated. Although wildfires have long been part of life in the Western U.S., warmer, drier conditions are fueling bigger blazes that occur more often and for longer. Smoke from these blazes is spreading farther and lingering longer than in the past. In a study in Nature, Stanford University researchers estimate that continued global warming could lead to about 30,000 additional deaths each year nationwide by 2050, as climate-driven increases in fire activity generate more smoke pollution across North America. "There's a broad understanding that wildfire activity and wildfire smoke exposure are changing quickly. This is a lived experience, unfortunately, for folks on the West Coast over the last decade and folks on the East Coast in the last few years," said senior study author Marshall Burke, a professor of environmental social sciences at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability."Our paper puts some numbers on what that change in exposure means forhealth outcomes, both now and in the future as the climate warms."The researchers found no U.S. community is safe from smoke exposure. When monetized, deaths related to wildfire smoke could reach $608 billion in annual damages by 2050 under a business-as-usual emissions scenario where global temperatures rise about 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.That estimated toll surpasses current estimates of economic costs from all other climate-driven damages in the U.S. combined, including temperature-related deaths, agricultural losses, and storm damage. Deaths from wildfire smoke result from inhaling a complex mix of chemicals. Wildfires can expose large numbers of people to these toxic pollutants for days or weeks at a time, contributing to deaths up to three years after the initial exposure, according to the new study.Within wildfire smoke pollution, researchers often focus on fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which penetrates the lungs and enters the bloodstream. While the health effects of PM2.5 from other sources are well studied, less is known about the specific dangers of PM 2.5 from wildfire smoke. Some recent research shows that wildfire smoke can contain a range of toxic chemicals harmful to human health. Qiu, Burke, and colleagues used U.S. death records to assess these additional risks from smoke. The researchers combined county-level data on all recorded U.S. deaths from 2006 to 2019 with measurements of ground-level smoke emissions, wind variation, and the movement of airborne particulate matter, using machine learning to predict how wildfire emissions changes in one area affected smoke concentrations in another. They linked changes in smoke concentrations to variation in historical mortality and used global climate models to project future fire activity, smoke levels, andhealth impacts under different warming scenarios through 2050. The results show that excess deaths from smoke PM2.5 exposure under a business-as-usual emissions scenario could increase more than 70% to 70,000 per year from roughly 40,000 annual deaths attributed to smoke from 2011 to 2020. The largest projected increases in annual smoke exposure deaths occur in California (5,060 additional deaths), New York (1,810), Washington (1,730), Texas (1,700), and Pennsylvania (1,600).

Return to pre-COVID routines has brought Atlanta unhealthier air --For many, the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic were a time of fear, sickness and disruption. But as offices and schools went remote, there were a few silver linings.As people stayed home and the roads cleared, so did the skies—especially in car-centric cities like Atlanta. In 2022, the federal Environmental Protection Agency declared the metro Atlanta area had officially achieved thefederal standards for ozone, a hazardous pollutant linked to asthma and other respiratory issues. The redesignation was hailed by state officials as "great news" that would help ensure "all communities in Atlanta have clean, healthy air to breathe for generations to come." But fast-forward three years, and many Atlantans have resumed office commutes. And as routines "return to normal," so too have ozone levels, Georgia Environmental Protection Division data shows. In 2024, the most recent year data is available, two of metro Atlanta's eight monitoring stations were above the EPA's current ozone benchmark of 0.070 parts per million. After falling during the early years of the pandemic, concentrations have crept back up at other stations, too, EPD data shows.Ozone is a gas made up of three oxygen molecules that occurs at the ground level and in the upper atmosphere. High in the stratosphere, ozone helps reflect the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation back into space. But when it lingers close to the Earth's surface, the gas can irritate lungs and airways. Children, the elderly and people with asthma are most vulnerable to health complications from exposure, according to the EPA.Vehicle traffic contributes to ozone formation, but the gas doesn't come straight out of tailpipes or factory smokestacks. Instead, it forms when the toxic soup of pollutants emitted from vehicles, power plants and industrial facilities commingle and react in the presence of sunlight.Weather also influences ozone formation, and levels are typically worse on hot, sunny days. That makes the summer months the high season for ozone.Wildfire smoke also contributes and could partly explain the higher concentrations the Atlanta area has seen lately, said Kevin Stewart, the American Lung Association's director of environmental health. In 2023, smoke from record-breaking wildfires in Canada blanketed the skies in Atlanta and other U.S. cities for days.

Spotted lanternflies swarm US efforts at invasive species control - Despite millions of dollars in federal spending and years of mitigation efforts, swarms of spotted lanternflies continue their descent across the United States in numbers so dense they were recently detected on weather radars on the East Coast. Lanternflies have now infested at least 19 states according to the Department of Agriculture, underscoring how difficult it is to stop an invasive pest once it takes hold. They feed on 70 plant species, with vineyards facing the greatest danger. “The spotted lanternfly is the biggest problem we’ve seen since the spongy moth or the emerald ash borer,” said Kelli Hoover, an entomology professor at Pennsylvania State University. As lanternflies continue to rain down on farms, urban streets and backyards, their persistence is raising questions about whether containment is even possible. Experts advise the public to kill the insects whenever possible, as they are an invasive species that feeds on and eventually destroys grapevines and other crops essential to the U.S. agricultural economy.

From the Great Stink to the modern sewage scandal: Why 19th-century sewers are failing 21st-century England - - The raw sewage in England's rivers and seas is not just a story of corporate failure. It's also a legacy of Victorian sewers—impressive and high-tech in their day, but with inequality and exploitation baked in.In the summer of 1858, London succumbed to a "Great Stink" as hot weather exacerbated the smell of human waste in and around the River Thames. Along parts of the Thames, sewage was piled six feet deep.This compelled the Victorians to find a new way of handling the feces of the world's largest city. The new Houses of Parliament rushed through legislation and soon commissioned the engineer Joseph Bazalgette to design and build a new sewer system.Bazalgette's design was hailed as visionary: a modern network that collected household waste and pumped it to centralized containment points. The shift away from informal sanitation to a formalized system was the bedrock of a public health revolution. But the system was also a product of its time, and some people and environments benefited more than others. It prioritized the wealthy, and dumped the consequences downstream. This Victorian legacy infrastructure forms the blueprint of the sewage crisis of the 2020s, in London and across the country. Sewers (often literally the same sewers with the same 150-year-old bricks) still spill untreated waste into rivers when it rains. And, just as in the 19th century, the costs are carried disproportionately by the poor and the environment.In the 19th century, wealthy city dwellers got sewers first, while upper-class investors and private companies made money from waste. The same pattern persists today. Under England's privatized water regime, profits flow upwards—not just to CEOs but now to international investors and shareholders. Thames Water, for instance, has been part-owned in turn by a German energy firm, an Australian investment bank and now a Canadian pensions group. Water companies are highly profitable, yet rivers are still used to dump sewage. For centuries, nature was seen as a treatment plant, with rivers, lakes and seas absorbing our feces. This is no longer acceptable. This is why creating a new regulator, as proposed in a recent independent review, or renationalizing the sector are not enough: the social hierarchies and environmental exploitation of Victorian England are still ingrained in the pipes themselves.

UK's largest lake 'dying' as algae blooms worsen --For the third year running toxic blue-green algae blooms that look like pea soup and smell like rotten eggs have covered much of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the UK and Ireland. But this summer, the thick green veneer—so widespread it is visible from space—has been worse than ever, according to locals living near the Northern Ireland landmark. "The lake is dying," Mary O'Hagan, an open water swimmer, told AFP at Ballyronan, on its western shore, as ducks struggled over slick green-coated stones. The algae growth—fueled by industrial, agricultural and sewage pollution, as well as climate change, according to experts—has ravaged fishing and watersports, and prompted concerns about drinking water safety. Signs banning bathing dot the lake's 78-mile-long shoreline, including at Ballyronan, 34 miles (54 kilometers) west of the Northern Irish capital Belfast. Nutrient-rich fertilizer and slurry run-off from farms supplying mega-firms like chicken processor Moy Park are being blamed for contributing to the pollution.Untreated sewage spills and septic tank effluent are also suspected. Moy Park deny polluting the lake and say the poultry sector is "highly regulated with strict limits set for wastewater quality" at all its local sites. The algae growth is a "complex issue not specifically linked to any one sector," a spokesperson told AFP. Lough Neagh was O'Hagan's "training ground" during the COVID years, but she has hardly dipped a toe in the water since.Nutrient-rich fertilizer and slurry run-off from farms supplying mega-firms are seen as a chief contributor to the lough's pollution, as well as untreated sewage spills and adding phosphorus to the water supply. The invasive zebra mussel species, a recent arrival in the lake's waters, filter water but any benefit is far outweighed by the mollusks also stimulating algal photosynthesis, worsening the green water effect. Meanwhile the algae has decimated the Lough Neagh fly, a staple for fish and birds, local fisherman Mick Hagan told AFP while casting a line in a nearby tributary river."This river used to be full of trout, but no longer," said the 38-year-old wading back to dry land without a catch. Europe's largest eel fishery—also on the lough—suspended operations this year due to quality concerns.

Colorado River ‘infested’ with zebra mussels - Colorado state wildlife officials revealed Monday that the agency had confirmed the presence of adult zebra mussels in the Colorado River, marking a new stage of invasion for the nonnative species in one of the West’s major waterways. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it had identified adult zebra mussels in early September in a lake in the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park east of Grand Junction and nearby in the mainstem of the Colorado River. Although CPW announced in July that it had detected mussel veligers — the larval stage of the invasive species visible only under a microscope — in the Colorado River, the agency has not previously found adult zebra mussels in the waterway. “While this is news we never wanted to hear, we knew this was a possibility since we began finding veligers in the river,” CPW Director Jeff Davis said in a statement. “I can’t reiterate this enough. It was because we have a group of individuals dedicated to protecting Colorado’s water resources that these detections were made. It is because of these same dedicated individuals and our partners that we will continue our efforts to understand the extent of zebra mussels in western Colorado.”

Colorado River negotiations teeter over future water use - Disagreements over whether states in the Colorado River Basin should agree to restrict future water development are threatening to derail the arduous negotiations over the waterway’s operations. A top Wyoming water official on Wednesday said that demands from the Colorado River’s Lower Basin states — California, Arizona and Nevada — would force it to sharply cut back on its water use and also prohibit future development in his state. That means essentially blocking Wyoming from tapping the drought-stricken river’s flows with new dams or diversions.“They’re asking me to give up the future we were promised and to make promises that I can’t keep,” said Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhardt, who serves as his state’s lead negotiator, at a meeting with other leaders from the Upper Basin states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.The fight centers on a key issue in the negotiations over a new long-term operating plan for the Colorado River, which will determine how states share water and the pain of cuts in supply. The focus is on exactly how much the Upper Basin states must forgo to find parity with the Lower Basin. As the states struggle to reach a deal, the Upper Colorado River Commission met Wednesday to discuss ongoing conservation efforts and discuss the state of negotiations.Officials from the Lower Basin, who weren’t present at the commission meeting, defended their approach.“We need to live with the river we have, not the one we wish for. Suggesting new development in the Upper Basin while the system is in crisis is tone deaf,” said JB Hamby chair of the Colorado River Board of California and his state’s lead negotiator. While the two basins each share the river equally under a 1922 compact, the Upper Basin has long used less than its full allocation, while the Lower Basin has tapped its full share.More than two decades of persistent drought have shrunk the available water by as much as 20 percent, leading to a series of agreements about how to dole out cuts — largely taken by Arizona, Nevada and the nation of Mexico. California has also accepted emergency agreements to reduce flows in exchange for federal payments.Those current agreements and the operating plan, however, will expire next year. A new long-term operating plan must be in place by Oct. 1, 2026, which marks the start of the 2027 water year.States have been locked in negotiations for more than a year without success. The Interior Department set a November deadline for the states to reach consensus, using the threat of federal action if they fail to do so.

Europe, Mediterranean coast saw record drought in August: EU data -Europe and the Mediterranean basin saw record drought in August, with more than half of the land affected, according to AFP analysis of EU data. Last month, 53% of the region was affected by drought—an all-time high since records began in 2012—according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. The figure is far above the 2012-2024 average for August of 30.1%. Eastern Europe and the Balkans were particularly hard hit. Thousands of residents were evacuated and two people were killed as a result of wildfires in Balkan states spurred by high temperatures. Western Europe was also badly affected, with Portugal seeing a drop in rainfall across 70% of the country. France, hit by its second heat wave of the summer in August, experienced water shortages in two-thirds of the country. Several countries in the eastern Mediterranean were severely impacted, with more than 90% of Armenia, Georgia and Lebanon all affected by drought. Turkey, which experienced water shortages in 84% of the country, also faced numerous wildfires. The Copernicus dataset, drawing on billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations, has recorded relentlessly rising temperatures as Earth warms as a result of humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases. © 2025 AFP

At least 19 tornadoes reported as severe storms hit North Dakota - (videos) At least 19 tornadoes were reported in North Dakota on Sunday, September 14, 2025, as severe storms brought 50–150 mm (2–6 inches) of rainfall and widespread flooding across the south-central region. Tornadoes were also reported in South Dakota and Kansas. Severe storms swept across North Dakota on Sunday, triggering widespread flooding and multiple tornadoes in the south-central region of the state. Rainfall totals ranged from 50 to 150 mm (2 to 6 inches) across the region through Sunday. As of Sunday evening, Bismarck had received 62 mm (2.44 inches) of rain at the airport, where the city’s official total is measured. Meanwhile, other parts of the city reported up to 76 mm (3 inches), according to the National Weather Service (NWS). YouTube video The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received 22 tornado reports through Sunday, 19 of them in North Dakota. Two tornadoes were reported in South Dakota and one in Kansas. These are preliminary reports, and the actual numbers are likely to be higher. In North Dakota, tornadoes were reported near Denhoff, Driscoll, Arena, Menoken, Baldwin, Wilton, Cannon Ball, Fort Rice, Fort Yates, Prairie Knights Casino and Resort, Butte, Kief, Karlsruhe, and Krueger Lake. In South Dakota, tornadoes were reported near Wakpala and Mobridge. A barn was damaged near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Additional reports included downed power lines and an SUV with a trailer overturned on Highway 12 in Walworth County, South Dakota. Despite widespread flooding and numerous tornadoes, there were no immediate reports of injuries or major power outages.

Flooding from post-tropical Mario prompts water rescues, mud and debris flows in San Bernardino County, California - Remnants of Tropical Storm Mario brought widespread rainfall to California and the Desert Southwest on September 17 and 18, 2025, prompting water rescues, triggering mudslides, and flash flooding across the region. Moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Mario reached California and parts of the Desert Southwest on September 17, producing heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding, mudslides, and debris flows. The National Weather Service (NWS) placed more than 7 million people under flood watches across Southern California and neighboring states, citing particular concern for mountainous regions and burn-scarred slopes vulnerable to debris flows. In California’s San Bernardino County, flooding on September 18 prompted water rescues, including one in the area of Boulder Avenue and Baseline Street in the City of Highland. Mudslides and downed power lines were reported near Yucaipa, while in nearby Oak Glen, mud and debris flow caused the closure of Oak Glen Road from Chagall to Potato Canyon. In Kern County, vehicles were trapped in mud on Highway 14. In the San Bernardino County mountains, rainfall totals peaked at 68 mm (2.68 inches) in Fawnskin, 58 mm (2.30 inches) in Forest Falls, and 53 mm (2.09 inches) at Big Bear Lake Dam, NWS San Diego reported at 18:18 PDT on September 18 (01:18 UTC, September 19). In Riverside County mountains, Snow Creek near Idyllwild recorded 68 mm (2.68 inches), Tick Ridge 46 mm (1.81 inches), and Mount San Jacinto 44 mm (1.73 inches). The San Diego County desert region reported some of the heaviest totals in the area, including 44 mm (1.72 inches) at Borrego Palm Canyon and 36 mm (1.43 inches) at Coyote Creek. In Coachella Valley, the highest amounts included 37 mm (1.46 inches) at Whitewater Trout Farm and 23 mm (0.91 inches) at Agave Hill, while Morongo Valley received 22 mm (0.87 inches). Lingering moisture and remnant energy from former Tropical Storm Mario will continue to bring heavy rain to parts of California, the Great Basin, and the Southwest on Friday, September 19. An isolated threat of flash flooding existed along higher terrain from California’s central valleys eastward through the central Great Basin and into the Southwest. NWS noted a more concentrated threat in the central Sierra Nevada, where upslope flow enhanced rainfall. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall (level 2 of 4) was in effect. Despite the widespread precipitation, meteorologists noted that the event will not provide significant long-term drought relief. While the moisture is beneficial in the short term, it is insufficient to reverse persistent dry conditions across the Southwest.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle forms over central Atlantic - Tropical Storm Gabrielle, the 7th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, formed over the central Atlantic at 15:00 UTC on September 17, 2025. The system is moving north-northwest and is forecast to intensify over the next several days. At the time of formation, the system was located about 1 745 km (1 085 miles) east of the northern Leeward Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h (45 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 1006 hPa. The storm was moving north-northwest at 35 km/h (22 mph). Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 115 km (70 miles) northeast of the center, primarily in the eastern semicircle of the storm. Ad ends in 10 Gabrielle will continue moving generally north-northwest before turning northward from Saturday, September 20. Gradual strengthening is expected, and the system could reach hurricane strength by Sunday, September 21, although forecast confidence decreases after three days. Average track errors are about 230–325 km (145–200 miles) on September 20 and 21, with intensity forecast errors of around 30 km/h (20 mph) per day. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect, and Gabrielle currently poses no immediate land threat. Hazards include strong winds and rough seas along the projected path, particularly for marine operations. Gabrielle is the first Atlantic named storm formation since Fernand on August 23. Since 1940, only one other Atlantic hurricane season (1992) had no named storm formations between August 24 and September 16, according to Dr. Philip Klotzbach of Colorado State University.

A major shift in the US landscape: 'Wild' disturbances are overtaking human-directed changes- If it feels like headlines reporting 100 or 1,000-year floods and megafires seem more frequent these days, it's not your imagination. A project led by researchers from UConn's Global Environmental Remote Sensing (GERS) Lab has yielded surprising insights into land disturbances and disasters in the United States since the late 1980s, including a shift in what drives those disturbances, and how they are increasing with frightening intensity and frequency. Their findings are published in Nature Geoscience. The research is the result of a decade-long project to perform a CONterminous United States (CONUS)-wide disturbance agent classification and mapping project, explains GERS Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) Zhe Zhu. The ambitious project involved the careful analysis of Landsat satellite data spanning more than 40 years. Disturbances like hurricanes and fires reshape the landscape and play vital roles in Earth's systems; therefore, understanding what drives these kinds of disturbances is important for projecting what changes may be ahead. When talking about different types of disturbances, word choice is crucial, because the definition of "natural disaster" can be misleading. The authors are careful to define the trends we are seeing now. "A lot of disturbances are no longer purely natural, and there is no clear line between human and natural disturbances anymore," says Zhu. "For example, there are so many wildfires, and many are not started by lightning nowadays." In the case of flooding events, human-directed activities like logging and deforestation, construction, impervious surfaces, or dam failures can amplify these disturbances, and are therefore indirectly influenced by humans as well as anthropogenic climate change. The researchers call this category "wild" disturbances. "We feel we're no longer able to call these disturbances 'natural disturbances,' so we made this new framework that has human-directed compared to 'wild' disturbances like vegetation stress, geohazard, wind, and fire that we put into another category because they are also greatly influenced indirectly by humans," says Zhu. Using an advanced algorithm called COLD developed by Zhu, the researchers analyzed Landsat data from 1982 through 2023 to better understand the context in which different disturbances happened; for example, when and where the disturbance happened, as well as the causal agents, such as logging, construction, fire, or vegetation stress. You can explore the dataset here.

Landslide collapses transmission tower, cutting power to 230 000 people in Sabah, Malaysia - Nearly 230 000 consumers in Malaysia’s Sabah state lost power after a landslide collapsed a major transmission tower in Penampang district at 17:05 LT (09:05 UTC) on September 13, 2025. One fatality was confirmed. Authorities expect emergency towers to be completed within eight days, with a permanent replacement planned in three months. Torrential rainfall triggered a series of landslides in Sabah, Malaysia, on September 13, collapsing a high-voltage transmission tower in Penampang district and causing widespread power outages. The collapse occurred at around 17:05 LT (09:05 UTC), affecting Tower 5 of the 275 kV Kolopis–Segaliud Line, toppling the structure and tripping both circuits. The resulting blackout left approximately 230 000 consumers across six districts without electricity, including Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna, and Beluran, more than 300 km (186 miles) away. Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) reported that one fatality occurred due to landslides linked to the same weather system. Partial power supply was restored on September 14 through local generating stations in Sandakan and Tawau, but tens of thousands of consumers remained without electricity as of September 15. To stabilise supply, SESB began constructing a bypass from Kimanis to Segaliud and installing two Emergency Restoration System (ERS) towers at the collapse site. The ERS works are expected to take about eight days. Until then, around 70 000 consumers will face rotational outages during peak demand. A permanent replacement tower will be built at an estimated cost of MYR 3 million, with completion expected in about three months.

Deadly landslides and floods leave 12 dead, 1 missing in Sabah, Malaysia - Severe rainfall caused widespread flooding and slope failures across Sabah from September 13 to 15, 2025, killing at least 12 people and leaving one missing. Landslides destroyed homes in Papar and Kota Kinabalu, while another fatal slope failure in Penampang collapsed a transmission tower and triggered a massive power outage. Continuous rainfall over Sabah triggered widespread floods and multiple landslides between September 13 and 15, leaving at least 12 people dead and one missing. The events destroyed homes in Papar and Kota Kinabalu and caused a transmission tower collapse in Penampang that cut electricity to about 230 000 consumers. Rainfall in Kota Kinabalu reached about 138 mm (5.4 inches) in one night, representing nearly half a month’s average, while Penampang recorded continuous downpours since the previous weekend. The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) had issued thunderstorm, heavy rain and strong wind warnings for Sabah’s interior and west coast districts. The worst incident occurred at Kg Cendera Kasih near Kota Kinabalu, where a wooden house was destroyed by a landslide that buried 11 members of a single family. Just four survived, including one with a broken leg, while seven others, three adults and four children aged two, four and nine, were confirmed dead. In Papar, a landslide struck a house at Kg Maragang Tuntul at 09:20 LT on September 15, trapping three people. Two victims were recovered while one remains missing. About 40 minutes later, another landslide in Kg Mook buried three houses, killing a woman and her 11-year-old son. Emergency response teams, including 76 rescuers from the Fire and Rescue Department, police, Civil Defence Force (APM) and health services, were deployed to affected areas while authorities ordered nearby residents to evacuate amid concerns of further slope failures and continue monitoring unstable terrain. The Sabah government cancelled Malaysia Day celebrations to redirect resources toward disaster response. As of 16:00 LT (08:00 UTC) on September 15, APM reported that 804 people from 209 families had been evacuated from Beaufort, Penampang, Tawau and Membakut. Penampang recorded the highest displacement with 425 people, followed by Membakut with 202, Beaufort with 177 and Tawau with 59. Ten temporary evacuation centres were opened to accommodate displaced residents. . Local authorities reported that prolonged rainfall between September 8 and 15, caused at least 42 landslides, 18 flash flood events and 10 road collapses across Sabah.

At least 18 dead, 16 missing after cloudbursts and landslides in northern India - At least 18 people were killed and 16 reported missing after cloudbursts and landslides triggered by heavy rains struck Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, India, on September 15–16, 2025. Authorities said more than 900 residents were stranded as roads and bridges were destroyed by flash floods. Fifteen fatalities and 16 missing persons were reported in Uttarakhand after a major cloudburst, flooding and landslides, while three deaths were confirmed in Himachal Pradesh, according to state officials as of September 17. Over 900 people were stranded in Uttarakhand after flash floods and landslides cut access to multiple localities in Dehradun District, including Sahastradhara, Tapovan, and the IT Park area. The “Last night it rained heavily, with epicentres being Sahastradhara, Mussoorie, Prem Nagar, in the Dehradun District, Narendra Nagar in Tehri District, some portions of Pithoragarh, Nainital, and Pauri,” said Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman. “In Sahastradhara, 264 mm (10.3 inches) rainfall was recorded. Many houses and shops have been destroyed. Roads in more than 10 places have been destroyed. One bailey bridge has been washed away, and in many places, the whole road has been washed away. We have rescued more than 900 people and all of them are safe. Nearly 15 people have died, 13 out of which are from Dehradun,” added Suman. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the worst-hit areas, including Sahastradhara, Raipur and Maldevta, where a 100 m (330 feet) stretch of road was washed away by floodwaters. The Tamsa river overflowed, flooding the Tapkeshwar temple and submerging its giant Hanuman statue up to the shoulders, a level not seen in decades. SDRF and NDRF teams rescued 400–500 students trapped at Devbhoomi Institute and helped hundreds of stranded people wade through flooded rivers. A major section of a bridge on the national highway at Nanda ki Chowki, under the Premnagar area, also collapsed early this morning, prompting authorities to shut down traffic on both sides and divert the route. The collapse has also led to a complete halt in electricity supply across the region, affecting thousands of residents. As a result, large parts of Jaunsar Bawar, Chakrata, and Vikasnagar have lost connectivity with Dehradun, the district headquarters.

Floods in Pakistan leave nearly 1 000 dead, 6.3 million affected and 2.9 million displaced since June 26 - The Watchers Monsoon floods in Pakistan have killed at least 972 people and injured about 1 062 since June 26, 2025, affecting 6.3 million and displacing 2.9 million across the country. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the worst-hit province with more than 500 fatalities, while Punjab has reported 290 deaths and Sindh over 173 000 displaced. Health authorities have also issued dengue alerts for major cities in Sindh, where stagnant floodwaters heighten the risk of outbreaks.

• Since June 26, monsoon floods in Pakistan have killed at least 972 people, injured about 1 060, affected 6.3 million, and displaced more than 2.9 million.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the worst-hit province with over 500 fatalities, Punjab has recorded 290 deaths, and Sindh more than 173 000 displaced. Floods have damaged 8 481 houses, destroyed 239 bridges, and forced closure of the strategic Multan–Sukkur Motorway.
• The Indus and Chenab rivers remain at high flood levels as further rainfall is forecast across northern Pakistan through September 19, sustaining flood risk in river basins and mountainous regions.
• Authorities have issued dengue alerts for major cities in Sindh, where stagnant floodwaters, high humidity, and warm temperatures are creating conditions highly favorable for mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.

Severe flooding continues to affect Pakistan, with southern Punjab districts of Multan, Bahawalpur, and Lodhran reporting seven deaths over the past 48 hours. High flood levels persist in the Indus River at Guddu and Sukkur, Sindh, prompting warnings of further inundation. Meanwhile, the Multan–Sukkur Motorway (M-5), a 392 km (244 miles) section of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor that serves as a key transport link between southern Punjab and Sindh. Its closure has disrupted relief logistics and supply chains, further complicating access to flood-affected districts. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), as of September 16, the 2025 monsoon season has killed at least 972 people and injured about 1 060. More than 6.3 million people are affected nationwide, with over 2.9 million displaced. Floods have damaged 8 481 houses and destroyed 239 bridges, disrupting transport and access to affected communities. Provincial data show that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 504 fatalities and 218 injuries, while Punjab has reported 290 deaths and 660 injuries. In Sindh, more than 173 000 people have been displaced, particularly in Gotki, Sukkur, and Khairpur districts. NDMA notes that reporting lags and verification processes may cause discrepancies between provincial and national totals. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), a westerly wave coupled with moisture from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal is expected to bring further rainfall over the next 2 days. Scattered rainfall and thunderstorms are forecast across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with isolated heavy falls likely in some districts. In Punjab, isolated rainfall is expected in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and surrounding areas. Meanwhile, coastal districts of Sindh (Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpur Khas, Tharparkar) and Balochistan (Lasbela, Gwadar, Ormara) may experience isolated showers through September 17. This could sustain high flows in the Indus and Chenab basins, while also raising the risk of flash flooding and landslides in mountainous areas of northern Pakistan. Authorities have issued Dengue Alert-I, dated September 15, from the Climate Change Impact and Integration Cell of the PMD. The alert was circulated to the Sindh Health Department and local administrations across Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and other divisions, warning that conditions between September 20 and early December are unusually favorable for a dengue outbreak, particularly in flood-affected areas. The risk factors include sustained temperatures between 26–29°C (79–84°F), relative humidity above 60%, and recent rainfall. According to PMD, these conditions, when maintained for three to five weeks, create an ideal environment for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary dengue vector. Outbreak risks typically increase for several weeks following heavy rainfall due to stagnant water serving as mosquito breeding grounds. In Sindh, large swathes remain waterlogged following the floods, with urban drainage systems overwhelmed in cities such as Karachi and Hyderabad. Overcrowded emergency shelters and inadequate sanitation in flood-affected districts are further compounding the risks.

Arctic sea ice reaches annual low -With the end of summer approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic shrank to its annual minimum on Sept. 10, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The total sea ice coverage was tied with 2008 for the 10th-lowest on record at 1.78 million square miles (4.60 million square kilometers). In the Southern Hemisphere, where winter is ending, Antarctic ice is still accumulating but remains relatively low compared to ice levels recorded before 2016.The areas of ice covering the oceans at the poles fluctuate through the seasons. Ice accumulates as seawater freezes during colder months and melts away during the warmer months. But the ice never quite disappears entirely at the poles. In the Arctic Ocean, the area the ice covers typically reaches its yearly minimum in September. Since scientists at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began tracking sea ice at the poles in 1978, sea ice extent has generally been declining as global temperatures have risen."While this year's Arctic sea ice area did not set a record low, it's consistent with the downward trend," said Nathan Kurtz, chief of the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Arctic ice reached its lowest recorded extent in 2012. Ice scientist Walt Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, attributes that record low to a combination of a warming atmosphere and unusual weather patterns. This year, the annual decline in ice initially resembled the changes in 2012.Although the melting tapered off in early August, it wasn't enough to change the year-over-year downward trend. "For the past 19 years, the minimum ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean has fallen below the levels prior to 2007," Meier said. "That continues in 2025."

Scientists respond to the planned termination of the only U.S. Antarctic research vessel --On July 28, 170 researchers sent a letter to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Congress after NSF's 2026 budget request included plans to end its lease of a U.S. research vessel in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica.The Nathaniel B. Palmer has been in operation for over 30 years and is the only U.S. research vessel icebreaker—a uniquely designed ship that navigates through frozen waters and can perform long-term scientific missions. The letter's signatories, including 10 from Columbia University, are urging a reconsideration of this decision in the name of scientific progress."In general, the research vessel is necessary for biological research, chemical research, geological research and a whole spectrum of the kinds of research that we do around Antarctica," said Robert F. Anderson, who studies chemical oceanography, marine geochemistry and paleoclimatology at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "The only way to study sea ice is with a vessel," he said. "You can't do it from land. The ice shelf is the termination of the glacier. If you want to see how the ice shelves are responding to climate, or if you want to study how the ice shelves affect the supply of nutrients to the marine ecosystem, you need to do that with a ship," Anderson said.The authors of the letter claim there are no alternative methods for the use of icebreakers. They wrote that "even as automation and remote observations have increased our observational capabilities in this harsh region of the world, there's no replacement for a dedicated research vessel that can access remote sea ice-covered regions of Antarctica and that allows sampling of the full depth of the ocean and coastal regions on land." Anderson also noted the importance of continuing research in the Southern Ocean, stating that "the ocean around Antarctica is the most important region in the world for the exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and the atmosphere." NASA studies have found that the Southern Ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases, making this area a critical carbon sink.The Thwaites Glacier, one of the most rapidly melting glaciers in the world, resides in this region as well, and much of the research on it came from Palmer. Scientists have determined that warming water under the Thwaites ice shelf has fueled its melting and could contribute to intense global sea level rise. Research in the Southern Ocean could therefore lead to important insights about climate change. But without an icebreaker vessel, Anderson is concerned the U.S. will fall behind.

Kilauea summit showing strong gas pistoning and overflows ahead of next eruptive episode, Hawaii – (3 live video cams) Kīlauea summit, Hawaii, is showing strong gas pistoning and overflows ahead of the next eruptive episode, with Pele’s hair and volcanic gas already affecting the summit area and nearby communities. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) warns that episode 33 lava fountaining is expected to begin over the next 1 to 3 days. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reports that summit inflation at Kiluea volcano is continuing, with the Uēkahuna tiltmeter recording approximately 21.3 microradians of inflationary tilt since episode 32 ended. G Glow in both north and south vents has been visible overnight, and gas pistoning cycles have caused multiple small overflows from the north vent. Intermittent glow at the south vent indicates similar activity there. At 09:23 UTC on September 18 (23:23 HST on September 17), dome fountains 3–6 m (10–20 feet) high were observed as the north vent began vigorously overflowing. Earlier in the evening, large piston events sent spatter up to 4.5–9 m (15–30 feet) onto the outside of the north cone. HVO considers these as part of the precursory activity marking the transition toward episode 33. Average sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions during inter-episode pauses remain elevated at 1 200–1 500 t/d, though short-term fluctuations are closely tied to gas pistoning cycles. Volcanic gas emissions continue to create vog (volcanic smog) that can be transported downwind, with potential health impacts in nearby communities. Strands of volcanic glass, known as Pele’s hair, have been reported throughout the summit area and surrounding communities. Pele’s hair can be carried well over 15 km (10 miles) from eruptive vents and may be remobilized by wind after deposition. It’s important to remember that contact with these sharp glass fibers can cause skin and eye irritation and contaminate catchment water supplies. YouTube video Other volcanic fragments, including pumice, scoria, and reticulite, may fall on the ground within 1–3 km (1–2 miles) of the vents. Highway 11 west of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has at times been affected by fallout, depending on wind and eruption conditions. Additional hazards include caldera wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls around Halemaʻumaʻu crater, hazards that have kept the summit area closed to the public since 2007.

Lava fountains over 150 m (500 feet) in new eruption at Kilauea, Hawaii - (3 videos) A new eruptive episode started at Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu crater at 13:11 UTC (03:11 HST) on September 19, 2025, producing lava fountains over 150 m (500 feet) and a volcanic plume up to 3 000 m (10 000 feet) high. The eruption remains confined to the summit caldera within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Episode 33 of the ongoing summit eruption was preceded by spattering and lava overflows between September 16 and 18, along with dome fountains 3–6 m (10–20 feet) high and episodic gas bursts producing spatter up to 10 m (30 feet). According to HVO, continuous low fountains began at 02:44 HST on September 19, intensifying until 03:11 HST when seismic tremor and tilt data confirmed the start of the new episode. By 03:30 HST, fountains from the north vent continued to reach heights around 150 m (500 feet) and fed multiple lava streams onto the crater floor. Tiltmeters showed a switch from inflation to sharp deflation, marking withdrawal of magma from storage as eruption intensity increased. The eruption plume is currently 3 000 m (10 000 feet) above sea level, with past episodes having produced plumes up to 6 000 m (20 000 feet). Winds are carrying emissions southwest across the Kaʻū desert inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Airports at Hilo (ITO) and Kona (KOA) remain unaffected. Hazards include high levels of volcanic gases, primarily sulfur dioxide (SO2), which reacts in the atmosphere to form vog (volcanic smog) that can spread far downwind. During eruptive episodes, SO2 emission rates can rise sharply. While typical values at Kīlauea’s summit are often below 14 000 tonnes per day, episodic surges have been reported at much higher levels. Fallout of Pele’s hair, strands of volcanic glass, has been observed in previous episodes up to 15 km (10 miles) from the vent. These can cause skin and eye irritation and should be avoided. Other volcanic fragments such as pumice, scoria, and ash generally fall within 1–3 km (1–2 miles) of the crater. Local hazards remain around Halemaʻumaʻu from unstable crater walls, ground cracking, and rockfalls, which can be triggered by earthquakes in the summit area. Lava flows remain confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, consistent with other episodes in this eruption sequence. Since December 23, 2024, the summit eruption has consisted of episodic lava-fountaining events, typically lasting less than a day and separated by pauses of several days. No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or the Southwest Rift Zone during the current activity.

Major M7.8 earthquake hits Kamchatka, hazardous tsunami waves possible - A powerful M7.8 earthquake hit near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia at 18:58 UTC on September 18 (06:58 LT on September 19), 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.7 at a depth of 40 km (25 miles). The epicenter was located 145 km (90 miles) E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (population 181 216), Kamchatka, Russia. 241 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 33 000 moderate and 11 000 light. Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters (M7.8) hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1 000 km (620 miles) of the earthquake epicenter, NWS PTWC said. A tsunami threat exists for parts of the Pacific closer to the earthquake but it is still too early to determine whether Hawaii is under threat, the center said at 19:05 UTC. “If a tsunami threat to Hawaii is confirmed, the earliest possible arrival time is 14:51 HST on Thursday, September 18.” The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and Yellow alert for economic losses. Some damage is possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Russia. Past events with this alert level have required a local or regional level response. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and unreinforced brick with mud construction. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis that might have contributed to losses.

Asteroid 2025 RJ2 to pass 0.78 LD from Earth on September 15 - A newly discovered asteroid designated 2025 RJ2 will fly past Earth at a distance of 0.78 LD (0.002 AU / 301 334 km / 187 241 miles) at 20:18 UTC on Monday, September 15, 2025. Since the beginning of the year, observatories worldwide have detected 96 asteroids passing within one lunar distance of Earth. Asteroid 2025 RJ2 was first observed by Catalina Sky Survey on September 14 — one day before its close approach to Earth. The object belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 2.8 and 6.4 m (9 – 21 feet). It will make a close approach to Earth at 20:18 UTC today, traveling at a relative speed of 5.43 km/s. According to current orbital solutions, asteroid 2025 RJ2 is not expected to approach Earth this closely again until September 21, 2084.

Asteroid 2025 RL2 to pass Earth at 0.5 lunar distances on September 19 - A newly discovered asteroid designated 2025 RL2 is expected to fly past Earth at a distance of 0.56 lunar distances (0.00145 AU / 216 563 km / 134 566 miles) at around 08:57 UTC on September 19, 2025. The object has an absolute magnitude (H) of 26, with an estimated diameter between 17 and 37 m (56 and 121 feet), comparable in size to the Chelyabinsk meteor. This is the 100th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance (LD) since the start of the year and the 9th so far this month. Asteroid 2025 RL2 was first observed at Kitt Peak-Bok, Arizona on September 13, 2025 — five days before its close approach to Earth. The object belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, characterized by semi-major axes smaller than Earth’s (a < 1 AU) and aphelion distances greater than 0.983 AU. Members of this group spend most of their time inside Earth’s orbit but can cross it, making them important to monitor for potential future encounters. The close approach will take place at 08:57 UTC ±38 minutes at a speed of 26 km/s (93 600 km/h / 58 160 mph) relative to Earth. If an object of this size were to enter Earth’s atmosphere, it could produce an airburst on the scale of the 2013 Chelyabinsk event. The Chelyabinsk meteor, estimated at 17–20 m (56–66 feet) in diameter, exploded with an energy of about 440–500 kilotons of TNT, injuring more than 1 500 people and damaging over 7 000 buildings. YouTube video With an estimated diameter between 17 and 37 m (56 and 121 feet), asteroid 2025 RL2 falls within the same size range and, if on the larger end, could release significantly greater energy depending on its exact size, composition, and entry angle. While its size places it in the same range as the Chelyabinsk object, asteroid 2025 RL2 poses no impact risk during this approach. The current solution carries a condition code of 7 of 9, indicating limited precision due to the short observational arc, but even with this uncertainty the trajectory does not intersect Earth. (video of Russian meteor damage)

NASA analysis shows sun's activity ramping up -The sun has become increasingly active since 2008, a new NASA study shows. Solar activity is known to fluctuate in cycles of 11 years, but there are longer-term variations that can last decades. Case in point: Since the 1980s, the amount of solar activity had been steadily decreasing all the way up to 2008, when solar activity was the weakest on record. At that point, scientists expected the sun to be entering a period of historically low activity. But then the sun reversed course and started to become increasingly active, as documented in the study, which appears in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. It's a trend that researchers said could lead to an uptick in space weather events, such as solar storms, flares, and coronal mass ejections. "All signs were pointing to the sun going into a prolonged phase of low activity," said Jamie Jasinski of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, lead author of the new study. "So it was a surprise to see that trend reversed. The sun is slowly waking up." The earliest recorded tracking of solar activity began in the early 1600s, when astronomers, including Galileo, counted sunspots and documented their changes. sunspots are cooler, darker regions on the sun's surface that are produced by a concentration of magnetic field lines. Areas with sunspots are often associated with higher solar activity, such as solar flares, which are intense bursts of radiation, and coronal mass ejections, which are huge bubbles of plasma that erupt from the sun's surface and streak across the solar system. NASA scientists track these space weather events because they can affect spacecraft, astronauts' safety, radio communications, GPS, and even power grids on Earth. Space weather predictions are critical for supporting the spacecraft and astronauts of NASA's Artemis campaign, as understanding the space environment is a vital part of mitigating astronaut exposure to space radiation. Solar activity affects the magnetic fields of planets throughout the solar system. As the solar wind—a stream of charged particles flowing from the sun—and other solar activity increase, the sun's influence expands and compresses magnetospheres, which serve as protective bubbles of planets with magnetic cores and magnetic fields, including Earth. These protective bubbles are important for shielding planets from the jets of plasma that stream out from the sun in the solar wind.

G3 - Strong geomagnetic storm sparks auroras down to Texas - A geomagnetic storm that began late on September 14, 2025, intensified to G3 – Strong levels early on September 15, producing auroras visible as far south as Texas. The storm was driven by a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) with possible influence from a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched on September 11. Solar wind speeds increased from 320 km/s to around 650 km/s after 23:00 UTC on September 14, consistent with the arrival of a corotating interaction region (CIR) ahead of the CH HSS. G1 – Minor geomagnetic storm threshold was reached at 23:47 UTC, followed by G2 – Moderate conditions by 02:10 UTC. Impacts at this level include power grid fluctuations, satellite orientation irregularities, and degraded HF radio propagation at high latitudes. Geomagnetic conditions peaked at 02:59 UTC with G3 – Strong storming. Possible impacts at G3 geomagnetic storm include power system voltage irregularities, false alarms on protection devices, spacecraft charging and drag, intermittent satellite navigation problems, and HF radio blackouts. This activity caused auroral displays to expand well into mid-latitudes, reaching as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa, Oregon, and confirmed sightings in Texas. The storm subsided within an hour, with conditions returning to G1 – Minor by 03:32 UTC. As of the latest SWPC updates, geomagnetic activity is fluctuating near G1 – Minor level. Below is a selection of aurora photographs captured during the peak of the event. The storming was caused by a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream that enhanced the solar wind environment, coupled with possible influence of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched on September 11.

California advances climate action with new legislation - California state lawmakers gave their stamp of approval over the weekend to a slate of sweeping energy and climate-related bills, which will now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The package’s six bills — some of which passed with bipartisan support in an extended session on Saturday — marked a last-minute victory for Newsom, who negotiated the final terms of the legislation with State Senate and Assembly leaders over the past week. “We have agreed to historic reforms that will save money on your electric bills, stabilize gas supply, and slash toxic air pollution — all while fast-tracking California’s transition to a clean, green job-creating economy,” the governor said in a statement in the days leading up to the package’s passage. Within the package is a bill to increase the amount of climate credit appearing on utility bills, as well as another that would revive California’s ability to expand regional power markets via U.S. West clean energy. A third bill focused on improving utility wildfire safety by strengthening oversight and expanding a dedicated fund for wildfire readiness. The package also included an extension of the state’s cap-and-trade program, now to be known as “cap-and-invest.” This system, which sets emissions caps and distributes tradable credits within that framework, seeks to hold carbon polluters accountable by charging them for excessive emissions. Established by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, the program was set to expire in 2030 but would now be reauthorized until 2045, if signed into law. The fifth bill in the package centered on strengthening local air pollution reduction efforts and oversight by extending monitoring periods, redoubling the efforts of state and local air quality agencies to deploy effective strategies. A final piece of legislation, which received pushback from some progressive lawmakers, involved the stabilization of both in-state petroleum production and refinery supply, while also offering protections to communities located near wells. The Center for Biological Diversity slammed the passage of this bill, arguing that it was included “as a last minute ‘gut and amend’ measure at the end of the legislative session.”

Climate change boosted summer heat that killed thousands in Europe - More than 24,000 people died because of extreme heat in 854 cities across Europe this summer, scientists have found. And around 68 percent of them would still be alive if it weren’t for the influence of climate change.That’s according to a sobering new study released Wednesday. And it’s not even a comprehensive picture of what happened in Europe this summer, according to its authors, who hail from the Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Bern in Switzerland.Their study only examined cities in the EU with at least 50,000 residents — accounting for about 30 percent of the continent’s population. Some regions, like the Balkans, weren’t represented at all. But the research does provide a stark warning about the dangers of extreme heat on the world’s fastest-warming continent.

Climate change responsible for 1,700 heat-related deaths in a single European region, study finds--Climate change was responsible for 1,700 heat-related deaths in the Swiss canton of Zurich between 1969 and 2018, according to new research from the University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. These deaths represent nearly one-third of all heat-related mortality in the region during that period. The study published in Climatic Change, titled "Refining methods for attributinghealth impacts to climate change: a heat-mortality case study in Zürich," shows that climate change is not only increasing deaths during extreme heat waves, but also on milder days when temperatures exceed local thresholds for human health. While improved resilience measures such as access to cooling, health care, and public awareness have prevented an estimated 700 deaths since 2004, the number of heat-related deaths continues to rise as global temperatures increase.Lead author Dr. Rupert Stuart-Smith, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science and the Law at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and Deputy Director of the Oxford Sustainable Law Program, said, "We find that heat-related deaths were already occurring as a result of climate change as early as 1969, but that the numbers of heat-related deaths have increased substantially over time, and despite improvements in our resilience to heat."Our results point to the potential effectiveness of climate adaptation measures. However, more people are dying than ever before because of climate change which is pushing temperatures ever higher. The best way to avoid these deaths in future remains rapid and sustained emission reductions, delivered by quickly moving away from fossil fuels and animal agriculture."The study also concludes that, while climate change–related deaths peak during heat waves, many occur outside of them, because climate change is raising temperatures above the "mortality threshold" even on comparatively cooler days.

EPA Proposes Ending Costly GHG Reporting, Saving $2.4 Billion -- Marcellus Drilling News - - On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed eliminating the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which mandates annual emissions reporting from over 8,000 facilities and suppliers. This move aims to save American businesses up to $2.4 billion in compliance costs. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin emphasized that the GHGRP, while established under the Clean Air Act, does not directly contribute to improving air quality or public health. The proposal aligns with President Trump’s executive orders and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which defers certain reporting obligations until 2034. The EPA will seek public comments before finalizing the rule.

US moves to scrap emissions reporting by polluters -The United States moved on Friday to dismantle a "burdensome" federal program that tracks greenhouse gas emissions across the US economy, the latest step by President Donald Trump's administration to undercut efforts against climate change. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), launched in 2010, covers more than 8,000 facilities—including power plants, fuel suppliers, and factories—that together account for 85-90% of the country's planet-warming pollution. Trump, who received hundreds of millions of dollars from the fossil fuel industry during his 2024 election campaign, has heavily promoted new oil, gas, and coal extraction while moving to suppress competition from solar and wind. "Alongside President Trump, EPA continues to live up to the promise of unleashing energy dominance that powers the American Dream," Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said in announcing the decision, which will undergo a public comment period before being finalized. "The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program is nothing more than bureaucratic red tape that does nothing to improve air quality." Although the program was established through an act of Congress, the EPA argued it is not legally obligated to continue collecting the data, with the sole exception of methane emissions. A climate law passed in 2022 under Democratic president Joe Biden established a methane fee on oil and gas operations, but Republicans' recently enacted "Big Beautiful Bill" requires such reporting only from 2034. Accordingly, the EPA under Zeldin says it will suspend all data collection until then. "Again and again, this administration is trying to hide the data to hide the harms," Julie McNamara of the Union of Concerned Scientists told AFP. "If we can't say what a facility is doing, we can't hold that facility accountable," she added, warning that the lack of verifiable emissions data would undermine action at local, state, national, and international levels.Democrats had anticipated the move after they obtained documents in the spring that indicated the change was planned."For the past 15 years, the GHGRP has collected facility-level emissions data from over 8,000 facilities, supplying vital information to policymakers, scientists, investors, and the public," Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said in May."These data inform our national GHG inventory, support international emissions reporting obligations, and serve as the deindustry-wide methodologies."He added that the data had allowed US industry to market itself facto standard for many companies' climate disclosures in the absence of as cleaner than foreign competitors, and ending the program would hand an advantage to China.

Whitehouse launches endangerment finding influence probe - Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse is firing off letters to a number of groups and companies about the administration’s intention to dramatically scale back action against climate change. The Rhode Island Democrat wants to know how the groups and companies may have influenced EPA’s decision to roll back an Obama-era scientific finding underpinning Clean Air Act rulemaking against greenhouse gas emissions.“If the proposal is finalized, it would hand massive benefits to polluting industry actors and their enablers, allowing them to reap billions in profit while shifting the burdens of climate disasters onto the American families, businesses, and taxpayers,” Whitehouse said in a statement.Whitehouse’s request for documents went to groups like the American Petroleum Institute and the America First Policy Institute, a think tank tied to President Donald Trump. Companies include Shell and Toyota.

National Academies clap back at Trump team on climate - The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a sobering climate report Wednesday that stands as a sharp rebuttal to efforts by the Trump administration to downplay the risks and severity of global warming.The findings are in direct response to EPA’s proposed rollback of the 2009 endangerment finding, which determined that six greenhouse gases pose a danger to human health. That landmark decision has served as the legal and scientific backbone of federal climate regulations.In making its case to repeal the endangerment finding, the Trump administration is relying on a recent Department of Energy report that uses cherry-picked data and misleading claims to assert that humanity’s burning of fossil fuels is not driving the planet toward dangerous tipping points.The DOE report was compiled by five climate change contrarians handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has long criticized climate policy.The National Academies report stands in stark contrast to the DOE document. Not only does the endangerment finding still stand, it concludes, but its determination is “reinforced by even stronger evidence” today. The National Academies, created under a congressional charter signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, are independent, nonpartisan institutions that provide objective analysis of public policy decisions.The 16-member review committee that produced the climate report consists of experts in climate, health, oceans and more. It also includes multiple members who previously worked in the fossil fuel industry and the findings were reviewed by a group of experts that includes Tim Gallaudet, the acting NOAA administrator in Trump’s first term.More than 200 individuals and organizations responded to a public request for information from the National Academies, providing the authors with more than 600 peer-reviewed articles to inform their research.The National Academies authors presented five lines of evidence to support their findings.Greenhouse gases are increasing in the atmosphere. These emissions are changing the Earth’s climate. They’re harming human health. They’re affecting human welfare through damages to energy systems, infrastructure and agriculture. And continued carbon emissions will only make these effects worse.Many of the report’s conclusions are at odds with the DOE report, which has been widely criticized by scientists for presenting false or misleading information.The new National Academies report acknowledges the existence of the DOE report but notes that since it is still in draft form — and could change with the input of public comments — the authors did not directly cite it.The new report’s authors came to their conclusions using an array of scientific studies and observations focused on both the global and U.S. climate. These include trends in temperature, precipitation, extreme weather events and sea levels.

Report backs 2009 climate endangerment finding -- In response to the Trump administration repeatedly saying otherwise, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on Wednesday issued a report that emphasized that climate change’s harms are “beyond scientific dispute.” The report from the National Academies, which seek to provide science that informs the government, comes as a rebuke to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to overturn a 2009 determination that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to the public. “The evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused GHGs is beyond scientific dispute,” the report says, referring to greenhouse gases. “Much of the understanding of climate change that was uncertain or tentative in 2009 is now resolved and new threats have been identified,” it says. “The United States faces a future in which climate-induced harm continues to worsen and today’s extremes become tomorrow’s norms.” The National Academies undertook the report after the EPA proposed to overturn the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which determined that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare. The endangerment finding also underlies climate regulations, and the proposal to overturn it came alongside a proposal to revoke car emission rules. Shirley Tilghman, chair of the committee that wrote Wednesday’s report, said in a written statement the study was done “with the ultimate aim of informing the EPA … as it considers the status of the endangerment finding.” “We are hopeful that the evidence summarized here shows the strong base of scientific evidence available to inform sound decision-making,” Tilghman added. In response, an EPA spokesperson reiterated the administration’s concerns with the Obama-era finding. “The Endangerment Finding has been used by the Obama and Biden Administrations to justify trillions of dollars of greenhouse gas regulations covering new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines,” the spokesperson said in a written statement. “As we saw in the 16 intervening years since the Endangerment Finding was made, many of the extremely pessimistic predictions and assumptions EPA relied upon have not materialized as expected. EPA welcomes all public comments on the proposal through September 22, 2025, and the agency looks forward to responding to a diverse array of perspectives on this issue,” the statement continued. In their report, the National Academies concluded the 2009 finding “was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence.” “Changes in climate resulting from human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases harm the welfare of people in the United States,” the report says, pointing to “negative impacts on agricultural crops and livestock,” as well as “climate-related changes in water availability and quality” and harmful algal blooms and other stressors on communities and infrastructure.

CCS financial risks climb as EPA cuts emissions program - The U.S. carbon capture industry is facing new uncertainty after EPA unveiled plans to ax the federal program that requires thousands of polluters to track and report climate-warming emissions.EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program on Friday as “nothing more than bureaucratic red tape,” but companies also use it to claim the federal 45Q tax credit — a key incentive for carbon capture and removal projects. Parts of EPA’s program are “inextricably linked” to the 45Q credit, Jessie Stolark, executive director of the Carbon Capture Coalition, said in a statement last week after EPA’s announcement. For example, the coalition said in a fact sheet, companies use data reported to the greenhouse gas program to claim 45Q credits for carbon dioxide stored in underground formations. Repealing parts of the program tied to CCS “would result in lost revenues and decreased economic activity in a sector critical for American jobs and global competitiveness,” Stolark said in a statement Monday.

Water Wars Strike Again: How Afghanistan's Hydropolitics Will Reshape Eurasia's Geopolitics - Hydropolitics has long been an underreported yet decisive force shaping the trajectory of nations. While analysts often emphasize pipelines, rare earths, or grain corridors, it is water — the most fundamental resource — that increasingly determines whether regions move toward cooperation or conflict.The ongoing development of Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa Canal illustrates this clearly. As Kabul pushes forward with a project to divert significant volumes from the Amu Darya River, neighboring Central Asian states are sounding alarm bells. Thus far, however, international attention has been curiously muted.As climate researcher Kamila Fayzieva notes, the canal is a 285-kilometer project capable of irrigating vast tracts of northern Afghanistan. For a nation battered by war and sanctions, it promises food security.Yet what looks like a lifeline for Afghans could spell disruption for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, who rely on the Amu Darya’s flow. Water scarcity in Central Asia is already acute enough to threaten livelihoods and stability. Every cubic meter counts. Afghan authorities in any case argue their population cannot be indefinitely deprived of water that technically flows through their territory.This tension is not unique. Water disputes have become a recurring feature across Eurasia. In South Asia, the Indus Waters Treaty provides a fragile framework between India and Pakistan, yet hydropolitical skirmishes abound. New Delhi has even been accused of weaponizing floods in its dispute with Islamabad, as I’ve commented.Afghanistan’s case is delicate because: as analyst Syed Fazl-e-Haider reminds us, other than its treaty with Iran (to the West) over the Helmand River, it lacks any comprehensive, formal water-sharing agreement with its northern neighbors regarding the Amu Darya basin. For one thing, despite some limited cooperation, Kabul remains out of the Almaty Agreement. Whereas India and Pakistan at least have the Indus framework, Kabul operates in a kind of legal vacuum. This creates the paradox noted by Fayzieva: the country most in need of water is also the least integrated into governance mechanisms.The danger is not just environmental but also geopolitical. Central Asia has long been a zone of overlapping influences — Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Iranian, and Western. The Qosh Tepa project risks becoming another wedge issue, exploited by external actors. Without cooperation, each country could pursue unilateral “hydro-sovereignty,” building canals, dams, or diversions regardless of neighbors. Elsewhere, similar trajectories haunt other basins: as I’ve noted before, Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam remains a source of tensions with Egypt and Sudan; Turkey’s GAP project in turn has impacted downstream neighbors. The result is often dangerous escalation.

'Disastrous Forecast': Marjorie Taylor Greene hearing targets geoengineering - A lawmaker known for promoting conspiracy theories this week will oversee a review of speculative technologies intended to promote rainfall and limit global warming.The hearing’s title suggests that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chair of the Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, has already made up her mind about the potential utility of such technologies: “Playing God with the Weather — A Disastrous Forecast.” The hearing comes after two consecutive years in which the world has broken warming records. In arid areas of the U.S., China and the Middle East, the unrelenting heat has prompted growing interest in cloud seeding. That has also led to a surge in philanthropic support for research into solar geoengineering, a suite of technologies that seeks to limit the amount of sunlight absorbed by the Earth.

Over $100B and 12 AI Data Centers Announced – Find Out Where Oct 16 -- Marcellus Drilling News - MDN is pleased to be a media sponsor for the upcoming AI Energy 2 Conference being held in Pittsburgh on October 16th. Over $100 billion and 12 AI data centers have been announced to date. Attend this event to find out where. The AI Energy 2 Conference will answer these four critical questions: (1) What AI data centers are active, moving dirt? (2) What companies are involved in active data centers? (3) How does my company become involved in these active data centers? (4) Where and how do my employees get training so my company can take advantage of these opportunities? AI data centers and natural gas are tied together. Data centers are huge new customers for Marcellus/Utica gas. This conference will help you understand the connection and how to leverage it.

Trump admin nears new deal for road in Alaska wildlife refuge -The decadeslong battle over a proposed gravel road though a federal wildlife refuge in Alaska is taking another sharp turn.The Trump administration is planning to ditch the land swap proposal for the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge offered last year by the Interior Department under then-Secretary Deb Haaland. Instead, Interior plans to authorize a new agreement for a road corridor, that would eventually allow King Cove Corp. — an Alaska Native corporation — to build a roughly 10-mile-long gravel road through the refuge, according to a Fish and Wildlife Service document reviewed by POLITICO’s E&E News and Gary Hennigh, the city administrator for the town of King Cove who is directly involved in the negotiations.This new proposal — which is not finalized — would require the local corporation to give up far less land in exchange for the refuge land used to build the road. The road has long been sought by residents of the coastal community of King Cove, because it would allow them in harsh winter months to get to an all-weather airport in Cold Bay, from which sick or injured people can be flown to hospitals hundreds of miles away.

PJM tries to ease threats to grid from supersize data centers - The potential threat to grid reliability from supersize AI data centers has grid operators searching hard for answers, with the latest initiative a new policy proposal from PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. regional power market.The PJM proposal would impact large new data center operations that are not using energy they have developed or acquired. Under emergency situations, PJM operators would cut off power to these data centers first, before ordering rolling blackouts at utilities or other responses.The same issue confronts grid operators across the United States. PJM’s response stands out because its 13-state region, with 67 million customers, is the nation’s largest, and it hosts “data center alley” in northern Virginia, by far the largest U.S. concentration of the data farm installations. The North American Electric Reliability Corp., the interstate grid’s security monitor, has a top-level planning committee developing policy proposals for managing data center challenges.“There is already evidence that large loads impact bulk [wholesale power] system reliability,” NERC said in a committee report in July, citing grid disruptions in Virginia and Texas. NERC’s follow-up report with action proposals is scheduled for release later this year.PJM’s policy welcomes the data center boom, joining President Donald Trump and the leadership of the power sector. PJM says it aims to enable “new large loads to connect as rapidly as possible and at the same time determine a plan for how reliability is maintained.” The proposal would keep PJM from having to increase the system’s capacity to meet the peak demand from new data centers. But data centers that didn’t, or couldn’t, acquire enough generation to run their operations would face a risk of unpredictable power cutoffs when the PJM grid is stressed.The proposal does not speak directly to a second critical issue stemming from the AI data center shock wave — how the plan will deal with the rapid increase in utility bills triggered by the data center’s power demands, said Tom Rutigliano, senior advocate for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council.“Forecasts for data center growth far exceed the rate PJM can add power plants,” NRDC said in a statement Monday. The increased power demand is expected to continue inflating electricity prices now, with faster acceleration beginning in mid-July 2028, NRDC said. NRDC stated, “PJM’s plan aims to prevent blackouts, but fails to protect consumers from ever-increasing bills. Electricity costs in the region are up $12 billion this year alone. “Based on calculations by NRDC using PJM data, under PJM’s plan the public will pay over $20 billion every year from 2028 through at least 2032 as forecast data centers continue to drive up prices,” according to NRDC. “This adds up to a $100 billion or higher bill over this period paid by PJM residents. Virtually all of this will be windfall payments to existing power plants rather than investment in new ones.”Rutigliano said NRDC cost figures derive from existing formulas that PJM uses to establish “capacity” payments in annual auctions. These payments to power plant operators are to incentivize enough generation to keep operating to cover expected power demands in future years. They are ultimately paid by utility customers.NRDC’s calculation assumes that increasing data center power demand will keep capacity prices at established ceiling prices, he added.

West Virginia eyes new coal plants to power AI - West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey wants to build new coal plants and triple his state’s electric capacity to feed data centers across the eastern U.S. The Republican aims to boost West Virginia’s electrical generation capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050, compared to roughly 15 GW today, via a rapid expansion of coal- and gas-fired power plants. Morrisey calls the plan “50 by 50.” It’s the latest declaration by Republicans — and some Democrats — that the U.S. must leverage fossil fuel energy to head off a supply crunch between spiking energy demand and the retirement of older, less efficient coal plants. The trend raises questions about the future of the U.S. power sector, a significant contributor to the country’s planet-warming emissions.The power sector saw a boom in renewables under the Biden administration; last year, wind and solar power eclipsed coal power for the first time. The Trump administration has since targeted pollution regulations and clean energy subsidies.

Nuclear fuel recycling gains traction for advanced reactors - Efforts to stand up nuclear fuel recycling projects accelerated this month with two major announcements — easing concern that the United States is moving too slowly to develop a supply chain for advanced reactors.Curio, based in Washington, D.C., said that national laboratory teams at Idaho, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest and Sandia completed “critical laboratory-scale demonstrations” of its NuCycle recycling process under the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E energy technology program.Limited domestic fuel production is a significant obstacle for the nuclear power industry. And bans on both Russian uranium imports and China’s fuel production are leading to more investment in domestic fuel recycling and companies aiming to expand U.S. enrichment capacity.“I have never seen a better opportunity in my lifetime for the U.S. nuclear sector to turn itself around,” Ed McGinnis, Curio CEO and former acting assistant secretary for the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, said in an interview. “But we can’t act like … the single biggest reasons for us not getting order books — lack of a waste solution and a very anemic, fragile and inadequate fuel supply market — don’t exist.” If it can be scaled up, Curio’s recycling process could alleviate a bottleneck in obtaining uranium hexafluoride. Currently, there is only one U.S. plant that converts raw uranium into a gaseous form for enrichment and fuel fabrication.Ashutosh Goel, a materials science professor at Rutgers University, noted that Curio describes its process as “enrichment-ready” and that, if true, it “should be good for the current or the next generation of reactors.”“Basically, it’s a very high purity,” he added, adding that experiments ranging from milligrams to 100 grams of gaseous uranium are “a big leap” that supports efforts to scale up the recycling process to meet industry needs.Curio’s announcement came that same day that advanced reactor designer Oklo, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, said it will build a first-of-its-kind fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, by the early 2030s — a $1.6 billion investment projected to create more than 800 jobs.Adam Stein, director of nuclear energy and innovation at the Breakthrough Institute, said the investment in fuel recycling indicates the process might be a far more economic approach than producing high-assay, low-enriched uranium, or HALEU, from scratch.HALEU is the feedstock for the fuel required by many advanced reactor designs. HALEU is only produced at commercial scale in Russia and China.But history counsels humility in the nuclear reprocessing field. The U.S. mixed oxide program — meant to turn 34 tons of weapons plutonium into commercial fuel — was halted after ballooning costs and delays. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission later terminated its construction authorization in 2019.Still, would-be reprocessors believe commercial viability is at hand, at least when using the right technology.

AEP Ohio's data center charge plan may proceed after PUCO nixes appeal - The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has denied an attempt from Amazon and other organizations connected to the data center industry to reconsider ona landmark order that allows AEP Ohio to apply a different fee structure for data centers.Amazon Data Services and the trade group Data Center Coalition were among the group that filed for a rehearing, arguing there were errors in PUCO's July ruling that AEP Ohio can require data centers to pay a minimum of 85% of their highest forecasted electricity use, even if they use less, a rate referred to in the industry as a "tariff." The minimum had been 60% for data centers and other industrial users.AEP Ohio sought the tariff, believed to be the first of its kind in the county, in an effort to address unprecedented electrical demand from data centers, ensuring that data centers — instead of its other customers — pay for the transmission lines and other infrastructure required to serve the centers, The Dispatch previously reported.When AEP Ohio first asked for the new fee structure in May 2024, the utility company said the surge in central Ohio data centers is expected to consume so much electricity in coming years that demand for power in the Columbus region will be similar to all of Manhattan.In the Sept. 3 decision, PUCO states that the majority of the errors raised were addressed in the original order."None of the parties’ applications raise new issues that were not previously considered and rejected by the Commission; and nothing in the abovementioned assignments of error persuade the Commission to alter its previous findings on these matters. Mere disagreement with the Commission's ultimate decision is not appropriate grounds for rehearing," PUCO wrote in the ruling. A data center identified on maps as CMH - Newton Campus, 2575 Newton Ct, in New Albany. The complex is at the southeast corner of Jug St. and Harrison Road photographed July 28, 2025.The groups that sought the rehearing have 60 days to appeal PUCO's decision to the Supreme Court of Ohio, a commission spokesperson wrote via email Sept. 16. But a case has not been filed as of Sept. 17, according to the court's online docket.

Strs Ohio Acquires Shares of 871,287 Kinder Morgan, Inc. $KMI --Strs Ohio (State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) acquired a new stake in Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI -Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 871,287 shares of the pipeline company's stock, valued at approximately $24,858,000. Kinder Morgan, Inc operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in North America. The company operates through Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2 segments. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment owns and operates interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline, and storage systems; natural gas gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities; natural gas liquids fractionation facilities and transportation systems; and liquefied natural gas gasification, liquefaction, and storage facilities.

Strs Ohio Purchases Shares of 169,000 Cheniere Energy, Inc. $LNG – - Strs Ohio (State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio) acquired 169,000 shares of Cheniere Energy (NYSE:LNG - Get Free Report), valued at approximately $39.1 million, representing about 0.08% ownership of the company. Cheniere Energy's stock has been rated highly by analysts, with a consensus target price of $263.29, including multiple "buy" ratings and a recent price target increase to $270.00 by TD Cowen. Cheniere reported a quarterly earnings of $7.30 EPS, surpassing estimates significantly and showing a year-over-year revenue increase of 42.8%. Cheniere Energy, Inc, an energy infrastructure company, primarily engages in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) related businesses in the United States. It owns and operates the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana; and the Corpus Christi LNG terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas. The company also owns Creole Trail pipeline, a 94-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal with several interstate and intrastate pipelines; and operates Corpus Christi pipeline, a 21.5-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Corpus Christi LNG terminal with various interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines.

Ohio Oil and Gas Association's 7th annual community charity event raises $25,000 for Utica Shale Academy – The Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) recently hosted its 7th annual community charity event, this year called the OOGA Road Rally, at K1 Racing in Stark County. The event brought together more than 50 go-kart drivers from across the region, raising $25,000 to support the students and staff of the Utica Shale Academy (USA). Thanks to the generosity of OOGA member, Williams, which sponsored the venue, and Blackstar, which sponsored the lunch, 100% of the donations raised were directed towards the Utica Shale Academy. The annual OOGA Community Charity event has become a signature event for the Association, combining industry camaraderie with a commitment to giving back. This year’s proceeds will directly benefit Utica Shale Academy, a program dedicated to preparing students for careers in the oil and gas industry and beyond. “Supporting Utica Shale Academy means investing in the next generation of skilled workers who will help drive Ohio’s energy future.” Utica Shale Academy Superintendent Bill Watson expressed his appreciation for the continued partnership. “The generosity of OOGA and its members provides our students with opportunities and resources that directly impact their education and career readiness,” said Watson. “We are proud to partner with an organization that not only powers Ohio but also powers possibilities for our young people.”

Potential Suitors Emerge for Antero's Ohio Utica—Analysts | Hart Energy -Antero Resources' 82000 net acres in the Ohio Utica Shale core may fetch interest from a who's-who list of leading Appalachia E&Ps, analysts say.

Potential Buyers Emerge for Antero Resources’ Ohio Utica Assets -- Marcellus Drilling News - Earlier this month, we brought you the bombshell news that Antero Resources, the country’s fifth-largest natural gas producer and largest producer in West Virginia, is preparing to market its Ohio Utica assets, hoping to fetch $900 million to $1 billion (see Rumor: Antero Preparing to Sell Ohio Utica Upstream, Midstream). The rumors keep coming that Antero’s 82,000 net acres in the Utica, as well as long-haul takeaway and supporting midstream assets, are catching the attention of several big M-U companies.

Gas line rupture shuts down busy street in Troy; homes evacuated - WHIO-TV - WHIO-TV Crews in Troy have shut down a busy road and evacuated several homes after a gas line was struck Wednesday afternoon

Unity Elementary, neighborhood evacuated for around 3 hours after gas line was hit | Allen County — Part of South Lima was evacuated Thursday morning after a construction crew broke a large gas line. The Lima Fire Department responded to the area of South Sugar Street and Holmes Avenue before 11 a.m. after crews working nearby ruptured the line. Firefighters evacuated more than a block surrounding the incident, including Unity Elementary School. Officials said there was no shutoff valve in the area of the break. Enbridge Gas was called to the scene to seal the leak. Enbridge competed repairs at 2:30 pm and everyone was able to return home after that.

Second Utica-Fired Power Plant for Facebook Nears Approval in Ohio - Marcellus Drilling News - -In early April, MDN brought you the exciting news that pipeline giant Williams, via its subsidiary, Will-Power, is planning to build two Utica/Marcellus gas-fired power plants in the New Albany International Business Park in Licking County, Ohio (see Williams Subsidiary Unveils Plans for Gas-Fired Power Plant in Ohio). The two projects are called the Socrates North and Socrates South power plants and will power a data center complex at that location. In early June, the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) authorized and approved construction for the Socrates South project (see OH Approves Williams Gas-Fired Plant to Power Facebook Data Center). Good news! The OPSB is now close to approving Socrates North. Read More“Second Utica-Fired Power Plant for Facebook Nears Approval in Ohio”

PA DEP Signals Air Plan Approval for $10B Homer City Power Plant -- Marcellus Drilling News - - In April, Knighthead Capital Management, Homer City Redevelopment (HCR), and Kiewit Power Constructors Co. announced a plan to convert the former Homer City Generating Station, previously the largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania (Indiana County, 50 miles east of Pittsburgh) into a more than 3,200-acre natural gas-powered data center campus, designed to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (see Largest Gas-Fired Power Plant in the U.S. Coming in Western Pa.). The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said it is close to approving an air quality plan for the new facility.

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.

French Investment Firm Sells SW Pa. Gas-Fired Power Plant for $1B -- Marcellus Drilling News - A power project we’ve been tracking since 2017 is a 620-megawatt (MW) Marcellus-fired electric plant in Greene County, PA, called the Hill Top Energy Center (see our stories here). In 2019, investment firm Ardian, based in Paris, France, announced that it had purchased a 41.9% stake in the project, becoming the majority owner (see SWPA Gas-fired Electric Plant Project Gets French Investment). In April of this year, Ardian announced it had purchased the other 58.1% stake it did not already own, becoming the sole owner (see French Investment Firm Buys Out SW Pa. Gas-Fired Power Plant). And now, Ardian has just sold it all to investment firm Blackstone Energy Transition Partners for nearly $1 billion.

26 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 8 – 14 - - Marcellus Drilling News - For the week of September 8 – 14, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica increased from the previous week. There were 26 new permits issued across the three M-U states last week, more than doubling the 11 issued two weeks ago. For the second week in a row, Pennsylvania’s permit take was pathetic. PA issued just two new permits last week, after issuing three two weeks ago. Expand Energy received one permit in Bradford County, and Coterra Energy received the other permit in Susquehanna County (both counties in northeastern PA). ANTERO RESOURCES | ARSENAL RESOURCES | ASCENT RESOURCES | BELMONT COUNTY | BRADFORD COUNTY | CARROLL COUNTY | COTERRA ENERGY (CABOT O&G) | EOG RESOURCES | EXPAND ENERGY | GUERNSEY COUNTY | INR/INFINITY NATURAL RESOURCES | MARION NATURAL ENERGY | MONONGALIA COUNTY | NOBLE COUNTY| SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY | TAYLOR COUNTY | TYLER COUNTY

Pipeline Ruptured Near Gas Storage Well in Fayette County, PA - Marcellus Drilling News - (pic: crater created by pipeline rupture) On September 12, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was alerted to a pipeline rupture near a Berkshire Hathaway Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage natural gas injection well in Wharton Township, Fayette County (southwestern corner of the state). The incident occurred at the North Summit Gas Storage Area, approximately 150 feet from the R.E. Eberly UW-204 wellhead, within the boundaries of Forbes State Forest. The rupture resulted in the release of natural gas and brine, creating a crater down to the exposed and ruptured pipe.

Pitt/Duquesne Study Links EQT Frac-Out to Water Contamination -- Marcellus Drilling News - - Recently, two neighboring towns in Greene County, PA, declared a Disaster Emergency related to a “frac-out” at the EQT Lumber well that happened three years ago, in July 2022 (see Freeport Twp (PA) Declares Disaster Emergency re EQT Frac-Out and Second PA Town Declares Disaster Emergency re EQT Frac-Out). Both towns, Freeport and Springhill, claim that they have residents whose water wells were contaminated (and therefore undrinkable) following the EQT frac-out event in 2022. Both say that making this official declaration will help them qualify for government funding to run a water line into the affected areas to deliver water.

PA Environment Digest Blog: Independent Research Study By Pitt, Duquesne Ties Water Well Contamination To Shale Gas Drilling In 2 Greene County Townships That Declared Water Disaster Emergencies -An independent, peer-reviewed research study published by authors from University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University in the journal Scientific Reports found links between a June 2022 shale gas drilling incident and private water well contamination in Freeport and Springhill Townships, Greene County.In addition, the study found the extent of water contamination was wider than initially reported. These same two townships recently declared disaster emergencies due to water well contamination from gas related drilling after three years of having residents without a permanent source of clean water. Read more here. The paper outlines a timeline of events from the June 2022 frack-out. On June 19, 2022, a “frack-out" occurred at the Lumber shale gas well pad in Springhill Township, Greene County. At the time, multiple gas well laterals were being fracked simultaneously in shale gas wells 1H, 5H, 11H, 13H, and 15H. The shale gas well pad owner was hydraulically stimulating or fracking 13H at a depth of 7,820’ (2383.5 m) and a distance of ~ 6,500’ (1981 m) from the wellhead when the fracking process “communicated” with an abandoned conventional gas well, later identified as Fox Hill #1, 3,200’ (975 m) away from the lateral. The event sent a fountain of fluids, mud, and gas spewing from the surface at the Fox Hill well. The operator was notified of the incident by the landowner of the parcel where frack-out fluids reached the land surface. The frack-out created a sinkhole where pressure forced fluids to the surface through the abandoned conventional well. The community was then alerted of the incident through a Facebook post by the township supervisors advising people not to use their water. The “Zone of Impact” as designated by the shale gas driller was reported in the Facebook post as “Main Street from the Firehall west to Herod’s Run” Once the frack-out had been discovered, hydraulic stimulation of 13H was halted, but fracking continued in the adjacent lateral 11 H. All drilling activity on the Lumber shale gas pad ceased on June 22, 2022. DEP issued several violations including failure to report the frack-out and continuing the fracking after the incident. The company appealed a later fracking stoppage request by DEP in September of 2023 and reached a settlement before the Environmental Hearing Board in late November that allowed drilling operations to resume. Read more here. Fracking recommenced in mid-December but shut down again in January of 2024 after a “microseismical event” reported by the Lumber shale gas well pad owner. The well shut down again in February of 2024. Water Sampling The first well water samples reported in the research study were collected on June 27, 2022, with additional samples collected on 14 trips through February 2024. Most early sampling was focused in the area surrounding the zone of impact. Later sampling included a much larger zone of interest. Among the 75 samples, 45 samples were in the impacted cluster, while the remaining 30 were in the non-impacted cluster. The study results show "distinct chemistries" in areas surrounding the Fox Hill 1 well that indicate the influence of water from the frack-out, the study said. There were higher levels of barium, strontium, magnesium, lithium and 98% of the impacted samples had measurable levels of methane suggesting connections of fracking activities. These impacted waters were primarily located in valley bottoms consistent with migration of methane and water through the fracture zones typically associated with valleys in the region, according to the study. In the area surrounding the apparent primary surface conduit of the frack-out (i.e., the Fox Hill #1 well) chemical indicators are consistently and significantly different in the direction of oil and gas wastewater when compared to chemistries outside this area. The study noted, in the evaluations of the frack-out, the tendency to not utilize all of the potential chemical tracers like bromine and lithium is a consistent shortcoming in the evaluation of unconventional petroleum extraction impacts. The obscuring of tracer data due to rigidity in simple lab approaches is not acceptable and results in incomplete and potentially incorrect assessments of unconventional petroleum extraction impacts. The study notes the area has a legacy of coal mining, but the area around New Freeport is not impacted by acid mine drainage that would contaminate water. Click Here for a copy of the study. These reports are consistent with how Guy Hostutler, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Freeport Township characterized the June 2022 frack-out incident as a “bright line.” “We had no complaints of any issues with any shallow wells, whether they be oil and gas or water until after the event on June the 19th of 2022,” said Hostutler. Hostutler said he is familiar with the kind of water contamination oil and gas operations can cause because he worked in the industry for 25+ years. Oil and gas inspection records from DEP back that up. Read more here.

Study ties Southwestern Pa. communities' water woes to 2022 EQT frack-out and narrow state law • Three years and three months after fluid erupted along Main Street in the rural Greene County hamlet of New Freeport, a scientific study published Wednesday contends that the Pittsburgh gas giant EQT contaminated local water, and casts doubt on current standards of regulatory oversight.The new research comes after two Greene County townships recently issued disaster declarations, while a judge in August declined to grant an injunction in an ongoing class-action lawsuit that would have compelled EQT to provide clean water to residents.The peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports analyzed 75 local water samples in and around New Freeport, finding evidence of oil and gas brine and methane in more than half of the samples. Around one-fifth of the samples had methane above the state action limit, including two with “explosive levels” of gas, according to author John Stolz of Duquesne University. EQT did not respond to a request for comment for this story. The study concludes, based on evidence from New Freeport, that frack-outs — when fluid injected into the ground to fracture shale and release gas instead communicates with an abandoned well, sometimes arriving at the surface — can “result in widespread contamination” of underground water sources even well outside of currently regulated impact zones. The paper’s analysis found that “the extent of the contamination was wider than initially reported.”“Here we have a situation that clearly demonstrates communication at 7,800 feet all the way to the surface,” said Stolz, a microbiology professor who specializes in water quality. Post-frack-out water chemistry clearly shows “through the presence of methane and other light hydrocarbons, that people no longer have potable water.”The study cites Public Source reporting, published last year, that revealed video evidence of gas and fluid spewing from the ground on June 19, 2022, when the frack-out occurred, and workers observing a “direct correlation” between EQT’s fracking and an abandoned well in New Freeport.EQT has publicly denied responsibility since the incident, arguing in filings to the state Environmental Hearing Board that there was “no evidence” to support that a communication incident had occurred. Confronted by residents in August 2023, CEO Toby Rice said he did not believe EQT was responsible.Stolz said his research also shows that current regulation is insufficient to protect communities. State law sets a “zone of presumption” of a 2,500-foot radius around wells, and says that fracking operators are required to provide residents in that circle with water after suspected contamination or water loss. “The main area of impact [in New Freeport] is well out of the zone of presumption,” Stolz said. “And so therefore there’s no recourse for the harmed families.” The study suggested that “at least a 5,000-foot buffer would be more appropriate.”The zone of presumption was adopted before operators were drilling thousands of feet and injecting fluids at high pressures. The regulation “in no way contemplated the kind of drilling we’re seeing now,” said former state Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] Secretary David Hess. “It’s really an antiquated concept,” he added. “It really needs to be updated.”“These people have a problem that is not their fault,” Hess said. “The government’s role should be to step in and fix it, to provide water until the problem is identified.” Instead, under current laws, the DEP is under no obligation to require EQT to provide water for people who are outside the zone of presumption. “They’re left out to dry until DEP has the resources to look into it,” Hess said.The DEP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.EQT is providing water to some area residents, and nearly every home along Main Street in New Freeport is connected to a large tank of water, refilled weekly.In November 2023, EQT mailed residents letters, offering to install water treatment systems or to continue supplying water, in exchange for non-disclosure agreements barring residents from publicizing the arrangement or disparaging EQT, and absolving EQT from future liability for property damage or personal injury.Stolz said he’s spent over 15 years trying to address the question: Does fracking impact sources of water?Wednesday’s research, Stolz said, dispels two “myths of the Marcellus,” proving that fracking can and does contaminate groundwater, and casting doubt on the industry contention that “what goes on at 8,000 feet [below ground] does not impact the surface.”The research also found that communication events occur at roughly 1% of wells in Pennsylvania, based on DEP data.“Residents should feel a lot of validation,” said Sarah Martik, executive director of the Center for Coalfield Justice, which has supported residents by distributing water, hosting town hall meetings and contacting local elected officials since the incident. “Clearly there is something happening in that aquifer.”Martik said the organization has continued to receive new reports of contamination, and more residents coming out to public meetings.“The watershed continues to be at risk,” said Stolz, and EQT continues to frack in the area.The latest research comes as local officials sound the alarm. In June, the Freeport Township Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency.“A contamination event caused by actions of EQT has caused or threatens to cause injury, damage and suffering to persons and property of Freeport Township,” the declaration reads. It notes:

• The lack of public water in the rural town
• Testing that shows contamination
• Warnings to the DEP and EQT that the “water is hazardous and unsafe for use”
• Resident reports of discoloration, odor and skin rashes after using water from private wells.

In August, neighboring Springhill Township declared a similar emergency.Freeport Township Supervisor Tim Brady said the disaster declaration “was a last resort,” adding that it opens up access to state and federal grants that could help bring clean water to the community. The goal, he said, is to fund a public water line that would run roughly 13 miles from Rogersville to New Freeport and would cost roughly $12 to $15 million.Brady did not know, though, if EQT would contribute to that cost or if it might fall entirely on the Pennsylvania taxpayer.“They’re still drilling,” he said, “They haven’t slowed down any. The DEP gives them permits left and right.”Regardless, he said, bringing public water to the community will take time: “We all know how government moves,” Brady said. “We’re not going to have water for seven to eight years. We’re forgotten out here.”

Eureka Proposes Plan to Clean Up, Close All 3 PA Wastewater Plants -- Marcellus Drilling News - - On August 17, Eureka Resources’ Williamsport Second Street facility (one of the three previously operated by Eureka) leaked some of its stored untreated wastewater, which ended up in the nearby Susquehanna River via a storm drain (see ‘Black Goop’ Spills into Susquehanna River from Closed Eureka Plant). That event led to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection launching an investigation into all three of Eureka’s shuttered plants, two in Williamsport (Lycoming County), and one in Bradford County. The DEP found untreated wastewater stored at each facility—over 4.6 million gallons in total—and has demanded Eureka dispose of it within 90 days

PA DEP: Spill Cleanup at Eureka Williamsport Plant Nearly Complete - Marcellus Drilling News - On August 17, Eureka Resources’ Williamsport Second Street facility (one of the three previously operated by Eureka) leaked some of its stored untreated wastewater, which ended up in the nearby Susquehanna River via a storm drain (see ‘Black Goop’ Spills into Susquehanna River from Closed Eureka Plant). Two weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provided an update on the cleanup of the spill to say half of the leaked wastewater had already been recovered (see PA DEP Reports Half of Eureka 16,000 Gal. Wastewater Leak Recovered). We have a new update: nearly all of what spilled that can be gathered, has been collected.

Anti Group Claims Clock Ran Out for CNX to Drill 2 Penn Twp Wells-- Marcellus Drilling News - - In June, we reported that the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court in PA that hears appeals of decisions made by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), had ruled in favor of CNX Resources to allow two previously permitted wells in Penn Township (Westmoreland County) to move forward with construction (seeAnti-Shale Group Loses EHB Appeal to Block CNX Wells in SWPA). A local anti-shale group called Protect PT, backed with Big Green money and lawyers, appealed the decision to the state’s Commonwealth Court. CNX has also appealed the EHB decision. While the lawsuit plays out, the original DEP permits in question have expired. Protect PT claims CNX will need to reapply all over again—that the clock has run out.

Expand Energy Positioning for Natural Gas Growth from LNG, Data Centers with Appalachia as Cornerstone -U.S. natural gas is reshaping global markets with Expand Energy Inc. leveraging scale, efficiency and innovation to maintain its lead as the largest domestic producer, CEO Nick Dell’Osso said Wednesday. Table showing NGI’s ranking of the top 30 publicly traded U.S. natural gas producers by output in 2Q2025, measured in million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). Expand Energy leads with 6,596 MMcf/d, followed by EQT Corp. at 5,873 MMcf/d and ExxonMobil at 3,313 MMcf/d. Other top producers include Chevron, Coterra Energy, and Antero Resources. The table also displays 1Q2025 and 2Q2024 volumes, quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year percentage changes, and total production across all listed companies at 49,527 MMcf/d. Data source: NGI, company documents, Bloomberg. At A Glance:
Output flexing with price swings
Appalachia drilling efficiency hits records
Pipeline limits stall Appalachian growth

AXPC Study Finds Independents Produce 90% of Onshore Natural Gas -- Marcellus Drilling News -- The American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) yesterday released a new study (full copy below) analyzing the upstream oil and natural gas sector’s profound impact on the U.S. economy. The study found that upstream, onshore independent producers supported 3.1 million jobs nationally, contributed to $277 billion in labor income, and paid $129 billion in taxes — accounting for 87% of the sector’s total economic contributions in 2024. As vital contributors to America’s energy security, independents accounted for over 85% of onshore crude and condensate production and over 90% of onshore gas production from 2022 to 2024.

Antis Challenge Gas-Fired Data Center Approval in Tucker County, WV -- Marcellus Drilling News - In April, MDN told you of a proposal by Fundamental Data for the “Ridgeline Facility,” a large natural gas power plant and data center that will be built between Davis and Thomas, WV (see 1,656 MW Gas-Fired Data Center Proposed in Tucker County, WV). At the time, we informed you that the power plant and data center would cover approximately 500 acres, with the gas-fired plant producing 1,656 megawatts (MW) of power. A story in May revealed that if the site is “fully realized,” it would be “among the largest data center campuses in the world,” spanning 10,000 acres (not 500) across Tucker and Grant counties (see Antis Target Gas-Fired Data Center Proposed for Tucker County, WV). The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV-DEP) approved the project plan, including the gas-fired power plant. Big Green filed an appeal on Sept. 12

MVP Urges Appeals Court to Revive Civil Lawsuit Against Protesters -- Marcellus Drilling News - We’re happy to see Mountain Valley Pipeline (now majority-owned by EQT) continues to vigorously pursue court action against so-called protesters who illegally blocked work during construction. These “protesters” (from out-of-state, possibly paid by Big Green groups to be there) thought they would skip out on taking responsibility for their actions. But MVP continues to hold their feet to the metaphorical legal fire, as well they should. MVP filed a civil lawsuit against four protesters for contributing to significant delays and costs. They must be held to account for their actions. On Tuesday, MVP asked an appeals court in West Virginia to reinstate its dismissed (on a technicality) civil case in county circuit court.

Cove Point LNG Offline for Annual Maintenance Until Mid-October -- Marcellus Drilling News - - Each fall in the September/October timeframe, Cove Point LNG shuts down for a few weeks (typically around three weeks) for annual maintenance. That time has arrived. According to a notice posted on the Berkshire Hathaway Energy Informational Postings website, reductions in flows to the Cove Point facility will happen between Monday, September 15, and Friday, October 10 (a whole month). Having said that, feedgas flows will not be zero during all of that period, but will be significantly reduced.

Eastern Natural Gas Markets Hit Speed Bump as Cove Point LNG Kicks Off Annual Work --- The Cove Point LNG terminal in Maryland started annual maintenance on Monday that is expected to slash about 0.7 Bcf/d of feed gas demand over the next three weeks, adding to planned pipeline outages expected to hit the region’s natural gas supply. Chart showing NGI’s Transco Zone 5 daily natural gas prices and Cove Point LNG flow volumes for 2024 and 2025. Prices are plotted in $/MMBtu, with 2024 prices trending near $2-4 and 2025 showing early-year volatility peaking near $30 before stabilizing below $5. Flow volumes, measured in MMcf/d, remain steady around 700-800 for 2024, while 2025 volumes rise late in the year after November. Data sourced from NGI’s Daily Gas Price Index, various EBBs, and Wood Mackenzie. At A Glance:
Cove Point outage trims 0.7 Bcf/d demand
Pipeline work offsets Transco Zone 5 impact
Analyst warns of ‘more chop’ in supply

Exploratory Wells Lift Haynesville Activity, but Louisiana Output Slips — The Offtake -A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers

• 55 rigs: Production activity in the Haynesville Shale ramped up in August, hitting 55 by the end of the month, according to East Daley Analytics. However, the rise in rigs through the month does not necessarily portend more volumes or expectations of price recovery this year. Analysts with East Daley wrote in a recent note that the majority of rig growth came from East Texas, where firms are drilling exploratory wells. Meanwhile, production volumes in Louisiana dropped slightly during the same period. Lower 48 supply balances are expected to continue narrowing as LNG feed gas demand rises into 2026.
• $610M: Chevron Corp. and its partners in the Leviathan offshore gas field near Israel disclosed a deal to construct an estimated $610 million pipeline to export more gas to Egypt. The more than 40-mile system is planned to connect gas volumes from the prolific field to the Nitzana crossing on the Israeli-Egyptian border, boosting export output to 2.2 Bcf/d, according to Chevron. Completion is targeted for 2028.
• 5.4 Mt: Egyptian LNG imports continue to rise to record levels as the former gas exporting country grapples with rising power demand. By the end of September, Egypt is expected to have received almost 6 million tons (Mt) of LNG. More than 90% of Egypt’s import volumes in 2025 originated in the United States. Egyptian Natural Gas Co. is also expecting two additional cargoes at the beginning of October.
• $28,000/day: LNG vessel rates are bucking the seasonal norm before the start of the northern hemisphere's heating season and dropping to a four-month low. Analysts with ship brokerage Fearnleys AS wrote that a surplus of vessel capacity is pushing down the price of Atlantic and Pacific voyages during a period when gas buyers hoard vessels to hedge their winter bets.The average tonnage price for modern vessels to Europe dropped to $28,000/day. Asian rates followed closely at $35,000.

Former Driftwood LNG Plant Already 22% Built, On Track to Start 2029 -- Marcellus Drilling News - MDN chronicled the rise and fall of Tellurian, founded by Charif Souki (who also founded Cheniere Energy), and Tellurian’s LNG export project, Driftwood. Tellurian’s primary focus was to build Driftwood LNG, a 27.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) facility that would cost $14.5 billion. Construction began on the project in March 2022, even without a final investment decision (see Tellurian Begins Construction of Driftwood LNG with No FID). The company spent more than $1 billion building Driftwood before all the wheels came off financially. In July 2024, Australian LNG giant Woodside announced a deal to buy Tellurian (and Driftwood) for $1.2 billion, renaming it Louisiana LNG (see Australia’s Woodside Buying Tellurian & Driftwood LNG for $1.2B). Woodside pulled the trigger on an FID earlier this year.

Cooling Natural Gas Price Swings Challenge NFE’s LNG Business Model -New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE) is evaluating several options, including additional asset sales, as cooling natural gas price volatility continues to cut into its LNG business earnings. Map of the Sur de Texas–Tuxpan natural gas pipeline system in northeastern Mexico, showing connections from the U.S. border near Brownsville/Matamoros to Tuxpan, Veracruz. The map highlights NGI Mexico Gas Price Index locations, LNG export and import facilities, gas processing plants, and proposed infrastructure. Key features include the 2.6 Bcf/d Sur de Texas–Tuxpan pipeline, Altamira LNG facilities, and interconnections with pipelines such as Reynosa–San Fernando, Ramal V. Reyes, and Tula–Villa de Reyes. The map also marks hubs in Monterrey, Reynosa, Tampico, and Tula. Source: NGI’s Map of Mexico’s Natural Gas Pipelines, Market Hubs & LNG Facilities. At A Glance:
NFE posts wider net loss
LNG sales dip year/year
Company explores potential asset sales

Natural Gas Weekly Update eia.gov -Market Highlights:(For the week ending Wednesday, September 17, 2025)

• Henry Hub spot price: The Henry Hub spot price rose 31 cents from $2.89 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) last Wednesday to $3.20/MMBtu yesterday.
• Henry Hub futures price: The price of the October 2025 NYMEX contract increased 7 cents from $3.029/MMBtu last Wednesday to $3.100/MMBtu yesterday. The price of the 12-month strip averaging October 2025 through September 2026 futures contracts climbed 6 cents to $3.754/MMBtu.
• Select regional spot prices: Natural gas spot prices rose at most locations this report week (Wednesday, September 10, to Wednesday, September 17). Price changes ranged from a $1.16 decrease at Waha to a 73-cent increase at SoCal Citygate, with warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the country.
  • At the Chicago Citygate, the price increased 30 cents from $2.74/MMBtu last Wednesday to $3.04/MMBtu yesterday. Temperatures in the Chicago Area averaged 72°F this report week, 5°F above normal, and 11°F more than last week, which resulted in 50 cooling degree days (CDDs), 44 more CDDs than last week. Natural gas consumption in the Midcontinent electric power sector increased by 25% (1.3 Bcf/d), according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights, as a result of higher-than-average temperatures midweek that increased air-conditioning demand. The Clinton Power Station, a nuclear generator that serves the region, is currently experiencing a full outage, increasing reliance on natural gas-fired generation.
• International futures prices: International natural gas futures price changes were mixed this report week. According to Bloomberg Finance, L.P., weekly average front-month futures prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes in East Asia increased 9 cents to a weekly average of $11.40/MMBtu. Natural gas futures for delivery at the Title Transfer Facility (TTF) in the Netherlands decreased 4 cents to a weekly average of $11.19/MMBtu. In the same week last year (week ending September 18, 2024), the prices were $13.40/MMBtu in East Asia and $11.44/MMBtu at TTF.
• Supply: According to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights, the average total supply of natural gas fell by 0.5% (0.5 Bcf/d) compared with the previous report week. Dry natural gas production decreased by 0.2% (0.2 Bcf/d) to average 107.0 Bcf/d, and average net imports from Canada decreased by 5.8% (0.3 Bcf/d) from last week.
• Demand: Total U.S. consumption of natural gas fell by 0.7% (0.5 Bcf/d) compared with the previous report week, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights. Natural gas consumed for power generation rose by 3.4% (1.3 Bcf/d) week over week. Consumption in the industrial sector decreased by 1.9% (0.4 Bcf/d) week over week, and consumption in the residential and commercial sector declined by 12.9% (1.3 Bcf/d). Natural gas exports to Mexico decreased 9.6% (0.7 Bcf/d). Natural gas deliveries to U.S. LNG export facilities (LNG pipeline receipts) averaged 16.2 Bcf/d, or 0.1 Bcf/d higher than last week.
• Pipeline receipts: Average natural gas deliveries to the U.S. LNG export terminals increased 0.1 Bcf/d from last week to 16.2 Bcf/d, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights. Natural gas deliveries to terminals in South Louisiana decreased 1.4% (0.2 Bcf/d) to 10.9 Bcf/d, while natural gas deliveries to terminals in South Texas increased 8.8% (0.3 Bcf/d) to 4.2 Bcf/d. Natural gas deliveries to terminals outside the Gulf Coast decreased 6.4% (0.1 Bcf/d) to 1.0 Bcf/d this week.
• Vessels departing U.S. ports: Twenty-four LNG vessels with a combined LNG-carrying capacity of 92 Bcf departed the United States between September 11 and September 17, according to shipping data provided by Bloomberg Finance, L.P.:
  • Seven tankers from Sabine Pass
  • Five from Plaquemines
  • Four from Corpus Christi
  • Three each from Cameron and Freeport
  • Two from Calcasieu Pass

US weekly LNG exports decrease to 24 cargoes - LNG Prime - US liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants shipped 24 cargoes during the week ending September 17, down from 34 cargoes during the week ending September 10. According to the Energy Information Administration, pipeline deliveries to the U.S. LNG export terminals increased 0.1 Bcf/d to 16.2 Bcf/d compared to the prior week.

EPA proposal puts US gas exporters in a bind - The oil and gas industry was caught off guard last week when EPA proposed giving it a nine-year reprieve from greenhouse gas reporting. And it wasn’t a welcome surprise, industry insiders and experts say. “I think we maintained some hope that they wouldn’t go this far because we had advocated to the EPA that they shouldn’t do that,” said one industry lobbyist granted anonymity to discuss the proposed rule freely. EPA’s proposal would relieve major emitters in most industrial sectors from the duty to report annual emissions above a certain threshold. The reporting program, which has existed since 2009, feeds into EPA’s comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. The agency was widely expected to leave the oil and gas industry out of the proposal. Greenhouse gas reporting for oil and gas producers, processors and operators — which falls under the program’s “Subpart W” — is mandated under the 2022 climate law. The oil and gas industry has sought modifications to the Biden-era rules for that reporting, but no major trade associations have asked EPA to end it. The Trump EPA was expected to propose different —and likely more industry-friendly — reporting methodologies for oil and gas next summer. Instead, EPA unexpectedly proposed shelving annual emissions reporting for oil and gas until 2034. The agency is claiming that a provision in the Republican megalaw that suspended a related fee on methane emissions until 2034 also empowers the administration to mothball emissions reporting until the same year. That assertion is controversial and likely to be litigated if the rule is finalized in its current form. Oil and gas experts say that the loss of EPA’s reporting program could present problems — especially for companies hoping to sell their gas in the European Union. Starting in January 2027, E.U. gas importers will have to prove the supply they sell on the European market meets the bloc’s standards for monitoring, reporting and verification of methane leakage. Companies can show compliance with those standards at the corporate level, or exporting nations can secure an “equivalence determination” that covers all their producers. The E.U. has never agreed to deem that all U.S. producers meet that “equivalency” threshold, even during the Biden era when the sector was covered by methane regulations and a fee on excess methane leakage. The Biden administration tried to negotiate that, noted Fred Hutchison, president and CEO of LNG Allies, which promotes U.S. gas exports. “They didn’t say yes, didn’t say no — it was right around the time of the election, and I think they wanted to see where the leaves fell off the trees,” he said. But with the greenhouse gas reporting program, along with state regulations, industry practices and outside certification programs, “it was sort of judged that you could patch together a reasonable case on country level equivalency.” Now, those Biden-era methane controls are either gone or in the process of being rolled back. Meanwhile, the E.U. and authorities in its member states who will implement the new methane limits have been vague about their criteria for determining national “equivalence” or corporate compliance with the standards. Those policies may not be filled in until next year, and U.S. gas exporters — who supply about 45 percent of E.U.’s liquefied natural gas imports — are staring down possible restrictions beginning in 16 months’ time. EPA’s proposal to stop reporting and data collection for oil and gas emissions can only make that more likely, experts say, because companies expected to be able to use that emissions database to demonstrate compliance. “This completely shoots a hole in anyone who would be advocating for there to be equivalent before the Europeans,” said the oil and gas lobbyist. To prove compliance with the E.U. policy, a company’s emissions data must be verified by a qualified third party. The loss of EPA’s database would likely prompt industry to look for certification elsewhere, experts said, not only to access European and other global markets, but to attract climate-conscious purchasers within the United States.

Momentum for U.S. LNG as International Buyers Signal Cargoes Essential for Energy Security --The U.S. natural gas industry has a renewed sense of optimism, with federal officials signaling support for doubling LNG exports within five years, as buyers across Europe and Asia reinforce the role of U.S. cargoes in their energy security and portfolio diversification plans. Table of North American LNG projects showing existing and under-construction liquefaction capacity in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The U.S. leads with more than 107.4 mtpa (14.3 Bcf/d) of existing capacity and 120.3 mtpa (16.0 Bcf/d) under construction across projects like Sabine Pass, Freeport, and Golden Pass. Mexico has the Altamira Fast LNG project operating (1.4 mtpa, 0.2 Bcf/d) and Costa Azul under construction. Canada lists LNG Canada Phase 1 (14 mtpa, 1.9 Bcf/d) as existing, with Cedar LNG and Woodfibre LNG projects underway. Data sourced from NGI, EIA, FERC, and company reports. At A Glance:
U.S. vowing faster LNG expansion
Europe pivoting from Russian gas
Asia securing more long-term U.S. cargoes

White House Puts U.S. Natural Gas, LNG at Center of ‘Energy Dominance’ Push -The White House’s National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) is zeroing in on natural gas and LNG to drive U.S. economic growth and strengthen alliances abroad, according to executive director Jarrod Agen. At A Glance:

• Exports driving new overseas partnerships
• Pipeline delays stalling Northeast deliveries
• Alaska LNG gaining White House backing

FERC Chairman Says Natural Gas Projects Key to U.S. Competitiveness - Natural gas infrastructure will remain central to U.S. energy reliability and economic competitiveness at FERC, newly installed Chairman David Rosner said Thursday. Map of Northeast U.S. natural gas pipeline projects showing major proposed and operating expansions, including Borealis (2,000 MMcf/d), Mountain Valley Pipeline – MVP (2,000 MMcf/d), Atlantic Coast Pipeline – ACP (1,500 MMcf/d), PennEast (1,100 MMcf/d), Tennessee Gas Pipeline – NED (1,200 MMcf/d), Algonquin Gas Transmission – Access NE (1,000 MMcf/d), Transco REA (830 MMcf/d), Constitution (650 MMcf/d), National Fuel Gas – Northern Access (490 MMcf/d), and Transco NESE (400 MMcf/d). Map highlights routes across Pennsylvania, New York, New England, and surrounding states. At A Glance:
Chairman pledges fast, fair project reviews
Pipeline, LNG reviews remain Commission focus
Infrastructure seen boosting reshoring industries

U.S. ‘Building Confidence’ as World’s Most Reliable LNG Supplier, Says DOE Chief -U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently cast natural gas and LNG as the backbone of American energy security and global competitiveness, arguing the fuel will power a manufacturing revival at home and displace Russian supply abroad. North America LNG Export Flow Tracker chart and map from NGI showing U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export volumes as of September 16, 2025. A bar chart highlights daily LNG exports from September 7–16, ranging between 15.2–16.5 million Dth, with September 16 at 15.87 million Dth. A U.S. daily summary notes total deliveries of 15.67 million Dth, down 119,630 Dth from the prior day. Facility-level data lists volumes and capacity utilization for major LNG terminals including Corpus Christi, Freeport, Golden Pass, Calcasieu Pass, Cameron, Plaquemines, Sabine Pass, Elba Island, and Cove Point. A map pinpoints LNG export facility locations across Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Maryland, Canada, and Mexico. At A Glance:

• U.S. LNG exports set to double
• Europe, Asia driving stronger gas demand

US natgas futures gain 4% on warm forecasts, spot prices in Texas turn negative — U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 4% on Monday on lower output so far this month and forecasts that warmer than normal weather through the end of September would keep demand higher than usual for this time of year. Front-month gas futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 10.2 cents, or 3.5%, to settle at $3.043 per million British thermal units. In the spot market, gas prices at the Waha Hub in the Permian shale in West Texas turned negative as autumn pipeline maintenance and other constraints trapped gas in the nation's biggest oil-producing basin. In the tropics, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said a disturbance in the central Atlantic had a 90% chance of strengthening into a tropical cyclone over the next seven days as it moves northwest across the Atlantic Ocean. The system, however, is not expected to reach land in North America during that time. Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states fell to 107.6 billion cubic feet per day so far in September, down from a record monthly high of 108.3 bcfd in August. Record output earlier this year allowed energy companies to inject more gas into storage than usual so far 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 mostly grow in coming weeks. Meteorologists forecast the weather will remain warmer than normal through at least September 30. That late season 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 102.5 bcfd this week to 103.1 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were in line with LSEG's outlook on Friday. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants slid to 15.6 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. In other LNG news, Berkshire Hathaway Energy's 0.8-bcfd Cove Point plant in Maryland is scheduled to shut soon for about a month of planned annual autumn maintenance.

Analyst Says Bearish EIA Report Reset Gas Market Momentum | Rigzone -- In an EBW Analytics Group report sent to Rigzone by the EBW team on Friday, Eli Rubin, an energy analyst at the company, said a “bearish” U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report “reset… [gas] market momentum lower”. The EBW report highlighted that the October natural gas contract closed at $2.939 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) on Thursday. It pointed out that this was down 16.1 cents, or 5.2 percent, from Wednesday’s close. “Yesterday’s bearish EIA storage surprise refocused the natural gas market on rapidly rising storage levels - and risks of a storage overshoot,” Rubin said in the EBW report. “Intraday prices dropped to $2.925, down 24.3 cents (minus eight percent) off Tuesday’s high. The key near-term question is if technical support that tested as low as $2.869 on Sunday evening can hold,” he added. “Production readings remain subdued, although the conclusion to a portion of Permian maintenance may offer upside for supply - and downside risk for prices - next week,” Rubin continued. The EBW analyst went on to state in the report that, “amid renewed risks of the storage trajectory overshooting higher, October weather may be the decisive factor”. “If the trend of warming autumns holds, production rises, hurricane threats form, or LNG trips offline, a collapse in the front-month is possible into next week’s expiry,” he said in the report. “If signs emerge next week that strengthen DTN’s outlook for a colder October, however, averting bearish risks could offer fundamental uplift - creating volatility into next week’s October expiration,” he added. Rubin went on to warn in the report that “multiple possible bearish risks highlight the balance of price risks remains to the downside”. In its latest weekly natural gas storage report, which was released on September 18 and included data for the week ending September 12, the EIA said working gas in storage was 3,433 billion cubic feet as of Friday, according to its estimates. “This represents a net increase of 90 billion cubic feet from the previous week,” the EIA said in the report. “Stocks were four billion cubic feet less than last year at this time and 204 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 3,229 billion cubic feet. At 3,433 billion cubic feet, total working gas is within the five-year historical range,” the EIA continued. In a report sent to Rigzone on September 18 by the EBW team, Rubin noted that the October natural gas contract rose to $3.168 per MMBtu on Wednesday morning “before returning the entirety of gains in the afternoon”. “Today’s EIA report, with consensus expectations for a 78-81 billion cubic foot build, may provide a catalyst to help prices break in either direction - but the market appears to be finding a short-term equilibrium between bullish and bearish risks,” Rubin said in that report. “On a bullish note, the downshift in production readings, higher LNG exports … and chances for a colder weather shift may create room for the October contract to push higher,” he added. “However, storage is 188 billion cubic feet above five-year norms with surpluses growing - and a history of weak October pricing when end of season inventories exceed 3,900 billion cubic feet,” Rubin went on to state in that report.

US natgas prices dip 2% to 3-week low on ample storage, milder forecasts — U.S. natural gas futures slid about 2% on Friday to a three-week low, on ample amounts of gas in storage and forecasts for milder weather and less demand next week than previously expected. Front-month gas futures for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 5.1 cents, or 1.7%, to settle at $2.888 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since August 27. That decline put the contract down about 2% for the week after it lost about 4% last week. In the tropics, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Gabrielle in the central Atlantic would strengthen into a hurricane on Sunday as it moves northwest toward Bermuda. The system, however, is expected to turn to the northeast before reaching Bermuda, and is not expected to reach the U.S. mainland. The NHC also said a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands, off the west coast of Africa, had a 20% chance of strengthening into a tropical cyclone over the next week as it moves west across the Atlantic Ocean. 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. About 40% of the power generated in the U.S. comes from gas-fired plants. 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. Meteorologists forecast the weather will remain warmer than normal through at least October 4. That late season heat, however, will not necessarily increase gas demand by much since it is more likely to reduce the usual increase in heating demand seen at this time of year rather than 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 hold at 103.0 bcfd this week and next before sliding to 101.8 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 eased to 15.7 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. Gas was trading around $11 per mmBtu at both the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TRNLTTFMc1) benchmark in Europe and the Japan Korea Marker (JKMc1) benchmark in Asia.

US Natgas Output, Demand to Hit Record Highs in 2025 Before Sliding in 2026, EIA Says (Reuters) – U.S. natural gas output and demand will both rise to record highs in 2025 before sliding in 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Tuesday. EIA projected that dry gas production will rise from 103.2 billion cubic feet per day in 2024 to 106.6 bcfd in 2025 before sliding to 106.0 bcfd in 2026. That compares with a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023. The agency also projected that domestic gas consumption would rise from a record 90.5 bcfd in 2024 to 91.5 bcfd in 2025 before easing to 91.4 bcfd in 2026. The September projections for 2025 were higher than EIA’s forecasts in August for 106.4 bcfd production and 91.4 bcfd demand. The EIA said it expects rising gas prices and falling oil prices in 2026, which should bring crude oil to its lowest premium to gas since 2005. As a result, the agency said it expects drilling activity in the U.S. in 2026 to be more centered in gas-intensive producing regions. The agency forecast average U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports would rise to 14.7 bcfd in 2025 and 16.3 bcfd in 2026 from a record 11.9 bcfd in 2024. With power generators expected to burn more coal this year than in 2024, the EIA projected U.S. coal production would rise from 512.1 million short tons in 2024, the lowest since 1964, to 521.9 million tons in 2025 before falling to 492.5 million tons in 2026, the lowest since 1963. EIA projected carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels would rise from a four-year low of 4.777 billion metric tons in 2024 to 4.849 billion metric tons in 2025 as oil, coal and gas use increases, before easing to 4.826 billion metric tons in 2026 as oil and coal use declines.

USA EIA Cuts Henry Hub Gas Price Forecast for 2025, 2026 | Rigzone -The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reduced its Henry Hub natural gas spot price forecast for 2025 and 2026 in its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released on July 8. According to that STEO, the EIA sees the Henry Hub natural gas spot price averaging $3.67 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2025 and $4.41 per MMBtu in 2026. The EIA’s previous STEO, which was released in June, projected that the Henry Hub natural gas spot price would average $4.02 per MMBtu this year and $4.88 per MMBtu next year. Both STEOs highlighted that the Henry Hub natural gas spot price came in at $2.19 per MMBtu in 2024. In its latest STEO, the EIA projected that the Henry Hub natural gas spot price will average $3.37 per MMBtu in the third quarter of this year, $3.99 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter, $4.46 per MMBtu in the first quarter of 2026, $3.76 per MMBtu in the second quarter, $4.35 per MMBtu in the third quarter, and $5.06 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter of next year. The EIA’s previous STEO saw the Henry Hub natural gas spot price coming in at $4.01 per MMBtu in the third quarter, $4.67 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter, $5.35 per MMBtu in the first quarter of 2026, $4.39 per MMBtu in the second quarter, $4.87 per MMBtu in the third quarter, and 4.92 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter of next year. “Compared with our June forecast, we expect more natural gas in storage in the coming months because of slightly more natural gas production and less power sector demand,” the EIA said in its latest STEO. “As a result, we reduced our forecast for natural gas prices,” the EIA added. In its STEO, the EIA noted that its forecast for more natural gas in storage and lower prices comes after seven consecutive weeks of net injections greater than 100 billion cubic feet contributed to a recovery in storage volumes. “We estimate that U.S. natural gas inventories were seven percent above the five-year average (2020–2024) at the end of June after ending the withdrawal season (November–March) four percent below the five-year average, the lowest in three years,” the EIA said in its July STEO. “Injections have exceeded the five-year average as U.S. natural gas production has increased in the 2Q25 compared with 1Q25. We expect inventories will end the injection season on October 31 with 3,910 billion cubic feet of natural gas in storage, five percent more than we forecast in last month’s STEO and three percent more than the five-year average,” it added. The EIA pointed out in the STEO that the Henry Hub spot price averaged just over $3.00 per MMBtu in June and highlighted that it expects the commodity will average “almost $3.40 per MMBtu in 3Q25, 16 percent less than last month’s forecast”. “LNG demand and natural gas production will be two key drivers of price in the coming months,” the EIA added. “If LNG demand is more or production is less than our forecast, inventories may end the injection season below our forecast and natural gas prices may be higher than forecast,” it continued. “At the same time, with above-normal hurricane activity expected this summer, LNG exports may be disrupted if storms hit along the Gulf Coast, which could result in more U.S. inventories and lower natural gas prices than expected,” it went on to state. The EIA noted in its July STEO that marketed natural gas production averaged 116.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfpd) in 2Q25, which it pointed out was a 4.7 Bcfpd increase compared with the same period in 2024. “We expect production to remain near this level through 2026, averaging around 116 Bcfpd in both 2025 and 2026,” the EIA said in its STEO. “Higher natural gas prices throughout 2025 compared with last year have supported this sustained production. The U.S. benchmark Henry Hub spot price averaged $3.67 per MMBtu in 1H25, compared with $2.11 per MMBtu in 1H24,” it added. “Although production in our forecast remains relatively flat going forward, we forecast U.S. marketed natural gas production will increase almost three percent this year compared with 2024, largely because of rising production in the first half of the year,” it continued. “This increase is driven mainly by the Permian region, which we expect to produce 27.0 Bcfpd in 2025, or six percent more than in 2024, along with increases in the Appalachia and Haynesville regions,” the EIA went on to state. “We forecast U.S. marketed natural gas production will remain flat in 2026 as production growth from the Permian and Appalachia regions will offset the overall decline in production from the rest of the United States,” the EIA noted. A research note sent to Rigzone by the JPM Commodities Research team on July 14 showed that J.P. Morgan expected the Henry Hub U.S. natural gas price to average $3.75 per MMBtu in 2025 and $3.31 per MMBtu in 2026. That note revealed that J.P. Morgan saw the commodity coming in at $4.00 per MMBtu in the third quarter of 2025, $3.75 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter, $3.50 per MMBtu in the first quarter of 2026, $3.00 per MMBtu in the second quarter, $3.25 per MMBtu in the third quarter, and $3.50 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter. A report sent to Rigzone by the Standard Chartered Bank team on July 8 showed that Standard Chartered expected the NYMEX Basis Henry Hub U.S. natural gas nearby future price to average $3.35 per MMBtu this year and $3.30 per MMBtu next year. In that report, Standard Chartered projected that the commodity would average $3.20 per MMBtu in the last quarter of 2025 and first quarter of 2026, $3.70 per MMBtu in the second quarter of next year, $3.50 per MMBtu in the third quarter, and $2.80 per MMBtu in the fourth quarter.

EPA Approves Air Permit for Offshore Deepwater Port to Boost American Oil Exports -- A Clean Air Act air permit has been issued for the proposed Texas GulfLink (TGL) offshore deepwater port, clearing the way for first-of-its-kind vapor capture and control technology to be used at sea during crude oil loading operations. Planned about 30 miles southeast of Freeport, Texas, the port will be capable of loading Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) at a rate of up to 85,000 barrels per hour—equal to roughly 365 million barrels per year. The permit sets requirements for monitoring, recordkeeping, and compliance reporting, and is valid for five years before renewal is needed. It combines both construction and operating conditions under the Clean Air Act. Supporters say the project demonstrates how proven vapor-control technology can be applied offshore to reduce emissions while enabling significant growth in U.S. oil exports. The approval follows a public comment period earlier this year. Under the Deepwater Port Act, the project also requires a separate license from the U.S. Maritime Administration before operations can begin.

US crude inventories fall sharply as net imports hit record low, EIA says (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell sharply last week as net imports dropped to a record low amid a jump in exports to a near two-year high, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.Gasoline inventories also declined unexpectedly in the week ended September 12, while distillate stockpiles rose more than expected, the EIA said. Crude stocks fell by 9.3 million barrels last week to 415.4 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 857,000-barrel draw. U.S. crude exports rose by 2.53 million barrels per day (bpd), to 5.28 million bpd, the highest level since December 2023. Net U.S. crude imports fell by 3.11 million bpd, hitting their lowest level on record going back to 2021.Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell by 296,000 barrels in the week, the EIA said.Some analysts suggested that the large crude export figure could be an anomaly."We've got tremendous variability in the export data for crude oil. Last week it was super low, this week it was super high," said John Kilduff, a partner with Again Capital.Crude oil futures rose following the larger-than-expected drawdown but then pared some of those gains and were still in negative territory. Global benchmark Brent crude futures were trading at $68.29 a barrel, down 18 cents at 10:53 a.m. EDT (1453 GMT), while U.S. crude futures were 22 cents lower at $64.30 a barrel.A jump in distillate stockpiles, which stoked concerns about demand, kept a lid on prices, analysts also said."Looks like markets are responding on diesel, which is the soft underbelly of the entire complex," said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 4 million barrels in the week to 124.7 million barrels, versus expectations for a 1 million-barrel rise, the EIA data showed.Gasoline stocks fell by 2.3 million barrels in the week to 217.6 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with forecasts for a 100,000-barrel build.​ Total product supplied, a proxy for demand was 20.64 million bpd, up from 19.78 million bpd the week prior.Refinery crude runs fell by 394,000 bpd in the week, while utilization rates fell by 1.6 percentage points to 93.3%

Continental Lands 2-Mile Lateral in Deeper Williston Basin -Horizontal exploration of the storied Williston Basin is pushing drilling into deeper zones below the Bakken and Three Forks, according to a Hart Energy analysis.

Nation’s latest oil spill is in North Dakota - Oklahoma Energy Today - North Dakota environmental officials are dealing with the aftermath of an oil spill involving an estimated 20,000 barrels of crude oil and produced water. The State’s Department of Environmental Quality reported the spill came from a pipeline leak in the northwest part of North Dakota. The oil and water spilled onto farm land near the town of Stanley located in Mountrail County. The pipeline is owned by Hess Corp. and investigators are unsure just how long the leak occurred before it was discovered. A spokesman for the Environmental Quality Department indicated Hess became suspicious on September 2 when it “started getting an indication their numbers weren’t right.”

Hess Corp pipeline spill leaks 840,000 gallons of emulsion – The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality was notified that on September 13, 2025, there was an emulsion spill as part of a Hess Corporation pipeline. The incident occurred about 4 miles northwest of Stanley, and the NDDEQ is still inspecting the spill. The Hess Corporation first noticed the spill when it observed a discrepancy in its data. Hess reports an estimated 20,000 barrels or 840,000 gallons of emulsion were released. The substance surfaced and flowed over an agricultural field. The NDDEQ does not report any impact on water sources as of this time. Emulsion is a mixture of crude oil and produced water flowing from the well head.

Diesel, oil spilled in Sinclair Inlet after boat sinks... The Dominion, a 128-foot wooden U.S. Army tugboat, sank at the Bremerton Marina Sept. 17, resulting in 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel spill. . .

Ksi Lisims LNG Edges Toward FID, Reshaping Canada’s Natural Gas Export Outlook - Federal and provincial officials have approved another LNG export terminal for Canada’s western coast, expanding the country’s potential to become a key supplier of natural gas to Asia.Map of Western Canada natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities showing operational, under-construction, and proposed export projects. Key features include Montney and Duvernay shale plays in Alberta and British Columbia, NGI price index locations, major import and export points, and LNG export terminals along the Pacific coast such as Kitimat, Tilbury, and Woodfibre. The map highlights connections to Westcoast Station 2, Northwest Sumas, Kingsgate, NOVA/AECO C, and Alliance pipelines, illustrating Canada’s natural gas infrastructure and LNG development pathways. At A Glance:
Partnership eyes 2025 construction start
Canada strengthens role in global gas
Export growth could tighten Western Canada supply

New Fortress Mexico LNG To Supply Puerto Rico with Natural Gas for Seven Years --New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE) has reached an agreement with the government of Puerto Rico to supply the island’s power system with natural gas for a period of seven years.Map of the Sur de Texas–Tuxpan natural gas pipeline system in Mexico, showing operational and proposed routes, LNG export and import facilities, gas price index locations, gas processing plants, and underground storage projects. Key sites include the Altamira LNG terminal, Tuxpan–Tula pipeline, Southeast Gateway pipeline under construction, and major interconnections at Reynosa, San Fernando, and Poza Rica. The map highlights NGI’s Mexico Gas Price Index hubs and infrastructure linking U.S. cross-border pipelines to Mexico’s Gulf Coast and central regions. At A Glance:
NFE snags seven-year LNG deal
Altamira fast LNG plant to send cargoes
Henry Hub pricing anchors long-term supply deal

U.S. Jets Deployed to Guyana as Oil Boom Raises Caribbean Stakes -The U.S. has deployed fighter jets to Guyana, drawing its military footprint into the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil province as tensions with neighboring Venezuela escalate, as Washington adjusts its regional posture to accommodate the changing balance of power in the south Caribbean due to newfound oil wealth. The move comes as ExxonMobil and partners Hess and CNOOC continue expanding production from Guyana’s Stabroek block, which already exceeds 650,000 barrels per day and is forecast to reach 1.3 million bpd by 2027. That trajectory has made the country the hottest new oil frontier, with output rivaling OPEC members despite Guyana’s population of under 1 million. Any instability in its offshore zone has immediate global implications, with light sweet crude from Stabroek commanding strong premiums in Atlantic Basin markets. Venezuela has revived claims over the Essequibo region, which comprises two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and lies adjacent to offshore oil fields. Caracas has staged military exercises near the border and raised threats to halt oil projects it views as contested. In his latest response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned that any U.S. aggression would trigger “a stage of armed struggle,” casting Washington’s deployments as a direct challenge to Venezuelan sovereignty. The deployment also comes just days after President Irfaan Ali secured a second term in Guyana’s elections, reinforcing a mandate built on expanding the benefits of oil production for the population. His administration has tied new spending on infrastructure and social programs to petroleum revenues, with voters backing continuity in energy policy. Reuters separately reported that the Pentagon has been repositioning assets in the Caribbean, including F-35s in Puerto Rico, as part of a broader counter-narcotics mission. While officials frame deployments in that context, analysts note that the geography of operations directly overlaps with Guyana’s offshore sector, where more than 30 discoveries have been made since 2015.

EU proposes to accelerate Russian gas ban amid new sanctions package - The European Union unveiled its most comprehensive sanctions package yet against Russia on Friday, proposing to accelerate a ban on Russian gas imports by one year while targeting financial networks and third-country enablers across China and India. The 19th round of EU sanctions since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine would phase out liquefied natural gas purchases from Russia by January 2027, moving the deadline forward from the previously planned end of 2027. The proposal requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the measures as part of a broader strategy to starve Russia's war economy of crucial energy revenues. "Russia's war economy is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels. We want to cut these revenues," she said. "It is time to turn off the tap." The timing reflects mounting pressure from the Trump administration for European allies to sever remaining energy ties with Moscow. President Donald Trump indicated last week he would consider tougher action against Russia if allies stopped purchasing Russian oil and imposed tariffs on China. The sanctions package marks a significant expansion beyond Russia itself, targeting firms, banks and traders in China, India and other countries accused of helping Moscow circumvent existing restrictions. The measures would impose export bans and tighter controls on entities across these nations. "We target refineries, oil traders, petrochemical companies in third countries, including China," von der Leyen said, describing efforts to close loopholes that have allowed Russia to maintain energy export revenues. The package also aims to disrupt Russia's financial infrastructure by targeting cryptocurrency platforms and the MIR credit card system, which Moscow established to reduce dependence on Western payment networks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the package as "robust" and called it "an important step that will intensify pressure on Russia's war machine and have a tangible impact." Writing on social media, he urged swift adoption and called on other partners to "mirror and expand these steps." Despite 18 previous sanctions packages, Russia remains a significant energy supplier to Europe. Russian gas accounted for 19 percent of EU imports in 2024, down from 45 percent before the invasion but still representing substantial revenue for Moscow's war effort. The continued dependency stems partly from increased purchases of seaborne LNG, which have partially offset sharp declines in pipeline imports. Data shows 32 billion cubic meters of gas entered Europe via the TurkStream pipeline last year, with an additional 20 billion cubic meters arriving through LNG shipments. The EU has already dramatically reduced Russian oil imports, cutting the share from 29 percent in early 2021 to just 2 percent by mid-2025. Only Hungary and Slovakia, both considered Moscow-friendly, continue purchasing Russian oil under existing exemptions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the strategic importance of the accelerated timeline. "Moscow thinks it can keep its war going. We are making sure it pays the price for it," she wrote on social media.

Chevron, Israel Natural Gas Lines To Begin Construction of Gas Pipeline to Egypt - Chevron has signed a deal with state-owned pipeline operator Israel Natural Gas Lines to kickstart construction of the Nitzana natural gas pipeline to transport gas from the Leviathan gasfield to Egypt, the U.S. company said on Tuesday. Nitzana would ease an energy crisis in Egypt, which has spent billions of dollars on importing liquefied natural gas and is part of a concerted effort to boost Israeli gas exports to the Arab world's most populous nation. Last month, the owners of the Leviathan natural gas field off Israel signed a $35 billion export deal to supply gas to Egypt. Leviathan, owned by NewMed, Chevron and Ratio Energies, holds gas reserves of some 600 billion cubic metres. The Nitzana pipeline route will transport around 600 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, once construction finishes in about three years, Chevron said, adding this would bring Israel's total export capacity to Egypt to more than 2.2 billion cubic feet per day. Gas producer Energean has said it plans to send up to 2 billion cubic metres of gas a year on Nitzana from its Katlan field offshore Israel, due to start production in 2027. The plan was announced on the same day a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel called the assessment "scandalous" and "fake."

Libya and Nigeria to Revive Natural Gas Pipeline Project to Europe -Officials from Libya and Nigeria are working to revive a long-dormant natural gas pipeline project that would transport Nigerian gas to Europe via Libyan territory.The initiative, seen as a strategic boost for both nations, was the focus of a recent high-level meeting in Tripoli between Libya’s Minister of Oil in the Government of National Unity, Khalifa Abdul Sadiq, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Bayo Ojulari. According to a news report published on Saturday, September 13, by Libya Update, the meeting centered on reactivating the proposed pipeline, which has been under consideration for years but has seen little progress.A key outcome of the discussion was an agreement to facilitate the exchange of technical information between energy experts from both countries. This collaboration is crucial to conducting the detailed studies needed to make the project viable. Following these studies, the two nations plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to formally define the project's operational and legal framework.The proposed pipeline is being hailed as a new "strategic artery" that would not only connect Africa to Europe but also significantly enhance Libya's role as a major energy corridor. For Nigeria, the project offers broader opportunities to expand its gas exports to international markets. The revival of the project comes as Europe seeks to diversify its energy sources, making the potential for a new gas supply route from Africa particularly timely.Discussions between Nigeria and Libya about the strategic gas pipeline have been going on for some time despite little progress. In September 2024, officials from the two countries held a joint meeting on the sidelines of the 2024 Gastech Exhibition and Conference in Houston to explore the possibility of building a major gas pipeline through Libya.

TotalEnergies awards Iraq gas plant construction deal to Chinese contractor | Upstream - Facility is key to implementing TotalEnergies’ $13 billion Gas Growth Integrated Project, aimed at capturing flared gas, boosting power generation and reducing emissions in southern Iraq.

Colombia’s Oil Output Keeps Falling as U.S. Relations Sour -- Colombia’s oil and gas reserves could be revised up this year compared to 2024, but oil output continues to drop amid a hostile climate to oil and gas, social and security issues, and international majors bailing on Colombia.Colombia’s oil production could suffer another major blow as the investment climate will further sour after the United States this week stripped Colombia of its so-called U.S. Drug Certification. This means that the Trump Administration no longer believes Colombia is fully cooperating with the U.S. counter-narcotics efforts.The U.S.-Colombia ties have soured since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, and these continuously deteriorating relations hit a new low with the decertification of Colombia for its failure to fully cooperate with the U.S. in the fight against illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking.The U.S. placed the blame squarely on Colombia’s leftist President Gustavo Petro for failing to control narcotics groups and reduce coca cultivation and cocaine production.“In Colombia, coca cultivation and cocaine production have surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis,” President Trump said in the Presidential Determination submitted to Congress on Monday.“Under President Petro’s leadership, coca cultivation and cocaine production have reached record highs while Colombia’s government failed to meet even its own vastly reduced coca eradication goals, undermining years of mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries against narco-terrorists.”“The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership,” President Trump said.Yet, he praised Colombia’s security institutions and municipal authorities who “continue to show skill and courage in confronting terrorist and criminal groups, and the United States values the service and sacrifice of their dedicated public servants across all levels of government.” In response to losing the drug certification, Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti told a local radio program that “from this moment on...weapons will not be purchased from the United States.”The new low in the U.S.-Colombia relations adds further headwinds to the already falling Colombian oil production, although the President determined that U.S. assistance to Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela “is vital to the national interests of the United States.” Colombia’s President Petro has been erecting barriers to oil and gas development since taking office in 2022—and this shows in production numbers and the number of international majors quitting exploration in the South American country. Colombia’s hydrocarbons agency expects proven oil reserves, those that can be profitably extracted at current oil prices, were 2.04 billion barrels as of last year. These could even be estimated higher this year as new technology and techniques allow for pumping more crude from existing fields, the agency’s head, Orlando Velandia, told Reuters this week. Oil production, however, has declined by 6%, due to social conflicts and security issues, Velandia said. Guerrilla groups have intensified attacks on pipelines to undermine the government’s authority, according to the agency.Colombia’s oil production fell by 4.8% to 746,249 barrels per day (bpd) in July from a year earlier, according to data from the hydrocarbons agency. Marketed natural gas production slumped by 16.3% compared to last year and by 6.4% from June. Major international oil and gas companies have scaled back or quit operations in Colombia’s offshore exploration and production areas. Colombia stopped awarding new oil exploration contracts while hiking taxes for the economically crucial hydrocarbon sector in November 2022.As if domestic policies aren’t enough, deteriorated relations with the United States could signal further setbacks for Colombia’s oil and gas industry.

Oil is leaking from Chuuk Lagoon's Rio de Janeiro Maru shipwreck - Governor Alexander R Narruhn of the State of Chuuk has declared a State of Emergency after oil was seen leaking out of the wreck of Rio de Janeiro Maru in Chuuk Lagoon. The oil spill, which has since formed a sizeable slick, was first spotted by divers on the liveaboard Odyssey on 11 September, while moored off the island of Uman. In the last week, the oil slick has spread with the islands of Panitiw, Nukanap and Sopota affected. Photographs posted on the Office of the Governor of Chuuk’s Facebook page show the oil has reached shore. Chuuk (also called Truk) Lagoon was the Imperial Japanese Navy’s main Pacific base during the Second World War. At least 40 ships, and hundreds of aircraft, were sunk there in 1944 during Operation Hailstone, part of the US Navy’s campaign to clear the South Pacific of Axis Forces. As a result, Chuuk is popular with scuba divers as one of the best places in the world for wreck diving, but the ships have deteriorated significantly over the last 81 years. There are believed to be a total of 63 vessels in the lagoon, some of which are at risk of leaking oil into the water, a ticking environmental time bomb for the island nation. picture showing a diver swimming over the hull of a sunken ship with oil leaking from it A diver swims past the leaking oil (Photo: Chuuk State Governor’s Office) Governor Narruhn has called on both Japan and the US to help clear the oil, which he says is threatening the future food security of the island nation. ‘It’s been about 80 years since these ships sank in Chuuk Lagoon after Second World War battles between the United States and Japan,’ said a government spokesperson. ‘Oil spills from these wrecked ships is threatening our food security in the future. There is a company from Japan called JMAS which does oil extraction but this help is not enough. ‘We are also asking the United States government to help, and they have acknowledged our request.’ picture showing an oil slick in shallow water in Micronesia The slick has already reached the shoreline (Photo: Chuuk State Governor’s Office) The Office of the Governor is coordinating an emergency response to the spill, warning local islanders and fishers to be wary of toxic fumes, contaminated water, fish and produce in the meantime. Rio de Janeiro Maru was a Japanese packet ship, built in 1929 and originally used to carry Japanese immigrants to Brazil. She was requisitioned by the Japanese Imperial Navy in October 1940 and converted into an armed transport vessel, then later refitted as a submarine tender. She was sunk by a 1000lb bomb on 17 February 1944, the first day of Operation Hailstone, just six days after arriving in Chuuk Lagoon. The wreck lies on its starboard side with a maximum depth of 34 metres and, at 140 metres (460ft) in length, is one of the largest ships sunk in Chuuk and one of the most popular with divers.

Russia's Oil and Gas Revenues Face Significant September Decline -Russia’s revenues from oil and gas are expected to plunge in September by 23% from a year earlier, as international crude prices have declined and the Russian currency has strengthened, calculations by Reutersshowed on Thursday. The decline is not good news for Russia, which is currently planning its 2026 budget and continues to spend heavily on the war in Ukraine. Russia’s oil and gas sales are expected to bring the Kremlin $7.11 billion (592 billion rubles) this month, per the Reuters estimates based on production, refining, and supply data. Due to lower government subsidies to refiners paid in September, the revenues would be 17% higher than in August. Yet, the revenues for January to September are estimated by Reuters to drop by 20.5% year-on-year, to $79.6 billion (6.62 trillion rubles). The stronger ruble and the drop in international oil prices and as a result, Russia’s discounted prices, have dragged the Kremlin’s revenues to two-year lows. Russia’s crude and fuel export revenue slumped by $920 million in August compared to July, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates in its latest monthly report. The discounts of Russian crude grades widened last month amid the U.S. pressure on India for buying oil from Russia, while Russian refinery production slumped as Ukraine hit several processing facilities with drones. As a result, Russia’s crude and petroleum product export revenues plunged by $920 million from July to $13.51 billion in August, the IEA’s estimates showed. Meanwhile, Russia’s petroleum product shipments rose by 8.9% in August compared to July as some refineries returned from maintenance, according to estimates byReuters based on data from industry sources. Oil product exports from the Baltic Sea ports and from the Black Sea and Azov Sea ports increased in August from July, while shipments from the Arctic ports slumped last month.

ONGC in hunt for high-spec deepwater drillship as it lines up exploration drive -- Tender launched for a drillship capable of operating in water depths up to 3000 meters.

India Continues to Buy Russian Crude as Tensions With the U.S. Ease -- India will continue to buy Russian crude in the coming months, with active purchases for cargoes loading in November and December, sources familiar with the plans of Indian refiners told Bloomberg.The tensions of the past weeks between the U.S. and India over the latter’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil appeared to ease this week after U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wish him a happy birthday and thank him for efforts to end the war in Ukraine.“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job,” President Trump wrote on social media. After some hesitation and pullback from state refiners in early August amid the U.S. threats of doubled tariffs, Indian refiners – including the state-owned ones – are back to buying Russian crude, although they are hedging their bets with procurement of more volumes from the U.S., Brazil, and West Africa. Despite the doubled U.S. tariff on imports of Indian goods, Indian refiners are set to raise their imports by between 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 300,000 bpd in September, or up by 10-20% compared to August volumes, according to traders and analysts.The discount of Russia’s flagship Urals crude blend for Indian buyers has widened to between $3 and $4 per barrel amid continued pressure from the United States on India to force it to stop buying Russian crude. India continues to buy Russian crude, also incentivized by the wider discounts compared to the minimal discounts in June and July.India will keep buying crude from Russia as it looks to cater to its interests, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said early this month as India dismissed U.S. criticism that it is profiteering from importing Russian crude.

Major oil spill detected in waters in southern Russia {news.az}An oil spill covering roughly 35,000 square meters has been reported in southern Russias Astrakhan region, the local environmental watchdog said on Thursday . . .

Oman's Oil Exports Exceed 178 Million Barrels--- The Sultanate of Oman's oil exports reached 178,746,000 barrels by the end of July 2025, a slight decrease of 0.2% compared to the same period in 2024, when exports stood at 179,036,800 barrels. Preliminary statistics from the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI) show that the average price per barrel fell by 12.1% to $72.5 by the end of July 2025, down from $82.5 during the same period last year. The statistics also revealed that the average daily oil production decreased by 0.4%, reaching 991,100 barrels per day by the end of July 2025, compared to 994,800 barrels per day during the same period in 2024. Oman's total oil production dropped by 0.8% to 210.12 million barrels, compared to 211.9 million barrels in the corresponding period of 2024.

OPEC oil producers: Iraq Number 2 with +4M bpd - Iraq ranked as OPEC’s second-largest producer in August 2025 with 4.015 million bpd, the organization announced on Tuesday. According to OPEC, Saudi Arabia retained its position as the top producer with 9.709 million bpd, while the UAE came third with 3.255 million bpd, followed by Iran at 3.218 million and Kuwait at 2.492 million. Nigeria recorded 1.549 million barrels per day, Libya 1.299 million, Algeria 940,000, Venezuela 936,000, and Congo 259,000. OPEC’s report noted that overall production levels remained relatively stable, though disparities persisted among member states due to differing capacities and policies. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned of a sharp and accelerating decline in oil and gas production from mature fields worldwide, with investment limited mainly to maintaining existing operations. Without steady investment, the world could lose the equivalent of Brazil and Norway’s combined output—about 5.5 million bpd—each year, amounting to an average annual decline of 8 percent over the next decade. For natural gas, the report projected a 9 percent yearly decline without adequate investment, equivalent to 270 billion cubic meters, roughly equal to Africa’s current total output.

Iraq to boost oil exports via proposed pipeline to Oman -The Iraqi government signed new energy agreements this week to increase oil production, develop alternative export routes, and address environmental challenges. Partnerships with Oman and international firms represent a significant advancement as Iraq works to safeguard its economy during heightened Gulf tensions.Nearly all of Iraq’s oil exports pass through the Gulf, where geopolitical instability threatens key shipping routes. The planned export increase comes amid global market uncertainty and regional tensions. As OPEC's second-largest producer, Iraq seeks to expand output to meet global demand and rising domestic spending, given oil’s central role in its economy.The new agreements are designed to reduce dependence on current export routes. The partnership with Oman provides Iraq with improved access to Asian markets and more reliable delivery options than Basra.Talks continue for a Basra-Oman pipeline to further diversify and boost delivery capacity. "Discussions are ongoing about building a full pipeline from Basra to Oman to diversify export outlets, boost capacity, and support production growth," said Ali Nizar Al-Shatri, SOMO's General Manager, to INA on Friday.Al-Shatri confirmed that SOMO and Oman's OQ Trading agreed to cooperate, with contract talks underway.Quantum Commodity Intelligence reports Iraq’s crude exports were stable in August 2025 at 3.38 million barrels per day. This marks a notable increase over previous months, underscoring Iraq’s drive to boost exports. In July, SOMO reported total exports of 104.75 million barrels.Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, last week addressed the Baghdad International Energy Forum and argued that Iraq's 150 billion barrels of reserves and century-long supply capability make a stronger case for increasing the country's export quota in line with its national output capabilities.On Sunday, Al-Sudani and Hayan Abulghani, Iraq’s Minister of Oil, attended the signing ceremony of the Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP) and Ratawi oil field redevelopment. TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy are partnering with Iraq’s Basra Oil Company on major Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) initiatives.Al-Sudani commended the parties on finalising the agreements, noting that increased Qatari and international investment demonstrates Iraq’s improving business environment. He reiterated Iraq’s openness to reputable firms for infrastructure, economic development, and public service projects.The GGIP targets four areas: natural gas, solar energy, oil, and water. The CSSP (Common Seawater Supply Project) will build a seawater treatment plant near Um Qasr to deliver five million barrels of treated seawater daily to southern oil fields, helping to conserve freshwater.Ratawi upgrades have started. The first phase targets 120,000 barrels per day by early 2026. The second phase, set for 2028, will increase output to 210,000 barrels per day and end routine gas flaring. Environmental protection is central to these projects. The Gas Midstream Project will process all gas from Ratawi and clean flared gas from other fields. This gas will power 1.5 million homes. A facility will process 50 million cubic feet daily starting in 2026, aligned with Ratawi's initial phase.

US Baker Hughes signs deal to reduce gas flaring in Iraq | IranOilGas Network - US energy technology company Baker Hughes has announced an agreement with Iraq-based Halfaya Gas Company (HGC) to strengthen their collaboration for an innovative flare gas recovery system at the Bin Umar [Nahr Bin Umar, Nahr Ben Umar] gas processing plant in southeastern Iraq. The project will significantly reduce upstream flaring and transform waste gas into valuable products. The agreement builds on a previously announced memorandum of understanding to establish a collaboration for the Bin Umar development project and completion of a pre-Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study. It marks an important step in Iraq's drive to eliminate routine flaring and support the country's energy transition and environmental priorities. The project is expected to recover up to 300 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of flared gas. This equates to approximately 32 billion kilowatt-hours of energy annually - comparable to the yearly electricity consumption of roughly 2 million average households in Iraq. The waste gas that would have otherwise been flared will be converted into treated dry gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and condensate for domestic use and export. The companies have also agreed to collaborate on development of upstream oilfields in Iraq, also leveraging Baker Hughes' Oilfield Services & Equipment segment expertise. This includes exploring strategic opportunities to develop local maintenance and repair services, along with an industrial manufacturing collaboration.

OPEC: Investments needed to offset production decline and meet demand -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) consistently supports timely investment in the oil industry, APA-Economics reports, citing OPEC’s official statement. According to the statement, investments are needed to compensate for the rate of production decline and to meet increasing demand. “It is vital that all stakeholders remain consistent in acknowledging this and refrain from returning to rhetoric about not investing in new oil projects,” the statement said.

Oil Prices Climb As Ukraine Strikes Russian Refineries, Ports -- Oil prices extended their rally on Monday after Ukraine launched fresh drone attacks on Russian refineries and ports, disrupting crude operations at key export hubs. Brent crude rose to $65.72 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) settled at $61.68. Ukraine claimed its strikes hit Russia’s two main oil hubs in the Baltic Sea, including Primorsk, the country’s largest oil-loading port. Reports also indicated that three pumping stations supplying crude to Ust-Luga were targeted, leading to temporary disruptions. Adding to the bullish sentiment, Chinese data showed refiners processed nearly 15 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in August, up 7.6% year-on-year, supported by strong imports and higher domestic output. Apparent demand climbed to 14.53 million bpd, a 4.9% increase from a year earlier. In the U.S., Baker Hughes data revealed that oil drilling activity expanded for a third consecutive week, with active rigs rising by two to 416—the highest since mid-July. However, speculative positioning remained cautious. NYMEX WTI net longs fell by 14,630 lots to 12,657 in the week ending September 9, the weakest bullish stance since June 2006. Similarly, ICE Brent net longs declined by 41,476 lots to 209,578. The pullback reflects concerns over OPEC+’s recent decision to boost output and the International Energy Agency’s forecast of a record oil surplus next year, which could weigh on prices despite current geopolitical risks.

Oil Steadies on Russian Supply Woes, Wobbly Sanctions Risk (DTN) -- Oil prices edged higher Monday morning, after Ukraine ramped up its attacks on Russian oil infrastructure over the weekend. While U.S. President Trump on Saturday reiterated sanctions threats on Russian oil, he named NATO countries ceasing their purchases as a precondition. NYMEX-traded WTI for October delivery rose $0.25 to trade near $62.94 bbl, and ICE Brent for November delivery gained $0.12 to $67.11 bbl. October RBOB gasoline futures edged up $0.0087 to $1.9941 gallon, and the front-month ULSD contract was up $0.0235 to $2.3135 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index was little changed, up 0.079 points to 97.690. Two landlocked NATO and European Union countries, Slovakia and Hungary, which are exempt from the EU ban on Russian oil imports and whose governments have often opposed stricter sanctions on Russia, are unlikely to agree to halt Russian crude oil deliveries via pipeline any time soon, rendering fresh U.S. sanctions less likely. Under their current plan, all EU countries are to phase out purchases of Russian oil by 2028. Despite this, market participants continued to focus on supply risks regarding Russian oil as Ukraine continued to damage oil infrastructure. On Thursday, Ukrainian drones struck Russia's largest oil export hub in the Baltic Sea in Primorsk, as well as several pumping stations feeding the oil terminal. On Saturday, Ukraine attacked the Kirishi refinery one of Russia's largest, although the extent of the damage has so far remained unclear. Last month alone, Ukrainian attacks on key energy infrastructure have affected about a fifth of Russian refining capacity.

Ukrainian Attacks and Secondary Sanctions on Russian Crude Buyers - The oil market posted an inside trading session on Monday after it posted an outside trading session on Friday. The market remained underpinned by disruption risks from Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities and renewed calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for secondary sanctions on Russian crude buyers. The market traded higher after Ukraine launched a large attack targeting Russia overnight, causing a brief fire at the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia. Last week, Ukraine’s strikes caused the suspension of crude operations at the Primork port. The market was also well supported after President Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. was prepared to impose fresh energy sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO nations ceased purchasing Russian oil and implemented similar measures. The crude market posted a low of $62.52 on the opening before it gradually traded back over the $63.00 level. It rallied to a high of $63.67 by mid-morning. The market later settled in a sideways trading pattern during the remainder of the session. The October WTI contract settled up 61 cents at $63.30 and the November Brent contract settled up 45 cents at $67.44. The product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 60 points at $2.3311 and the RB market settling up 2.8 cents at $2.0134. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States was prepared to impose fresh energy sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO countries ceased purchasing Russian oil and implemented similar measures. The Kremlin said that it was obvious that NATO was fighting against Russia by providing direct and indirect support to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said “NATO is de facto involved in this war.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Qatar to continue to play a constructive role in resolving the Gaza conflict, speaking in Jerusalem on the same day that Arab leaders were meeting in Doha to respond to an Israeli strike. Qatar was angered last week by Israel’s attack on its capital, which targeted Hamas leaders who reside there. HSBC forecasts a big oil surplus from the fourth quarter of 2025 of 1.7 million bpd and a surplus of 2.4 million bpd in 2026. The bank also said it sees a downside risk to the bank’s 2026 $65/barrel Brent price assumption if stock builds materialize in the West. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a speech at the U.N. IAEA’s annual General Conference that Iran’s uranium enrichment program must be “completely dismantled”. The Baltic Sea port of Primorsk partially resumed operations on Saturday following disruptions and damage caused by Ukrainian drone strikes. Sources stated that Primorsk, which is capable of loading about 1 million bpd of oil, is expected to operate at a lower capacity due to the damage. They added that the loading schedule is expected to be delayed by several days. Just a couple of vessels loaded oil over the weekend and it was not clear if all the berths were operational.

Oil prices rise as Russian refinery attacks continue --Oil prices gained during Tuesday's Asian trade as traders weighed potential supply disruption after continued Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries. By 3:05 pm AEST (5:05 am GMT), Brent crude futures rose 16 cents, or 0.2%, to US$67.60 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 17 cents to $63.47 per barrel. On Monday, Brent had settled up 0.7% at US$67.44, while WTI climbed 1% to US$63.30. Ukraine has stepped up its strikes against Russia’s energy infrastructure in a bid to undermine Moscow’s war capacity, as peace talks remain stalled. ANZ analysts noted: "Another drone attack struck the Kinef refinery, one of the nation’s largest. It has an annual processing capacity of over 20mt. This follows last week’s wave of attacks which Ukraine claimed have struck facilities handling almost half of Russia’s seaborne crude exports. "The International Energy Agency estimates the strikes in August have put offline 250kb/d of Russia’s active crude-processing capacity." In Washington, United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that the government would not impose further tariffs on Chinese goods to pressure Beijing to halt Russian oil purchases unless European countries introduced steep duties on China and India. Meanwhile, investors are also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on 16-17 September, where the central bank is widely expected to cut interest rates. Analysts say lower borrowing costs could help support fuel demand. Markets are additionally focused on U.S. crude stockpiles, with official data due Wednesday. Inventories are forecast to fall by 6.4 million barrels in the week ended September 12, after a build of 3.9 million barrels the previous week.

Oil Rises Ahead of FOMC as EU Weighs Secondary Sanctions -- Oil prices rose Tuesday morning after the European Union postponed a vote on the 19th sanctions package against Russia in order to more closely coordinate sanctions with G-7 partners. The reworked package may include secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil, a key U.S. demand and condition for additional U.S. sanctions. NYMEX-traded WTI for October delivery rose $0.25 to trade near $62.94 bbl, and ICE Brent for November delivery gained $0.12 to $67.11 bbl. October RBOB gasoline futures edged up $0.0087 to $1.9941 gallon, and the front-month ULSD contract was up $0.0235 to $2.3135 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index was little changed, up 0.079 points to 97.690. U.S. President Trump over the weekend said he was ready to institute direct sanctions on Russia, as well as additional tariffs on imports from major buyers of Russian oil like India and China, conditional on NATO and EU countries ceasing all oil purchases from Russia. While Russian flows to Europe have plummeted since the invasion of Ukraine, two landlocked NATO and EU countries, Slovakia and Hungary, are currently exempt from the EU embargo on Russian oil imports, given their limited supply alternatives. Under their current agreement, EU countries have until 2028 to completely faze out Russian energy purchases. According to Bloomberg, EU officials are considering sanctions on Indian and Chinese companies involved in Russian oil trade in order to meet U.S. demands but may refrain from broad tariff measures given the economic bloc's reliance on their export markets. The report made no mention of an accelerated faze-out of imports of Russian oil. Expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts ahead of a two-day FOMC meeting also helped support prices. According to CME Group's FedWatch Tool, 96% of investors are expecting a 25-basis-point cut Wednesday, with the remaining 4% betting on a 50-point cut. Lower borrowing costs are set to boost oil demand as the global market faces a looming crude oil overhang in the months ahead.

Russia’s Crude Supplies May be Disrupted Due to Drone Attacks -- The oil market rallied higher on Tuesday in light of the possibility that Russia’s crude supplies may be disrupted due to Ukrainian drone attacks on its ports and refineries. Russia’s Transneft warned producers that they may have to cut their output following the Ukrainian drone attacks on export ports and refineries. Ukrainian drones have hit at least 10 refineries, cutting Russia’s refining capacity by almost a fifth and damaged its export ports. In overnight trading, the oil market traded mostly sideways, posting a low of $62.89 in early morning trading. However, the market breached its previous high and extended its gains to $1.46 as it rallied to a high of $64.76 in afternoon trading. The market also traded higher as traders await the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision on Wednesday afternoon. The October WTI later erased some of its gains and settled up $1.22 at $64.52. The November Brent contract settled up $1.03 at $68.47. Meanwhile, the product markets ended the session higher, with the heating oil market settling up 6.24 cents at $2.3935 and the RB market settling up 2.82 cents at $2.0416. Industry sources said Russia’s oil pipeline monopoly Transneft warned producers they may have to cut output following Ukraine’s drone attacks on export ports and refineries. Ukrainian military officials and Russian industry sources said Ukrainian drones have hit at least 10 refineries, cutting Russia’s refining capacity by almost a fifth at one point and damaged its leading Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk. Transneft, which handles more than 80% of all the oil extracted in Russia, has in recent days restricted oil firms’ ability to store oil in its pipeline system. Transneft has also warned producers it may have to accept less oil if its infrastructure sustains further damage. Sources said the attacks could force Russia to ultimately cut output. The U.S. Treasury Department said the United States has issued new Iran-related sanctions targeting multiple individuals and entities. Bloomberg and Politico are reporting that the European Union will delay its latest package of sanctions against Russia, which had been scheduled to be presented on Wednesday of this week. Instead the EU is working with other G-7 members over a more comprehensive package that that could be finalized in another two weeks. U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said Qatar and the United States are on the verge of finalizing an enhanced defense cooperation agreement after Israel’s attack on Hamas political leaders in Qatar last week drew widespread condemnation. An Israeli military official said Israel has started the main part of a ground operation to take control of Gaza City, hours after top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, telling him that the U.S. stood with Israel. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday issued a proposal for reallocating to large refineries the biofuel blending obligations waived under the Small Refinery Exemption program, offering two primary options of 50% and 100%. Additionally, the agency said it will ask for comment on other potential volumes, such as 25%, 75% or none at all. Ukraine’s military said it struck the Saratov oil refinery during an overnight attack on Russia’s Saratov region. Goldman Sachs estimates that the Ukrainian attacks have taken out about 300,000 barrels per day of Russian refining capacity in August and so far this month.

Oil settles over 1% higher as Ukraine drone attacks target Russian supply (Reuters) - Oil prices rose over a dollar a barrel on Tuesday, as traders weighed the possibility that Russian supplies may be disrupted by Ukrainian drone attacks on its ports and refineries, and awaited the Federal Reserve's decision on U.S. interest rates. Brent crude futures settled up $1.03, or 1.5%, at $68.47 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $1.22, or 1.9%, to settle at $64.52 a barrel. Russia's oil pipeline monopoly Transneft has warned producers they may have to cut output following Ukraine's drone attacks on critical export ports and refineries, three industry sources said. Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure in recent weeks, disrupting operations at Russia's key western oil terminal Primorsk last week as talks to end their conflict have stalled. "An attack on an export terminal like Primorsk is aimed more at limiting Russia's ability to sell its oil abroad, affecting export markets," said JP Morgan analysts. "More importantly, the attack suggests a growing willingness to disrupt international oil markets, which has the potential to add upside pressure on oil prices," they said. Goldman Sachs estimates that the Ukrainian attacks have taken out about 300,000 barrels per day of Russian refining capacity in August and so far this month. U.S. diesel futures were last up 2.5%, outpacing both WTI oil and U.S. gasoline futures. The situation in Russia could lead to more tightness in U.S. diesel markets. "Should Russian refineries suffer substantial damage, it could increase demand for U.S. diesel exports and potentially sustain the inverted forward curve," Also on investors' radar is the U.S. Federal Reserve's September 16-17 meeting. The central bank is expected to cut interest rates, which should stimulate the economy and boost fuel demand. Still, analysts were cautious on the health of the U.S. economy. Markets were also factoring in the likelihood of crude inventory declines in the U.S. last week, with official data expected on Wednesday at 1430 GMT. A Reuters poll on Monday showed analysts expected U.S. crude oil and gasoline stockpiles to have fallen last week, while distillate inventories likely rose.

Oil Prices Fall As G7, EU Advance Plans To Phase Out Russian Fuel --Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday as traders weighed the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest rate decision against supply risks linked to the Russia-Ukraine war. Brent crude fell 0.2% to $68.05 per barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) eased 0.01% to $64.08. The Fed is widely expected to cut rates by 25 basis points later in the day, with markets watching Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks and new economic projections for guidance on the policy outlook. Analysts noted that while lower borrowing costs could support demand, a global supply surplus remains likely as OPEC+ continues to raise output. Meanwhile, geopolitical risks remain in focus after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to accelerate the EU’s phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports. The move will be part of the bloc’s forthcoming 19th sanctions package against Moscow. “Russia’s war economy, sustained by revenues from fossil fuels, is financing the bloodshed in Ukraine. To put an end to it, the Commission will propose speeding up the phase-out of Russian fossil imports,” von der Leyen said on X following a call with US President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly criticised European allies for what he described as “not tough enough” sanctions, pointing to continued Russian oil purchases. In response to sanctions, Russia has increased oil exports to China and India. The EU has pledged to completely phase out Russian oil and gas imports by January 1, 2028. The latest sanctions package is expected to target Russia’s banking sector, energy revenues, and cryptocurrency use to evade restrictions. Since the start of the war in February 2022, the EU has banned imports of Russian coal and most crude oil while imposing sweeping financial sanctions. On the supply side, the American Petroleum Institute reported on Tuesday that US crude stockpiles fell by 3.42 million barrels in the week ending September 12, alongside a drawdown in gasoline inventories. Official Energy Information Administration figures are due later Wednesday.

WTI Extends Gains After Biggest Crude Draw In 3 Months - Oil prices leaked lower overnight after a three-day advance as traders assess the fallout from Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and a Federal Reserve interest rate decision later Wednesday. WTI was trading around $64.50 a barrel after gaining 3.2% in the previous three sessions. Ukraine attacked the Saratov refinery in its latest strike on Russian energy facilities - which have helped cut the OPEC+ member’s production to its lowest post-pandemic level, according to Goldman Sachs.A big crude draw reported by API overnight will prompt some buying pressure if confirmed by the official EOA data. API:

• Crude -3.42mm (-1.6mm exp)
• Cushing
• Gasoline -691k
• Distillates +1.9mm

DOE:

• Crude -9.285mm - biggest build since June
• Cushing -296k
• Gasoline -2.347mm
• Distillates +4.046mm

US crude stocks plunged over 9 million barrels last week (far greater than expected and the biggest draw since June). Gasoline inventories also saw a drawdown while distillates stocks rose for the 3rd straight week... Graphics Source: Bloomberg. Even accounting for the 504k barrel addition to the SPR, total US commercial crude stocks saw their second biggest weekly decline in 15 months... US crude production remains near record highs as the decline the rig count has finally stalled...The recent gains haven’t been enough to push oil out of the $5 band it has been in for most of the past month-and-a-half, buffeted between geopolitical tensions and bearish fundamentals.

The Federal Reserve Indicated it Will Steadily Lower Borrowing Costs -- The oil market posted an inside trade day on Wednesday as the market continued to assess the risk to Russian oil supplies following the Ukrainian drone attacks on its energy infrastructure. The market posted a high of $64.67 on the opening before it erased some of its gains and traded below the $64.00 level. However, the market retraced its earlier losses as the market remained supported by concerns over Russia’s oil supply ahead of the release of the EIA’s petroleum stocks report. In a yo-yo manner, the market traded back towards its high as the EIA report showed a larger than expected draw in crude stocks of over 9.2 million barrels, only to give up some of its gains on a larger than expected build in distillates stocks. The market remained pressured ahead of the close after the Fed announced an expected 25 basis point interest rate cut ahead of the close. The October WTI contract sold off to a low of $63.69 and settled down 47 cents at $64.05, while the November Brent contract settled down 52 cents at $67.95. The product markets ended the session in negative territory, with the heating oil market settling down 3.87 cents at $2.3548 and the RB market settling down 1.29 cents at $2.0287. Bloomberg reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a move that could ease tensions between the two countries amid a fight over tariffs and India’s purchases of Russian oil. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned “in the strongest terms” the Israeli ground operation in Gaza City, a day after Israel unleashed a long-threatened ground assault on the enclave. The U.S. Department of State said the Unites States is designating four Iran-aligned militia groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Two European and one Iranian diplomat said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the British, French and German Foreign Ministers made little progress in talks on Wednesday aimed at averting international sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program being reimposed at the end of this month. IIR Energy reported that U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 787,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending September 19th, cutting available refining capacity by 190,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to increase to about 1 million bpd in the week ending September 26th. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve is in a “meeting-by-meeting situation” regarding the outlook for interest rates. The Fed Chair said that some of the more dire inflationary scenarios facing the economy have faded. He said tariffs are pushing up price pressures, but it increasingly looks like it will be “a one time price increase, as opposed to creating an inflationary process.” The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday and indicated it will steadily lower borrowing costs for the rest of this year, as policymakers responded to concerns about weakness in the job market in a move that won support from most of President Donald Trump’s central bank appointees.

Oil prices little changed as traders weigh US rate cut with worries over US economy - - Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as traders weighed the start of looser monetary policy after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates against concerns about the U.S. economy. Brent crude futures rose 23 cents, or 0.3%, to $68.18 a barrel at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 rose 23 cents, or 0.4%, to $64.28. The Fed cut its policy rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday and indicated it will steadily lower borrowing costs over the rest of the year, responding to signs of weakness in the jobs market. Lower borrowing costs typically boost demand for oil and push prices higher. Kuwait’s oil minister Tariq Al-Roumi said he anticipates an increase in oil demand following the recent U.S. interest rate cut, with a particular rise expected from Asian markets. Kuwait is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In Qatar, another member of OPEC, state-owned QatarEnergy hiked the term price for al-Shaheen crude oil loading in November to the highest in eight months. Some analysts, however, were more sceptical about a positive impact on oil prices. “They did this now because clearly the economy is slowing down,” said Jorge Montepeque, managing director at Onyx Capital Group. “The Federal Reserve is trying to restore growth.” The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, reversing the prior week’s jump, but the labor market has softened as both the demand for and supply of workers have diminished. U.S. single-family home building plunged to a near 2-1/2-year low in August amid a glut of unsold new houses, suggesting the housing market could remain an economic headwind this quarter. Persistent oversupply and soft fuel demand in the U.S., the world’s biggest oil consumer, also weighed on the market. U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell sharply last week as net imports dropped to a record low while exports jumped to a near two-year high, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday. A rise in distillate stockpiles by 4 million barrels, however, against market expectations of a gain of 1 million barrels raised worries about demand in the world’s top oil consumer and pressured prices. In Russia, the world’s second biggest producer of crude in 2024 after the U.S., the Finance Ministry announced a new measure to shield the state budget from oil price fluctuations and Western sanctions targeting Russian energy exports. Elsewhere in Russia, Ukraine said its drones struck a major oil processing and petrochemical complex and an oil refinery in Russia, part of an intensifying campaign to disrupt Moscow’s oil and gas sector. Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods told the Financial Times in an interview that the U.S. oil major has no plans to resume operations in Russia. While in Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, parliament approved the nation’s first annual budget since sweeping reforms to loosen fiscal rules were passed earlier this year, securing record investments to revive the economy while committing to an increase in defence spending. In the Middle East, Israel said its military will attack Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanon “in response to its attempts to rebuild its activities in the area.”

Oil Prices Steady on Mixed US Oil Inventory Report - Oil prices fluctuated between small gains and losses Thursday morning, after a weekly U.S. government oil inventory report sent mixed signals about the state of oil and fuel demand. NYMEX-traded WTI for October delivery was unchanged at $64.05 bbl, and ICE Brent for November delivery dipped $0.02 to $67.93 bbl. October RBOB gasoline futures slid $0.0151 to $2.0136 gallon, and the front-month ULSD contract retreated $0.0002 to $2.3546 gallon. Following the first Federal Reserve rate cut since December, the U.S. Dollar Index jumped 0.710 points to 97.230 against a basket of foreign currencies. The U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday reported commercial crude oil inventories shrank by 9.3 million bbl last week as exports soared to a 21-month high. At the same time, a surprisingly large build in distillate fuel oil inventories raised concerns over the health of the U.S. economy and fuel demand. Nationwide distillate fuel oil stocks jumped 4.7 million bbl, or 4%, in a single week to 120.6 million bbl. The Fed's 25-basis point cut lent rather tepid support to markets -- given the largely expected, and priced-in, move. Chairman Jerome Powell in remarks delivered Wednesday suggested more rate cuts to come, reiterating, however, that inflation risks have not subsided. Powell suggested the central bank will continue to apply caution in the timing future rate cuts. Investors expect another two 25-basis-point cuts this year.

Oil prices settle lower, US economic concerns outweigh Fed rate cut (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Thursday, settling lower as traders remained worried about the U.S. economic outlook a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time this year. Brent crude futures fell 51 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $67.44. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 48 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $63.57. The Fed cut its policy rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday and indicated it will steadily lower borrowing costs over the rest of the year, responding to signs of weakness in the jobs market. Lower borrowing costs typically boost demand for oil and push prices higher. "They did this now because clearly the economy is slowing down," "The Federal Reserve is trying to restore growth." The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, reversing the prior week's jump, but the labor market has softened as both the demand for and supply of workers have diminished. U.S. single-family home building plunged to a near 2-1/2-year low in August amid a glut of unsold new houses, suggesting the housing market could remain an economic headwind. Persistent oversupply and soft fuel demand in the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer, also weighed on the market. U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell sharply last week as net imports dropped to a record low while exports jumped to a near two-year high, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday. A rise in U.S. distillate stockpiles by 4 million barrels, however, against market expectations of a gain of 1 million barrels, raised worries about demand in the world's top oil consumer and pressured prices. In Russia, the world's second biggest producer of crude in 2024 after the U.S., the Finance Ministry announced a new measure to shield the state budget from oil price fluctuations and Western sanctions targeting Russian energy exports. Ukraine said its drones struck a major oil-processing and petrochemical complex and an oil refinery in Russia, part of an intensifying campaign to disrupt Moscow's oil and gas sector. Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods told the Financial Times in an interview that the U.S. oil major has no plans to resume operations in Russia. Anything that keeps Russian barrels out of the international oil market should be bullish for prices. Kuwait's oil minister, Tariq Al-Roumi, however, said he anticipates an increase in oil demand following the U.S. interest rate cut, with a particular rise expected from Asian markets. Kuwait is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In Qatar, another member of OPEC, state-owned QatarEnergy hiked the term price for al-Shaheen crude oil loading in November to the highest in eight months. In Germany, the biggest economy in Europe, parliament approved the nation's first annual budget since sweeping reforms to loosen fiscal rules were passed earlier this year, securing record investments to revive the economy while committing to an increase in defense spending. In the Middle East, Israel launched fresh air strikes against Hezbollah military targets in south Lebanon to stop the militant group from rebuilding in the area.

Oil prices fall as markets weigh U.S. demand fears, supply outlook -- Oil prices slipped lower Friday on growing concerns over slowing U.S. demand, but were still on track for weekly gains as the Federal Reserve’s rate cut could spur consumption. At 04:50 ET (08:50 GMT), Brent oil futures for November fell 0.5% to $67.11 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 0.7% to $63.10 a barrel. Both benchmarks were on course for small gains this week as increased hostilities between Russia and Ukraine spurred bets on more supply disruptions.That said, President Trump has called for lower oil prices to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said the war would end “if the price of oil comes down,” and repeated calls for countries to stop buying fuel from the OPEC+ member. The crude market was boosted by the Fed cutting interest rates and signaling that it will cut rates further in the coming months. Lower U.S. interest rates are expected to help shore up demand in the coming months. This may be needed as U.S. inventory data this week showed a sharp increase indistillate stockpiles, pointing to a slowing in U.S. demand as the summer driving season comes to an end.Continued signs of a cooling U.S. labor market also kept oil markets on edge over slowing demand. Additionally, expectations of higher supplies were furthered by Kazakhstan resuming oil supplies via the Baku-Tbilsi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline earlier in September, the government said this week. Supplies through the route were suspended in August due to contamination issues. The pipeline is mainly used to export oil from three key oil fields, and also allows Kazakhstan to export oil without depending on Russia as a main route. Elsewhere, Nigeria lifted emergency rule in its oil-rich Rivers State after six months, stating that a constitutional crisis in the region was resolved. The region is a key exporting hub for Nigeria’s oil industry, with militants in the past having targeted local pipelines.

Oil pares weekly gain as Trump calls for low prices to end war - Oil pared a second weekly gain as renewed calls by US President Donald Trump for lower prices to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine weighed against renewed attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.Brent traded above $67 a barrel after losing 0.8% in the previous session while West Texas Intermediate was below $64. Trump said the war would end “if the price of oil comes down,” a sign of his preferred strategy to halt the flow of petrodollars that fund Russia’s war effort. He also repeated calls for countries to stop buying oil from the OPEC+ member.While oil futures are set to edge higher this week, they have been stuck in a tight range since early August as the market is buffeted by rising geopolitical risks and bearish fundamentals. A faster-than-expected output reversal by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies has led the International Energy Agency to predict a record surplus next year.Meanwhile, Ukraine attacked two Russian oil refineries on Thursday as it steps up its campaign to hit Moscow’s biggest source of funds — leading to concerns further closures may threaten to tighten global markets. Russian refining runs have now dropped below 5 million barrels a day, the lowest since April 2022, according to estimates from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Investors will also be watching the call later on Friday between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping for a potential easing of trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. The two leaders are due to speak at 9 a.m. Washington time.

Oil prices slip as robust supply outweighs Fed cut (Reuters) - Oil prices dropped on Friday as worries about large supplies and declining demand outweighed expectations that the year's first interest-rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve would trigger more consumption. Brent crude futures settled at $66.68 a barrel, down 76 cents or 1.1%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures finished at $62.68, down 89 cents or 1.4%. Both benchmarks rose for a second consecutive week. "Oil supplies continue to remain robust and OPEC is reducing its oil production cuts," "We haven't seen an impact on Russian crude oil exports" from sanctions. The Fed cut its policy rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday and indicated that more cuts would follow as it responded to signs of weakness in the U.S. jobs market. Lower borrowing costs typically boost demand for oil and push prices higher. John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital, said future Fed rate cuts of a quarter of a percentage point would likely not boost oil markets because they would further weaken the dollar, making oil more expensive to buy. "The Fed will have to be more aggressive than they have been," "We need a 50 (basis-point increase) to boost demand. The Fed's action is not translating to growth for the crude market due to underlying market fundamentals." On the demand side, all energy agencies, including the U.S. Energy Information Administration, have signaled concern about weakening demand, tempering expectations of significant near-term price upside, Lipow also saw effects on the demand side. "The refinery turnaround season will further reduce demand," he said. Refineries shut production units in the spring and fall for overhauls, called turnarounds. A higher-than-expected increase of 4 million barrels to U.S. distillate stockpiles (USOILD=ECI), opens new tab raised worries over demand in the world's top oil consumer and pressured prices. The latest economic data added to concerns, with the U.S. jobs market softening while single-family homebuilding plunged to a multi-year low in August, discouraged by a glut of unsold new houses.

Iraq's Gas Deal Through Iran Blocked by U.S. -- As a result, Iraq is now actively seeking alternative solutions for its gas supply, including negotiations for floating regasification terminals to import liquefied natural gas.Iraq’s hopes to boost its natural gas supply and end crippling power shortages have been dashed as an Iraqi plan to import gas from Turkmenistan via pipeline through Iran has failed to secure approval from the United States. Iraq has sought U.S. approval to import Turkmenistan’s gas via Iran, but an approval never came, Iraqi officials told Reuters. The newswire has also reviewed draft contracts for the swap deal under which Iran gets no money but can retain up to 23% of the gas volumes from Turkmenistan that are en route to Iraq. After months of engaging with the Trump Administration, Iraq has failed to secure a waiver from the U.S. which has launched a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. “Proceeding (with the Turkmen deal) could trigger sanctions on Iraqi banks and financial institutions, so the contract is currently suspended,” Adel Karim, adviser to Iraq's prime minister for electricity affairs, told Reuters. The failure of this plan means that Iraq now has to seek alternatives. Despite being rich in oil and gas, Iraq has had to import gas from neighboring countries, including Iran, for fuel at its power plants. Iraq lacks the gas processing plants necessary to process the associated gas extracted from its massive oilfields and continues to flare some of those gas volumes. Earlier this year, Iraq’s electricity supply predicament worsened after the Trump Administration ended a waiver for Iraq to import electricity from Iran. Reports have emerged in recent months that Iraq is negotiating the procurement of two floating regasification terminals as it seeks to replace gas supply from Iran. Texas-based company Excelerate Energy is one of the bidders in a tender to provide a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) that would welcome Iraq’s first-ever LNG imports, a senior Iraqi official told Bloomberg in June.

Oil tankers damaged in attack on Russian port - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled that attacks against Russia’s oil export centres would continue, following reports that two tankers were damaged in drone strike on the Baltic port of Primorsk. Zelenskyy highlighted the port attack in comments on Sunday after the Cai Yun and Kusto were set alight, according to Reuters, citing industry sources. The two ships remained outside the main terminal area as loading operations appeared to be continuing after a suspension following the overnight attacks late last week.

Ukraine hits Russian oil refinery deep behind front - The Hindu -Ukrainian drones on Thursday (September 18, 2025) hit a major Russian oil refinery some 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the front line, triggering a fire, officials from both countries said. The strike is the latest in a wave of drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure as Kyiv seeks to knock out Russia's vital energy revenues that fund its army. Ukraine attacks major Russian refinery with big drone assault A source in Ukraine's SBU security agency said its drones had hit "the heart" of a refinery in the central Bashkortostan region run by state-controlled energy giant Gazprom. Unverified images on Russian social media showed a fire at the facility and a plume of dark smoke rising above it. Russia typically does not confirm successful Ukrainian strikes, but Radiy Khabirov, the Russian head of the region, said on Thursday the refinery had been hit. "Two drones attacked the facility. There were no fatalities or people wounded. Passive and active defences were activated and the site's security opened fire to neutralise them," he said on social media on Thursday morning. "We are assessing the state of the damage and currently extinguishing the fire," he added. Strikes over the summer months have knocked out a notable portion of Russia's refining capacity. Though there are no official estimates as to the extent of the damage, fuel prices have surged across the country and petrol shortages have been recorded in many regions. The Kremlin extended a ban on petrol exports in a bid to keep prices on the domestic market in check. Gazprom Neft said earlier on Thursday it was delaying planned maintenance work at one site in order not to exacerbate the fuel crisis. U.S. President Donald Trump is also seeking to hobble Russia's potential to earn from its energy sales, ramping up tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil, threatening China and urging Europe to do the same.

Russian jets fly into Estonian airspace; Prime Minister invokes NATO Article 4 consultations --Three Russian fighter jets flew into Estonian airspace Friday in what the country’s top diplomat called an “unprecedented and brazen intrusion.” Estonia Prime Minister Kristen Michal later on Friday requested NATO Article 4 consultations. Article 4 allows NATO members to bring any issue threatening that country’s territorial integrity or political independence or security to other NATO members. “This morning, 3 Russian Mig-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace. NATO fighters responded and the Russian planes were forced to flee. Such violation is totally unacceptable. The Government of Estonia has decided to request NATO Article 4 consultations,” Michael wrote in a post on X. The three Russian MiG-31s flew into Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s minister of foreign affairs, wrote in a separate post on X. Tsahkna said the Russian charge d’affaires was summoned over “another violation of Estonia’s airspace.” “This is an unprecedented and brazen intrusion — clear proof of Russia’s growing aggression,” Tsahkna said. “Such actions cannot be tolerated and must be met with swift political and economic pressure.” Russia’s incursion into Estonia follows a high-profile violation of Poland’s airspace last week, which also triggered NATO air defenses. Poland also invoked the alliance’s Article 4 pillar, convening NATO members for consultation over threats to a member. At least 19 Russian drones crossed over into Polish airspace Sept. 9, amid a major Russian aerial assault against Ukraine. Polish officials said the incursion was “intentional” and pushed back on President Trump saying the Kremlin might have made a mistake.

Arab Ministers Meet on Response to Israeli Attack in Qatar – NYTimes - Arab foreign ministers met on Sunday in the Qatari capital, Doha, to formulate a united response to Israel’s brazen missile attack last week that aimed to assassinate senior leaders of Hamas in the city.The ministers were laying the groundwork for an emergency summit in Doha on Monday that will bring together leaders of Arab and Islamic countries.The Israeli strike on Tuesday targeted senior Hamas officials who had gathered in the Qatari capital to discuss a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal to stop the fighting in Gaza. It hit a residential neighborhood in broad daylight, killing several people affiliated with Hamas as well as a member of Qatar’s internal security forces.Hamas said it had failed to kill any of the targeted officials. Israel has not released its own assessment of whether the strike had produced its intended consequences. The attack on Qatar, a U.S. ally that hosts a major American military installation in the Middle East, drew sharp international condemnation. Even close allies of Israel have denounced it as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty. Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, landed in Israel on Sunday amid signs that President Trump was growing frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel over the prolonged war in Gaza. Mr. Rubio said he planned to discuss the Qatar attack with Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Trump “didn’t like the way it went down,” Mr. Rubio told reporters before his departure on Saturday. “We’ll talk about what impact it’s going to have on efforts to get all the hostages back, get rid of Hamas, end this war,” Mr. Rubio added. Qatari officials have said they agreed to host political leaders of Hamas at the behest of the United States to keep open channels of communication. That had positioned the country as a critical mediator in talks to end the war in Gaza. It remains unclear how the Israeli strike will affect the cease-fire negotiations, which were already stalled. Qatar and Egypt could suspend their roles as mediators — but acting as intermediaries is a source of influence, and the two countries have stopped short of dropping out so far. The attack sent shock waves through Gulf capitals that in recent years have been courted by Israel as potential allies and that have long regarded the United States as their main security guarantor. “The reckless and treacherous Israeli aggression was committed while Qatar was hosting official and public negotiations, with the knowledge of the Israeli side,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, said on Sunday, addressing the Arab foreign ministers in Doha. “What encourages Israel to continue on this path is the international community’s inability to hold it accountable and the lack of consequences for any crime it commits,” he added. “We must not remain silent or complacent about this barbaric aggression and must take real, tangible measures at various levels to prevent further escalation, which, if left unchecked, will not stop.” Analysts say that a military response by Gulf countries is out of the question because further escalation could harm the domestic agendas of the Gulf’s rulers, and because they remain dependent on American military support. Gulf sovereign wealth funds control about $4 trillion in assets around the world, giving them financial and economic leverage that they could deploy against Israel or its U.S. ally, which supplies the country with weapons. The regional leaders could decide to downgrade or abrogate the Abraham Accords, a 2020 deal backed by the United States, under which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco established diplomatic relations with Israel. Mr. Netanyahu has defended the attack in Doha. In comments on social media Saturday night, he claimed that the Hamas leaders outside Gaza had “blocked all cease-fire attempts in order to endlessly drag out of the war.”“Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war,” he said.Mr. Netanyahu’s opponents — including many Israelis — argue that he is the one who has dragged the war out to mollify his hard-line coalition allies. The war in Gaza began after Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Mr. Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Human rights groups argue that the campaign in Gaza now constitutes a genocide. Israeli officials dispute that charge and argue that they are fighting a defensive war. They say Hamas could end the fighting by laying down its arms and returning the hostages still held in the enclave, which it has refused to do.

Netanyahu says Qatar funds Hamas, strike 'justified' --Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the strike on Qatar last week was "justified," due to the Gulf state's ties to Hamas. "Qatar is connected to Hamas, it bolsters Hamas, it harbours Hamas, it funds Hamas... It has strong levers (that it could pull), but it chose not to," Netanyahu claimed during a press conference. "Therefore our action was entirely justified." The unprecedented attack on a Hamas meeting in Doha, where officials were discussing the terms of a Gaza truce, was the first such Israeli strike on fellow US ally Qatar. The bombing resulted in the death of six people, none of whom were the top Hamas officials Israel was targeting, according to the group and Israeli sources quoted by national media. In response to the strike, Qatar convened an emergency summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Monday that brought together nearly 60 countries to call for firm action against Israel. Qatar has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has long hosted leaders of the Palestinian group. It has also played a pivotal role in mediating between Israel and Hamas in negotiations for a ceasefire in the war and the release of the 251 Israeli captives captured by Palestinian fighters during that assault. Between 2018 and 2023, Qatar sent millions of dollars in monthly cash handouts and aid to Gaza, with the approval of Netanyahu's cabinet at the time. Earlier this year, Israeli media reported that two of Netanyahu's aides were being investigated by the Shin Bet internal security agency for allegedly receiving payments from Qatar. The scandal, dubbed "Qatargate", raised questions about the possibility of Qatari influence in the prime minister's Office. Netanyahu, who was called to testify in the investigation in March, denounced it as a "political witch hunt".

Israeli strike in Qatar was a gamble that appears to have backfired -(AP) — When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this week’s attempted assassination of Hamas leaders in Qatar, he took a major gamble in his campaign to pound the group into submission. With signs growing that the mission failed, that gamble appears to have backfired.Netanyahu had hoped to kill Hamas’ senior exiled leaders to get closer toward his vision of “total victory” against the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and pressure it into surrendering after nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip. Instead, Hamas claims its leaders survived, and Netanyahu’s global standing, already badly damaged by the scenes of destruction and humanitarian disaster in Gaza, took another hit. The airstrike Tuesday has enraged Qatar, an influential U.S. ally that has been a key mediator throughout the war, and drawn heavy criticism across the Arab world. It also has strained relations with the White House and thrown hopes of reaching a ceasefire into disarray, potentially endangering the 20 hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza. But while the strike marks a setback for Netanyahu, the Israeli leader shows no sign of backing down or halting the war. And with his hard-line coalition still firmly behind him, Netanyahu faces no immediate threat to his rule. Five low-level Hamas members and a Qatari security guard were killed in the strike. But Hamas has said the intended target, senior exiled leaders meeting to discuss a new U.S. ceasefire proposal, all survived. The group, however, has not released any photos of the leaders, and Qatar has not commented on their conditions. If the airstrike had killed the top leadership, the attack could have provided Netanyahu an opportunity declare Hamas’ destruction, said Harel Chorev, an expert on Arab affairs at Tel Aviv University. “It’s all very symbolic and it’s definitely part of the thing which allows Netanyahu at a certain point to say ‘We won, we killed them all,’” he said. Israel’s fierce 23-month offensive in Gaza has wiped out all of Hamas’ top leadership inside the territory. But Netanyahu has set out to eradicate the group as part of his goal of “total victory.” That is now looking increasingly unlikely, making it even harder for Netanyahu to push a ceasefire through his hard-line coalition. Far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition have cornered Netanyahu, threatening to topple his government unless Israel pushes ahead with an expanded operation in Gaza City, despite serious misgivings by many in the military leadership and widespread opposition among Israel’s public. A successful operation in Qatar could have allowed Netanyahu to placate the hard-liners, even though it would have eliminated the very officials responsible for negotiating a possible ceasefire. Israel has had the ability to target Hamas leaders in Doha from the start of the war but did not want to antagonize the Qataris while negotiations took place, Chorev said. Qatar has helped negotiate two previous ceasefires that have released 148 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s military has rescued just eight hostages alive, and retrieved the bodies of 51 hostages. While Israel has complained that Qatar was not putting pressure on Hamas, it had continued to leave that channel open — until Tuesday. “Israel, by the attack, notified the whole world that it gave up on the negotiations,” Chorev said. “They’ve decided to burn the channel with Qatar.” Asked if ceasefire talks would continue, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that after the strike, “I don’t think there’s anything valid” in the current talks. But he did not elaborate and stopped short of saying Qatar would end its mediation efforts.

Israeli fighter jets launched ballistic missiles from the Red Sea in Qatar strike, official says --Israeli fighter jets over the Red Sea launched ballistic missiles to target Hamas leaders in Qatar last week, a U.S. defense official said, in what was a method likely designed to overcome the energy-rich country’s air defenses and avoid entering any Mideast nation’s airspace. The 9 September attack, which killed six people in Qatar's capital, Doha, upended months of diplomacy mediated by the Arabian Peninsula nation to reach a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza, which has devastated the Gaza Strip over nearly two years. Just over a week after the missile launch, Israel began a ground offensive targeting Gaza City. That has reignited anger in the region over the war, while the Doha attack has raised fears in other countries that they, too, could be struck. The Israeli military took advantage of the element of surprise by firing in a direction probably not anticipated by Qatar or the United States, whose Mideast forward headquarters operates out of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Even if those countries did know, experts say the Patriot missile batteries in Qatar likely would have been unable to intercept the missiles traveling through space at multiple times the speed of sound. "We're probably talking about a few minutes from fire to impact, so not long at all," said Sidharth Kaushal, a missile expert and senior research fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. "Even if (Patriot batteries) did pick it up, interception would have been dumb luck at that point." The U.S. defense official told The Associated Press that the missiles were fired by Israeli fighter jets over the Red Sea, with Hamas leaders gathered in Qatar to consider a Gaza ceasefire proposal. The official had direct knowledge about how Israel conducted the strike and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. Another U.S. defense official, who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Israeli strike was an "over-the-horizon" attack from outside Qatar's airspace. The American military typically uses the term to describe airstrikes conducted from great distances. By launching ballistic missiles into space, Israel kept their missiles out of the airspace of surrounding Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, with which Israel long has wanted to reach a diplomatic recognition deal. There is "the political factor, you're not flying over Saudi airspace and violating their sovereignty in the process, which is obviously useful if you do harbor the hope of ... normalizing things with the Saudis," Kaushal said.

Netanyahu refuses to rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not ruled out further strikes on Hamas leaders following last week's attack in Qatar, saying they would not have immunity "wherever they are". Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Netanyahu said every country had the right "to defend itself beyond its borders". Israel's decision to target Hamas leaders in Qatar - a close US ally - drew international outrage and criticism from US President Donald Trump. Hamas said six people were killed but that its leaders survived. Netanyahu's comments come days after the White House said Trump had assured Qatar "that such a thing will not happen again on their soil". When pressed on whether the US had any involvement in the strike, Netanyahu told journalists: "We did it on our own. Period." In response to a BBC question about whether the strike had damaged US relations in the region, Rubio said Washington maintained "strong relationships with our Gulf allies". The pair presented a broadly united front, even amid the apparent tensions, with Rubio praising the two countries' technological and cultural ties - and Netanyahu saying Israel had "no better ally". Their meeting comes as Arab leaders hold a summit in a show of support for Qatar. The Qatari prime minister urged the international community to stop applying "double standards" and to punish Israel. Asked later whether there were any guarantees Israel would not strike the country again, Trump said twice that Netanyahu "won't be hitting Qatar". Qatar hosts a major US airbase and has played a key role in brokering diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza, serving as a mediator of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel. It has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012. According to a State Department official, Rubio will travel on to Qatar following his Israel trip. On Sunday, Netanyahu told reporters that the US-Israel relationship was as "durable as the stones in the Western Wall" while he and Rubio made a short visit to the holy site in Jerusalem's Old City. During the trip - on which they were accompanied by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee - Rubio wrote a note and placed it into the wall, a traditional ritual performed by visitors. The men ignored reporters' questions focusing on Israel's strikes in Qatar. Also thought to have been discussed by Netanyahu and Rubio are Israeli military plans to seize Gaza City and Israel's continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Over the weekend, the Israeli military pressed ahead with the demolition of residential buildings in Gaza City, and - according to local media - is now poised to begin ground operations in the Western neighbourhoods of the city. It has demanded that Gaza City's residents leave and head south to a central area of the strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimate about 250,000 Palestinians have fled, though hundreds of thousands are believed to remain in the area. Some say they cannot afford to go south, while others say southern Gaza is not safe as Israel has carried out air strikes there too. Some have said they attempted to go south but were unable to pitch their tents, so returned to Gaza City. "They are asking us to leave our homes, as if they're asking us to go on a trip," said Gaza City resident Hafez Habous. "Here in Gaza we will die for one reason: we simply have no money. We have no tents, no makeshift shelters, and transport is unavailable." "If you speak to a driver to go south he asks for 300 shekels," he said - the equivalent of about $90 or £65. "How come? I don't even have 100. I don't even have money for tomorrow's food. So how can we move south?"

UN slams Israeli claims that fighters were in bombed Gaza school - The UN slammed Israeli claims that Hamas fighters were at a Gaza school housing displaced people, which was targeted in an Israeli bombing on Wednesday, killing 18 people and wounding many others. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric reiterated that the school was solely being used as a shelter in a press statement given on Thursday. "If it was being used with malicious intent, we would have known. There is no evidence of that," he said. The comments came after Israel alleged its forces had carried out a "precise strike on terrorists operating inside a Hamas command and control centre" in the school. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) affiliated school, also known as the Al-Jaouni school, had become a shelter for forcibly displaced Palestinians since the start of the war in the enclave. According to UN officials, around 12,000 people had sought refuge at the school. The bombing on the Al-Nuseirat camp on Wednesday, where the school was located, killed 18 people, including six UNRWA staff members. "We are trying to strike a balance between protecting our staff and providing the assistance that people of Gaza desperately need," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, adding that UN officials were in contact with officials in the Israeli government to try and prevent the killing of UN staff. "What is happening is totally unacceptable. These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now," he added. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, slammed Guterres' criticism of Israel following the statement. UNRWA also said that last week, the school was being used as a polio vaccination centre. The attack on the school marks the fifth time Israel has targeted a shelter housing displaced people, sparking worldwide condemnation. According to UNRWA, the attack on Wednesday was "the highest death toll among our staff in a single incident" since the start of the war. Photos and videos of the school following the attack showed ambulances and people scrambling to rescue people from the school and take them to the Al-Aqsa hospital, as well as dozens of people inspecting the destruction to the school. Gaza’s Civil Defence said one of those killed was the daughter of one of their rescue workers, Momin Salmi. A statement from them said he had not seen his daughter Shadia for 10 months because she had stayed in north Gaza while his wife and eight children fled towards the south.

Israeli Sniper Details Killing Palestinians, Including Children, Waiting for Aid - An Israeli sniper from the IDF’s Nahal Brigade detailed in comments to Haaretz the killing of unarmed Palestinians, including children, who were attempting to get aid in Gaza.“It started about two months ago,” the soldier, who went by the pseudonym Benny, told the Israeli paper as part of a story focusing on the mental toll on IDF soldiers in Gaza. “Every day we have the same mission: to secure the humanitarian aid in the northern Gaza Strip.” The report said that Benny and his fellow soldiers began their day at 3:30 am when they set up sniper positions near where aid trucks arrive to unload their contents. He said that Gaza residents try to move forward to get a good spot in line, but often cross an invisible line set by the IDF. “A line that if they cross it, I can shoot them,” Benny said. “It’s like a game of cat and mouse. They try to come from a different direction every time, and I’m there with the sniper rifle, and the officers are yelling at me, ‘Take him down, take him down.’ I fire 50-60 bullets every day, I’ve stopped counting kills. I have no idea how many I’ve killed, a lot. Children.”Since the end of May, Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded the killing of 2,497 aid seekers, which includes Palestinians killed near sites run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and people killed while attempting to reach aid trucks operated by the UN or other organizations. Another 18,294 Palestinians have been wounded while attempting to get food. Haaretz previously reported that IDF soldiers were ordered to fire on Palestinians attempting to reach GHF distribution sites to drive them away or disperse them, even though they posed no threat. Benny told Haaretz that if he didn’t want to shoot Palestinian civilians waiting for aid, he was forced to by commanders, and sometimes threatened.“The battalion commander would yell over the radio, ‘Why aren’t you taking them down. They are heading our way. This is dangerous,'” Benny said. “The sense is that we are being positioned in an impossible situation, and no one had prepared us for this. The officers do not care if children die, they also do not care what it does to my soul. To them, I am just another tool.”Another soldier, who went by the name Yoni, shared a story about killing two children in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, after one soldier shouted that “terrorists” were approaching. “We go into a frenzy, and I get on the Negev [a machinegun] right away and start spraying, firing hundreds of bullets. We then charged forward, and I realized it was a mistake,” Yoni said.“I saw the bodies of two children, maybe 8 or 10 years old, I have no idea. There was blood everywhere, lots of signs of gunfire, I knew it was all on me, that I did this. I wanted to throw up. After a few minutes, the company commander arrived and said coldly, as if he wasn’t a human being, ‘They entered an extermination zone, it is their fault, this is what war is like,'” he added. Other Israeli soldiers have detailed killing unarmed Palestinian civilianswithout expressing any remorse. Israeli media outlets have reported extensively on the existence of kill zones in Gaza, where any Palestinian who crosses a line set by the IDF is deemed a “terrorist.”

Smotrich Calls Gaza a 'Real Estate Bonanza,' Says US and Israel Discussing Dividing the Land - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday described Gaza as a “real estate bonanza” and said that the US and Israel are in talks about dividing the land, the Israeli news site Ynet has reported.Smotrich referenced what he called a “business plan” that Ynet said was similar to a plan being circulated within the Trump administration. According to a recent report from The Washington Post, the plan involves removing the Palestinian population and placing Gaza under the control of a US-administered trusteeship for 10 years as it is turned into a tourist resort and advanced technology manufacturing hub. The plan is modeled on Trump’s calls for a US takeover of Gaza. The Post report said the removal of Palestinians from Gaza could be “temporary,” but Smotrich, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Israeli officials have made clear that their vision for Gaza involves the ethnic cleansing, or permanent removal, of the Palestinian population.“This plan was built by the most professional people there are,” Smotrich said on Wednesday, adding that it’s currently on President Trump’s desk. “We are checking how this becomes a real estate bonanza—I’m not joking—and pays for itself,” he said.Smotrich said that he was personally involved in the negotiations with the US on dividing up the Palestinian territory. “I’ve begun negotiations with the Americans, and I’m saying this seriously, because we paid a lot of money for this war. We need to work out how we share percentages on the land. The demolition phase, the first stage of urban renewal, we’ve already done. Now we need to build,” he said.Smotrich’s comments come as Israel is conducting a major offensive in Gaza City with the goal of forcibly displacing the entire civilian population to southern Gaza and razing every building in the city to the ground. Earlier this year, Smotrich said that Gaza’s civilian population will soon be “concentrated” in southern Gaza and forced to leave the territory.“The Gazan citizens will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places,”Smotrich said in May.

Ben Gvir Calls for 'Luxury Neighborhood' for Israel Police To Be Built on Ruins of Gaza - Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Monday that he wanted to build a “luxurious” neighborhood for Israeli police on the ruins of Gaza and repeated his calls for the settlement of Jews and the expulsion of Palestinians from the Strip, The Times of Israel has reported.“We will finish the mission, occupy Gaza,” Ben Gvir told a cheering crowd at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, Israel. He said that once the occupation is complete, he wants to “establish a neighborhood of police officers” on Gaza’s Coast, which he said would include high-rise buildings.“The time has come to settle — Jewish settlement, the time has come to encourage voluntary emigration [of Gazans], the time has come to bring the death penalty for terrorists,” Ben Gvir added.“Voluntary migration” is a term that Ben Gvir, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other high-level Israeli officials use to discuss their ultimate goal of the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians from Gaza. Ben Gvir has been one of the leading proponents of forcibly removing Palestinians from Gaza and establishing Jewish settlements. Last year, Ben Gvir, who is a West Bank settler, said he would be “very happy” to live in Gaza and said the removal of Palestinians from the territory was an “essential step” for future Israeli control and settlement of the Strip.

Explosive-Laden Robots Pour Into Gaza City: 'More Devastating Than Airstrikes' -Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Wednesday, "We have poured a lot of money into this war. We have to see how we are dividing up the land in percentages" amid the ongoing Gaza military operation. Importantly, he further described "the demolition" of Gaza City as "the first stage in the city’s renewal, we have already done. Now we just need to build." But how does Israel's military plan to do this? First, as we've detailed before, the IDF is utilizing airstrikes involving powerful missiles hitting the bases of high-rise buildings in order to collapse them in their own footprint. But for other buildings and structures in tightly-packed urban areas, there's increased reliance on explosive-laden robots, or something that might look straight out of Terminator 2 and Skynet.Walla news outlet says "unprecedented" number of explosive-laden, remote-controlled vehicles are being prepared to invade Gaza City alongside the ground infantry troops. The Israeli military commonly refers to them as "suicide APCs" - and they are capable of being driven deep into urban environments before causing huge explosions.They've been able to cause 'mega-blasts' so powerful that in some instances they can be heard as far away as central Israel. Palestinians have described "earth-shaking" explosions, with one eyewitness recently telling Middle East Eye that "they are far more devastating than air strikes."Gaza's Government Media Office has said over one hundred of these explosive robots have been used in about the past month alone. Hundreds of residential units and small business buildings have been destroyed.Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor details the following on how large the explosives can get: Each of these robots is loaded with highly explosive materials, sometimes weighing up to seven tonnes, and is directed to detonate in Jabalia al-Balad and Jabalia al-Nazla north of Gaza City; the Zeitoun, al-Sabra, al-Shuja’iyya, and al-Tuffah neighbourhoods south and east of Gaza City; as well as the al-Saftawi and Abu Iskandar areas northwest of Gaza City. The unprecedented pace of destruction of residential neighborhoods in Gaza City using explosive-laden robots indicates Israel’s determination to wipe the city off the map. At the current rate, the rest of the city could be destroyed within two months, a timeline that may shorten further given the Israeli army’s massive firepower and the absence of any pressure to halt its crimes against Palestinians.Often it is outdated M113 armored personnel carriers that are turned into autonomous vehicles and strapped with the large explosives. The fact that they are modified personnel carriers means that they can carry a very large payload.

MbS meets Iran's Larijani, Pakistan’s Sharif amid Gaza war --Saudi Arabia this week hosted senior officials from Iran and Pakistan in meetings that highlight Riyadh’s growing role as a diplomatic hub in the region, as Israel’s war on Gaza and strikes beyond its borders fuel wider instability. Iran’s Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in Riyadh on Tuesday. According to Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, the talks "reviewed Saudi-Iranian relations. In addition to discussing several other issues and topics of common interest, we discussed developments in the regional situation and the efforts being made to achieve security and stability". Iranian media said the meetings covered security and economic cooperation. Larijani was quoted by Iran International as saying that "countries in the region feel that what Iran has long said - that an adventurous actor prevents stability - has now taken a more concrete shape", in an apparent reference to Israel. His comments came less than a week after an Israeli airstrike in Doha killed six people, an attack condemned by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Riyadh for a state visit. Arab News reported that the trip, at the invitation of MbS, aims to "review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest". Sharif’s office described Saudi Arabia as a "key economic ally and strategic partner". The visit is expected to address trade, investment and labour ties at a time when Pakistan faces ongoing fiscal challenges. The back-to-back visits emphasise Saudi Arabia’s balancing strategy. Since shelving US-brokered normalisation talks with Israel in late 2023, Riyadh has sought to reduce tensions with Iran and deepen partnerships across the Muslim world while maintaining close ties with Washington. Regional analysts say Israeli operations - from Gaza to recent strikes in Lebanon and Qatar - have accelerated the pace of consultations. The presence of both Larijani and Sharif in Riyadh in the same week signals Saudi Arabia’s intent to position itself as a key interlocutor in the evolving regional order.

EU floats proposal to curb Israel trade ties over Gaza war -- The European Commission proposed a much-delayed plan aimed at pressuring Israel into halting its war on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, but it could struggle to take effect due to remaining divisions among member states. On Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged the bloc’s 27 nations to adopt a proposal that will impact the European Union–Israel Association Agreement, while imposing sanctions on Israeli extremists Kallas urged the bloc’s member states to increase tariffs on Israeli goods and to sanction the most prominent extreme-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – both of whom have advocated staunchly for the continuation of the Gaza war, and the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.The sanctions would essentially freeze any of their assets in the EU and ban them from travelling to the bloc.The EU's top diplomat also proposed the imposition of sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, as well as 10 members of Hamas, who have yet to be named.The proposal would also see a halt on EU countries offering support to Israel, with the exception of support for civil society groups and Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre."We are proposing these measures not to punish Israel or the Israeli people, but to really try to pressure the Israeli government to change course and to end the human suffering in Gaza," Kallas said. "The war needs to end, the suffering must stop, and all hostages must be released."In a statement, the Commission added: "The proposals follow a review of Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the Agreement, which found that actions taken by the Israeli government represent a breach of essential elements relating to respect for human rights and democratic principles. This entitles the EU to suspend the Agreement unilaterally". "Specifically, this breach refers to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza following the military intervention of Israel, the blockade of humanitarian aid, the intensifying of military operations and the decision of the Israeli authorities to advance the settlement plan in the so-called E1 area of the West Bank, which further undermines the two-state solution," it added.Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who at first offered support to Israel during the onset of the war nearly two years ago, said the proposal to suspend trade and sanction Israeli extremists is a reflection of the bloc’s response to the "horrific events in Gaza and the recent developments in the West Bank".The EU, however, has been divided over its response to Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza over the past 23 months, which has killed close to 65,000 Palestinians.It has also faced mounting pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters across Europe over its response to the war, with demonstrations staged frequently, urging more action, rather than statements of condemnation only.Countries such as Spain and Ireland have urged economic sanctions, severing of ties and other consequences in answer to the war, but Germany has mostly remained by Israel’s side due to its Staatsräson policy, or reason of state, in response to the events of the Holocaust.The remaining divisions have raised questions on whether the proposal will be implemented or not. In June, however, the EU's diplomatic corps found that Israel had violated the human rights component of that agreement during its brutal military campaign in Gaza.If enough EU nations agree, however, tariffs amounting to about 230 million euros ($166 million) will be slapped on the 15.9 billion euros of Israeli goods exported to the EU, said Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission trade representative.The EU currently levies no tariffs on Israeli imports due to an Association Agreement.

EU proposes action on Israel trade and ministers over Gaza - The European Union on Wednesday proposed curbing trade ties with Israel and sanctioning ministers in its strongest action yet over the war in Gaza, though reluctance from key member states risks blocking adoption. The bloc's executive, however, said it would take immediate action by freezing some 20 million euros ($23.7 million) in support for Israel. Pressure has mounted on the 27-nation bloc to act against Israel over its devastating near two-year offensive in Gaza. "The horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis must stop," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said. "There needs to be an immediate ceasefire, unrestrained access for all humanitarian aid, and the release of all hostages held by Hamas." Under its new proposals, Brussels is pressing to suspend the parts of a cooperation deal that allow for reduced tariffs on goods coming from Israel. Officials said the measure would hit more than a third of Israel's exports to the EU, worth around six billion euros -- including agricultural produce such as dates and nuts. The commission also called for asset freezes and visa bans on far-right Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich over their "extremist" rhetoric. Those measures -- initially floated by von der Leyen in a speech last week -- represent the firmest attempt by the EU chief to pressure Israel. "Today marks a critical turning point in holding Israel accountable," said Irish foreign minister Simon Harris. But opposition from states including Germany, Italy and Greece means the bloc will struggle to get the backing of enough EU countries to go through. That reluctance has already stalled a softer proposal to cut funding to Israeli tech firms, much to the ire of the EU countries demanding action. Von der Leyen's commission does have the power to freeze bilateral support. That step will not include funds going to help civil society groups and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. Israel called the move "morally and politically distorted". "Any action against Israel will receive an appropriate response, and we hope we will not have to use them," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas insisted the aim was "not to punish Israel" but to try to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

More universities around the world sever ties with Israeli academia over war on Gaza -More universities and educational institutions are announcing the severing of all ties with Israeli academia, citing the ongoing war on Gaza and accusations that it is complicit in the government’s actions against Palestinians. Some of the latest institutions to announce they are cutting ties with Israeli academia include Trinity College Dublin and the University of Amsterdam, which ended a student exchange programme with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Last year, Brazil’s Federal University of Ceara also announced that it had cancelled an innovation summit with an Israeli university, while other academic bodies in Norway, Spain, and Belgium stated that they too would be severing ties with Israeli academia. The European Association of Social Anthropologists further added that it will no longer be collaborating with Israeli academic bodies, calling on its members to take similar action. The growing move to cut ties with Israeli educational institutions comes as over 90 percent of school buildings have been damaged or destroyed by Israel in Gaza, according to Save the Children. Israel has also killed around 19,000 children in the war on Gaza, the enclave’s government media office said last month, while the total toll from the war stands at over 64,000. Stephanie Adam, from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, told reporters that the decision comes due to Israeli academic bodies being "complicit" with what several international rights groups have determined to be a genocide in Gaza. He said that there is a "moral and legal obligation for universities to end ties with complicit Israel universities," adding that many Israeli academic institutions were complicit in "Israel’s decades-long regime of military occupation, settler colonial apartheid and now genocide". Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a British Palestinian surgeon who travelled to Gaza amid the war to assist overwhelmed medical teams but has since been banned from returning by Israel, said that the UK is blocking academics and students in the UK from carrying out academic boycotts of Tel Aviv. He said the move has prompted many researchers to take unofficial action, adding that "the moral outrage about what the Israelis are doing is leading more and more academics to take personal decisions, not to have joint projects with Israelis". "The threat of academic boycott is sufficient to push the Israeli government into ending this genocide," Abu-Sittah said. Despite international outrage against Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, some institutions in the UK, Germany and France have refused to join calls to cut ties to Israeli academia. One such example is Universities UK, which issued a statement saying it does not support an academic boycott. A Universities UK spokesperson told reporters that the institution has a "longstanding public position of being committed to the free exchange of ideas, regardless of nationality or location. As such, we do not endorse blanket academic boycotts, as this would represent an infringement of academic freedom". The Royal Society also said it does not support academic boycotts. According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, around 660,000 children in Gaza have been deprived of education for the third consecutive year due to Israel’s war on the enclave. The organisation said the bombardment and destruction of infrastructure in the enclave have violated students’ right to education and breached Israel’s obligations as a Member State of the UN.

UK to bar Israelis from The Royal College of Defence Studies - In a major blow to Tel Aviv, the UK government confirmed on Sunday that it is banning students from Israel from joining one of the country’s most prestigious defence academies, the Royal College of Defence Studies. The ban will come into effect from next year, the government said, and comes amid Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, which has killed over 64,000 Palestinians and decimated the enclave since October 2023. According to The Telegraph, the move marks the first time that the institution has barred Israelis since it was founded in 1927. The report added that a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said that British military educational courses have historically been open to people from "a wide range of countries, with all UK military courses emphasising compliance with international humanitarian law". The spokesperson continued: "However, the Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong". They further said that "there must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza". The decision comes as Israel faces global condemnation and scrutiny over war crimes committed in Gaza, including starving the population and triggering a famine by obstructing emergency aid and cutting off essential supplies to the enclave. The Israeli army has further displaced much of the population, targeted schools, shelters, hospitals and places of worship, as well as killed over 200 journalists since the start of the war. Despite ceasefire proposals put forward by mediators and warnings from global rights groups and the UN, Israel has continued to relentlessly pound the Strip. The exclusion of Israel from the academy follows the UK government’s decision to also ban Israeli officials from taking part in the country’s largest arms exhibition. Last year, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer further suspended 30 of 350 British arms export licenses to Israel amid growing international pressure. The decision to ban Israelis from the academy has angered Amir Baram, the director-general of Tel Aviv’s defence ministry, who previously studied at the same college. Baram denounced the decision as a "profoundly dishonourable act of disloyalty to an ally at war".

Severely ill Gaza children arrive in UK for treatment - A first group of severely ill children from Gaza have arrived in the UK under a scheme allowing them to receive urgent medical treatment, the British government said Wednesday. A cross-government taskforce has spent weeks coordinating the "complex humanitarian operation" to evacuate the children and their immediate families for specialist care under the state-run National Health Service (NHS), it added. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it had supported the medical evacuations of 10 "critical" children from Gaza to the UK, alongside 50 of their companions. It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in July his government would launch the scheme for an unspecified number of children hit by the war. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement on Wednesday welcoming the evacuations that Gaza's healthcare system has been "decimated" and "hospitals are no longer functioning". She added the children's arrival "reflects our determined commitment to humanitarian action and the power of international cooperation". "We continue to call for the protection of medical infrastructure and health workers in Gaza, and for a huge increase in medicines and supplies to be allowed in." The evacuees were first taken to Jordan, where they were supported by British Embassy staff and underwent security checks. The WHO and Jordanian government supported the UK with the transits, alongside a British emergency medical team and NHS clinical staff. London has not confirmed how many children have arrived but said more youngsters and their immediate families were expected in the coming weeks.

A year on: Lebanese survivors of pager attacks still recovering - Zainab Mustarah once spent her days running an events planning firm in Beirut. But for the last year, she has been in and out of surgery to save the remnants of her right hand and both eyes, maimed when Israel detonated booby-trapped pagers in Lebanon. On September 17, 2024, thousands of pagers carried by members of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah exploded simultaneously, followed the next day by booby-trapped walkie-talkies. Thirty-nine people were killed and more than 3,400 wounded, including children and other civilians who were near the devices when they blew up but were not members of the Iran-backed group. Mustarah, now 27, was one of the wounded. She told news agency Reuters she was working from home when the pager, which belonged to a relative, beeped as if receiving a message. It exploded without her touching it, leaving her conscious but with severe wounds to her face and hand. Her last year has been a flurry of 14 operations, including in Iran, with seven cosmetic reconstruction surgeries left to go. She lost the fingers on her right hand and 90% of her sight. "I can no longer continue with interior design because my vision is 10%. God willing, next year we will see which university majors will suit my wounds, so I can continue," she said.The exploding pagers and walkie-talkies were the opening salvo of a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah that left the group badly weakened and swathes of Lebanon in ruins. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light for the attacks, his spokesperson said two months later. A Reuters investigation found that Israel had concealed a small but potent charge of plastic explosive and a detonator into thousands of pagers procured by the group.They were carried by fighters, but also by members of Hezbollah's social services branches and medical services.The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said at the time that the explosions were "shocking, and their impact on civilians unacceptable." He said simultaneously targeting thousands of people without knowing precisely who was in possession of the targeted devices, or where they were, "violates international human rights law and, to the extent applicable, international humanitarian law." Mohammed Nasser al-Din, 34, was the director of the medical equipment and engineering department at Al-Rasoul Al-Aazam Hospital, a Hezbollah-affiliated facility, at the time of the pager blasts. He said he had a pager to be easily reached for any maintenance needs there. At the hospital on September 17 last year, he spoke by phone with his wife to check in on their son's first day back at school. Moments later, his pager exploded. The blast cost him his left eye and left fingers and lodged shrapnel in his skull. He lay in a coma for two weeks and is still undergoing surgeries to his face.

At least 50 Sudanese refugees dead in Libya shipwreck: IOM -- At least 50 Sudanese refugees have died off the coast of eastern Libya after their boat caught fire, an International Organization for Migration spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday. "The tragic incident took place when a rubber boat carrying 75 Sudanese refugees caught fire off the coast of Tobruk, Libya, while en route to Greece," the spokesperson said. "At least 50 lives were lost." The IOM said in a post on X that the shipwreck occurred Sunday. The spokesperson did not provide details of the ages or gender of those on board the boat. "IOM provided immediate lifesaving medical care to the 24 survivors," the spokesperson added without clarifying if one last person was still missing. Libya is a key transit country for thousands of migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea each year. At least 456 people died and 420 were reported missing along the central Mediterranean route between January 1 and September 13, according to the IOM. Libyan authorities have so far this year intercepted and returned 17,402 migrants to Libya, including 1,516 women and 586 children. The war in neighbouring Sudan between the army and paramilitaries has pushed over 140,000 refugees into Libya in the past two years, nearly doubling the number of Sudanese refugees in the country. Many brave near-slavery conditions in Libya, migrants have told AFP, and the dangerous sea crossing in attempts to reach Europe. The IOM considers the central Mediterranean crossing one of the deadliest migrant routes in the world. In 2024, 2,573 people trying to reach Europe died in the Mediterranean Sea, it said. Libya is still plagued by division and instability after years of unrest following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It remains divided between the UN-recognised government in the west and its eastern rival, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar. Smugglers and human traffickers have taken advantage of the instability, leading to human rights violations, including extortion and slavery, according to rights groups.

Bank Of Canada Resumes Rate Cuts After 6 Month Pause - The Bank of Canada cuts rates by 25bp to 2.50%, as expected. This was the 8th consecutive rate cut since the easing cycle started one year ago, and took place after the bank paused following its last rate cut in March, 6 months ago. Governor Tiff Macklem said that while "considerable uncertainty remains", there was a "clear consensus" within the committee for the first rate cut since March, as slowing population gains and a weak labor market were a drag on consumption while the economy was weaker and there was "less upside risk to inflation." The BoC head explained that the "Governing Council judged that a reduction in the policy rate was appropriate to better balance the risks going forward." Additionally, he noted the upward pressure on CPI has diminished. The BoC removed the language from the prior statement which said, "if a weakening economy puts further downward pressure on inflation and the upward price pressures from the trade disruptions are contained, there may be a need for a reduction in the policy interest rate".